Amanda + Dan | Cloisters Castle, Lutherville Wedding

This Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Amanda and Dan’s beautiful wedding at Cloisters Castle in Lutherville, Maryland. You may remember Amanda and Dan from their engagement session this past November in Fells Point. From my first meeting with these two I loved their relationship and personalities. Amanda had said for years that she would never get married, but when she met Dan, everything changed. From their touching first look, to their willingness to go out into the cold for some night shots, to the milk and cookie bar–this is one of my favorite weddings of all time and was the perfect way to kick off the 2014 wedding season!

I started off the day at the hotel where Amanda was getting ready to get some shots of her and her girls getting their hair and makeup done, and also to grab the dress and other accessories/details to take with me to Cloisters. Amanda got ready at the Radisson Cross Keys, which although was a beautiful hotel with ample space for details, I’m so glad I was able to shoot at Cloisters. You’ll see why :)

Cloisters is such an amazing venue just off of 695 in Lutherville. I can’t believe I lived in that area for so long and never knew this was tucked away back there! Such a gorgeous place! Amanda’s bridal gown was absolutely stunning. I’m so glad she trusted me to take it to the venue and get some shots of it with the beautiful backdrops that Cloisters had to offer. I am obsessed with how these turned out. The lace detail, the ruched top, and the beaded sash combined so many gorgeous elements into one perfect gown! And the spiral staircase made for an amazing backdrop! I am a wee bit obsessed with Amanda’s engagement ring. The emerald is so stunning and vibrant! Her wedding band was made with diamonds from Dan’s grandmother’s wedding ring. I love how perfectly it fit with her engagement ring, and yet also had a completely different look to it! I’m a huge fan of non-matchy ring sets and this one had me swooning. While I was waiting for Amanda to arrive, I went across the hall to photograph Dan and the groomsmen getting ready.  Dan had the coolest Baltimore cufflinks, and purple Vans for his “dancing shoes”. Once Amanda was dressed, we headed outside for their first look. Amanda says to Dan “So this is the surprise. Do you like?” and his response melted my heart: “This is the best surprise of my life.” Amanda surprised Dan with a Tardis pocket square, which is incredibly awesome. We had plenty of time before the ceremony for portraits of the lovely couple and bridal party photos! I’ll let these speak for themselves. I never see any photos of this amazing room when I look at Cloisters weddings. There is a library that would make any little girl who grew up wishing she was Belle from Beauty and the Beast giddy. The bar took up most of the room but we were still able to get a few shots showing off the library’s awesomeness.Of course, the famous spiral staircase was used as well. These are some of my favorites! Amanda was such a stunning bride. She just radiated happiness. The florals by Ellen from Local Color Flowers were fun and colorful and gorgeous as always! The ceremony site was decorated with more of the beautiful wildflowers. It was such a beautiful day, in a perfect spot to get married. Amanda and Dan chose to do a handfasting ceremony. With questions like “Dan, will you anger Amanda?” and answers like “Most Definitely” (don’t worry, the follow up question was “is this your intent?” and the answer was “no”) this ceremony was both sweet, honest, and funny. Which perfectly embodies what I know of their relationship.  They both had written their own vows, which were very sweet and caused many to shed a tear, myself included. Yay! Married!The reception was held inside the Cloisters “Castle” itself. As well as beautiful flower arrangements, each table had family photos spanning many generations, and their guests enjoyed going from table to table to see each of the photos! The cake/cupcake table had pictures of little Amanda and little Dan! So cute!As well as delicious cupcakes, there was also a candy bar, and later on in the night, a milk and cookie bar. So many yummy treats! Touching speeches were given by both dads, the Maid of Honor and Best Man. And following the father/daughter and mother/son dances, it was party time! Following the cake cutting, a milk and cookie bar was set up. I’ve honestly never really been too keen on milk, but these little shots of milk were the perfect combination (and portion) to go along with the delicious cookies! Towards the end of the night, I took Amanda and Dan out for a couple of night shots… as always, I love to mix it up! Amanda and Dan, I’m so glad you chose me to be your wedding photographer. I have loved getting to know you and spending your wedding day with you! I hope you love your photos and enjoy your honeymoon to GREECE! Ahhhhh, so jealous! :)

Vendors
Photographer: Photography by Brea
Assistant, bag-holder, and overall lifesaver: Jeana Lombard
Officiant: Paul Kaup
Caterer: Matt from Zeffert and Gold
Bakery: Pink Rhino Cupcakes
Dress: Allure Bridals from Arielle Bridal
Florist: Ellen from Local Color Flowers
Hair: Leanna Bernsten
Makeup: Sarah Berkowitz with Featherweight Makeup Artistry
Invitations: By the Bride!