In a bold move that was either destined for love or doomed for heartbreak, Michael asked Jenny out on their first date on Valentine’s Day—and luckily for both of them, the move paid off! An outing to Baker Beach in San Francisco quickly turned into a love connection for this East Coast gal and West Coast guy, who found themselves at the right place at the right time—living in the Bay Area. They spent the early days of their relationship hiking, fishing, and enjoying weekend getaways to Napa and Sonoma. It was on a weekend getaway to their favorite town of Carmel, Ca., that Michael surprised Jenny with a proposal in the company of her entire family—who traveled all the way from D.C. for the occasion.
Although they fell in love on the West Coast, they decided to move the party East for their big day. Jenny’s parents’ second home in St. Michaels inspired the setting at the waterfront Inn at Perry Cabin, where we helped bring a California cool vibe to this East Coast meets West Coast soiree. Inspired by the terrain of California’s wine country, topiaries, faded woods and lush greens set the scene at the Inn at Perry Cabin. Beneath the sailcloth tent, mixed tables and seating—including curved settees anchored by oversized pedestal urns—kept things relaxed. Meanwhile, driftwood chargers were layered with slate place cards, gold and white flatware, and olive branch sprigs to give life to the Napa Valley meets Chesapeake Bay theme. See more from this wedding on Brides.com!
Vendors:
Photography: Eric Kelley
Planning & Design: Kari Rider Events
Florals & Rentals: Amaryllis Inc.
Ceremony Venue: St. Michaels Mission Church
Reception Venue: Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond
Rentals: White Glove Rentals
Linens: La Tavola Linen
Invitation & Paper Goods: Stephanie B Design
Cake: Chef Steven Anthony
Tent: Sugarplum Tents
Hair & Makeup: Amie Decker Beauty
Bride’s Dress: Amsale
Shoes: Valentino
Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale
Band: Rhythm 6
Transportation: Extroardinar Limousine
Outdoor weddings are pretty much our jam! And being that most of our events are under a tent near the water, we’re constantly looking for ways to beat the elements—namely wind. One of our biggest problem areas is place cards. Unless there is virtually no breeze, traditional tented place cards just don’t work (paper + wind = lots of stress!). Fortunately for our couples, we love dreaming up place cards that not only withstand the wind but also add a pop of creativity. Here are some of our favorites from past event designs!
Oyster Shells
A fun nod to the Chesapeake Bay, they’re the perfect addition to any waterside event!
Photography: Renee Hollingshead; Calligraphy: Surcee Calligraphy; Florals: Floral & Bloom
Tiles
We love getting creative with tile place cards like these marble and slate options. They’re weighted enough to hold up to the wind and they add the perfect pop of texture to a place setting!
Photography: Eric Kelley (top), Elizabeth Fogarty (bottom); Calligraphy: Stephanie B Design; Florals: Amaryllis Designs (top), Crimson & Clover (bottom)
Favors
It doesn’t get any cuter than these local honey favors. We used them as “escort cards” to direct guests to their table but they could easily serve as place cards at the table as well.
Photography: Kate Headley; Tags: Stephanie B Design
Clipboards
We used this gorgeous gold clip/white board combo for a wedding where our bride and groom were both educators. Does it get any cuter?
Photography: Renee Hollingshead; Paper Goods: Susan Wilson Designs
Tags
You can stick with traditional paper tags or get creative with materials like leather—yes please! Either way, tie them around your napkin and/or menu with ribbon or string and we’re sold!
Photography: Elizabeth Fogarty (bottom); Tags: Jessica McSweeney Calligraphy (top), Surcee Calligraphy (bottom)
Placemats
A great option when you’re using raw textures like farm tables. Plus the color options are endless!
Photography: Audra Wrisley; Calligraphy: Stephanie B Design; Florals: Floral & Bloom
Sandwich Boards
We’re obsessed with these mini sandwich board place cards from one of our studio tablescapes. Can’t wait to see them in action at a wedding soon!
Photography: Renee Hollingshead; Sandwich Board Calligraphy: Surcee Calligraphy; Florals: Sophie Felts
Holders
If you love the look of paper place cards, using holders rather than tenting them is a fun way to beat the wind. We love these adorable geometric holders but there are so many cute options for every style.
Photography: Lauren Swann; Calligraphy: Surcee Calligraphy; Florals: Monteray Farms
Nothing says “summer wedding” like a palette of coastal blues, colorful blooms, hand-dipped ice cream, and endless sailboat views. Fortunately for guests at Amy & Ben’s Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum wedding, that was exactly the scene! With both the bride and groom working as principals at schools in D.C., we wanted to incorporate some subtle nods to their careers in education—coming in the form of adorable white “clipboard” menus with the cutest little gold clips. We carried that theme into the escort display, as well, using wooden clipboards to create contrast with the white board, blue lettering and vibrant blooms. The maritime setting inspired the rest of the décor—layers of coastal blues, scalloped gold-rimmed chargers, a self-service beer boat, and a gorgeous sailcloth tent, to name a few details. The result was a relaxed and intimate celebration with perfect personalization and even more perfect weather (80 and sunny with a fabulous breeze—will we ever get that in July again?!).
Vendors:
Photography: Renee Hollingshead Photography
Planning, Design & Styling: Kari Rider Events
Venue: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Florist: Monteray Farms
Catering: Gourmet by the Bay
Tent & Rentals: Eastern Shore Tents & Events
Rentals: DC Rental
Invitation & Paper Goods: Susan Wilson Designs
Cake: Bay Country Bakery
Ice Cream Cart: Scottish Highland Creamery
Hair: PSC Hair Artistry
Makeup: Natural Makeup Chic
DJ: Mixing Maryland, Kyle Moore
Ceremony Musicians: Bay Strings
Transportation: Extroardinar Limousine
Kari Rider Events is a boutique event planning and design company crafting elegant, individually styled celebrations on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and beyond. Our blog features real weddings designed by our team, shoots we've styled for magazines and other blogs, and lots of wedding tips and inspiration. Thanks for stopping by and we look forward to hearing from you!
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