When Lauren first reached out to me about documenting her wedding, it was planned to be an Annapolis courthouse wedding. Her family would be waiting to greet the newlyweds outside of the courthouse (as guests were still not permitted inside) and she was hoping to capture some beautiful family photos in downtown Annapolis.
Lauren and Tony crossed paths through work. Neither of them was looking for love, but their connection grew naturally. Friendship and innocent flirtation grew into deeper love, and they began their lives together in a row home in Baltimore, Maryland. Their love and family expanded when Tate, their first sweet little boy, came along as a bit of a surprise. Tate quickly became the love of their lives, and it wasn’t long before they decided that their family wasn’t complete yet. Baby Banks was born about two years later, and the family moved to Severna Park, where Lauren grew up, to have more space for their growing boys.
The day of Lauren and Tony’s wedding, the weather was calling for rain, pouring rain, for most of the day. As plans often do, their wedding day plans changed. Tony and Lauren stopped in at St. John the Evangelist in Severna Park, the parish that Lauren grew up in, and spoke with Father Erik about the possibility of getting married in the church. Father Erik recognized the magnitude of the couple choosing to celebrate the sacrament of marriage in the Catholic church, when keeping plans for a courthouse wedding would be simple and easy, and agreed to marry them in the chapel the next afternoon.
When I spoke with Tony’s father before the ceremony, he told me that his mother, Tony’s grandmother has passed away the week before the wedding. He told me that she adored Tony, and that she used to always pray to St. Anthony for Tony to find a nice girl. He couldn’t help but think that she was up in heaven now, talking to God, and had something to do with her grandson and his beautiful bride’s sudden change of plans and the ability, even with asking last minute, for them to get married in the Catholic Church.
The rain that day caused lots of delays on the roads, and Lauren arrived at the church just in time for their 2:30pm ceremony on Friday, June 11th, 2021. Surrounded by their parents, great aunt, brothers, sisters and their two sweet little boys, Tony and Lauren exchanged vows in a beautiful, intimate ceremony. They intently listened as Father Erik spoke of their commitment to one another and their family, and their love for one another was evident as they placed a ring on one another’s fingers, symbolizing their lifelong commitment to this union.
As we headed back into the traffic to make our way to downtown Annapolis, it truly seemed like the clouds parted and the rain slowed for us, just in time for us to capture some sweet moments of the newlyweds in Annapolis near the Maryland State House. Tony and Lauren were a joy to capture in photos, and I could not help but soak up their happiness as we spent some time together downtown, enjoying their first moments as a newly married couple.
We then made our way to the Chart House in Annapolis, for Lauren and Tony to host a small reception for family and close friends to celebrate with them. We captured a few more portraits on the dock, before heading inside for hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Lauren and Tony were joined by their families, as well as two of Lauren’s closest childhood friends, and their family, to celebrate and enjoy a wonderful dinner together.
Lauren and Tony, thank you so much for trusting me to document this beautiful moment in your lives. I truly enjoyed spending the day with you. Your families were absolutely wonderful and your love and adoration for one another was clear to me every moment that I spent with you. I cannot wait to watch your boys grow and capture more special moments for you in the future.