A Governor Calvert House wedding: Courtney + Stephen - Jennifer McMenamin Photography

A Governor Calvert House wedding: Courtney + Stephen
Saint John Neumann Church & The Governor Calvert House | Annapolis wedding photographer | Annapolis wedding photography

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I met Courtney + Stephen through her sister, Rachel Hoffberger, who is the wonderfully talented force behind Plan It Perfect Events. I could not have been more flattered or honored that Rachel recommended me to capture all the joy and emotion of her older sister’s wedding day. And oh was there a lot of it! From a ceremony in a Catholic church that blended Jewish and Christian wedding customs and hilarious unscripted toasts that prompted the bride’s mother to encourage her husband to stick to his speech and the bride to ask her husband to just stop talking, to groomsmen who brought costume beards to poke fun at their friend’s former ZZ Top-esque facial hair and a wonderful photo tour of Annapolis spots important to the couple, it was a magnificent day. We were graced with oh-so-gorgeous late-summer weather and it was so joyful to photograph the way Courtney + Stephen looked at each other all day long. (I don’t think I would be wrong in saying that the bride seemed especially appreciative of her hubby’s new look after his nearly four years without shaving or trimming his hair and beard!) What’s more, when the sister of the bride is a wedding planner, you can pretty much count on working with a great team and that could not have been more true for Courtney + Stephen’s big day. That I got to work alongside some of my favorite friends for florals, videography, DJing, photo booth pictures and other services was the cherry on top of the day. Here are some favorites from Courtney + Stephen’s wonderful wedding:

We started at the Governor Calvert House, where both the bride and groom got ready for the day.

The bride, looking absolutely lovely.

The couple chose to see each other before the ceremony for photos.

Stephen wore a tie clip with a functioning slide rule that belonged to his late father. And how gorgeous are the dahlias and roses in Courtney’s bouquet?

Instead of a bus or a a limo or a shuttle, the couple, their wedding party and their families were whisked around Annapolis on a genuine trolley, complete with a clangy trolley bell!

Stephen’s mother seemed overcome with emotion from the first notes of Ave Maria during the processional.

My wonderful assistant, Lindsay, shot the next image on the right from the back of the aisle.

The deacon asks the couple’s guests how many of them had been wondering whether Stephen would trim his hair for the wedding.

Married!

After a few quick family photos in the church, we all jumped back on the trolley for some more casual fun photos around Annapolis with the couple’s family and friends.

We kept running into former students of Courtney, who worked in Anne Arundel County schools.

After a dapper portrait of the groom, his friends and brother pulled out the costume beards they had brought as a tribute to the groom’s former look. Hilarity ensued.

A few portraits of the newlyweds.

Rachel asked for a couple of photos with her seersucker-sporting boyfriend. I happily obliged.

A few photos from cocktail hour.

And a few reception details.

A quartet of toasts.

A first dance.

A pair of parent dances.

And lots and lots of merriment. Courtney + Stephen, we could not have had more fun with you, your friends and your families. Many, many congratulations to you both!