Lauren & Kerry’s Wedding at Howard County Conservancy and Merriweather Lakehouse
Lauren and Kerry had a beautiful Maryland wedding that started in at the Merriweather Lakehouse in Columbia and ended at the the Howard County Conservancy for the ceremony and the reception.
I really liked how different the two locations were. The Conservancy gave us a lot of outdoor space and natural scenery for photographs, while Merriweather Lakehouse gave us a completely different look and feel for bridal prep and pictures by the lake.
It also gave me a lot of variety to work with throughout the day.
Getting Ready
The day started with everyone getting ready and preparing for the ceremony. Lauren looked amazing in her wedding dress from K&B Bridals. I always like this part of the wedding day because there are a lot of small moments happening before the ceremony. Family and friends are coming in and out, everyone is getting ready, and there is usually a mix of excitement and nervousness.
Those are the moments I want to photograph without making everything feel staged. I wanted Lauren to feel ready for the day because she knew I can help her by capturing the special moments.
The Ceremony at Howard County Conservancy
The ceremony took place at the Howard County Conservancy in Woodstock, Maryland. The Conservancy is a great location for wedding photography. There are gardens, trees, open fields, and plenty of natural areas to use for portraits. It gives the photographs a very different look from a traditional hotel or ballroom wedding.
Lauren and Kerry were able to have their ceremony surrounded by the Maryland landscape, which made for some great photographs. After the ceremony, we spent some time taking family photos, wedding party photos, and portraits of the couple around the property. One of the things I liked most about photographing Lauren and Kerry was that we were able to keep the portraits pretty natural. Instead of spending the entire afternoon posing for photographs, we were able to get the important photos done and then let the day continue.
Wedding Coordination by Plan It to the T
With the wedding taking place at two different locations, having a good coordinator was especially important. Plan It To The T coordinated the wedding and helped keep everything moving throughout the day.
There are a lot of moving parts when a wedding includes multiple locations. Getting everyone where they need to be, keeping the timeline on track, and making sure the couple doesn't have to worry about all of those details makes a huge difference. Lauren and Kerry were able to focus on enjoying the day while the logistics were handled behind the scenes.
The Reception
After the ceremony and portraits at the Conservancy, everyone headed inside for the reception. Although we were still at the Conservancy, it felt like we stepped into a different world. Once we went inside, the day shifted from an outdoor wedding to a night of dinner, drinks, and dancing.
It was time to party.
A Great Combination of Locations
What made Lauren and Kerry's wedding especially fun to photograph was the combination of the two venues. The Howard County Conservancy gave us a lot of natural scenery and outdoor photographs, while Merriweather Lakehouse gave us a completely different setting.
It meant that the final gallery wasn't just a collection of posed wedding photographs. It showed the entire day and how it changed from the ceremony to the reception.
That's one of the things I like most about wedding photography. Every wedding has its own story, and my job is to document what actually happened rather than recreate the day for the camera.
Congratulations to Lauren and Kerry! It was great being there to photograph your wedding and celebrate with you both.
Wedding Vendors
Wedding Coordinator: Plan It To The T
Decor: Plan It To The T
Catering: Plan It To The T
Wedding Dress: K&B Bridals
DJ: DJ CO Syl
Ceremony: Howard County Conservancy
Reception & Hotel: Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Collection
Photography: Jays Fine Art Photography
