Hawks, Video Games, and a Typewriter Poet: A Couple's Personalized Wedding at Elkridge Furnace Inn

If you've attended enough weddings, it can start to become a cookie-cutter experience. But if you're lucky, you'll be invited to a personalized wedding that completely turns the concept of a wedding day on its head, and invests in the experience of the guests. Heather and Eric ignored the Pinterest wedding trends and opted instead to curate a day that reflected their love story, while also maximizing their guests' wonder and enjoyment of the day at Elkridge Furnace Inn.

Staying True to Themselves and Their Story

Heather and Eric aren't in love with the idea of being the center of attention. When we planned their engagement shoot, we decided on capturing their love for each other in their home, forgoing posed shots and favoring documentary portraits of them doing their favorite things: playing video games, reading books, and most importantly, playing with their cats.

We wanted to make sure their wedding day felt the same: low pressure, not too posed, and all about living in the moment of the special day they created.

After their first look, we got all their newlywed portraits done on the walk over to the altar where we took their formal family portraits. We got all these important photos done in under 17 minutes, because we knew that it was important to them to not feel like their wedding day was a photoshoot.

Documentary-style photography is a great approach to wedding portraiture if you don't want to feel like you're smiling for the camera all day, but you also value the importance of beautiful wedding photography. After we got the few formal shots out of the way, we were able to blend into the scenery and just capture the magic these two created for their gorgeous wedding day.

A Personalized Wedding Ceremony Like No Other

Heather and Eric's unique love was on full display during the personalized wedding ceremony they planned. They emphasized their equality in the marriage by walking down the aisle together and breaking the glass as one. The meaning of the breaking of the glass in Jewish tradition has shifted over the centuries, and the added symbolism of performing the act together contributes to what that message means for their relationship.

While these choices were whispers of their unique love story, the jaw-dropping delivering of the rings via hawk was a shout.

After the officiant asked for the rings, Heather donned a glove and called to a hawk, which swooped through the aisle with the rings in its talon. As a huge animal lover and bird parent myself, this detail was one of the most incredible ceremony experiences I've ever witnessed.

A Cocktail Hour That's Fun for Everyone

Sometimes cocktail hours and receptions can feel stuffy and boring, especially if you aren't a huge fan of custom cocktails or dancing. But Heather and Eric curated so many experiences for the guests to enjoy, from the youngest to the oldest guest among the group.

The yard was covered in lawn games and delicious appetizers so the kids (and fun adults) could play games while others chatted over food in the pleasant October evening air.

Indoors, a typewriter poet listened to guests recount a meaningful story from their lifetime, and he typed away a poem for them to enjoy on a custom letterhead bearing H&E. The tables had board games, and even the Pac Man videogame that the couple featured in their engagement photos.

Once the reception began, they offered light sticks, light-up crowns and bracelets, fun colorful glasses, and more for guests to play around with. While people waited for the dinner to begin, kids ran across the open dancefloor swashbuckling with glowsticks.

A Reception for the Ages

Just when guests thought there couldn't possibly be more entertainment for the evening, Heather and Eric invited dancers wearing light-up wings and floral hats to lead the dancefloor in keeping the party rocking.

Both the children and adults were in awe of the colorful display, and people of all ages flocked to the dancefloor to party with the professionals.

Celebrate Your Love In a Way that Celebrates You

It's easy to get lost in the wedding planning process. You have to make so many decisions, and when you get overwhelmed, you often default to the choice you've seen work for so many other couples.

But couples like Eric and Heather reminded all their guests that you get to create a wedding day that represents your love story and your personalities. When you commit to creating a personalized wedding that fully reflects who you are as individuals and as a couple, you might end up with a wedding day that doesn't look like anyone else's.

And that's exactly the point.

If you're looking to have your wedding documented by photographers who live for the weird and wonderful, reach out to Still Poetry Photography! We're a wife and husband team that loves to capture weddings that push the boundaries of what a celebration of love can look like.