Coast Guard Academy Wedding

Coast Guard Academy Wedding {09.15.2018}

Venue/ Catering: Coast Guard Academy

Hair + Makeup: The Beauty Bar

Flora: Thames River Greenery

Cake: The Cake Lady

DJ: DJ Siagel

BFF’s (Best friends first)

Emily + Dan met through mutual friends on a chance night out. Dan quickly fell for Emily’s dainty-ness and sunny disposition 😉 Emily took a little more time to realize they should be dating, but fortunately that didn’t prevent them from becoming fast friends. Months went by when they hung out together and went out, but always with their group of friends, actually so much that they were already dating by the time they went out on their first official date by themselves! They had so much in common already; they are both in the military, love adventure, travel, and great coffee shops. The couple is close with their families and love spontaneity. It didn’t take long before they realized they were with the person they wanted to be with forever.

An Easter Proposal

Since Emily + Dan never shied away from the topic of marriage, a proposal was imminent. Aside from how beautiful she is, Dan also loves how “crazy smart” she is. Emily makes him really think, always adding in an opinion that makes him think twice about his. She loves how he is the life of the party and can always make anything fun. She also loves that he is driven and did I mention his dance moves? (You can check those out below 😉

Dan had come up with an EGG-cellent proposal plan for Emily, involving an Easter egg hunt (see what I did there?!) But after chatting with her Gram the morning of, and her telling him about all that could go wrong with the plan, he had to think quick on his feet. They were already surrounded by family, a very important part of the proposal, but Dan needed a moment alone. He went outside and waited for Emily to join him. Fortunately she didn’t make him wait too long and strolled out to see what he was up to 5 minutes later. Dan first tried to give her a ring pop, but then got down on one knee and with the real deal delivered her the suave Dan proposal. She of course said “YES!” and they celebrated with the fam! The plans for a Coast Guard Academy wedding soon started coming together!

This wedding was a destination wedding for the couple, who live in North Carolina. Dan is an alumni of the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT, so it was a natural choice for the two. It has a beautiful church, and lots of scenic grounds for photos. The day started with Emily and all her gorgeous girls getting ready at Mystic Marriott in the Parlor Suite. She shared a sweet moment with her sister when she gifted her with a gorgeous bracelet from Tiffany, her “something blue”. Then we were off to do a first look by the water.

Dan was looking so great (especially his hair!) in his all white uniform which truly complimented Emily. Of course she was also looking stunning in her gown and the gorgeous blue water behind them only added to the dreamy scene. His look was just pure joy as he saw his absolutely radiant bride for the first time that day. This couple is very fun, so of course they laughed a ton and they were amazing to photograph.

We also had a lot of fun with their awesome bridal party, and sweet family. We moved inside for the ceremony with tons of light coming in through the windows and gorgeous flowers everywhere. I loved how Dan had his parents stand with him at the alter as Emily walked down the aisle. I loved this because it’s usually the best man next to the groom, and one of my favorite photos to take is always the best man looking at the groom, smirking almost as his best friend is trying to hold it together and not cry. But this time it was his dad, and an even greater photo. After the couple were pronounced as Mr. + Mrs. Reilly it was time to party!! The cool thing about the Coast Guard Academy is there are multiple places to use. We moved down to the Alumni Hall for cocktail hour, and then to the Officer’s Club for the reception.

I mentioned family and friends were important to the couple, and I also loved what they did to celebrate them. Instead of having the DJ introduce the wedding party as they walked in, Emily and Dan welcomed everyone to their wedding and they introduced their friends to the crowd with personal stories and why they were chosen to be a part of the wedding. It was such a personal touch and such a great way to let everyone know just how loved the wedding party was.

After that is was nothing but dinner, dancing, and some serious fun. I also love a good father of the bride toast, and Mr. Hegarty delivered a beautiful tribute to his daughter and new son in law. Another highlight of the evening was when Dan took out his officer’s sword to cut the cake. A little excessive perhaps haha but hysterical!!

These two are what true love dreams are made of. Emily put it best when she says it’s about lots of love, lots of laughs and lots of adventure. I know there is only going to be continually more and more of this for you in the future!! Thank you so much for having me be a part of this most magical day!! Enjoy some of my favorite photos from this beautiful Coast Guard Academy wedding below.

xo~ Ames