I am so excited to share Kelly and Hayden’s INCREDIBLE wedding!! Kelly and Hayden were married at Saint John the Baptist on Saturday, October 13, 2018, and celebrated with family and friends from near and far at the fun Hollywood Ballroom in Silver Spring, MD.
Kelly first contacted me last fall, and she already had so many incredible ideas for her wedding. I have been looking forward to this day for so long – and I know they have as well! It was so nice to meet them and discover that we have so much in common – including a love for pets (they have two wonderful and beautiful dogs, the sweetest cat, and a beautiful bunny!). They even included their pets in their engagement session, which was so much fun!
Kelly and her bridal party got ready at the Hilton Garden Inn in Silver Spring. When we arrived, the room was filled with excitement! Kelly and her bridal party were finishing up hair and makeup, and then, it was time for Kelly to put on her gorgeous wedding gown! After that, it was time to head to the church.
Kelly and Hayden got married at Saint John the Baptist, which is in such a gorgeous location. Kelly sent me some videos of the church grounds ahead of time, and it is absolutely stunning! We had a beautiful tree grove with the most perfect light for portraits, as well as a beautiful series of arches that made for the prettiest frame! While Kelly and Hayden did not want to have a first look in the traditional sense, they wanted to spend a few moments together before their ceremony. So Hayden waited, eyes closed, while Kelly came up and took his hand. They shared a pair of headphones to listen to a special message, which left them both teary eyed, and then after some quick bridal party and groomsmen pictures, it was ceremony time!
As Kelly walked down the aisle, Hayden held up a special sign for her, and these two could not stop smiling at each other during the ceremony. As soon as the ceremony ended, everyone gathered outside for an incredible exit – Kelly and Hayden walked through a sword arch! (The pictures are so cool!!). And then it was time for portraits – which was perfect timing because the sun had just come out!
The day was originally forecasted to be entirely rainy, but the forecast changed to cloudy all day. So I was very surprised to see raindrops falling as Kelsey and I drove to the hotel! The wind also picked up as we got there, but, as the day went on, the wind slowed down, and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, giving us the most incredible light for Kelly and Hayden’s portraits! It even warmed up a bit as the sun came out, which was wonderful because it has originally been a pretty chilly day (especially compared to the warm weather we have had this fall!).
After portraits, it was time to head to the reception – which was truly filled with surprises!! Kelly and Hayden love their family and friends so much, and they wanted this day to be just as special for their guests as it was for each other. Guests entered by picking up a beautiful metal key and a special bell that they could ring whenever they wanted the couple to kiss (which was such an adorable idea – and guests had a LOT of fun ringing the bells!). Then guests could choose a seat anywhere they wanted – and each table was entirely unique! There was a Harry Potter table, complete with a Slytherin tie, a golden snitch, a Marauders’ map, and the hourglass necklace Hermione used to turn back time. There was a space table with each planet represented, and a book table with some of Kelly and Hayden’s favorite reads. There was a Game of Thrones table, adorned with a map of the Seven Kingdoms, and a Doctor Who table, complete with a blue police box. There was a table for kids with coloring pages and games, and a photo booth filled with fun hats, props, and signs. In addition to the key and bell, each guest was given a bookmark with pictures of Kelly and Hayden at their engagement session, a treat box with candies and honey, and a photo booth favor – a photo booth bookmark! (Kelly and Hayden even made sure to stop in the photo booth with Kelsey and I too – they are so sweet!!).
But the fun didn’t stop there! There were so many great surprises for their guests. As Kelly and Hayden were introduced to the dance floor, they were greeted with a series of flying paper airplanes. (They were fantastic paper airplanes, too! The kids at the reception had so much fun playing with those all night. I have never seen paper airplanes fly so well!). After they were introduced, the entire wedding party had a BIG surprise for their guests. The groomsmen slowly took off their suit jackets to reveal… party cat shirts!! On the back of each of the groomsmen’s shirts was a different party cat! Oh my goodness – this was SO much fun. Kelsey and I LOVED these shirts, and I know the guests did too! Hayden sewed each shirt for his groomsmen with a different party cat – and Kelly had another surprise! After the groomsmen reveal their shirts, the bridesmaids lifted the bottom of their dresses to reveal… matching party cat leggings! This group is so much fun!!! I am totally obsessed with their cat clothes! Kelly’s mom and dad even came out to share a little surprise as well – they also had a party cat shirt and leggings! Just wait until you see the pictures of these fun shirts and leggings!!
After dinner, Kelly and Hayden had their wedding party and family join them on the dance floor to show their guests how to Contra dance. Then, their guests joined them on the dance floor so they could also learn to Contra dance! Kelly and Hayden are very talented and avid dancers, so it was so wonderful that they could share their love of dancing with their family and friends. It was so much fun seeing everyone on the dance floor! I couldn’t stop smiling – and neither could their guests! During the garter toss, Hayden and Kelly surprised everyone by NOT having a garter toss – and instead instigating a Nerf gun and sword fight between the bridesmaids and groomsmen! And then, as the music started back up and everyone hit the dance floor, the DJ turned on The Wobble – plus a video of their rabbit doing the Wobble for the Weeble Wobble!
Kelly and Hayden had such a great dinner for guests – all of their favorite foods! They served barbeque from Mission Barbeque alongside soup and salads from Panera. For dessert, Kelly and Hayden had a wedding cake, a groom’s cake – complete with couple rock climbing up the side, a stand piled high with cupcakes, and even different flavor Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes – plus a candy table filled with blue candies! And guests needed all that fuel – because the dancing continued late into the night! Everyone was having so much fun, and there was so much energy in the room! Kelly is incredibly organized and planned the day perfectly – and it was so, so fun to see all of Kelly and Hayden’s plans come together.
Kelly and Hayden’s wedding was SO much fun, and these two are two of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. In the speeches by their friends and family, one thing was repeated over and over: how kind Kelly and Hayden are. They are such genuine, loving, caring, and thoughtful people, and they are an incredible pair. Kelly and Hayden, it has been such an honor to get to know you both, and it was so much fun celebrating alongside you two! Kelsey, Justin, and I loved being part of your wedding day. It is easy to see why your family and friends love you so much – you two just give off so much joy and kindness. We loved celebrating your wedding day with you two, and loved getting to know you both. Congratulations again on your BEAUTIFUL wedding!! It was such a great day! Enjoy some favorite photos from your day!
Isn’t Kelly’s wedding band so beautiful?
Kelly and Hayden shared the sweetest “first look” – without seeing each other!
Then, they listened to a special message together. It was so sweet!
I love this one! Hayden’s smile is infectious!
Kelly!! You’re such a beautiful bride!!
MARRIED!! And such an incredible exit!
Stunning!! Definitely an all-time favorite!!
I love both of these so much!!
So pretty!!
They truly look like royalty!!
So pretty, Kelly!!
The big reveal!!! Just look at these fun party cat shirts the groomsmen wore!!
Yup – this was definitely one of my favorite moments of my wedding career!! This group is so much fun!!
And then back to this magic!! Remember how I mentioned that these two are professional dancers? Just look at Kelly’s gorgeous dress!
I have way too many favorites!! Just look at how they look at each other! :) 
And then it was reception time! Everyone headed to Hollywood Ballroom, where the fun kicked off with a paper airplane grand entrance!
The big reveal!!
Contra Dancing time!! This was so much fun! Kelly and Hayden got to teach their friends and family how to Contra dance!
The kids let us know that it was time to cut the cake! We had some cake enthusiasts in the crowd :) 
The Weeble Wobble!
Kelly and Hayden ended the night with a BEAUTIFUL bubble exit – and then continued the dancing!!
Congratulations, Kelly and Hayden!!
