1. Real Weddings

A Bohemian, Nautical Wedding at Port Annapolis Marina in Annapolis, Maryland

Meagan Brunner (28 and a student) and Richard Duck (39 and a restaurant manager) wanted a wedding that felt like a backyard party. "Rich and I enterta

Meagan Brunner (28 and a student) and Richard Duck (39 and a restaurant manager) wanted a wedding that felt like a backyard party. "Rich and I entertain a lot at our house," Meagan says. "We have a big yard and play lots of games with friends, and that's how we wanted our wedding to feel." Their bohemian, nautical-themed wedding took place at the Port Annapolis Marina Overlook Pavilion in Annapolis, Maryland. Meagan created the invitation suite and designed it to resemble a boarding pass with anchor motifs. She and Rich were married by the water, with views of the boats in the marina as their backdrop. The following open-air reception had navy dining tables with hydrangea and baby’s breath centerpieces and table numbers written on bottles wrapped in rope. For fun, Meagan and Rich invited their guests to wear sun hats to the reception. They also provided a variety of lawn games, including corn hole, ladder golf and oversize Jenga. Meagan chose unique attire for her wedding party. Her sisters, who were her bridesmaids, dressed in various pastel shades, while the flower girls wore vivid aqua dresses. Rich and his groomsmen wore navy suits with peacock boutonnieres. Meagan herself wore a form-fitting lace dress, and we loved how she accessorized with a beautiful back necklace to highlight its plunging back. Meagan says their wedding could not have been more perfect. "Everything turned out better than I even imagined once we put it all together on that amazing day." Melissa Kelly Photography was there to capture all the fun details!

Meagan designed her own nautical-themed invites for her wedding. The paper goods featured anchor motifs and were made to resemble boarding passes, complete with navy fold-over envelopes and aqua accents.
"My bridesmaids were all my younger sisters, so I wanted them to look their ages," Meagan says. "I decided to let them each wear a different color." Their W Too dresses featured bold navy stripes at the bottom of the skirt to tie in with the nautical theme. Meagan's flower girls wore aqua blue dresses.
Meagan wore a lace wedding dress with a plunging back by Marisa Bridals, which she bought at Betsey Robinson's Bridal Collection. To accentuate the plunging back of her lace wedding dress, she accessorized with a back necklace with white and blue beads. She wore her hair in a side-swept braid with baby's breath. She also wore an ivory sash to complete the look.
Rich wore a three-piece navy suit with a checkered bow tie. His boutonniere included yellow roses and a peacock feather for some pizzaz. rn
The ring bearer was dressed to look like a secret service agent. He wore aviator glasses, an earpiece and a badge that read "Ring Security." Instead of carrying a pillow with the rings, he carried a silver metal briefcase for top-notch security.
Centerpieces on the navy dining tables were simple, with flower arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and baby's breath circling blue bottles with the table numbers written on them. The bottles were wrapped in rope to tie in with the nautical theme, and they featured framed photos of Meagan and Rich as children.
Waterside Ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland
Meagan carried a bridal bouquet with white hydrangeas, blush peonies, viburnum and pale yellow spray roses. This pastel arrangement meshed well with the wedding’s navy and white color palette. Floral design at the wedding was provided by Cache Fleur, a florist based out of Edgewater, Maryland.
White and Navy Wedding Cake
Custom Drink Koozie Wedding Favors
"We encouraged our guests to take part in the nautical theme and wear large sun hats as if we were having a yacht party," Meagan says. "It was a fun way to tie everything together. Rich and I had hats that we put on after the ceremony."
"Rich and I entertain a lot at our house. We have a big yard and play lots of yard games with friends. We wanted our wedding to feel like a big backyard party. During cocktail hour, corn hole, ladder golf and lawn Jenga were set up for our guests to enjoy."
Newlyweds at Casual Reception