Wedding Day

Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Our Wedding

Surprise at High Meadow

“Joseph, we can’t plan our first dance. One of us has to surprise the other.”The night sky was clear, stars littering the air all above us. The hood of my car kept bending under the weight of our bodies. Maybe laying on the hood of my car would damage it, but I’ve waited for a moment like this for too long. I didn’t give it a second thought.I don’t know how many nights I laid on the ground, looking into this sprinkled sky. Even though the view was always breathtaking, I couldn’t escape the gaping hole of loneliness I felt every night prior to this one.I turned away from the beautiful stars to something way more beautiful.&nbsp;“I guess you’re right,” I laughed. “I always try to plan everything in my life. Even the special things.”&nbsp;“Well, Joseph...” She was able to look into my eyes because the stars lit up our faces. “Thank you for this tonight. This is special and you surprised me.”&nbsp; — “Would you like to go for a hike today? I know this one trail that leads to a pavilion and it is really pretty.” She nodded her head, fresh in love after just two months of dating me.Getting out of my car, I slipped my small Bose MicroLink speaker into my pocket without her seeing.&nbsp;The hike was a quarter-mile up a steep hill to a pavilion surrounded by a field of tall grass in the middle of the woods. The pavilion was called “High Meadow.”“This is so pretty!” She looked into my eyes again with that look.I slipped out my speaker and said, “Well, you said we had to surprise each other for that first dance.” Her face brightened even more.I put on “Could I Love You Anymore” by Renee Dominique and Jason Mraz, which had just recently released three days prior. We had listened to it way more than three times already. I think it was a pretty good song pick for our first dance.She took hold of me and we had our first dance, underneath that pavilion on that June day, with the smell of summer fresh in our noses. I don’t remember the last time I was happy like this before I started dating her, but I’ll never forget how she took hold of my heart forever.I already knew from the moment I fell in love with her that I was going to marry her, but now I also already knew how I was going to propose. — 	After the novel coronavirus in 2020, I don’t think anybody had a normal vacation. After not seeing each other for most of March and April, Tyler and I had not had a lot of time to enjoy our relationship. Finally, later in June, Tyler had a great idea.	“What if I take off work next week and we have a ‘staycation?’” Tyler asked.	“What is a ‘staycation?’” I laughed.	“You act as if you are on vacation at your house. You do things you don’t ordinarily do during your normal week around your state. I don’t have to work on my business this week and it would be fun,” she explained.	“Well, you taking off work sounds fantastic,” I said through a smile because Tyler is most certainly a workaholic. “Let’s do it.”

I planned on asking her to marry me later in the summer, but the timing felt too right. I had already bought the ring three weeks ago and asked her father for permission to marry her. I decided I was going to ask her the big question by the end of the week. It was going to be in that pavilion we had our first dance like I had planned all along.	We started off our week to a rainy and lazy Tuesday, watching our favorite TV shows and cooking. But to make this proposal one that would surprise her, I had to throw her off the scent.	“Hey Ty, we should browse more for rings. Want to go to that ring shop near my house this week?” I mean, what better way to throw her off the scent?	“Sure, we can go tomorrow,” she said.	When we were at the ring shop on Wednesday, my stomach dropped because I didn’t consider the fact she could change her mind on the ring she wanted. As we entered the store, I tried to play it cool.	After browsing some rings, Tyler asked the clerk, “Can you size me? I haven’t gotten officially sized.” The man nodded and quickly grabbed the box full of every size ring.&nbsp;	Pick size six. Pick size six. Pick size six. “Well, size six is way too big for you,” the clerk said, taking off the size 6 ring and reaching back into his box. “Let’s try something smaller.”	As we jumped backed into my Mazda 30 minutes later, Tyler turned from the passenger seat.	“I want the ring we picked out a couple months ago. It’s the ring. But now we know I’m a size five.” A wave of relief washed over me knowing I did purchase the ring she wanted, as well as another wave of anxiety over the fact I bought the wrong size. I figured it was good I was asking this week because I had only bought the ring three weeks ago, so I was still eligible to return it if needed.	With full confidence that I was going to ask her in a couple of days, I texted my brother Jon, who is a professional photographer. “You free this weekend? I may want you for pictures if you know what I mean.” Because I had told him only two weeks ago I had Tyler’s ring, he responded with several exclamation marks.&nbsp;Now that Jon was in to take our pictures as well as decorate the pavilion, I needed to find a way to get Tyler there without her suspecting a proposal.	On Friday, Tyler and I went to Western Maryland for our first of many road trips. Once we were comfortable in our seats for our three hour drive, I turned down the music.

“What if we had a fancy picnic this week?” I asked.	“Well, sure. I mean, where would you want to have a picnic?” she responded. “I don’t really have any dresses with me either.” She did not seem to be very enthusiastic about the idea.	“Well, I was thinking we could hike to that pavilion where we had our first dance. Actually, I looked at the calendar this morning and it has been one year since our first dance. It’s almost poetic, you know?”	“Oh! And then we can go to the farmers market and buy fresh ingredients! We should buy wine, too!” Tyler changed from indifference to eagerness. This was too perfect.	“We are about to pass the exit for your apartment, should we stop by there to pick up some dresses for you?” I asked quickly, as I saw her exit approaching on Route 695.	“Yes, it’s right here, get off!” she shouted.	With a quick check to my right, I crossed over five lanes of traffic and barely made it.&nbsp;	When we were browsing her closet for dresses, she pulled out an orange sundress. When I saw it, I knew that was the dress.	“I bought this just for you,” Tyler said. “I actually haven’t worn it yet.” She showed me the price tag still attached.	Everything was falling into place. The plan was that Jon and his wife, Becca, would go to High Meadow on Saturday, which was the day before I planned to propose, to set up the pavilion with sunflowers (her favorite flower). They surprised me by decorating the whole pavilion with more than I expected, including a blanket they bought that said, “Of all the walks we have taken, this one is my favorite.” That was perfect for avid hikers like Tyler and me.

On Sunday, all that was left was getting there without her suspecting anything. After we had picked up our ingredients from a local farmer’s market along with some wine, we got ready. When I walked into the bathroom, Tyler turned and looked at me.	“Wow! You are really dressed up!” she said.	“Yup,” I responded with pride.	“Do you like what I am wearing?” She looked at me expectantly wearing a casual blue dress, not the orange sundress she told me she was going to wear.	Even though Tyler looks amazing in sweatpants, I knew it was not the dress she would want to wear for her engagement photos. So, with a gulp, I said, “Well…it’s okay…”	“Do you want me to change?” Tyler asked with a surprised tone, since this was the first time I had ever said anything like this.	“Yes.” I said. “Actually yes, I do.” I had to get her into that orange sundress.	When we pulled the dress out of her bag, she exclaimed, “Joseph, it’s all wrinkly!”	“I will iron it!” I announced as I pulled out my iron in the closet and began to straighten it.	As she was getting dressed, I slid silently into the other room to grab the ring. I hid it in a drawer right beside the bed she had been sleeping in for the last couple weeks. Along with most things with this proposal, I had taken a risk.	I ran downstairs and shoved the box into the pile of blankets we were going to take.&nbsp;	When we hopped in the car, I noticed she was wearing her normal, sporty flip flops.	“Hey, where are your nice flip flops?” I asked.	“They are in the house,” she explained with annoyance.	“I will go get them!” I shouted as I ran inside.	Because I had been acting so strange about the clothes Tyler was supposed to wear, the 30 minute drive to the trailhead was silent and extremely awkward. I kept trying to make small talk, but I knew Tyler was analyzing why I was acting so weird.&nbsp;	When we were exiting the car, I realized I had made a humongous mistake. I forgot I hid the ring box in the blankets, not the picnic basket. I couldn’t carry both the blankets and the picnic basket, but I couldn’t ask her to carry the heavy picnic basket while I carried the light blankets.&nbsp;	I turned to Tyler with the pile of blankets, her engagement ring stuffed inside. “Here, you can carry this.”	As the realization hit me that the ring box could fall out at any moment, my heart beat faster than ever before in my life.	“You can walk ahead of me.” I said, knowing that if it did fall out, I had to be ready. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. Just get there. Don’t fall out. Just get there. Don’t fall out.	After seemingly four years of walking up the steep trail we hiked up one year ago, we finally reached the pavilion a quarter-mile from the trailhead. As we approached the pavilion, Tyler looked confused.

“It looks like someone is having an event here. Do you know what’s going on?”	“No,” I responded. “Maybe someone is having a wedding here or something. It doesn’t look like anyone is here.”	“Look, there’s sunflowers!” Tyler exclaimed with a smile as we walked into the pavilion.	“Yeah, someone really set this up,” I responded, trying to hide any sign I was behind all of this. “Look, Tyler, I know someone else is using this pavilion. But it’s too perfect. We have to dance to our song. Then, we can leave and picnic somewhere else.”	I quickly turned on “Could I Love You Anymore” on the same speaker I surprised her with last year. With my adrenaline pumping, I grabbed her hand and danced with her to a song we have listened to so many times together.	“Oh, Tyler, there’s people coming, let’s go!” I said in the middle of the song to confuse her even more. Then, I quickly said, “Oh, never mind, there’s no one there.” Even until the last minute, I was acting to make this one hell of a surprise.

As the song came to a close, I gave a very deep sigh and turned off the speaker.“Tyler I have a demand, a confession, and a question,” I said looking into her now very confused face. “The demand is that you stand right here.” I positioned her in the middle of the pavilion. “My confession is that I did this,” I said with a smirk.“When did you do this?!” Tyler blurted out.“And my question is...” I grabbed the ring from the blankets and knelt in front of her, “Will you marry me?”I always try to plan everything in my life. Even the special things.

Our Story

Click the link below for our block of reserved rooms. The room rate starts at $119/night for a single-adult room. The hotel offers parking, free high-speed internet, free breakfast, a pool, &amp; a fitness center. All rooms also come with a kitchenette. This hotel is located 55 miles from BWI airport &amp; 12 miles from our venue. We have reserved rooms that can accommodate up to 5 adult &amp; 5 child guests, &amp; you can reserve up to 3 rooms at a time. The last day to book is Saturday, August 14, but booking earlier helps to guarantee a room reservation.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Prince Frederick

Click the link below &amp; use code DMA to book your room. The room rates start at $109/night for a single king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds. The hotel offers complimentary wifi, a 24-hour fitness center, &amp; 2 pools: an outdoor pool &amp; an indoor heated pool with a whirlpool. The hotel also offers made-to-order breakfast &amp; has a restaurant, The Garden Grille &amp; Bar, as a dinner option. Booking early will help guarantee your reservation &amp; an earlier check-in time. This hotel is located 72 miles away from BWI airport &amp; 20 miles away from our venue. It is also just 2 miles away from the Solomons Island Boardwalk, where there are lots of shops &amp; places to eat.

Hilton Garden Inn Solomons

Travel

This is a great spot to go hiking, or take the kids here to play at the tire park. Note: There is a small fee for access to the park.

Calvert Cliffs State Park

This is a great spot to walk, shop, grab a bite to eat, or just relax. If you are interested in marine life or boating history, visit the <a href="https://www.calvertmarinemuseum.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Calvert Marine Museum</a>. You can also walk the boardwalk, which has tons of cute shops &amp; fantastic places to eat. Some of our favorite restaurants are <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thedrydockrestaurant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Dry Dock</a>, <a href="https://www.thecdcafe.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The CD Cafe</a>, <a href="http://www.theislandhideawaysolomons.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Island Hideaway</a>, <a href="https://www.lotuskitchensolomons.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lotus Kitchen</a>, &amp; <a href="http://www.lighthouserestaurantanddockbar.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lighthouse Restaurant &amp; Dockbar</a>. And for dessert, visit the ice cream shop I have been going to since I was a kid, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Coneislandsolomons/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cone Island</a>.

Solomons Island Boardwalk & Playground

This is a great place to spend the day with the family. It has the best playground in the county, as well as a pool &amp; waterpark; baseball, football &amp; soccer fields; tennis courts; &amp; pavilions &amp; tables to picnic.

Cove Point Park

Enjoy a little bit of Tuscany in Southern Maryland with a wine tasting at Running Hare Vineyards. You can pack a lunch &amp; make a day of it, or just spend a special evening listening to live music (only on select weekends - check the website to find out who is playing &amp; when).

Running Hare Vineyard

Annmarie features a gallery filled with local artwork &amp; a gift shop filled with the best unique finds. You can take a stroll through the sculpture garden, or take the kids to play at the interactive art-filled park.

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center

Things to Do

The Maids

Tyler and Emily met as kids at the water fountain at church, when they were both skipping Sunday School class because the movie the class was watching (The Passion of the Christ) was, in both of their opinions, too scary. After that, they spent much of their teenage years together, writing stories, making movies, and spending hours late into the night talking on the phone. Emily loves shopping, taking photos, spending time with family, and cuddling with her new baby, Summer. She is the person to go to when you need to talk about anything, and she is always down for a trip to the beach. 

Emily Rogers

Shortly after Joseph and Tyler started dating, Kathy and Josh invited the two over for dinner and a movie, and this sparked a tradition of many more food adventures and double dates. Kathy and Tyler instantly hit it off, bonding over their mutual love for cooking and hiking, and their annoyance with the Mauler habit of leaving cabinet doors open. Kathy is always the person to go to when you need good advice, or just to have a fun evening drinking wine and sharing good music. 

Kathy Bondarenko

Jess instantly became a member of the family when she started dating Jake, Tyler’s brother, in highschool. She is strong enough to command an entire ROTC unit, but also flexible enough to do the splits in jeans (she was a varsity cheerleader in high school). Jess loves animals first and foremost, and she hopes to become a K9 officer in the future. You can often find her cooking and baking new recipes in the kitchen, or out one-wheeling with Jake. 

Jessica Manis

Becca and Tyler first got to know each other on an impromptu hike and local snow cone stand visit with Joseph and Jon. Since then, they have been on many more adventures with the family, and they have bonded over their mutual love for travel and outdoor sports. Becca is a dedicated nurse with an eye for design (she decorated the pavilion for Joseph’s and Tyler’s proposal photos). In her free time, she loves visiting new places, going fishing, snowboarding, and truck driving on the beach. Her slogan is “Go with the flow, and always travel.”

Rebecca Mauler

Erin and Tyler met in middle school and they have been best friends ever since. From making eye contact across the room during class to share an inside joke, to staying up late drawing in their sketchbooks in high school, to meeting up during the holidays in college and picking up right where they left off during the last conversation, the two have been through nearly every moment of the last decade together. Erin enjoys spending her time trying new recipes in the kitchen, playing video games, or watching the latest animes. She is always there when you need someone to talk to, or to just spend an evening in relaxed silence bingeing Netflix. 

Erin Nordquist

EmC and Tyler met at Stevenson University in journalism class. As two business communication (but should have been music) majors, the two quickly bonded over their love for writing, their passion for music, and their shared taste for good mimosas. They spent much of their college years in class, working as co-head editors of the school newspaper and always making sure they were working on group projects together, and out of class meeting up for coffee at Dunkin’ to talk about politics, religion, and all of the topics you don’t normally bring up at breakfast. EmC is the person to go to when you need a good laugh or to vent about life, and she is always down for a wine night and good conversation. 

Emma Cathy Smith

Tyler met Joanna, Joseph’s sister, when she was planning her own wedding, and the two quickly bonded over their mutual love of FRIENDS. Their next outing together included a FRIENDS-themed mug painting and trivia night. Joanna has an incredibly warm heart, an empathetic soul, and the most infectious, joyful laugh. When she is not leading the team at Chick-fil-A, you can often find her working on a puzzle or finding the best new show on Netflix. 

Joanna Willard

Ella may be the youngest member of the bridal party, but she has had her spot reserved since the moment she was born. Apart from being cousins, her and Tyler also have a shared love for reading and Disney movies. Ella loves drawing, sewing, and anything princess-related or pink. She is an intelligent, talented young lady who is always down for singing movie tunes or giving Tyler fashion advice. 

Elliana DeMoll

The Gents

Jon is the older brother of Joseph and the two of them did everything growing up. Jon and Joseph are almost the same person (even though Joseph has a slightly better taste in music). Jon is a professional in audio, photography, and videography (even though he will never admit it). He is a low-key amazing musician and songwriter, loves pour-over coffee, and does the best Smeagol impressions.

Jonathan Mauler

Daniel is one of Jon’s closest friends, so he became Joseph’s third older brother. Joseph first met Daniel in childhood and quickly became friends when the two of them would run through the woods without their shirts or shoes. Daniel frequently will take shots of adrenaline by riding motorcycles, jumping out of airplanes, or doing backflips everywhere he goes.

Daniel Crouse

Jake is Joseph’s future brother-in-law. Joseph first met Jake after Tyler’s college graduation, where Joseph quickly learned that Jake is the second luckiest guy to ever live (Joseph is the first because he is marrying Tyler). Jake always wins in badminton, is a professional one-wheeler, and can’t seem to get enough snacks.

Jacob Didra

Julian first met Joseph during one of the rainiest days of the summer when they were both young teenagers. The two of them connected on a similar sense of humor and quickly became best friends. Julian and Joseph always love a game of chess late at night with a cup of tea or a longboarding adventure. Julian knows how to fix everything (he has been a mechanic for four years), is one of the funniest people you will meet, and always loves a good conspiracy theory.

Julian Harris

Josh is Joseph’s other brother, but didn’t quite make the Best Man title because he has been more of a father figure to Joseph. Josh and Joseph always bond over a well-done TV show or a deep, thought-provoking conversation, and he will always be a mentor for Joseph. Josh loves hiking, kayaking, and is an avid backpacker. He is a comedic genius and will always make you laugh (even if you don’t understand the joke).

Joshua Mauler

Matthew is Joseph’s oldest friend since they have known each other for as long as they can remember. Matthew and Joseph drove across the country after their high school graduation and both wore shoes 5% of the time (they have frequently been called Hobbits growing up). Matthew drinks four cups of coffee a day, is always down for a hike, and is a low-key hacky sack professional.

Matthew Sweitzer

Dan has been Joseph’s brother even before he married Joseph’s sister, Joanna. Joseph first met Dan when he became his coworker at Chick-fil-A. The two spent many nights in the parking lot after work just talking, and this was before Joanna got to know Dan (so Joseph fell in love with him first). Dan is a professional video gamer, avid board gamer, and Dungeon & Dragons master. Dan also always loves a good whiskey.

Tyler & Joseph

Tyler & Joseph

Registry