When Nate was set to propose to his college sweetheart, Carly, she said “yes” before he even had the chance to ask. Carly was equally quick to make decisions when planning their wedding. The dress? A deep-V. The maid of honor? Yours truly. The venue? Her parents’ home in a rural suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. “Of all the places we looked, nothing beat our house, nothing was as special,” she says. Indeed, their mid-century modern house is very special. Carly describes it as “a white frame of floor to ceiling windows which graciously connect the outdoors to a modern, yet cozy interior.” Her parents moved there when we were in college. Then they renovated it and marked it with their enviably cool style. “My first impression was, ‘Holy shit!’” laughs Nate.
This unique home served as an ongoing source of inspiration for Nate’s and Carly’s special day. “The design of the house came hand-in-hand with the design of the wedding,” explains Carly who always wanted “a less traditional, more modern affair.” For example, from the invitations to the menus and from the bouquets to the votives, and with the help of wedding planner, Jeanette Tavares, they incorporated a pallet of black and white with orange accents, mirroring that of the home’s interior. The bridesmaids’ dresses also uniquely incorporated into this vibrant pallet. “I wanted my bridesmaids to feel really great in gowns that popped,” says Carly. So, she asked us to pick our own in differing shades of pink, red, yellow and, of course, orange.
The most poignant nod to the home, however, was the chuppah under which Nate and Carly were married. Centered in front of the house, the iron structure was designed to not only complement the architecture, but to also signify their milestone. “This is what I learned,” explains gentile Nate. “The chuppah, which is shaped like a house with a roof and four walls, represents a couple’s first home together. So, Carly symbolically walked out of her parents’ home and into ours.”
After the ceremony in the front yard, Nate and Carly led the way to the “epic” party in the backyard. Four or five steps in, Nate lived his favorite memory of the day. “We looked at each other with our jaws dropped in awe of what we had just done – married!” he says. And, as Carly remembers, nine or ten toasts later, “We were on stage dancing, shouting, and just loving the energy.” Now, one year later, Nate and Carly have made even more memories at their wedding (and quarantine) venue, such as meeting their new puppy, Daisy, for the first time. “It was really meaningful to see her play in the very spot where we exchanged our vows,” says Carly. The family of three have now moved to Miami, where they just purchased a modern home of their own, complete with a “guest” room for me!
