Ashley Saylor and Nathan Sweeney owe a lot to their hair dresser, Todd Porter—he decided to play cupid and introduce the two Maryland natives, who felt an instant attraction. A sweet first date quickly followed at City Park in Hagerstown. “We went to the park because Nathan had recently bought a house across from the park and was renovating the entire thing. He took me on a tour of the house, and then we ended the date with ice cream cones,” says Ashley, an elementary school teacher.
After two years of dating, Nathan, who works in masonry, decided to pop the question during a family vacation in Florida. “He proposed on the beach in front of his family and all the beach-goers,” says the bride. Naturally, at their summer wedding six months later, Porter created the bride’s hairstyle.
Details:
Photographer: Courtney Reese Photography
Wedding Ceremony Venue: Hagerstown Bible Church
Wedding Reception Venue: Stone Manor Country Club
Event Coordinator: Cindy Myers
Bride’s Gown: Martina Liana, Potomac Bridals
Hair Dresser: Todd Porter
Makeup Artist: Amanda, Bella Salon & Spa
Groom’s Tux: Stephen Geoffrey, Jim’s Formal Wear
Caterer: Carriage House Inn
Cake: Chris Jeter
Wedding Cake Flavors: “We had a two-tier dotted Swiss cake for cutting, and for guests we had vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting.”
Florist: Bob Morgan, Display Concepts
Wedding Flowers: Eskimo roses, vendela roses, Virginia roses, light pink Mona Lisa roses, and jade green larkspurs
Music/Entertainment: The Shades, DJ Tom DeShong
First Dance Song: “Hey Pretty Girl” by Kip Moore
Invitations: DIY by bride and friends. “I purchased a font from Etsy and paper from Paper Source, and used Staples to print everything.”
Bride’s Favorite Wedding Detail: “Although there were similar decorations, no table was the same. Most of the things on the tables came from our families’ houses. Some things were even from our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Although the guests didn’t realize it, there were memories for me at each table.”
Groom’s Favorite Wedding Detail: “The venue and how it set the mood for the entire wedding.”
Biggest Surprise of the Wedding: “It’s a bit clichéd, and we know everyone says it, but the biggest surprise of all was truly how fast the wedding goes by. We blinked and it was over.”
Wedding Favors: Heart-shaped sugar cookies with pale pink icing, stamped with an S for the couple’s new last initial.
Wedding Theme: Shabby chic
Four Words That Describe the Wedding: Hot, romantic, vintage, gorgeous
Honeymoon Spot: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Where They Currently Live: Hagerstown, MD
