Erika & Odaro’s Intimate Fall Wedding at Great Oak Manor in Chestertown, MD

I hope you were all able to enjoy the long weekend! Or if you’re like me, all the days are running together, and I’m losing track. With the month winding down, I’m coming to terms with my baby turning 1 in just a couple weeks. It feel like we just brought him home from the hospital, yet here we are, with a little guy, climbing on everything, and showing us his personality more and more each day. While his 1st birthday won’t be quite the celebration I originally had in mind, we’ll make the best of it. I’m most excited to watch him dive head first into his smash cake. We set the bar high at our wedding, but judging by how he currently eats, I think he’ll make us proud ;)

Purely by coincidence, we’ve received quite a few submissions of small, intimate weddings. They are so lovely, and romantic, and prove that you don’t have to throw an extravagant party to celebrate love.

We had an intimate ceremony, with just a few of our closest family and friends. It took place at a very quaint little bed and breakfast that overlooked the Chesapeake Bay. We kept our wedding pretty neutral in terms of culture and tradition. We had originally planned for a religious ceremony and to incorporate some Nigerian cultural elements however, we did not have time to plan for that. We did not have a theme, per se, but our colors were blue, peach, and gold. We loved the symbolism/meaning behind each of the colors, plus they looked gorgeous together!

All of the reception decor was DIY. I decorated the table, which was set up family style, with faux flowers from Michaels, crystal candle holders from HomeGoods, and LED tea lights.

We also personalized the reception by playing only jazz music, which is our favorite genre of music. Our first dance was to one of our favorite Kenny G songs called, “Going Home.”

My advice to couples planning their wedding is to make sure to take breaks when planning. Work on it one day at a time. It can get very overwhelming very easily, and stress is not going to help get anything done, so rest when needed. Also, don’t get so sucked into “wedding culture.” Plan your day the way you want to.