Emily + Matt's Southern-Inspired Wedding at Dulany's Overlook

I’m so thankful I had a front row seat to Matthew and Emily’s southern-inspired, colorful wedding at Dulany’s Overlook in Frederick, MD! As a 14-year wedding photographer, I can tell you that the weather report is never the whole story.

Rain was in the forecast all day. And I mean all day. But somewhere between the bourbon they buried in the ground weeks before and the cheerful, unshakeable attitude this couple brought to their wedding day, the clouds held off and the sun showed up not just for the ceremony but the entire day. (Full disclosure, it was not actually sunshine, more like bright cloud cover, but there were no rain droplets and THAT’S WHAT COUNTS.) If you’ve never heard of it the Southern tradition of burying the bourbon, let me fill ya in! The southern tradition of burying a bottle of bourbon before your wedding day is said to bring clear skies and good weather on the big day — the catch is that it has to be buried exactly one month before the wedding, upside down, at the ceremony site. The legend holds that the worse the forecast, the more the bourbon is needed. After the ceremony, the couple digs it up together and takes the first celebratory sip as newlyweds. Given the weather app reading that day, we probably needed to drink the whole bottle.

Emily and Matt have been together since high school. This day was a long time coming, and the Best Man said it best in his speech — Emily’s promise ring had been doing a lot of heavy lifting waiting for the real thing. And this day was so worth the wait!

The florals by Blossom and Basket Boutique were exactly what I’ve come to expect from them — bursting with color and fun! Bright pink peonies, soft orange garden roses, peach ranunculus, and pops of blue delphinium against a dusty blue and navy palette was a chef’s kiss.

The friend who officiated kept the couple laughing from start to finish — and yes, he wore a bolo tie, and yes, it was perfect. After the ceremony, Emily and Matt dug up their buried bourbon bottle and took that well-earned shot together. Then came the cake cutting, a frothy champagne tower that spilled right over the edges, and a reception full of dancing, family, and homemade ice cream sandwiches that absolutely smacked after a long hot day!

Huge thanks to the vendor team that made this day run beautifully: Wizer Entertainment, Blossom and Basket Boutique, Celebrations Catering, Priscilla M Beauty, Sweet M and Company, and Hoffman’s Deli for the cake and ice cream sandwiches (the mint chocolate chip was insane).

Can’t get enough of Dulany’s Overlook weddings? See more of them here and here!

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