A Preppy Pink-and-Blue Backyard Microwedding in Maryland Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jessi and Adam initially planned to have a 300 person country club wedding over Memorial Day weekend but had to pivot and reimagine their nuptials once the pandemic hit. Instead of simply shrinking their original wedding plan and tweaking the aesthetic, the couple used this unanticipated roadblock to fully reimagine the vibe of their big day. "I wanted to do something opposite from my original wedding plan (we were supposed to get married at my country club on MLK weekend). We picked my Uncle's house because we wanted to have an intimate outdoor ceremony and brunch in a place that just felt like home. The house reminds me of Nantucket/an English Garden and I built the theme to reflect the vibes of the backyard. My first wedding design was eclectic and out of the box and I wanted this to be princess vibes and dainty to match the backyard. I chose gorgeous pinks and minimal whites to add pops into the already stunning venue. We didn't incorporate any religious traditions into our day, but in keeping with the intimacy we had my aunt marry us and it couldn't have been more special for the both of us," says Jessi. "We wanted it to be spacious and Covid friendly for our guests and loved the idea of providing everyone with picnic baskets in this beautiful setting where everyone could be at a table with their families or spread out in the backyard." 

Jessi goes on to share that the couple, "had to scale down to just family and bridal party, so it was much more intimate than we had imagined it would be. It was also much quieter as we pivoted from an evening event to an afternoon brunch. I always thought I'd have this huge affair, but it was still a gorgeous wedding on a much smaller scale while we were still surrounded by people we love. (We did miss the family and friends that we couldn’t include)! We are still having a round number 2 in 2021! It’s not every day that you get to marry the same person twice!"

Once the couple decided on their garden-inspired backyard wedding, they leaned heavily on the space's natural beauty paired with floral details to bring about their dream vision. "We got married in a circle of trees and wanted to provide minimal decor at the ceremony as to not take away from the beauty that was already surrounding us. We opted for natural themed chairs/chuppah and lush pink/white florals. The reception had gorgeous pink linens and low lush arrangements with garden roses. We had everything set up around the pool and then back in the area where we had our ceremony to allow for social distancing. I would say our picnic baskets were part of the decor too. In theme with our garden party, we provided everyone with picnic baskets filled with sweet treats and brunch to allow for covid-friendly eating. The week of the wedding, I randomly wanted to add balloons into the pool and my poor planner had to go in the morning when it was freezing cold and place them in the pool. I'm so grateful because I think they made the whole event. They really brought the decor together. The flowers played a big role in my wedding. We wanted to go for a garden tea party look and the florals helped tie that together. My chuppah was perfect and not too overpowering and had beautiful lush bunches throughout the structure. Words can't describe how perfect and gorgeous my bouquet and centerpieces were." 


The changes brought about by the pandemic meant that Jessi and Adam were planning their wedding up until the last minute. Two details in particular, Jessi's dress and cookies for guests to enjoy, didn't come together until the eleventh hour. "I actually picked out my wedding dress days before the wedding, can you imagine?! I wanted something that fit my personality—something comfortable yet chic with some sparkles. My gown was everything," recalls Jessi. The bride goes on to share how cookies for the guests' picnic baskets were also a late-minute detail but ended up being a huge hit. "The picnic baskets were outfitted with not only the food from the caterer but branded sunnies (I'm a sucker for branded anything) and my dad decided the week of the wedding he wanted to have Levain cookies. He had them picked up that morning to ensure that they were fresh and said everyone would remember the cookies. I said that to him, I hope everyone talks about my dress, but the cookies were the highlight!"