katie + zach | a fall wedding full of sentimental details at rosewood farms

Katie and Zach win so many awards if you ask me… they waited the longest and rescheduled the most dates, to have their wedding reception at Rosewood Farms at the end of 2021 — but like all good things, it was WORTH. THE. WAIT. and then some!!!

As residents at Johns Hopkins, these two have been through so much together; prior to sharing their residency at the same hospital, they had to wait for the weekends and travel to different cities, to spend quality time together while studying during med school. Originally planning a May 2020 wedding meant switching their plans to an outdoor micro ceremony in a park and the big party in November 2021 at Rosewood Farms…

The leaves and grounds at Rosewood Farms in November were incredible and the temperatures stayed just warm enough to take beautiful outdoor portraits with their wedding party in navy suits, cranberry dresses and the bride in a fur stole… enjoy these early favorites from Katie and Zach’s long awaited wedding celebration with all of their family and friends!!

7 UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS AND DETAILS FROM KATIE + ZACH’S NOVEMBER WEDDING AT ROSEWOOD FARMS

1. All. of The. First. Looks. (Scroll down to see!)

2. One of my favorite unique elements that shared their love story with guests was one that Katie’s parents made for when Zach proposed — an engagement “test” of sorts, it was a quiz that Zach had to take to prove how well he knew Katie and her family… Katie had one he had to take about Zach too!

3. Katie’s dad is an avid woodworker, so everything that was wood at the wedding was made by him! He and Zach worked together to make the ring box Zach used to propose to Katie; her dad made the gorgeous solid wood keepsake card box as well as all of the lantern table centerpieces and donut board display saying ‘Holy Matrimony’; Katie gifted Zach a wooden watch and Zach gifted his groomsmen a tie bar and bottle opener, all made out of wood.

4. There were so many sentimental family details! Katie’s bouquet had a wooden cross sewn into it that was Zach’s grandmother’s originally; her headpiece had white flowers from both her mom and grandmother’s veils… and she wore sapphire blue earrings from her grandmother.

5. When Katie’s dad gave his toast, he had a lifesize llama head printed out for them… it’s been an inside joke in their family for years!

6. Katie tossed the bouquet to her friend that just got engaged days before…!

7. The sparkler exit at the end of the night with their wedding party right before the rain came down!

Katie had a first look with her bridesmaids (and mom and mother-in-law) and then with her dad and finally with Zach… each was memorable and heartwarming in their own way! Zach surprised her by wearing a Green Bay Packers bowtie… it made for incredible laughter and a first look that will never be forgotten!

Congratulations, lovebirds! Words can’t express how excited we are for you - you finally did it (AGAIN) and it was even more magical than your original plans! Your family and friends speeches, your vows, all of the dances… it all brought happy tears to so many eyes. You deserve every happiness in the world. I can’t wait to see you both again and meet your future golden retriever pups!!

xo,
Naomi

HUGE THANKS TO THIS STELLAR VENDOR TEAM!

venue: Rosewood Farms
planning: Social Graces Events
photography: Urban Row Photography
videography: Rivion Wedding Films
catering: Caffe Gelato
beauty: Gloss Salon
florist: Twisted Vine Wedding and Event Florals
DJ: Eric of East Coast Event Group
officiant: Pastor Ian McFadden
wedding dress: Pronovias
dress (+ veil) boutique: Jennifer’s Bridal
bridesmaid dresses: Azazie
shoes: Kate Spade
groom’s attire: Suit Supply, Black Tux, The Tie Bar
invitations: Zola/Minted
cake: Bing’s Bakery
donuts: A&R Bakery
signage, donut board, tie clips, ring box, cornhole, centerpieces, favors: handmade by bride, groom + bride’s parents

katie + zach | a bmore licks + fells point engagement

When I first spoke to Katie and Zach, one word kept coming up in the conversation: relational. In all honesty, I’d never heard one of my couples use that word as often as they did. After learning how Zach proposed to Katie, hearing how they finish each other’s sentences, and watching them interact together as we started at Bmore Licks for their engagement session, I immediately got it…

Their upcoming wedding at Rosewood Farms is going to be quite the celebration - after you read more about these two lovebirds below, you’ll understand why!

4 reasons why these Fells Point / Patterson Park locations were so meaningful for Katie + Zach’s Baltimore engagement session:

1. Ice cream with rainbow sprinkles (Katie’s favorite ice cream topping) was part of Zach’s proposal scavenger hunt which started and ended in Fells Point…

2. Zach proposed to Katie on the same bench we ended at on Bond Street Pier in Fells Point

3. It’s their favorite way to spend a Friday night: with a walk by the water, ice cream and cuddles. But Katie also added, “as long as … our two future golden retrievers are there”. (#urbanrowpup love at its best)

4. This last fact has nothing to do with where we took their engagement photos, but has everything to do with how thoughtful Zach is. He designed and created the wooden ring box he presented to Katie WITH her Dad’s help since he is an incredible woodworker and it was something they could bond over and create together, leading up to the proposal.

Katie radiates joy and Zach described it perfectly: “When Katie smiles, she smiles so much that her eyes close shut.” I believe that they’re both incredibly relational as they highly value thoughtful, meaningful moments and gestures in their relationship and it’s apparent as soon as soon as you are around them.

In Zach’s words, how they met:

“We met early on in college at Johns Hopkins. Katie was the star point guard on the basketball team and I rode the bench on the football team (kidding, sort of). Needless to say, I definitely noticed Katie first. We were both a part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at Hopkins, and I distinctly remember telling a buddy of mine “she’s my kind of girl”. I was drawn to Katie from the very first moment.

One night while at dinner with FCA, Katie mentioned that she likes to bring a cupcake to friends for their birthdays. I jokingly (read: pleadingly) asked her if she would do the same for me. Katie, being the sweet, relational person that she is, agreed. She was pretty surprised to learn that my birthday was in fact the very next day! I think the fact that Katie actually brought me one the next day is more of a testament to the person she is than any interest she had in me at the time. Needless to say, I like to think it all started with a cupcake.

…during finals week, she let me meet up with her and walk her home from the library every night. I even surprised her with her own cupcake on her birthday. Finally, we went on a few more dates!”

In Katie’s words, how the proposal unfolded:

“Zach made the decision at the end of his third year of medical school to take a year off so that we would be in the same class and would be eligible to apply for a couples match for residency. It was since we made that decision that I knew I wanted to marry this man and he later asked me to marry him in the most perfect proposal ever: a scavenger hunt to all of our favorite places in the city.

[By the end] I was so stinking excited that all I wanted to do was finally see Zach. I was then given the last clue that sent me back down to Fells Point, to a particular park bench overlooking the harbor that Zach and I have sat and talked at many times. Only tonight, our favorite park bench was decorated with jars of lights and looked even more perfect. It was there that Zach got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and with a great big smile on my face, I said “YES”. We had a few minutes to ourselves to just soak in the moment, walking around by the water before finding our hidden photographer who had captured the whole thing. After that, Zach and I went to a nearby bar where so many of our friends, as well as Zach’s family were gathered, many of whom had traveled many hours to celebrate with us. As Zach mentioned, I am a pretty relational person so it meant so much to me that Zach incorporated not only so many of my favorite things, but also so many of our favorite people in the proposal. All I can say is that he set the bar pretty high for himself for any future anniversary or celebration.”

I have loved getting to know you both so far and admire how heartfelt your relationship is. I already have tissues ready and waiting for your wedding day because I know I’m going to be crying all the happy tears throughout the day as you become husband and wife and never have to say goodbye on a Sunday again… I can. not. wait. for your spring wedding at Rosewood Farms!!!

xo,
Naomi

rosewood farms | modern minimalist barn | maryland wedding venue

If you love the idea of a rustic wedding but you envision more of a modern chic look and timeless elegance to your day, Rosewood Farms is your venue… especially if you want a barn wedding but you don’t want a dark barn!

Rosewood Farms, a new wedding and event venue in Elkton, MD is all sorts of gorgeous and I can’t wait to show you the spaces that make it so special to get married here!!

Disclaimer: when I visited and took these photos, it was in February and the landscaping wasn’t complete. You can imagine how gorgeous it will be once leaves are on the trees and greenery and blooms surround everything! ;)

Included below are quick facts about capacity, logistics and what truly makes Rosewood Farms a unique Maryland wedding destination (with easy access from Baltimore, Washington DC, Delaware and PA); hope you find it to be a helpful resource! 

ABOUT ROSEWOOD FARMS:

Before buying the 44 acre property in May of 2017, it was a winery and poultry farm. Now, the property has been transformed into a prestigious wedding and event venue, with no detail overlooked!

INTERESTED IN HAVING YOUR WEDDING AT ROSEWOOD FARMS? HERE ARE SOME QUICK FACTS:

With barn venues and rustic chic weddings being so popular, what makes Rosewood Farms unique?

The Rustic Barn is a showstopper! Built on the stone foundation of the original barn, this is a rustic chic ceremony space like no other. The mezzanine balcony overlooking the ceremony is perfect for photo opportunities as well as ceremony musicians; the space directly beneath the ceremony (the original barn’s foundation!) serves as a great cocktail hour space that opens onto the patio with views of the pond just a short walk away.

For weddings, all spaces are included in rental of the venue. They are climate controlled, handicapped accessible, and have restrooms. With getting ready suites only a few steps from the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception sites, it doesn’t get much more convenient than this!

How many guests can be accommodated for a seated dinner?

The 6,000+ square foot Rose Barn venue is spacious enough to hold a reception for up to 275+ guests. With 20’ ceilings, an 8’ chandelier and a grand stone fireplace, there is no shortage of space, character and elegance to add to your day! The rocking chairs right outside on the patio overlooking the pond, are such a perfect place to take in the view if you need a break from dancing!

The Silo Bar at the back of the reception space is so unique and large enough to fulfill all of your beverage needs with seating and a counter along the wall extending around the perimeter (I told you… the Rosewood family has thought of everything for you and your guests to have the best time!)

Where do guests park?
Surface parking lots are available on-site.

How many events are hosted per day?
Just yours!

Are there spaces for the bridal party to get ready on site?

Yes and gorgeous ones at that. The Suite is an intimate cottage-like farmhouse that has been transformed into the perfect place for your bridal party to get ready comfortably and just a short walk to the ceremony at the Rustic Barn!

Two beautifully decorated dressing rooms have space for you and your bridal party to get dressed, while the hair and makeup space is expansive, has great lighting and lots of comfortable seating.

The kitchen, dining area and sitting area all have tons of seating and amenities to help put your mind at ease before you see each other for the first time!

The Lounge is the perfect place for the guys to unwind and hang while they get ready: a pool table, leather couches, wooden barn doors (heyyyy perfect portrait spot!) and outdoor patio access make this space a groom’s dream come true!

Are outside caterers permitted?

With superior service and high quality food, Rosewood Farms has hand-picked caterers for you to choose from. ​This is the only vendor you are required to select from their list. See it here! The kitchen shown below is part of the Suite where your bridal party can get ready and enjoy all the snacks, sandwiches and mimosas…

Is a representative from the venue going to be on-site for the duration of the event?

Yes! A Venue Manager will be there to make sure everything associated with the venue runs smoothly.  If you would like more personalized assistance on your wedding day, you should consider hiring a Day-of Coordinator to help move things move along smoothly. +(Note: this is not required by the venue, but as a photographer who has seen countless instances of how integral and priceless a good coordinator/planner can be, I highly recommend you consider one rather than have a family member helping in this role!)

Are there nearby hotels for guests to stay?

An Embassy Suites, SpringHill Suites and Courtyard Marriott are approx. 15-20 minutes away, in Newark, DE.

What does it cost to host a wedding at Rosewood Farms?

Rental rates are provided upon request and vary depending on the time of year and day of the week.

CONTACT + DIRECTIONS:

Rosewood Farms website: https://www.rosewoodfarmsmd.com/
Directions to Rosewood Farms: 1316 Singerly Road, Elkton, MD 21921
Phone: ​443-350-9938
Contact: Katie White or Chrissy Timlin