Remi Maggio John Dillon

WEDDING DATE: JUNE 11, 2022

NUMBER OF GUESTS: 165

FAVE DETAILS:

THEIR LUGGAGE TAG ESCORT CARDS AN AVIATOR’S BOTANICAL NUPTIALS

Chesapeake Bay Beach Club | Kir2Ben Photography

SYRACUSE SUDS

Growing up in Syracuse, NY, Remi and John had definitely met before. Their high schools were across the street from one another, they had mutual family friends, and they had attended some of the same parties. But it wasn’t until one freezing night in December 2014 that they actually had the chance to talk. They closed down the bar, talking about their missed connections and what was coming after they finished college. John was headed back to the Naval Academy, while Remi was flying to Nashville, which meant their first date didn’t occur for another six weeks. With 700 miles between them, they settled for a first date weekend, which turned into a week-long staycation when Nashville was hit with a legendary ice storm and John’s flight was cancelled.

Remi and John paid homage to John’s career in naval aviation with decor elements, like a luggage tag seating chart and table names referencing favorite places the couple had visited together.

WELCOME TO THE BAY

An Annapolis wedding meant a destination wedding for all their guests, so Remi and John wanted to ensure their reception included all the quintessential Bay elements. “The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club was everything we could have dreamed of, from the beautiful views to the exceptional service and amazing food,” Remi says. The reception venue was the couple’s biggest splurge, and they had zero regrets. “It mattered the most to us to make sure our guests were well taken care of and left with nothing but great memories from the evening.”

Since Remi was living out-of-state in Washington, she enlisted Caitie Hanrahan of Betty Lou Events to help her plan. “There is no way I could have done anything without Caitie,” Remi says. “She was so knowledgeable and connected.”

GOIN’ TO THE CHAPEL

John worked as a tour guide at the Naval Academy the first summer the couple dated, so one weekend, he took Remi on a private tour of the grounds. “When we got to the USNA chapel and he opened the doors, I had a huge moment of butterflies seeing him there with the altar in the background,” Remi says. “Although it was still very early in our relationship, I couldn’t shake the feeling that one day, we would be back.” When they started planning their wedding, Remi found out the sentiment was mutual; getting married at the chapel was one of the easiest decisions they made.

27 32 DRESSES

Remi tried on an impressive 32 dresses at Klenfield Bridal before saying ‘yes’ to the very first one she tried on, a silk chiffon ballgown by Anne Barge. “I still can’t believe it myself, but no other dress made me feel the way that first one did,” she says.

A FORGOTTEN HEIRLOOM

Remi was devastated that her grandmother, who passed away in February 2021, couldn’t be at her wedding, so it was all the more special when Remi’s father discovered a pearl heart brooch of hers tucked away. “No one in my family remembered that it existed, but the day before my father left for our wedding, he was looking for a pair of cufflinks his father had given him in 1990,” Remi explains. “He opened an old jewelry box and the brooch was right there staring back at him. She was with us all day as I pinned the brooch to my bouquet.”

LAST MINUTE SONG SWAP

Remi and John knew they wanted their first dance song to be country, since their relationship started in Nashville. They took private dance lessons and started to choreograph a routine to “Dance with Me” by Morgan Evans and Kelsea Ballerini, but ended up scrapping everything the day before their wedding, when they heard “You” by Dan + Shay for the first time. “We immediately knew it was more us,” Remi says.

THE DETAILS

BRIDE’S GOWN: ANNE BARGE (DESIGNER) + KLEINFELD BRIDAL BRIDE’S RECEPTION OUTFIT: ALEXIA MARIA BRIDE’S JEWELRY: OLIVE + PIPER BRIDE’S SHOES: MANOLO BLAHNIK HAIR: UPDOS FOR I DOS MAKEUP: MAKEUP BY SHIRIN (BRIDE) + BEAUTY BY JACS (BRIDESMAIDS) CAKE + DESSERTS: KUPCAKES & CO. CALLIGRAPHY: STEPHANIE GOULD CALLIGRAPHY AND DESIGN MUSIC: JULIE KURZAVA + MONTE MAXWELL (CEREMONY) + MIXING MARYLAND (RECEPTION) FLORIST: STEELCUT FLOWERS GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: GENTUX LIGHTING: EVENT DYNAMICS LINENS: BBJ LINEN PLANNING: BETTY LOU EVENTS PHOTOBOOTH: ACTIVE PHOTOBOOTH PHOTOGRAPHY: KIR TUBEN PHOTOGRAPHY RENTALS: SELECT EVENT GROUP (TABLEWARE) + PRETTY LITTLE WEDDING CO. (DECOR) STATIONERY: RUBY THE FOX TRANSPORTATION: THOROUGHBRED SEDAN, VAN & BUS VENUES: U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY (CEREMONY) + CHESAPEAKE BAY BEACH CLUB (RECEPTION) VIDEOGRAPHER: RIVION WEDDING FILMS