Herrington on the Bay Wedding Photographer | Sailboat Engagement

Herrington on the Bay Engagement | Julie + Phil

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Herrington on the Bay Wedding Photographer | Sailboat Engagement

Julie + Phil’s Herrington on the Bay wedding engagement session was the best mix of land and sea. And after that sunset, I’m officially in love with sailboat engagement sessions!

How they met

Julie was living in downtown DC and thought it would be great to learn how to sail. Phil loves to sail and is a boat mechanic who also helps manage a friend's race boat and crew. The couple met at a crew listing party in Annapolis organized by a local newspaper, to help boat owners find crew (and vice-versa). Phil invited Julie to come out sailing and the two became friends. Julie got really busy and focused on starting her own design/consulting business, but Phil made sure he kept in touch.

A little later on, Phil’s boat-owner friend treated him to a sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands, and Phil invited Julie to join him on the trip. Can you think of a more beautiful setting to fall in love?

Being a designer herself, Phil knew he needed to involve Julie in the ring design process. Julie knew a proposal was coming, but she didn’t know when or where!

How He Asked

Without Julie knowing, Phil picked the engagement ring up right before the shop closed due to the virus. Initially thought he’d wait until things returned to normal after lock-downs. But as the pandemic timeline stretched on, he decided to forgo his more elaborate plans. He proposed as the two were hiking on Kent Island on a little beach. As they were hiking back, they had their first adventure as an engaged couple when the trail flooded! Ever the romantic, Phil carried Julie part of the way back.

Chesapeake Bay Maryland Engagement

I met the two of them in North Beach, MD for their Chesapeake Bay engagement session. We started out at Herrington on the Bay’s beautiful Polynesian Lawn and Paradise Ballroom where we explored the beach and pier as well as the beautiful lawn with its palm trees and many tropical plants. (For couples looking for a tropical destination wedding feel without having to travel very far—these Chesapeake Bay wedding venues are for you!)

Then we headed over to the yacht club at Herrington Bay Harbour South to head out for a sunset sail for the second half of their session. We enjoyed one of those rare summer evenings where the water was really calm, the humidity fairly low and temperatures were absolutely perfect. You can see from their session how the chameleon sky changed colors from pale gold, to blue to soft pink as the sun dipped below the water.

Many thanks to their friend Scott for serving as host and captain for our adventure! It was a real treat getting to know all three of these folks during Julie and Phil’s session. I can’t wait until later this summer for their Saint Michaels Wedding!