Hello folks, today I will be sharing an amazing George Peabody Library wedding from this summer! I loved serving Xinyi and Tom as their Baltimore wedding photographer!
Photographing at the George Peabody Library in Baltimore Maryland was a dream of mine since I started my wedding photography journey 7 years ago! When Tom and Xinyi emailed me about capturing their art deco, 1920s inspired wedding at the most magical library, I was SOLD. It POURED on their wedding day which made for some of my favorite photographs. We created some dry portraits at the Hotel Revival and the Hotel Indigo. Their ceremony and reception took place inside of the Peabody library which was lit with enchanting bistro lights. The day unfolded with tender hugs, tears, and uncontrollable belly laughs.
During their in-home Fells Point engagement session I found out that these two are pet lovers! The cat lady inside of me instantly connected with them. They even had mini figures of their pets on their wedding cake! (YAS!) Engagement sessions allow me to connect and goof around with my couples. This is just one of the reasons I always push folks to book one!
Tom and Xinyi have a “dang-why-are-you-so-freaking-cute” chemistry. I wanted to share their written story here:
“Tom and I met in September 2014. I had just arrived in Baltimore for a fall internship with my current company, EDSA. Tom was a Baltimore native and just returned from Portland, Oregon where he had planned to move. We both used the Tinder app for different reasons. I used it to meet new friends in Baltimore while Tom had used it in Portland to see what the dating scene would look like when he moved.
By total chance, we both swiped right. Our first date was a tour of Baltimore city crammed in one day. We met early in the morning for breakfast at Miss Shirley’s, walked around the harbor, explored the aquarium, and finished the day with an Orioles game. We didn’t realize it then but our first date really set the tone for the rest our relationship. Together we developed a love of good food, exploration, and of course sports.
At the end fall 2014, I moved back to Ithaca to finish my masters in landscape architecture. We decided to keep our relationship going and visited each other as much as possible albeit a 5 hour drive. In 2017, I went back to China for a few months for work and Tom was able to come visit. We explored my favorite parts of China and I introduced him to my family and friends. When we returned to Baltimore, we had already discussed the possibility of marriage but I just didn’t know when.
One evening, Tom planned an early birthday dinner for me where we walked around Baltimore and kept pointing out certain landmarks and moments from our first date and relationship.
He then took me into the new Sagamore Pendry hotel to walk through their indoor courtyard. We walked by a statue where I found a large box which I assumed was my birthday gift. The box was empty inside except for a small note that read “Turn around.” When I turned, I saw Tom on his knee with the ring I had described to him in painstaking detail over and over again and all went blurry.
Our wedding was truly the wedding of our dreams. We could not have put it together without the help from our amazing family and friends and carefully selected vendors. We wanted to put together an evening that would reflect our personalities and tastes. Our venue search started and ended at the Peabody Library. We just could not find another venue that fit our vision so from there we found the right people to bring it all together.
We found you through our close friend Andy Hwang, our videographer The Paperboys through Instagram, and our florist (Lynn Jeaunette) and band (The Louis Pettinelli Band) through Thumbtack.com. On the day of our wedding, we were terrified that the weather would ruin the day. At times it felt like it would but everyone around us kept us positive. Tom kept telling me that as much as it might suck being stuck in the rain now, one day it would make a funny story. And it did. Nothing turned out according to plan but everything turned out to be perfect.
Once we entered the Peabody and saw everything put together — our friends, our family, the decor, the food, the music — we knew that it was the wedding of our dreams.”
Here are some of my favorite frames from Tom and Xinyi’s Peabody Library wedding in Baltimore Maryland:
Thank you to the incredible vendors that made this Peabody Library wedding day possible:
Bridal Hair and Make-up: Caitlyn Meyer
Bridesmaids hair: Faye Whiteman
Photographer: Baltimore Wedding Photographer Kate Ann Photography
Photography Assistance: Sarah Patarini
Florist: Lynn Jeaunette
Planner/Day of Coordinator: Kimberly Mamaril
DJ/Band: Louis Pettinelli Band
Caterer: The Classic Catering People
Gown designer/retailer: Willow by Watters purchased at Betsy Robinson Bridal
Jewelry: Wedding rings and bands purchased from James Allen
Invitations: Minted
Videographer: Paperboys Films (These guys were great to work with!)
Wedding Cake or Dessert: The Classic Catering People
Lighting: Event Dynamics
