Citizens Ballroom Wedding in Downtown Frederick | Katie and Joel

Katie and Joel are two of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know. They’re classic and refined with impeccable taste, and they also aren’t afraid to laugh big and love bigger. They put their whole hearts into every relationship in their lives, they happily march to the beat of their own drum, and let’s be honest, they’re A LOT of fun too.

So it makes so much sense that their Citizens Ballroom wedding felt exactly like them. Their day had getting ready at The Visitation Hotel, a first look inside the former chapel now tavern, a ceremony in the round in the heart of Downtown Frederick, napkins in every shade of the rainbow, and a sunset that stopped us in our tracks. Every detail was so intentional and so full of heart, and I’m so excited to share it with you!

The morning started at The Visitation Hotel with throwback tunes and a whole lot of laughing.

Katie and her girls got ready at The Visitation Hotel in Frederick, where hair and makeup was underway as everyone bopped along to throwback songs and giggled the whole time. I already knew we were in for an amazing day just from how much thought Katie and Joel had both put into the planning process. The second I felt the buzz of that morning, my suspicions were confirmed.

Their details were prepped and waiting off to the side, and they were a mix of funky meets classic and color meets monochrome. Everything contrasted and coordinated in the best way possible, which is really just Katie and Joel in a nutshell.

Once hair and makeup wrapped, Katie stepped into her dress with help from her mom and cousins.

She was positively glowing. Her bridesmaids wore bright, bold, mismatched colors in every texture and design you could imagine, and the vision was PERFECT. After a quick sneak peek at her full look and some big hugs from her girls, it was time to go see Joel.

Their first look happened at Wye Oak Tavern, inside the hotel’s old chapel, now tavern.

If you aren’t familiar with The Visitation Hotel, it started as a monastery, became a school, and is now a hotel. The decommissioned chapel is now Wye Oak Tavern and is STUNNING. I’ve been stalking this space on Instagram for a while now, so I was thrilled to finally see it in person. The views go on and on. (I hear the food is great too, but we were fully locked into wedding mode, so eats will just have to wait until my next visit!)

Katie and Joel took a moment near the bar to take in each other’s looks before we rocked through some seriously epic portraits. (Insert me accidentally screaming“Shut the f* up, y’all are ICONS” as they hit the most perfect ballroom spin.) Their wedding party joined us for a few, and then we walked over to Citizens Ballroom.

Yes, walked. These two are that chill!

The first part of our time at Citizens Ballroom went by in a flash (no pun intended… the light in there is incredible with or without flash, TYVM). We did wedding party portraits (I can’t WAIT for you to see those colorful bouquets paired with the bold bridesmaids’ dresses), got some love from the family, and then moved on to one of my favorite parts of their day.

Before anyone else arrived, Katie and Joel shared their vows privately, right where they’d say them again a beat later, surrounded by their people.

Their ceremony was set up in the round, with rows of empty chairs that would soon be filled with loved ones surrounding them from every angle. For now, though, it was just the two of them. They shared promises, tears, laughs, and a few kisses too, and it felt so centering and grounding.

I love that they got to be in their ceremony space before it filled with celebration. The vision for their wedding day was all around them, and the vision for their life together was on the pages in their hands and in their hearts too. It felt so intentional and so special: a moment just for the two of them before their guests joined them for the rest of the evening.

About an hour later, those chairs were full.

Surrounded by colorful florals and everyone they love, Katie and Joel were married by one of their dear friends. They repeated their personal vows, this time with all their people there to witness and share in the happy tears (and the giggles, too). They passed their rings so each person in the crowd could offer their well wishes and love over the bands they’ll wear for a lifetime, and then they sealed the deal with a kiss!

As Katie and Joel recessed and headed off to cocktail hour, their ceremony space began its transformation into their reception. Long banquet-style tables were set with napkins in every shade of the rainbow, making a statement across the whole ballroom under those stunningly historic coffered ceilings. Their bright floral palette tied it all together, and the table numbers and place cards? Katie hand-punched the designs into every single one. Such a vibe.

They enjoyed cocktails and laughs with their guests, and before we knew it, everyone was taking their seats for dinner. Epic entrances and a sweet first dance kicked off the evening, and then we snuck away for sunset.

One thing about these two: they’re down for just about anything.

We explored Frederick’s canals for a few minutes before heading to the exact spot where Joel asked Katie to marry him. Talk about full circle.

As we made our way back toward the venue, the sky started to come alive and we knew a rooftop moment was a must. Shoutout to the parking garages of Frederick for having some of the best views in town, to Mother Nature for giving us the most unreal color, and to Katie and Joel for not being afraid to take their wedding portraits in a literal parking garage. Worth. It. Just wait until you see this sky! We had a blast taking some married photos of these cuties against the painted sky before they headed back to their party.

A few toasts, some parent dances, and a cake cutting later, the dance floor opened and never slowed down.

As the night went on, glow sticks and cutouts of their pups’ faces on sticks made an appearance to liven things up even more. The party didn’t need it, but who’s going to say no to a cute pup face on a stick? Certainly not me.

All in all, Katie and Joel’s Citizens Ballroom wedding day was incredible: intentional, full of heart and detail, and a perfect reflection of who they are. Congrats, you two, and thank you for letting me be part of it. I can’t wait for everyone to see just how perfectly it all came together.

Before you scroll through it all, a huge thank you to the incredible vendor team who made this day happen: