This Couple's Intimate Baltimore, Maryland, Wedding Took Place in Two Different Venues

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland couple holding hands
Photo: Winsome + Wright

Personal touches, golden accents, and beautiful flowers made this intimate wedding extra special.

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daniela emmanuel wedding maryland couple holding hands
Winsome + Wright

Even before she met Emmanuel, Daniela had chosen their wedding venue—a 19th-century church in Baltimore. Never mind that it was more than two thousand miles from the couple's home in Chandler, Arizona. "It wasn't the most practical choice, but I loved the idea of getting married in this beautiful old church," says Daniela, who had attended services there while living in the city years before. "I wanted to walk down the aisle past the pews where I'd once prayed—sometimes for my future husband."

Daniela and Emmanuel—she works at a law firm; he's a fitness coach and former pro football player—first met, auspiciously, on Valentine's Day a few years ago. Each was out with friends at a local restaurant, and they exchanged glances across the room all night until Emmanuel (emboldened by encouragement from one of Daniela's companions) approached her table. "When I finally walked up to her, she had the biggest smile on her face, and I knew right then what a joyful, special woman she was," he remembers. A year and a half later, in a rose petal-strewn room with a GoPro set up in the corner to record the event, Emmanuel asked Daniela to marry him.

In planning their May 17, 2017, wedding, the couple felt it was important to celebrate not just their love, but also their families and their shared Christian faith. "We both come from deeply religious backgrounds, and we wanted the day to honor that," says Emmanuel. "A big, crazy party wasn't us." They kept the guest list to just 30 family members and close friends. In lieu of a traditional wedding party, the bride and groom's parents stood nearby during the ceremony, and Daniela's brother, a Roman Catholic deacon, officiated.

For the reception, everyone gathered in a private wing of the Baltimore Museum of Art that was decorated in tones of blush and gold for the occasion. ("I'm an unapologetic romantic," says Daniela.) A rsting trio played as the couple took to the center of the room for their first dance. "We were nervous, but we nailed it," says Emmanuel, who had surprised Daniela with private dance lessons a few months before their wedding. "It was just another confirmation of what a good team we are."

Watch Daniela and Emmanuel's wedding film by Josh Gooden Cinema.

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Gilded Invites

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland stationery
Winsome + Wright

With gold-foil edging and a pale-pink ribbon, the invitation suite by Surcee Calligraphy introduced the warm, feminine palette of the event.

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Getting Ready

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland mother
Winsome + Wright

Instead of a maid of honor, Daniela's mom helped her get ready and held her bouquet during the ceremony. "My mother was the only person I wanted to share this moment with," she says. The bride customized a Martina Liana ball gown with a lace top, based on a photo of a similar dress she'd saved on her phone for years.

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Sparkle in Her Step

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland shoes
Winsome + Wright

"I have always been a girl who loves a fabulous pair of heels, and I couldn't have anything less on my wedding," says Daniela. She chose a Manolo Blahnik pair in gold, to tie into the decor.

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Veiled Beauty

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland bride
Winsome + Wright

"I came across this veil online and knew it was the look I was going for—dramatic and romantic," says Daniela, shown here in the Antioch Room of the Baltimore Museum of Art, where the reception was held.

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The Bridal Bouquet

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland bouquet
Winsome + Wright

Florist Sophie Felts of Blossom + Vine crafted a bouquet of peonies, garden roses, dogwood, and seasonal foliage from her family's tree farm.

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Ready to Wed

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland bible rings
Winsome + Wright

Daniela had a vintage pocket Bible personalized for Emmanuel to read as he was getting ready for the wedding. The groom opted for rings in both platinum and yellow gold, to alternate as he likes.

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Regal Architecture

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland church
Winsome + Wright

Dating back to the late 1800s, the Georgian-style St. Vincent de Paul Roman Church was worth the headache of coordinating a wedding from across the country, says Daniela. "We just don't have churches like that in Arizona."

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Handheld Details

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland program
Winsome + Wright

"To have and to hold" was handwritten by a calligrapher on each of the ceremony programs. On the day of the wedding, Daniela had a rosary on hand that her mother had given her on her 30th birthday.

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Getting Married

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland ceremony
Winsome + Wright

The wedding was officiated by Daniela's brother, who wove personal stories into the scripture.

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Please Be Seated

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland tables
Winsome + Wright

A light-filled neoclassical room at the Baltimore Museum of Art was the backdrop for dinner, where an extra-long silk-draped table fit all 30 guests.

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Dinner Time

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland reception
Winsome + Wright

After passed appetizers, including crab cakes and lobster po'boys, guests sat down to the main course—rockfish and filet of beef—by Sascha's Catering. "Emmanuel let me take charge on the style, but this man knows food," says Daniela. "So, I sent him all the options and he chose the menu."

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First Dance

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland first dance
Winsome + Wright

A string trio played during both the reception and the ceremony, lending a dreamy soundtrack. "The music really put the icing on the cake, in terms of atmosphere," says Emmanuel.

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A Petite Wedding Cake

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland cake
Winsome + Wright

The red-velvet cake by Buttercream Bake Shop gleamed with gold leaf and was finished with lush blooms.

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Gilded Sweets

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland first dance
Winsome + Wright

Raspberry Chambord macarons were served alongside the cake on a marble-and-gold tray that Daniela purchased. "I wound up buying some of the tableware instead of renting because I liked the options in stores better," she says. "And now we have reminders of our wedding in our everyday life!"

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Sources

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland couple holding hands
Winsome + Wright

Locations, St. Vincent de Paul Church; Baltimore Museum of Art

Event planning, design, and styling, East Made Event Company

Catering, Sascha's Catering

Flowers, Blossom + Vine

Photography, Winsome + Wright

Cinematography, Josh Gooden Cinema

Stationery and calligraphy, Surcee Calligraphy

Cake and desserts, Buttercream Bake Shop

Music, Chesapeake Strings

Rentals, BBJ Linen; Party Rental Ltd.; White Glove Rentals

Bride's gown, Martina Liana from Mariée Bridal

Bride's accessories, Veils by Rebecca veil; Manolo Blahnik shoes

Hair and makeup, Caitlyn Meyer

Groom's custom tuxedo, JPJ Empire

Groom's bow tie and shoes, Calvin Klein

Transportation, Presidential Limo

Tablecloth overlay, FrouFrou Chic fabric; Sheryl Kelm Designs sewing

Getting-ready location, Cylburn Arboretum Association mansion

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