Herrington on the Bay is one of those wedding venues that speaks for itself. Located in North Beach, Maryland, this stunning waterfront wedding venue is the perfect setting for those precious moments that weddings are filled with.
There are actually two wedding venues within Herrington on the Bay. The first is the Herring Bay Gardens & Herrington Yacht Club and the second is the Polynesian Lawn & Paradise Ballroom. Each wedding location comes with its own unique outdoor wedding ceremony and indoor reception space. Both options offer a gorgeous setting for brides, grooms, and their loved ones to celebrate the wedding day.
As a documentary wedding photographer, I’ve found that having your wedding ceremony and reception at the same venue leads to more awesome moments to document since there’s no traveling stress involved. Minimal stress is key to amazing candid photography!
Wedding Photography
Hey! I’m Jason! I’m a professional wedding photographer based in Northern Virginia and I’m passionate about serving fun-loving couples with documentary wedding photography. I particularly enjoy working at wedding venues close to home and throughout the DMV (Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia) area.
My mission in photography is to create meaningful images. A meaningful image to me is one that documents a special moment in time while capturing authentic emotion. I love photographing the epic people, emotional moments, and fun shenanigans that happen naturally on a wedding day.
Wedding Prep
The Inn at Herrington Harbour is located on-site and is often where brides and grooms get ready for their wedding day. There are also other lodging options available on-site at Herrington on the Bay.
On this day, my couple decided to keep their wedding day simple and thus decided not to have getting ready pictures taken along with a minimal wedding party comprising of one best man and one maid of honor. Though Herrington on the Bay has many beautiful first-look location options, my couple also opted for a traditional wedding with no first look.
Wedding Ceremony
The Herring Bay Garden and Polynesian Lawn serve as Herrington on the Bay’s two outdoor ceremony locations overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. On this wedding day, my couple scheduled to celebrate their wedding day on the Polynesian Lawn; however, heavy rainfall and wind resulted in the ceremony taking place inside the tented Paradise Ballroom.
Regardless of the weather, my couple was ready for a good time and didn’t let the rain bring them down or stop them from embracing the day with emotion and excitement. The staff at Herrington on the Bay had a great indoor ceremony option and took all the proper steps to make the appropriate accommodations in a timely manner.
Wedding Portraits
Once the ceremony concluded, cocktail hour commenced and it was time for family, wedding party, and couples portraits. While cocktail hour typically takes place outside, because of the weather on this day it was moved to inside the Paradise Ballroom tent. The staff at Herrington on the Bay cleared out the ceremony space so we could take advantage of the arch as a backdrop for the family pictures.
This is the only part of the day where I take a more ‘photoshoot’ style approach as we go through a list of photo pairings provided by the couple. Family portraits are an essential part of the wedding day, though one that can take longer than necessary if not managed properly. This is why I help my couples create an efficient family formal list that can be completed within 20-30 minutes. I help my couples wherever I can both before their wedding day and on the day of!
We got pretty lucky at this point in the day because the heavy rainfall turned into a slight drizzle and so my couple and I decided to go outside for some outdoor couples portraits. Though there was no sun in sight because of the rain clouds, the soft lighting conditions allowed us to capture flattering portraits in the rain.
Wedding Reception
Herrington on the Bay offers two indoor reception spaces – Herrington Yacht Club and Paradise Ballroom. Both options offer a unique and elegant atmosphere. This wedding reception took place in the Paradise Ballroom and had a truly premium look and feel to it.
From my pre-wedding consultation with my couple, I learned how much they love to dance and have fun so I was especially excited for this part of the day and it did not disappoint. It was such an honor to document my couple having fun and enjoying their beautiful day despite the less-than-ideal weather conditions.
Location Address
7151 Lake Shore Dr, North Beach, MD 20714 (Herrington on the Bay)
668 Friendship Rd, North Beach, MD 20714 (Polynesian Lawn and Paradise Ballroom)
Let’s Connect
Are you getting married at Herrington on the Bay? You’ve picked the perfect location and I’d love to photograph your wedding! You can see more of my work on my portfolio page. If you’re ready to reach out, head over to the contact page to get in touch and check availability. I can’t wait to hear from you!