Here’s something I’ve learned after a lot of weddings. When a couple plans most of it themselves, you can feel it in the room. Lexi and Chris did almost every piece of their wedding on their own, from the stationery to the cake, and their Willowbrook Weddings celebration in Bridgeville, Delaware looked like a summer sunset come to life. Pink, orange, yellow, and blue florals, a garden ceremony under white columns, and a dance floor that stayed packed until the light wands came out. Their three words for the day were sweet, memorable, fun, and they got all three.
As a Delaware wedding photographer, I love working with couples like this. People who know exactly what matters to them, and then let the day happen.
Everything was on site at Willowbrook, which kept the morning easy. Chris got ready in the billiards lounge while Lexi’s family and the flower girls crowded into the bridal suite. The little details carried a lot of meaning: a charm wrapped around her bouquet, her grandmother’s ring, Chris’s Starry Night cufflinks. Her mom knelt down to help her with her shoes, and that quiet moment is one of my favorites from the whole morning.
Chris waited on the little garden bridge for the first look, and when Lexi walked up behind him, the tears came fast. They had a few minutes together by the pond before the wedding party joined them in front of the ivy covered stone walls for some very fun, very loud photos.
Family was part of everything. Chris’s nephews greeted guests at the path with baskets of fans for the August heat. Lexi’s brother, Zac, stood with her as a bridesman and walked her down the aisle. A family friend officiated, another friend gave a reading, and Lexi and Chris read vows they wrote themselves. There were happy tears and a lot of laughter, and they walked back up the aisle with their arms in the air. I’ve shot a lot of ceremony exits. That one made me smile.
Willowbrook has some of the prettiest light in Sussex County. We slipped away from the reception for sunset portraits under the willow tree and along the winding garden path, and the glow was unreal.
Inside Willowbrook Hall, the night was all about fun. A live watercolor artist painting guests, a 360 video photo booth, a mother and daughter dance, a colorful cake, and a dance floor that never emptied. And here’s a detail I love. Instead of a bouquet toss, Chris and his friends, who collect Pokémon cards together, planned a booster box toss. I did not see that one coming. Their send off closed the night under a tunnel of light wands.
Lexi’s advice for couples still planning: try to get ahead of schedule as much as possible, because you don’t actually have as much time as you think, especially if you’re not using a wedding planner. Coming from someone who planned the whole thing herself, I’d listen.
What Made Willowbrook Work for Lexi + Chris
Lexi and Chris used the gardens for their first look, and the bridge, the pond, and the shaded paths gave them privacy without ever leaving the property. It was a warm one, and their nephews handing out fans at the ceremony entrance was a sweet touch their guests appreciated.
We stepped away for a few minutes at sunset, when the willow tree and the winding path were glowing. The live painter and the 360 booth gave guests something to remember, and the light wand send off was a fun way to end the night. Willowbrook has a lot of beautiful corners, and no two couples use it quite the same way.
Planning a wedding at Willowbrook Weddings in Bridgeville or anywhere in Delaware? We photograph and film weddings with a documentary approach, which is a fancy way of saying your gallery and film will feel like your day, not a photo shoot. Reach out and tell us what you’re dreaming up.
Vendor Credits
Venue: Willowbrook Weddings
Photography: Christopher Ginn Studios
Catering + Linens: Skyline Catering (@skylinecateringllc)
DJ + Lighting: That’s Entertainment DJs
Florals: Plush and Bloom (@plush_and_bloom_dover_florals)
Hair: Upstyles for the Aisles, Dede Crout (@dedecrout)
Makeup: Mirror Mirror Makeup, Ashley Custis (@mirror_mirrormakeupandlashes)
Wedding Dress + Bridesmaid Dresses: Brides & Grooms (bridesmaid dresses by Mori Lee)
Alterations: Do Creatively (@docreatively)
Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Formal Affairs Delaware
Planning, Cake + Stationery: The couple
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