We are so pleased that Belmont Country Club has gone above & beyond to make our event both safe & memorable. In light of current affairs, there will be numerous precautions in place to ensure the safety & enjoyment of all guests. Please see the below for the highlights of our safety measures (though many more are behind the scenes): Ceremony: The ceremony will be outside, with ample space between chairs. While guests are not required to wear masks during the ceremony, masks and hand sanitizer will be available. Cocktail Hour: In addition to the Manor House, a satellite bar will be set up on the main lawn to allow guests to enjoy cocktail hour outside. Hand sanitizer stations will be provided throughout the space. All appetizers and a variety of drinks will be passed by staff members to avoid shared food stations or lines at the bar. Face coverings will be required in the Manor House unless guest are eating, drinking or dancing, and staff members will wear face coverings and gloves at all times. Reception: Tables will be spaced at least 6 ft. apart, and guest count per table will be limited. All silverware will be placed inside napkins to prevent air exposure or accidental touching. All breads, salads, dressings, desserts, etc will be served individually by staff members to prevent shared food items. Hand sanitizer will be available and all frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned every 60 minutes. While indoors, masks are required unless eating, drinking or dancing. We are also pleased to announce that we will have two dance floors to prevent over crowding. In the ballroom we will have the main dance floor for those who wish to stay indoors, and adjacent to the ballroom we will use the 40 x 80 ft. terrace as a large outdoor dance floor. Coupled with the additional space around tables, we feel this will allow ample room for our guests to dance where they choose and avoid congestion. If you have questions on these or other safety measures, please ask us.

It wasn’t an easy decision for us to move the date of our wedding. June 13th, 2020 was a day Michael and I have been looking forward to for well over a year. A cute little ritual we’ve had is to say to each other ‘Hey, what are you doing X days from now?’, and the answer was always, ‘Marrying you on June 13th!’. We looked forward to the warm weather and sharing this moment with all our nearest and dearest family and friends. And while we planned what to do for rain, power outages, or many other small scenarios, obviously no one can plan for a situation like this. So, we soldier on. Times are tough for all of us, and we are grateful and optimistic about our new date. We hope on Friday, October 16th to see all the same faces as we would have in June, and to share just as much love and excitement. We, like you, hope that by October 16th we are on the other side of this beast of a virus and that we can celebrate in style. Thank you for your flexibility, we hope to see you there!

We met the old fashioned way...online! Shannon was seated alone at a local coffee shop, enjoying a midday break from work when she heard the boisterous rumble of a motorcycle exhaust. In that moment she felt the reverberations of that rumble come across her body. She was entranced, but who could the mystery rider be? Her mind remained transfixed by that sound, but she knew nothing of it's source and understood nothing of her interest. Michael was running late, as the gods had blessed the roads this day with all the traffic. He chose to arrive on his steel horse, hoping that whatever points he'd lose in punctuality would be regained in coolness. His gamble paid off, later learning that his arrival was received with equal parts anticipation and excitement. He remembered walking in and seeing this long, dark-haired beauty sitting alone and thought, 'That's her?'. "Shannon?" he asked cautiously. She smiled and they exchanged greetings. The decision to meet at a coffee shop was tactical, because, as he'd learn through experience, at the least he would enjoy the coffee. What he hadn't counted on, however, was thoroughly enjoyable he'd find her. And so over a lunch break the two shared stories, laughs, and glances hinting at their interest. When it ended Shannon returned to work slightly late, but aglow, and Michael returned to his ride - thinking only of the delicious conversation he had, over a cup of coffee he barely touched. He went home and cancelled his future coffee dates, feeling as though none would be quite as enjoyable as his last, with Shannon. (written by Michael, reviewed by Shannon)

On a warm February day Michael asked Shannon to take off a little early to enjoy the 70 degree weather. It would be the perfect opportunity to go down to Gravelly Point Park and take some photos and watch the planes come in as the sun sets. This was the site of one of their first dates, and the one where Shannon knew she'd fallen for Michael pretty hard. It was the perfect cover story, since Shannon and Michael enjoy taking time off for 'daycation' getaways to spend time together. Despite the balmy breeze, Shannon was a little cold, so they walked around watching the planes take off and looking at the sun set over the water. Ever the photographer, Michael asked Shannon to stand in front of the skyline while he grabbed a tripod. Reaching into his backpack however, he pulled out not a tripod, but a ring! They sat in awe of the moment and toasted with some bubbly (seltzer) and took some more photos, side by side. The perfect way to celebrate the start of the next phase in life together for the photographer and the aviation enthusiast!