Scottish Rite

Polly Offutt’s art deco engagement ring, which belonged to her husband’s great-grandmother, inspired her to create a vintage wedding that paid homage to their families and heritage.
The bride, 30, and her husband, Matt Offutt, 29, were introduced through mutual friends three years ago. Their first date was at an ice cream shop in Canton. “Matt had been told that I don’t like coffee,” says Offutt. “So it was a sweet first date.”

On Oct. 8, 2011, the couple wed at her family’s church, Roland Park Presbyterian, in front of 170 friends and family. The Presbyterian church, with its origins in Scotland, offered the perfect setting for Offutt’s father and brother to don their beloved kilts and reflected Offutt’s Scottish heritage, which she was eager to share. Bagpipers played at the ceremony, as well.

As an interior decorator, Offutt paid particular attention to detail. Bridesmaids wore dresses from J. Crew in Caspian blue and Offuttt had the groomsmen’s ties custom-made from the same fabric. Although heavy rains had destroyed Maryland’s dahlia crop, Offutt’s florist was able to import the bride’s flower of choice from elsewhere. The wedding invitations featured orange dahlias, and the sashes tied around the bridesmaid’s dresses were also orange, while the white flowers on the wedding cake matched the flowers on Offutt’s wedding dress. Offutt’s corgi, Issy, who played an integral part in the nuptials as the ring dog, wore a flowered collar around her neck through which the rings were strung— the collar matched the flower in Offutt’s hair.

At the reception at the Maryland Club, guests dined on a traditional Baltimore-themed menu of crabs and filet and sipped on custom drinks, a Dark and Stormy for the groom’s hometown of Annapolis, and a Southside for the bride’s hometown,
Baltimore.
 
To pay tribute to both families, the bride placed black-and-white framed photographs of her and her husband’s grandparents, great-grandparents and siblings on the cocktail tables. For favors, guests took home corgi-shaped cookies and small cartons of milk with colorful straws, inspired by one of the bride and groom’s favorite snacks. 9

Resources

Wedding gown  Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection, Pikesville, 410-484-4600, http://www.robinsonsbridal.com
Photography  Carol Masica Photography, 877-826- 0667, http://www.carolmasica.com
Bridesmaid’s dresses J. Crew, http://www.jcrew.com
Bridesmaid’s belts Jenny Yoo, Garnish Boutique, 1515 LaBelle Ave., Suite 3, Towson, 410-321-1406, http://www.garnishboutique.com
Flowers  Fleur de Lis, Baltimore, 410-727-3184