The Millsboro, Del. natives tied the knot on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in July 2018.

By Julia Lowndes
Photography by Jessica Rodgers, jnicolephotographyde.com

Occupations

Emily is an elementary school teacher and Tyler is a state trooper.

How they met

Plenty of couples meet through mutual friends, but not every couple can say they were as lucky as Emily Hall and Tyler Wright. The Millsboro, Del., natives met when their close friends invited them on a camping trip to Chincoteague, Va., where they hit it off right away. After the trip, Emily and Tyler spent time getting to know each other before taking the next step. Their official first date was to a country music concert at the 2015 Delaware State Fair, but they didn’t become a couple until later that fall. “On Halloween he officially asked me,” says Emily. “But I would say we were dating long before that.”

The engagement

May of 2017 was an exciting month for the couple. While Emily was preparing to graduate from Salisbury University, Tyler was busy planning his proposal.

Tyler decided that Emily’s graduation would be the perfect day to pop the question since both families would be attending Emily’s celebratory brunch. It was during the brunch that Tyler gave Emily her graduation gift—a suitcase with a cruise ticket inside. “You can go with me on this under one condition,” Tyler says. “Will you marry me?”

The proposal was a complete shock for Emily. “I had no idea,” she says. “I thought that the cruise was surprise enough…When he said, ‘On one condition’ I thought, ‘Oh my gosh!’”

Both families were thrilled for the young couple. “My mom knew a couple days ahead of time,” says Emily. “She couldn’t sleep because she was so excited.”

The planning process

To ensure that the wedding matched their style, Tyler and Emily agreed that they wanted to plan it as a team. Once this was decided, the first step was to find the perfect venue. Luckily, their search didn’t take long. After seeing photos of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Hotel in Cambridge, Md., they knew their search was over. “Being at the beach is my happy place,” says Tyler. “I’m a swimmer, so being in the water was always my thing. That’s where I feel most relaxed.”

The couple channeled this relaxation into the rest of their planning. “It was: ‘Do you like this? OK, let’s do it. Do you not like this? OK, let’s not,’ explains Emily. “We weren’t crazy about making every single thing perfect.”

The big day

On July 7, 2018, Emily and Tyler said their vows surrounded by 200 friends and family members. The ceremony was held on the pavilion at the Hyatt, where guests enjoyed beautiful weather and elegant, nautical decorations. Before walking down the aisle, Emily savored a few quiet moments with her bridal party. “There was a butterfly feeling knowing that Tyler was right there,” she says.

Despite the time they invested in planning, their true joy came from celebrating with their loved ones. By mixing a traditional ceremony with a more laidback reception, the newlyweds created a celebration that everyone could enjoy. Emily and Tyler let loose on the dance floor to celebrate their marriage. “We never sat down. We literally danced for the entire four hours,” says Tyler.

Favorite details

The couple included personal details to make their wedding one-of-a-kind. “We took a lot of time to include small, meaningful touches,” says Emily. “Things that made it us.” Their golden-beagle, Badge, made an appearance for photos after the ceremony. He also made a cameo on their wedding signs and acted as the namesake of their signature cocktail (The Badge, which consisted of rum and ginger beer). It was important to Tyler and Emily that their wedding was true to what they wanted, even if it wasn’t entirely traditional. “My best man was actually a woman,” says Tyler. “She’s a fellow state trooper.”

The couple also offered their guests doughnuts. “We added a sign to the doughnut table that said, ‘Stop resisting, take a doughnut,’ as a little cop joke to make it more personal,” says the bride.

Advice

Emily and Tyler quickly realized that their wedding day would not last forever, so they made sure to relish in the moment. “Enjoy the night. Don’t worry about pleasing everyone else,” says Tyler. “It’s not going to last long, so take in every bit of it and remember it for a lifetime.”

Details

Theme
Nautical touches

Colors
White, blush pink and navy

Ceremony/Reception
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, Cambridge, Md.

Number of Attendees
200

Dress
Jennifer’s Bridal, Hockessin, Del.

Tuxedos
Men’s Warehouse

Hair
Kristen Brown of Salon Image, Fruitland, Md.

Makeup
Amber Heater of Salon Image

DJ
Justin Darling

Cake
Bay Country Bakery & Café, Cambridge, Md.

Caterer
Provided by Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, Cambridge, Md.

First Dance
“Yours” by Russell Dickerson

Florist
The City Florist, Salisbury, Md.

Videographer
Lindsay Conway, Denton, Md.

Honeymoon
Barbados