Kate and Jake’s Whimsical Garden Style Backyard Wedding

Kate Barnhart grew up spending summers at her grandmother Ellen Barnhart’s waterfront house in Severna Park. She’d fill hours swimming, fishing, lying in the sun, and banking happy memories. “I am very close with my grandmother and her home is dear to my heart.”

So, when it came time to pick the location for her wedding, it was a no-brainer. And luckily her fiancé, Jake Hilton, felt the same way. The two had first crossed paths at a coffee shop in Minneapolis, where Jake worked as a barista while he was finishing up his degree. “We always noticed each other, but we never introduced ourselves,” says Kate, who works in marketing. Luckily, Bumble, the online dating app, acted as matchmaker. Their first date did not involve coffee, but another brewed beverage—beer.

While they dated, Jake, a financial advisor, also grew fond of Ellen’s house. After a proposal at Acadia National Park in Maine, “We just knew it was the perfect place for us to get married,” says Kate. “And thankfully my grandmother loved the idea.” It became a family affair to get the backyard and house prepared for the big event, including landscaping, hanging string lights, and installing a new pathway.