Fall 2025 Cover Shoot at Brittland Manor
- Chesapeake Bay Wedding Magazine
- Sep 4
- 5 min read
By Cecelia Shilling
Styled Shoot by JennQuinn Creative
Venue
Brittland Estates - Brittland Manor
@brittlandestates
Photography & Creative Direction:
JennQuinn Creative
@jquinnport
Florals:
Wildly Native Flower Farm
@wildlynativeflowerfarm
Rentals:
Eastern Shore Tents & Events
@easternshoretents
Cake:
Cakes By Abby
@cakesbyabbyrobson
Chocolates:
Bespoke Chocolates
@bespokechocolatemaryland
Catering:
Fish Whistle at the Granary
@fishwhistle_granary
Hair & Makeup:
Images Salon
@imagessalondayspa
Bridal Attire:
Brooke & June Bridal
@brookeandjunebridal
Stationery:
Turnage & Watts
@turnageandwatts
Brittland Manor hummed with chatter and excitement as local vendors, Chesapeake Bay Wedding Magazine staff and other staff watched a young couple pose in luxe wedding attire — the fall cover shoot had finally begun.
“We’ll have to make our kids guess which photos are from the real wedding or the fake one,” said Jessie Casey, a dance instructor and the bride-of-the-day, as well as real-life wife to U.S. Marine Corps Captain Ryan Casey.
Brittland Manor, a stately 1930s brick mansion located in Chestertown, sits on more than 500 acres of fields and greenery right on the Chester River. A winding grand staircase and brilliant chandelier hang inside the entryway, opposite charming farm-themed wallpaper. Outside lie brick patios and the first pool built in Queen Anne’s County, according to Natalie Turner, director of sales and marketing at Brittland.
The theme, “golden gardens,” presented a regal take on the “Old Money" aesthetic that took over the internet in recent years. Creative director and photographer Jenn Quinn crafted a dreamy indoor setup for the fall cover featuring floral greens, classic creams and gilded metals.
The home hosts many outdoor weddings during peak season and doubles as a secluded, luxurious vacation rental. Recently, the venue has extended its wedding season through the end of the year for more intimate events during the colder months.
The couple at the center of it all was married at a similar venue on Dec. 28, 2023.
“When we first started dating, we were both extremely busy, so we had to make the most of the time that we had together,” Jessie said. “So we spent a lot of time going out to eat. That's probably my favorite thing to do. Because Ryan is very generous, he always lets me order two things that I pick, and then he shares them with me.”
Jessie and Ryan were married at the Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, Virginia, about two and a half years after the pair met on a dating app in 2021. The couple chose a date squarely in the holiday season to make sure all their military friends and family could attend.
“Country club house is basically a really old manor. Similar to Brittland, but a little smaller,” Jessie said. “I think that's really when we fell in love with it, because it just had so much character. Each room was different, there was history, and it felt like somewhere our guests could kind of explore and kind of have an experience.”
Up the grand staircase, Ryan relaxed while Jessie got ready with the makeup artist and hairstylist of Images Salon & Spa, Sarah Milburn and Julie Puglisi.
Milburn, who specializes in bridal makeup, and Puglisi, who specializes in event hair, chatted with Jessie like old friends. Everyone working the shoot seemed to treat each other like old friends, especially when Lisa Powell, catering manager and pastry chef at The Fish Whistle, joined the trio in the get-ready room.
They discussed the events they worked on most recently and shared family stories. Jessie told them about matching with her now-husband on Hinge, joking about his profile photos and the jean shorts he had on.
The makeup, framed with a swoopy but polished updo, was simple but elegant and airbrushed. The dress, provided by Brooke and June Bridal, was a white ballgown with 3D florals down the skirt and on the veil.
“The 3Ds are always a hit,” Kallie German, Brooke and June owner, said.
Finally downstairs, Jessie and Ryan posed surrounded by oversized white and green florals provided by Wildly Native Flower Farm.
“We use flowers that people maybe have never heard of or never thought of for a wedding,” Nicole Castelli said, who handles wedding logistics and floral design at Wildly Native. “It provides a different view of wedding florals than what's traditional while still being elevated in design and elegant and timeless.”
Throughout the manor, the pair sat in antique furniture by sunsoaked windows, giggling and grinning in their dress clothes. Quinn shot solo portraits of Ryan in a moody office, lined by bookshelves with titles like “Beautiful Cathedrals of Britain” and “The Memoirs of Cleopatra.”
“I want to open all the doors or pull the books,” Puglisi said. “I think I would find a hidden passageway. I think under the carpets there might be a trap door.”
Tall candles flickered between vases of flowers on the dining table across the hall. Picture-perfect plates of smoked salmon rolls with cucumber and pickled onions were crafted by The Fish Whistle’s co-owner and chef Jeff Carroll.
“We customize for every wedding,” Powell said. “I have a conversation with [the couple] and I say ‘what are your favorite things?’ I think it sets us aside a little bit from other caterers because it's their day and it should represent them.”
At the far end of the room, a dessert table overflowed with breathtaking sweets, featuring a three-tiered lemon cake with blueberry filling from Cakes by Abby and intricately painted goodies by Bespoke Chocolates.
“I always baked growing up, but I wasn't necessarily into making cakes pretty — I was just always about making them delicious,” said cake decorator Abigail Robson. “I didn't think of myself as an artistic person. I thought of myself as very logical and by-the-book. I was shocked and pleased to discover this part of myself when I started ‘Cakes by Abby.’”
As Quinn took some of the final shots of the day, a small speaker in her back pocket crooned Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are,” as Jessie and Ryan prepared to leave the dining room and head outside.
Waiting in the winding driveway of the home was a white 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, a stunning vintage car delivered by Edward Higginbotham of Concours Vintage Limousines. The couple ended their shoot resting in the leather rear seat of the vehicle.
The inside of Brittland Manor overflowed with friendly small talk and chatter that day, bursting with the small-town charm that Maryland’s Eastern Shore towns are known for. Powell noted the strong connections she makes with her local wedding couples, especially since she hopes to continue seeing them visit her restaurant for years to come.
“I get emotional about some of our weddings just because you get to know the bride and groom. I spend probably a year with them, back and forth, on the phone and emailing,” Powell said. “Later in life, you see things that they've accomplished and whatnot. It's not just about the food, it's about all of it.”
