This wintery January elopement at B’Nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, MD was photographed by Hannah Bjorndal on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Hannah is a Washington, DC wedding photographer available for weddings in the DC metro area, Maryland, Virginia and beyond. 

Sometimes, love cannot wait. That is what we’ve been finding, especially over the last year. When Mark and Sarah had to postpone their November 2020 wedding at the InterContinental Hotel at the Wharf, these two initially planned to wait until the following November to be wed. However, after spending time at home in Maryland for the holidays, Mark and Sarah decided on a change of plans! Instead of waiting all that time to get married, they decided to stay in Maryland for a few months and get officially married in January!

From the start, I have really adore this beautiful bride! We met (what seems) so long ago, and I had been excitedly looking forward to their wedding day all year. Even after the pandemic hit, I was holding out hope for a totally clear and safe November celebration. When it was clear that their day was not going to be able to move on as planned, we pivoted and I started to look forward to the following year! Honestly, I was SO thrilled when Laura from the Ida Rose Events team reached out to let me know that Mark and Sarah wanted to make it official before their big celebration at the InterContinental. And here we are today!

Mark and Sarah chose to get married at the synagogue where Sarah grew up. She went to preschool through high school at the connected school and was involved actively in her congregation for all those years. Even after moving away to the midwest, Sarah has stayed close with her Maryland-based family and friends. These two didn’t originally plan on marrying at this location, so it was extra-special that they chose to get married here for their official celebration!

This wedding day was so beautifully classic and simple. With just 4 guests in attendance (and Mark’s family on zoom!), Sarah and Mark used creativity and joy to make their wedding day incredibly special. It was a joy to celebrate and I can’t wait for celebration #2 at the end of this year in DC!

Photography: Hannah Bjorndal

Planning: Ida Rose Events

Venue: B’Nai Israel Congregation