Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel And Restaurant: What An Amazing Venue For A Christmas Wedding

I get excited when I accompany Ben Sherman Classical Guitar to weddings that are held at lovely venues like the Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel and Restaurant. I love to experience these elegant locations that the bride and groom choose as the place to express their love. The Antrim 1844 is a stately brick Mansion that was once a Plantation consisting of 2,500 acres. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the grand home sits nestled on a 24 acre location that is west of Baltimore, at 30 Trevanion Road in Taneytown Maryland, just 15 minutes from Gettysburg Pennsylvania. 

We have visited the Antrim before and enjoyed the superb 'Smokehouse Restaurant' which presents a deluxe six course gourmet dining experience! The food prepared by Chef Michel Gettier is worth getting a reservation for, so you too can partake in a delightful evening. Enjoy the Mansion's first floor of rooms while you wait for your table in the Smokehouse. The discerning wine lover can sip some wine from the award winning wine cellar.

Additionally there are ten other buildings on the property, filled with finely appointed rooms lavishly decorated in Victorian furnishings for your overnight stay. Isn't that incredible! That's a total of forty rooms and suites available which includes the main Mansion. Guests also get the traditional breakfast and afternoon tea for spending the night at the Antrim. I suggest you check out the map of the grounds and its amenities on this page.

Now let's get to that December wedding in which Ben Sherman is once again playing classical guitar music to set the ambiance of this historic setting. The Mansion has decked its halls in all the finery of Christmas past! As you can imagine this is a fantastic time to be having a wedding at The Antrim! Let's have a look around!

Attention to detail is evident everywhere you look! Pine garland hangs from every chandelier, mantle, stairwell, painting, and mirror. All draped in the live greenery that smells so good, I overheard a number of people commenting on the pine scent that filled the air!

The Mansion is filled with wonderful antiques, fine furnishings, and sumptuous linens. Still there are touches of whimsy that give such large rooms a cozy home like feel. One of the themes in the Mansion decor is Nutcrackers, and you will find them guarding both sides of the front door entry. Two more large nutcrackers stand upon the hall buffet, and if you look up, there is one sitting atop a grandfather clock.

Then a first floor Mansion room that holds a display of fruits and cheeses during the cocktail hour, contains wreaths that each have a different three dimensional scene inside. A bit like circular doll houses. Below is just one of those charming homespun wreath designs. 

A cozy pub room sits at the rear of the main house, with a fox hunt theme called The Pickwick Pub.

Outside of the pub is a cheery holiday staircase continuing the hunt decor.

The weather is mild on this day and the wedding party had no problem having their photos taken outside. So let's go see the gorgeous bride as she is being photographed beside the main house. I love getting a chance to photograph the bride too, so I took a couple shots as well. What a background! I just love the mistiness in the atmosphere!

What you do not see in the photo above is the scene in front of the bride. A lovely classic garden. I attended another wedding during the summer months where the wedding ceremony was held in this formal rose garden.

Here are a few more photos I took of the bride and her wedding party.

I love the December colors and faux fur cape.

A nearby water fountain statue.

There is a separate building on the grounds to hold special events like wedding ceremonies, receptions, and corporate events, called The Garden Room. Let's go inside where a wreath adorns each panel of windows surrounding the building.

Here we find Ben Sherman Classical Guitar is prepared and warming up before the guests arrive for the ceremony.

Elegant Christmas and wedding decor is evident as well in this light filled garden view building.

Now as the guests arrive for the wedding ceremony, Ben Sherman is playing classical prelude music and will continue with music for the processional of the wedding ceremony. Click on the player below to listen to a music clip of Mr. Ben Sherman performing on classical guitar, "Gymnopedie No. 1" by Satie.

Ben Sherman Classical Guitar continues playing after the ceremony as the newly married couple, wedding party, family, and guests leave the room. Above is a music clip of Ben playing "Scherzino Mexicano," by Ponce.

The guests are on their way back to the beautiful main house for cocktails where Ben Sherman will play a mix of classical guitar and modern classic tunes. Award winning musician Ben Sherman is also a classic rock, and jazz musician, so he can lend a wide musical variety as the wedding guests start to relax and get their festivities started.

Entering the drawing rooms your eyes immediately go to the beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Warm and inviting, these formal rooms contain antique sofas, chairs, and upholstered benches. You can easily settle in to enjoy a sculpted marble fireplace view, and the traditional holiday decor. All the while listening to Ben Sherman's sophisticated guitar music, while you carry on a conversation with friends.

Afterwards the guests will return to the Garden Room to eat a delicious meal set with fabulous table linens. I especially loved the opulent material that was used for this wedding along with the dramatic winter white and cream table decor. You can click on any of my photos for a closer view.

During the cocktail hour the wedding guests mingle between the rooms and grand staircase of the front hall. Some guests in the Drawing room areas made song requests of Ben Sherman, which he happily accommodated when possible. All this while the amazing Antrim 1844 hors d'oeuvre's were being served throughout the main floor of the Mansion.



Listen in and hear Ben Sherman play the song "Horizons," by Steve Hackett.

I was very impressed to learn of all the buildings that are part of the Antrim 1844 property and wanted you to see one of the other buildings known as the Smith House, which is seen from the front porch of The Garden Room in the photo below. Go to their website to learn about the other historic buildings that you can stay and enjoy overnight with top notch accommodations.

In accordance with that fanciful taste that seems to be in abundance at the Antrim Mansion, just check out this Santa in this most marvelous ornate antique display case sitting casually in the corner of the room. Love!

It's time for us to pack up my camera, and the music gear, to let the party continue at the dinner reception at the Garden Room. The bride, the groom, friends, and the family, have all graciously thanked Ben for the classical guitar music he provided during the wedding and cocktail hour. A truly lovely family, and group of friends. We couldn't help but notice that the bride and groom full of smiles, took a few spins around the reception hall together, before being announced to the waiting guests. See the love that is glowing into the night from their joyful celebration.

We wish them both much happiness in their marriage and uniting of open hearts. Ben and I know the value of a loving partnership that gets you through all the hills and valleys of life. A blessing to enjoy upon waking to each new day! Below is a clip from a song Ben Sherman wrote and is performing called, "First Light." Enjoy.



Should you know of any one requiring the musical talents of Ben Sherman Classical Guitar for a wedding or special event, please click on the photo below to be taken to Ben's official web site for more information. 
Spread the music and love.

Cool In The Lily Pool

A lovely wedding was held at a beautiful old mansion yesterday. Ben Sherman Classical Guitar played during the outdoor evening ceremony. It was 100 degrees at 6:20 PM. These lilies remained hydrated and cool... unlike the rest of us wilting flowers. Oh to be a frog.

Over The Paper Moon For My Valentine

 Just like the old fashioned days of yore, I made a Valentine Card for my sweetie. Since we are both just finally getting over a nasty flu that kept us down for two weeks, I had not been out to buy a store bought card. So I thought a little something handmade by me and photoshop would be nice. Hope you like it my love...

I have to say that I am happily married to the kindest most thoughtful man I have ever met. We are truly soul mates that enjoy every moment together. I feel grateful and blessed everyday to be with my King! Saturday we had an early Valentine celebration at a favorite restaurant with my daughter, her man and our grandaughter. Our little big girl (she is three feet tall haha!) Aowyn, just turned two and the restaurant staff did a little cake, candle, and singing, which put a look of surprise on that baby's face that was totally priceless! We enjoyed sharing our romantic Valentine dinner with family! Spreading the love around! Everyone had suffered this flu bug and we were all so glad to get out from under our sickly cabin fever!

Photo of The Queen is from our wedding and taken by Robert Smith Photography. I had to piece together four different shots to include the entire dress that is hanging down from the moon. I think I faked it out pretty good! The awesome vintage paper moon background was provided by Kpauli on Flickr. Texture used over all was a gorgeous tone from Jerry of Shadowhouse Creations.

Moonlighting

It has been over a year and a month since this picture was taken of our grand daughter who was dressed just like the Queen, and in our wedding. Hard to believe she was ever that small, as she is so big now that she looks like a two year old. Right now I am a year behind on all art projects since the 'Bink' spends so much time with me during the week. Constantly working on various things that arise, I now would just like to check off some major old assignments as finished. Getting the photos of our wedding arranged to send out to the videographer for our long overdue wedding video would be a great relief. So during this heat wave I stay in the air conditioned office and attempt to whittle away at this huge project each night.

Wish I could share some of the finished images that have extra fantastic backgrounds from a 'certain movie' that also inspired our wedding theme!  Unfortunately I would be in trouble if I did post them. Instead I have posted the one photo of me where all I really needed to add was hair extensions and lighting.  Geez I have been trying all my life to grow hair that long!  Working on the real photos from that day and making everyone look great takes time. The Queen loves Photoshop! Great for removing the shine on glowing brides faces! Always follow the professional retouch rule of no more than ten percent change on people. Keeps everyone looking real!

I was excited to try using textures on photos.  I have seen some really great work out there on the internet and was inspired to learn and create something of my own. Since I am working on our wedding project I chose one of those photos to play with texture effects. I do have permission from my photographer to use my wedding photos in any way I wish.  That caveat was agreed up front when I hired 'Rob Smith Photography' because...I know how I am!  In this dream world of life, I couldn't take pictures of my own wedding and be in the now of my wedding day too.  So I choose effervescent photographer Rob Smith (seen above), because he is fun, takes great photos and lets me play with our purchase in photoshop!  Wedding days are a blur as it is, so thank goodness for photos and video to spark the memory.  I just wish I could photoshop that impending video too!

Textures helped me to create two different looks from one wedding photo.  The original photo certainly looks good as shot out of the camera but we are going to pump up the volume! For this project I used free textures from the very talented and generous Jerry at 'Shadowhouse Creations' who posts something free almost everyday. Jerry is a master at using textures to create impressive and compelling photographic images. Definitely worth checking out for all manner of great photoshop info, inspiration and of course freebies! 

I read one of Jerry's tutorials and then played around with blend modes and some brushes on my photos.  Look at the depth and difference in the look of these images.  Pretty cool.  In the second version check out how I changed the scene to night time.  You can click on the images to view them larger. Yes, we did have a full moon for our wedding! I just changed the location of the moon for this image.  I guess I can control the dream world!  Awesome!  Did I mention I just love photoshop, generous souls like Jerry, and my incredible wonderful loving husband! Life is good in the Shire!

My First Scrap Book Pages

I feel like a little kid who made their first art class project and fell in love with paste.  Actually takes me back to when I fell in love with the fun of creating art with felt cut outs and Color-forms. Remember them!?!  Oh I can just smell the Play-Doh!

This is my first attempt at Digital Scrap booking. A few months ago I did not even know what that term meant. In the past two years that I have been learning about Photoshop, I often saw references to digital scrap booking, usually on "brush" sites. Sure I'd seen the multiple aisles in 'Michael's' dedicated to old fashioned scrap books. I even bought a number of beautiful paper stacks to use for my wedding signs last year. Eventually I hope to make a scrap photo book about my own wedding with these beautiful papers.  There is a mini collection of elements and paper stacks on a shelf in the studio.  But, still I wondered what is this 'Digital" version of scrap books?

Finally I decided to ask on a Photoshop Brushes page what is "it" ???  Only one kind person responded to me.  I had asked "did these scrap bookers just post their digital pages online, or did they print them out?" This person said the answer was both, depending on the person's choice. People can print them out on a scanner and make a physical book themselves. What really caught my attention was that you can have your scrap book printed at many POD photo book companies including Blurb.  I had already downloaded the Blurb software months ago, since I planned on making hard cover books of my Wedding and Baby photos. So this news intrigued me.  I still do not know where scrap bookers might display their pages online other than perhaps in a flicker group.

Off I went, in search of digital scrap page information and found some scrap booking blogs.  Well actually lots of them!  Most styles were not for me, but then I found 'Mystique Designs'!  Wow!  I really loved the look of Brydka's work and how her creative team were arranging their own pages with her elements.  These gals were very design savvy and creative. I do not have time to design and make everything in my life. So making use of another artists talent is a big time saver! This digital work becomes a co-creation in the end.

'Mystique Designs' provides backgrounds, full kits and quick pages all for sale at very reasonable prices.  With every new kit design released on her blog, Brydka gives away freebie downloads for anyone...  That is how I started, with two of 'Mystique Designs' free downloads.  One was just a background and the other was a quick page.  I played with photos of the grand baby and then was hooked!  What's a fairy grandmother to do? Well... I went over to the store at 'Oscraps' and bought a variety of 'Mystique Designs' kits and backgrounds during one of her great sales...that's what!

 
I have been sick the past week, and I wanted something to do where I did not have to think.  I thought this would be good time to check out the kits I bought and just play.  I just let whatever popped into my head flow onto the pages.  There was no plan.  God would design the pages for me and I would follow along having a blast!  This was so much fun!  It feels like solving a playful puzzle, and getting a beautiful prize at the end.  Plus I now have started my own collection of memory pages! One thing leads to another! Ben is enjoying looking at my pages too. And isn't that the point of making such things?

'Mystique Designs' kits have a large amount of pre-made elements on PNG files.  You just plop down and transform the size of the items to your desire.  Easy!  I found I could mix and match the items from her various kits as well.  I only used a few elements from the kits, and I can see that there are going to be endless ways to arrange them on a page.  I added a few photoshop brushes from Obsidian Dawn and GBG here and there, and by the way both of those brush web sites have freebies. I quickly realized this is a very good way to practice your photoshop skills with no pressure.  You can always go back in a few days to tweak and change your mind about your page arrangement when you create a digital page. I just love that!

The quick pages are just that...quick!  The PNG QP pages come ready made with nicely designed frames already in the background.  Just make your own 12 x 12 Photoshop document, add a layer and paste in a copy of the PNG QP.  Slide your photos under this layer, add some type, and your new page could be finished that quick.  
I tend to keep going.....and going......and going........

Visit 'Mystique Designs' and look over her wonderful collection and be inspired.  She is making new designs amazingly fast! Get yourself some of her cool freebies, which for those people who need them, include free blog designs too.  You can find other styles of scrap pages at 'Oscraps' where there are many artists making digital scrap booking kits for sale.  Some are modern and some more traditional.  Another scrap artist whose design work I enjoy, and also has freebies, is called 'Mary Pop.' If you have trouble designing your pages, you can get ideas from both 'Mystique Designs' and 'Mary Pop's' creative team (CT) by perusing their blogs.  

 
If you are a good seeker on the internet you can find lots of freebies out there!  Some are only available for a limited amount of time. Others remain like golden eggs, waiting for you to find them! Once you discover something you really like it is nice to support an artistic entrepreneur by buying something of theirs too. All the digital scrap book pages shown on this digital scrap book blog post were created with various 'Mystique Design' elements and backgrounds. (Every Time, Glorious Spring, Faith, Secret Life, Spending, Enchanted, Romatical Album, My Biggest Wish, Beside You, and 1001 Dreams) 

I think the next time I make some digital scrap book pages, I will try using some of the ephemera I have found online to make some funky vintage digital scrap book designs. Have fun creating your own digital memory pages and feel the love of freebies!

The First Wedding Anniversary

The King and Queen celebrated the beauty of their royal relationship last weekend! A wonder to behold! One year ago we had the most beautiful wedding in all the land. We are very happy when everyone tells us it was the best wedding they ever attended. The ceremony was personalized by Ben and myself, and our friends were moved by the truth of Spirit, and our wedding vows honest sentiment. The setting of our wedding was the glorious outdoors, the food was provided by our guests and was overflowing, and the music performed by Ben and friends was exciting! The weather turned from rainy to blue skies just in time for the wedding. Everyone relaxed and enjoyed the beauty of our day, and each other. A celebration of life and love. How wonderful it is to find your soul mate and wake up happy everyday! We are truly grateful for this experience!

We planned on going to see Hall and Oates in concert at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. So Ben found us a really nice restaurant in nearby Little Italy called Aldo's that was fit for this most Royal occasion. Lovely architectural details and excellent service made for a very special location to celebrate. A most delicious Riesling and the best Asparagus soup ever for me, and a very yummy shrimp bisque for Ben started out the evening. We have a custom of sharing everything when we dine out so we had a mix of surf and turf items. Although Aldo's is an expensive restaurant, the fine dining was worth the extra you pay for their wonderful cuisine and service. I wish we had asked who was the maker of our wine, because it was so smooth!

We toasted to forever love and touched together our Rings of power! Life is good! Long live the King and Queen! Aldo's also treated the royal couple to some culinary gifts for our special occasion as well. A pesto risotto, our dessert, and a sweet liquor, which was far too powerful for us to drink! Ha! I certainly would recommend this gem in Baltimore's Little Italy to anyone. Parking would be very difficult here, so thank goodness Little Italy has a valet service stationed in the front of most of the restaurants. Helpful for sprained ankle's too!

I see my hair is brushed to the side and that reminds me that on this day my hot flashes were in extreme mode. Very hot and flashy every 40 minutes. I will not let them stop me! A little dab will do me! Well maybe a big dab! I also have to remember to pack reading glasses in my purse, so we both can read the menus when we go out to dine. After dinner we chatted with Aldo outside while we waited for our car in the sunshine. Aldo proclaimed proudly that he uses the best ingredients and told us everything is made on the premises.

Off we went to Pier Six concert pavilion In the Inner Harbor to see 'Hall and Oates. The weather was clear and felt as beautiful as the photo above. As a Philly girl, I love the soulful voice of Philly's own Daryl Hall. The man can sing! I really enjoy his web show called 'Live From Daryl's House.'  You get a peek inside Daryl's home and musical world. It is an unusual mix of guests that hang out and jam. Worth checking out for any music lover! The concert was entertaining, but too polished. This tour was to promote the new box set and the songs were just the top forty hits. I loved the last time I saw 'Hall and Oates' perform at 'Rams Head Live'', maybe five years ago. It was a free form simple concert, just the musicians and microphones. No set design. Daryl sang whatever song was called out, and the band was so good they got right into whatever song was thrown at them. 
 

I much prefer the soul songs and very much missed the soulful renditions of "In a Philly Mood," and "Me and Mrs. Jones." I just wanted to hear him wail! I also missed their guitar player T- Bone Wolk who passed away recently. Oh well, at least I bought the live recording of the former concert and can listen to it whenever I like! The seats in that venue are way too small and close together. You really better like your neighbor! Luckily for us, the funny thing that evening, was that the four very nice music loving people sitting next to us, lived near our Realm. Sometimes it really is a small world!

Earlier in the week we also took a trip to a quaint nearby town where Ben bought me a new 'Trollbead' for our first anniversary. Oh and did I mention Ben put together a beautiful bouquet of flowers to remind us of the awesome bouquet he got for our wedding day display. Always thoughtful... the King makes the Queen so happy!

Wedding Photo by Robert Smith Photography
The other photos are from my portable CoolPix Camera. 
You just can't carry the Nikon in to concerts. Darn.

UPDATE: I learned from the comment below that Daryl Hall also ate at Aldo's Restaurant on Sunday. Such synchronicity! Not surprising though, because it is evident Daryl loves good food. If you watch the web show 'Live From Daryl's House' there is always communal cooking going on during each episode. Part of the fun! Here is the info and link to the 'Baltimore Sun Blog' that will confirm that very cool comment message. Dining at Large.