The couple: Laura Doherty Miller, 33, grew up in Laytonsville and graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney. She is a sales director for Scout Bags. Robert Miller, 32, grew up in Scaggsville, Maryland, and graduated from Reservoir High School in Howard County. He is an accountant for United Therapeutics Corp. They live in Silver Spring with their dog, a pit bull mix named Millie.
How they met: Laura was introduced to Robert by her old high school friends, who attended the University of Maryland with him. But their romance took several years—and a little friendly intervention—to develop. “Our friends probably had a bigger role in it than we would admit,” says Laura, recalling how one of her pals (and eventual bridesmaids) told Robert to take her on a date to the Sauf Haus Bier Hall & Garten in Washington, D.C., in 2016. “That’s how we ended up actually dating,” she says. “That kicked it off.”
The proposal: On a hot August day in 2022, Robert brought a ring along on a hike the couple took at Virginia’s Turkey Run Park. As they came across a picturesque spot along the Potomac River, Laura suggested they prop her phone up and take a video of themselves. “Totally not what I had anticipated” while preparing to pop the question, recalls Robert. But he embraced the moment. “He turns and says, ‘Are you ready?’ And I said, ‘Ready for what?’ ” Laura says. “And then he proposes and I’m, like, full-blown meltdown status.”
The ceremony: The pair tied the knot at St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on June 23, 2023. “It felt full,” says the bride of the intimate venue, the perfect size for their 140 guests. Deciding to get married in a beach town, the newlyweds say, was a no-brainer—it resembled a “destination wedding,” Robert says, without being too much of a trek for their local guests.
The reception: After the ceremony, guests took buses to the reception at Rehoboth Beach Country Club, where oversized windows bathed the ballroom in natural light and offered exquisite bay views. But one of the bride’s favorite memories came en route to the venue. “Being on that bus for a moment of just, Holy crap, we just did that, was really just so fun,” she recalls.
The decor: To help achieve the vision of a “French whimsy garden party at the beach,” Laura says, a green-and-pink color scheme dominated the decor, from the napkins to the table signage to the matchbooks that guests took home as party favors. The table-scapes featured understated bouquets of buds such as anemones and baby’s breath, and above the dance floor hung a cluster of disco balls strewn with greenery. Rather than signing a guest book, guests inscribed notes on a framed print depicting a kitchen table—a peaceful scene that the bride envisions “hanging in our house forever.”
The dress: The Alena Leena gown that Laura discovered at Garnish Boutique in Towson, Maryland, was picked out with the June date in mind. “It was really nice to wear during the summer, and it just felt really lightweight and fun to dance in,” she says. She paired the dress with Loeffler Randall heels, completing the ensemble with her sister’s veil and a pearl bracelet that belonged to her late mother. “Basically, everything was something borrowed or sentimental,” says the bride. Millie, the couple’s dog, looked on as Laura got ready the morning of the wedding, but the pup did not attend the ceremony. “She can’t be trusted,” Robert says.
The music: After a first dance to a recording of the Schitt’s Creek cover of “Simply the Best,” Robert and his mom took to the dance floor for “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins. “She’s bawling her eyes out,” recalls Robert. “Her favorite song is ‘Shut Up and Dance,’ and I was like, ‘It’s the first song. Just keep it together and we’ll have a good time.’ ” Indeed, they did, with the music makers, 76 Degrees West Band, playing that tune and other favorites. “They were outrageous,” Robert says, recalling the group’s jazzy vibe. Donning heart-shaped sunglasses—another party favor—guests boogied to crowd-pleasers such as “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” and “September.” “Honestly, everyone was out there, like, the whole night,” says Robert.
The food: The country club catered the feast, starting with his-and-hers signature cocktails (an Orange Crush for Robert and an Aperol spritz for Laura). For the main dish, guests chose from miso-glazed salmon, beef short rib or a stuffed poblano pepper over rice. After the cutting of the cake—a small white buttercream—guests chowed down on a spread of cannoli, chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream.
The afterparty: Guests headed to the Summer House restaurant after the reception, but the merrymaking didn’t stop there: The next day, the newlyweds invited people to join them for a beach excursion. “It was nice to see everybody with no pressure to get dressed up for a dinner or a breakfast,” the bride says.
The honeymoon: Later in the summer, the newlyweds spent nearly two weeks traveling through Portugal: They took an electric bike tour through Lisbon, lounged on a boat in Lagos, and “sat in the resort for four days” on the Azores, Laura says.
Vendors: Band, 76 Degrees West Band; catering and venue, Rehoboth Beach Country Club; church, St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church; dress, Garnish Boutique; florist, Innerbloom Floral; hair, East Coast Bridal; photography, Lily Morgan Photography; videography, Fordham Films.