Category: weddings

I read a lot of wedding blog posts because I do have several friends in the wedding industry that I like to keep up with, and we all quite often say the same thing: “I have the BEST clients.” But it’s really true, I do! Chris and I are so fortunate to meet such wonderful couples, and to be brought into the folds of their lives for such a special occasion. When I stop and think about the impact of what we do, it sort of blows me away. Debbie and Adam were no exception when it comes to amazing clients. They are two of the sweetest people, and it was an absolute joy to witness their wedding and the celebration.

I started out the day by joining Debbie and her bridesmaids at the Marriott at Fair Oaks where they were getting ready.

The Bride To Be before the dress (cute tank top!) and right after.

Lots of smiles while getting dressed. No nerves here! Or at least they were happy nerves. 😉

I’m still speechless! Debbie, I’m sure every single person told you so on Saturday, but I’m going to say it one more time: you’re stunning.

Meanwhile…

Just minutes before we left for the church (P.S. Debbie, I love your laugh!):

Note: due to a minor snag, we were unable to take this car to the ceremony, but it still made for a great photo op, right?

I LOVE this photo that Chris took right before Debbie and her father walked down the aisle.

St. Timothy in Chantilly, Virginia.

Mr. & Mrs.!

Post-ceremony portraits:

One of my most favorite groomsmen shots, ever. I’m also just really happy that they didn’t fall in the creek.

Just so lovely!

A couple that has a well-planned wedding day schedule has time for a quick visit to Starbucks before the reception! And since the coffeehouse was an important part of Debbie and Adam’s dating history (with multiple visits per weekend in the early days of dating), obviously we had to take a photo or two.

Cutest couple in line at a Starbucks, ever.

And then it was back to the Marriott at Fair Oaks for the reception!

I can almost smell these tasty cupcakes courtesy of Georgetown Cupcakes just by looking at the photo.

I adore both of these first dance photos that Chris took. ADORE.

The Beltway Rockers, keeping the dance floor busy:

And we brought the facebooth, which clearly gets a thumbs-up!

“You must be *this* tall to use the facebooth…”

Cute prop, courtesy of Debbie and Adam.

And I’ll wrap it up with a delicious ring shot! (Full disclosure: we totally ate these after the shot. The cupcakes, not the rings.)

Debbie and Adam, you are both so sweet and it has been such a pleasure working with you and getting to know you. Thank you for sharing your day with us – Chris and I had a blast on Saturday, and we wish you all the best! Congratulations!

When Debbie contacted me about photographing her wedding, I knew just from her personality through email that it would be a fun event, full of life, friends and family, and that’s exactly what it was. Debbie and Mike have such a great energy, and it could be felt in their vows to each other and seen in their love for their baby, Evie. The ceremony and reception both took place at Celebrations at the Bay, in Pasadena, Maryland. I don’t want to jinx myself for upcoming weddings, but we’ve been really lucky with these days that start out really gray and soggy in the early morning, but turn out to be clear days just in time for the festivities! I love it.

Two dresses, one bride-sized and one baby-sized!

The bride’s bouquet? Amazing. It’s a single bloom dinner plate-sized dahlia.

There she is! Debbie and Mike’s baby, Evie, the happiest baby at a wedding ever.

Loda Floral Design thought of everything, including a tiny floral headband for Evie. Precious!

A quick peek at the reception room before the ceremony began.

There’s one other family member I can’t forget to mention – Debbie and Mike’s French Bulldog, Oscar!

Debbie, you’re stunning!

Future photographer in the front row? Evie, did you get some good photos?!

Pound it – married! (Super-star, Emily, officiating there.)

Beautiful family!

Okay, not to take away from the bride and groom, but this is a pretty awesome way to exit the ceremony.

Handmade candy apples!

Root-beer Float cupcakes! I can say from first-hand experience that these cupcakes from Golden Girl Bakery were not only cute, but so delicious.

How cute is that cake topper?!

Debbie and Mike thought of everything, including gifts…

Kids’ activities…

Prizes…

And oh yeah, candy apples!

Mother/son dance.

And a very special mother/daughter dance. I hope Evie adores this photo someday.

And the party!

Debbie and Mike – everything about your day was perfect! Chris and I really enjoyed meeting you (and Evie and Oscar!) and photographing your day. Thank you for having us there! We wish you and your family all the best.

Now that Reina & Dave’s wedding day (9.10.11!) has passed, I can finally post some of Reina’s gorgeous bridal portraits! We met up in Annapolis back in June on a very very hot day. It was over 100 degrees! But you definitely can’t tell in the photos – Reina was an absolute rockstar and worked it out despite the heat. She kept on looking amazing while I, on the other hand, melted away. I will let you in on a secret though: sweet, wonderful Marie, who is Reina’s new in-law, drove us from spot to spot in a wonderfully chilly car with the a/c cranked up so that we would both be comfortable. So a huge thank you (again) to the fabulous Marie! And now a few of my favorites from the session.

I can’t possibly talk about Reina & David’s wedding without mentioning the weather. And I’m not just making small talk here. The east coast has had some really crazy weather the last several weeks, including an earthquake, Hurricane Irene, and now severe flooding with a week straight of rain, rain, and more rain. I have learned to be flexible with the weather when it comes to weddings, but of course I always hope for a day that will make it easier on the couple and everyone involved. Reina and Dave’s families traveled far and wide to get here, and they all arrived to one of the rainiest weeks we’ve ever had. This wedding has been in the works for over two years, and I just wanted to see it all come together perfectly! Well lo and behold, Saturday morning we were greeted with a cloudy, gray sky, but the rain had finally stopped! At that point, I was just thankful that it was no longer pouring, but the day just got better and better. Here are a few of my very favorite photos from the day!

Reina and Dave’s first look before the ceremony:

I love this to pieces:

Showing off her red shoes!

The day continued to be full of sweet details and little surprises, including a wardrobe change into a second dress for the ceremony.

All smiles, all day. I couldn’t get enough of it!

Getting a peek at the guests before the ceremony.

Believe it or not, it actually turned out to be an incredibly bright, warm sunny day, so guests were happily enjoying these cool refreshments:

See?! Perfect weather!

Vows.

“We’re married!”

Every corner of the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club was filled with personal touches and details.

Love the cheerful colors!

A beautifully executed first dance, after taking ballroom dance lessons together. Perfect form!

Toasts.

And then it was time to get their party on!

A bubble send-off was the perfect end to a perfect day. I’m fascinated by this image that Chris took of Reina’s sister and niece – those big colorful circles are bubbles that are closer to the lens. 🙂

Best wishes and a big huge congratulations to you both, Reina and Dave! Everything was just wonderful, and all of your hard work and planning really showed. Chris and I had a wonderful time, and we hope you enjoy the photos for years and years to come!

The weekend before Chris and I left for Alaska, I had the joy of second-shooting for my friend, Kristen Gardner, one of my very favorite fellow photographers (how’s that for alliteration?). Kathleen and Jon’s wedding was held at the super charming Clifton Inn in Charlottesville, VA, and everything about it was just so incredibly beautiful. I’m posting just a few of my favorite photos, but you simply must go visit Kristen’s blog to see the full story.

I’m pretty obsessed with this idea for escort cards – antique keys! Just beautiful.

I spent a few moments with the guys before the ceremony, while Kristen was with the girls. The boutonnieres were the most unique that I’ve seen. I LOVE these.

Hello, gentlemen!

It was a really warm, summery day, but Kathleen and Jon thought of everything, including cold beverages for their guests before the ceremony.

Love the ceremony details:

The happy couple!

Cute signage everywhere:

Everything in this tent was A.MA.ZING. I couldn’t get enough of it.

(Everything around the tent was fabulous, too. Cozy seating areas with beautiful vintage pieces? Yep!)

The custom-built pergola feature was so amazing. I have never seen anything like it at a wedding!

Congratulations and best wishes, Kathleen and Jon!

Now go see Kristen’s blog post immediately! Her photos of Kathleen and Jon’s wedding day are truly stunning and you simply must see them for yourself.