Cheryl + Drew’s Disco Glam wedding – The Bolger Center, Potomac, Maryland – June 23, 2012

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I knew from the start that Cheryl and Drew’s wedding was going to be different. The first clue was the theme…disco glam. The second was my pre-wedding phone call with the couple to discuss all the final details. I spent a good half hour of that call with Drew while Cheryl was out of earshot, talking about all the surprises he had planned for Cheryl. There was the giant Kiddush cup, his suit pants that transformed from straight legs into hot pink lined bellbottoms in the middle of their first dance and the musicians he hired especially to do their processional and recessional music. I have never seen a chuppah of Lucite and their first look was just as memorable. How perfect was it that Drew bowed down to her and then checked under her dress! I have to say that they did a fabulous job carrying out their theme! The also did the Hora outside during cocktails which made for some very fun pictures. For the reception, the Bolger Center was transformed into a disco palace of hot pink, black and silver. They broke out into the Hustle in the middle of their first dance and everything down to the lettering and record albums used to decorate the guest card table were true to the disco era.

 

Reception and wedding venue: The Bolger Center/301.983-7000

Event planner: Cara Weiss/Save The Date

Hair: Hair by Giselle/301.984.9007

Makeup: Bridal Artistry/703.380.9961

Flowers: DaVinci Florist/301.588.8900

Cake: Fancy Cakes by Leslie/301.652.9390

Musicians: Davis Dj

Videography: Blue Sky Films/Tonya and Jackson/301.755.5478

Photo Booth: Elite Party Entertainmentt

Photography: Deb Lindsey Photography/202.412.8909

Andra + Daniel’s wedding – North Bethesda Marriott – June 17, 2012

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Andra + Daniel were married on a glorious Father’s Day evening. Seriously, for mid-June in DC and considering the sweltering heat that was to follow, it really was a perfect day. The Bethesda North Marriott was the scene of all the events of the day and I knew things would go well as soon as the couple saw each other. The sneak peek I posted on FB of the two seeing each other brought a comment from one of Andra’s friends that they were “cuter than a basket full of puppies!” I thought that summed them up perfectly. Daniel just couldn’t stop kissing his bride. Which is a good problem for a wedding photographer to have. They had a traditional Conservative Jewish ceremony with a modified tish where the bride and groom separated during cocktails and came together for the bedecken (groom putting the veil on the bride) and then the ceremony. And speaking of cute…when the ring bearer came down the aisle holding toy cars in both hands he then decided as he neared the chuppah that the aisle runner was a great racetrack and he proceeded to get down and play! Loved that. In another twist on tradition, as soon as the ceremony was over the whole wedding headed into the reception and immediately started a rousing Hora. It created great energy for dancing the rest of the night.

Wedding and Reception: Bethesda North Marriott/Randi Jacobs/301-822-9271

Florist Chevy Chase Florist/301-986-0986

Hair and makeup: Art and Chemistry Hair/Sinia Cruz/301-437-3882

Band: Millenium- Washington Talent/301-762-1800×110

Cake Creative Cakes/301-587-1599

Photography: Deb Lindsey Photography/202-412-8909

Vanessa + Jonathan’s wedding – Tyson’s Galleria Ritz Carlton – June 2, 2012

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I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with Vanessa and Jonathan before their wedding day. Little things like Vanessa’s graduation from medical school and Jonathan’s residency in Minnesota meant they weren’t in the DC area much before their June 2 wedding. So I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect…I have to say the whole day was a pleasant surprise. It was my first time shooting at the Tyson’s Ritz Carlton even though it’s one of my favorite meeting places in Virginia. Both the ceremony room and the reception were elegantly decorated…a chuppah dripping with crystals and beautiful spotlighting (I know, I’m all about the lighting). The theme continued for the party set up…crystal draped floral arrangements and candlelight set a romantic mood. I loved Vanessa and Jonathan’s first look. From the moment they saw each other the joy in their faces truly moving.  The ceremony was a mix of Jewish and Filipino traditions including a surprise for Vanessa–Jonathan donned a traditional Filipino dress shirt just before he walked down the aisle. They had glorious sunny day and I so appreciated that the couple was willing to go outside for pictures before and after the ceremony and finally after dark where we were able to take one of the coolest photos I’ve ever done at a wedding.

 

Wedding, Reception, Catering + Cake: Ritz Carlton at Tysons Galleria/703.506.4300

Event coordinator: Linda Lazo/202.285.9622

Florist: Edge Flowers/301.330.5232

Hair and makeup: Hee-Soo /240-246-6677

Band: Onyx /301.807.8335

Photography: Deb Lindsey Photography

 

 

Kelly + Andrew’s wedding – Congressional Country Club – May 27, 2012

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Memorial Day weekend wedding #2—Kelly and Andrew get married at Congressional Country Club. It’s one of my favorite places to shoot—and not just because it’s minutes from my house (although that doesn’t hurt!). It was another warm but beautiful sunny day and I’ll take that over rain any day. Especially if it’s an outdoor wedding and a venue that has lovely grounds. Kelly was well assisted in getting ready by bridesmaids (2 of which were her sisters) and there were a few smiles but a little air of nervousness. Not terribly unusual on a wedding day. The first real smile I saw from Kelly was when she finally got to see Andrew. They are a great argument for having a first look. I’m not sure she could have held out until the ceremony started. Once they saw each other, they were both all smiles. It was a bit of a sun-soaked ceremony on the back patio of the country club—a blue sky without a cloud in sight. After the ceremony they were anxious to join friends and family for cocktails but we did manage to squeeze in some of my favorite shots from the day of the two of them in one Adirondack chair on the putting green. The décor was romantic with wrought iron candelabras and very pretty small arrangements of flowers on the tables. I particularly loved the mint used in some of the vases and used that to shoot one of my ring shots. The couple had a big hit with their choreographed first dance and another highlight of the night was a performance by medical school friends of Andrews who have a band that plays gigs around NYC. It’s not everyday you see a group of surgeons jamming. And they were really good!

Wedding and Reception: Congressional Country Club

Event coordinator: A Trendy Wedding/Anne Kelley 703.932.2185

Florist: Beehive Events /Shawn Cossette 434.286.4509

Hair and makeup: Belle Soeur/Alison Souza 301.549.3454

Band: Rhythm Collective, Elan Artists 888.800.3526

Photography: Deb Lindsey Photography 202.412.8909

 

Selina + Dan’s wedding – Old Town Alexandria – May 26, 2012

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Old Town Alexandria is a very special place for Selina and Dan. They got engaged on the waterfront and on the very warm Saturday of Memorial Day weekend they got married there. It was a classic Old Town event. They started the day at historic Christ Church, where Washington and Robert E. Lee were regular worshippers.  From there it was down to their party at the Torpedo Factory. During the course of the day they navigated the bikes of Rolling Thunder –a Memorial Day staple around town, and they were graciously escorted to a private dock at the bottom of King St. for a quick portrait session. And we even squeezed in a few minutes near the  spot where they got engaged in Waterfront Park. Among my favorite photos from the day are Selina and Dan’s first dance. The smiles on their faces just never quit…even when a slight glitch in the song delayed the action for a few minutes. The rest of the night the party was a big dancing affair culminating in the cake cutting and singing of an Arsenal FC fight song while cutting the groom’s cake. Let’s just say Dan’s a fan.

 

Ceremony Christ Church, Alexandria, Virginia

Reception The Torpedo Factory 703.838.4565 x2

Catering Main Event Caters 703 820 2028

Florist Petal’s Edge 703.518.8488

Hair and makeup Connie Tsang 703.554.9595

DJ DJ Elon Bialek’s music 410-484-7978

Cake Fluffy Thoughts 703-942-5538

Videographer Blue Sky Films – Holly Neff

Jen + Ross’ Willard Hotel wedding – May 19, 2012 – Washington, DC

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I first met Jen + Ross at a swim meet on the GMU campus on a chilly day in December. OK, I was the one at the swim meet and I ducked out to meet with them at a nearby hotel. But I do think it’s the first time I’ve combined the two things where I spend of my time…weddings and swim meets! What I remember most about that meeting was the way they talked about each other as they recounted the scavenger hunt in Central Park that culminated in Ross’ proposal. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other. So it was especially meaningful for me to do their engagement shoot in Central Park few months later. Their wedding at the Willard Hotel was just sweet and elegant. They are a no-fuss couple and really just have fun being together. When Jen filled out the shoot list questionnaire I sent them before the wedding there’s a blank for special things for us to be on the look out for. Her response was simply that she was marrying her best friend. I thought that summed them up perfectly. They lucked out with a gorgeous spring day that allowed us to take advantage of the view down Pennsylvania Ave during the group shots and their portraits. Another noticeable thing about Jen + Ross is that there is just a little height difference. They solved this for me several times during the reception when Ross picked her up and twirled her around joyously while they danced.

Wedding, reception + cake: The Willard Intercontinental Hotel 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC

Event coordinator: Sarah Peterson/202.637.7457

Florist: Edge Flowers/301.330.5232

Hair and makeup: Andre Chreky Salon/202.293.9393

Band: Sound Connection – Andy Kushner music/301.869.8855

Videographer: Jackson Steppe – Blue Sky Films/301.755.5478

Photography: Deb Lindsey Photography/202.412.8909

 

Kathy + Evan’s Mayflower Hotel wedding – Washington, DC – April 28

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When I first met Kathy I could see we had a lot in common. She was a Potomac girl (OK, technically I’m a Bethesda girl but transplanted to Potomac) and she teaches at the elementary school I went to until 2nd grade. I thought we had made all our connections before the wedding but I was very surprised to walk into her suite on her wedding day and to be recognized by her mother. Turns out she was one of the nurses in the allergy office I went to for years! Kathy + Evan’s wedding turned out to be on one of the most popular wedding dates of 2012. It also was on the same night as the White House Correspondents Dinner which caused a huge snarl of traffic on Connecticut Ave.  in front of the hotel. Luckily we were happily ensconced in the Mayflower by the time all that hubbub started. Their day was elegant and just gorgeous and classically DC. The rain held off for our trek to the Capitol where we made some of my favorite photos from the day. The hotel ballroom and all the details were lovely as well…from the menu cards to the Georgetown Cupcake giveaways. And the party rocked. I loved the balcony in the ballroom that allowed us to make some very fun dance photos.

 

 

 Wedding and reception The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC, 202.347.3000

 

Event coordinator Bridget Newby of SoCo Events 240.498.5146

Florist DaVinci Florists 301.588.8900

Hair and makeup Victoria Stiles/makeup 571.265.7138 Paula/Hair 240.687.7006

DJ Chris Laich 202.997.2514202.997.2514202.997.2514

Videographer Blue Sky Films 301.775.5478

Photography Deb Lindsey Photography 202.412.8909

 

Ginny + Barrie’s Hotel Monaco wedding – April 21 – Washington, DC

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Ginny and Barrie officially kick off my spring wedding season. I was very excited to be back at the Hotel Monaco after a couple years. Such a cool hotel. The biggest problem is narrowing down the great places to make pictures. Despite the dire predictions of rain, the weather held and we were able to inside and out and take full advantage of being right in the heart of downtown. Their first look took place on the hotel fabulous staircase. They were beyond excited to see each other. We had to remind Barrie to stop looking up the stairs before Ginny arrived and the look of joy on Ginny’s face when she saw her intended was just wonderful. They ceremony was well documented by me and my team but also by Barrie’s mom and stepdad who had better-than-the-average-amateur cameras. Canons, of course. Some of my favorite shots of the day came just after the ceremony. We went outside in front of the National Portrait to take a few more portraits and it reminded me why I like to take some photos after the ceremony. Ginny and Barrie were much more relaxed and even though it finally looked like it was going to rain, it made for just beautiful color. Finally, I need to give a shout out to Barrie’s brother’s who gave a thoroughly embarrassing best man speech. It resonated with me in particular after finding out that Barrie survived solely on toaster waffles and fake maple syrup as a kid. There’s a little boy in my house who could totally relate to that. And Barrie is living proof that you can eat that day in and day out and grow up to be a productive and healthy adult!

Wedding and reception and catering Hotel Monaco  Buddee Clinton /202.449.7014

Florist Barbara Von Elm/Growing Wild  540.364.6246

Hair Hair Salon Revive   202.232.1008

DJ Steve Hoffman/Good Note DJs  202.213.1977

Cupcakes Baked and Wired  202.333.5506

Photography: Deb Lindsey/ Mark Gail/Linda Wang

 

 

Shilpa + Neeraj’s Court House wedding – Rockville, Maryland

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I took Shilpa’s phone call on a street corner in Soho on a family vacation to New York City on spring break. She needed a photographer for her very small court house wedding the following Monday morning. I was happy to oblige. The ceremony was over in the blink of an eye–with just myself and Shilpa’s brother as witnesses. The real fun began while taking portraits after the ceremony in the little park areas around the court house. We worked in very windy conditions but the love between the two of them became quickly apparent. And it shows up clearly in the photographs. And one of my favorite little details of the morning was Neeraj’s sneakers with his wedding clothes!

Jennifer + Nate’s windy winter wedding – Thorpewood – Thurmont, Maryland

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Planning a wedding in February in the DC area is risky. This winter, not so much. Temperatures were regularly in the 60s in January and February so I was really excited and optimistic for Jennifer and Nate’s winter wedding. OK, it was 20 degrees and frigid when we did their engagement shoot on an early January morning at Eastern Market but the signs looked good for the wedding day. And then came the winds. And the fact that Thorpewood, where they were getting married is up in the Cacoctin Mountains near Thurmont, Maryland. Maybe the wind would hit the other side of the mountain. Maybe the weather forecast would be wrong and 40-60 mile per hour gusts were just a figment of their imagination. No luck there unfortunately but Jennifer and Nate were troopers. From their first look outside the venue to the fabulous rustic barn on the property, they posed without complaint. Although I think I did overhear someone worrying that the barn would collapse as we kept shooting while the sides of the building literally flapped in the breeze. It was totally worth it. Those barn photos were some of my favorites from the day.

And once we got back to Thorpewood proper it was nice and toasty in the main room as they were married in front of a roaring fire. I loved all the little touches that really made the wedding reflected Jennifer and Nate as a couple. Takeaway gifts were shawls for the women and hot sauces and whisky for the men. At each place setting was a little birds’ nests and my personal favorite detail—the lovebird cake toppers! The dance floor stayed crowded all night after the couple’s choreographed first dance and it was a particularly sweet moment late in the evening when the groom danced with his great aunt.

The fabulous vendor team:

Wedding and Reception: Thorpewood, Julie Parleman

Caterer and Cake: Canapes Catering

Florist: Blossom & Basket Boutique

Hair and makeup:  Aisha Therese Alves, Picture Perfect Makeup DC

DJ: DJ Trayze

Photography: Deb Lindsey Photography with Michael Connor