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Elizabeth + Ben’s wedding – Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row – Washington, DC

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The end of March is always an iffy weather time in DC. I know, my anniversary is March 30. With Elizabeth and Ben’s wedding, we got a day that’s about as good as it gets—especially this spring where it was ridiculously cold. The Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row was a lovely setting for such an elegant day. It’s always nice to have the run of the place and even to hog an elevator as we did later in the evening for one of my favorite shots of the day. One of the best parts of the day for me was having tons of time for portraits built into the day. We chased the sun a bit on Mass. Ave and really made some lovely photos. My second favorite part of the day was working with the fabulous Andrea Jacobson as my second shooter. I’m excited to get a chance to return the favor in July! And a special shout out to Multiflor who did an incredible chuppah for the couple made out of primarily baby’s breath (I think that’s what it was…I don’t know a ton about flowers…) It really was stunning. Their reception dance floor was packed from the minute the Hora started after a particularly impressive first dance that involved lots of lifts and twirls. Elizabeth and Ben met on their first day at Penn as undergraduates and their college friends jammed the floor, taking time out for some shots at the bar–both the boys and the girls. Some of my favorite photos are below. To see the full slideshow of their wedding, take a look at the previous post. Trying something new (and viewable on iPads)!

Event coordinator: Lynn Iannizzi The Finer Points LLC 703.431.9494
Site coordinator: Mitchell Bierbaum The Fairfax at Embassy Row 202.293.2100
Florist: Multiflor 703.645.0090
Hair and makeup: Carola Myers 571.214.5558
Band: Doctor’s Orders 301.340.6206
Cake: Fluffy Thoughts 703.942.5538
Videographer: Thomas Bowen Films 301.294.5300

Elizabeth and Ben’s wedding slide show

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Elizabeth + Ben’s slide show!

Capital Area Food Bank – 10th annual Blue Jean Ball – March 24, 2013

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Just catching up blog posts after a somewhat relaxing (and filling) family vacation in Austin, TX. First up, the Capital Area Food Bank’s 10th annual Blue Jean Ball at the Marriott Wardman Park. Such a great (and delicious) event and for an incredible and important cause. I did an Empty Bowls campaign event with them in the last couple years and I was honored to be asked to photograph this for them. It was wonderful to watch the live auction raise over $10,000 in just a few minutes and I’m sure the total take was much more factoring in the silent auction as well. Thirty two restaurants from the DC area participated, including some of my favs like Ris, Oyamel and Paul (the bakery…the macaroons are to die for). Joining me in covering the event were wonderful photographers Mark Gail and Preston Keres.

Maggie + Roy engagement session – Washington, DC

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I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before but I love when couples’ take me to new locations for engagement sessions! Maggie + Roy hit a trifecta and all in pretty close proximity. And best of all, these places were some of their favorites in DC. First stop the Phillips Collection where we spent time with their favorite paintings and found a really cool light exhibit that made for those awesome silhouettes.  Next stop was Teaism for a quick spot of tea and some cookies and finally to their home neighborhood near 14th & U and Ben’s Chili Bowl. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’ve never spent time in any of these places until these photos…I may have to have my native Washingtonian card revoked. I’ll see Maggie + Roy again in less than a month when I photograph their elopement! Yup, just us and an officiant. Should be fun…

Patricia + Damon’s winter wedding – Washington, DC

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It takes a very chill bride to get married in late February in Washington, DC. That describes Patricia perfectly. What she and Damon got for their wedding day was a typical late winter day around here with a couple lucky breaks. It started as a rainy, misty chilly day but amazingly as soon we headed out from the JW Marriott to Freedom Plaza to attempt a first look between the raindrops–the sky cleared and the sun even popped out for a moment. It was still a little cold but not unbearable. That made the first look, bridal party photos and their couple portraits at both Freedom Plaza and around the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center much more fun and definitely preferable to doing everything inside. I particularly loved the pops of red from Damon’s cufflinks to the red socks for the groomsmen and rich red bouquets–they looked so great against the grayish day. After a lovely ceremony in the Horizon Ballroom guests headed upstairs to the Rotunda, a very interesting room with a wraparound exterior balcony overlooking DC. The room was highlighted by red roses and bamboo centerpieces as a tribute to Patricia’s heritage. And as a special treat for their guests, fortune cookies with trivia about themselves inside. They also made for a cute ring shot–and were delicious…I just had to eat the one we crumbled for the shot!

Happy New Year (baby)!

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After a wonderful time over the holidays with friends and family it’s time to get back to work…sort of. I had the pleasure of shooting these two adorable babies right around the holidays. I was so happy to see Anna again–I did her first photo shoot a year ago when she was just a couple weeks old. Stella was a new acquaintance. Really new–12 days old! She was such a good girl, posing solo and with her family including big sis Lauren. But I think the most notable thing about Stella was her hairdo. She had a perfectly coiffed head of hair. It was quite stylish for one so young. 🙂 And I’m particularly fond of the feet shot…

 

Katie + Jake’s DC wedding – The Fairmont Hotel Washington – Washington, DC

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One last post before Thanksgiving is officially upon us! Katie + Jake got married on one of the most popular wedding dates of the fall–November 3. Not sure why…no numerical reason a la 9.10.11…but there is something special about the first weekend in November in DC or maybe it’s because it’s the last weekend before the time change. The couple now lives in Richmond but they had such a fun and elegant and thoroughly DC day. Beginning and ending at The Fairmont Hotel Washington, we only had to make a quick trip to the church near GWU. The first thing that struck me about the church was the massive stained glass wall over the front door. I’m so glad we had a few minutes to make what has become one of my favorite photos of the year. The day was just a tad on the chilly side (OK, it was cold!) as we headed out to Upper Senate Park to make some iconic DC photos. The bridesmaids were troopers in their short strapless dresses as the wind whipped through them…one shot made by my fabulous 2nd shooter, Mark Gail, was the girls scrambling for their coats as soon as I told them they were done. The other shot from there that I love is how the groomsmen all gathered around the bride while I shot the groom + the bridesmaids. Just that natural protective instinct! Back to the hotel for a very fun party and my 2nd favorite photo of the day…the amazing courtyard at night and a spontaneous kiss that to me just summed up Katie + Jake’s happiness.

 

Ceremony  Saint Stephen Martyr Church, 2436 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Reception + Catering Fairmont Hotel/Mark Medrick/202.429.2400

Florist Yellow Door Floral Designs/703.734.1137

Hair and makeup Bride – Alexandra Wear/240.463.4234 /Bridesmaids – http://www.bridalartistryDC.com/Barbara Hill 703.380.9961

Band 10 Spot /434.321.4779

Cake Fluffy Thoughts 703.942.5538

Natalie + Hank’s wedding – Washington, DC and Great Falls, Virginia

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Some brides plan their weddings for years and sweat all the little details. Natalie planned her wedding in four months. I think it’s fair to say she just wasn’t that into the planning process but thankfully, her mother Linda, more than took up the mantle they were able to plan an amazing affair. Natalie + Hank’s day was elegant and formal and tons of fun. One of my many day weddings this year, they started with their full Mass at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill. Natalie is a Georgetown Visitation girl so it really wouldn’t have been any other way. Then we were off to the Capitol for group shots and finally on to Natalie’s parents house in Great Falls. To say they have an amazing spread there doesn’t do it justice. And the tent that was erected for the reception was easily one of the best I’ve ever seen. With the Bloody Mary Bar, the Oyster Bar, the Mason jars of salad (!!) cigar and Adirondack chairs outside and the exquisite flower throughout the tent—I was just bowled over. Of course, I was very happy to catch up with Natalie’s bridesmaid Maura (and her husband Pat) at the wedding…Maura was one of my favorite brides from last year and is particularly memorable for the photos we did of her and Pat and their adorable doggies. Sometimes day wedding receptions are sedate affairs with little dancing–something to do with not enough alcohol consumed so early in the day. But I wasn’t worried…those Visi girls know how to have fun. Some of my favorite photos of the day came when Natalie and her girls were the dancing stage. Maybe one reason Natalie wasn’t so wedding-obsessed is because days after the wedding, she and Hank headed to Paris for his next State Department posting. A honeymoon and a new adventure rolled into one.

Wedding venue: St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Capitol Hill

Caterer & cake: Windows/703-519-3500

Florist and tent decor: Amaryllis/202-529-2230


Tent: Capitol Party Rentals/ 703-661-8290

Hair: Melba de laTorre/703.486.8112

Makeup: Akemi Kanazaki/akemi@tastyandfreshness.com/240-423-2977

Band: Onyx/David Cohen/301-762-1800 x117

 

Allison + Greg’s Newseum wedding – July 7, 2012

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I’ve been wanting to blog Allison + Greg’s wedding for a while now and it throws my world into a little bit of a tailspin when I post my weddings out of order. I was very excited about this wedding. This was my first Newseum wedding and it is by far my favorite museum in town. I’ve been there several times with my family and since my husband and I are/were both in the newspaper business, we’re like kids in a candy store when we’re there. Allison + Greg have such a great story.  They were briefly boyfriend and girlfriend in the 7th grade in the 1970s and through Facebook they reconnected in the last couple years and the rest as they say, is history. So the wedding was a true reflection of the scope of their relationship with amazing details like adorable place cards that looked like school library checkout cards, their junior high and high school diplomas on display, thei signature heart with initials inside, gluten-free cakes on several of the tables depicting some aspect of their lives both together and separately, a program containing a crossword puzzle all about the couple. Greg proposed to Allison through a crossword so there was a crossword cake and Greg work crossword cufflinks and a crossword tie. Seriously, not a detail was overlooked. Sara Bauleke and her team from Bella Notte transformed the space at the Newseum for a great party. The main floor was used for dinner and dancing and the gigantic screen played a bit part in the décor of the event. Slideshows ran during the first dance with photos of the couple in junior high school, high school, college, together, separate, right up to the present day. Also flashing on the screen was a screen grab from the initial FB contact between the two! It made for a really dramatic backdrop. As I was roaming the museum looking for fun vantage points I also came across the Newseum security control room and it just struck me as funny seeing all the dancing and the heart logo displayed on their multiple screen. And in case all that wasn’t enough, it was a rocking party—lots of oldies playing, a swing dance demonstration and lesson and a flash mob to Pink’s “Raise Your Glass.”

Event coordinator: Sara Bauleke/Bella Notte/703.979.5887 /sara@bellanottedc.com

Wedding and Reception: The Newseum

Site coordinator Jennifer Wilson/202.292.6254

Caterer Mary Cline, Director of Catering, The Newseum/202.292.6253

Florist John Duffy, Yellow Door/703.734.1137

Hair and makeup Circe Bridal Salon/703.519.8528

DJ Aaron Platt at Chris Laich Music Services/571.245.2700

Cakes Kendall’s Cakes/(703)-536-2200; Charm City Cakes/(410) 235-9229;

Paper and signage Paper Zest

 

Vicky + Andy’s wedding – Washington, DC – Holy Rosary Catholic Church + National Museum for Women in the Arts

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Oh how I love to photograph the weddings of my former bridesmaids/groomsmen! Although I didn’t recognize Vicky the first time we met to discuss her plans, she looked a little familiar. I began to show her images from Laura + Sam’s Carnegie Institute wedding from last summer and sure enough…there she was! I even had a cute photo of  Vicky + Andy  dancing included in the slide show. Their engagement shoot sealed the deal for me. We had a great afternoon together starting at Masa 14, the site of their first date and ending up at the WWII Memorial. They are a downtown Washington couple and the wedding day reflected their love of the city.  Their ceremony at Holy Rosary was lovely and as seen the photos, a bit of a laugh fest. Catholic ceremonies aren’t known for their humor but Vicky came down with a case of the giggles during the ceremony and it made for some very animated photos.  We then made an attempt to stop traffic on Pennsylvania Ave. We did it without getting run over thanks to our very accommodating bus driver who blocked a lane of traffic.  I particularly love the running down the street photos. And I’d be remiss not to mention the “Bridesmaids” inspired shot for the girls. It was all Vicky’s idea and it worked out beautifully. It makes such a difference when everyone in the bridal party is willing to cooperate and play a part—it can make traditionally boring group shots really stand out. The icing on the (wedding) cake for me was a chance to shoot at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. It’s such a gorgeous room without being overwhelming and that staircase is just fabulous. And a special shout out to Sara Muchnick of Engaging Affairs who made sure everything ran on time and without a hitch!

Wedding ceremony: Holy Rosary Catholic Church 595 3rd Street NW, Washington, DC

Reception venue: National Museum of Women in the Arts 1250 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC

Event coordinator: Sara Muchnick, Engaging Affairs 888.484.5156

Caterer + Cake: RSVP, 703.573.8700

Florist: Petal’s Edge, 703.518.8488

Hair: Alyssa Zombro

Videographer: Dolce Film Studios 703.300.9033