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Crownsville, Maryland wedding

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Talisha and Monica’s Crownsville, Maryland wedding over Memorial Day weekend at a small private home overlooking the water was just a dream come true. As a wedding photographer I look for several factors for a good day. A couple in love, gorgeous light, friends and family surrounding them, a pretty view and great moments. These two had it all!

I knew I liked Talisha right away as we talked for over an hour in our initial phone conversation. But the critical test was getting the approval of her fiancé Monica. She is the quieter of the two and a bit more reserved and I was warned, not that crazy about being photographed. I think the ice was really broken when we got together for their engagement session a couple months ago near their home. I knew I was in for a treat when their good friend Myla was there to do their makeup. It just spoke to their attention to detail. We spent time at some of their favorite hangouts near their home and just took full advantage of the sun and their chemistry.

My goal for the wedding was to make sure the photos were even better than what we did for the engagement photos.  I had gone on a scouting trip with Talisha a few weeks before the wedding on a dreadful rainy day. Luckily Memorial Day weekend turned out to be glorious. The wedding was a small affair—maybe 50 people–and they were just completely at ease and happy surrounded by their nearest and dearest. Both women were radiant–in matching very high heels and Monica in her bespoke ivory suit and bow tie. Talisha was stunning in her white wedding gown and birdcage veil.

There are so many photos I love from this wedding but in particular I’m partial to the ones we made on the dock before the wedding. Group shots are not usually my favorite images of the day but I had fun capturing everyone perform their last minute adjustments before the formal photos. The brides’ lovely ceremony concluded with the jumping of the broom as the guests blew bubbles. The reception got underway with their very brief first dance. The light was gorgeous and they were just completely in their own world which made for such great photos. The small back porch of the house became the makeshift dance floor and let’s just say this crew knew how to have a good time. Blue drinks and a custom blue and yellow candy bar just added a few details to what, for me, is one of my favorite weddings ever.

 

 

Caterer  The Main Ingredient (Annapolis MD)

Florist DBI Events 

Make-up (Monica and BMs) –  C’est Jolie Makeup Artistry

Make-up (Talisha) – Myla Sharee

Madeleine + Eduardo’s wedding – St. Matthew’s Cathedral + Columbia Country Club

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It was a picture perfect spring day for Madeleine and Eduardo’s wedding day. Seriously, the sky couldn’t have been any bluer. When I arrived at the bride’s mom’s house the place was buzzing with activity—between the 8 bridesmaids and several adorable flower girls and even a few babies. There were a lot of logistics in the day as we went from the getting ready in NW to the first look at Georgetown Visitation where Madeleine is an alum, to St. Matthews Cathedral downtown then back to Columbia Country Club for the reception. Mostly it went off without a hitch but there was the minor detail of the marriage license being left behind.All was sorted out before the ceremony began. The Catholic mass was officiated by two priests in the bride’s family and that made for a lovely personalized service in the magnificent church. After the service we immediately headed to the country club for the reception. Sprinkled throughout the country club as table decorations and centerpieces were hot air balloon replicas. Eduardo asked Madeleine to marry him on a hot air balloon ride! Urban Guerilla Orchestra (love the name) from Philly kept the dance floor packed all night long. And as I’ve found out several times in the last few years—Visi girls like to have fun. And on a side note…I loved the flower girls dresses! That color was just popping. I remember Madeleine’s mom Christine asking me about bright colored dresses for the little girls when we first met and I was completely in  the yes column. And it produced one of my favorite photos of recent memory–the girls goofing around during the group shots. It’s those in between moments that often make the best shots.

 

Wedding ceremony Cathedral of St. Matthews the Apostle 202-347-3215

Reception venue Columbia Country Club Laura Gaige 301.951.5000

Florist Judy Johnson 301.951.5000

Hair and makeup Victoria Berkeley 804.909.1238

Band Urban Guerilla Orchestra 2 215-313-5073 15-313-5073 15-313-5073

Cake Cake Dreams 240.386.8584

Ashley + Andrew’s wedding – Strong Mansion, Dickerson, Maryland

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Ashley + Andrew had a perfect spring day to get married at Strong Mansion near Sugarloaf Mountain. OK, it was a little buggy but otherwise it was beautiful. And the first time in a few years that I’ve been to Strong Mansion where it hasn’t been overcast and/or raining! The couple chose not to see each other before the ceremony and Andrew got almost teary as he saw his bride come down the aisle. Another of the ceremony’s unintentional highlights was when Andrew dropped the ring! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that happen before. He recovered quickly and it became a funny recurring theme throughout the day—like when Andrew later dropped a piece of wedding cake before feeding it to Ashley. But they were minor glitches in an otherwise gorgeous day that was topped off with the guests waving ribbon wands as the couple departed the festivities.

Wedding + Reception site Strong Mansion, Dickerson, MD 301.869.7846

Event coordinator & Caterer Adrienne Weikert Canapes Catering 717.357.5412

Florist Ory Florals 301.865.8860

Hair + makeup Blend 410.440.5142

DJ Bialek’s 301.340.6206

Photography Deb Lindsey Photography 202.412.8909

Madeleine + Eduardo’s slide show

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Susan + Jason’s wedding – Airlie Center – Warrenton, Virginia

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Airlie Center in Warrenton is a bit of a hike but such a beautiful place. Airlie in the spring with everything is bloom is a photographer’s paradise. Add a beautiful bride and a handsome groom and it’s hard to make bad photos. It had been about a year and a half since I’d been to Airlie so I was excited to be back for Susan + Jason’s wedding. From their vows in the garden to wandering the grounds to make romantic portraits, it was just a perfect day. I loved their special touches like Jason’s bespoke suit made especially for the wedding and those adorable flower girls who amazingly all made it down the aisle. It was great to be working again with Elizabeth Duncan who made the day run like clockwork!

Wedding and Reception venue Airlie Center Lisa Albert 540-347-1300

Event coordinator Elizabeth Duncan 202.243.9985

Florist: Growing Wild Barbara Von Elm 540.364.6246

Make-up Tica Beauty – Marti

Hair  PR & Partners – Alicia Esposito

DJ Musical DJs – Matt

Cake: Heidelberg Bakery

Photography Deb Lindsey Photography + Preston Keres

 

 

Maggie + Roy’s elopement – Washington, DC

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I knew I wanted to photograph Maggie + Roy’s wedding/elopement as soon as we started to talk on the phone. She told me it would just be the two of them, a photographer and an officiant.  I love little weddings. Maybe because I had one myself but it’s hard to beat the intimacy of two people standing up just for themselves, holding hands and  proclaiming their love. And in Maggie’s case, crying a little. I had so much fun walking around with them after the ceremony, just making pretty pictures. And it was a big bonus that their apartment building had such a cool lobby. It was a like a bridal portrait session with the best models ever…two people in love.

 

Spring in DC

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Love springtime engagements! Just a couple recent ones…Madeleine + Eduardo and Mariana + Dan. Both couples have springtime weddings as well. Can’t wait for both!

Ariana + Al’s wedding – Goose Creek Gardens + Pavillion – Ashburn, Virginia

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It’s hard to predict in any given year how many weddings I’ll photograph and which will be my busiest months. Early spring is not generally the most popular time but this year seems to be the exception. And that fact that Ariana found me less than a month before her wedding was a pleasant surprise in an already busy April. And I was especially pleased to find out that she’d been following my work since I photographed her former co-worker Lindsay Nalevanko’s wedding in 2008. And as any frequent blog reader would know, this the same Lindsay who has referred more Virginia Tech brides to me than I can count! Ariana and Al’s wedding was an great mix of Persian and Midwestern culture and made for a very interesting wedding ceremony. The highlight (at least photographically) was the couple at the Sofreh, the elaborate floor spread of food and symbolic decorations. As they sit under a canopy, women who are happily married take sugar cones and softly grind them together above the bride and bridegroom’s head as one of several assurances of a sweet life together. All was going according to tradition until the canopy drooped lower and lower until Ariana was completely hunched over and laughing. It’s definitely one of my favorite photos of the day. There were a few other mishaps during the ceremony—a mirror and a light knocked over, Dad stepping on Ariana’s train—but the couple took it all in with humor. The groom’s Midwest roots were on display with the reception tables named for Ohio sports heros past and present and a bottle of Cleveland whisky and Great Lakes Beer. There was a delicious Persian buffet, lots of Persian dancing on the dance floor and after cutting the cake the couple was showered with rose petals and they danced. I was warned before the wedding that it would be hard to get Al to smile in photos…being photographed is not one of his favorite things. I’m happy to report that I succeeded more than once although I heard later that his gift to Ariana was that he would smile in photos all day long. He was pretty happy…I don’t think he had to try that hard…

Wedding and reception site Goose Creek Gardens & Pavillion, Ashburn, Virginia 703.801.0801

Caterer Farzaneh Catering, Fairfax, Virginia 703.402.5671

Florist Maryam Flowers, Fairfax, Virginia 703.980.2034

Music Violin Soloist during ceremony and cocktail – Chelle Fiddler, 301.366.5579 and DJ Dariush 240.372.8388

Cake Custom Cakes & Confections, 703.326.9235

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!