Posts

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

/in /by

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

/in /by

Spring in DC

/in /by

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!

Talisha + Monica engagement photos

/in /by

What an adorable couple! We had such a good time finding wonderful light in Rockville of all places. We started at their favorite local restaurant Cava, and worked out way through their neighborhood ending up at the big and very cool mirrored building at the Human Genome Sciences headquarters. It goes without saying that I am beyond excited for their Memorial Day weekend wedding!

 

 

Belated bat mitzvah (Part Two)

/in , /by

I was so honored to be part of Lena’s Thanksgiving bat mitzvah weekend. It was a beautiful three part affair including a minyan service on Thanksgiving, family and close friends for Shabbat dinner and an adorable party on Saturday night at the Bethesda Hyatt. The celebration started with the service where Lena read from the Torah. Usually that’s not allowed to be photographed at a conservative temple but since it was a Thursday I was allowed in. It was just family there and yes, it was early on Thanksgiving morning but it made for some wonderful moments. It was a gorgeous sunny day and after the service we went outside to have do some portraits. It was such a blast to have a willing subject. Mitzvahs are tricky in that 13 can be a tough age for kids to be comfortable a) being the center of attention and b) being natural in front of the camera. Lena was a natural. She knew how to pose and how she wanted to look in the photos. And she loved the portrait process! We did sessions in each of the four dresses she wore over the long weekend–each one sweeter than the next. Friday night dinner was held at home–again just close friends a family. The highlight for me was the lighting of the Shabbat candles with Lena and her mom Aliza, a dear friend of mine. And finally, the party Saturday night. I love doing mitzvahs at the Bethesda Hyatt and not just because you can park right next to the ballroom (such a bonus for schlepping equipment in). It feels like you’ve got the whole place to yourself and Aliza and Lena did a fabulous job turning the ballroom in to a bright pink and orange chic yet girly space. The party was great fun and a particular shout out to NYX Events for their great DJs…and not just because I’m using them for my son’s bar mitzvah in November. OK, maybe I’ve got a bias but they really do a great job including both the kids and the parents in the fun!

 

Service: Ohr Kodesh Congregation 301.589.3880

Party: Bethesda Hyatt 301.657.1234

Flowers: Edge Flowers 301.330.5232

DJ: NYX Events 301.984.0500

Belated Bat Mitzvah (Part One)

/in , /by

I had the pleasure of photographing Katie’s bat mitzvah at the end of 2012 (yes, that’s where the belated posting part comes in…) We met for a portrait session at her synagogue Shaare Torah in Gaithersburg, Maryland and even though it was a chilly November afternoon Katie was a trooper outside in her adorable polka dot dress and fabulous heels. Her personality came shining through in those portraits and when I saw her next at her party surrounded by her friends and family. The party at the Washingtonian Center Marriott in Gaithersburg had a Shrek theme, lots of crazy dancing and emotional candle lighting a crazy Hora where the whole family went up on chairs.

Stay tuned for Lena’s bat mitzvah post (Belated Part Two) coming on Tuesday!

 

Kathleen + Chris’ Chevy Chase wedding – October 27, 2012

/in /by

It’s hard not to admire a family that knows exactly what they want. By the time Kathleen and Chris got married on October 27, her family had been through this three previous times with Kathleen’s sisters. Each time the girls were married at Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase—just blocks from their house—with the reception at Chevy Chase Club. Special thanks to Kathleen’s dad who kept the trains running on time all day long. It may have been only blocks between home, church and reception but moving a large bridal party can be like herding cats. The day started at Kathleen’s family home with “Going to the Chapel” playing on a loop on the front porch of the house. One of my favorite little details from the house was the sign Kathleen had posted about all the things she was going to miss about living at home. After the ceremony it was a quick bus trip (with champagne) to the Club. We lucked into a gorgeous fall day with wonderful yellow leaves strewn across the back lawn. Needless to say, I took full advantage of the foliage. And in what I now know is Georgetown Visitation tradition (all the bride’s family when there!), the party was rocking. Particularly amusing was when the band handed out microphones so everyone could channel their inner rock star. The evening concluded with the last dance with paper flower petals thrown. In what I think was supposed to be a solo dance, the couple instead was mobbed on the floor for one last rollicking song.

Ceremony Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Chevy Chase, MD

Reception, Catering & Cake Chevy Chase Club, Site coordinator: Leanne Hartzell 301.652.8105

Flowers Lilac Lane Designs, Chevy Chase, MD, owner Sue Vita

Hair PR at Partners for Hair, Friendship Heights

Makeup Kathy Schultz at Blend

Band Amaretto Band– David Norris

Heidi + Brian’s wedding – October 6, 2012 – Gaithersburg, Maryland

/in /by

I’m sure I first saw Heidi several years ago at her best friend’s Jackie’s wedding. Jackie and Sean’s wedding was one of the first I photographed after starting my own business. It definitely felt like a family affair when Julia, another former bride–and Jackie’s sister –did Heidi’s wedding day makeup (impeccably I might add). Jackie and Sean’s adorable daughter Kaelyn was the flower girl. Heidi and Brian are such a fun couple and their wedding day was filled with laughs. Starting with the bride’s walk down the aisle. Kaelyn made it down the aisle but didn’t throw any rose petals. Luckily Heidi’s dad had snagged a few and threw them as they walked.  Heidi and Brian were very expressive and laughed a lot during the ceremony until the tears began to flow as the couple made their presentation to the Virgin Mary. I’d like to give a shout out to Heidi who was totally agreeable to getting into a swan paddle boat in her wedding dress.  The Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg adjacent to their reception site has a little lake and I thought it would be a very cool picture. It turned out to be of my favorites of the day and she didn’t hesitate for a bit. Heidi is a kickboxer and she and Brian incorporated that into their reception entrance. Brian came out first and was handed a pad while Heidi ran in, purple boxing gloves on for a friendly one-two punch. The dance floor was rocking all night and it was the first time—and not the last for this wedding season—I’d seen everyone doing the dance to “Gangam Style.” And I’m not usually a huge fan of the bouquet and garter toss but the sequence of Brian taking the garter off was great and the garter part of the ritual is usually uncomfortable and quick. This time, the couple was an actual couple and boy, did he get into it! Again, it made for funny photos. One thing that made me laugh out loud as I was editing the wedding photos was something I didn’t notice while I was shooting. Heidi’s Grammy—who spent a good part of the night on the dance floor—is in the single girl line up to catch the bouquet!!

 

 

Wedding ceremony: St. Francis of Assisi Church, 6701 Muncaster Mill Rd. Derwood, MD

Reception site & caterer: Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center, 9751 Washingtonian Boulevard, Gaithersburg, MD/301.590.0044

Caterer: Marriott

Florist: Edge Event Designers/301.330.5232

Hair and makeup: Kindle and Boom/Nancy 301.770.0404 Jackie’s sister (Julia)

DJ: Jason Wallace, Absolute Entertainment/443.621.9260

Cake: Custom Cake Design/301.216.1100

Julia + Vasily – September 23, 2012 – Glenview Mansion, Rockville, Maryland

/in /by

Julia and Vasily are continuing a trend for me this year. Couples who get married before their ceremony! The two were married in March but planned a lovely ceremony and party with close friends and family in September. They chose the fabulous Glenview Mansion and luckily the first fall day where the air started to feel crisp and sort of like fall. Highlights of the day included the toasts by the father of the bride and father of the groom outside the Mansion, just before guests went inside for dinner. This is where I found out that in the Russian tradition after a toast the champagne is declared “bitter” and the bride and groom must kiss to add sweetness. This happened a lot during the night. The dance floor was crowded for a swing dance lesson from Dabe and Janelle who do a great job of getting everyone to try some new steps. And Vasily’s Russian family and friends serenaded the happy bride and groom with a traditional song to wish them good luck and they danced around in a circle.

Caterer: Main Event Caterers, 703.820.2028

Florist: Sara King, Park Florist, 301-270-1848

Hair and makeup: Natalie, Posche Hair, 301.674.5485

DJ: Dabe and Janelle

Engagements Part 2

/in /by

After taking a week off for a family trip to Maine, it’s time to post a few more engagement shoots. These are a little more recent than the last post–all were taken in late July and August. The biggest challenge with these sessions was back to back Brookside Gardens shoots. Lucky for me it’s such a pretty place with lots of options for wonderful photos. And the third was at Glen Echo, one of my childhood haunt so it’s always fun to go back.