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Tara + Stephen’s wedding – June 12, 2010

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For the entire month of June it seemed like every Wednesday and Thursday it was sunny and beautiful with low humidity and by the time Friday and Saturday rolled around it was 95 degrees with 100 percent humidity. Which is another argument for getting married in the middle of the week but alas, people tend to want to do it on the weekend! Tara and Stephen’s wedding day was no exception. Hot, sunny, humid. But their calming water themed wedding made it not feel so bad. The day was full of meaningful touches. Tara’s veil was made from the wedding dress of her late mother. The church they were married in was built by Tara’s dad. Lucky for me it was a beautiful and light-filled sanctuary. As Tara and her father came through the massive wooden front door of the church, Stephen teared up. There’s nothing I like better at a wedding than a crying groom. I love the emotion! And every once in awhile he’s take Tara’s hand and kiss it. And through a good part of the ceremony, the bridesmaids were crying as well. For a whimsical touch, they had cupcakes for their guests waiting outside the church after the ceremony. We limoed to Old Town Alexandria for some waterfront photos and got caught in a little rain. Luckily it blew right over and by the time we got to Indigo Landing, the sun had returned and were were able to do shoreline shots there as well. It was a great reception with dancing under a tent overlooking the Potomac River and in the distance the bright lights of the city.

And the vendors who helped make it happen:

Florist: Occasional Flowers, Tonya Evans,

DJ: Norman Voss

Indigo Landing Restaurant

Hotel Monaco, Old Town Alexandria

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Potomac, Maryland

and a special shout out to the bride who did the centerpieces at the reception herself and did a wonderful job on carrying out the water theme!

Suvarna + Jeff’s wedding – May 30, 2010

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I don’t know where to start with Suvarna (Sona) and Jeff. They came to me after their original photographer didn’t work out but I never felt like I was a second choice. I knew from our initial hour and a half meeting that this was going to work out well. Jeff’s very dry sense of humor and Sona’s joy in the details of the wedding that she’d dreamed of since childhood really struck a chord with me. And when she told me her dress would be magenta and sparkly–I was hooked.  I had such fun working & consulting with Sona over the last months and I was so happy for her that her wedding day dawned sunny (if a tad on the hot side). It was my first wedding at the Music Center although since it’s practically in my neighborhood, I’d been there before and have shot next door at the Mansion. The wall of windows and the late afternoon sunlight was fun for me to play with inside the building and by the time I took Sona and Jeff to do their portraits in the gazebo, it was beautiful out! Their ceremony was a lovely mix of Indian tradition (seven steps in a circle, sitar & tabla playing before  and after the ceremony) and really reflected their love of music. Bob Dylan was part of the readings and there was a promise to root for Duke as I recall (not that I’m in favor of that being a Terp–sorry Sona!). Their table decorations also reflected their musical tastes and the bride & groom and immediate family sat at the Jimi Hendrix table. The fabulous Chris Laich kept the party dancing with a mix of contemporary music and Indian choices. I was thrilled to have Linda Davidson (and her husband John) as my second shooter and by the time the couple left the party with a sparkler send off, I knew that Sona had the day she had dreamed of.  And now, on to Paris!

Below are the vendors who made it happen and some of the photos I like best.

Wedding and reception at The Music Center at Strathmore

Flowers Janet Flowers

DJ Chris Laich

Cake Just Cakes

Make-Up Lauren Miller

Hair Frank Pezzanite


Baby Sara

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I love hearing from my former brides and grooms, especially when they’re calling to tell me they’ve had a baby and want some portraits done! I had the pleasure of photographing baby Sara who’s now three months old and  she is such a cutie. She has a very sweet nature–we shot for almost an hour on Monday without any fussing. And she was so alert and curious and I think that shows particularly in the tighter shots of her.  Julia and Meisam are naturals as parents, calm and collected. I especially enjoyed watching Meisam and Sara–according to Mom, she’s Daddy’s girl. I’ve got one of those at home (although now she’s 12!) so I can completely relate.

Michelle + David engagement

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I have a lovely shoot a couple weeks ago (a little posting lag time–spring break got in the way!) at Glen Echo Park with Michelle and David. I have many fond memories of Glen Echo since I grew up right down the road. My friends and I used to bike down there and ride the merry go round. For some reason the merry go round police (is there such a thing?) didn’t like it much when my friends and I would spend out time jumping from one animal to another! I’ve always loved the Art Deco feel of the place and when my kids were younger I used to take them there to play and see wonderful puppet shows. There’s so many great backgrounds there and Michelle and David made it easy–they acted like I wasn’t there!  And Michelle was a real trooper when I suggested she hike down to the creek in her not-made-for-hiking shoes. I hope the pictures made it worth the trip!

I’m looking forward to their wedding at the Hotel Monaco in May.