I knew that things would be a little different on Anna + Bill’s wedding day but I had no idea what was to come. The day started with a festival directly in front of the Carlyle Club that made logistics a little tricky. As much fun as it would have been to get the couple on the moon bounce, the event was mostly cleaned up by the time we made it back to reception. Anna’s day started calmly, surrounded by her immediate family as she got dressed. I particularly loved her silk bridal bouquet with brooches and those blue wedding shoes were amazing. Another detail that was very cool was the large lucky horseshoe given to the couple at the end of their ceremony as a tribute to Anna’s Scottish heritage. Bill was tasked with making sure the church preparations were complete. The couple is very active in their congregation and in particular the music in the ceremony. The couple’s love of theatre comes into play again later at the reception where the Carlyle Club’s retro Hollywood glamor vibe fit perfectly with their theme. After the ceremony, Anna was greeted by her elementary school students with a lot of hugs and a bubble send off. The big unexpected surprise came a bit later at the Carlyle Club as the fire alarm went off during dinner forcing an evacuation of the building. The kids at the wedding were beyond excited to see the flashing lights and the fire trucks and as a bonus, they (and the bride & groom) all got plastic firemen hats! And one of my favorites of the many portraits of the day is the one of Anna + Bill in front of the fire truck. Sometimes the most memorable part of the day is the unexpected.

Wedding Good Shepherd Catholic Church 8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria, VA

Reception Carlyle Club 411 John Carlyle Street, Alexandria, VA 703.548.5953

Florist Petal’s Edge 703.518.8488

Band DC Fusion

Cake Hollin Hall Pastry Shop 703.768.9643