It’s always exciting to see one of my favorite weddings on a great local blog like District Weddings!
Becky + Harry’s gorgeous and elegant spring wedding at the Fairmont Washington was featured this week. Check it out here and you can also peek back at my full blog post. Happy almost one year anniversary to this wonderful couple.
In my many years as a wedding photographer, one thing I have not done is a year end round up of my favorite wedding photographs. It’s a new year so I thought I’d start it off right but trying something new!
I decided to make the task even harder by limiting each wedding (that was allowed to appear online) to five images. These are often my favorites or ones that I may have overlooked in previous blog posts. As hard as it is to narrow down each wonderful day into so few images, it was great fun to look back over the past year and the great couples I had the pleasure to work with.
Here are the full blog posts from each of the weddings below but enjoy the five images I’ve chosen from each! And stay tuned later in the week for part two from the second half of 2016.
Meredith + Lindsay at the Park Hyatt in Washington, DC
Becky + Harry at The Fairmont Washington DC
Brenden + Sarah at Patapsco Valley State Park in Ellicott City, Maryland
Kate + Justin at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland
Brandi + Mike’s Georgetown DC elopement
Scott + Chris at Meridian House Washington, DC
Alicia + Chris at Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, VA
How adorable were these two? It’s been awhile since I’ve done an elopement that was this much fun. It was a perfect storm of a couple in love willing to let me do my thing, gorgeous light and a couple of hours to play in Georgetown. Brandi and Mike planned well ahead and scheduled their wedding on a Monday in early May. In a month of really rainy days we lucked into a few hour window of brilliant sun before the return of torrential downpours. The couple left it up to me to find them a spot for the ceremony and a quick scouting of the area brought us to the canal. Their ceremony was filled with tears and laughs and a small audience who respectfully kept their distance. They wrote the own vows and the were just so joyful when it was pronounced that they were officially married. From there we just roamed Georgetown, chasing the wonderful light on the canal, at the Old Stone House on M St. walking the intersection of Wisconsin and M and finally we arrived back at the Rosewood Hotel (formerly the Capella) where they were nice enough to let us use their rooftop pool deck for some fun city overviews (OK, mostly industrial looking rooftops but still cool!). Then they were off to sail the Greek Isles for a few weeks as a honeymoon. Sounds heavenly.
It’s always a good spring when I get to photograph a wedding at Congressional Country Club! It’s such a gorgeous venue and just a few minutes from home. April 30th was a little cooler than usual — although this spring has hardly been the usual in DC and at least it wasn’t raining!! It was also one of the most popular dates of the season this year. Kate started the day surrounded by her girls and her family at her parent’s house in Potomac and the weather cooperated enough for us to take advantage of their lovely backyard and the blooming pink dogwoods. The boys gathered at Congressional Country Club then headed to The Chapel at Our Lady of Lourdes on the campus of Georgetown Prep where Justin attended school. After years of my kids swimming at the Prep pool, this was my first time shooting a wedding in their chapel. I just loved the ironwork on the doors and some of my favorite photos of the day were framed by those doors (see above). One of the highlights of the ceremony was the look on Justin’s face as he caught a glimpse of his bride for the first time. After the ceremony we headed to the club to take some portraits around the clubhouse and on the 18th green with the clubhouse in the background. Kate surprised her groom with a wedding cake decorated with sailboats and together they wowed their guests with their first dance (dips and all!). And you know it’s a serious party when the groom breaks out the Budweiser jacket midway through the reception. After many weddings at Congressional I’m not sure I’ve ever shot a bouquet toss there and this one looked really cool from above. I’d love to say I took the photo but it’s a real reason why I have such talented second shooters with me–to get every angle.
Wedding The Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Georgetown Prep 10900 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD
Reception Congressional Country Club, 8500 River Rd. Bethesda, MD, Marlene Gusella, site coordinator 301.469.2000
Event coordinator Jean Thomae 781.635.5530
Caterer & Cake Congressional Country Club
Florist Kelly Shore Petals by the Shore 240.389.5722
Hair Victoria Elizabeth Designs
Makeup Kathy at Blend Makeup Artistry
Band The Bachelor Boys Band 443.822.5323
It’s pretty obvious I was a little obsessed with a few things at Sarah + Brenden’s wedding. Where to start? Her dress (amazing and perfect for the setting), her edible bouquet, the couple’s dog Ollie (a perfectly behaved gentleman the whole day long) the flower girl and her brother the ring bearer (adorable). And of course, the car. The 1946 Ford truck was restored by the groom and his father in law and originally belonged to the groom’s grandfather. In addition to being mechanically inclined, Brenden and his mother made the luncheon napkins from scraps of quilting material in addition to making the bow ties his brothers wore. This was my first time at Patapsco Valley State Park and the spot they chose for the wedding was gorgeous, overlooking the river. With a rainy start to the day it was a little touch and go as to whether we’d be able to take advantage of the vantage point. By show time, the clouds were parting and it was a quick but lovely ceremony followed by a vegetarian luncheon. It was a small wedding but one filled with personal touches that made it such a pleasure to photograph.
Wedding + Reception site: Patapsco Valley State Park, Ellicott City, Maryland
Caterer Zia’s 410.296.0799
Florist Local Color Flowers 410.262.1494
Hair and makeup NYNY Salon 301.695.7777
Becky + Harry were on the hunt for cherry blossoms on their wedding day. Unfortunately due to crazier than usual Washington weather, they’d bloomed and gone so the search was on for a suitable spring-like background for photos. After and first look in the beautiful courtyard of the Fairmont, we headed down to Upper Senate Park where tulips and the hind of the next round of pink blossoms were in the trees. It was such fun hanging with the two of them and their bridal party. And as much as I loved making the portraits at the Capitol it is really the moments from their day that were my favorite photos. The way Harry held Becky tight as they were under the chuppah. The visible relief on their faces when the ceremony was over as they made their way up the aisle. Even the sweet moments right after when they put their rings on their proper fingers. After a rollicking hora the party really got started and felt almost like a great concert. The band Marquise, had everyone dancing around the bandstand and even got the bride and groom up to sing along. The day ran perfectly thanks in large part to Margo Fisher at Bright Occasions who made sure everyone and everything was where it needed to be!
Event coordinator Margo Fischer, Bright Occasions 202.320.5600
Wedding + Reception Fairmont Washington – Jill Bagga 202.457.5044
Florist John Duffy, Yellow Door Floral Designs 703.734.1137
Hair and makeup Kayla Dreesen, Jewel Hair Design 703.470.3858 + Blend Event, Rachelle Glorioso
Band Marquise Band 301.869.8855
Cupcakes Baked and Wired 703.663.8727
It is such a treat for me to spend time with this adorable (and growing) family. I met them last year when H was pregnant and they wanted some family photos with their young daughter and then again once their baby boy was born. They are so completely willing to let me document their interaction with each other and some of my favorite photos from the first session were the three of them jumping on the bed. We recreated that (sort of) again this time including baby A. Such natural photos of them playing, blowing bubbles, playing airplane and on the floor with Legos are so much fun for me to shoot and for them, they get a nice slice of their life with their young family.
I’ve spent a lot of time at the Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria over the years documenting bride’s (and grooms) getting ready for their big day. K+J’s wedding was the first time I shot a full wedding there. It was a gorgeously bright sunny day but a little bit on the warm side for late spring. The couple were troopers as we walked through the quaint back streets of Old Town looking for fun portrait settings and cool backdrops for their wedding party. By the time the ceremony arrived the sun was behind the building bathing the courtyard in nice even light and cooling it down quite a bit for family and guests gathered to celebrate. Kudos and thanks to Janice Carnevale at Bellwether Events who made sure everything looked great and ran smoothly. I loved the decor–the flowers in mismatched vases and the mini Adirondack chairs as place cards and oh yes, the District Doughnut display for a late night snack! Did I mention how much fun the party was? A little sweaty but a blast.
Wedding + Reception Hotel Monaco Alexandria 480 King Street Alexandria, VA
Event coordinator Janice Carnevale Bellwether Events 703.851.9622
Hair + Makeup Alison Harper and Company 301.498.6500
Florist Lynnvale Studios Andrea Gagnon 4475 Sudley Road Gainesville, VA 571.238.4230
Late night snack District Doughnut 749 8th St., SE, Washington, DC 202.750.1955
Music Playlist via Entertainment Exchange for Reception/Cocktail Hour & Paul Bangser Duo via Bialek’s Music ceremony and dinner
What a cute little gem the DACOR Bacon House is in the middle of downtown DC! When I first met with E+C on a very cold winter evening, I’d heard of the venue but it would be a new shooting experience for me which is always fun. It’s a charming historic house at 18th & F NW with lots of fun nooks and crannies for photos and a wonderful garden patio, perfect for an outdoor wedding in early May. The weather didn’t look like it would completely cooperate (but it did!) so the patio was tented but the wedding took place by the lovely trellis and marble table. I loved how much humor and warmth came through as they took their vows. Dinner was inside in the warm and inviting upstairs rooms of the house including a chandelier in the main room lit by candles. Dancing was back in the patio area where friends and family (and E’s adorable niece) kept the dance floor busy!
Wedding + Reception DACOR Bacon House, 1801 F Street NW, Washington, DC 202.682.0500
Site coordinator Meg Beitz, 202.682.0500 ext:10
Florist Karins Florist, 527 Maple Ave. E, Vienna, VA 703.667.4782
Hair and makeup Christophe Hair Salon 1125 18th St NW, Washington, DC 202.785.2222
Band Winn Jazz All Stars, John Winn
Cake Purple Onion Catering 416 Maple Ave. W., Vienna, VA 508.963.9889
Couples come to me in a variety of ways. Word of mouth recommendations, online or from others in the wedding business. Sometimes they call a year ahead of time, often six to nine months and occasionally a month or two out. Elizabeth + David were in the latter group. And as much as I like to have my schedule planned out in advance, it’s always fun to have a few last minute weddings thrown into the mix. I didn’t get to meet them before the wedding but from phone calls and emails I got a pretty good sense of them as a couple. Accomplished journalists getting married at Airlie Center–one of my favorite sites in the area–on an beautiful spring day proved to be a recipe for a fabulous day. Surrounded by their immediate family, the couple decided to forego a traditional wedding party keeping their siblings closest to them on their wedding day. And in turn, both sets of sibs delivered hysterical toasts. Some of my favorite photos of the reception were Elizabeth + David’s reaction to their speeches. There were so many great moments during the day–the lower garden ceremony, the few minutes just after the ceremony where they put their rings on the proper fingers–it was very appropriate for a journalism couple that it was the moments that mattered.
Ceremony + Reception Airlie Center; site coordinatorTara Trapp – 540.341.3202
Event coordinator TaylorMade Weddings Darlene Taylor 540.550.0095
Florist Fox Ventures LLC – 301.937.1571
Hair and makeup Stefanie Wolf at Modern Bridal 859.699.0071
DJ Matt Johnson, Black Tie Entertainment 571.216.9719
Cake Happy Tart 571.244.3662