Weddings Archives - Page 15 of 17 - Deb Lindsey Photography

Jennifer + Josh’s wedding – April 16, 2011

May 3, 2011/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

If it’s a good omen when it rains on your wedding day, Jennifer and Josh are in for a large dose of good luck. It rained all day with high wind gusts. Which definitely put a damper on our plans to take some outside photos. Theirs is not the smallest wedding I’ve ever done (Melissa and Craig are still the champs on that one!) but it’s a contender. We started the brief day with a “first look” that turned out to be Jennifer coming off the elevator of the hotel and spotting Josh in the lobby. Then a rain soaked cab right to Elizabeth’s on L, a charming little venue between 13^th & 14^th St., NW. It was just the three of us for some portrait time and we did venture outside when there was a lull in the weather. I shot a few photos before a huge gust of wind almost knocked us over ( see if you can guess which photo that was!) and we decided to finish up inside. Jennifer and Josh were relaxed and very casual as their immediate family arrived at the ceremony. In total there were about 13 guest in total. As everyone milled around and had a cocktail, the bride and groom made their way to the “altar,” again, very low key. And then the service started and Jennifer got teary a few times. It can be a very informal wedding but it’s still and emotional event! There was an impromptu first dance and parent dances and a very funny bride family portrait recreating a family superhero theme and then a big sit down dinner. It was intimate day, small but sweet.

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Marina + Sean’s wedding – April 9, 2011

April 28, 2011/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

On the eve of the royal wedding it seems only appropriate to do a wedding blog post. Marina and Sean’s wedding didn’t quite attract the media attention that Kate and Will but they had a beautiful day and a classic Washington wedding. The day started at the Fairmont Hotel followed by a ceremony at Georgetown’s Dahlgren Chapel. It was a little cool and very overcast but the rain held off. In spite of the it being prime cherry blossom time, a lot of the rest of DC was not quite in bloom on April 9 but the Georgetown campus provided a very pretty backdrop for the couple and the bridal party. We had a lot of time built in after the ceremony to do portraits and in what is definitely a first for me, the bridal party had time to warm up and play hangman in a classroom on campus! After our Georgetown adventure we headed back to the Fairmont Hotel and found some magnolia trees still in bloom so that turned out to be a group formal bonus! I knew it would be a fun and dancing crowd early in the day when the bridesmaids and Marina were dancing in their seats in the limo on their way to the church. It was a great party. a fabulous send off for Marina and Sean as they headed off for their honeymoon in Thailand and then home to San Francisco.

Here’s who wonderful vendors who helped them with their day:

Event coordinator Emily Dionne

Site coordinator Bob Mikolitch at the Fairmont Hotel

Florist John Duffy at Yellow Door Floral

Hair and makeup Hair: Julie Jackson, Makeup: Kelley Epps-Woods

Band/DJ Aaron Platt with Chris Laich Music Services

Cake Alexandria Pastry

Videographer Blue Sky Films

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Stephanie + Michael’s wedding – April 3, 2011

April 13, 2011/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

I’ve photographed many Jewish weddings–Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist–but Stephanie and Michael’s Orthodox wedding was a number of firsts for me. The day was full of interesting and symbolic events. Among the more visual parts of the day were the Tish (where the woman and men gather separately to greet and praise the bride and groom) , the mothers breaking a dish at the signing of the Ketubah and an energetic 40-minute Hora. All of this took place amidst much hugging, some crying and lots of laughter. It was really special to see how seamlessly these families were coming together to celebrate the union. The tear started early when Stephanie’s dad saw her for the first time in her dress. Stephanie’s eyes welled when she and Michael had their first look. And the toasts at the reception had everyone tearing up! All that makes for great photos. We were able to take advantage of a beautiful spring day and the fabulous Magnolias in full bloom outside the Park Hyatt. Inside the flowers and the purple accents at the ceremony and reception were elegant and unusual…I loved the goldfish bowls with tulips that served as decoration for the Tish and cocktails.

I am most grateful to Lesley Cohen who sent Stephanie and Michael my way. As a close friend of the couple, I’m sure she had a blast being a guest for once instead of working the wedding. And a special thanks to Michael Connor who shot with me. It’s always a pleasure when we get to work together.

Those who made their day special are:

Venue: Park Hyatt Hotel and coordinator Michael Deltette

Florist: Yellow Door Floral Designs John Duffy

Band: Spectrum

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Donna + Brian’s wedding – April 2, 2011

April 12, 2011/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

I remember very clearly when my husband David came home from work and told me that Donna was engaged. My first question, of course, was “does she have a wedding photographer??” David was her editor for a time at USA Today where they both still work and I was thrilled to hear that she and Brian were getting married. Donna is an amazing reporter. She’s covered hot spots around the world–wars, hurricanes, earthquakes–you name it. She’s also a past president of the National Press Club. So it was very fitting that her reception would be there and the rest of the day was quite the ultimate Washington wedding. We started the W Hotel with it’s fabulous views of DC. What first caught my eye when I entered the suite were the sparkly Jimmy Choos that Brian had given Donna as an incredibly thoughtful wedding present. Donna was calm and collected and complete unfazed by the fuss going on around her. It cracked me up that she made sure to bring her USA Today press pass with her in her monogrammed LL Bean tote bag. You never know when some news might break out! There was one point in their rooftop ceremony at 20 F St. where sirens were blaring and Donna looked around. Most of us half-expected her to investigate…The day was a little chilly as early April can be in DC and the rooftop was a little on the windy side especially for the large Florida contingent. But it was a beautiful view of both the Capitol and the Washington Monument as the sun set over their ceremony. The wedding party, immediate family and some of the guest Metro’ed back to the Press Club and that made for some fun photos. Once we arrived there was lagniappe everywhere (that’s free stuff to any non-New Orleanians—Brian’s family is from Louisiana). Engraved golf balls, pralines (yum), an assorted candy bar, New Orleans coffee, macaroons (double yum) and they even had custom wine labels for their wedding day. The lighting at the Club was fun as well…the logo looming over the proceeding’s was a nod to Donna’s job and vaguely looked like the USA Today logo. The funny part for me was being introduced (both USA Today folks and others) throughout the evening as “David Lindsey’s wife.” Not that I don’t love that—it just doesn’t happen to me much at weddings!

Those making the day special for Donna and Brian were:

Venues: 20 F. St., NW rooftop, National Press Club

Planner: Danielle Lendino, Aflutter Events

Flowers: English Garden Flowers

Lighting: John Farr Lighting

Reception Music: Anthony Simpson, My DeeJay Inc.

Cake: Ms. Desserts

Macaroons: Michel Patisserie

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Emily + Rick’s Florida wedding – March 19, 2011

April 1, 2011/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

I was definitely ready for my first wedding of 2011. The fact that it was in Naples, Florida was another reason to be excited. I had never been there but had heard it was gorgeous. I was not disappointed! After a dreary Washington winter it was lovely to be someplace warm, sunny with palm trees and high hedges filled with blooming flowers. Oh yes, and the beach. The town of Naples is a very nice beach town but as soon as you get away from downtown and start exploring the residential neighbhorhoods—the houses and the landscaping and all that beautiful Florida sun. I only wish I could have stayed longer.

Emily and Rick’s wedding was all that a beach wedding should be. Emily got ready with her girls at a cute pink house before heading to the Port Royal Beach Club. Their sunset ceremony was funny and sweet and the bride and groom were positively beaming. I really think it would have been hard to take a bad photo of the two of them. As they hugged each other and celebrated as the sun set over the horizon, it was just magical. The reception was a lot of fun and ended with a sparkler send off and what was supposed to be a solo trolley ride back into town for the bride and groom. It didn’t turn out quite that way but one of the things that was go great about Emily and Rick was they just went with the flow as they piled into the bus and headed off with their guests into the night.

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Christine + Ted’s wedding – October 23, 2010

November 16, 2010/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

I remember very clearly the first phone call I had from Christine. I was scouting River Farm for the April wedding of Lesley and Chris when she called. It was a gorgeous day and I found a bench overlooking the Potomac River and she proceeded to tell me about her plans. And it was a glorious day in October for Ted and Christine’s Baltimore wedding. The theme of the day was sort of the clash between Baltimore where she grew up and St. Louis where Ted is from. That was reflected in the programs and particularly in the beer served at the reception and the one must have photo was the bride and groom with their respective hometown beers! The ceremony was in the beautiful and historical Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in downtown Baltimore. I think the only ones not crying were Ted and Christine…I saw Mom, Dad and Grandma with tears. That actually continued during the reception with Christine’s sister Ali crying during the toasts and eventually even Christine was tearing up as well. One part of the evening that seemed to have half the audience crying was the couple’s first dance which was the song “Landslide” sung by Christine’s sister Ali. There’s really not much better than a wedding with a lot of happy tears. The reception was at a private home in Baltimore County that belongs to a family friend of Christine’s. The house itself was stunning and the big tent in the backyard was intimate and perfect for the rocking reception. And as always, it was a pleasure to work with Katherine Frey as my second shooter.

Thanks to the fabulous Elizabeth Duncan for a) sending Christine and Ted my way in the first place and b) making sure everything ran smoothly in both the planning of the day and the wedding itself. Check out Elizabeth’s new venture: Elizabeth Duncan Events. And I just want to mention that Christine’s gardenia bouquet made by florist Phillipa Tarrant was beautiful and smelled amazing. Unfortunately the flowers turn brown very quickly which is why they aren’t generally in bouquets but while it lasted it was gorgeous.

Erika + Christian’s wedding – October 10, 2010

November 2, 2010/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

It was a gorgeous day for a memorable wedding date. I spent 10-10-10 with Erika and Christian at their lovely wedding at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria. I got to spend more time with Erika than I do with most of my brides. We did a fabulous bridal portrait shoot about a month before the wedding at Oxon Hill Manor. I loved having time to focus on making really interesting portraits—something that I don’t always get time to do on the wedding date. Since the bridal gown was under wraps until Christian saw her at their first look on the big day, I wasn’t able to blog the photos until now. But I had a few I really liked so I’m including them here. And talk about bling! Take a look at Erika’s wedding band. Wow.

There were a few highlights of their wedding day in my mind. Before the ceremony, Erika’s mother had a prayer for her daughter than included the girls in the bridal party laying hands on her. Everyone was crying by the time it was over and of course, it made for some wonderful photos. I also loved Erika’s dance with all the important men in her life in lieu of the traditional father-daughter dance. Everyone kept cutting in until she ended up with her new husband! And one of my favorite photos was the late evening balcony shot of the two of them. I admit, I stole if from my friend Michael Connor and I believe in giving credit where it’s due. Holding the light behind them and shooting with me the whole day was the fabulous Ricky Carioti. And I got to work with one of my fav DJs Aaron who kept the party rocking!

Those who helped make the day special:

Hair and Makeup: CityGirl Salon De Belleza – Mara Fontanez

Flowers: Floral Specialties

Wedding and Reception: Belle Haven Country Club

Videographer: 5 Star Media Productions

DJ: Aaron at Chris Laich Music Services

Cake: Cheesecake Etc.

Stephanie + Martin’s wedding – October 9, 2010

October 25, 2010/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

Stephanie and I never got a chance to meet in person before her wedding day. But she was very clear with me about what she wanted from her photos. She wanted me to do what I do and capture the day. The really good news for me is that she and Martin are an adorable couple and there were several unusual (at least for me) events during the day to make it even more interesting. I have shot at Ft. Belvoir before but don’t have a lot of military wedding experience so it was fun for me. They were married in the little gazebo in front of the club and even though the temperatures were in the 70s the fall colors of the flowers and the bridesmaid’s dresses reminded everyone that it was an October wedding. As the couple was introduced into the reception they came through an archway of swords. In order to enter the room they had to stop at the final crossed swords and kiss. What Stephanie didn’t know is that she was about to be swatted on the backside with one of those swords. And with that, she was welcomed as a military wife. After a very rocking reception, Stephanie and Martin expected to walk down the street to their hotel at the Officers’ Club. Instead they were surprised with a horse-drawn carriage. I was pleasantly surprised as well to see that it was lit all over with LED lights which made it much easier to photograph since it was dark outside. Those turned out to be some of my favorite photos of the day.

Some of the vendors who make the day special:

The Officers’ Club- www.belvoirmwr.com

Music and Video- www.directentertainment.com

Amy + Justin’s wedding – September 25, 2010

October 14, 2010/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

I’ve been looking forward to Amy + Justin’s wedding for a long time. It was my first St. Regis Hotel experience and I was not disappointed. They had both their ceremony and reception there and it was a perfect day for an intimate outdoor ceremony on the terrace. Amy’s tears started early in the day when she and Justin first saw each other in the hotel suite and they continued during the ceremony and I’m pretty sure I saw a couple from Justin as well. They are such a sweet couple together and their emotions were very close to the surface.

From their first look we strolled to Lafayette Park for some White House photos and then back for the ceremony. All the wonderful details of the day added to the elegance of the wedding and the venue. I loved the signature cocktail named after the couple’s dog and the lighting of the ballroom made for wonderful photos. And as a special treat the hotel had the champagne opened by using a sabre (not a big one but still…) which I had never seen before! And the lobby there is to die for.

I was happy to be working with the wonderful Katherine Frey (again—many times this fall!) and Jessica Brown from Simply Chic Events did a fabulous job as always!

Others making the day special were:

Haydee Gomez at the St. Regis Hotel

Hair: K.C. Felton

Makeup: Isabella Bastien

Flowers by Phillipa Tarrant Floral Design

DJ: Aaron from Chris Laich Music Services We love Aaron–this was one of several we’ve done together this year!)

Lighting: John Farr Lighting Design

Anna + Tim’s wedding – Columbia Country Club

October 4, 2010/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

Anna and Tim’s Labor Day Sunday wedding was part two of my double header weekend. It was another glorious day as Anna and her bridesmaids walked from her parents house to the church. We were under very tight restrictions at the church (no photos basically) but with the help of my second shooter the wonderful Jonathan Newton, we managed to make a few photos from the balcony. But the rest of the day made up for the lack of photos at the church. The reception at Columbia Country Club was gorgeous. I loved the big chandelier in the ballroom and the backdrop of the golf course for the group photos. And the party was very high energy, with a particularly raucous garter toss. It was a first for me to see the groom wearing at various points in the day both the veil and the garter.

One very cute detail from the wedding were the red Adironack chairs. There were little red chairs as card holders at the tables and a large one was on display in the lobby of the club. Anna and Tim met as students at Dickinson College where there are red Adirondack chairs all over the campus. At the very end of the evening Tim and his groomsmen dragged the big chair outside so I could make a romantic portrait of the happy couple sitting together. You don’t see much of the chair but I liked the resulting photo!

And as a final note, I realized as I was editing the photos that I shot more vertical photos at this wedding than I think I ever have before. I guess that’s what happens when the groom is at least a foot taller than the bride (and she was wearing killer heels!).

And some of the folks who made it a great day:

Christ Episcopal Church, Kensington, Maryland

Columbia Country Club

DJ: Washington Talent, Doug Sandler
Flowers: Philippa Tarrant
Cake: Just Cakes
Dress: Hitched
Bridesmaids: J. Crew
Make up: Lauren Miller
Hair: Whitney Neier