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Rebecca + Kevin’s wedding – Oatlands Plantation

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I really needed Labor Day weekend to be beautiful, particularly for Rebecca and Kevin’s ceremony at Oatlands Plantation. I got my wish. Both Saturday and Sunday were in the 80s and sunny. It was exciting to finally get to Oatlands after scouting it earlier this summer for Jennifer & Ed’s wedding shot by Toni & Linda in July. There are so many gorgeous places for photos and I was not disappointed. Rebecca was a little nervous prior to the ceremony but her bridesmaids, especially sister Sarah kept her on track. She looked gorgeous and retro-glamorous with her elegant gown and the birdcage veil. Kevin seemed relaxed and calm although I didn’t see him much before the ceremony—he got to hang out with the wonderful Jonathan Newton who was shooting with me. I absolutely loved the special touches during the day—the refreshment station with lemonade, the place cards on a bed of flowers and the tent with chandeliers! Rebecca’s Greek heritage was evident in many parts of the day, from the crowning during the ceremony to the dinner offerings and of course, the Greek dancing at the reception. Kevin’s roots came out at the reception as well when the boys took the stage and somewhere during the night I’m sure I heard “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” One other thing we did which I had never done before was a little photo booth for the guests. I’m not posting those pix here but you can see them on the slide show—it was a big hit and some of the shots were pretty hysterical and I know Rebecca and Kevin got a big kick out of seeing them after the wedding.

Special props to Jessica Brown with Simply Chic Events. As always, she’s a pleasure to work with and she helps add those special touches that make a wedding so much fun to photograph!

Everyone who helped make the day beautiful:

Oatlands Plantation

Hair and Makeup: Loretta Jameson

Band: The Dickens

Food: Nicole at Windows Catering

Invitations and signs: Christina Barbour with Paperzest

Flowers by John Duffy at Yellow Door

Tent and draping: Fabrication Events

Sarah + Praveen’s wedding

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This summer turned out to be my season of Hindu/Christian weddings. First in July I had the beautiful wedding of Janine and Ajit and then in August came Sarah and Praveen. I was less nervous this time having shot the Hindu part before so I was able to relax and enjoy the ceremony–and to know that everything is repeated a few times at least so I’m sure to get the shot! It was a gorgeous day at Meadowlark Gardens, not a cloud in the sky. And the day started with a baarat! I hadn’t photographed that before and it was a blast. Praveen mounted a horse at the entrance to the park and rode in towards the Atrium with friend and family dancing beside him. I loved what a good time he was having and when he dismounted in front of the building and started dancing, it made for some very fun photos. The ceremony was on the back patio and while it was lovely, by midafternoon in the bright sun it was pretty hot. Kudos as always for Jonathan Newton, my second shooter who worked in the heat for the entire ceremony. I took my cues from the guests, many of whom watched much of the festivities from the air-conditioned atrium so I moved back and forth! One of my favorite photos of the day is a Newton shot–he went home with Praveen for the change from his Indian attire into a suit for the Christian ceremony and the guys stripped down and stuck their heads in the freezer. Did I mention it was hot during the ceremony?? Part two of the day began with Sarah and her father preceeded down the aisle with their flower girl who decided just before getting out of the building that she didn’t want to do it! It’s a sweet little photo of the ring bearer trying to console her and encourage her to continue. She made it with some help from mom and Sarah was positively radiant as she made her way to meet Praveen. This ceremony was shorter but quite emotional especially when friends of the couple serenaded them. And since I always follow the bride and groom for the recessional, I had to laugh when I was editing the photos and saw the bridal party recessional that Jonathan shot. I’ve included one of the photos here–the bridal party danced back up the aisle and I had no idea until I looked at the photos!!

Some of the people who helped Sarah and Praveen make their day spectacular:

Caterer – Fusions Cuisine: http://fusionscuisine.com

Venue – The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens: http://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens/content/the_atrium

Horse – Harmon’s Carriages: http://www.harmonscarriages.com/asia.htm

Indian Caterer – Tandoori Nights: http://indaez.com/catering

Cake – Cakes by Happy Eatery: http://www.happyeatery.com

Dress – Hannelore’s: http://www.hannelores.com

DJ – DCVibez: http://www.dcvibez.com

Decorator/Florist – Nivanjoli, Prabha Bhambri: http://www.nivanjoli.com

Lindsay + Dan’s wedding – August 21, 2010

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I was excited and a little nervous as I arrived at the iconic Mormon Temple in Kensington. I’ve driven by the building more times that I can count and even went into the Temple when it first opened. But it was the first time for me shooting a Mormon wedding. Well, actually, not shooting because no photography is allowed during the ceremony or sealing. So I waited outside with other non-Mormons for the couple to come out. The tricky part is that others are getting married at the same time and it’s hard to know who’s there for my bride and groom and who’s there for someone else. I had only met Lindsay once before when we did a walkthrough of the grounds but I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the moment when they came through the tinted sliding doors. What I didn’t anticipate was that you could see people waiting reflected in the dark doors as the happy couple finally came out. We took photos around the grounds and then headed to the Pooks Hill Marriott for the reception. It was a small event (about 50 guests) but the room looked beautiful draped in white and filled with purple and white flowers. They served signature drinks of non-alcoholic strawberry daquiris and lemonade and had a very fun ice cream bar for dessert.

Making the day special for Lindsay and Dan were:

Decor, Draping, Lighting, Florals and Day Of  Coordinating –  Gala Events, Inc.
DJ Brian at Washington Talent Agency
Food and service the Bethesda Marriott

Photos I wish I’d taken!

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It is a pleasure and an honor to work with all of my second photographers. I only work with the best! And in every wedding, they take at least one photo I wish I had taken. A couple times this summer, two of my second shooters shot weddings for my company and in the case of  Liz and Peter’s wedding in Mercersburg, PA, it was Toni Sandys and Katherine Frey. Below are some of the photos they shot that I absolutely love.

Lesley + Michael’s wedding – July 24, 2010

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Lesley and Mike win the award for the hottest wedding I’ve ever photographed. And by hot I mean 105 degrees and an outdoor ceremony. The ceremony itself was surprisingly funny and made for many great moments but boy, was it hot. Did I mention the temperature?? All week long I watched the forecast as I always do and when the prediction was for sunny and 98 degrees, I started to prepare. Worked out a little extra. Made sure I packed several bottles of water I’d put in the freezer. The fact is, there’s no way to adequately prepare for being that hot. We made a slight adjustment and did their solo photos beforehand at Landsdowne where they were getting ready, thus minimizing the amount of time everyone would be outside. But Mike had to mop his brow a couple times which made some fun photos. It was a brief ceremony but sweet and full of laughs. I love the shots of Lesley right after the ceremony with her helpful bridesmaids with a fan up her dress. We waited for the temps to cool a bit before doing their couple shots in the vineyard itself and I love those portraits. Both were naturals in front of the camera and the light was perfect and the green of the vines just popped in the photos. The party was a lot of fun, starting off with a father-daughter dance that after a few slow minutes transitioned into Billy Idol’s “White Wedding.” Oddly, that’s not one I hear a lot at weddings! The night ended up beautifully with a sparkler send off and oh yes, a full moon. As always, thanks go out to the wonderful Jonathan Newton who shot with me and for some reason didn’t look nearly as overheated as I did.

And the people who helped Lesley and Mike’s day spectacular:

Bluemont Vineyard Coordinator, Beth Wright

Florist, Jennifer Morris  – J. Morris Flowers

Cake, Carolyn Taylor – Taylor Made Cakes

DJ, Daryle Maciocha DJ-DMAC

Violinists – Perfect Harmony

Officiant –Leora Motely

Hair/Makeup – K.C. Felton

Amy + Jude’s wedding – July 17, 2010

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I’m not sure I’ve seen a more nervous groom than Jude. We were the first ones at the church for his wedding to Amy. I’m glad he had the rings to twirl on his fingers to keep him occupied. I’m also glad that they decided to see each other before the ceremony. In a change from my usual first look, Amy snuck up on Jude as he waited outside the church. Once he saw Amy, he just beamed. And any trace of nervousness was gone. Their ceremony at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington was flooded with light and as their friend conducted the ceremony, it was made much more personal by retelling the story of Amy and Jude’s courtship through the social groups at the church. And the significance of the little bears that Jude carried with him during the ceremony. Amy and Jude were very committed to having a green wedding. The flowers were delivered that morning from a local farm and I loved the flower seeds as guests for the gifts. Another whimsical touch was the crayons and paper for everyone (not just the kids) to draw and make notes for the couple. And the colors of purple and yellow made the room pop.

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


Paige + Chris’ wedding – May 22, 2010

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Paige and Chris’ wedding day dawned bright and sunny but didn’t stay that way. Unfortunately, I watched the clouds darken as I drove from McLean to Leesburg and it was dusk before it let up. Not a huge deal since it wasn’t an outside ceremony and there’s the old adage about rain on your wedding day (it rained on mine!). As I watched Paige get ready at a familiar hotel (the Hyatt in Reston) I kept thinking she looked like someone but I couldn’t place who. And then one of her bridesmaids said it–she looked like Betty Draper. I’m a big “Mad Men” fan and she was right on the money. I went over to where Chris was getting ready a few doors down and he definitely had the same vibe down…including drink in hand. Together they are one lovely couple–cool and elegant. I really liked seeing how close she was to her bridesmaids, they had a lot of fun waiting in the church for the wedding to begin. The reception at River Creek was lovely, if rainy, but eventually we took a golf cart to an area there they call the Point, where Goose Creek runs into the Potomac River. It was lovely but getting dark and I much appreciate the help I got from the club’s catering manager who held my video light for me! I had the pleasure of working with the fabulous Jonathan Newton (a couple of his shots are included here) and as always, getting the chance to work with my buddy Victoria who planned the event. We go back more years than I’m willing to admit and she always puts together a beautiful day.

Those who made it happen:

Event planner–Victoria Rapoport with Perfect Detail Event Planning

Venue: River Creek Country Club, Leesburg, VA

Church: St. Luke’s Catholic Church, McLean, VA

Quartet–Ensemble Elan

Event planner–Victoria Rapoport with Perfect Detail Event Planning

Florist–J.Morris Flowers

Cake–Edibles Incredible

DJ–James Nalley

Michelle + David’s wedding – May 15, 2010

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What a gorgeous day for a chic wedding at the Hotel Monaco. And for only a few months of planning, the event went off beautifully. I’d been wanting to shoot at the hotel forever and it was worth the wait. I loved the staircases and the bold  wall colors and wonderful nooks and doorways. Michelle and David were a big fan of the architectural details so were willing subjects as we wandered around the hotel and grounds looking for fabulous photos. The ceremony was held in the Paris ballroom so the guests could watch in the round while the couple and their parents around the chuppah glowed with incoming light from above. Originally we had planned to go outside at sunset and try for a pretty sky photo but the lure of the neon around the Verizon Center was a better bet. They definitely attracted attention as we walked up and down the street in the midst of a warm May Saturday night in downtown DC but I really like the photos that resulted. A couple of the ones below are by the amazing Linda Davidson who was my second shooter and proved a very capable flash holder as well. The experimenting continues in my quest for new lighting!

The vendors who made the magic happen:

DJ: Chris Laich

Cake: Fluffy Thoughts

Flowers: The Enchanted Florist

Hair: Thania Trieu

Hotel: Buddee Clinton at Hotel Monaco

Makeup: Aisha Therese Alves of Picture Perfect Makeup

Dress: Terri Lynn Bridal of Bethesda, MD