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.
Finding a restaurant to have your wedding rehearsal dinner in Washington, DC can a tough decision. So many factors weigh in: how many people are you hosting, what type of food, casual or formal, easily accessible and close to where wedding guests are staying. In my other career as a food photographer, primarily for the Washington Post, I get around town quite a bit to photograph the food and atmosphere at many of the new and interesting restaurants opening around the city. And some I’ve been to recently are fun and funky locations to have your wedding rehearsal dinner!
The newest restaurant from Fabio and Maria Trabocchi is a fine dining pasta restaurant in the Van Ness neighborhood. It’s homey atmosphere and extraordinary beautiful dishes make it a perfect spot for hosting a party. The newly enclosed outdoor patio could easily accommodate a rehearsal crowd. In the main restaurant there are elegant touches of red and padded booths keep the decibel levels way down. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing there twice for the Washington Post and have been back for dinner so it’s a new DC restaurant I highly recommend!
This is another restaurant near and dear to my heart for a couple reasons. I’ve been spending a lot of time in Petworth recently for the Washington Post reviews I’ve done and Ruta del Vino was my first time in the neighborhood. Justin and Jessica, the owners of the restaurant are new to the DC dining scene and their comfortable neighborhood venue feels like a great place to hang out. The centerpiece of the restaurant is the large bar and there is a more secluded back room that would give a party group some privacy. The food is fabulous, there’s a great wine selection and I am completely addicted to the churros dipped in chocolate!! Their website is a work in progress that (I hope) will be live soon with lots of my photos.
The other fabulous Petworth restaurant that could be a perfect foodie rehearsal dinner spot is Himitsu. The Washington Post review is out this weekend and the food is adventurous and delicious. The chef Kevin Tien and the co-owner and beverage director Carlie Steiner are totally focused on providing an amazing dining experience for each patron at their tiny restaurant. You’d have to take over the entire restaurant for a rehearsal dinner but boy, would it be memorable if you did!! And get the duck platter with buttermilk biscuits. You can thank me later.
The Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse
For the more adventurous and edgy couple, the Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse could be a perfect wedding rehearsal restaurant. They’re located a part of DC that is rapidly changing with the renovation of the old Hecht’s Warehouse building and the influx of new restaurants. A couple things stand out at the Tavern. First is a large open performance space attached to the restaurant that would even be perfect for a wedding. Second is the fish. As a Maryland girl I am a total crab cake snob and these are some of the best I’ve had. The smoked fish platter is another must get–if not for dinner than definitely for brunch!
Keeping with the seafood theme, Johnny’s Half Shell in Adam’s Morgan has some of the best in town. The 80-seat restaurant in the heart of the city, has just the right mix of casual and homey touches–an aquarium on display and an abundance of blue in the color scheme. And the original Johnny’s Half Shell sign from the first restaurant hangs high overheard. And most importantly, chef Ann Cashion’s cooking would definitely delight your guests!
One last place on my list is a restaurant I was at just last week for the Post’s $20 Diner column. The new restaurant is run by the owners of El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria, has colorful murals painted on the exposed brick and a rustic charm. Located on 14th St. in Columbia Heights it’s big enough for a good size crowd even if you didn’t take over the whole restaurant. The food from the carne asada (my favorite) to the tacos is exceptional. And with more than 65 Mezcals, it might just be the perfect spot in DC for a party.
There are so many options for wedding rehearsal spots in the DC area. These are just a few of my favorites and I expect as I continue to photograph food around town that I’ll have more to add to this list. Maybe even some in the suburbs!!
Monica + Talisha’s small waterfront wedding in Crownsville, Maryland near Annapolis was published today on Stone Fox Bride. It’s exciting for me as a wedding photographer when one of my favorite weddings of all time gets a random request to be published on a national wedding blog. They were stunning brides which didn’t hurt the photos one bit!
You can check out my original blog post and see all the fabulous photos from their wedding day! But I just couldn’t resist posting here a few of my favorites that I think capture the spirit of their wedding celebration.
This unseasonably warm winter weather has me thinking about my upcoming spring wedding engagement photo sessions. It is tempting to take advantage of 70 degree days in February, but most people prefer to wait for some green on the trees and even a few flowers. So now’s a good time to pull together some tips for planning your session and answering a few common questions.
When should we do the photos?
I recommend that you try to do your wedding engagement photos in a different season and location than where you’re getting married. It’s not always possible, but it’s nice to be able to mix the look of things up a bit. If you’re getting married at a vineyard in the fall, maybe the engagement session could be in an urban setting in the spring. For the actual timing on the day of the photography session, I prefer to schedule late in the day for the best light (starting 1 ½ to 2 hours before sunset depending on the where we’ll be) and to photograph on a sunny day. On your wedding day I work with whatever the weather brings–for the engagement session, a sunny day makes for the best photos!
Where should we go?
Washington DC is full of iconic spots to take portraits. If you’re looking for something that immediately says the “Nation’s Capital,” the Mall is a logical spot. The Reflecting Pool, the Lincoln Memorial or the Capitol grounds are all great backdrops.
But, my favorite locations are the ones that have meaning to you and your partner. Where you had your first date or how you like to spend your time together. Is it hiking on the C&O Canal or shopping in Georgetown? Playing with your pooch or maybe it’s a restaurant where you like to hang out? Sometimes it’s just fun to wander your neighborhood getting a sense of where you live and what feels familiar.
And if nothing comes to mind and you need some help deciding where to go, I can help! There are several interesting spots and parks around town that I can recommend. Sometimes it’s just nice to have some pretty flowers in the photo and leave the focus on the two of you.
What should we wear?
This is the most frequently asked question by far! First, wear something you think you look great in. When you feel good about how you look, that confidence shows in the photographs. Look at the color combos between the two of you. If you’re wearing purple your partner shouldn’t be wearing orange! The same goes for mixing prints and patterns. Keep your styles at a similar level. If you’re wearing a suit and your fiancé is in shorts it’s probably a mismatch in photos. The feedback I’ve gotten from couples is that if they’re a little more dressed up than they’d usually be on a weekend that’s about the right level. It’s not necessary to have hair and makeup professionally done but it doesn’t hurt! I love a pop of color, especially against green trees or those white pillars all over DC. If you’re wearing heels, bring a pair of comfortable shoes for walking. Photographing around DC will almost always involve some walking. Bringing a change of clothes is fine and can add to the variety of the photos. Changing shirts or putting a sweater over a shirt is easy but a full outfit change might be trickier on the Mall or somewhere without a restroom.
How much time will it take?
Generally I plan for about an hour and a half to two hours for an engagement session. That includes the time we’re actually shooting and the walking to get there. I’m not opposed to a couple locations as long as they’re not too far away from each other.
I’m not that comfortable in front of the camera. Can you help??
Of course! I’m not a fan of overly posed photos, but I completely understand that it’s hard to be in front of the camera (and it’s one of the reasons I prefer to stay behind it). I will put you in the prettiest light, give you a few tips if you need them and let you interact naturally. To me the best wedding engagement photos capture your relationship and are about having fun. I tend to shoot with a longer lens so that gives me a little distance and makes it feel less intrusive.
Having your wedding engagement photos done should be fun and easy and I work hard to make it that way. It’s also a great way for us to get to know each other a bit before the wedding day and the other bonus is you get to spend a some quality time with your sweetheart hugging, kissing and holding hands in a public setting!
In recent years the first look (or reveal) has become almost as traditional as not seeing each other before walking down the aisle! At least half of our couples opt to see each other before the wedding for several reasons:
Flow The day often will flow better if you see each other before the wedding ceremony. Once you see each other you can take all the family and wedding party photos earlier in the day then everyone is free for cocktails as soon as the ceremony is over.
Logistics If you’re getting ready in one place, getting married in another and having your reception at a third, it can work to your advantage to see each other first than travel together for the rest of the day. It saves on transportation costs and you get to spend more time with your soon to be spouse and what’s better than that?!
A moment alone The first look is arranged so that it’s just the two of you. No family or others allowed! OK occasionally we spy bridal party members or family peeking around a corner or from a higher vantage point, but really we want it to be a genuine moment between the two of you. We’ll put you in pretty light, a nice location and let you have a moment. Sometimes getting ready on the wedding day can be a little stressful and seeing each other is a wonderful relief.
Pretty pictures Even though the first look is not something that would happen organically on your wedding day, we do our best to make it feel like it is. There is no much better than the pure emotion of seeing each other for the first time and it can make for some very sweet photos and some lovely moments! Sometimes they’re among the best emotional photos of the day.
And here are a couple of reasons not to:
Timing Sometimes there just isn’t time in the day. Early ceremonies or church services often don’t allow for the time for a first look.
Tradition You may just not want to see each other before the walk down the aisle! That’s great too. We never try to talk anyone who feels strongly about keeping with tradition into a first look. Just remember to factor in time for your portraits, family photos and wedding party after the ceremony and into the cocktail hour.
After Bob + Dan’s Washington National Cathedral wedding ceremony (detailed in part one) we took advantage of some of the very interesting light and windows inside the Cathedral before heading down Rock Creek Parkway to the new and fabulous Watergate Hotel for their wedding reception.
A quick trip to their top floor suite and a sweet gift exchange was followed by a windy photo session on the balcony of their room. How amazing is the view of the Potomac River, Georgetown and Virginia? The original plan was to do these photos at the Top of the Gate, but wind prevented that. Honestly, I was so happy with the portraits on the balcony that I’m not sure we would have done better at the very top!
The vibe at the hotel fit the couple so well. It is a sleek and elegant space with a retro feel that is really fresh. I admit to being a little obsessed with the reflective textured columns in the lobby of the hotel which I thought made a lovely B&W late night portrait of the couple.
The party was on as soon as the grooms hit the dance floor. Considering that the couple met two-stepping at a country and western bar, let’s just say they have some moves. Especially Bob! I loved the decor of the room with it’s nod to the history of the hotel including tables or Bob Woodward and Richard Nixon. And I would be very remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to Michael Deltette, Director of Catering and Events at the Watergate. He referred me to the grooms and he kept everything at the reception running so smoothly (as he always does!!).
Wedding ceremony Washington National Cathedral 3101 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington DC
Cathedral flowers by the Cathedral Flower Guild
Reception and other Floral Toulies en Fleur
Reception venue The Watergate Hotel 2650 Virginia Ave., NW, Washington DC
Reception coordinator Michael Deltette
DJ NYX Entertainment
I am so excited to finally share part one of Bob + Dan’s gorgeous fall Washington National Cathedral wedding and Watergate Hotel reception in October. Their wedding was my first time at both locations and it’s always such a fun creative challenge to photograph a wedding in a new (to me!) space. We started the day at their home in Columbia Heights surrounded by their entire wedding party and immediate family. It was such a fun group and I just love the photographs of the two of them getting ready together. We drove over to the Cathedral early to spend some time in lovely Bishop’s Garden for groom portraits and wedding party photos. Let’s just say it was a teensy bit blustery. Not gale force but definitely windy!
The building itself is simply stunning. And ornate and incredibly beautiful. The ceremony took place in the far back of the Cathedral on the High Altar. Which makes for a very very long walk down the aisle. The ceremony was personal and joyful and a true celebration of Bob + Dan’s relationship. A receiving line followed the ceremony and then since I couldn’t resist, a few more interior wedding day portraits of the two of them before we proceeded to the Watergate for their party. Those photographs and the wedding reception and details will be coming soon!
Wedding ceremony Washington National Cathedral 3101 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington DC
Cathedral flowers by the Cathedral Flower Guild
Reception and other Floral Toulies en Fleur
Reception venue The Watergate Hotel 2650 Virginia Ave., NW, Washington DC
Reception coordinator Michael Deltette
DJ NYX Entertainment
Brandi + Mike‘s incredibly sweet and romantic Georgetown elopement made the Washington Post Style section today! I know it’s a little geeky to be so excited even though my photos run quite a bit in the paper but it’s always a kick to get a wedding photograph in print. And online!
My favorite wedding photographs of 2016 continues with the second half of the year. The fall wedding season brought to two destination weddings, one on Mackinac Island, Michigan and the other in Provincetown, Massachusetts. I had fun exploring both locations and it’s always a great creative challenge to photograph a wedding in a new location so different from the metropolitan DC area.
Here are the full blog posts from each of the weddings below but enjoy the five images I’ve chosen from each one.
Rebecca + David at the Gaylord National Hotel in Maryland
Hiba + Matt at the Mandarin Oriental in DC
Nicole + Frank at Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island, Michigan
Alex + Mike at Meadlowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia
Brendan + Nick at the Crown and Anchor in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Bob + Dan at the Washington National Cathedral and Watergate Hotel in DC
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
