Zhia & Shep

I have been looking forward to Zhia and Shep's wedding for so long! I can't believe it went by so quickly. Zhia and Shep are a fantastic couple - we met them last year. Zhia provided yummy snacks at our meeting. Why? Because she's just that sweet and thoughtful! We had a wonderful time photographing their beautiful wedding at Hotel Monaco. Zhia got ready there, with several friends among rain boots (just in case - but we lucked out!)

We headed off to the church in Silver Spring (interestingly, Zhia's grandfather had been involved in the construction of the church, years ago!) Zhia and her dad sat together as the limo cruised toward the ceremony.



Meanwhile, Shep waited at the church with his groomsmen and family.


Zhia's dad escorted her down the aisle when the time came.


I really liked the pastor - she did a great ceremony and she even went to bat for us related to the church's photography restrictions! After the ceremony, we headed back to downtown after a few family portraits. When we arrived at Hotel Monaco, the sun broke through! So we quickly took advantage of our good fortune to do a few casual portraits of Zhia and Shep.


I love this picture!


The party was fantastic, with great toasts and dancing in the elegant ballroom.




Check out even more photos below!

Meghan & Steve

Meghan and Steve have some very talented friends. I know, this seems like an odd way to start a blog post about their wedding - but I don't think anyone there missed all the amazing details and personal touches that went into their beautiful wedding at the Decatur House in downtown DC.

Megan and her bridesmaids spent the afternoon getting ready at the Hay Adams Hotel just a short walk from the Decatur House.

Once everyone had put on the finishing touches, we set off for the Decatur House. Avalon Catering did a beautiful job with the ceremony setup as well as providing a delicious assortment of food and drinks for the guests to enjoy!

We waited upstairs, hidden as Meghan watched her friends and family arrive to share in the celebration of her marriage to Steve. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful and unique Meghan's gown is - it suited her perfectly.

After the ceremony in the courtyard and some family portraits, we headed out for some portrait time with Meghan and Steve.

As twilight fell it was easy to see why the Decatur House is such a popular choice for stylish brides and grooms in DC! Between all the special touches from Meghan and Steve's friends (cookie favors, the cake and groom's cake, the floral centerpieces and bouquets) and the excellent work by Avalon Catering the entire event was uniquely them.

As the night wore on Meghan and Steve enjoyed their first dance in the courtyard, surrounded by family and friends. It was a beautiful night!

Please check out the slideshow for all of their preview images!

Fatima & Christian

Fatima and Christian's wedding was so much fun! Fatima got ready at her parents house, surrounded by friends and family (sometimes literally LOL)

We were running a little late on the church, but the traffic gods smiled upon them and we made it from Fairfax to NW DC in what I would consider to be record time. I have a hunch the limo driver maybe have driven race cars in a past life and I give him full credit for saving the day and delivering the radiant bride just a few minutes late.

Fatima and Christian chose The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament church in NW DC. The church was quite beautiful inside and the staff was a dream to work with. After the ceremony and some family portraits Fatima and Christian headed off for a few casual portraits in Georgetown. It was the perfect time of day!

We didn't know that where we were going for photographs was adjacent to a dog park... LOL fortunately none of us were afraid of dogs and they kept their distance, so there were no muddy pawprints on the dress.

After the brief portrait session we headed off to the Westin Gateway in Arlington where the reception festivities were beginning. I watched Fatima and Christian thank the many important friends and family who had supported them throughout the process of planning the wedding. Then we headed into the ballroom for dinner and dancing! There were some very touching toasts from Fatima and Christian's siblings as well as other friends and family, as well as a musical serenade from one of their guests!

Check out more images below.

Anna & Danny

Anna and Danny were married on a lovely Saturday at the Meridian House. I originally met Anna very briefly in NYC during a trip. She had only a few moments to meet due to her busy schedule at ABC but fortunately we had some time to get together on Thursday afternoon before the wedding and meet Anna's parents and her fiance. I could tell from the way that Anna and her mom spoke that a great deal of work and attention to detail had been put into the event!

In spite of torrential rains on Friday, the weather gods smiled on Saturday as Anna's preparations got underway at the Mayflower Hotel.

After a few portraits in a hidden nook at the Mayflower, we headed off to the always beautiful Meridian House.

I love the way the Meridian House is set up - the bride can remain hidden but still peak out as the processional begins.

The ceremony was heartfelt and blessed with beautiful light - I can take credit for neither, but the images show off the beautiful setting and the happy couple.

After the ceremony we had time for a few portraits of the happy couple!

Jeremy, catering and event guru extraordinaire of Susan Gage Catering ensured that everything went off the hitch - from the delicious gazpacho salad to the salted caramel tartlets. Yum.

The evening finished with a sparkler exit and a quick trip downtown for photos in front of the Capitol.

Check out more images below!