Kim & Jake

I've known Kim for almost three years - she is the wedding coordinator at the Annapolis Waterfront Marriott, so we've had an opportunity to work together quite a bit! I was thrilled when she got engaged and so very flattered when she asked if I would photograph her wedding day! Kim has impeccable taste and the setting and the beautiful flowers and decor were fantastic. Kim and Jake chose historic Londontown Gardens for their wedding site. The weather was perfect.

After a hilarious, fun limo ride we arrived at Londontown and Kim and her bridesmaids finished getting dressed. Hair and makeup were perfect, thanks to the wonderful Amie Decker and the glam squad.


Great Expectations: Flowers by Inka was responsible for the beautiful bouquets, centerpieces, and other arrangements! All the paper items and details were created by Alison Barnhill Designs.


After spending a few moments with her dad, Kim set out to see Jake for the first time on their wedding day.


Kim and Jake's decision to see each other before the ceremony to ensure that we had plenty of time for beautiful portraits. We loved not having to rush!


The ceremony took place at the perfect time of day - the light was stunning.


Everyone had a fantastic time with cocktails, dinner, dancing and of course the fun photo station (see previous blog post).



As always, Wedding Savvy did a wonderful job coordinating the entire event!
Check out lots more photos here:

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!

Kim & Jake's wedding

Kim and Jake had a fabulous wedding at Londontown yesterday. I'll have a separate blog entry about their big day soon, but as part of their wedding we set up a photo station for Kim and Jake and their guests to enjoy during the reception. Here are the cute and often hilarious images from the photobooth!

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!

Kelly & Jason

Kelly and Jason were married at the beautiful Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, just across the bridge from Annapolis. The always charming Raquel Shutt of Wedding Savvy worked with Erin Janes and the Beach Club staff to coordinate the event flawlessly. Kelly and her bridesmaids had a perfect view overlooking the ceremony site while they prepared for the festivities.

What started out as a hot day turned breezy and comfortable just before their 6:30pm ceremony upstairs on the deck.

Their guests watched them exchange vows and showered them with rose petals before heading downstairs for an outdoor cocktail hour.

Kelly and Jason spent some time with us taking fun, casual portraits on the lawn and the beach outside the Sunset Ballroom, appropriately named as you can see :)

The setup of the room was gorgeous and their cake was the perfect focal point to the room.

After a first dance and toasts, Kelly and Jason and their guests enjoyed the evening with dinner, dancing, and delicious cake! They exited among sparklers and drove off into the night!

Check out more images below!

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.

Jenn & Pete

What can I say about Jenn and Pete? They are an awesome couple. We were absolutely delighted when they chose us to document their wedding day! We photographed Jenn's sister's wedding and really loved working with their family. It is always especially meaningful to us when we have the opportunity to photograph more than one wedding for a single family. Not only is it a huge compliment to be invited back into their lives but it also allows us to understand more about the family and their history. In this case, Jenn's dad was diagnosed with ALS after her sister's wedding and unfortunately his illness has progressed in the two years since. All day long I was struck again and again by the beautiful way in which their family has pulled together to support one another and their dad during this difficult time. I was very deeply moved by their courage, especially Jenn and Melissa's father's courage in the face of a very debilitating disease, and her mother's selfless devotion to her husband. I can explain to my clients why I love photographing their weddings, but I don't think I can express in words how I felt documenting this day for this particular family.

Jenn and Pete got ready at the Hyatt Penn's Landing, which is in a great location in Philadelphia. Jenn had her bridesmaid to help her with the preparations.

Jenn and Pete decided to see each other prior to the ceremony to allow plenty of time for portraits of the two of them as well as their families. We arranged for their first meeting in a park near the hotel. Their reaction to seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day was sweet and emotional.

After some casual, fun portraits we headed to The Ballroom at the Ben, their venue, for family portraits before the ceremony. After a brief rehearsal, the ceremony began. Jenn and Pete were both escorted down the aisle by their parents and surrounded by their bridal party as they said their vows. They exited to applause from their guests!

Once the ceremony was over, the room was setup for a stunning reception. Longstems did a beautiful job with floral and decor.

Everyone had a fantastic time at the reception, with heartfelt speeches, great food and a photobooth for even more fun!

Rio, the band, was fantastic as always and the guests enjoyed a great dessert spread after dinner and lots of dancing.

Check out the slideshow for more preview images!