Wedding Blog.

Rupa and Matt had a beautiful two day wedding celebrating their two cultures. The weather for the weekend was perfect and the foliage really set the mood. The chapel at Georgetown Prep provided an elegant and stately location for the Christian ceremony and the very romantic Newton White Mansion hosted the Indian ceremony and reception. Trisha with Working Bridesdid an amazing job at bringing all the pieces together so all I had to do was point and shoot.

Nicole and Todd were blessed not only with one of the most perfect weather days of the season, but the joy of hosting a very intimate event for 28 guests in a DC treasure. The day began with a ceremony in the contemporary Priory Chapel at St. Dominic’s (http://st-dominic-church.org/). Since the couple met at Catholic University, we took a drive to the campus to commemorate their “official” meeting at the Library—actually Todd had helped Nicole move into the dorm when she arrived as a freshman, but it wasn’t until 11 years later in grad school that they connected again in a lasting way.

A real treat awaited their family and friends in entering the beautiful Woodrow Wilson House in Dupont Circle (http://www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org/). A hidden garden was the perfect backdrop for elegant cocktails served by Main Event Caterers (www.maineventcaterers.com ) and guides eagerly gave private tours of the home. The house is filled with historic pictures, mementos, an Edison Phonograph used in the White House, and the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost that Wilson’s friends gave him for his 67th birthday. All of the wedding guests were seated together in the dining room that once hosted Wilson family and world leaders. While piano music drifted from the Drawing Room, I felt so lucky to be able to enjoy such a unique DC event hosted by a lovely couple…thanks Nicole & Todd!

I had the most wonderful day photographing Joy and Edward’s celebration because they were such a easy-going couple combined with a great location, beautiful weather and family and friends that loved being photographed—they would literally come running to jump into fun, spontaneous group photos.  We started at Christ the King Catholic Church in Silver Spring, MD with a ceremony that honored Edward’s Philippine heritage with seven couples serving as the marriage sponsors along with the traditional presentation of coins and veil & cord ceremonies.

The best part of the day for Joy and Ed was planning to have some special time together. I had spoken in advance to the owners of La Miche restaurant in Bethesda and we were graciously led to a very private window-front table.  Since it was a ½ hour before opening to the public, Joy & Edward had the restaurant to themselves and were so happy to be able to relax between the ceremony & reception—with the rush of final preparations, it was the first time in two days that they had actually been alone together.  The country-elegant restaurant was the perfect setting for a cozy drink, loving reflections of the ceremony just completed, and fabulous lighting for me!

We were then off to Woodend, one of my favorite venues, because of the beautiful grounds that are the home to the Audubon Society. As we strolled around the property, we came upon a number of bunnies and once the guests were seated, a family of deer even came hopefully up to the cocktail area looking for snacks. Festive Foods provided a delicious dinner of salmon and beef tenderloin.  The details of the day all occurred smoothly under the watchful eye of Katie Martin of Elegance & Simplicity who served as the day-of coordinator.  For me, the highlight was having that extra time with Joy and Edward before the reception.  Too often in the dash to get from the ceremony to the party, I’ve only got 10 minutes in the eight hours of coverage to photograph the bride and groom together.  After the high-energy reception, the couple thanked me warmly for creating the private time for them and I think they’ll be very pleased with the images!

I first met Madeline & Bobby when they traveled up from Nashville at the end of March for their engagement session at the tidal basin during cherry blossom time. We had a beautiful early morning stroll before the crowds arrived—7:00am may sound early, but that’s when the light is soft and the setting is peaceful.

Madeline had her mother’s veil remade for her day…the beautiful cream color was carried through in her long cream-colored sash, which she wore during the ceremony and then changed to a blue one for the reception–accenting the blue & brown color theme. The groomsmen set the perfect summer stance in beige suits with blue & white striped ties that coordinated with the maid’s blue dresses & white sashes. Exquisite Florist created gorgeous bouquets and flower arrangements of hydrangea, peonies & orchids which coordinated beautifully with the color theme.

Restaurant Associates at Strathmore provided one of the best wedding buffet’s I’ve experienced. Not only was the presentation beautiful, but the steak, salmon and numerous vegetable dishes all tasted wonderful.

Since many bride and grooms do not make an official exit from their wedding, I have not seen a decorated car in some time. Madeline & Bobby escaped to the Bethesda Hyatt in a very tastefully and creatively decorated Prius—glow sticks, environmental messages and covered in rose petals. It helps to have friends who are elementary school teachers and certified art instructors!

Stacey and Sean’s wedding was a great experience all around. They are a fun, loving couple who’s parents had only met once before the wedding! It was so nice to see the families get along so well and truly have a wonderful time together. The ceremony was at St. Peter’s Parish, and we got some beautiful images inside this grand church. We then headed over to Senate Park to take some portraits and family photos. Stacey’s mom had the fun idea of having the bride channel her inner Marilyn Monroe and pose for the iconic image….it came out fabulous! The reception was at 101 Constitution Ave, a very unique rooftop location. Haute on the Hill catered the party and English Rose Gardens provded the flowers. The challenge to photographing this wedding was the weather. Even though we had a great couple, and loving families, keeping focus in such heat can be quite difficult for everyone. Despite the high temps, everyone was really easygoing, the party was a blast, and we even got a lighting show to end the night.

Karen is one of the very talented ladies over at Bravo! Events by Design. When we met to plan out her day she described her party as being very simple and understated, but I knew it was going to be beautiful and a lot of fun. At first it looked as though the thunder storms were going to put a damper on the day, but as soon as we left for the church the skies cleared up and it turned out to be lovely day for a lovely bride.

Gerard and Karen clearly have a lot of fun together and always seem to be making each other laugh. That kind of playfulness is exactly the kind of energy I like to play off when trying to create a snapshot of the day. The sunset party at Mrs. K’s Toll House was intimate and provided a great atmosphere for the lively and energetic Trinidadian music. As with all Bravo! parties I end up having as much fun as the guests.

Wow. Whenever I am in the company of a couple that truly love each other it is a sight to behold. That, in combination with the beautiful light inside of Saint Mary’s in Arlington, it was a real feast for the eyes.

I find that wedding photography really challenges ones skills of improvisation. Every new location creates an exciting, sometimes nerve-racking exercise in searching for good light and good backgrounds. Most often you have one or the other and occasionally you have both. Crucial to this equation as well, is being able to figure out the couple’s willingness to participate, and balance that with the very real time constraints. In this particular situation I got very lucky. Beautiful, consistent light…Fun, loving couple…Gorgeous location and even a ballerina!

Kristen and Jake’s wedding was at Celebrations at the Bay. This is a beautiful location, especially for an outdoor ceremony. The most challenging part was the weather! It happened to be on what seemed like the hottest day of the summer, but with the extreme heat everyone remained calm and the photos came out spectacular. Kristen and Jake included their precious pup Princess, in the ceremony, complete with angel wings! The dock out over the bay provides a great location for romantic photos. The families had relatives travel from around the globe to be with this couple on their wedding day. The doves that were set free in the ceremony were a lovely tribute Kristen and Jakes new life together. The Pros had a fun DJ and everyone at the party had a good time.

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I had the opportunity to get to know Katie and Ian at their engagement session back in October at Brookside Gardens. We had a great time and the setting couldn’t be more beautiful. I left with a really good feeling and was looking forward to shooting their wedding. The ceremony was held at The Georgetown Prep Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes then the reception followed at the Westin Grand Hotel. Cherry Blossom Weddings and Events did a great job coordinating this wedding, everything went smoothly. We took a bunch of photos outside and the weather was perfect. This was a fun couple to photograph and the pictures really show it!

This past weekends wedding, was awesome, probably the single most amazing love story I have heard. I probably can’t do the story justice, but the couple met when they were 10 in Singapore which is amazing because he’s Swedish and she’s American. They then lost touch. The grooms dad tracked down the bride’s address so he was able to write her love letters. As time went on they kept in touch randomly then the corespondance faded away a bit. Coincidently, they reconnected when they ended up working at the same place in Washington, DC. Talk about fate and being meant to be.

The wedding was beautiful; the bride got ready the Hay-Adams and had a beautiful suite which made for great photography. With the brides creative input, we were able to pull of a cool shot of her and her bridesmaids- a la Vanity Fair.

The ceremony was at Dahlgren Chapel on the campus of Georgetown University. Fate definitely was on their side. It had rained all day, but when were needed to get the outside shots, the weather was perfect. We were also able to get photos of the groom and groomsmen before the wedding. Affter the ceremony it stopped raining long enough for us to get great photo of the bride and group together in the courtyard.

The reception was held at The House of Sweden, it a great new place. Dinner was first and in true Swedish fashion there were many heartfelt toasts from family and friends. The was followed by a great party with lots of energy and great dancing. It definitely makes my job easier when everyone is dancing and having a great time. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel like work….

Sometimes the stars align in your favor and you really luck-out! After the amazing engagement session I had with Kendra and Tony in Georgetown I really had my hopes up for their wedding day, and needless to say it did not disappoint. The weather was perfect and we really made out with minimal tourist interruptions at the Ronald Reagan Building. Everything just seemed to fall in to place; nice light, beautiful location and a fun couple.

Because we had such a good time at the earlier shoot, and really got to know each other, the bride and groom were really accommodating with my suggestions for photos. The Reagan Building has a whole host of interesting architectural details to play with and at different times of day they look completely different. To achieve the “photo-journalistic” look there needs to be a measure of trust between the photographer and couple. They have to really be comfortable knowing that even though I’m not in their face at a particular moment, I’m going to get the shot. Just from a less obvious spot. Not to harp on the point, but the engagement session sometimes makes all the difference.

June 1, 2008

Yesterday I photographed Vivion & Nate- what a great couple. It was a sort of a tricky day because right in the middle of the day, what seemed like a monsoon hit hard and fast. We were supposed to go to Senate Park by the Capital for photos, but I made a last minute decision to go to Union Station instead. There were two brides already at the park, and the sky was getting darker by the minute. All I could imagine was being about a football field away from the limo and having a soaked bride-which before the wedding probably wouldn’t be such a great idea. So I called an audible and decided to go to Union Station. It turned out to be better than expected. The light was amazing and then the skies opened up and it poured. We were lucky to be there because all we had to do was jump inside and wait out the storm. Going to the park would have been a disaster. But with quick thinking and the couples easy going nature it turned out great.

The reception was held at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. With the help of Ayran Kanter of Eventscapes the reception was beautiful. Ayran is great, creative, and fun to work with. I always look forward to working with her.

Vivon and Nate were great, I really enjoy being with them you can really tell they love each other and it made my job pretty easy.

*UPDATE*
Vivian’s band was just selected by voters and then ultimately by the band Coldplay to be their opening act at the show here in DC at the Verizon Center. Way to go Vivian!

Kelly and Steve were married outdoors at Airlie House in Warrenton in nearly perfect weather on May 24. The facilities and grounds are gorgeous, with several interesting and quirky spots for outdoor portraits, weather permitting.

Kelly was very laid back, as was Steve, and both sets of parents were easy to work with as well. During the planning meeting the bride asked for pictures in several locations around the expansive grounds, which Smaran and I easily added to the settings we scouted out while waiting for her to get ready.

And while the bride and groom did not want to see each other in advance, a two-hour portrait period prior to the ceremony also gave us plenty of time to spend with each of them, their families and the wedding party. It was a luxury of time we rarely get. Airlie has porticos, gardens (where the ceremony was held), broad Spanish steps, Civil War era stone walls and archways, a waterfall, a small lake and several shaded trails.

For the reception lighting, we did a modified Eli setup, with two Q flashes high on stands spread far apart, with camera shooting into the lights whenever possible. The large, open-sided rotunda where dinner and dancing were held had very little in the way of power, so the Qs fit the bill.

All in all, a very lovely day!

A few weeks ago I photographed Nellie & Seth’s wedding. The ceremony was at St. Matthew’s which always photographs beautifully, and the reception was at The Hay-Adams Hotel.

Nellie did not want to have a lot of posed photos, she just wanted to have fun. She probably had the most fun of any bride I have photographed in a long time- way to go Nellie! It always great to photograph people having a great time and everyone was having a great time.

We did run over to Lafayette Park for a quick couple of photos.

It was a cocktail style reception that started on the Rooftop Terrace with a band and then continued in the John Hay Room with a DJ. Good times!

The wedding of Beth and Tim was May 17, at Gainesville United Methodist on John Marshall Hwy in Haymarket, VA. The church is not actually called that anymore, having been abandoned by the congregation. Apparently, private groups are trying to turn it into a wedding chapel, the party planners told us. The room is quite nice for us, all white with long, clear windows… plenty of light…

The reception was held at LaGrange Winery, roughly 5 miles from the church. it was a relatively small party of 60 or so, but the winery was very nice. Beautiful grounds and two restored old buildings. The cocktail hour was held in the main building, while the dinner was in the barrel room, where they cellar the wine. The lighting there was tricky, but created an intimate setting.

The grounds outside allowed all kinds of choices for small and large group pictures. I took a picture of the entire wedding by standing on the front landing and shooting down at a large, flagstone patio below.

The bride and groom were great. They were very laid back and friendly. All in all, a nice combination of church and reception venues, they both accommodate small weddings very well.

Party planners, Robin Payton and her business partner Susan, from Over the Top, were great to work with.

We got the opportunity to test out the new Nikon D3. The results are absolutely stunning.

Last week I met with Kendra and Tony in Georgetown for a little pre-wedding photo session. The weather was perfect and the couple was a lot of fun. These kind of shoots are a great opportunity to develop a relationship with the bride and groom. I almost always find that the wedding day pictures always run quite a bit smoother if we’ve done an engagement session.