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!
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Tags: bridal portrait, outdoor wedding venues, wedding reception photographer
June 10th, 2008 at 8:34 am
The pictures are gorgeous. Something out of a magazine.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Chris and Smaran,
You both were so personable and performed an excellent job!
Patty (Kelly’s mom)
June 11th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Chris and Smaran,
Thank you for gorgeous photographs. I loved Kelly’s and Steve’s Portraits for true artistry of the composition and great sense of natural lighting.
Agree that those could appear on the cover of the Bridal Magazine!!!
Ada (Steve’s Mom)