Julia & Johnny - Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg

Ceremony: St. Thomas a Becket Catholic Church
Reception: Lansdowne Resort
Flowers: Faith Vosburgh

I'm always at a loss at what to start writing about for a wedding blog post. There are so many things that swim around in my head about every couple and the many fun, sweet, cool, crazy, etc. things that happened during their day. But, there's a reason why I'm a photographer and not a writer. Basically...well...because I am not a great author. Far from it to be honest. For me, things are better said through images than words. So, I'm going to attempt to give you an idea of what thrilled me about Julia and Johnny's gorgeous October wedding, but you might be better off just skipping to the images! I had never met Julia or Johnny before their wedding day. I walked in and casually asked the group of gentlemen standing around the front of the church if one of them was the groom. I think one or two of the groomsmen may have thought I was a total nut. And I'm okay with that. Luckily, the bride was much easier to identify! If I couldn't have recognized her from the white dress, I would have from the excitement, joy, and tears in her eyes. The rest of the day pretty much went along these same lines...excitement, tears, and joyful interactions between Julia and Johnny and those that love them. Any nerves I had about working with a couple I had only spoken with over the phone flew out the window right away! So thank you both for having me there to share in your joy! I'm going to start with some of my favorite images of Julia. As soon as I saw this light, I knew I had to take an image of her on that bench...

There were several times during the ceremony when I glanced over and saw Julia's bridesmaids wiping away tears. So sweet!

Married!

I love the sun streaming in from behind them in these next few images! I wish all of my weddings had this kind of gorgeous light!

Check out those triceps! I'm totally jealous.

I think this is a great one to end the night on! Cheers!

Julia & Johnny - Sneak Peek!

All I can say about September and October is...wow! It's been a whirlwind of gorgeous weddings, amazing couples, and unexpected surprises! And October is far from over yet...we still have two weekends to go! I'm starting to fall a little behind in my blogging, but here's a sneak peek from Julia and Johnny's day to hold things over till I can get back to it next week. More to come soon!

Erin & Randy - Westin, Old Town

Ceremony: Dahlgren Chapel, Georgetown
Reception: The Westin, Old Town Alexandria
Flowers: Petal's Edge
Wedding Coordinator: Myra Lewis, Exceeding Expectations

After I come home from photographing a wedding, there are always things that keep replaying through my mind about the day. For Erin and Randy, I can say without a doubt that one of the things I remember most is the way that Erin just gets Randy's sense of humor. There were other things, of course, like the beautiful Fall colors of the flowers and the running away from the chapel doors during portrait-time (I'll explain that later, I promise)! All in all, it was a very fun day for this photographer and a beautifully touching day for Erin and Randy and all the people that have obviously shared so much of their lives.  Anyway, on to the images...and congrats to you both!

Their flower-girl was too cute for words (which is why I'm a photographer!)...

I love Erin's rings! So unique!

These next two images are for Erin. During our final consultation before the wedding, she told me that one thing that was really important to her were images of her ring-bearer and flower-girl coming down the aisle since she was going to be outside and unable to see them. I wanted to make sure she got to see the images right away...these two were as cute as they could be!

Their ring-bearer made it down the aisle in a flash, but the flower-girl took her time making sure those petals were put down ever so perfectly!

Definitely one of my favorites from the day!

There was another ceremony that followed Erin and Randy's, so we had to move out of the Dahlgren quad pretty quickly afterward. But as I saw the sun going down, I knew I needed a shot of them on that chapel step, so we snuck back into the quad for a moment. I'm so glad we did because we had time for one great shot before the chapel doors started to open and the next group came out!

This is so sweet! It was right after the cake-cutting and the crowd had started to clear out. I love how they look totally lost in their own world, even if just for a moment.

Great Fall colors!

Beth & Matt - Keswick, VA

Ceremony and Reception: Private home
Hair and Make-up: Face Value Studio
Wedding Coordinator: Jennifer Hamlin, Events with Panache
Band: 10 Spot

Beth and Matt were married on one of the most gorgeous September days that I have ever seen. Usually, I am able to do a walkthrough of a wedding site before I actually arrive on the wedding day. But since Beth and Matt were married at her parents' home down near Charlottesville, my first glimpse was as I pulled into the driveway just hours before their ceremony. All I could say was wow...what a beautiful place to get married! The home sits back from the road and is surrounded by fields of green horse pastures interrupted only by criss-crossing black split-rail fences. I knew immediately that it was going to be a great day. And it only got better as Beth and Matt said their vows on the front steps of the house surrounded by friends and family. It was such a relaxed and fun day as evidenced by their vows, which included Beth promising to let Matt watch plenty of football! Love it! Thank you both for such a fun day and congratulations again!

Beth has such beautiful green eyes!

I don't usually have multiple mirror shots to post, but I just love this second one of Beth's sister looking on as Beth gets ready.

The Jenny Lee gown Beth selected was absolutely perfect for her. It was clean, elegant, and fit her beautifully!

I loved the black split-rail fence, so you're getting a few images from this series...

And as night fell, the party really got going! The band had everyone, and I mean everyone, out of their seats and onto the dance floor.

These next two images are of the donut truck. Being up in the DC area for most of my weddings, I had never heard of Carpe Donut. Man, are we missing out up here! The guests LOVED the homemade donuts and hot cider. What a great idea for a wedding!

So delicious!

Check out the details. I love the little blue lanterns that were hanging from the trees!