Trisha & Michael are my first eHarmony wedding! It was so much fun knowing that they both found the love of their life online. Believe it or not, MY husband and I met on eHarmony too! I always love meeting other couples that are breaking the quickly fading stigma of online dating. :)

The day was a little warm, but absoultely beautiful! Both the ceremony and reception were indoors, so everyone managed to stay cool as they celebrated with the new couple. The Catholic chapel was stunning inside and Belmont Country Club could hardly be any more picturesque for a wedding reception! Emily and I enjoyed capturing the tender love between Trisha and Michael all day. One of our favorite points in the day were the few minutes we had with just the two of them right after the ceremony, mingling around a pond with beautiful weeping willows at Belmont.

Make sure to watch the slide show below in FULL SCREEN mode so you can enjoy these photos to their fullest.

Trisha & Mike we wish you all the BEST!!

I am really late this morning, and trying to get out the door for a family brunch in Fredericksburg, VA but I've just GOT to finish blogging Ben & Suzie's FANTASTIC engagement session. Suzie picked the location which was absolutely perfect! It took about an hour to drive there, but was definitely worth the trip. "So where is this mystery place?", you ask... The State Arboretum of Virginia. Never heard of it? Well, me neither until Suzie discovered this hidden jem. I will definitely be shooting there again. :)

A little about Ben & Suzie. What can I say other than they are absolutely ADORABLE together. Sorry Ben, but it's true! Suzie is all giggles, all the time, and I love that about her! Ben is definitely in love with her, I can see it in his eyes. I'm sure you will be able to see it too. Engagement sessions are so much fun for me. Definitely a break from the monotony of sitting in front of my computer screen editing. Ben, Suzie and I had a lot of fun roaming the ground of the Arboretum, chatting and well pretty much cracking each other up the whole time. I am So excited to shoot their wedding on September 18th!!

P.S. Suzie kept saying she is the least photogenic person out there, but my camera absolutely loved her! ;) Suzie, you are going to make one stunning bride!

Jenny and Dan's wedding was a happy celebration of pink and green. The weather was beautiful, and so was Jenny! Their outdoor wedding was just perfect, with the afternoon light streaming in and a light breeze occasionally blowing gently through her veil. The beautiful Christian ceremony was followed by a wonderfully joy-filled party full of laughter and endless dancing. Everything went just as planned, which was Jenny's dream come true.

One of my favorite moments from their wedding was when Jenny saw the reception hall ready and decorated for the first before the wedding. She walked in, took a long look around and the tears started flowing. When her sister and bridesmaids rushed to her side with hugs and tissues, Jenny said she was crying because everything was so perfect and more beautiful than she had ever imagined! Weddings are full of all sorts of raw and often unexpected emotions. I am honored to be there to capture and preserve these priceless moments for all of my brides.

I met Melissa's parents at church a few years ago and quickly fell in love with their happy hearts! ;)

Jonathan and Melissa decided to do a "first glance" shoot before the ceremony to give us extra time to shoot some fun bridal party pics at a near by pond. Emily and I loved watching their faces as they saw each other for the first time, all dressed up and gorgeous for their big day. Their love for each other was so pure and beautiful!

The weather forcasters were calling for scattered showers all day long, but everyone's prayers worked, and we ended up with a fantastic day! I swear we didn't see any rain until the skies opened up just 15 minutes after Jonathan and Melissa drove away in their awesomely decorated car! From beginning to end, it was a wonderful celebration of two lovely people dedicating their lives to each other and to the Lord! Emily and I were honored to be there to capture their love story. 

P.S. Emily totally ROCKED this shoot! She is worth every penny. ;)

That's right, first we had Ryan & Vanessa, then Ryan & Colleen, and finally Colleen & John. Two Ryans and Two Colleens, in two weeks. :) Funny how that happens sometimes.

I knew from our first meeting that Colleen & John were going to be awesome clients. They are both so laid-back and easy going, you can't help but like them right away! I think of them as a truly American couple. John is a police officer and Colleen is a nurse. Their humble hearts of service are a pleasure to be around. And did she make a Stunning bride or what?! :D

Even rain during our formal photos couldn't keep their spirits down. After ten minutes at a beautiful park next to the Pentagon, the rain started coming down hard. Colleen literally hiked up her dress and ran back to the shuttle bus. The photo of her running across the bridge tells the whole story. :) Meanwhile John stood perfectly still in the rain and smiled patiently for a few last shots. I love that you can see the raindrops all around him in those photos! Needless to say, we finished up a few of the formals in their hotel room. The light sifted through the sheer curtain beautifully, making for surprisingly great photos. Colleen & John were awesome! They took the weather in stride and just rolled with the location changes like it was all planned.

The Sheraton National Hotel had amazing views of DC from both their private suite and their reception room on the top floor. When the clouds rolled back, we could see the Air Force Memorial, Arlington Cemetary, the Jefferson, the Lincoln, the Washington and even the Capitol! Everyone danced the night away with such joy, no one realized a hail storm was rolling through DC and Maryland! What a great celebration! :)

I can't forget a speical shout-out to my awesome second shooter, Emily Abril, who always helps me be in two places at once. ;)  She did a fantastic job with the guys in the morning, helping us maximize our photos before the rain, and capturing beautiful details throughout the day. Emily, you are always a joy to work with!

After rescheduling due to rain, we were all nervous when the weather forcasters called for scattered thunderstorms on May 8th. We waited it out, and it definitely paid off! I have to admit, it was one of THE WINDIEST days I've ever spent in DC, but the temperature was perfect, the sun was shining, and the sky was a beautiful blue!

My husband Aaron joined me for the shoot and we had a great time spending a few hours with Colleen & Ryan. Each time he joins me, Aaron always brings priceless input and a unique perspective that I treasure. I mean seriously, the shirt grab shot below was totally his idea!!

Ryan and Colleen were absolutely a joy to be around. Not once did either of them complain about the crazy wind, or anything else for that matter. They were up for ANY idea Aaron and I came up with and we absolutely LOVE that!!

After seeing their proofs, Ryan said "I think the camera really loves Colleen because she looks so great in each of the photos!"  Ryan, you are totally right. With the sun shining and the wind in her beautiful curly red hair, she became a model who worked the camera well!  I can't wait to shoot your wedding in October!

Don't forget to play the slideshow below in FULL-SCREEN mode for better viewing.

Decided to do something different.

I'm going to keep it short and sweet this time and just let the pictures tell the stories.

Enjoy!

During one of my busiest weeks of 2010 so far, I had the privilege of shooting Tony & Bianca's wedding in Maryland along side Renata from Andrea Jae Photography. It was the day before Easter and the weather turned out to be quite chilly for April. Despite the dropping temperatures, the sun was shining all day, and joy overflowed. The ladies looked absolutely lovely in their light pink dresses which matched the guys vests perfectly, and the combinations of pink roses and green orchids were stunning!

The location was great and could not have been any more convenient. The beautiful church was directly across from the intimate reception hall. Renata and I literally walked across the street to capture Tony & Bianca's guests dancing the night away! :) Here are some of my favorites...

The beginning of April was a whilrlwind of fun and photos for me! I started with Jenny & Dan's late afternoon DC engagement shoot on Friday, April 2. Saturday was Bianca & Tony's wedding. On Sunday, my husband and I drove up to Baltimore, MD to clebrate Easter with my family at my sister's home. And on Monday, April 4th I got up at 4:30 AM for a sunrise engagement shoot with Courtney & Mike in Washington, D.C., which ended in Old Town Alexandria.

It was an absolutely crazy week, but I enjoyed every second of it! (Oh, okay... well, to be honest, I enjoyed every second, Excluding the two hours on Friday where I inched along 10 miles in DC with all of the other tourists looking for cherry blossom parking.) I learned my lesson when I zipped through the city all alone at 5:00 AM on Monday, and found parking just behind the Jefferson Memorial. Sunrise shoots are SO WORTH IT!!

Here are the two engagement slide shows.  (Bianca & Tony's wedding coming soon.)

Enjoy! :)

Soo.... it's been a few months since my last blog. The winter season tends to be slow for most wedding photographers. But there's no denying it anymore... SPRING is here and the wedding season has been in FULL SWING for a few weeks now! :) I have so much to catch you guys up on! I'll try to post a slideshow for each 2010 event I've finished so far.

I have had the joy of working alongside Renata from Andrea Jae Photography for the last month. The first wedding I shot with her was Aaron & Anna's in Townson, MD. They are a super sweet couple overflowing with peace and joy! Although I didn't get to meet them until the day of their wedding, it turns out we actually have a lot of mutual friends! It didn't take long before Aaron & Anna felt like old friends of mine!

Word of mouth referrals are the BEST!  Erika and Jarrod heard of me through Yong and Sandy Lee (the beautiful family from November) and booked me at our initial meeting in Fredericksburg!

Erika and Jarrod got engaged last fall and were looking to send out save the date cards as soon as possible for their 2010 wedding in Iowa. They wanted to create classy DC monument photos and we made it happen! We picked December 19th to do the shoot, but DC got 20" of snow the night before! With Jarrod coming from Philladelphia, PA and Erika from Fredericksburg, VA, needless to say, no one made it to DC. However, on January 2nd, 2010 we successfully pulled it off despite bone chilling temperatures. Nothing but love could have kept them looking so happy and gorgeous in 13 degrees with no coats! They made it look easy! We ended in Union Station for a few last photos to warm up and thaw out before heading home.

You guys are BY FAR my BRAVEST clients yet!! :)