On the day of their wedding we were hoping to have the ceremony outdoors, but there was just too much of a rain threat, so we brought it all inside!  Maria was as cool as a cucumber up in her suite, and I about died when I saw and photographed her wedding dress.  Honestly, I’d never seen a dress quite like it (I guess if I had to compare it to something, it made me reminisce about Jennifer Connolly’s white satin dress in the Rocketeer…even though the material and fit was a little different).  Maria just looked stunning in her dress, so I made sure we got some gorgeous photographs of her before we headed downstairs for her and Wayne’s ceremony!

The ceremony was full of tons of laughter, which made the whole experience so much fun.  Afterward,  we went outside while the weather was cooperating for and took some photos with family and, of course, the happy couple.  Maria and Wayne were really like pros when it came to modeling, and so far Maria’s pose with her veil as a filter (her looking off in the distance) is one of my favorite shots this year!

The reception was probably one of the best parts of Maria and Wayne’s wedding day though, as everyone really just breathed easy and let loose!  Maria and Wayne had a mariachi band at their cocktail hour which her father accompanied for a few songs.  They also had a frozen margarita machine (!!!!) and then wondered why in the world no one utilized that at other weddings I’ve photographed!  The reception room was absolutely stunning, filled with lots of details that echoed how much Maria and Wayne love to travel (note the couple sitting on suitcases on their cake!). It was such a joy to see everyone party on the dance floor and have a great time.  Everyone in that room loved and cared for Maria and Wayne so much, and nothing could make this photographer happier!

Congrats, Maria and Wayne!  Thanks so much for letting me be a part of your special day!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Love,

Lisa

Dupont Circle is special for Shari and Evan, as Shari used to live right near there and they both have spent several date nights there!  Evan wanted to make sure we highlighted exactly where we were, so you’ll definitely notice some street signs indicating that we were, in fact, right in the heart of Dupont!  We also stopped by Cafe Dupont, one of their favorite places to go, located in The Dupont Circle Hotel.  Shari and Evan got the opportunity to sit back and relax and have a couple of drinks while I photographed them candidly at the cafe.  I absolutely loved that, and I’m so glad the staff and patrons at Cafe Dupont were okay with us hanging out there!

After our Dupont Circle escapade, we decided to head down toward the back of the Lincoln Memorial to see what kind of shots we could get.  I have to agree with Evan on this one: the Lincoln one of my favorite memorials to view at night!  It’s just so gorgeous, even driving passed it from a distance, so I’m really glad we got some photos with it!  As a super bonus, while I was setting up the Lincoln shots, Shari happened to notice the super moon that peeked out to the right of the Lincoln!  We were all crazy excited about it, so naturally we got some shots with the super moon as well.  :D

Thanks so much Shari and Evan for an incredible nighttime session!  I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

These two locations were completely ideal for Lauren and Kunal.  In terms of the memorial, Lauren and Kunal had their very first date among the monuments and Kunal had the prescience to ask someone to photograph them that night in front of the tidal basin.  They now take long walks among the monuments whenever the get the chance!  And regarding the Gravelly Point location (among airplanes), Lauren and Kunal’s relationship has been defined by tons of travel.  Their first trip together was only after two months of dating, Lauren traveled overseas constantly for her old job, and more recently Kunal flies out of DC every four days for work.

I seriously had the best time ever hanging out with Lauren and Kunal.  They’re very easy going and clearly just love being in the presence of one another.  Kunal is the goofball in the relationship and always knows how to make Lauren laugh.  He totally had me laughing behind the camera too!

I’m so excited to share these photos and cannot wait for Lauren and Kunal’s wedding next month!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Their ceremony was filled with so much joy and laughter.  True story: The ceremony began with “Mawwwaaaaage!” just like the Princess Bride wedding ceremony.  Could Suzannah and Keith be any cuter?  I think not!  But then of course Suzannah did do something cuter and jumped for joy right when they were pronounced man and wife.  This is the gal that when I email always tells me she’s twirling, so I’m sure you can imagine how joyful she really is!

The reception was simply stunning inside The Stable at Bluemont Vineyard.  It was very simple and rustic, and I loved how Suzannah and Keith donated money to the ASPCA in lieu of wedding favors.  So awesome!  You’ll notice too, that they have a love for animals as their cake toppers not only featured themselves, but their adorable four cats!  Yay!  After dinner everyone danced the night away, participated in an old school photo booth, and generally just had a good time.  That night after things winded down a bit, I was able to drag Suzannah and Keith outside to a stable down the hill for some really cool night photos that we had all talked about.  Keith was a champ and let me borrow his huge man coat, and although I know I looked like a big puffball while setting up the shot and taking the photos, it was well worth it!

I really hope you enjoy all of the photos below!  And to Suzannah and Keith, and their family and friends, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your day.  I had an absolute blast, and I hope I get to see Suzannah and Keith in the fall!  More red hair, please!  ;)

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

We started the day at the Hyatt Arlington where the gals and guys got ready, and boy did I love some of the getting ready photos we took!  I got a little carried away with Crystal, but she just looked so gorgeous and she kept doing all of these amazing poses…I couldn’t help myself!  After we left the Hyatt we headed straight for The Dumbarton House for the wedding ceremony.  Due to the rain everything was indoors, but it still looked so lovely!  Crystal and Stephen tied the knot and included a red Chinese rope in their ceremony, which I had never seen before.  Red is a color you’ll see a lot in their photos, because signifies love, joy and prosperity in the Chinese wedding tradition.  After their ceremony we stayed for a bit a Dumbarton and got some great group photos, and yes, you guessed it, went out in the rain for a bit!  Crystal coordinated everything so well with some umbrella’s and I was really pleased with those shots!

Before we went to the reception, I asked if we could go back to the Hyatt’s lobby and utilize this giant bench and cool background for some photos.  The best part about that was the giant bench I wanted to utilize was…bright red!  So, keeping in line with the prosperity of the Chinese tradition, we got some great photos of the wedding party and the happy couple before we hit up China Garden.

Once we got to China Garden, a party was unleashed!  Crystal and Stephen had their first dance, then changed into their Chinese attire, and then launched into some awesome Chinese traditions.  First, Crystal and Stephen had a tea ceremony where they offered tea to their parents and elders in their family, and in return received lucky red envelopes full of jewelry and money.  Second, they had an incredible Chinese Lion Dance with drummers come in and perform for the bride and groom!  The lions went all over the room collecting gifts for Crystal and Stephen while doing some really crazy dancing!  My favorite part of the dance was when Crystal and Stephen offered the lions lettuce, which is representational of their payment for the dance.  Then the lions chewed the lettuce and spit it out to spread prosperity in all directions.  The lions then offered Crystal and Stephen their gifts and it was all over!  The last tradition I experienced with Crystal and Stephen was the table toasting, where the bride and groom walk around to each table to thank their family and friends for the gifts they’ve offered.  It was really sweet to watch them walk around and acknowledge everyone there!

Once the traditions were finished, Crystal and Stephen changed back into their original attire and they got to relax and dance the night away.  Before I left, I did get some pretty great shots of them just outside of China Garden in an elevator lobby, which I just loved.  Stephen is solely responsible for making that happen, as we had some security issues with being able to use the space, but of course he worked his magic.  Did I mention how great Crystal and Stephen are? 

Many thanks to Crystal, Stephen and their friends and family for letting me be part of their special day.  And also many thanks to Roberts Event Planning for keeping the day super awesome and organized.  More vendors at the bottom of this post!  Enjoy!

Photographer: Lisa Boggs Photography
Planner: Roberts and Co. Events
Hair: Valerie Bogley
Makeup: Allison Leigh Makeup Artistry
Brides Dress: P. Lawrence Bridals and Formals
Hotel: Hyatt Rosslyn
Ceremony: Dumbarton House
String Trio: Bay Strings
Officiant: Amber King (A King Celebration)
Florals: Twinbrook Floral Design
Cake: Fancy Cakes by Leslie
Limo: KV Limo
Reception: China Garden
DJ:  Marc Augenbraum DJ Services
Chinese Lion Dancers: CYC Lion Dance Program
Chairs: DC Rentals

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa