Jessica and Andrew’s Romantic and Dreamy Autumn Wedding at Meridian House in Washington, DC

Jessica and Andrew are definitely one of my favorite couples of all time. When I first spoke to them, I remember Jessica asking if they could do multiple engagement sessions in different seasons. She claimed it was because she and Andrew were “extra,” but I honestly think it’s a brilliant idea more couples should do! So, Jessica, Andrew and I did a fall engagement session at Great Falls Park in Maryland with their super cute pups, Bandit and Mochi. We did a winter engagement session at The Sculpture Garden Ice Rink at the National Gallery of Art and also ducked into the East Building of NGA to take some photographs with Multiverse, a super cool moving walkway tunnel. Lastly, we did a quintessential sunrise spring cherry blossom session at the MLK Memorial and FDR Memorial at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. Below are a few of my favorite photographs from each engagement session! As you can see, Jessica and Andrew make engagement photography in DC really easy for a wedding photographer like me!

But, I’m not here to gush just about Jessica and Andrew’s engagement photos in DC, I’m here to talk about their gorgeous wedding at the historic Meridian House in Washington, DC! Wedding photography in DC really doesn’t get much better than this. Jessica and Andrew’s wedding day began at the LINE DC, a Washington, DC hotel I absolutely love because its style is a blend of funky, modern decor. It also has great natural light to work with and some of my favorite photos taken there were of Jessica with her stunning bouquet made by Lisa Sommer at Petals and Promises. Jessica also had this incredible vintage-inspired hairdo created by Susan Lim that I absolutely adored. Doesn’t she look incredible?!

My favorite part of the day though, was once we arrived at the Meridian House from LINE DC so Jessica and Andrew could share their first look. As you’ve already seen, Jessica and Andrew are so photogenic it’s bananas. But what I love most about them is when they’re interacting with each other, and everything is just so candid and all smiles and laughter. That’s exactly how their first look was! There was over-the-top excitement followed by lots of giggling and smiles, and those are easily some of my favorite photographs from the entire wedding day. 

After the first look and some additional portraits, we were well on our way to the ceremony which took place outside under a beautiful old tree in the yard of the Meridian House. One of Jessica and Andrew’s close friends performed the ceremony and everyone was smiling and laughing the entire time. My favorite moment in the ceremony was when Jessica and Andrew were recessing after they kissed and they stopped and had a moment where they put their heads together and got so giddy that they were finally married. It was the absolute best!

Once we finished a few additional portraits in the front of the Meridian House it was time to join the cocktail hour and then party! It was no surprise that Jessica and Andrew’s wedding guests channeled as much enthusiasm and excitement as they did, which was very noticeable on the dance floor! The Bachelor Boys Band did an exceptional job with the live music and kept most of the guests on the dance floor the entire night. I’m pretty sure the only thing that stopped the party was us having to vacate the venue. Oh, and the fact that we had to do the special sendoff with Jessica in her new sparkly exit dress and some actual sparklers! They really had the most magical day and sendoff and I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect wedding for this amazing couple.

Many thanks to Jessica, Andrew and their family and friends for having us photograph their wedding day! You guys made photographing weddings in DC an absolute dream for me. I also have to give a huge shout out and thank you to Tiffany Rivera of Simply Breathe Events for tying together a stunning wedding for Jessica and Andrew. I was truly floored at what a great job she did at keeping everything on track for the big day! Not to mention, the design of the event was truly spectacular. I loved the classic color palette of black and white mixed with pops of dusty blue, tangerine and deep red. Believe it or not, this matched the look of the Meridian House perfectly! I don’t think I could have picked a better venue for this couple's dream wedding and Tiffany knocked it out of the park. 

Please continue below for the list of incredible vendors connected with Jessica and Andrew’s wedding day! And also please scroll down to read the feature that Washingtonian Weddings did on Jessica and Andrew. We are so thrilled they were able to share some details about their wedding day with Washingtonian Weddings’ readers!

DC Wedding Vendor Team

Photography: Lisa Boggs Photography

Venue: Meridian House

Event Planning & Design: Simply Breathe Events

Florist: Petals and Promises

Invitations: Minted

Catering: Main Event Caterers

Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Cakes

Hair & Makeup: Susan Lim

Bride’s Attire: Alexandra’s Boutique

Groom’s Attire: Enzo Custom

Groomsmen’s Attire: The Black Tux

Music: Bachelor Boys Band; Sage String Quartet & Jazz

Transportation: Lasting Impressions (Bentley); DC Limo and Car Services (shuttles) 

Videographer: Well Spun Weddings

Lighting: Dan Goldman Events

Alcohol: Ace Beverage

—

This October Wedding Featured a Dreamy Fall Color Palette and Asian Influences

Dusty blue and tangerine updated a more traditional autumn color combo at Meridian House.

Jessica and Andrew met at law school and wed in a fall-themed affair at Meridian House. The celebration featured an updated fall color scheme, Asian influences from the welcome table to the menu, and fashion and floral inspiration for days. Check out the details from their October wedding below.

How They Met

Jessica and Andrew met sitting next to each other on the second day of their first year at Georgetown Law School. Sparks flew, and on their first date, Andrew took Jessica on a fall picnic to Gravelly Point Park to watch the sunset with the planes from Reagan National Airport flying overhead. Things went so well—with their blanket, a pillow, candles, “Andrew’s cheesy music taste on a speaker,” and hot chocolate, that they ended up staying until the park closed around 10:30 pm. Andrew says it was the best and last first date ever. “A five-star experience!”

The Proposal and Wedding Plans

Three years after that first date, on a trip to Andrew’s hometown for Labor Day weekend, Andrew proposed on an early morning walk around a neighborhood lake. One year after that, on October 12, 2019, they said “I do” at Meridian House in front of 100 guests.

The October Wedding

The wedding theme was a “classic autumn fairytale with an Asian influence,” which featured a color palette of dusty blue, ivory, blush, burgundy, tangerine, and mauve, and a menu that included a sushi bar and a dumpling station, plus spicy Asian noodle salad with vegetables in Chinese takeout boxes, as well as bourbon chicken and pumpkin-and-sage-ravioli, and other items. For dessert: a cake of funfetti, cherry almond, and red velvet.

Memorable Moments

Special treats for guests included fortune cookies that opened to reveal each guests’ table number assignments, and Sugarfina Champagne-flavored gummy bears as favors. Her favorite part? “Watching my typically reserved mother jump up-and-down on the dance floor to our band playing “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers,” says Jessica. And his? “Watching my relatives from Shanghai bond with Jessica’s relatives from Kentucky.” Following the celebration, the couple honeymooned at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

–

About Lisa Boggs

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography has been photographing weddings in the greater Washington, DC area for over 16 years. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over 130 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Sarah and Alexander’s Stunning Autumn Wedding at The Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, DC

I’m so excited to share Sarah and Alexander’s autumn Hay-Adams wedding with Karson Butler Events with you today! When it comes to photographing weddings in DC, one of the most gorgeous and historic DC venues in the by far is The Hay-Adams Hotel, with weddings specifically being located at The Top of the Hay. At The Top of the Hay, you not only get an incredible view of The White House, but you are also able to see the Washington Monument and even the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in the distance. It’s truly a magical venue, and one that makes wedding photography in DC so spectacular!

We began our day with Sarah and Alexander in the suites at The Hay-Adams Hotel where they were getting ready. I’ll never forget my jaw dropping to the floor when I laid my eyes upon Sarah’s stunning, sparkling Dennis Basso gown from Kleinfeld Bridal. It seriously is one of my favorite wedding gowns of all time! Plus, she had it perfectly paired with some sparkling Badgley Mischka flats that were to-die-for. Alexander looked equally handsome in his black tie tuxedo! Both parties left The Hay-Adams separately so Alexander could see Sarah coming down the aisle for the first time that day.

Sarah and Alexander were married at The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, a historic church in Washington, DC, which also happens to be their parish. I think my favorite part of the ceremony was the look on Sarah’s face the entire time. She was just so excited and wide-eyed and happy! Seriously grinning from ear-to-ear in almost every single photo and I just loved it. After the ceremony, we all headed back over to The Hay-Adams for some group photos in Lafayette Square, which is the park right across the street from the hotel and also in front of The White House. It’s always a great little spot for wedding photography in DC, because you don’t have to high-tail it over to monuments and sit in traffic at all. You can just make your way over to this little park and have a good mix of greenery with some history in the background as well! My favorite photo from this series is actually Alexander helping Sarah cross the street back over to The Hay-Adams while holding her wedding dress. They both were very amused by the experience and you can tell with their big smiles on their faces!

After returning to the Hay-Adams Hotel, we headed into the Hay-Adams Room for family formal photographs, followed by a cocktail hour with all of the wedding guests. Once cocktail hour concluded, everyone went up to The Top of the Hay for the reception. It was perfect timing because the sun was starting to go down and the view from the balcony at The Top of the Hay was absolutely stunning! Once everyone was settled, Sarah and Alexander were introduced right into their first dance which they laughed through the entire time. It was so cute! After dinner and some toasts, Sarah, Alexander and their guests seriously boogied down on the dance floor. I absolutely loved the energy from everyone and you could definitely see it in the photographs!

I can’t thank Sarah, Alexander and their family and friends enough for having us along to photograph their wedding day. There are so many Washington DC photographers and I feel truly honored that you picked me to highlight such a magical event! I also have to give a big shout out to Emily and her team at Karson Butler Events for coordinating and designing such a beautiful event for Sarah and Alexander. The look and feel of their wedding was a true embodiment of what Sarah and Alexander wanted and I don’t think the wedding could have looked any better! Thank you for working hand-in-hand with me as a team on the big day. You make my job of photographing weddings so much easier! 

Below are my favorite photographs from Sarah and Alexander’s wedding day. But please scroll down to see our incredible group of vendors from this wedding and read about the featured article of Sarah and Alexander’s wedding that was on The Knot! Thanks so much for reading!

DC Wedding Vendors Team

Photography: Lisa Boggs Photography

Design/Planning: Karson Butler Events

Ceremony: The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

Reception/Catering: Top of the Hay, The Hay-Adams Hotel

Florist: Amaryllis Floral & Event Design

Makeup: Carl Ray Makeup Artist

Hair: Haute N Chic Hair

Bridal Salon: Kleinfeld Bridal

Bridal Gown: Dennis Basso

Bridesmaid Gowns: Adrianna Papell

Cake: Buttercream Bakeshop

Band: Onyx, Washington Talent Agency

Stationery: Emily Baird Design

—

We were so fortunate enough that The Knot featured Sarah and Alexander’s wedding in their Real Weddings section of their website! The Knot interviewed Sarah, and this was the excerpt from that interview:

For Sarah and Alexander's wedding in the nation's Capitol, there were two main focuses: “family and DC. I have a big extended family, and it was important to me to have a big party that included everyone in our two families. We so seldom get everyone together, and a wedding is a great excuse! I also wanted to have a very DC wedding. This is the city where we built our life together, and it's been home for seven years. It's also conveniently half way between my family in the NY/NJ/CT area and Alexander's family in North Carolina. When choosing a venue we thought about a vineyard, or a resort, or the city. Since most people would be coming from out of town, we decided to show off our city and make it a fun trip for them! Having all of the events downtown also meant we our guests could walk between locations. The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle is my parish in DC, and also a quintessential location. The Top of the Hay is a DC dream and another easy choice. The DC theme carried over into our welcome bags, featuring Baked and Wired cupcakes, and our specialty cocktail, a bourbon rickey! For our welcome party and rehearsal dinner we went with the theme of North meets South. I chose lobster rolls to represent New England, and Alexander chose pulled pork barbecue to represent North Carolina. We also had a fantastic bluegrass band that Emily found to set the tone for the weekend! We prioritized music at the welcome party, the ceremony, and the reception. We spent a lot of time choosing music for the unbelievable organ at the Cathedral of St. Matthew! It set a grand, inviting feel for the rest of the day. Emily helped us find Onyx, our wedding band, who knocked it out of the park at the reception! Emily also helped us create a cohesive feel for our wedding, from check-in, to the rehearsal dinner, to the ceremony, to cocktail hour, and the reception,” Sarah recalls. 

The couple further highlighted the importance of family and loved ones through curated details threaded throughout their Washington, DC, wedding. “Before my grandmother passed, she gave me a pendant that my grandfather had given to her. He picked it up for her on one of his many work trips around the world. It is blue and gold, and inscribed with Arabic writing (possibly Turkish) that says, 'Many happy years.' After she died, my aunt also gave me two handkerchiefs that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother embroidered with their initials. I had my bouquet wrapped in those two handkerchiefs, and the blue pendant pinned to it as my something old and something blue. It was nice to be able to include them in our special day,” shares Sarah.

Part of what allowed Sarah and Alexander to pull off the DC-meets-family-oriented wedding of their dreams was their impeccable vendor team. To current to-be-weds, Sarah offers this advice: “Our advice to couples planning their day is to start early and hire a wedding planner! It really takes the pressure off and makes the process much more enjoyable.”

Many thanks to The Knot for the wonderful feature!

—

About Lisa Boggs

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography has been photographing weddings in the greater Washington, DC area for over 16 years. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over 130 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Susie and John's Classic Black Tie Wedding at Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters - DAR

One of the best parts of photographing weddings in DC is having a handful of favorite wedding venues to photograph at. For me, one of those locations is Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters, or DAR. DAR is one of those wedding spaces that has so many different options for photographs, you don’t really need to dress it up too much! Most of DAR consists of indoor and outdoor spaces with gorgeous white color and an abundance of natural light. DAR also has multiple levels with different rooms: a balcony, a library, a portico, staircases, and covered areas that work exceptionally well as a rain backup plan. It’s truly a gem in terms of wedding photography in DC!

Susie and John’s wedding was no exception when it came to beautiful wedding photos at DAR. Their wedding day was stunningly gorgeous outside, which set the tone for a truly magical outdoor/indoor wedding. Their wedding day began at Hotel Dupont, before we made our way over to DAR for the first look on the third story balcony. Susie absolutely wowed in her Sarah Seven gown and it totally showed on John’s face when he saw her for the first time! I always get a little choked up during first looks and I definitely did with Susie and John.

Their ceremony took place on the outdoor portico of DAR, which has a gorgeous view of the Washington Monument. The ceremony altar was delicately decorated with hanging ivy on the portico by florist, She Loves Me, to keep things very simple and minimal. Simple gold chairs were used for Susie and John’s guests to watch this special occasion, and it couldn’t have gone better! 

One of the highlights of the ceremony for me was getting to photograph Susie and John’s dog, Larry, walking down the aisle! Larry wore a little tux and walked with Susie and John’s junior bridesmaid. He couldn’t have been happier to participate alongside his owners for their happy occasion. He was a true joy to photograph in portraits too!

After the ceremony, cocktail hour was located indoors in the library while Brielle Davis of Brielle Davis Events and her team wrapped up the finishing touches of the reception space, located on the other side of the portico and in the O’Byrne Gallery. The decor was minimal, simple and timeless, with touches of green, gold and black. Most of Susie and John’s reception area was draped in gorgeous green ivy, and white and green flowers to match in the gold or black centerpieces. Brielle Davis Events did an amazing job pulling everything together for a magical reception!

Susie and John spent the rest of their evening dining in the O’Byrne Gallery or dancing the night away with friends and family under the rotunda, located just outside the gallery. I always love photographing the excitement of dancing after the formalities of the day are over! The happiness is intoxicating and I soak it up as much as I can. Before leaving for the night, Susie and John indulged me in one final photo in the library among all of the books. It was a great way for me to get creative at the end of the night, but also provided a nice break for Susie and John as well.

Being a wedding photographer in dc is so much fun no matter where my couples choose to host their wedding. But, it’s always nice to work at a favorite spot or two, and DAR is definitely one of those locations for Lisa Boggs Photography! Many thanks to Susie, John and their family and friends for choosing me to photograph their special day. If you’re interested in having your wedding at DAR, make sure to reach out to the Events and Meetings Coordinator at events@dar.org. And, if you’d like to inquire with me about photographing your wedding at DAR (or even a different wedding venue), please email lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com. 

DC Wedding Vendors Team

Photography: Lisa Boggs Photography

Design/Planning: Brielle Davis Events

Venue: DAR

Caterer: Well Dunn

Florist: She Loves Me

Hair & Makeup: Makeup by Ana B & Erwin Gomez

Bridal Gown: Sarah Seven

Bridesmaid Gowns: BHLDN

Cake: Baked & Wired

Ceremony Musicians: Bolero Soul

DJ: Bela Sono Music

Videography: Paperboys

Rentals: Select Event Group & Table Manners

Stationery: Artisan Matchmaker & Minted

Tenting: Capital Party Rentals

Photo Booth: Extraordinary Entertainment

Alcohol: Ace Beverage

About Lisa Boggs

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography has been photographing weddings in the greater Washington, DC area for over 16 years. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over 130 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

How to Apply for a DC Photography Permit - National Park Service - Washington DC Wedding & Engagement Photography

Updated: 01/29/2024

What a lot of couples don’t realize when it comes to engagement and wedding photos in Washington, DC is that most of what they’re interested in photographing with is under the umbrella of the National Park Service (aka NPS). This would include the National Mall, with all of the iconic monuments like The Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and really any memorial/monument in the immediate surrounding area. Yes, even the iconic DC Cherry Blossoms that circle the Tidal Basin are considered part of NPS! So, if you’re interested in any kind of wedding or engagement photography with those elements, you have to apply for an NPS permit to photograph there (and pay a couple of fees).

The process to apply for a DC photography permit is not that complicated! Here is a link with a long description of what to do from NPS. Or, just read my version:

• Fill out the Application Form: This is the form you need to fill out (should open as a PDF): APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY (Short Form) There is a nonrefundable processing cost of $90.00 when you turn in your application. Write this fee in the “Amount to be Billed to Card: Application Cost” on the Credit Card Authorization page.

• Figure out Your Location Fee: In addition to the $90 application fee, there is a location fee based on the number of people being photographed. For an engagement session, that number is 1-10 people, so that will cost you an additional $50 ($140 total). For a couple and their wedding party, if you go above 10 people, that lands you in the 11-30 person range, which is an additional $150 ($240 total). Here is the breakdown:

Motion Pictures/Videos Location Fees
1-2 people/$0
3-10 people/$150 per day
11-30 people/$250 per day
31-49 people /$500 per day
50+ people/$750 per day

Still Photography Location Fees
1-10 people/$50 per day
11-30 people/$150 per day
30+ people/$250 per day

Once you determine your location fee, write this in the “Amount to be Billed to Card: Location Cost” on the Credit Card Authorization page.

• Fax, Mail In, or Walk in Your Application: You can fax your application to 202-475-2216, which is what I recommend. However, if you’re short on time, you can also drop off your application to this address:

National Mall and Memorial Parks
Division of Permits Management
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242

You can also mail it to the address above as well. It typically takes 7-10 days for the application to arrive by mail.

• You will be notified by a permits specialist of the status of the application and the necessary steps to secure your final permit. If you are in need of a permit quickly, you can call 202-245-4715 to try and move things along a little faster. Once your final permit is available, a permits specialist will send it to you via email as a PDF.

• Have Your Permit Ready on the Day of Your Session: Since the permit is sent in a PDF via email, you can save it to your smart phone and have it at the ready should a park ranger approach you during your session. I always like printing a hard copy to have on hand as well.

Other helpful facts:

• You can apply for a permit up to one year in advance and a minimum of four days from your session.

• If you need to change the date of your session, you can email/call the permits office and have it changed. It’s typically done very quickly and easily.

Still confused? Here’s a Permits FAQ’s page with all of the answers you need. Not sure if the place you want to photograph in is part of NPS? Here is a helpful map to see what falls on NPS territory.

I hope this information has been helpful! Thanks so much for reading.

Love,

Lisa

---

About Lisa Boggs

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography is a DC wedding photographer located in Great Falls, Virginia. Lisa Boggs has been photographing weddings, engagements and portraits for over 13 years and primarily photographs in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over-100 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Anuj & Krishna's DC Cherry Blossom Proposal - Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

It’s been almost a year, but I’m so excited to share one of my favorite cherry blossom photo sessions from 2019: a proposal! When Anuj first contacted me about proposing to his girlfriend, Krishna, I got really excited. It’s been a long time since I’ve photographed a proposal in general, but to plan one out around the cherry blossom peak bloom at the Tidal Basin sounded really fun.

I met up with Anuj during the week before the proposal to scout some areas in the Tidal Basin I thought might work photographically. We began at the Jefferson and walked down to the FDR and MLK Memorials. We knew the proposal was going to happen that weekend, which would be incredibly busy and overrun with people. So although we had some pretty ambitious spots in mind for the proposal, we ultimately landed on a quieter area at the FDR Memorial, in front of a cherry tree, where we could have a little bit of privacy and keep people out of the background.

The day came for the proposal and the weather was absolutely perfect. Of course, the Tidal Basin was packed with people! However, Anuj and his friends were able to secure the spot we’d decided on and we waited for Krishna to arrive.

Krishna’s arrival was perfect, and as she rounded a corner and realized what was happening, I did my very best to stay focused and photograph, even though I was dying (and crying a little!). Anuj waited for Krishna to get closer, then got down on one knee and proposed. Krishna was so shocked, but ultimately said yes, and the crowd that had gathered to watch cheered valiantly!

After the official proposal was over, I took photos of Anuj and Krishna’s family and friends hugging and celebrating, along with a few group photos of everyone. Then Krishna, Anuj and I walked around the Tidal Basin for a bit and took some photos of just the two of them with the cherry blossoms. It was so much fun and I really could not have been happier for Anuj and Krishna. Here are some photos of the experience below:

Thanks for reading and looking!

Lots of love,

Lisa

---

When Do the Cherry Blossoms Peak in DC?

Generally, DC’s cherry blossoms (aka, Yoshino cherry blossoms, aka the Tidal Basin cherry blossoms) bloom during the last week of March into the first week of April. However, it changes every year due to weather conditions, so sometimes it can be a little earlier or a little later than that time period.

This year the cherry blossoms peaked on March 20th, 2020 (earlier than normal) due to warmer winter temperatures. Last year, the cherry blossoms peaked on April 1st, 2019. You can also count on the Kwanzan cherry blossoms to peak roughly two weeks after the Yoshino’s. Those trees are a little more scattered throughout DC, but there’s a really lovely grove of them on Hains Point if you ever want to go check them out!

For up-to-date information on the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC (Yoshino or Kwanzan), I always keep an eye on two websites: the National Parks Service and Cherry Blossom Watch.

---

About Lisa Boggs

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography is a DC wedding photographer located in Great Falls, Virginia. Lisa Boggs has been photographing weddings, engagements and portraits for over 13 years and primarily photographs in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over-100 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Jessica & Andrew’s DC Cherry Blossom Engagement Photos - Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

It’s 2020, a brand new year! Even though we are in the throes of winter right now, I can’t help but get excited about the next season (which happens to be my favorite): Spring! And, as I’m sure you can imagine, because I’m a dc wedding and portrait photographer, my mind goes straight to the  Cherry Blossom Festival DC. I used to love visiting this festival and the blossoms before I was a professional photographer, but I love it so much more now. Photographing couples among those puffy pink blossoms is so magical.

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite sessions from the cherry blossoms in 2019: Jessica and Andrew. Believe it or not, it was actually pretty chilly the morning I photographed them, even though the sunrise at the Tidal Basin looked nice and warm. But they were total superstars and looked so sweet and in love, regardless of the cold temperatures.

What I really love about photographing at the cherry blossoms is the ability to get so many different looks out of my couples within a small amount of space. As I’m sure you can tell in the first silhouette photo, there are a lot of people around, whether they be tourists, photographers, runners or cyclists. So it’s always a fun challenge to see what I can create among this slight chaos. I actually talk about that a little bit in an article “5 Ways Photographers Get the Perfect Cherry Blossom Engagement Photo” the Washingtonian interviewed me for last year.

It’s hard to pick a favorite photo from the bunch, but I do have a few. I actually love the photos I took near a beautiful old cherry blossom tree that has a hole shaped like a heart in it. I knew if I found that tree one day I would want to use it in a photo, so it was a real treat to track it down and shine a light on it. However, I really love the last two photos from the session because those photos were totally unique. Can you guess what it is you’re seeing? It’s Jessica and Andrew’s reflection in a puddle! It’s such a different perspective of the gorgeous blossoms and I really like that it’s a little perplexing at first glance. Plus, they’re just so adorable laughing and having a good time that it’s hard not to love it. And them!

Thanks so much for taking the time to check out one of my favorite cherry blossom tidal basin portrait sessions!

Love,

Lisa

---

When Do the Cherry Blossoms Peak in DC?

If you’re a big fan of the DC cherry blossoms and want to attend/photograph the Cherry Blossom Festival DC 2020, make sure you keep a close eye on those projected peak bloom dates. Last year they peaked on April 1st, and all of my portrait sessions happened between April 2nd and April 6th (at least with the yoshino cherry trees. Kwanzan cherry trees bloom roughly two weeks later). For up-to-date information, I always keep an eye on two websites: the National Parks Service and another called Cherry Blossom Watch 2020. Hope that helps and fingers crossed those yoshino cherry blossoms look magical again this year!

---

About Lisa Boggs

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography is a DC wedding photographer located in Great Falls, Virginia. Lisa Boggs has been photographing weddings, engagements and portraits for over 13 years and primarily photographs in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over-100 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Emma & Evan's Colorful Urban Inspired Wedding at Long View Gallery

Emma and Evan are one of the happiest couples I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I knew as soon as we met that we were destined to work together! They both love to have fun, have vibrant personalities and are also really down to earth. Plus, they wanted to incorporate a lot of color into their industrial, urban inspired wedding, of which I am a huge fan of!

We started Emma and Evan’s wedding day by photographing on the way to (and in) Blagden Alley, a very popular alley right by their venue, Long View Gallery. I will never tire of photographing with the “Love” mural, created by artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer. It is so colorful and was the perfect visual representation for how Emma and Evan were feeling that day! After our alley photographs, everything went inside Long View Gallery where Sara Bauleke of Bella Notte had created the most stunning design for Emma and Evan’s wedding. I think the words “industrial chic” really come to mind and boy, was it beautiful! I honestly couldn’t have envisioned a more perfect wedding for Emma and Evan and I was just thrilled to be a part of the experience.

We hope you enjoy the photos below! And, if you couldn’t get enough of Emma and Evan, their wedding was also featured by Modern Luxury Weddings last year! Hooray!

Thanks for looking! And many, many thanks to this incredible team of vendors:

Photography: Lisa Boggs Photography

Wedding Planner & Designer: Sara Bauleke, Bella Notte

Venue: Long View Gallery

Caterer: Occasions Caterers

Florist: Petals Edge Design

Bride’s Gown: Love Couture Bridal Salon

Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka, Macy’s; Betani, Amazon

Bride’s Hair & Makeup: Jacinda Mosby; Makeup: Norma Rios, Bridal Artistry

Groom’s Tux: Knot Standard

Groom’s Shoes: Stacy Adams Tinsley

Rings: Goldman, Benson’s Jewelers

Groomsmen’s Attire: The Black Tux

Custom Stationery: Paperzest

Rentals: Occasions Caterers; Table Manners

Lighting & Sound: Pike Productions

Entertainment: Spectrum Band

Videographer: Bill Bowen, Suburban Video

Arielle & Hugh's Garden Inspired Decatur House Wedding

It feels like just yesterday I was meeting Arielle and Hugh at a coffee shop in DC to get to know all about them and their pups, Champ and Charlie. You may remember them from their spontaneous snowy engagement session on DC’s National Mall around the time cherry blossoms were supposed to bloom (but, spoiler alert, we got a snowstorm instead!). Most recently they were married at the Decatur House in Washington, DC on a truly magical, early autumn day. Words cannot accurately describe how perfect their wedding day was from start to finish. CG & Co Events did a fantastic job of bringing their garden inspired wedding to life, and their wedding was so incredible, it was recently featured in Washingtonian Weddings. Many thanks to this amazing couple, Arielle and Hugh, for having me along to photograph their wedding day. It was truly an honor!

Thanks for looking! And many, many thanks to these fabulous vendors:

Photography: Lisa Boggs Photography

Venue: The Decatur House

Event Planning & Design: CG & Co Events

Florals: Amaryllis Floral and Event Design

Invitations: By Invitation Only Designs

Caterer: Spilled Milk Catering

Hair & Makeup Artist: Renata Lynette Makeup

Bride’s Attire: Leah da Gloria from Bridal Reflections

Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Attire: The Black Tux

Bridesmaids’ Attire: Amsale Bridesmaids

Music/Entertainment: Fusion Band

Jessica & Tom's Autumn Inspired Larriland Farm Engagement Session

Jessica and Tom's autumn inspired engagement session took place at Larriland Farm. While there, they picked beets, walked in wildflowers, and also picked their own apples in the orchard. The weather was cool and crisp, the perfect fall inspired day!

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography is a DC wedding photographer located in Great Falls, Virginia. Lisa Boggs has been photographing weddings, engagements and portraits for over 13 years and primarily photographs in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over-100 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Lisa Boggs Photography's Interview with the Washington Post Express - Steal This Job

Just a couple of weeks ago I was interviewed by Angela Haupt of the Washington Post Express about what it’s like to be a wedding photographer! The piece is called “Steal This Job” and I basically go into detail of how I became a wedding photographer, some stories about weddings/engagements over the years, what I love about the job and how a person could become a wedding photographer. It was a lot of fun to be interviewed and I can’t thank Angela enough for the opportunity! To read the full article, you can go to the Washington Post Express digital version and scroll to pages 19 and 20 or read the online version here. Yay!

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography is a DC wedding photographer located in Great Falls, Virginia. Lisa Boggs has been photographing weddings, engagements and portraits for over 13 years and primarily photographs in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over-100 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Amy and Ryan's Vineyard Wedding at Stone Tower Winery in Northern Virginia!

I’m so excited to share Amy and Ryan’s wedding with you today! Amy and Ryan are two of the cutest people you will ever meet. They both grew up just houses down from each other in the suburbs of DC and ended up high school sweethearts. After they got engaged, they had their engagement party at Stone Tower Winery and decided it was the perfect place for them to tie the knot! Hooray!

Amy and Ryan’s wedding day was the quintessential perfect autumn day. They had their first look outside right between the vines and it was just breathtaking. Afterward, Amy and Ryan said their vows under a gorgeous wooden arbor in front of Stone Tower Winery’s views and rolling hills. After family photos were finished, the happy couple was announced and Amy and Ryan celebrated by dancing all night long with their guests. They even attempted a dirty dancing routine where Ryan lifted Amy in the air at the end of night! It was really incredible and so much fun.

Design wise, Amy and Ryan used blush, cream and burgundy colors throughout their wedding (with a few pops of light pink!). For the ballroom, they incorporated lush high and low floral arrangements, but kept things pretty simple because they didn’t want to detract from Stone Tower Winery’s gorgeous aesthetics. Special additions for the guests included hot cider and sweet tea to enjoy under warm blankets before the ceremony. They also had a late night s’mores station just outside the ballroom where guests could make their own s’mores!

Many thanks to L&L Events for their incredible work on this wedding (more vendors listed below the photos!). And, as always, many thanks to my incredible couple, Amy and Ryan, for trusting me to photograph the most special day in their lives. Enjoy!

Vendor Team:

Photography: Lisa Boggs Photography

Wedding Planning: L&L Events

Venue: Stone Tower Winery

Catering: A La Carte Catering

Hair and Makeup: Makeup by Ana B

Florals: Brookhill Florist

Entertainment: DJ Andrew Logan

Florals: Brookhill Florist

Officiant: Contemporary Catholics

Videography: Skipper Films

---

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography is a DC wedding photographer located in Great Falls, Virginia. Lisa Boggs has been photographing weddings, engagements and portraits for over 13 years and primarily photographs in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over-100 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

Natalie and Eddie's Holiday Baseball-Inspired Wedding at The Willard in Washington, DC

I’m so excited to share Natalie and Eddie’s baseball-inspired wedding at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel with you today! You may remember Natalie and Eddie from their two engagement sessions, one at The Kennedy Center and one at the Washington National’s Park. So, I’m sure you understand that they are no strangers to baseball by now (hint: they met while working for the Washington Nationals)!

This wedding was such a joy for me. Natalie and Eddie are really the cutest, goofiest, loveliest couple and I was thrilled to capture their wedding day. I also love weddings during the holiday season, so I was very amped up for the baseball decor mixed with some holiday decor as well! Emily of Karson Butler Events did a fantastic job of merging the two looks into a seamless, gorgeous design that we all loved!

I have too many photos I love to pick favorites, so just enjoy the entire bunch below! And if you want an even more detailed write-up of this fabulous couple, Washingtonian Weddings printed their wedding in the latest issue and also blogged about it. Hooray!

And don’t miss the incredible list of vendors at the bottom of the blog post. We couldn’t have done this wedding without them!

Photography: Lisa Boggs Photography

Event Planning & Design: Karson Butler Events

Ceremony: Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle 

Reception, Catering & Cake: Willard Intercontinental

Florist: Amaryllis Floral & Event Design

Invitations: Minted, Paper Source, Vintage Stamps

Hairstylist: Bridal Hair by Remona

Makeup Artist: Amie Decker Beauty 

Bride’s Attire: Tony Ward Couture, Kleinfeld Bridal 

Groom’s Attire: Brooks Brothers 

Bridesmaid’s Attire: Jenny Yoo, Amsale 

Groomsmen’s Attire: Vera Wang, Men’s Wearhouse 

Music: Marc Augenbraum DJ Services 

Videographer: Bowen Films 

Calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy

Rentals: DC Rental

Rings: Adeler Jewelers

Courtney and Patrick's DC Cherry Blossom Engagement Session

It feels like just yesterday that I was taking cherry blossom photos of Courtney and Patrick down at the Tidal Basin! Courtney, Patrick, their dog, Lucy, and dog watcher, Denise (Pat's mom), all met me at the MLK Memorial in the spring for some gorgeous engagement portraits. It was the perfect spring evening despite the crowds and a little bit of wind! We were able to get tons of different looks with the blossoms, but my absolute favorite photos were the silhouettes I took with Courtney and Patrick in front of the Washington Monument. I was able to get candids with other tourists, but we also did some with Denise walking Lucy in a couple of the frames, which was a nice personal touch! I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Arielle & Hugh's Snowy DC Engagement Photos

If you know me well, you know I love extreme weather. Whether it's a good thunderstorm or several inches of snow, I am always excited about it...and even more excited to photograph in it! So when I received a call from Hugh and Arielle on one of our snowiest days this spring asking if I'd be interested in photographing them in the snow, you bet I was thrilled! I packed up my things and left quickly to meet them at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

Arielle and Hugh were already slated to have a cherry blossom engagement session with me, so I was pretty pleased when they spontaneously switched it to a snowy engagement session. I knew they were going to bring their two dogs, Champ and Charlie, regardless of what we did, and I have to say...those dogs loved the snow! I think I can speak for all of us that the snow was really magical that day. We were all in such high spirits and I was able to capture very fun, playful and joy-filled photos. I really can't get enough of this adorable couple and their dogs!

I hope you enjoy the photos below! And many thanks to Arielle, Hugh, Champ, Charlie and dog-wrangler extraordinaire, Niki, for such a fun time. P.S. Love the photo of Niki hitting Arielle and Hugh with a surprise snowball! Ha!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Patti & Ian's Engagement Session at Old House Vineyards

Patti and Ian are two of the nicest, most genuine people you will ever meet. When they asked me to do an engagement session for them at their wedding venue, Old House Vineyards, I leaped at the opportunity for a practice run! The three of us shared a little wine before our photo session officially started, which of course was the best idea ever. We had so much fun together and you can really see the connection between Patti and Ian in these photos. Each photo makes me smile so much! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Lisa Boggs Photography Voted Editors Pick by Washingtonian Bride and Groom and and Best of NOVA by Northern Virginia Magazine!

We're excited to share that for 2017 we received a couple of unexpected accolades! In case you missed it, at the beginning of 2017 Washingtonian Bride & Groom picked Lisa Boggs Photography as editor's pick out of 64 of DC's best wedding photographers. Eek! Then, a few months later, Northern Virginia Magazine informed us we'd been voted Best Wedding Photographer for 2017.

Both of these accolades were a complete surprise and we are beyond grateful for the recognition among so many talented wedding photographers in the greater DC area. Thanks for following Lisa Boggs Photography and cheering for us along the way!

Love,

Lisa

Nicole's Cherry Blossom Washington, DC Bridal Portraits

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for spring! So today I'm sharing Nicole's cherry blossom bridal portraits from this past spring to get everyone ready for warm weather and flowering blooms!

Nicole and I both are a little obsessed with cherry blossoms. If you were around this past spring, you may recall that the Yoshino cherry trees in Washington, DC's Tidal Basin were a little lackluster! However, both Nicole and I know that right after the Yoshino trees bloom come the Kwanzan cherry blossoms (think a little more pink and extra puffy)! So, we knew we had to at least check out the Kwanzan cherry trees on Hains Point in East Potomac Park. 

We were thrilled to discover that the Kwanzan blossoms looked amazing! So Nicole turned on her inner model in her Berta bridal gown and Jimmy Choo shoes and we got some stunning photos of her. Yay! I hope you love these photos as much as I do!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Natalie & Eddie's Nationals Park Engagement Session in Washington, DC

You may remember Natalie and Eddie from part one of their adorable  engagement session at the Kennedy Center. Well, this dynamic duo is back for part two...and they really hit it out of the park this time! The Washington Nationals Park, in fact. Yippee!

Natalie and Eddie met while both working for the Washington Nationals, so it made sense they would want to incorporate part of their engagement photos with Nats Park. The day we chose to photograph turned out to be a challenge, as it was raining pretty steadily for most of the shoot! It didn't matter though, as we just incorporated some Washington Nationals' umbrellas and we were good to go! 

I have lots of favorites from this group, but I still think Natalie dancing with the umbrellas is one of my favorites. I just love how carefree the both of them were in the rain, when we could have easily called the whole thing off! I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do.

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Allie & Connor's Old Town Alexandria Engagement Session

I'm super excited to share Allie and Connor's Old Town engagement portraits today! Allie and Connor were so much fun to work with. I really loved their outfits as they had so much color. But most of all, I really loved how Allie and Connor laughed through their whole engagement session. They really had a great time with each other and it showed!

Allie and Connor, I simply love these photos and I can't wait until your wedding later this year! Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa