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

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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!

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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.

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

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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!

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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.

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

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

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

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

Nicole and Dave's Old Town Alexandria Engagement Session

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of photographing Nicole and Dave's engagement photos in Old Town Alexandria! Nicole and Dave were so much fun. They were cute, playful and genuinely had a great time with each other. We wandered around the streets and photographed with lots of interesting pieces of Old Town, but the most interesting person we found was Sean Spicer peeking out of a window. It was hysterical!

I hope you enjoy these photographs from our session! Nicole and Dave, I love these and can't wait for your wedding this spring! Hooray!

Corey and Matt's Destination Wedding in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands!

It's hard to know where to begin with Corey and Matt!  You may remember them from their adorable engagement session from last year, which is when I got to know them incredibly well.  Corey's the most gorgeous, genuine  and thoughtful person in the world, and Matt compliments her in every way with his goofiness and laid-back charm.  So when they wanted to bring me and Mike along for their destination wedding in St. Thomas, I couldn't resist! I really loved everything about Corey and Matt's wedding.  First of all, you can't go wrong with a gorgeous setting like Frenchman's Reef and Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort!  However, what I loved most about their wedding is that they just wanted to be married and spend their time with family and friends.  And after getting to know their family and friends pretty well, I just can't get over what an amazing group of people they were.  Everyone involved was so friendly, kind and honestly knew how to party like rock stars!  You'll see below exactly what I mean when you look through the photos...you can just feel the love.

I can't thank Corey and Matt enough for inviting me and Mike along to celebrate in their special day.  Many thanks to them and everyone involved who made this wedding such a success!  Enjoy!

Melanie and Gavin's Intimate Annapolis and Kensington, Maryland Wedding!

I recently had the privilege of photographing two very special people: Melanie and Gavin!  I met Melanie through my husbands bassist, Kate, and Melanie is seriously one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth gals you will ever meet.  She's also a wickedly talented violinist, which is coincidentally how she met the sweetest, most down-to-earth dude, Gavin (he plays violin too)!  These two really are the epitome of the perfect pair and I was so thrilled I could photograph their wedding day.  They were married at the courthouse in Annapolis, Maryland followed by an intimate reception in Kensington, Maryland.  We did, however, make a pit stop in between in Annandale, Virginia to take photographs with Gavin's 1965 Plymouth Fury.  Yay!  I can't thank Melanie and Gavin enough for letting me photograph their big day.  I hope you enjoy the photos!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Belle and Dave's Le Diplomate and Lincoln Memorial Engagement Session!

I had such a fun time recently with Belle and Dave at their engagement session!  These two are loads of fun and had me cracking up the entire time.  We started our session at Le Diplomate, one of their favorite places to eat.  They both were incredibly candid and playful with one another, which is something I love about photographing in a café type atmosphere!  After our time at Le Diplomate, we headed down to the Lincoln Memorial and surrounding areas for some more formal portraits before the sun went down.  I cannot get enough of their sun-kissed photos together...they just look amazing! Thank you so much, Belle and Dave, for an incredible time bouncing around DC!  I had an absolute blast and I hope you enjoy the photos!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Ashley and Tom's Georgetown and Carnegie Institution for Science Wedding!

My first wedding of 2014 was with the most amazing couple ever, Ashley and Tom.  When I met first Ashley, I wanted to work with her instantly.  She is one of the sweetest individuals with the biggest, brightest smile I have ever seen.  We also figured out we have a ton of connections: she went to college with one of my high school soccer pals (who even recommended me!) and she lived and worked in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, which is where Tom proposed (more specifically in Noshville Delicatessen, a local fav)!  So when she officially hired me I was ecstatic and couldn't wait for their big day. Ashley and Tom's wedding was simple and classic.  They both got ready at the Loews Madison, a very clean and minimal hotel (perfect for details and portraits).  You'll note very quickly that I became a huge fan of their outdoor terrace that had giant green hedges!  One of my favorite shots of the day was what I call an unconventional family portrait.  When we were leaving the Madison, Ashley and her family walked out out together (the family all holding the veil) and they were all smiles and excited to leave for the ceremony.  I just love it because it's not your typical family photo!

Ashley and Tom's ceremony was at St. John's Episcopal Georgetown Parish.  My favorite photo of the day was taken literally just after Ashley and Tom had recessed down the aisle and passed through the blue church doors.  That excitement of being newlyweds was so palpable and I love that you can see it in the photo!  After we left Georgetown, we made our way to the reception space at Carnegie Institution for Science.  There are so many photos I love from the Carnegie, but the one that sticks out is of Tom's two groomsmen photobombing the bridesmaids photo.  That photo gives you a good indication of just how fun-loving and happy everyone was at Ashley and Tom's wedding!

Ashley and Tom, thank you so much for having me photograph you wedding!  You were an incredible couple to work with and I hope you enjoy your photos as much as I do.  And many thanks to my second shooter, Kristi Odom, and wedding planner extraordinaire, Tabitha Roberts, of Roberts and Co. Events!  Enjoy!

Lane and Adam's Martinsburg, West Virginia Wedding!

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the sweetest couple ever, Lane and Adam!  Lane and Adam were married in Martinsburg, West Virginia on a beautiful fall day.  Lucky for them, the gorgeous autumn weather fit in perfectly with their autumn-inspired wedding decor at The Purple Iris at Hartwood Mansion! Lane and Adam were beaming the entire wedding day.  There were a few happy tears shed, but overall, it was nothing but a celebration of how meant-to-be Lane and Adam really are.  One of my favorite moments of the wedding day was when Lane and Adam played The Shoe Game, which I was unfamiliar with!  Basically, Lane and Adam took off their shoes, gave one of their shoes to the other to hold (so each had a his and her shoe in their hands) and then sat back-to-back in chairs.  Then, their fabulous DJ, Rick Rohn, asked them both questions like "Who said I love you first?" or "Who is better looking?" and Lane and Adam would hold up the shoe of the person they thought fit the answer the best.  Some of these questions were incredibly tough, but I'm not kidding when I say they only answered one question differently.  That's how in-sync Lane and Adam are and I'm so happy they get to spend the rest of their lives together!

Lane and Adam, thank you so much for having me photograph your wedding day!  I had such an amazing time and I hope you enjoy the photos!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Mary and Patrick's St. Louis Catholic Church and George Washington Masonic Memorial Wedding!

I recently had the pleasure of photographing two of the nicest people ever, Mary and Patrick!  Mary and Patrick were married at St. Louis Catholic Church with a gorgeous wedding reception at the George Washington Masonic Memorial.  Their wedding day was as bright and sunny as they were about tying the knot.  As you'll see below, I had a blast photographing Mary, Patrick and their family and friends.  Their bridal party had so much personality and fun posing in photos, and their guests were out on the dance floor until the very end of the night creating some amazing images.  One of my favorites from the wedding though was taken outside at the Masonic Memorial, where I had to light up the memorial and Mary and Patrick to get a nice dramatic photo.  It was a challenging photo, but it paid off!  Mary and Patrick, you looked amazing! Many thanks to Mary and Patrick and their family and friends for having me photograph this special occasion.  Also, many thanks to my second photographer for the day, Lelia!  I hope you enjoy the photos!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Jessica and Thomas' McLean Presbyterian Church and Westfields Marriott Wedding!

I am a lucky gal when I get to photograph people I already know.  A few years ago, I had the honor of photographing a fabulous couple, Ryan and Rachel.  They were fun and goofy, and I really fell in love with their families.  Plus they are a hoot on the dance floor!  Well, a few years later, I get an email from Jessica, Rachel's sister, who had gotten engaged and wanted to hire me as her and Thomas' wedding photographer.  I was beyond thrilled for her and Thomas and very, very excited to see and photograph some of my very favorite people again! On Jessica and Thomas' wedding day there was a huge threat of rain.  I knew many other planners and photographers on this day were only a few miles away and battling major downpours and having to initiate their backup plans.  However, for whatever reason, it never rained on Jessica and Thomas' wedding!  It was actually a really beautiful overcast at McLean Presbyterian Church, and Jessica and myself were beyond thrilled we got to work outdoors for their portraits!  Jessica and Thomas were absolute naturals in front of the camera.  And it was abundantly clear that Thomas was brimming with excitement to be married to Jessica!  We'd be photographing and all of a sudden he'd pull her in, dip her and kiss her.  It was just so cute!

Jessica and Thomas' wedding reception was held at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, one of my favorite places to photograph!  One of my favorite details of the reception was Jessica and Thomas' caricature they had made and printed on the place cards, wedding menus, etc.  It was a really personal touch and honestly, it looked just like them!  I, of course, loved hearing all of the speeches from Jessica's dad and her sisters, and then really loved it when the party started and everyone let loose on the dance floor!  I have two favorite shots from the dance floor: one of Ryan dancing and pointing his toes while his family laughs in the background and then the shot of one of Thomas' family members stuffing a $20 down Jessica's second dress.  It was an amazing night full of fun and laughter and I'm so thrilled I got to be a part of it!

Jessica and Thomas, thank you so much for having me photograph your special day!  I really hope you, your family and friends all enjoy the photos!

Corey and Matt's Ellanor C. Lawrence Park Engagement Session!

I love Corey and Matt.  When I met up with them recently for their engagement session at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, it was the first time I had met Matt, and I was skeptical as to whether or not he would do well during the session.  Most of my couples do a pretty great job, but sometimes it takes the guys a little bit longer to loosen up.  But, it wasn't long before he had both Corey and I cracking up during their photos!  He totally knew when to be fun and when to tone it down and be sexy, and they really have a delightful mix of the two looks.  You can tell they're a couple that totally fits together perfectly, which I just love.  Plus, they had their adorable dog, Chewy, in some of the photographs...and I'll never turn away an adorable dog!  Ever!  It was such a fun session and I could have spent hours and hours with this amazing couple. Corey and Matt, I hope you enjoy these photos and I am beyond excited to celebrate your wedding with you next year!  I only wish we could bring Chewy with us!  ;)  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Jen and Scott's Bristow Manor Engagement Session!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with Jen and Scott for their engagement session at Bristow Manor in Bristow, Virginia!  We had such a blast riding around on golf carts to various destinations on the property, and even got to bring their dog, Brody, in for a few photos!  It was a perfect blue-sky day, much like today, and I thought Jen and Scott coordinated fabulously with the bright colors!  Jen and Scott, thanks so much for spending your engagement session with me!  I can't wait for your wedding later this year!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa