Jessica and Seth's Cabell's Mill, Virginia Wedding!

I've known Jessica and Seth for quite a while now, and it's hard for me to believe their wedding is actually over!  You may recall them from their recent pseudo-celebrity win on Junebug Weddings from their engagement session we did back in Old Town, Alexandria.  This couple has so much personality and they definitely brought their A-game for their wedding too! The day of their wedding was a cool, but sunny summer day, the kind of days I love.  Jessica and Seth were married at Cabell's Mill in Centerville, Virginia, a historic mill located in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park just of of 66 West.  I had never been until I met with Jessica about their wedding, and I have to say this place is such a gem that more people should know about!  Complete with large grassy meadows, gorgeous wooded areas,  a pond and the old historic mill itself, this was the perfect setting for Jessica and Seth's wedding day.

Before Jessica and Seth's ceremony, we did their first look down a quiet path in a meadow not too far from their ceremony site.  What I love about Jessica and Seth is that they have no shortage of reaction or emotion...you feel exactly how they do in real time.  They have such an excitement about being together which is contagious.  After a few photos in the meadow, Jessica and Seth were married below one of the biggest oak trees on the Cabell's Mill property.  The tree itself had a beautiful stringed backdrop attached to it that the couple had made, complete with pink, grey and white dots to match the colors of their wedding.  I loved watching Jessica and Seth get married, because it's as if they were the only two people who existed as they said their vows.  One of my favorite photos from the day was of them just after they recessed down the aisle.  It is the black and white of the two of them admiring each other as husband and wife, while the sun is lightly kissing them in the background.  Just love it.

After the ceremony, I took Jessica and Seth down to the pond area close by for some more couples portraits.  Boy did I  have a squee-fest down there!  The sunlight was just perfect for photos in a field of tall grass, and then on the zig-zag bridge that crossed over the pond.  My favorite (and I realize, slightly strange) photo of the day came from the two of them standing hand-in-hand facing the wooden bridge, and all you  really see is them from the neck down with their shadows below.  I thought it was such a cool photo!  Once we were finished with portraits, Jessica and Seth joined their family and friends for dinner made by the fabulous Main Event Caterers, and then partied down with one of my favorite DJ's, Derek Romanoff.  Also, Nicole and Sarena of Sweetface Events did such an amazing job keeping everyone on track for the evening, including me!  After some partying, I managed to take Jessica and Seth out for one last nighttime photo, which I created by shooting some off-camera light through some wooden lattice.  I really loved how it turned out, and  it was the perfect ending to such an amazing day.  :)

Jessica and Seth, words can't express how happy I was to photograph your wedding and how excited I am for the two of you.  Thank you so much for having me along for the day, and I hope you enjoy the photos!

Dyanne and Steven's Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Wedding!

Where do I begin with Dyanne and Steven?  I've known these two for a little over a year, and I'm so sad their wedding is actually over!  They are two of the nicest, prettiest people I've ever met.  They are also one of the most photogenic couples I've ever photographed, and what's funny is that their both actually a little quiet and shy.  However, that only makes me adore them more!  You may remember them from their stunning Mad Men engagement session at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, and just like their engagement session...their wedding did not disappoint! Dyanne and Steven's wedding day was held at the beautiful Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.  Even though it was May, for whatever reason, their wedding day was really grey, cold and windy, so their ceremony that was meant to be outdoors had to be brought inside!  It didn't dampen the mood of the day at all though, because Dyanne and Steven were beaming throughout everything.  My favorite part of the ceremony was that Steven would be focused on what the officiant was saying, but then turn and sneak these glances with Dyanne that would make her smile, and of course then make him smile.  The biggest surprise was Steven's German side of the family  integrating a German heart cutting at the end of the ceremony.  Traditionally, a banner with the heart is held alongside the couple after they are pronounced newlyweds and must cut the heart out in order to pass. In order to enhance the challenge, they are typically given the smallest pair of scissors such as nail scissors in order to symbolize overcoming the first challenge in their new union.  It was a really cool aspect to the ceremony that I loved!

After the ceremony, we all went outside for some group photos.  Even though it was cold and windy, all of the photos looked amazing!  I particularly loved the photos of Dyanne and Steven down by the peonies, which are Dyanne's favorite flower.  They had booked Meadowlark that day because they were told the peonies would be in full bloom, and it was true!  Plus, the white and pink of the peonies fit right in with Dyanne and Steven's color pallette for the wedding.  All of Dyanne and Steven's details looked amazing in the atrium, and I loved all of the little pops of gold glitter on the tables and table numbers.  Dyanne and Steven were all smiles when they were announced into their reception and it didn't seem like the smiling ever really stopped!  One of my favorite parts of their reception was the Filipino money dance that Dyanne and Steven participated in (initiated by Dyanne's family).  This is when guests come up and pin money on the couple's garments. Traditionally, male guests take turns dancing with the bride and the ladies with the groom. The custom is meant to wish good fortune and a prosperous start to the newlyweds!

Dyanne and Steven, words can't express how happy I am for the two of you and how thrilled I was to be your wedding photographer.  I had such a blast with you, your family and friends.  I hope you enjoy the photos!  And many thanks to my wonderful second shooter, Heather, for being such a great help throughout the day!  Enjoy!

 

Monika and Adam's Old Town Winchester, Virginia Wedding!

I recently had the honor of photographing Monika and Adam's wedding in Old Town Winchester, Virginia!  Old Town Winchester is a gorgeous, historic city full of brick walkways, stunning gardens and old mansion houses.  Monika and Adam live close by and love spending time in Old Town, so it only made sense for their wedding to take place there! Monika and Adam are the kind of couple that just radiate around one another.  Especially Adam...he was one of the happiest grooms I've ever encountered on a wedding day.  He was just so excited to be marrying Monika!

My day started off taking photos of Monika and the bridesmaids in the gardens of the Museum of Shenandoah Valley.  Monika and her bridesmaids looked amazing as we trotted around the garden area laughing and having a good time.  Afterward, we hopped the Candy Hill Campground Trolley to meet up with Adam and his groomsmen at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church.  I completely forgot Monika and Adam had hired bagpipers to welcome the guests into the church, so of course I had to stop and listen and snag a few photos.  I love bagpipers!  Once the guests were seated we began the ceremony and I just had a feeling Adam's delirious joy would transfer into tears as Monika came down the aisle.  I was right!  I think we all turned to piles of mush when we saw Adam's face!   However, those tears soon changed to big smiles as Monika and Adam tied the knot.  I just loved their big, smiling faces coming down the aisle as husband and wife!

After the ceremony we all hopped in the trolley to our next spot for photos, historic Abram's Delight.  This was the perfect backdrop for some wedding party photos, of which were some of my favorite ever.  Monika and Adam's wedding party were just so amazing, I can't even tell you!  Between the flower girls being the cutest ever, the groomsmen giving me perfect sass and the bridesmaids holding their beer and posing with Adam, they just did such a fantastic job.  Because it was so beautiful there I kept Monika and Adam around for some couples photos.  I swear, they absolutely cannot take a bad photo!  Like I said before, they just glow around one another and it's more apparent as ever in their photos together.  Once we were finished, we headed to our final destination of the day, The Barton House!  The Barton House was the quintessential reception site for Monika and Adam, as it really encompassed all the Old Town Winchester charm that they were going for.  Of course, one of my favorite parts of their reception was their incredible bluegrass band, Dry Mill Road!  If you like bluegrass and are considering hiring one for any event, hire this band.  They really added a wonderful southern charm to the reception!  Once formal dances were over, everyone got to eat, drink, dance some more and have an incredible time.  My last photo of the evening was of Monika and Adam on the staircase of The Barton House with the chandelier in the foreground, which I thought was a charming, dramatic photo.  I hope you like it!

Monika and Adam, thank you so, so much for allowing me to photograph your wedding day!  I could go on and on about how much fun I had and how wonderful your family and friends are, but I have to stop somewhere!  Also, I have to give a big shout out to Roberts and Co. Event Planning for all of their hard work on this gorgeous event!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Jen and Chris' Intimate W Washington DC Hotel Wedding!

When I met with Jen and Chris about their wedding at the W Washington DC Hotel, I felt like we were old friends.  We hit it off immediately and told jokes like we had known each other for years, so I felt very comfortable with the two of them when their wedding rolled around.  Jen and Chris chose the W Hotel because they love going their to eat, drink, relax, take in the amazing views from the POV Lounge and so on.  So it made perfect sense to have their wedding there! I loved Jen and Chris' wedding because there was so much emotion.  It was clear Jen and Chris were just so excited to have found one another and were tying the knot at last among their close friends.  There were happy tears shed by all (myself included) and it was such a joy to witness.  Even though Jen and Chris had a smaller wedding, I still loved their attention to detail and the fact they wanted to take some dramatic photos around the W Hotel to commemorate the occasion.  We had such a fun time walking around and talking about the day, while I took photos here and there.  Whether these two were posing, laughing, crying, being sassy...they were just such a pleasure to work with.  I'd photograph them again in a heartbeat!

Jen and Chris, thank you so much for having me photograph your wedding!  You guys were amazing to work with and I hope you enjoy your photos!  :)

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Megan and Kevin's Georgetown Wedding!

I recently had the honor of photographing the wedding of Megan and Kevin in Georgetown, Washington, DC!  Megan attended Georgetown University and Kevin attended GMU, but this pair fell in love around the Georgetown campus and area, so it was only natural that their engagement and wedding would be there! We started the day off at Key Bridge Marriott, but moseyed on over to the Georgetown campus for the first look before the ceremony.  We went to a spot on campus where you can make out the Key Bridge in the background, which is one of Kevin's favorite views.  Megan and Kevin's first look was adorable, as they were clearly giddy with excitement to get married!  After the first look we walked through the campus of Georgetown, making a pit stop at the campus housing where Megan lived while Megan and Kevin were dating.  It's a unique area full of lots of shapes and lines and the black and white photo of Megan and Kevin walking up the stairs among the housing was definitely one of my favorites from the day!

The ceremony at Dahlgren Chapel was stunning, and the light was hitting the back window in such a way that everything just glowed inside. After Megan and Kevin were pronounced husband and wife, we took some group photos out in the courtyard of Dahlgren Chapel and then headed down to the Georgetown waterfront for some couples photos!  I loved the way the light was hitting them down by the water...again, this glowy light that really fits the emotion of a wedding day!  After a few photos, Megan, Kevin and I walked down the waterfront to their reception area at the gorgeous Sequoia!  Everything inside was a beautiful white palette with pops of blue, orange and pink everywhere.  A Sweet Soiree Events did an amazing job with the setup...it was totally Megan and Kevin!  Once Megan and Kevin were announced, the night of partying began with good food, heartfelt toasts and lots of dancing!  And after a while I took Megan and Kevin outside at night for some nighttime photos down by the water that turned out just fabulous.

Megan and Kevin, I can't thank you enough for letting me photograph your special day.  You two are one of the sweetest couples I've had the pleasure to work with!  I hope you enjoy your photos!  :)

Featured - Junebug Weddings Honorable Mention - Hilarious Engagement Photos!

I was ridiculously excited yesterday to learn that one of my images of Jessica and Seth won a Best of the Best Honorable Mention award from Junebug Weddings!  Junebug Weddings just recently launched their Best of the Best Engagement Photos contest, and when I got wind of it, I knew I had to enter.  I admit out of thousands of photos entered into Junebug, I kept my expectations very low.  However, I was super delighted when they informed me of this honorable mention win yesterday afternoon! Here's the photo of Jessica and Seth that won:

Below is how the photo appeared on their website!  You can also click to view Junebug's full post here, and I highly recommend viewing the 51 winning photos who were the very Best of the Best!  It's such a beautiful collection!

Thanks so much, Junebug Weddings!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Kattrina and Matt's St. Matthew's Cathedral and Mayflower Hotel Wedding!

Today on the blog is an amazingly energetic and fabulous couple, Kattrina and Matt!  What I loved about Kattrina and Matt's wedding day is that there was so much emotion and joy.  A lot of that might have to do with the fact that Kattrina and Matt are 17 years in the making (they met in high school!).  So for these two to officially tie the knot is pretty dang special.  :) Kattrina and Matt's wedding day was absolutely stunning.  It's one of those days that has perfect blue skies, is just warm enough and comes with a nice breeze to boot.  Our day began at the Mayflower Hotel, and after everyone finished getting ready we walked over to St. Matthew's Cathedral, which was only a few blocks away.  The cathedral is gorgeous, and when you stick someone as beautiful as Kattrina in it, it just lights up!  After the wedding we hopped around the national mall for some wedding party portraits, which was one of the highlights of my day (Kattrina, Matt and their wedding party were hilarious!).  One of my favorite photos during that process was of Kattrina's hands in the limo as she told a really funny story.  It just sort of set the mood for the whole trip!  After parading around the national mall, we headed back to the Mayflower State room for the reception!  One of the most amazing and emotional photos during the reception was when Kattrina and her father had their father/daughter dance.  Both of them were crying and laughing and it was just such a pleasure to watch.  You could only dream of that emotion between a father and daughter!

Kattrina and Matt, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your wedding day.  I had so much fun with you, your family and friends!  And many thanks to my second shooter, Hannah Colclazier for being such an amazing help throughout the day!  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

Megan and Kevin's Georgetown Wedding - Sneak Peeks!

This past weekend I was honored to photograph Megan and Kevin's wedding in the heart of Georgetown!  Megan and Kevin were married at Dahlgren Chapel on Georgetown University's campus and then held their reception at Sequoia on the Georgetown waterfront.  We had so many great photographic opportunities along the way, but here are two of my favorites from the big day so far!  The first was taken among the apartments that Megan lived in when she attended Georgetown (loved all the shapes and lines!), and the second was taken by the waterfront overlooking the Potomac and Kennedy Center.  I hope you love them as much as I do!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Molly and Dave's Northern Virginia Wedding!

My last wedding of 2012 was with the adorable Molly and Dave!  I know Molly through mutual friends and she was even a bridesmaid at Karleigh and Jack's wedding that I photographed earlier in the year.   So I felt like I was photographing a friend I'd known for ages by the time her wedding rolled around! Molly and Dave are seriously the cutest couple ever.  I don't even have to talk about it because you can see how adorable they are in their first look photos and many more after that.  There's such an excitement to their relationship that is infectious.  Their ceremony took place at Vienna Presbyterian Church, the church Molly grew up in.  Molly was actually married by her pastor, Pete, who had baptized her on the exact same date, 27 years earlier, in the same church.  Isn't that incredible?  I just love stuff like that!   Of course, Molly looked stunning processing down the aisle and a few happy tears were definitely shed by the couple during the ceremony!  However it wasn't long before we were off to party at the reception!

The reception took place at Maggiano's Little Italy in Tysons Corner and it was the perfect spot for Molly, Dave and their family and friends to party in!  As I'm sure you'll be able to tell by the dancing photos, fun times were had by all!  One of my favorite photo series of the night was in the Maggiano's elevator though, where I took Molly and Dave for some final photos of the evening.  I basically posed them in the elevator and clicked away while the elevator doors closed.  It was such a cool series that I made an animated gif out of it (I'm sure you'll remember my obsession with these here and here).  It's at the end of the post, so scroll through all the way to the end (after looking at everything else, obvs!).

Molly and Dave, thanks so much for having me photograph your special day!  I could not be more excited for you both in your new marriage and I hope you enjoy the photos!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Jessica, Brian and Saniya's Family Engagement Session at the National Zoo and Cathedral!

When I first met with Jessica, I was incredibly excited about the idea of working with she and her fiancé, Brian.  They're a very sweet, laid-back couple, who dress crazy well and have a ton of personality!  Jessica mentioned in our meeting that if we were going to do an engagement session, it would most definitely include Saniya, Brian's daughter.  For me, I thought this was an awesome direction to take an engagement session.  Sure, I'd snap a few of Jessica and Brian by themselves, but I absolutely loved the idea of including Saniya and having that family dynamic in their engagement photos.  I promise you, it made these photos even better! We started our session out at the National Zoo, because Jessica and Brian had indicated the three of them went their at Christmastime and had a blast.  I thought it was a fabulous idea and off we went traipsing about the zoo!  I have to admit, it was hard for me to focus on taking some family photos at times because I am a huge animal lover and wanted to "ooh" and "aah" at the animals along with Jessica, Brian and Saniya.  But I had to make sure to interact and pose with these three cuties as much as possible to get some stellar photos!  My favorites at the zoo are definitely the laughing photos where Jessica, Brian and Saniya are being total goofballs.

The latter part of our session took place at the Bishops Garden at the National Cathedral, and Jessica, Brian and Saniya made sure to change into some really gorgeous outfits for a more formal look (I admittedly was a little obsessed with Jessica's orange vintage fascinator)!  I was really excited that the garden was pretty lush and green, and even had a few tree blossoms to work with (our session was before the summer weather had set in!).  My favorite photo from the garden was of Brian and Jessica in the stone doorway about to kiss, but runners up of course are going to be the photos with the three of them acting sassy and hilarious.  These three really know how to turn out some gorgeous photos, and I'm sure you understand how hard it was for me to narrow them down!

Jessica, Brian and Saniya, thank you so much for joining me in such a fun family engagement session!  I can't wait for the wedding later this year so I can photograph your smiling faces again!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Christin's Snowy Trash the Dress Session!

Yesterday we were supposed to get slammed with a ton of snow from winter storm Saturn, or more known to the local area, Snowquester.  Snowquester actually did dump a lot of snow, but most of the snow here in Great Falls only accumulated to about three inches.  Sad face!  Nevertheless, I wasn't about to throw in the towel in regards to a snowy portrait session of some kind, so my darling sister-in-law Christin graciously accepted the invitation to model for me!  I had purchased a vintage powder blue gown not too long ago and I was just dying to use it in the snow, and as luck would have it, it was Christin's size and matched her gorgeous blue eyes!  So we marched off to a nearby field (I know, I know, but it was the only thing left that didn't look like slush!) and took some photos.  These were my favorite photos from yesterday, and I hope you enjoy them.  Hopefully next year we'll get some more extreme snow to cheer up this meteographer and extreme weather junkie!  :)

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Lauren and Ryan's Capitol Hill Engagement Session!

Happy Monday, everyone!  Today I'm here to show off Lauren and Ryan's recent engagement shoot at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC!  Last fall Ryan proposed to Lauren at the Capitol, so it only seemed fitting for us to do their engagement photos there.  We met there the Saturday before inauguration, and although it took us quite a while to find parking and meet up with each other, we somehow managed to work around the huge crowd.  Although we really wanted to get some photos on the back side of the Capitol (facing the mall), everything was fenced off so we had to get really crafty!  We utilized the front side of the Capitol instead, where there was less foot traffic and we could make Lauren and Ryan look like they were the only two people there.  My personal favorites are the silhouettes of Lauren and Ryan and any of the nighttime photos where the Capitol was all lit up.  There's something about the Capitol lit up at night that is just so romantic (and props to Ryan for utilizing that!).  :) Lauren and Ryan, you two are such a fantastic couple to work with and I seriously cannot wait for your wedding later this year!  Enjoy these photos!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Megan and Kevin's Theadore Roosevelt Island Engagement Session!

Back in the fall, one of my final engagement sessions was with the adorable couple, Megan and Kevin!  Megan and Kevin met up with me at Roosevelt Island with their adorable dog, Booker, and we were able to capture some really great photos.  The colors on Roosevelt Island at the time were amazing, considering how late in the season it was, and all the colors Megan and Kevin wore really popped with the leaves!  As you can see, Megan and Kevin are totally cute in front of the camera.  My favorites of them may be Megan and Kevin in their Livestrong shirts (Kevin is a cancer survivor), and them trying to look tough but then cracking up.  They're too silly to be serious! Thanks so much, Megan, Kevin and Booker!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Thank You to My 2012 Wedding Couples

Looking back on 2012, I am the luckiest lady alive to have been a part of 24 amazing weddings.  That's 48 individuals who got hitched, not to mention their families and friends that I had the pleasure of meeting as well!  So crazy! So, couples...are you reading?  :)  I want each and every one of you to know how honored I am to have been able to share your special day with you. The fact that you trusted me with photographing your wedding means the world to me!  And so I'm going to thank you, each couple at a time, with what what I remember most about your wedding.  And of course I'm going to include a couple of my favorite photos from your wedding day underneath my little notes!  So without further ado, here are my incredible couples...

Katie and Jeff, thank you for having one of the warmest weddings on record in February.  And thank you for letting me drag you around a country club looking for the perfect (non-golf course) shots.  Also, I will be opening my Nebbiolo soon, and I seriously can't wait.  Thank you for that!

Maggie and Lucas, thank you for allowing me to take those window photos of you guys.  I know each time we were really pressed for time, but the fact that you let me do my thing was so great.  Also, thanks for breaking some rules in Old Town and sneaking on to the dock where you got engaged for a photo!

Crystal and Stephen, thank you for your patience on a day when it rained all day long.  I'm so happy you brought umbrellas so we could at least go out in it.  And thank you to Stephen for having a security clearance so we could go take my favorite night time shot from your wedding.  Also, many congrats on your new addition to the family, little Lillian!

Suzannah and Keith, thank you for having one of the most relaxed weddings I've ever photographed.  Suzannah, than you for jumping up and down like a school girl right before you and Keith kissed (so cute!).   And thank you, Keith, for letting me wear your crazy warm coat during our freezing cold night time shot!

Maria and Wayne, thank you for your infectious optimism on the day of your wedding, even when we didn't have your ceremony outside.  I really loved the mariachi band, and, well, I can't thank you enough for having that margarita machine.  That was a first for me at a wedding and I hope to see more of them!

Helena and Dan, thank you for writing some of the most emotional vows I've ever heard.  I was crying like a baby while photographing you, but only out of happiness!   I loved spending the day with you, Marco and Gigi.  I can't wait to see your family expand with a new little girl in a few months!

Lauren and Kunal, thank you for being incredibly calm for one of the busiest weddings I've ever photographed!  Your cool demeanor kept me cool as well!  Also, thank you for that amazing Indian food and southern comfort food fusion.  I didn't know it could be done, but you guys knocked it outta the park!

Alexis and Andrew, thank you for having the most hilarious wedding party and guests ever.  Between the adorable ring bearer (I still get comments on him!) the bridesmaids dance and Kate Middleton and Prince William making an appearance...I seriously had a blast.  And that staircase shot will always be one of my fav's!

Mariah and Evan, thank you for your overwhelming positivity on your wedding day.  Your excitement to marry each other made me seriously giddy!  And thank you for indulging me and asking the firemen if we could take some photos with the firetruck!  I will never forget that!

Sarah and Justin, thank you for having such an emotion-filled wedding.  I think everyone felt a full range of emotion from tears to complete laugh-out-loud excitement!  And of course nothing was more exciting then Sarah doing the worm during the reception!  It was incredible!

Jess and Matt, thank you for having fun with each other on your wedding day.  You two were constantly looking at each other, making faces and smiling, which I just loved.  Matt, I'll always love that you shot hoops before your ceremony.  And I can't thank you both enough for having gluten-free Georgetown Cupcakes at the reception!  Made my night!

Amanda and Adam, thank you for one of the cutest first looks I've ever photographed!  Thank you for trusting me to take you outside in the shade for five minutes in the 110 degree heat, as I'm sure you were skeptical.  But hey, you both didn't sweat at all and you looked great!

Deanna and Joe, thank you for remaining the calmest of calm on a day where storms kept creeping in!  Even though a storm came through right before the ceremony, and even though it rained during some of the portraits, you guys were total champs and let me photograph you wherever I wanted.  Also, I'll never forget your sparkler exit which consisted of more smoke then sparkle due to the high wind!

Dayna and Ryan, thank you for being that couple that just wanted to get married real fast so you could celebrate!  What I remember most is your reception and what a blast you and your guests had dancing until the party was forced to shut down.  It was awesome!

Tracy and Adam, thank you for doing hilarious poses for me, like sticking your tongue out (which is an Adam thing) and wearing your sunglasses like badasses.  Also, thank you for being the first couple to introduce me to Gangnam Style at their reception!  And you guys totally knew the dance and everything!

Mia and Rob, thank you for being all smiles from start to finish, even when we had the threat of rain all day.  Thank you for indulging me with my obsession with the rooftop of the DAR Museum (loved those photos) and I thought Mia surprising Rob with donuts at the reception was exceptionally awesome!

Jen and Joel, thank you for being so excited to marry each other.  It was as if no other people were in the room but you all during your vows!  And thank you for inviting me to spend time with you family and friends prior to the wedding...just to get to know them.  I absolutely loved that!

Anne and Sam, thank you for persevering on your wedding day when a lot of stuff went wrong!  Sure the wedding started late, but it didn't matter at all.  It was incredible!  Also, thank you for hopping in my little car and riding with me up the hill to take some stellar portraits of you two!  It was totally worth it and I'd do it again!

Liz and Tim, thank you for letting me take a zillion photos of you guys, even though I know you're not photo people!  And thank you for walking up that staircase back and forth at the Hotel Monaco.  I was a little obsessed, but only because you guys looked amazing on it!

Natalie and Nathan, I think you officially win silliest couple of 2012!  Thank you for your energy and for always making everyone around you laugh.  Aside from the cigar photo, I think I'll always remember your epic bobble heads that you had at your wedding!  So cool!

Ashley and Will, thank you for being so low-key on your wedding day.  Thank you for never panicking even when so much was going on, and thank you (a million thank you's) for bringing your amazing Ducati motorcycle!  That is something I will never forget!

Karleigh and Jack, thank you for having the party of 2012!  I knew you guys were high-energy and so much fun, but when your reception rolled around, I had no idea it would be like a rock concert!  It was seriously one of the best times I've ever had at a reception!

Evan and Shari, thank you for trying to take outdoor photos when it was frigidly cold!  You guys really made an effort, which was amazing.  I still loved our indoor photos, and I really loved our nighttime shot of you guys in front of the key bridge!

Molly and Dave, thank you for your excitement about each other leading up to your first look.  I just love the portraits of you two together!  And thank you for having a fun, upbeat reception where even I got to let loose and hang out with you guys and some friends.  Your wedding was the perfect ending to my 2012 year!

Thank you again to all of my incredible couples!  I couldn't have done it all without you!  I hope you are well and I'm sending you so much love from the bottom of my heart.

Best wishes,

Lisa

Shari and Evan's Key Bridge Marriott Wedding!

You may remember Shari and Evan from their DC nighttime engagement session, and they're back with their wedding that took place at Key Bridge Marriott! What I loved most about working with Shari and Evan is how deliriously happy they both were to become husband and wife...especially Shari!  Shari was the perfect vision of a bride just thrilled to be getting married and you can certainly tell from the photos.  Her spirit was totally infectious and I loved every minute of photographing their wedding!  It's hard to narrow down my favorite photos from their big day, but I mostly loved any interaction Shari and Evan had, and also a few party photos.  The whole event was one big joyous celebration and I was so lucky to be a part of everything.

Shari and Evan, thanks so much to you and your family for letting me be a part of your big day!  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Dyanne and Steven's Mad Men Engagement Session!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting up with Dyanne and Steven for their awesome Mad Men engagement session at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner!  Eeeeeeeeeeek! When I first met with Dyanne and Steven to learn about their wedding, I knew I wanted to work with them because they're two of the nicest people ever.  However, as they talked further about their plans for an engagement session, specifically a Mad Men inspired engagement session, I was completely hooked.  We all sat there and talked about the show for a while, and Dyanne cited a bunch of still photos from the show that she was drawing inspiration from.  My heart fluttered in anticipation to hear back from them about working together, and when they emailed to book me, I was elated!

On the day of the shoot, Dyanne brought all of the inspiration photos we had talked about.  Some were still shots from the show, some were from stylized photo sessions of the actors, and some were other stylized shoots that had that Mad Men look.  The shots were incredible, and I was really excited to recreate/reinterpret them!  We had a blast working in the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, specifically in one of their suites, their restaurant, Härth, and their stunning lobby bar.  The minimalist look of the hotel really worked with the glitz and glamour of the outfits that Dyanne and Steven wore!  And let me just say, I had about 50 audible gasps when it came to how stunning Dyanne looked in her Mad Men dresses (all from Rent the Runway).  TO DIE FOR!

I hope you enjoy these photos from the shoot!  Thanks so much for looking!

Thanks again for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Karleigh and Jack's Northern Virginia Wedding!

Today I'm blogging about two incredibly awesome people: Karleigh and Jack!  You may remember Karleigh and Jack from their Middleburg engagement session this past summer, and guess what?!  They got hitched recently here in Virginia and here are the photos to prove it! Karleigh and Jack are two of the most fun-loving people I've ever met.  I knew from the get-go that they were super excited to get married, but most of all just have a huge celebration with their family and friends.  On the day of the wedding, I started out with the ladies at Karleigh's aunts house in Clifton, while Mike was photographing the guys at Westfields Marriott.  Karleigh wanted a dramatic entrance in her dress for her family and bridesmaids, so she changed upstairs and came down the stairs to surprise everyone.  Some tears were shed by Karleigh's dad and all of the other bridesmaids were in awe of how amazing she looked.  I just loved those photos!

After we were ready, we headed to St. Clare of Assisi in Clifton where Karleigh and Jack were hitched!  My favorite photo from the ceremony was probably of Jack and the look on his face as Karleigh came down the aisle.  So cute!  Once we were finished at the church, we headed to an amazing park near Westfields Marriott to take some photos of the wedding party and Karleigh and Jack.  I loved the sun-kissed look of those photos as they really mirrored the look and feel that Karleigh and Jack's engagement session had!  Karleigh and Jack took a few more photos afterward in front of Westfields Marriott, and I really love the one of the two of them acting really excited.  You'll totally know it when you see it!

Karleigh and Jack's wedding reception may be one of my favorites to date in terms of the amount of energy in that room!  The entire night was just one huge party, made particularly awesome by the band, Burnt Sienna.  Rumor has it that they played at Karleigh's sisters wedding, and I completely understand why they picked them for Karleigh and Jack's big day!  Whenever Burnt Sienna was playing, it felt like an incredible rock concert.  They even had this stunning light display set up behind them that really set the mood of the room.  They were awesome!  My favorite shots of the reception are of Karleigh singing with one of the band members on stage.  But honestly, all of the dancing photos are pretty cool!

I want to thank Karleigh and Jack for having me photograph their gorgeous wedding day.  I had such an amazing time with you and your family and friends.  I really hope you guys enjoy the photos!

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Dark and Spooky Hurricane Sandy Trash The Dress!

As I'm sure many of you know, I'm a bit of a weather nut.  Yup, since early last week when there were early projections of Hurricane Sandy hitting the mid-atlantic and northeast, I've been glued to all things weather related and reporting as diligently as possible!  Of course, this all by hobby, but whenever I can combine my love for extreme weather with my love for photography, my brain kind of implodes with excitement.  I wasn't sure if it would be possible, but somehow the rain and clouds aligned for me to photograph a Hurricane Sandy (well, at that point, Superstorm Sandy) trash the dress session! I had so many people volunteer to model for me, which I didn't expect and was so grateful for!  Ultimately, I decided it'd be a good idea to find someone who lived in the NOVA area not too far from me and in a spot where most power lines were underground (just in case we were dealing with really high winds). So when I saw that Laura Ritchie of Events in the City was interested, I immediately perked up.  She lives in Leesburg (not far from me at all) and I knew that most power lines there were underground.  We discussed a few location ideas, but ultimately decided on Ida Lee Park, where I could shoot out in the open and get a lot of cool sky shots.  I also decided that I wanted all dark details, whether that be a dark satin sash we use with the dress, or a dark umbrella.  I wanted everything to be dark, storm and spooky looking.

Our original shoot date was scheduled for Monday, which ended up being the worst storm day in terms of high winds and rain.  Luckily, we were able to reschedule and shoot yesterday (Tuesday), when the winds had died down significantly and we were really just dealing with some light rain and dark clouds.  It was perfect!  Laura arrived in her wedding dress along with Christie, another awesome Events in the City chick, who was there to assist with coffee, and coat and light stand holding.  Laura also brought along a really awesome dark and spooky bouquet made by Holly Heider Chapple that we were delighted to use in the shoot!  Laura was the perfect model and was incredibly optimistic the whole time, even though it was crazy cold and rainy.  I have so many favorites from the shoot, but below are my top 14.  The last shot is probably my absolute favorite from the shoot, but I'd love to hear what yours is!

Sooooooo many thanks go to Laura, Christie and Holly for helping me out with this!  I can't thank you enough!  It really made my day (heck, my week!) and I appreciate it.  And to all you other readers, I hope you have a Happy Halloween!  Eat lots of candyyyyyyyyyyy!  :D  Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa

Ashley and Will's Oxon Hill Manor Wedding!

When I first met with Ashley and Will, I was super excited because Ashley works for one of my favorite florists in the area, The Enchanted Florist.  I was even more excited after we all got to talking and Will mentioned that he had a Ducati motorcycle that he wanted to incorporate in some photos with them.  Beautiful flowers: check.  Motorcycle: check.  Awesome couple: check.  So I'm sure you can imagine how elated I was that they decided to choose me as their photographer! Ashley and Will were married at the super stunning venue, Oxon Hill Manor.  Before our arrival, we did some prep and detail photos at the Hotel Monaco of which I was pretty stoked about.  Ashley had brought one of her dogs, Sophie, to the hotel, so it was really hard to have to shoot details when there was a crazy cute dog around!  Luckily, Mike was able to get some stellar shots of Sophie relaxing while everyone got ready.  Upon arrival at Oxon Hill, Ashley was thrilled to see all of her Enchanted Florist pals working on the details with the flowers.  I have to say, I don't think I've ever seen so many flowers at a wedding, and they were all stunning.  Even up until right before the ceremony, Ashley herself was working on trimming her bouquet so it looked flawless.  Now that's dedication!

The ceremony was inside due to some impending rain, but it was just as gorgeous as if it were outside!  Ashley and Will absolutely beamed with excitement throughout the whole thing.  I just love how Will looked at Ashley...it took my breath away!  After the ceremony we took some awesome portraits of the family, wedding party and couple, and then headed inside for their beautiful reception.  Kelley Cannon Events kept the entire event running smoothly, and we all had a fabulous time.  When it was time to cut the cake, I sort of winced because Ashley and Will's Maggie Austin cake was one of the most flawless cakes I'd ever seen!  But Ashley and Will kept it very classy and delicately fed each other their super gorgeous (and I assume very yummy) cake!  The rest of the evening was spent dancing and partying, and eating tons of candy provided by Main Event Caterers incredible candy bar.  Later on, Mike and I took some nighttime photos of Ashley and Will inside on the staircase and then out on the porch where...you may have guessed it...the glorious Ducati was waiting for us!  I was so pleased with how our Ducati photo turned out, and I know Will was too.  :)

I can't thank Ashley and Will enough for hiring Mike and I to photograph their special day.  I had an absolute blast with all of the amazing vendors they worked with, and also just loved spending time with their family and friends.  It was truly a special day, and I hope you enjoy the photos!

Venue: Oxon Hill Manor Photographer: Lisa Boggs Photography Planner: Kelley Canon Events Florist: Enchanted Florist Caterer: Main Event Caterers Cake: Maggie Austin Hair: Lulu Sage Salon DJ: Luxor Music

Thanks for looking!

Love,

Lisa