Thanks for stopping by to browse around. Here is where you can find all of the up to date information about Michelle Lindsay Photography! You get first dibs on the newest images, hints about upcoming, hot products, and even get a chance to gather ideas for your own wedding. You may even learn a bit about my personal life in the process!
Basically, it's a place to celebrate love, life, laughs and photographs!
So ENJOY and please feel free to leave me comments...I love hearing from my readers. And for all of you out there that have told me that you unofficially stalk me, you can now officially stalk me by subscribing to the blog!
It was an emotional day for everyone. After many heartfelt toasts and speeches from friends and family, Peter and Katie stood up in front of their 300 guests and told one another why they had married each other. There were lots of little reasons Peter gave - Katie’s kindness, intelligence, smile and warmth. But my favorite was the reason Katie gave. She stood up, looked at Peter (at this point crying pretty hard) and simply said “I love you so much.” Simple. Elegant. To the point.
Peter and Katie were married on Sunday, January 31st. The ceremony was traditional Coptic Orthodox, which is very different from any other wedding ceremony I know of. It’s fascinating and so colorful and joyous and I love photographing these ceremonies. Then Peter, Katie and the bridal party went to the Kennedy Center for photos before heading over to the Capital Hilton for their ballroom reception.
Enjoy!
The flower girl was such a little ham in front of the camera. She followed me around all morning long.
Katie’s soon to be sister in law looking on…
In traditional Coptic Orthodox wedding ceremonies, the bride and groom are actually crowned, symbolizing that they are becoming rulers of their own “kingdom,” i.e. their new home together.
This next one was captured by my associate Benjamin Burrows, who I was SO lucky to have come all the way from Boston to photograph this wedding with me.
Married!
So So Sooooooo Sweet! I love this one.
Their first dance was done to this amazing song called “Lovely Tonight” that was written and recorded by one of their friends.
February 8, 2010 - 1:51 pmKim - holy WOW, woman! these are some seriously gorgeous shots!!! LOVELY!!
February 8, 2010 - 4:37 pmmichellelind - yay! I'm so glad you like them Kim! Thank you!!!
February 8, 2010 - 5:48 pmKelsey - I think this may be my favorite work of yours ever! Way to start the year off with a bang, girl! Gorgeous!
February 8, 2010 - 6:57 pmChris - Stunning, simply Beautiful! Another grand slam, Michelle!
February 8, 2010 - 8:01 pmmichellelind - You guys are way too sweet...I think was I was extra motivated from Imaging USA. Thanks for all the words of encouragement.
For those of you who don’t know, my background and degree was actually in Graphic Design. It’s sort of funny because I was looking through some old scrapbooks the other day and found an interview I’d done for a scholarship award and in it, I was asked what I wanted to do after college. My response was own a advertising agency. Ha! Well, at least I was right about wanting to be the boss, but truth be told, I couldn’t be happier with how everything serendipitously turned out for my career path.
I still love designing and I use that skill set almost on a daily basis. I design almost all of my own marketing materials and packaging concepts, but the one area I love to utilize it most is in album design.
There are a lot of album designing companies out there - you send them your wedding images and a few days later you have a pretty descent layout. Simple and easy, but it just doesn’t feed that crazy, creative addiction I have, so I’ve opted to keep all my album designing in-house. Each layout is one-of-a-kind and best yet, it’s my chance to tell the story of the couple’s wedding day.
For me, good album design is easy on the eyes, simplistic and most of all timeless. But GREAT album design…well it’s on a whole other level because it’s the art of crafting a story through imagery. It’s the type of layout that pulls you back to a particular place and time and brings up emotions and memories. Simply put, it has the ability to move people.
I recently delivered Tina and Elvis’s Wedding Album and I was so happy with how it came out. In fact, I’m making a sample for my studio! I thought I’d share some photos of the album, as well as some of the page layouts.
Cheers! (and here’s hoping the snow holds off for my wedding on Sunday!)
January 29, 2010 - 8:09 pmSharon - nice. clean. creative. simplistic. and super strong. all the key aspects of a great album design! good stuff.. so, a question for you Miss Michelle. Do you put your logo and contact info at the end of you books.. like say on the last page. I used to and now I am going back and forth about it.. just a little question if you have a sec! great stuff love :) S.
January 30, 2010 - 1:47 pmKate Duval - Michelle! This is gorgeous...your images and your design and the couple! So awesome, love it!
February 8, 2010 - 8:30 amTracy - Awesome pictures and a beautiful album!
Bridal Shows. If you are a bride reading this, you’re probably intrigued. Free cake, lots of vendors in one place, deals and discounts. All good, right?
If you’re a photographer, you’re probably thinking, “yuck! I’m way too cool for bridal shows.”
I used to be one of those photographers. I thought that everyone who went to a bridal show was only looking for the free cake and deals/discounts. Right? WRONG. Last year, I decided to move my business from Boston to the DC metro area. Whereas in Boston you couldn’t swing a bouquet without a bride knowing who I was, I had absolutely zero word of mouth in DC. No one knew I even existed. So I thought about it and I weighed my options. I could wallow in pity, crying about the fact that I had no business OR I could get out there and meet brides face to face.
I did my first bridal show last April and was pleasantly surprised by the brides stopping by my booth. They were actually interested in my work! They didn’t care that I wasn’t handing out coupons or that I didn’t have a giveaway. The first words out of their mouths weren’t “how much do you charge?” They really wanted to talk to me and find out what I could bring to the most special day of their entire lives. As a bonus, I got to showcase my personality as much as I did my photography, which as I’ll always say time and time again is JUST AS IMPORTANT as how spectacular your photographs are. If the couple isn’t comfortable around their photographer, it’s going to show in the photos.
The reason I’m sharing this is because all too often I hear photographers snub bridal shows. I’ve even heard photographers berate one another for participating in them. It’s ridiculous and I wanted to share my experience with shows to give another perspective out there to photographers considering it. Bridal shows CAN work for you if approach them with the right attitude. Yes, you will encounter the uber budget bride who is looking for the best deal, but you’ll also talk to many brides who have made photography their number one wedding priority (and budgetary expensive after the venue and food/drink). They are genuinely interested in finding the right photographer for their day.
p.s. Some of my favorite clients found me at a bridal show…
Here’s my 2010 booth display from Sunday’s Washington Bridal show - a very special thanks to my sister who is amazing and spent her Sunday morning helping me set up. And of course, THANK YOU TO ALL THE BRIDES WHO STOPPED BY TO SAY HELLO! I enjoyed meeting and chatting with each and every one of you. I have about 5 spots left in my 2010 wedding season so if you are interested, email me now to schedule a consult.
In a few weeks, I’m launching a brand new Boudoir brand for my company. I am SO excited about it and I did a mini debut at the bridal show. If you didn’t attend the show but are interested in learning more about boudoir, email me and I’ll send you a gift towards a boudoir package!!!
January 28, 2010 - 11:08 amSharon - Oh Michelle! This looks amazing! You guys did such a great job. I LOVE the boudoir book. It looks really good on the outside and I am intrigued to see what the inside looks like :) Your work is amazing and I am so glad you wrote this blog. Bowie and I are trying so hard to do a show in Atlanta towards the end of the season! So, I am totally going to see you at the end of April. I would love for you to be apart of the shoot, and hope so badly that you and everyone else will be there! As we get closer I am going to give exact dates, but it looks like Sunday April 25th we may be in your area! Talk to you soon.
January 30, 2010 - 3:06 amKim - ooh lovely lovely!! so glad you posted!
One of my most dreaded things is sorting through all of the images I’ve taken in a year and trying to pick my favorites. It’s really hard! Especially because I see a photo and immediately have an emotional connotation associated with it and the couple in it. It’s almost like I’m a biased party. Last week I started this process because I wanted to make a video slideshow highlighting some of my favorite images. I loved how it came out and I debuted this at the Bethesda Bridal Show this past Sunday. Take a look and tell me what you think!
(to play, you need to hit the play arrow on the bottom left hand corner of the frame…make sure your volume is turned up!)
Today started off, well, not so great. I had a meeting with my accountant (never a bowl of rainbows), followed by a 2 hour phone call with my merchant services (I HATE them!), which afterwards, I then proceeded to lock myself out of my condo while answering the door for the UPS guy (seriously?!?)
BUT, as they always say, there is a silver lining. Once Steve, my handy-dandy maintenance man let me back into my condo, I noticed a lovely email waiting for me in my inbox. Wedding Wire has just announced their 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ , which recognizes excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry and I’m so excited to say that I was selected as among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada.
AWESOME!
If you are newly engaged and looking for a great resource for vendors, I highly recommend Wedding Wire - it is the perfect place to read real reviews about wedding professionals from real brides. You can visit my Wedding Wire page here.
Thank you to all of my super star clients who took the time out of their hectic lives to write a review for me and share their experience. Not only does it mean a lot to me, but it helps other brides know what they can expect when working with Michelle Lindsay Photography.
January 20, 2010 - 7:56 amMKD Photography - Congrats Michelle! We made it for the second year this year as well! So cool! *If you are a bride and you're reading this, Michelle is an amazing photographer and you should hire her for your wedding RIGHT NOW! No, really, I mean it!* -Mike
January 20, 2010 - 1:29 pmBrian - Congratulations, so very happy to hear you are being recognized for the amazing work you do!
January 21, 2010 - 9:23 amBeatrice de Guigne - Congrats! Your work is so beautiful!
Boudoir sometimes gets a bad rap, but I think it is a fantastic way to celebrate how strong, sexy and confident a woman is. I love photographing them and every client who has ever taken the plunge and done the session says that they are ecstatic they did it. One client wrote me after her session and said, ” I had soooo much fun this weekend and I wanted to thank you again. I really haven’t ever felt so beautiful.”
Now, I’m not really the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day - I will admit it. I guess I’ve never really understood why we need one particular day out of the year to tell our loved ones how special they are to us - shouldn’t we be doing that every day of the year??? That being said, it’s hard to ignore the holiday, especially when your job involves documenting love stories, so this year, I decided I wanted to do something special to help give women out there a more unique gift idea, as well as the opportunity to try something new and amazing for themselves.
For Valentine’s Day, I will be offering my most popular boudoir package at a GREAT discount. If you are interested, please make sure to contact me prior to January 18th to schedule your session. The session can take place wherever you’d like. One of my favorite locales is the Hotel Monaco - I can also come directly to your home or apartment (you’d be surprised what we can do with a small space!!!)
In other news, I am excited to be attending Imaging USA this upcoming week. 4 whole days spent with inspiring photographers, previewing brand new products and technology, and in general, just an all out good time! We’ll be kicking it off Nashville style starting tomorrow, which coincidentally also happens to be my birthday. Anyone wanna guess how old I am?!????
January 12, 2010 - 9:49 amKate O'Toole - I did my session last year right around this time and I couldn't be happier. I went into it thinking it was a gift for my husband but in turn it was such a gift to myself. I have never felt so beautiful. I highly recommend this to anyone!
January 12, 2010 - 9:51 amKate - I did this session about a year ago at the Hotel Monaco. I went into it thinking it was a gift for my husband, something special for him, but after it was over I think it was just as much a gift to myself. I have never felt so liberated and beautiful. I highly recommend this to anyone!
The DC blizzard of 2009 was exciting, to say the least, although I have to admit that growing up in Wisconsin sort of makes you a bit immune to massive amounts of snow. As a little girl, I remember how every winter, from December until around March, there would be a huge pile of snow at the bottom of my driveway and if I stood on it, I would be taller than my mailbox. School cancellations were the norm, and often times there weren’t even because of snow, but rather because the temperature was so cold that you couldn’t even go outside with getting frost bite immediately. Sledding, snowboarding, ice skating on the frozen pond behind my house…these are all very vivid childhood memories…that and white Christmases. Never once in all my years have I ever NOT had a white Christmas. One year we came close, but then, on Christmas Eve it started snowing and when I woke up on Christmas morning, there was a light dusting on the ground. Im pretty sure my dad told me it was a Christmas miracle.
Anyways, now I’ve gotten carried away! The point of this blog posting is to wish everyone a very Happy Holidays AND share the final results from Cans for Comments. A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated. 36 people commented in those 5 days - I doubled that amount and 72 canned items are going to Bread for the City. YAY!!!!!
Also, I will be taking some time off around the holidays to celebrate with friends and family so please be patient if you send me any emails. After the holidays, I have a LOT of catching up on my blog to do and a brand new year to do so (perhaps my resolution should be to provide a little more TLC to my blog?!?).
And of course, I cannot post without photos. I took a few shots during the blizzard and thought Id share them, but first, I HAD to post this photo I found the other day. Its me when Im about 7 or 8 years old sledding….haha. What a goofball!
December 21, 2009 - 11:16 pmLelia - Gorgeous! Those pictures are amazing. And that is one ridiculously cute dog!
December 28, 2009 - 8:37 pmMichelle Meehan - Beautiful pictures Michelle! I received the photo in the mail yesterday- thank you so much! My mom is going to love it. Happy new year :-)
I’ll admit that I’ve been having a tough time getting in the holiday spirit this year. I’m not really quite sure why, but for whatever reason, I don’t feel like putting up a Christmas tree - I don’t feel like playing holiday music - I don’t really even feel like making a pie (which is strange for me)! There is one thing that I have felt like doing though, and that’s giving back. So this year I’ve decided to participate in Cans for Comments, which was started last holiday season by one of my all-time favorite photographers - Chris + Lynn.
So here is the deal. For this entire week, Monday - Friday, for every person who posts a comment to my blog, I will donate one canned food itemto Bread for the City. This takes 1 minute of your time and will make a difference to many deserving families this holiday season. So comment away! It doesn’t have to be anything super insightful. If you’re not sure what to post, tell me what your favorite soup is or what you want for Christmas this year. Anything counts. You can comment on this post, any previous post or any new posts I put up this week.
Please also feel free to share my blog with your friends/family so that they can participate as well! And when you’re done enjoying all of the photos on my blog, head over to Kristi Odom’s blog who is also participating in this fabulous cause.
Of course, I can’t post without a photo today, so here’s a sneak peek from Brett and Monica’s engagement session at Chrysalis Vineyards.
December 7, 2009 - 10:55 amSusan Taricani - Hi Michelle, I hope that all is going well with you in DC! I am happy with any excuse to check out your blog and new photos because I love them - so I think your cans for comments idea is fantastic. Thanks for everything!
Susan (and Darren) Taricani
December 7, 2009 - 11:19 amAllison Miles-Lee - Thanks for doing Cans for Comments for Bread for the City! Your pictures are beautiful...this reminded me to check out your blog, so I'll browse around while I'm here :)
December 7, 2009 - 12:03 pmLauralee L-M - Your photos are beautiful Michelle! Keep up the good work. Happy Holidays! ~Lauralee
December 7, 2009 - 12:10 pmJennifer - Michelle-
Your pictures are extraordinary! You have certainly found your talent.
Jen
December 7, 2009 - 12:26 pmAbigail Espegard - Hey McCaucutt!
You are the best photographer ever! See you in a couple of weeks.
-Abs
December 7, 2009 - 2:44 pmLeah Molseed - Hi Michelle, I cant get enough of your photos. Im so glad things are going well. I think it is rare for someone to be able to find a profession that is such a perfect match for their talents.
December 7, 2009 - 5:20 pmJack McArron - I am happy to see you are doing some good for humanity. I hope you, your friends, and your family have a merry Christmas.
December 7, 2009 - 7:25 pmJenny Andres - What a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit and to give back as well! Your talent amazes me. I can't wait to see you at Christmas!
December 8, 2009 - 8:58 amBrian M. - Wow! How did you add the "grain" to the background of the photo? I can't wait to see what other angles you found at the winery!
December 8, 2009 - 11:40 amMonica - Is that me?! Looks great! But not as great as your charitable contributions, such a good idea! See you Thursday :)
December 8, 2009 - 11:50 amTracy - Great cause, Michelle, and great sneak peek!!
December 8, 2009 - 12:46 pmastrid - FA LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAAAA LA LA LA LAAAAA!!!!
December 8, 2009 - 1:54 pmKatie - I cant get into the Christmas spirit either this year for some reason but giving back is an awesome way to start! Good idea! See you soon :)
December 8, 2009 - 2:37 pmLiz - Great idea Michelle-- what a great cause to help out! Awesome photo, too!
December 8, 2009 - 3:59 pmStephanie - Hey! Im can #15! (as your big sister, it goes without saying that I find your work amazing)
December 8, 2009 - 4:01 pmElena - Michelle! Happy Holidays! What a wonderful idea. You are a very talented person and Ric and I are delighted that you will be photographing our wedding. Wishing you a wonderful Holiday season and let the next year be even better for you.
December 8, 2009 - 4:24 pmLindsey Mackey - Michelle! Your photography is just stunning! I am so proud of you for following your passion, and living your life the way you want. That takes a lot of courage, and I admire you. I hope one day I will be able to have you make me look gorgeous in some new shots. Happy Holidays...I'll see you soon.
xo,
Lindsey
December 8, 2009 - 5:00 pmGabe O'Neill - Here's one from all the kids!! -Gabe
December 8, 2009 - 9:23 pmDolores Curry - Love what you are doing, both professionally and compassionatly. Felt much the same way this CHRISTmas. I mean, how can we celebrate in the face of unemployment, wars, etc. A website The Advent Conspiracy.org gives a lot of good ideas. I am putting some of them in practice. Feel better about myself in the middle of this muddle. Love, Dolores
December 8, 2009 - 11:06 pmRachael - Hi, Michelle! Just popped in to check out the website and saw the cans for comments. This may be your furthest reaching comment - Im in Christchurch, New Zealand (talk about hard to get into Christmas - Im in shorts and a tank top and its getting warmer instead of cooler). Youd go MAD trying to photograph everything worth capturing here. Its absolutely amazing. Anyhow - great idea with collecting comments for charity. Good luck with it!!
~Rachael
(from Alex and Andys Boston wedding)
December 9, 2009 - 12:37 amBruce Caucutt - Dad - Nice job Michelle. You've come a long way from the days of Winnie the Pooh! I
really enjoy shooting with you and your work is amazing. We will get u in the xmas spirit when u r home. Luv ya, dad.
December 9, 2009 - 6:53 amLillian Gremillion - Hi Michelle,
Sorry I couldnt meet you last night at the book club meeting - maybe next month. Your pictures are fabulous. Have a happy holiday season.
- Lillian
December 9, 2009 - 8:35 amAllisonK - Michelle! You are such a sweet person and your sincerity definitely shows in your photos! I'm so proud of you! Can't wait to see you in a couple weeks!
December 9, 2009 - 9:00 amKatie O - The cards, the photos...everything is amazing! You are not only extremely talented but have a huge heart giving back to your community like this. See you soon!
December 9, 2009 - 10:20 amKate O'Toole - Hi Michelle! I am also having trouble getting into the spirit. Partially because we can't put up a tree for fear our puppy would think its his newest toy. Hope all is well and thanks again for all you have done for Matt and I! We still look back at our pics and love them over and over again.
December 9, 2009 - 12:49 pmMIchelle Meehan - Hi Michelle- it was nice talking to you today! We love our wedding photos- and thanks again for searching for that picture this week!
Have a great holiday
Michelle & Brendan
December 9, 2009 - 8:43 pmLaura Levit - Nice photos! Christian suggested I make a comment about being pantless :)
December 10, 2009 - 4:15 pmDiane - Youre just amazing !!!!!!
December 11, 2009 - 8:36 amErin Balogh - Hi Michelle! Great idea and your pictures are beautiful!
December 11, 2009 - 4:07 pmCarole - Michelle, Thanks for being such a great sport with Rich & I. I hope your toes were on their way to frost bite! =)
December 11, 2009 - 4:09 pmCarole - Oh! Thanks again for being a wedding photographer in March =)
December 11, 2009 - 4:10 pmCarole - You need to tell me the names and artists of the songs on your website, I LOVE them!
December 11, 2009 - 4:47 pmJenifer - Your work is incredible! Thanks again for the amazing pictures from Kids Are Heroes Day. Happy Holidays to you! :)
December 11, 2009 - 4:56 pmCalista - Merry Christmas! :)
December 11, 2009 - 4:59 pmEmily - Hi Michelle! I hope all is going well. Your pictures are beautiful!
December 11, 2009 - 5:22 pmAmy Reddinger - May God bless you richly for helping others in need this holiday season... MERRY CHRISTMAS & Happy New Year!!!
December 15, 2009 - 11:33 pmLisa - Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!
December 21, 2009 - 2:25 pmAnna Everhart - WOW, Michelle! Your photos are gorgeous! I hope that my comment is in for the cans- what a great idea! Take care, Anna Everhart
I’m a photo geek. Obviously. If there is a way to incorporate photos into whatever I’m doing, you better believe I’m on top of it. Which is why I LOVE the idea of custom photo Thank You cards. What a great way to thank your guests while sharing some of your beautiful wedding photographs at the same time.
The quality of these cards is unmatchable - Snapfish, O-foto, VistaPrint..nothing comes even close. The colors pop and the whites shimmer. The smooth, Pearl finish creates a silky look and feel that is elegant and artistic. And best of all, they are customized and designed specifically for YOU.
Shannon and I just finished her Thank You cards and I LOVE how the colors turned out. I just had to photograph them to share with everyone (even though a photo cannot do these cards full justice).
I am definitely behind in my blogging. October was an extremely busy month with 6 weddings and then somehow November just slipped away…and here it is already December 1st. The fall colors were so beautiful this year and many of the weddings I had the opportunity to photograph during that timeframe were amazing so I’m going to backtrack a bit to share the rest of my October weddings.
Katie and Scott were married October 10th at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, MD. The rain clouds threatened all morning but ended up clearing out to a perfect blue sky for a sunny afternoon reception. Bright, bold fall colors were used EVERYWHERE and Katie and Scott added lots of little extra, personalized touches to the day. My favorite was the Converse sneakers that Katie and her bridesmaids rocked out the afternoon in (of course Katie’s were jazzed up with a sparkly “I DO”).
To me, Katie is a classic beauty and I LOVE photographing her and Scott. We had such an amazing time together during their engagement session back in July because Katie and Scott are pretty much up for anything. I’m not positive, but I think if I had asked them to jump in the fountain at Ceresville on the wedding day, they just might have (Katie’s dress was way to pretty though to ruin it!) Both them and the bridal party were so awesome on the wedding day and my associate Kristi and I had a blast playing around with the cigars and champagne that Katie, Scott and I decided to incorporate into their wedding photos. It was a lively, energetic day filled with beautiful fall scenery, heartfelt emotion and of course, lots of sincere love.
Gorgeous color palette for a fall wedding.
Katie’s Converse Sneakers.
And the more “formal” wear for the day.
Love love love this next one.
Scott getting dressed.
Ahh! She is SO beautiful! I just want to photograph her all day long!
by michellelind
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