It was a beautiful fall day when I met Grace at the Park Hyatt.  She was quietly sitting, getting her make-up done, while in the next room hung her two beautiful wedding gowns: a Simone Carvalli for the ceremony and a Terani Couture for the reception.  In less than an hour we would be headed over to meet David for the first look in Georgetown.  Grace seemed excited, yet calm.  After many months of planning, everything was finally coming together.

Grace & David were married on 9.10.11 – a very memorable date in and of itself.  Still, everything about this wedding was memorable; from the quiet ceremony at the quaint Georgetown church to the absolutely gorgeous reception at the Anderson House where guests dined under  the stars through a clear tent softly lit with twinkle lights to the lavish and quirky Alice in Wonderland themed party at K St. Lounge…it was definitely a night to remember.

Event Coordinator: Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events

Ceremony: Epiphany Catholic Church in Georgetown

Reception: Anderson House

Florist: Toulies en Fleur

Catering: Occassions

Band: Winn Brothers Band

After Party: K St. Lounge

After Party Decor: Ampa Events and Plants Alive

When we saw this flag outside the Park Hyatt, we knew we had to do a photo in front of it as a tribute.

David actually walked Grace down the aisle.  It was very sweet.

And from the Anderson House to K St Lounge, the party continued on late into the evening.

There was so much food at the after party, including tasty bites from Matchbox, fro-yo from PinkBerry and these yummy mini cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes.

You can  find the newest issue of Washingtonian’s Bride & Groom on newsstands and be sure to check out their Unveiled Showcase in January to meet some of the area’s best wedding professionals, including us!

The blog received 110 comments.  AWESOME!  I will be doubling that number and donating $220 to Bread for the City this holiday season.

Thank you again and Happy Holidays!

So this holiday season, please help me give back to our community.  It’s simple.

Starting today and going through next Monday, for every person who comments on my blog, I will donate one dollar to Bread for the City.

While in past years, I have donated one canned good for every comment, upon getting more involved with Bread for the City, I’ve learned that a single dollar can buy multiple canned food items and feed more people than that single canned good.  So this year, your comment will go even further!  If you’ve never hear of Bread for the City, they are a wonderful organization that provides residents of Washington, DC, with services, including food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services and this past summer, they opened an eco-friendly rooftop garden to help provide fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs in their pantry as well.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this effort over the years and I look forward to seeing if we can double our number from last year (it was over a hundred so we have a long ways to go, but I know we can do it!)  Remember, your comment doesn’t have to be anything super crazy or insightful…and it definitely doesn’t need to be about photography! Instead, I’d LOVE to hear about your family, friends, your holiday traditions, favorite holiday gift ever, or even what you are thankful for this year and/or looking forward to for next year.

Happy Holidays!

Brianne looks absolutely perfect in her Henri Roth dress, appropriately accompanied wither her turquoise blue heels.  While Brianne always has a smile on her face whenever I see her, today’s smile is especially large.  We’re in her childhood room, the place she grew up, just mere miles from where in a few short minutes, she’ll be seeing Heath for the first time in her wedding dress.  “My parents used to take me to Glen Echo all the time when I was a kid,” I remember her telling me when we first met.

Today, sitting quietly on her cluttered dresser among earrings and necklaces lays an old color photograph.  It’s of Brianne as a little girl – she’s on the carousel at Glen Echo Park.  A place steeped in old memories and an intense sense of fondness will be the start of a new chapter in Brianne’s life.

“Are you ready?” I ask her.

“Yes.  I am” she replies.

As I step through the green archway, I’m immediately transported to a different time and place.  It’s the 1900′s and I’m in France.  As I listen to the soft sound of the trickling Parisian fountain, everywhere I turn are hidden archways and meadering walkways, leading to another place and time.  For that brief second, I forget that I’m in Washington, DC.

Tess and Marco spent a lot of time thinking about what they wanted for their engagement session.  They ended up settling on Hillwood Estate, tucked quietly away in the heart of the hustle and bustle of DC.  I met them on a particularly rainy afternoon, although as our luck would have it, the rain quieted down for majority of the time we were photographing.  I think what I loved most about Tess and Marco’s engagement session is that they brought so much of themselves into it.  They pick Hillwood Estate for it’s Parisian gardens because they are planning a Marie Antoinette themed wedding.  From there, we went just a few blocks over and visited the movie theater and pool hall, Atomic Billiards, where they had their very first date.  Everything about the session screamed them.  Nothing about Tess and Marco is standard or typical, including the major bright blue bling Tess has on her hand.   It was such a fun-filled afternoon spent in good company and beautiful scenery.

It started out slowly at first.  Just a couple of raindrops, falling slowly and splattering the dark suits that Steve and his groomsmen were wearing.  Then, it started raining faster and harder.  The girls ran for the cover of the giant tree we were photographing near and my associate Kim and I rushed to pull out the umbrellas that we had thankfully thought to bring with us just in case.  As Rebecca, Steve and their bridal party stood huddled under 3 umbrellas, they were laughing and smiling.

We plan so hard for this one perfect day.  The thing is, life’s not perfect.  The weather doesn’t care that it’s your wedding day or that you’re wearing 3 inch high heels and standing in grass that’s about to turn to mud.  So we make the best out of it – that’s exactly what Rebecca and Steve did on their wedding day and I think that says something huge about them as a couple.  The fact that they could smile and laugh at the fact that the skies decided to open up just at the moment we were doing their wedding photos says to me that they are going to roll with the punches life gives them…together.  And in the end, they’ll know that often times, just like on their wedding day, at the end of a hard rainstorm is a beautiful sunset sky.

Silver Lining.

Reception: Heritage Hunt Golf Course

Caterer: Heritage Hunt Golf Course

Florist: Maryam Florist

Band: Black Tie

Cake: Victoria’s Cakery

And how much he loves her.

The leaves have just begun turning and it’s a beautiful fall day at Great Falls State Park.  Katie and Paul, both avid Rock Climbers, seem right at home here in this setting.  I’m impressed as Katie scales down the rocks in her flipflops.  ”We met at a Rock Climbing gym” she tells me as she begins to describe how apparently Paul is a pretty big deal in the Rock Climbing world and has traveled all across the globe for it.  I, on the other hand, am trying desperately not to fall flat on my face while juggling two cameras and a shoulder bag.  That would be embarrassing.

We’ve climbed pretty far down now and the view is spectacular.  Breathtaking really.  I turn around and Katie has hopped up on Paul’s back and his giving her a piggyback ride on the rocks.  It’s beyond adorable.  I reach for my camera and start photographing.