MY FIRST EVER BESTIE SESSION! These three literally were SO MUCH FUN to photograph. They have been friends for a really, really long time and have been there for each others huge life events! It’s International Women’s day tomorrow so I figured this was a PERFECT time to show off these strong and beautiful women embracing each other and #girlpower
Oh my goodness, this was one of the W I N D I E S T engagement sessions I have ever had. However, a little wind did NOT stop Holly and Mike from having fun for their session at Federal Hill Park. These two are just a bright and airy as their photographs and their summer wedding could NOT come soon enough.
When Kira and Jay contacted us about their short wedding day needs in Richmond, Virginia which happened to be on hubby’s birthday we immediately said YES! We’ve been hearing about Richmond since we moved to the area and hadn’t had a chance to venture out yet!
We met Kira at her parent’s beautiful home in Libby Hill Park and from there ventured to their church and then back to Libby Park! We only shot with them for two hours but it was a BEAUTIFUL whirlwind which ended with the ENTIRE wedding party singing happy birthday to Michael. Scroll all the way down to see him happy receiving birthday love!
So, how did they meet?
“This is completely out of character for either of us, but here goes: we met at the gym nearby (O2 fitness). It was my first time there after moving to the area. I ran on the treadmill and then went to stretch in the free weight area. I wasn't sure if I could use a mat that was already rolled-out or if someone else would be coming back to it, so I asked the only person in the free weight area at the time, Jay, a regular at that gym. He informed me that I was free to use the mat, so I proceeded with my workout and thought nothing else of that interaction. After stretching I moved on to do some leg weights. Between my reps on one of the machines, Jay came over and complimented my sneakers (which are black with bright highlighter pink, blue, and green accents). I complimented his in turn and then awkwardly realized he wanted to continue talking, but I don't know how to keep a conversation going with someone I've just met. Thankfully he was in a pretty confident mood and asked me if I was a student and if I was new to the area. I answered him and asked him similar questions in turn. Then here's the kicker: he asked if I would like to get a drink sometime. As someone who was new to the area and who's never "gotten a drink" with any guy ever, I have no idea what made me answer the way I did, but after very rapidly processing Jay's question and my recent move to this new area and my limited experience with dating, I decided to go out on a limb and say "yes." I guess both of us were feeling a little more confident than usual that day. Anyways, I gave him my number and he texted me later that day to give me his, spelled my name wrong in his first message, prompted an exchange of some terrible jokes, and the rest is history.”
These two love board games, cooking together, listening to music together and truly enjoy EVERY bit of life together. Our time together was short but we will undeniably never forget it.
Molly and Eliberto met in El Salvador! I gathered three magical things during my time with them: They are activists, energetically working to make things better in this world. They are passionate about everything they do in their lives and radiate so much love! Lastly, that family means more to them than anything else! Photographing this absolute blending of cultures, rituals and traditions was unquestionably an experience we are proud to have been a part of. They got married at the gorgeous Stonewall golf club in Gainesville, Virginia which meant GOLF CARTS! Who doesn’t enjoy riding around during golden hour for pictures?!
Antoinette and Marcus have a love story that is kind is actual fireworks! The sort of love where you meet, you KNOW and you decide to make it FOREVER pretty much immediately.
I’ll save all of the details for their wedding post in the future!
If you know me, you know that I am absolutely obsessed with all plants, flowers, and succulents. My actual life goal is to have more plants than space in my home. (Not sure how hubby feels about it).
Therefor The Rawlings Conservatory is one of my FAVORITE places to visit. Every space feels different and lush and I WISH I COULD DO ALL ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS HERE. This was my first session here and I am hoping for many more.
Jeanie and Kyle came to Fed Hill with the SWEETEST vibes. Light, airy and with LOTS of silliness.
They literally made me laugh the entire time and those kind of people are really near and dear to my heart, always.
These lovebirds met via the internet a year and a half ago and IMMEDIATELY hit it off! Jeanie says she knew he was the one when he was mom approved, specifically for eating all things presented to him.
They got engaged last Memorial day at Muddy Creek Falls and are getting married this September. To say I am excited about their wedding is an UNDERSATEMENT. I mean, look at these two!
GUYS! Meet Jessica, Kevin and their two A D O R A B L E dogs Josey and Bear.
These two Hampden residents absolutely love roaming around their neighborhood and trying new places. As self-proclaimed foodies we of course had to hit up some of their favorite eateries.
Typically, I would write up something cute about how they met with info provided but Jessica’s paragraph about how they met is PERFECT so here it is y’all!
“Kevin and I first started talking in middle school. I saw a friend on AIM (oh the days before texting!) and decided on a whim to message her. Turns out Kevin was at my friend's house visiting her brother. He happened to be playing games on her computer and figured he would jokingly respond as her but quickly the facade was up. We found that we had some similar interests so he shared his real username and from that point on, we chatted almost exclusively online as he graduated up to high school. We even had a mutual friend act as our go-between to pass manga and movies back and forth, and eventually we would start to include handwritten letters.
We remained close friends over the years, and once I joined him at the high school, we began to hang out in person too. We would hang out whenever we went on school-funded Art Trips as we were both in the National Art Honors Society, and started sharing music and discussing our favorite super heroes (he's a Super-Man and Flash fan, I was more into Batman and the Justice League). We were seeing different people at the time but found it very comfortable to continue spending time together on and offline.
By the time my senior year ended, we were both single and our innocent flirting became a little more serious as we went on a few dates during the summer, but it just didn't feel right. In retrospect, we were both still a little sore from our previous breakups and not ready for one another yet. Heartbroken, I headed to college and we lost touch.
We would occasionally say hi on Facebook and give each other small little updates, but otherwise didn't really get back into the swing of things until four years later. Unbeknownst to me, my mother had been seeing him frequently at his workplace and would spark up a conversation each time. Dropping little updates and hints about how I was doing.
Then one day, while I was on holiday break, I ran into him at a store and we struck up a conversation. We decided to make a dinner date to catch up, as friends. Shortly after, we realized not only did we still have feelings for one another still, but that we were both more mature and truly ready to give our relationship a real try.”
I am SO EXCITED for their wedding as I know there will be SO MUCH color and love.
First of all, let me talk about the venue: The Living Well. It’s an up and coming community center in Baltimore striving to make a difference in our community. This was their FIRST WEDDING and I must say, it’s a spectacular space and I am certainly hoping to document more ceremonies of love at this gorgeous space.
Andrea and John aren’t your average couple. Every single detail of their day was absolutely uniquely handcrafted by the two of them. Nothing was traditional but EVERYTHING was stunning. From the cute little pomegranates in Andrea’s hair to the insane bouquets.
The night ended at Peabody Heights brewery with lots of laughter and their closest people. This very Baltimore wedding was one of my FAVORITES of last year.
Melanie contacted me only TWO WEEKS before her wedding day. She had hired a two photographer team but one cancelled so she was looking for another second shooter. We actually had plans with my family that weekend but something had JUST come up the day before and they were no longer able to come up to Baltimore, meaning I was available. Hey, stuff happens for a reason, right?!
These two got married at the DC War Memorial with all of their closest friends and family members. I’ve walked by this countless times and have always wanted to photograph a wedding there! Melanie wore a literal DREAM of a dress that draped down the stairs in the most magical way EVER. Everything about their ceremony was beautiful, meaningful and simple. So happy I got to be a small part of their day!
Morgan and Matt got married at Maroni Meadows in Snohomish, Washington at the beginning of September. This venue was definitely one I won’t forget anytime soon, absolutely lush land with berries, more flowers and plants than I could ever name and absolutely astonishing details. Every single inch of this place is catered to having a beautiful, romantic celebration. Matt and Morgan each have unique styles which really came through with their wedding elements, from her skull shoes to décor themed after movies and a water gun soaker exit down the aisle. Nothing on this day was ordinary and I can certainly say the same about them. Absolute gems, rock on you two!
Oh man, where do I start with these two? Okay, so I met them at one of my best friends’ baby shower at the beginning of this year. They both had this total chill vibe that I love, they are completely covered in absolutely beautiful tattoos, they are just as obsessed with their cat as we are with ours, they love good music. Essentially: WE NEEDED TO BE FRIEND! Fast forward a bit and we are quickly becoming friends having hang out sessions, going out to dinners and adventuring in Baltimore. These two decided to get married on Halloween just a few months ago AND I AM SO EXCITED TO PHOTOGRAPH IT IN EXACTLY ONE WEEK.
I’m going to save their love story for their wedding blog which won’t be too far away, so keep an eye out! It’s going to be spooky.
So, let me start out with saying I am absolutely obsessed with these two. Emma and Taylor absolutely compliment my relaxed/hangout style of shooting and we did TWO sessions together. These lovebirds met at a friend’s bonfire in 2010 and have been together since! In their early days of talking they would always go to Taco Bell to eat and talk, these meals ended up lasting 3+ hours because they could talk forever.
June of this year they were on their family vacation in Bethany Beach, Delaware. During a day that Emma thought would be normal, Taylor and the family planned their special engagement moment! Taylor asked her to go for a walk by the water, and while the family hung back, he got on one knee and POPPED THE BIG QUESTION!
We did a cute session at the park and later on had a session at Camden Yards Stadium which was pretty epic! I seriously cannot wait for their wedding.
Sydney and Alex met through mutual friends at the Bel Air volunteer fire company. A whole month of texting happened before these two actually met face to face which happened to be VALENTINE’S DAY. They had an immediate connection but decided to make their official day the 15th to avoid having a holiday anniversary. Sydney remembers immediately calling her friend and saying “I have a boyfriend and he’s amazing, handsome and funny. Everything felt so natural.” They both knew early on that they were soulmates, and in June Alex popped the question! They were in Ocean city and while walking down the pier Sydney saw her friends and family waiting for them. These two own a business called Dowling Design, they do wood-work, vinyl and home décor. Alex also works full-time overnights at a quarry while Sydney is in school to become a radiographic technologist. We did their session at my favorite place to do engagement sessions in Baltimore: Federal Hill Park, and had a great time doing it. These two cuties are definitely ready to get married and I can’t wait to capture it!
Gina and Brannan got married at the historic Cabell’s Mill in Virginia. The mill was built before the 1800’s and you can really feel the history of the place. The surrounding landscape and gardens were also absolutely stunning! I met these two for their engagement session last year, it was cold and wet but these two had such a warming love, no one actually noticed. Gina and Brannan really just wanted the basics for their day, no fuss-no-frills but really just a celebration of their bond which has literally carried through ALL over the world, as they both have taught internationally and have traveled extensively. These two are passionate about the world we live in and are the kind of couple who spends their time trying to make it a better place. Whether it is environmentally or educationally, they are set to make a difference and I am pretty proud to have been able to be a small part of their huge lives.
I met Nicole via Instagram and she asked me to do a session at Federal Hill Park with her and her fiancé. Her Instagram tag name is “I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cat mom.” And I mean, we all know how I feel about cats and fellow cat mothers. As soon as we met I knew it was going to be a really fun session! Nicole is one of those humans who has an infectious laugh and Adam’s adoration for her was so so so fun to capture. I think we spent most of our session giggling (as you see in the pictures!). I figured these two already had a wedding photographer, so I didn’t even ask about it. So when they asked me to photograph their wedding, I died inside a little with excitement! How did they meet? They actually have known each other for a long time. Nicole was very good friends with Adam’s little sister (she was even the MOH in her wedding!). and they essentially ignored each other for 6 entire years. One could say video games and fear of a very sassy Nicole kept them apart. Eventually, they spoke about a TV show and from then on the conversations just never ended! We are actually going to do another session before their big day next year and I can’t wait. I mean, look at them!
Becca and Ricky got married at Becca’s absolutely beautiful family home in the woods of Winchester, VA. (We actually photographed her sister’s wedding before, which is super cool!) Although rain was in the forecast and constantly luring, this couple stayed positive and relaxed. The girls got ready upstairs while the men enjoyed drinks and pool in the basement. Every detail of this wedding was crafted with love. Their ceremony was gorgeous and did NOT get rained out and they had some of the best vegetarian food I’ve ever had!
Annie and Mike got married at what quickly is becoming my new fav Maryland venue: The Cloisters Castle! These two were definitely MY kind of couple and I loved everything about documenting their day. They really just cherished the five necessities on their wedding day: love, food, friends, family, and FUN. It was a brunch wedding and… I mean… who doesn’t love BRUNCH? Their gorgeous dog Lilah was also part of the ceremony (you CANNOT go wrong with a ceremony pup) and Mike’s vows literally had me silently-ugly crying in the isle. I’m pretty positive these two are going to lead amazing lives together with more animals and succulents along the way!
We met Emilee and Levi for their engagement session last winter! It was totally freezing but we had a blast and I COULDN’T wait for their wedding. They got married in charming Berryville, Virginia. E and L had a big wedding party that truly made sure they had an amazing day. So much love and dedication made it clear Emily and Levi have a huge support system. Prayers, tears, an absolutely magical rainbow, a sunset to dream of and so.much.dancing. A wedding I don’t think anyone will forget anytime soon.
They recently moved away from the DMV area to North Carolina. Thank you two for letting us capture your day and best wishes down south!
Brittney and Avi had a beautiful traditional Jewish wedding this spring. They got married at Glen Echo Park which is probably one of the most interesting places I have ever photographed a wedding! It’s a cultural and art center in Maryland which used to be a popular amusement park in the early 1900’s. A great day with cotton candy, a carousel and, dancing.
I traveled to one of my FAVORITE PLACES EVER to photograph Matt and Morgan's Seattle engagement session. These two picked me up and drove me all around the city! It was one of those sessions where it feels like we are just friends hanging out. Looking forward to their big day in September! Thanks for teaching me all about the Washington wild berries and showing me around your lovely city.
