Alex & Carter met at UVA during their time on the Housing & Residence Life teams. They had the ultimate first date on Grounds grabbing sandwiches from a market and picnicking near Observatory Hill! It’s so cute watching the two of them together because I have known Alex since we were in high school together and have grown up alongside him! I remember our group of friends would always wonder who he’d end up with during our first year of college and I truly couldn’t think of anyone more perfect than Carter for him!

They’ve traveled all over the world together and survived grueling schedules being in law school & working, buying a house and getting the cutest pup Indy – oh and planning and REPLANNING their DC wedding together during a pandemic! I hope the future is nothing but smooth sailing – I know you both can tackle anything together 🙂

My favorite moment on the wedding day was watching Alex’s reaction as Carter walked down the aisle as well as their first dance and watching them throughout the reception! You can tell even from the photos how much they truly care for each other, it’s so sweet to witness in person! And it was INCREDIBLY fun to be able to photograph Alex, Carter, their families & their bridal party (many of whom I’ve known since high school & even longer!). It was such an honor capturing the whole day and celebrating alongside you and your wedding party! I hope you cherish your wedding day memories & photos forever and I truly couldn’t have been more honored to be by your side!!

Ceremony Venue: National United Methodist Church

Reception Venue: National Museum of Women in the Arts

Coordination: A Bride’s BFF

Florist: Pensee’s Florals

DJ: DJ Luccio

Catering: RSVP Catering

Videography: Petit Four Films

Cake: Edibles Incredible

Hair & Makeup: Georgetown Bride

Tips for Getting Ready On Your Wedding Day

I’m hoping to kick off a mini-series of blog posts within the upcoming weeks focusing on tips for brides to help them ensure that their wedding day runs smoothly! This will feature some of the tips and advice that I guide each of my brides through during their planning process to help ensure that every wedding day that I work is as seamless as possible! I have an ENTIRE bridal guide that each bride receives right after they book their wedding to read through and use to help them plan a stress-free wedding day that gives them plenty of time to relax and enjoy every single moment with their family and friends. This guide is PACKED with information and sending this out each time someone books is one of my favorite things to do!

I actually went a little bit further to create my very own Week of the Wedding guide that condenses all of the information included in the Bridal Guide down to things a bride should make sure she covers one or two weeks before her wedding so she doesn’t have to worry about it on the day of the wedding! All of these tips help ensure that everyone stays on time and that a bride is able to get the most out of her wedding photographs on her big day!

Today, I’m including a bunch of these tips (plus some more, because you know how I get with these informational posts) for all my fall 2020 and 2021 brides to consider for the getting ready portion of their day so let’s jump right in!

GETTING READY

This is most definitely the part for which I have the most tips on for the day. I’ve noticed a pattern where if a bride is able to get ready and make it to her first look/ceremony on time, the rest of the day tends to follow the expected timeline very easily! So having your maid of honor, a sibling or parent keeping everyone on track while getting ready is KEY!

YOUR DETAILS

For the getting ready portion of your day, make sure to include a box full of any details you’d like photographed ready for me when I walk in the door! This will save so much precious time and avoid a mini scavenger hunt to find any details or accidentally miss photographing something that you really wanted covered! Your box can include any of the following details you may have:

• • Your rings (please include ALL 3, I’ll give your fiancé’s to the best man after they’re photographed)
  • Stationary/invitation suite (please include 2 copies so I can photograph the back & front simultaneously)
  • Perfume
  • Your shoes
  • Any jewelry you’ll be wearing (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.)
  • Garter
  • Veil/hair pieces
  • A wooden hanger to help photograph your dress!
  • Anything borrowed/blue
  • Any gifts, letters, vows
  • Any special family heirlooms

 

 

YOUR DRESS

Make sure your dress is steamed and ready to be photographed when I walk in! Also, arrange your florals (bridal bouquets & boutonnieres to arrive by the time I am there) so I can include these in the detail shots. Any loose florals that your florist can provide are also incredibly helpful to style your details! I promise I will take great care of your dress, your rings and all of your details while I photograph them in a space with great natural light.

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR HMUA TEAM

Make sure your makeup & hair artists know the exact time you need to be ready to step into your dress so that it isn’t delayed and so that they aren’t rushed to get everything done or do their final touch-ups. I will be sure to grab a couple of pictures of the final touches or your hair & makeup as they finish up!

KEEPING YOUR SPACE CLEAN

Designate someone to keep your getting ready area clean! As I take pictures of the details, I will also make sure to capture some candid shots of you and your bridesmaids getting ready. This is why it’s so important to make sure that you keep the area where you’ll be getting ready clean.

It is SO easy for things to pile up on a wedding day when you have so many people sharing the same space to get ready! Also, I may move around a bit of clutter or any furniture so we can capture these pictures against a clean, neutral background that lets you be the central focus of the picture!

A NOTE FOR YOUR BRIDAL PARTY & FAMILY

Make sure that your bridesmaids and family members are dressed before you get into your gown. Same thing goes for over at the guys! Since we will be photographing the final moments of you getting into your gown, you’ll want to make sure that everyone that helps you in that moment is also dressed for it! We want to make sure they’re looking their absolute best in your wedding day photos as well from start to end! To make sure to stay track on time, have your bridesmaids and family members get into their dresses at least 20 minutes before you get into your gown.

NATURAL LIGHT

It is incredibly important for these pictures to be in a room that has a lot of natural light (meaning at least two large windows) to get those gorgeous shots that you always see on my website or blog. If your venue or getting ready space does not have a well-lit room, we will be sure to take the final pictures or mock pictures of you getting into your dress & putting your shoes and jewelry on outside where there is enough natural light! We can make sure that the guys are staying put while this happens so your groom doesn’t accidentally see you before your first look or ceremony!

ALL ABOUT THE GUYS

If your groom is getting ready at the same venue as you are, either me or my second shooter will be sure to hop on over to where the guys are getting ready and take a couple shots of any details your groom has. Please make sure he knows to keep these in a box ready for me as well so I can say hi and then get right to photographing these details for you guys! These can include any of the following:

• • Tie/bowtie
  • Shoes
  • Cuff links
  • Watch
  • Cologne
  • Special socks
  • Any gifts you have exchanged

Me or my second photographer will be sure to photograph any of these details as well as some shots of the guys hanging out, and some pictures of the best man or the groom’s father helping the groom get his jacket on and his tie straightened out.

I will also take a handful of portraits of your groom after he’s all ready and looking sharp! I promise these portraits take no more than a handful of minutes to capture! During this time, I will be sure to return the rings to the best man so he can have them ready for the ceremony!

If your groom is getting ready somewhere very far away, we can always make sure to have portraits of just him when we do your bride & groom portraits later in the day!

AND THAT’S IT FOR NOW!

This just breaks the tip of the iceberg, but as I said, the getting ready portion of the day is extremely vital to staying on track with the timeline for the entire day! The bridal guide that I have created goes very in-depth for each part of the wedding day and the week of the wedding I provide my bride with a list they can go through to make sure they can remember and delegate these tasks!

I hope this helps any potential brides planning their wedding day out there! Be sure to check out the next post in this series where I dive into tips to help portraits, family & bridal portraits, and ceremony go smoothly!

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Getting married in 2020 or 2021? Check out Wedding Details HERE!

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If you can’t already tell from the very first picture, these two absolutely love being engaged!! Jolene & Peter both went to Virginia Tech and then moved to the area after college! They were family friends growing up, both having been raised in Buffalo, NY, and had always kept in touch throughout the years. As they started living the post-grad life in the area, Peter would always ask Jolene to come to DC to hang out. But Jolene was NOT a city girl. After some convincing, he got her to come out to the Court House area for a slice at Fire Works Pizza and let’s just say, there may have not been fireworks but definitely some sparks and they hit it off! Fast forward over two years later, Jolene had a bit of a hunch that Peter MIGHT propose on their trip to Portugal! After all, it’s such a beautiful and gorgeous place that they’d be going to. But sensing that, Peter threw Jolene off track asking her if she would be ok waiting for a couple of years down the road to be engaged. And it totally worked! Jolene went along with it and was surprised when, at the top of a mountain overlooking the Duoro River in Quinta de Santa Eufémia, Peter got down on one knee!!! She came back with a ring and her fiancé!!!

I remember the nerves starting to creep in a couple of days right before I went full-time with photography. I started getting feelings of “wow THIS is IT.” And on a day where I started to question myself a little, I walked into Compass Coffee in Rosslyn and met Jolene & Peter. They were both so excited to be engaged, excited for ME who they had literally just met, and we happened to just click! And for me, it was such a firm reminder of WHY I was choosing this path for myself. To be able to work and serve people like Jolene & Peter throughout one of the most exciting times of their life!! Their enthusiasm for their winery wedding at District Winery was infectious. And although District Winery is in the city, Jolene wanted to make sure that they got pictures with the gorgeous scenery!

These guys love their vineyards and we decided to do their engagement session at Stone Tower Winery! We lucked out with such a beautiful sunny December day and had all of Stone Tower to ourselves!! The grounds, the patio and even the wine cellar, it was a DREAM for me! And these two are simply the BEST because you could not tell from these photos just how COLD it got that day! Taking their photos got me SO excited for their wedding day this upcoming fall! I know it’s going to be such a heartwarming, joyful and fun-filled day and I absolutely CAN NOT wait!!!

Such a CLASSIC shot!!!

Casually in LOVE with Jolene’s ring!

Favorite shot, these guys are such NATURALS!!!

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This proposal is super special because this one has been in the works for MONTHS! Pallavi, Surabhi’s sister, reached out to me SUPER excited back in the summer. Her and Anish have been planning out every detail for months and months it was amazing to finally see it come to life! Anish had decided to propose to Surabhi the day of the Virginia Tech vs. UVA football game. He convinced her that it would be worth going to after just having spent one day with her family for Thanksgiving. He told her that they had a hotel booked and she totally bought it!

When I met Anish over Facetime he walked me through the whole campus map and the walk he would take Surabhi on before coming to the end spot to propose. They would start out at a dining hall they used to eat at often, stop by a cafe where they would share milkshakes, walk past their freshman dorms where he would drop her off after hanging out each night. They would then cross the Drillfield, which definitely provided complications for me and Pallavi, because the VT Drillfield although MASSIVE, is very, very open. Surabhi deciding to look over her shoulder would give away the entire thing!! You should have seen Pallavi and me ducking behind a police car that started MOVING and we kept hunch trailing it trying not to blow our cover!! There was also a fair share of hiding behind trees (and definitely getting some weird looks for it), pretending to photograph leaves, Pallavi trying to duck behind me (I am tiny, this doesn’t work too well hahaha), and even having conversations with other game-going fans to try and keep our cover.

They walked past Burruss Hall and ducked behind to Randolph where they had always had their dance practices. This gave me and Pallavi the chance to cut across the Drillfield to our hiding spots behind and across from the Pylons where Anish would bring Surabhi to. Pallavi was in charge of hiding in a bush and sending the rest of the crew a signal when she saw Anish & Surabhi reach the end wall of the Pylons overlooking the entire Drillfield. Now this timing was SUPER important because little to Surabhi’s knowledge, all of her friends AND family were actually gathered in the Chapel below the Pylons! As they walked up through the Pylons as she looked out across the Drillfield, when she looked down, she saw four very familiar looking heads turned facing away. All four of them were wearing red jerseys with the words spelled out “Will You Marry Me?” And at that point SHE KNEW!!!! After 7 years, Anish got down on one knee and asked her to marry her!!!

Everyone surrounding them at the Pylons burst out clapping and cheering as she said yes after wiping away tears. Minutes later all her friends and family came up and gave her the biggest hugs! It was the happiest thing that happened on campus that day, I’ll dare to say, even happier than the VT win over UVA (not that I’m biased or anything)! There were so many tears, hugs, photos, LOTS of staring at the beautiful ring (good job Anish!), and Facetiming relatives that couldn’t be there! And the surprise didn’t end there for Surabhi, Anish had booked out a log cabin for their families and friends to all stay at for the entire rest of the weekend to celebrate together! Safe to say, it was a pretty amazing weekend

Surabhi & Anish, congratulations to you both again!! Driving to and back from VT all in a day was SO definitely worth it to capture the moment for you both! I can’t wait for your formal engagement pictures in D.C. coming up soon! 🙂

She looked out and then turned back to THIS!!

When you get found hahaha!

All the tears!! I was tearing up behind my camera!!

FAVORITE ALERT!!

Is that ring gorgeous or what?!

So cute!!

Their pupper Leo was about the only one that was “chill” throughout the whole thing! Hahaha

Facetiming all the relatives with the good news!

This is a VT thing hahaha I was so surprised when they heard the speakers from Lane Stadium and started jumping up and down 😀

 

If you enjoyed this post, you should binge read these as well!

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My last session STARTED over a bottle of wine but this one ended with Maya & Darian GIFTING me a bottle of their favorite kind of white wine! Maya heard about me through her mom who knows Nakul’s mom, Arathi Aunty, which is so classic! If you’ve read through the blog you probably recognize Nakul because not only did I get to capture Nakul’s proposal to Lakshmi at Georgetown but I also got to capture their beautiful vibrant Harbour View engagement ceremony back in April! It literally feels like yesterday and these two just officially tied the knot (the phrase still stands with Indian weddings!!) this past weekend in Florida!! I’m so fortunate to have been able to capture parts of their engagement story and I’m SO lucky to have had Maya and Darian referred my way by these guys!!

I met Maya & Darian over FaceTime a couple of months ago when they reached out about having their Indian ceremony and American wedding captured next April! I generally will get to meet my couples in person when talking to them for the first time but for some reason we had decided video chat from the get go. Five minutes into talking with them I realized that not only did they live in Arlington, they also lived in Ballston (aka where I was living at the time!) and were like five minutes down the street from me!! We all totally wish we could have met in person that first time!! It was such a funny coincidence but it only made me even more excited to meet them in person for their engagement session. We debated doing their engagement session around Ballston since so many of their first dates had been around the area but ended up going with Old Town Alexandria which still ties in to their story well since they’ll be getting married in Old Town Alexandria at the GW Masonic Memorial in April next year!! The venue is GORGEOUS and I’m so excited but more than that I already know that Maya and Darian are going to be SO incredibly joyful and radiant on their wedding day! Maya has a patented Maya laugh that literally puts a smile on your face the second you see it and the two of them made me feel like such an old friend within five minutes of hanging out with them at their engagement session!! They were such troopers dealing with the onset October chill and stuck it out with me when I said “just a couple more!!” to get some fall colors in their images!!

As I was finishing up the session with some ring shots they were SO great and encouraging me as I set up some leaves for the ring shot! I was on the ground in probably the least flattering position you can imagine and they were SO supportive and cheering me on through the whole thing! Definitely made it worth lying on the cold pavement, anything for the shot am I right?! And MAN did their ring deserve it!!! Darian custom designed the ring for Maya and it’s INCREDIBLE!!! It’s unlike any other ring I’ve seen, you have to scroll to the end to check it out!!

Maya & Darian, I’m SO excited for your wedding day!!! I’m counting down the days that I get to see you guys again and capture your joyful love and soon enough it’ll be with your family and friends as well!! I know from talking to you guys that you each have so much respect for each other’s families and I know that it’s going to be such a big part of your wedding day story. I love the connection you guys have with each other and I can’t wait to capture it on your wedding day!! Until then, here’s a sneak at your BEAUTIFUL engagement session!!! I hope you guys love it as much as I do!

  OK FAVORITES RIGHT HERE!!!   The Maya laugh should patented!!

Look at this CUSTOM ring that Darian designed!

Ok seriously, her laugh!! She’s going to be the most radiant bride 2019 ever does see!

 

If I can find one or two fall trees, I can make it work!!

 

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You know an engagement session that starts off with sharing a bottle of wine is going to be a good one! I usually will either meet my couples in person or over video chat but I met Ky and Tatiana over the phone so I’ll admit that as an introvert I was a little nervous to be officially meeting them for the first time at their session! I had driven down to Charlottesville that morning and then to Afton Mountain Vineyard which is nestled right at the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. During the drive down I got even more nervous but within two minutes of meeting them in person, the nervousness melted away!! It was Tatiana and my first time at this particular vineyard in Charlottesville despite all being vineyard people and we definitely loved it!

The vineyard was a smaller one and nestled right at the foot of the mountains which made for some pretty epic views!! We joked that we were old friends sharing a bottle of wine and honestly that’s what it felt like from when we started talking at their session!! And when I got them in front of the camera it felt even more like we were just friends taking pictures in the vineyards!! These two are SO much fun to photograph, they were joking with each other the entire time and just naturally fell into every single pose making it look so freaking effortless!!! They’re so fun and easy to be around and incredibly photogenic as well! I loved the outfit they had picked out and Tatiana’s makeup was on point!!

Also, these two were willing to entertain me stopping at random points to get images with the gorgeous backdrop of the mountains that I never fully appreciated while I went to UVA! They had said that they wanted mountain views for their session since it was a big part of why they loved Charlottesville and they sure got their views!!!

Then we drove up to the top of Skyline and got the cutest shots overlooking the soft sunset! It was the perfect end to their session and when I said goodbye I couldn’t believe we’d spent almost two hours together!!! They asked to take a selfie with me and I was SO happy because I always forget to get a picture with my couples and I’m not sure if you can tell but they BOTH had to bend down a foot! I can’t wait for their wedding  in May in Charlottesville!!!! Angelica & Co Weddings from the Capitol Hill blush & rose gold styled shoot back in April is planning it so I already know its going to be THE most perfect day and a definite highlight of 2019!!!! Until then enjoy all the cuteness below!

 Is this not the most unique ring you’ve ever seen?!    

The views up on skyline at dusk were incredible!!   

Fall favorites, fall favorites!

   

Cute human being alerts!

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Adam & Suniah celebrated the beginning of their marriage at the stunning Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna this past Sunday and it was such an honor to capture their day!! I met with these two almost a whole year ago at Cafein in Chantilly over coffee! I had lucked out since they were in town from Florida and Suniah’s sister Rimsha had mentioned that I photograph weddings. We sat down for coffee and got talking about their story and I knew as I was sitting there listening to them both talk about how Adam had proposed to Suniah, that these two were incredibly sweet people, they were my KIND of people (I mean Suniah’s a HOO so how could they not be?!) and that their wedding was going to be such a beautiful day! And such a beautiful day it was!

On their wedding day Suniah spiraled up to the top of the hill to the gazebo with her mom on one side and her sister on the other, it was starting to drizzle ever so slightly but nothing could bring down that huge smile on her face. She looked up and among all the people huddled around the gazebo. All her family and friends in one place on the top of the hill overlooking the beautiful Meadowlark Gardens. And there was one person on the top of the hill that had an equally large smile on his face as he watched his bride walk towards him. Adam and Suniah had one of the most heartfelt and inspiring ceremonies I’ve had the honor of capturing. They were asked to look around at the biggest supporters of their marriage (huge huge smiles broke out on both their faces, you’ll see it below!!), imagine not just time together now but what it would look like to grow old with each other and were told to always remember how they felt in this moment.

Both Adam and Suniah had asked the officiant to especially thank their parents which had been such an integral part of shaping both of them as individuals before they came together. As the ceremony went on it started raining a little at first and then a lot as they exchanged the rings and were officially married!! It was perfect timing and of course, good luck!! What stood out the most to me was watching these two signing their marriage licenses, it had sunk in that they were OFFICIALLY married!! These might be some of my favorite pictures from their entire day!

Suniah and Adam, I hope your wedding day was everything you had imagined and more. I know from watching you greet each others’ families throughout the day and how you welcomed each person at your reception and took the time to really talk with them, skipping out on your own wedding lunch and cake, that you really deeply care for everyone around you. You’re both incredibly smart and caring doctors and it shows even in how you treat people outside of the hospital. I wish you guys the very best on this new adventure and I hope Asheville is a wonderful start to it!! Thank you for letting me capture your day!

Vendors that made the day possible:

Hair & Makeup | Dina Saddat 
Ceremony Location | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Reception | Maggiano’s Little Italy
Officiant | Jamal Mahmood

SO emotional!! Was trying not to tear up behind my camera!!

When they were asked to look around at everyone! Ok, this is my best friend Sachi’s shot below, love this one!!!

Signing the papers to make it OFFICIAL!!!

It stopped raining right after this and so we got some gorgeous portraits in the gardens just like Suniah had imagined!

Below, ALSO Sachi!! Killing itt with these gorgeous layers!!  

Just mildly obsessed with her henna & ring!   Was so lucky to get some fall colors in!!

EEP!!

THESE ARE EVERYTHING!!!  Entering into their reception, I mean look at how happy they are!!

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Before you read the rest of this, if you’re awesome, you will give me the greatest birthday gift and make me super happy by donating to St. Jude’s Hospital!! You can click the link here to donate, it’s super easy and doesn’t take more than 2 minutes! Every little bit counts 🙂

Usually I get pretty happy and excited about my birthday but this year that hype is lacking a little! I’m not sure if it’s just that I’m getting old or I’m looking at bigger milestones that are upcoming in the near future but either way I wanted to write SOMETHING so I could look back years from now and remember things that happened during this time of my life! Here’s a couple of things that happened over the past year!

• I started my first full time grown up job. It’s interesting to go from working in group projects with classmates to working with a wide range of personalities and ages at work. I also now know entirely too many tricks in Excel
• Learned how to budget and save up a pretty good sum of money for a rainy day!
• I moved out into my first apartment and then I  moved back home all in one year! Hahaha I wouldn’t have had it any other way though! I absolutely loved my time in my Ballston apartment and getting to buy my own furniture, decorate it, and cozy up in it. The walk to the metro was good for getting in those steps but also mildly impossible at times. I know that sounds dramatic but lugging heavy camera equipment, two laptops & lunch or a suitcase and laundry basket (don’t ask) was surprisingly difficult at times. And don’t get me started on days that it was raining which lead to bullet number 3
• I learned to be more tolerant of the rain. I used to HATE getting caught in the rain but over the course of this past year it’s happened so many times that I’ve gotten more used to it. I do still prefer being indoors and cozy during it if given the option though!
• Moving back home was equally as nice! I’ve always been friends with my parents but it would be weird to go from living on your own in college to being back at home. Oddly enough after moving back after living in my apartment it’s been much different than what I’ve expected and really, really comforting and nice! I thrive off of having background noise, a Nespresso machine, and a big kitchen to cook in!
• I bought a black stick shift Jetta and my high school self would be really proud that I decided to continue driving stick hahaha I kind of had to “relearn” how to drive it since the clutch is very different than my old car (which led to a rough test drive, not gonna lie) but I’ve definitely gotten used to it and some of my favorite times this past year have been driving in it either on the way down to Charlottesville or back and forth between Herndon and Ballston with the radio/Spotify keeping me company and having time to think about life
• Leading to the fact that over the course of this year, I actually learned that I LOVE cooking!! That’s something my high school and even college self would absolutely not believe. That being said, I’m still a huge foodie and have gotten to try so many new amazing restaurants over the course of this past year
• The people who have always been there for me throughout my life have continued to be the ones to support, encourage, and even question me throughout this year and I’m very thankful for that. Oooh also my best friend graduated and moved back home and I’m SO HAPPY about that!!!
• I’ve had my fair share of ups and really down days. It’s something that I realize won’t ever go away and I’m still learning how to cope with.
• I guess the biggest and most obvious one is that I built a business after years and years of honing my craft! So that’s pretty cool 🙂 It’s starting to gain the kind of traction and momentum my high school could never have dreamed up!

 

Things that I’m hoping to change for next year!

• I really want to travel more for fun next year and not just for photography! I took a bit of a hiatus this year (due to saving up money). But if you take half a look at my saved pictures on Instagram/Pinterest, it’s VERY clear that I miss it a lot!
• I DO want to continue to travel for photography as well and I can’t wait to grow my business to it’s fullest potential!! More on this coming very very soon 🙂
• That being said, this next year I am definitely taking more time & initiative to block off time for more leisure activities. I guess this can be summed up as “work life balance” which has been surprisingly hard for me over this past year. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that I need to be working on my business in all my waking hours but it’s not going to combust if I carve out time for myself. I made the mistake of neglecting the importance of free time during points of this year and it never ended well so I want to be even more intentional with my time moving forward
• I started reading again this year and it feels so good!! I’m hoping to continue to carve out time to do this every day as well as journal & meditate
• I guess this still goes along with the two things above but I want to strive to become more present/aware/grateful for each day. All too often I feel like I’m rushing through to-do lists and wishing days away when I should never take a single day for granted
• Although structure and routine are a great thing, I’m hoping to be a LITTLE more spontaneous on a day to day basis! I think this could help with the above 🙂
• Visit more vineyards this year with family and friends!
• There’s about a million and one other things but I’ll end this on a fun note: I had all my Charlottesville spots but I really want to find a dope place for mac and cheese near here!!

Headshot by Hope Taylor Photography!

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Friday Fun – Foodie Edition 

Jill and Nelson’s wedding this past weekend at the Oatlands Historic House and Gardens was such a beautiful day! After 10 years their wedding day tied together the origins of their love story very beautifully. Nelson and Jillian met 10 years ago in high school starting out the cross country team together. Nelson’s first words to Jill were “Hey beautiful” and although he probably had no idea they would be married 10 years later, it’s only fitting that his first words were so confirm and assured which is very indicative of them as a couple. You can five minutes with these two and instantly sense the connection between them which was apparent during their engagement session. So imagine a wedding day where this love is only further exemplified and not only by these two as a couple but by everyone else that was there to witness their day!

They decided to do a first look and right before Nelson admitted that he was so so ready to see Jill and be able to spend the rest of the day with her. It was the most emotional first look I’ve ever witnessed and you could tell how happy they were to simply be able to share the day and time together. This still circles back to how when after years of flirting back and forth, when it was finally the right timing, it was the right timing!! After Nelson came back to the Leesburg area after time spent in the Navy, him and Jill started hanging out constantly! They only continued as Jill moved closer to Arlington for work and from there on it was always them together. Their first date was at the Kennedy Center (which they got their engagement session pictures at which I thought was so cute!!) and after dating for a while they moved in together. It was simple, they knew they were the one for each  other. I loved being able to capture the start of their forever and their commitment to experience life together from here to forever!

Jill and Nelson I wish you all the happiness in the world, I can’t think of two people more deserving of it than you two! Thank you for giving me the honor of capturing your wedding day, I hope that you’ll be able to show your family years from now the very special day that was August 25th, 2018!

There are a LOT of photos but I had the hardest time narrowing everything down!!

Vendors that helped put together this incredible day!

Venue: Oatland Historic House & Gardens
Makeup – Be Beauty
Jennifer Deleeuw, Hair Savvy Salon

Gown: Davids Bridal Springfield
Bridesmaid attire
Groomsmen attire
Florals – Creations in Bloom
DJ – Black Tie Entertainment
Caterer – Amphora
Invitations
Cake – Honeybee Pastries

 x        When you see your best friend looking BEAUTIFUL!!! 

Is her dress GORGEOUS OR WHAT!!

The guys were getting ready at the same Inn and spent the morning hanging out before getting ready!

Bro moments are cute too!!

If you find a more dapper groom, let me know!!

Time for the most emotional and heartfelt first look I’ve EVER captured!! These were able to spend time to talk, shed a few tears, laugh, and hug during their first look and it was the most heartwarming thing in the world. You can tell just HOW in love these two are and how much they enjoy being together!!

I’m not crying, you’re crying!!   These two are so cute that when we went into their portraits they were hugging each other and giving each other little kisses, I hardly had to pose these shots! They are so affectionate and it is adorable :’)

A total favorite!! Sorry not sorry for ALL the portraits, I couldn’t help myself!!

And then they got to celebrate with all their friends and take bridal party portraits up in front of the house! Definitely worth the trek!!

Hahaha Nelson pulled this out of NOWHERE and it was perfect!!

Bridesmaids GOALS!!!

Not sure who pulled off the shots with the Cadillac better, the guys or the girls!!

We snuck in some more portraits in front of the house! I love that first looks give you so much time and flexibility throughout the day and give you so much time for such a variety in portraits!! Plus, this way Jill & Nelson got to hang out together throughout the majority of their wedding day 🙂

Oatlands is simply BEAUTIFUL!! I loved that Jill & Nelson were able to bring their love story full circle with getting married where they used to have races together during high school!

Erica from Creations in Bloom knocked it out of the park with the ceremony set up!!

Time for the ceremony and I may or may not have been sniffling/tearing up behind my camera trying to do it as quietly as possible!!

AND THEY’RE MARRIED!!!!

SO SO HAPPY!!

After their cocktail hour, we snuck away from the guests for a couple of shots at sunset! The first stop though was taking a few portraits inside the historic mansion!

So classic! More shots with the Cadillac!

Caity’s shot below and it was SO GOOD!!!

We got a couple of portraits of Jill with her tiara & veil which had been something new for Nelson to see her in during the ceremony!!

Jill, you’re beautiful!!!

Is that not the cutest cake topper ever!!

I’m a total sucker for first dances!!

ALL THE FEELS!!

And there were so, so many good times on the dance floor and throughout the reception!! I have entirely too many shots from everyone breaking it DOWN!!

They even broke out Hindi songs and I was singing and dancing along to every single word!!

Bouquet toss!

Her old roommate and bridesmaid, Bhargavi caught it!! And then THESE THINGS HAPPENED!! How cute is Jill dancing with Nelson’s grandfather!! This went on for five minutes and it was one of my favorite moments throughout the reception!

Closely rivaled to when THIS happened!!!!

And then the couple finally exited their reception and drove off into the night in the Cadillac!!!

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After months of planning out her senior session and having to reschedule due to, you guessed it, D.C. thunderstorms, we finally got to do Tanvi’s senior session! She had mentioned to me when she first emailed me that she wished she had gotten more pictures in her prom dress and so I knew she was going to bring it as an outfit but I did not expect it to be as stunning as it was!! I gave her a BIG hug and immediately told her how absolutely INCREDIBLE it was and she couldn’t have chosen a better location (not that I’m biased or anything) to showcase her style 🙂 Her dress popped off of the marble of the Capitol and looked absolutely gorgeous, especially with the sun & glow that we got during sunset!! It was supposed to be a steamy 90 degrees but we lucked out with one of those perfect summer nights! This shoot was definitely one of my favorite senior sessions and definitely a favorite from the Capitol, and I’ve been here A LOT!!

Tanvi is so incredibly fun to be around and this comes from someone who only spent an hour with her during her portraits! She has the most beautiful and contagious smile and laugh, you’ll see it in the pictures and I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear, and freaking out over how beautiful her portraits were! She was so relaxed throughout the whole thing and had such a bright yet calm personality that really shows in her pictures. It’s crazy because her mom actually knows my mom through our Indian community of people since my mom is choreographing a dance for Tanvi’s little brother! Connections like that always remind me of what a small world it is! She spent a majority of her life studying Japanese through school and loves being able to stay in touch with the culture which so reminds me of my best friend! Pair that with a love of sushi, and of course we were going to get along hahaha! She described her style as being pretty casual and cute with jewel tones and blush as an accent and I think her prom dress was a super dressed up version of her normal style!

This girl is going on to do BIG things at Virginia Tech and we actually had her shoot the NIGHT before went off to start her first day at VT!! I’m so thankful and honored that despite all the packing she had to be doing before heading off the next day, she was so present and in the moment during the ENTIRE time with me 🙂 I can’t wait to cheer her on as she studies CS at Virginia Tech! Tanvi, thank you so much for letting me capture your senior portraits, they were simply EPIC!! You’re such a sweet soul and you should be SO proud of everything you’ve accomplished so far in high school and beyond! I know your hard work and smile is going to take you places in the future! I hope to see you in your cap & gown four years down the road beaming with that same smile!

See what I mean about having a contagious laugh?!

  SO MUCH GLOW!!  FAVORITE ALERT BELOW!!

OK OK get ready for my favorite sets of photos from the WHOLE thing!!  

And topping off with some family photos of course!!

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