After 4 months of not shooting weddings, WE ARE BACK! I have many things I want to say about quarantine, business, and photography, but I'm saving it for a different post. This post is ALL about Sam and Stefan and their beautiful wedding ceremony at St. Mark Church in Catonsville! Sam and Stefan were originally supposed to exchange vows on April 24th; however, a little thing named COVID-19 threw everything out of wack. Instead, June 7th became their official wedding anniversary, and it could not have been a more perfect day. It was a day where everyone could just happily scream: FINALLY! We got a little extra teary eyed when it came time for the vows, which we immediately started chuckling over because mirroring someone when you try to "hold left hands" is HARD :P. We are so happy for Sam and Stefan! Not only did we get to witness their ceremony, but come July, we'll be ready to celebrate them again at their reception! The greatest thing about weddings is that no matter the date, location, or amount of people in attendance, it's about two lives becoming one. Nothing else matters in that exact moment, except those two people. Since the pandemic has forced a majority of couples to not have their moment with each other, it's been exciting and comforting to see all weddings resume in the smaller capacity. It fills our heart with joy to see this type of happiness again <3. Enjoy their...

I love walking into a bride's getting ready area and feeling the buzz of pure excitement. The environment is full of smiles and laughter, and the best part is that the bride is at ease instead of nervous. Not that there is anything wrong with a nervous bride, but nerves can sometimes lead to stress, and that is the last thing that needs at her wedding. Having already spent some time with Emily and Cal at their engagement session, I knew that their wedding was going to be unbelievably amazing. These two were so ready to be married, and the Overhills Mansion in Catonsville was the perfect setting. My most favorite moment was during their first look when Cal got to see Emily in her gown. He slowly turned, and as his eyes caught glimpses of her, he started moving back in order to take in all of her beauty. It was so romantic and sweet, especially when he had to take a few moments to catch his breath since Emily put him in such a shocked state. It easily made it on my list of the top 5 best reactions, haha! Watching these two and all of their family and friends celebrate almost ten years of their love was something that Shawn and I will never forget. At one point during the speeches, two of Cal's groomsmen delivered a speech together that I don't think left a dry eye in the room. They were so genuinely happy that Cal...

When you think of a wedding planning check list, what are some of the first things on your list? On my list there are: floral inspiration, venues, hair and make-up wizardry, dress designs, a whole ton of other things that - when put together - create a magical day for two very special people. When Shawn and I were organizing our day, every time I felt like all the important things were covered, someone would mention lighting, or our vows, or the guestbook and I immediately would realize that I had no idea. It wasn't until I started looking at resources like WeddingWire and utilizing Google Sheets for our guest list that details started fitting into place, and the nightmares of having a wedding missing something important went from once a week to once a month :P. I know Shawn and I weren't the only ones that have dealt with a check list that is more list than checked, but in the thick of it can be hard to stay positive and not feel overwhelmed. Seeing the way that some of our couples dealt with the anxiety of their details really showed me that there are some great ways to conquer the bridal fears. From Pinterest to dealing with late RSVPs, these couples kept themselves in fantastic order and can truly help others throughout the entire process.   Jen & Brock  "Definitely follow the local wedding blogs for inspiration, especially early on. We discovered...

At this point, more than a few of the wedding planning sites you are on may be telling you to do a first look. They give a run-down of what it is and of all of the good that comes from doing one. Some of those sites may even say that your photographer will tell you to do one. Seriously, though, who am I to say "you must have a first look"? I would be a complete hypocrite if I demanded that; Shawn and I didn't do a first look, and even if we had the chance to go back and have one, we wouldn't. One of the things we both wanted from our day was for the first moment we see each other to be when I was walking down the aisle to him. We instead did an alternative to a first look where we held hands and said a prayer while separated by a door frame. I'm so glad that we did it this way because it was a moment I would never take back for anything. It was special and real and -- yes -- there were tears <3. We knew in our case a first look wouldn't work. Shawn and I talked about it, we made our photographer aware of our alternate idea, and we planned our timeline accordingly. I had where we would be during that last hour of light for sunset all mapped out. I think the most important thing, if...