Every photo of Shawn and I is important, but the photos that we cherish and love the most are our wedding photos. We look back on our day and see the family that was present along with the memories that were created. Our love for each other and for the day itself shines in every single image. They are a wonderful representation of who we are and why our marriage is special. Those feelings we have for our photos are what motivates us to be our best possible selves for all of our couples. This past year we were able to photograph 17 amazing couples coming together in marriage. Each wedding was unique to the style of the couple, and every single marriage announcement, I teared up. Shawn and I got to do our first out-of-state wedding in Massachusetts, and because that was such a fabulous experience, we now hope to get more out-of-state nuptials! The best part about this year is that from these weddings, we came out with new friends that we are so excited for and are cheering for every single day. Gathering the images for this post was something that I wish I could do all of the time. Seeing these days unfold again was beautiful. Shawn and I are incredibly grateful for every opportunity that we have been given. We have really grown as partners and photographers so much over 2015. It was no surprise to me that I started tearing up at...

Aly and Sean are probably two of the most laid back and kind people I have had the pleasure of meeting. They made Shawn and me feel like their close friends, and we were both honored to have captured their wedding day. They have such a wonderful love for each other and getting to witness the smiles and looks they share is something that makes me totally giddy. I loved every piece of their day. From the location of the Billingsley House that overlooked the Patuxent River to the lawn games that Aly and Sean thoughtfully put out for their guests to have even more fun. Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better, Aly pulled me aside and asked me to photograph her giving Sean his wedding gift. The gift was a shotgun which had come from Aly's grandfather, and was engraved with her grandparents wedding year (1961) and with Aly and Sean's underneath. It was an incredible heirloom gift affectionately named "the wedding gun" :P. I couldn't help but be inspired by the loving thoughtfulness that these two possess and all that they do for one another. The life that these two continue to build is going to be such an amazing one. I wish them nothing but the best!   ______________________________________________________________________________ (They had a second cake with Sean's cake topper :P) All of the amazing vendors that made this day the best day ever! Ceremony & Reception Venue: Billingsley House Caterer: Old...

Katie and Matt completed my trio of weddings at the beginning of September, and it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've had the pleasure of photographing. Their wedding took place at the breath-taking Mt. Washington Mill-Dye House, which is a complete dream. My jaw dropped as soon as I stepped through the door's of the Dye House. Unique architecture, exposed brick, string lights creating a fairytale like glow over dinner and dancing; it's a space that doesn't need many additions to be perfect, but the small details that Katie and Matt did have played wonderfully with the overall atmosphere of the Dye House. In order to maximize time on their wedding day, I met with Katie and Matt at Fort McHenry a week before their wedding to take their bridal portraits. It was a new experience for me, and I think I may be in love with bridal portraits now. Katie and Matt were able to choose a location that had plenty of variety from bright green trees, to spectacular waterfront. They weren't limited to what their wedding venue had to offer and it allowed them a lot more time at the wedding to enjoy the amazing party. Shawn and I really enjoyed working with Katie, Matt, and their daughter, Larkin. Not only are they calm and down-to-Earth, but they are incredibly sweet. I look forward to any chance I get to work with these three again :).   ______________________________________________________________________________ The fabulous vendors that made this...

On Friday, Shawn and I photographed Melissa and Joe's "Christmas in July" wedding at The Mansion at Valley Country Club. It may have been a hot July day outside, but as soon as we stepped into the mansion it was a cool December evening. Melissa and Joe's guests were blown away at the attention to detail and many mentioned that all that was missing was snow. One of my absolute favorite details from their wedding was their guest book: their amazing florist (Raise Your Glass Event) set up a full Christmas tree in the foyer outside the ballroom with some red and white Christmas bulbs, markers, and hooks set up along side it. Guests were instructed to take a bulb, write their well wishes for the happy couple on it, and then hang it on the Christmas tree. By the end of the night, all that was needed were Christmas gifts for Melissa and Joe's daughter, Eleanora, to open :P. I am absolutely ecstatic to be sharing some of the wonderful images from their day. It is a wedding that Shawn and I will both remember for a lifetime. Thank you to Joe, Melissa, and Eleanora for allowing us to capture your beautiful day!   ______________________________________________________________________________ Melissa's mother made the cake and the delicious smell filled the entire mansion! So good! After their first dance, Joe and Melissa brought their daughter out to the dance floor :) A nice sweet cake cutting and then.... A second round of...

The morning of Hannah and Terry's engagement session was absolutely gorgeous. The sun covered the entire venue in a beautiful gold, which made every corner of Emory Grove breathtaking! The greatest part was that Emory Grove is where Hannah and Terry are going to be having their wedding. It was such a special morning and seeing these two in their wedding element just made me even more excited for their big day. I'm fairly certain that I hit a new record in awwing, which I'm sure everyone will be doing when they get a glimpse of Hannah and Terry's adorableness. These two are just too cute, and I adore the way they both look at each other. Their moments together during the session were so sweet and genuine that I was constantly doing internal happy dances, haha! I cannot wait for their September wedding! :D   ...

"I knew on our first date. Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I suspected, and that with time my suspicions were confirmed. Right when I met him I just got this overwhelming feeling of being totally at ease with him. He was warm and funny and smart and handsome and something just clicked. On my drive home after our first date, I called two of my best friends to tell them I had just met The One!" ____________ I had to start off with that quote from Jen about when she knew Brock was her person. It is a wonderful story of the beginnings of love, and it's made me think about the feelings that come with finding THE one. There isn't anything special that has to happen that let's you know someone is your forever. No angels, or doves, or magic carpet rides; it's just two people being together and being at ease. It's like inhaling fresh air after being cooped up inside all day. There's a sudden relief and everything seems to just fit. Love is a beautiful thing :). I don't think I could have asked for a better way to help kick off this wedding season than to photograph Jennifer and Brock's wedding! This wedding can be summed up as elegant, fun, and DIY. Jen is a DIY queen. Everything from the invitations to the "Brock <3 Jen" cookie favors were created/baked by Jen! All of...

This was one of the sweetest weddings! I'm not kidding, I have a habit of tearing up during weddings, but I think I hit a new record for the amount of times I almost started full out crying. From Kelli's first look with her dad (which is something that always chokes me up), to the special surprise Ashwin had for Kelli during the reception. This wedding was perfect. I have to share this snippet from Kelli's take on the proposal, because I think Ashwin upgraded his awesome secret keeping skills on the wedding day: "Ashwin can't keep a secret to save his life. So to make sure I didn't know until the right moment, he came up with 20 (literally, not figuratively) different plans, so whenever he leaked a detail to me, he could switch plans and still be ok. I was thoroughly confused by this. Eventually, he just scrapped the whole plan and asked me on a walk to our favorite spot, to everyone's surprise." After Ashwin's dance with his mother, he went up to Kelli, took her hand, and led her to two newly placed chairs in the middle of the dance floor. Kelli's face was priceless, but as soon as the microphone and guitar came out she knew she was about to be serenaded. Ashwin prefaced that he had learned how to play one of Kelli's favorite songs, "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. He mentioned he couldn't remember all of the words perfectly and...

Fall was still hanging on in the beginning of December! For Ashley and Justin's session, we went out to Savage Mill. I had never had a shoot out there, and when we arrived, I was amazed at all of the fun and cute places. It is seriously a little bit of everything, all rolled into a dollop of a town. I had a plan to start by the bridge, just so they could get comfy with the camera. But they didn't need any warming up, and slipped into the model behavior right off the bat. I've been so lucky with my couples; they all seem to be well versed with posing :P! I actually have a lot of outtakes from this shoot since they were both adorable goof-balls with one another! When we finished with the Mill part, we started wandering around the little river area that went under the bridge. It is a very cool area, and a lot of my favorite shots came from this stretch of river. There were no distractions of cars or people. Just Ashley and Justin being close and lovey :). It's easy to see the love that these two have for one another, and I'm really looking forward to sharing these images!   ______________________________________________________________________________ ...

I met with Laura and Michael at Clipper Mill in the early morning hours of a bright sunny Saturday. Before we even started, I could see the glances that Laura and Michael gave each other, the big smiles, and small excited giggles, and I knew this was going to be an amazing session. They radiate when they are together and they spread it to other people as well because all throughout the shoot I couldn't help but smile and constantly say, "Awwwww"! We spent a good portion of the morning in the Clipper Mill area, and when we had fully exhausted the area, Laura suggested another gorgeous spot in the city - Preston Gardens Park. All around that area is just highway and asphalt; then you come to the park and it's like a little piece of perfection smack dab in the city. We finished up at the gorgeous fountain with a little impromptu dance between these two lovely people. I love being right about a session being amazing :P. Laura and Michael, I am so happy that I get to be a part of your big day and am looking forward to your beautiful December wedding!     ...