Thursday
07May2009

Jen + Neal | Engaged

We had so much fun with Jen + Neal at Oregon Ridge Park a few weeks ago! They're such a cute couple - Jen is super sweet and Neal has the same dry wit as Drew. They're getting married this July in Chesapeake City and we can hardly wait! We're so happy our good friend, Melody, sent them our way...we couldn't have asked for nicer people to spend the day with. And we know their wedding is going to be amazing. View their slideshow HERE!

Tuesday
28Apr2009

Kristin + Trevor are Married!

Sweet, genuine, easy-going, awesome...these are just a few of the words I'd use to describe Kristin + Trevor. Our first meeting with them was over nachos and sliders at Hard Times Cafe (yummy). They talked about their wonderful families + friends and all of the fabulous plans for their big day (like the lounge area, candy bar, and two dresses - a photographer's dream!) We were so excited to be a part of this amazing event and to witness the love they share. The entire day was beautiful, and it was a fantastic way to start off 2009. Kristin + Trevor - thank you again for letting us share in your celebration. It was an honor to capture your day!

To view a slideshow of Kristin + Trevor's story, CLICK HERE!

Margoux Le Roux did a flawless job with the makeup. And Sonja from Tara Salon created a gorgeous + versatile hairstyle, so Kristin could take part of it down after her dress change. I love that Kristin's Maid of Honor/aunt is peeking in.

Kristin + her dad sharing a moment before the ceremony

The handsome groom

Yay! :)

Back at Hotel Monaco for the reception

Half of their ballroom was set up as a lounge...it looked very chic!

Sharing a sweet moment with her best friend from college after her dress change

The dancing was off the hook (thanks to Mike Bell of MyDeejay.com)

I love these last shots...so happy and in love :)

Tuesday
24Mar2009

MVP Updates

Here's a sneak peek from the ridiculously fun wedding we shot last weekend!

Kristin + Trevor's wedding was the first one of our 2009 season, and it couldn't have been more perfect. We'll be posting the rest of their images soon! We have to give a big shout-out and thank you to our fabulous friend and amazing photographer, Jaime Windon (a.k.a. the blonde photographer) for referring them to us!

I know our poor blog has been lonely - can't believe we didn't post anything for over a month! We have good reason, though. There have been some changes around our household, and we also have some fun new things in the works for our business! As some of you know, Drew and I both have day jobs. Well, Drew accepted a new position last month, and it's a great fit for him - yay! And I finally decided to hand in my resignation at my job(!). While I love the company I work for and all of the people there, it has been tough to juggle the workload and find a healthy balance in my life. So, in a few weeks, I'll be able to devote all of my time to this passion of mine. I'm scared, but excited and hopeful for the future :) It will give me a chance to work on things that have been neglected, like this blog...and our website (we'll be rolling out a brand spanking new one soon!). I'm also going to use this time to work on myself - eat better, exercise, get more rest, and spend more quality time with friends and family. I can't wait.

We're also still house hunting - it's going on a year now. We submitted our 4th offer last month and we're praying that this is the one. It's a wonderful, cozy little house. Of course, we had to choose a short sale, which can take months to go through. The wait has been really tough, and we're aware that many short sales don't work out. So we're crossing our fingers that what's meant to be will be.

We can't wait to see what 2009 will bring for us. We'll be working with amazing couples and families, and we're excited to share all of the crazy times with everyone. Thank you so much to all of you who've been there to support and encourage us! 2008 was a great year, and we hope to make this one even better. And to all of you who leave comments (and also the silent stalkers :), THANK YOU for continuing to come back. You have no idea how much we appreciate your thoughts and feedback. We love you all!

Monday
23Mar2009

Allison + Rich are Married!

This was our last wedding of 2008, and we couldn't have asked for a better couple to spend time with as our first official wedding season came to a close. Allison + Rich are beautiful people inside and out. Words can't describe how moving and musically magical their big day was. It was the end of December, but we got lucky with a surprisingly mild and sunny day. Everyone had smiles on their faces and you could just feel the love that all of their friends and family had for them. Their ceremony was filled with beautiful music and singing by Allison's sisters and bridesmaids. And there was even more singing at the reception. Allison's sisters sang the songs for the first dance and father-daughter dance, which made it very emotional for everyone. Then Allison's entire clan sang their traditional family song. Set to the tune of Edelweiss, they have a different verse for each member of the family. With each new addition (baby, marriage, etc.) a new verse is added to the end of the song. It was so much fun to hear and watch, and really showed the closeness of their family. The rest of the night was filled with dancing and laughter, and ended with an awesome send-off!

Allison + Rich were referred to us by our wonderful friend, Andrea of Andrea Jae Photography (thanks again, A! :) Allison's brother, Drew, is married to Andrea. This wedding was the first time I had ever heard either of them musically. Andrea sang a solo during the ceremony, and Drew played the piano for all of the songs. I was floored - there's so much talent in their families!

To see the highlight slideshow of Allison + Rich's day, CLICK HERE!

My favorite shot of the day...

And some behind-the-scenes shots taken by Drew (don't mess with me when I'm shooting ;)

At the end of the night with Andrea + Renata. I love these girls. If you haven't already, check out their gorgeous work here!

Allison + Rich - Wishing you both all the happiness in the world! :)

Monday
09Feb2009

Abbie + Justin are Married!

What a lovely winter wedding this was... Abbie + Justin celebrated their union with their closest friends and family, and it was one amazing day. I started out with the girls at the Peabody Court Hotel, while Drew went to Abbie + Justin's house to meet the guys. Then it was off to St. Alphonsus Church in Mt. Vernon for their ceremony. It was beautiful and filled with emotion. Following the ceremony, the bridal party traveled to the Washington Monument for a few night shots (it was freezing out and they were all troopers!). Afterward, we all walked down the street to The Engineer's Club, where the party got started. The speeches were touching and hilarious, the cake cutting/smashing was awesome, and the dancing was off the hook! Abbie + Justin had smiles on their faces all night. Their family and friends were so sweet, and we feel lucky to have met all of them.

A huge thank you goes out to our friend, Kim, for referring Abbie + Justin to us! Also, we were excited when we found out that Evan Reitmeyer, DJ extraordinaire and owner of MyDeejay.com, was going to provide the music. We hired him for our wedding, as well. And as expected, he kept the party rockin' all night long. We can't recommend him enough!

CLICK HERE to view Abbie + Justin's slideshow! It's set to their first dance song, a special live version of Bruce Springsteen's Thunder Road. They are HUGE Bruce fans, so it was only fitting for them to dance to this song :)

Now onto the pictures! Here's Abbie looking gorgeous. Her makeup artist, Corinne Plank of About Faces, was fabulous.

Their flower girl, Bridget, was such a cutie!

The guys GQ-ing it up :)

Abbie and her father practicing their walk down the aisle...a very sweet moment.

She looked absolutely breathtaking...

Yay, Mr. and Mrs. Shipley!

The fantastic groom's cake, designed after their real-life "Ravenator" RV :)

Ahhh, wedded bliss :)

Sunday
08Feb2009

The Kelly Family, part deux

This session with our great friends, the Kelly family, is from last October. You may remember them from past posts (here and here). It was fun seeing how much little Kendall had grown since our last session. We were also lucky enough to enjoy another delicious lunch cooked by Melody + Jared, chunky tomato soup and grilled cheese (soooo good). I wish they lived closer to us, but I am grateful for the time we get to spend together every few months. Melody, Jared + Kendall - love and miss you guys lots!

CLICK HERE to view their slideshow!

Too cute for words...

Saturday
07Feb2009

Marisa + Brendan are Married!

Sorry for the lack of posts! So much going on, not enough time to blog...but that will soon be changing! First, I want to catch up and post the rest of our 2008 weddings and sessions.

Marisa + Brendan are wonderful and caring people. We photographed their beautiful ceremony at St. Augustine Church in Elkridge, and then spent a little time with them afterward for some formals. Their wedding took place on a rainy and windy day, but that didn't affect their moods one bit...everyone was in good spirits! Thankfully, the rain stopped here and there, so we were able to get some fun shots outside. Below are some of our favorites from the day! View their slideshow HERE!

M + B, we're so happy to call you both friends! See you soon :)