Whenever we sit down to explain how we do what we do on the wedding day, I find that the most rewarding part of the chat is the happy look people get when they realize we’re very serious about not being all that serious. It’s a wedding, not a war documentary. The ceremony certainly demands discretion and respect. It is, after all, why we’ve all been invited. But something I’ve learned from many wedding now is that my thought process and my attitude will come through in the images that I capture. So, from the very beginning of the day there’s a commitment to keeping my eyes open, my mind open, and having fun with everything going on around me. Sometimes I think I must look like a fool with a smile on my face all day long, but I can’t help it. While everyone is having their own personal good time, I get to witness and photograph everyone doing that very thing. Weddings are hard work (no, we certainly don’t “just work on Saturday”, thank you for asking) but getting to spend it with happy people every weekend makes it all worth it and I wouldn’t trade it for any other type of photography. We believe (and hope you can attest) that it comes through in our work.
With Suzanne and Chris, we didn’t have to work hard in the slightest to have fun. It came with the couple. Their happy and playful attitude was infectious and it ran right through the entire evening. Sweet bow ties, smiling faces, and smooth dance moves were just the tip of the fun iceberg here.
I also want to thank Jennifer McBride of McBride Events. While we are honored to be a part of each and every wedding celebration, it’s of special significance to us when a wedding planner and designer of Jennifer’s reputation and pedigree asks us to be there for her family. Jennifer placed her brother Chris and beautiful new sister-in-law Suzanne in our hands and we humbly thank her.
Enjoy.
Here’s some summer fun in Richmond with Claiborne and Gian. Check out Gian’s custom Nike footwear for the men. See, it’s not all about Badgely and Vera.
Enjoy!
We are getting really excited about cooler weather arriving, and it’s inspired us to continue on our winter wedding theme. Matt and Christina’s December 2012 wedding at the John Marshall Ballrooms embraced the holiday season with beautiful lighting (from one of our favorite vendors Blue Steel Lighting Design), whimsical centerpieces and some sweet tuxes and tails that really brought out both the spirit of the season and the formality of a classic evening reception.
For those keeping score on the photography front, we’re going to talk about moments for the what must be the 720th time. Why? Well, because we’re so fond of them. You see, it doesn’t matter if your backdrop is a Scottish loch in spring or a white wall in a hotel hallway…great wedding photography is about things that happen at your wedding that are uniquely yours. Happy and expressive faces is what I really love because that will mean more over the years than anything else I could toss in to the collection. Don’t get me wrong. I really dig those beautiful touches that often come from many months of joy, sweat, and planning! But the real magic lies in seeing you enjoy it.
I’ve posted a few times recently about the “other months” of the wedding season. There are so many options that are perfect for when there’s a chill in the air. Lindsay and I have fallen in love with the unique look and feel that only a winter wedding can bring!
Considering how a photographer captures an event in a similar environment to the one you will have becomes especially important during the fall and winter months when the days are shorter. We’ve talked a little here before about the importance of light or the absence of it. Here I’ve posted an example of just that situation. Rhonda and Corey chose February as their wedding month and, while when I first started out in photography I might have been intimidated without an abundance of natural light, I’ve grown to love the “other months” for their own unique look and the challenge of creating beautiful images without the sun.
Rhonda and Corey chose Second Baptist Church in Petersburg, VA for their ceremony and the recently restored John Marshall Ballrooms for their reception. Having photographed Corey’s brother’s wedding a few years back and getting to know the family, we knew that there would be no lack of party vibes no matter the time of year. What we didn’t know was how lovely and warm this classic church would look on a snowy February day. And we certainly didn’t expect that amazing night sky that the snow clouds would bring us as they hung over downtown Richmond. Sometimes it’s not about your plans or your expectations. Sometimes, it’s a simple as being there and being ready 🙂
So…from Emily and Chris, through Alex and Paul, we get to Liz and Michael. This path is a easy to explain because Liz just happens to be Alex’s sister. Again I’ll say that there is no better feeling than when friends and family trust us enough to send their loved ones to us time and again. It’s not just about doing a great job with their weddings and them loving their images. We would hope that would be the case no matter how someone finds us. It’s the comfort level that everyone has with us before we even show up the wedding, like we’re old friends who just happen to have 30 pounds of camera gear 🙂 Well, we and our combined 60 pounds of gear hopped on a train to Long Island and the lovely town of Bayshore, NY. Liz and Michael were married at the beautiful St. Patrick Parish in downtown Bayshore and then we were off to Captain Bill’s right on the waters of the Great South Bay. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day and, having grown up on the shore of North Carolina, it was pure joy to shoot their high-energy reception with the smell of salt air all around. Enjoy!
Emily and Chris came to us through our good friends Alex and Paul, who’s wedding at Maymont in Richmond was featured on our blog a little while back. Getting to meet and know so many wonderful people and then have them share us with their equally wonderful friends is one of the joys of photographing weddings. It’s like becoming part of a many-branched family tree that welcomes you to some of the some of the most important events of their lives time and time again.
For this beautiful couple who so clearly loved each other, we traveled up to a venue that I’d never had the pleasure of photographing, the H.P. Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore, MD. Just like the wedding itself, the conservatory was intimate and inviting, and filled with little surprises through every doorway. Emily’s grace and Chris’s humorous and caring personality worked its way through the entire event and set the tone for the evening. It was truly a pleasure to be there. Thank you so much to the Marcus and Dunn families for making us feel so welcome. Also, thank you to my good friend Rob Garland for stepping in to help out with the wedding. It was much more fun than it had a right to be with you there.
Enjoy!
There was so much done and seen during our eight days in the Pacific Northwest that I’m not going to attempt to explain or summarize it. I just want to leave you with a few impressions of our time there spent in downtown, the surrounding parks, the ferries, sea kayaking and biking/hiking the islands. I could have spent a month there and still there would have been guilt at all the things I didn’t get to do. In my head, I’m still there. I love you Richmond, but you have a serious suitor for my affections. Enjoy.
and…New Year’s Eve Part Two! Another thing that makes winter weddings very different for a photographer is there’s very little sunlight to work with. In fact, this wedding didn’t even get started until the stars were out and the moon was on its way up. It’s hard to imagine that when we’re in the midst of the longest days of the year. It’s certainly much easier when nature serves up a heap of partly cloudy skies, but there are so many other wonderful images you can make when forced to look at things a little differently.
On to the party with Rachel and Matt! We with a little first look at the Jefferson Hotel, followed by a quick portrait at 1st Presbyterian to catch the very end of twilight. Then it was a visit to a place near and dear to the couple’s hearts, Cafe Caturra, where they spent many hours together over coffee and a fire place. Then back to the ceremony and on to The Boathouse and Rockett’s Landing. For the second NYE in a row we were treated to an incredible party with a great group of people. Not bad at all.
As always we thank our colleagues that make the wedding day a success: McBride Events, The Boathouse at Rockett’s Landing, Mosaic Edibles, The Mixing Bowl, Alan Boyle with Choice Entertainment, and The Cordial Cricket.
Enjoy!
It’s typical for us to be wistful about the seasons that just passed as we’re entering the thick of the current one. Summer is finally and rapidly coming to a head and the humidity is rising, so our thoughts are turning to one of our favorite wedding seasons: winter! Sure, we love fields of daisies and sunny afternoon ceremonies as much as the next photographer, but winter affairs just have a flair and feel that can’t be compared. And other than Christmas Eve, not a strong traditional day for weddings, I can think of no better winter holiday than New Year’s Eve.
So, with that I give you a two wedding set from New Year’s Eve, starting with Tori and Jarrett at Ebenezer Baptist Church and The Jefferson Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Part 2 is coming very soon!
Thank you to The Jefferson Hotel, McBride Events, Floraculture, for their always elegant details and professional service.
Enjoy.
As you might expect, since it’s June in Richmond, we’re in the thick of another busy wedding season. You know Lindsay and I love everything about the wedding day and the events that lead up to it, but sometimes you do like a little bit of something unexpected. When Mike called me up to say that he wanted me to be there when he popped the question to Emily, I was thrilled. I’ve done this a few times before (I want more!!!) and there’s nothing quite like the thrill of his anxiety, followed by her elation, all wrapped up in one of the tenderest moments you’ll see between two people. Mike could not stop smiling nor could Emily stop crying for a very long time.
Now, the funny part of this for me is the acting that Mike and I had to do to set it all up. There were several phone calls, a studio meeting, and then of course the cat and mouse game on the big day as I stayed close, but not too close. Mike was making sure he was giving all the right signs without giving away the game. While I was playing “random duck photographer” he was playing Mr. “this is just a normal date in Byrd Park”. So, I threw in a photograph of my “work” at the beginning. Several duck photographs and what looked like a very cute conversation between them, he stood up and went to one knee. Perfect.
Congratulations to you both, Mike and Emily. Thank you for letting me be a witness to the beginning of a pretty special journey. Enjoy!
