I can’t imagine that, in the past ten years, any of our couples escaped my speeches about the importance of true moments on their wedding day. It’s not that we don’t love portraits. We absolutely do. It’s just that they are completely different animals. As much fun as portraits may be, the foundation of great wedding photography is (in our oh-so-humble opinion) pure moments. And if you keep your eyes, and your mind, open then you can find all sorts of fantastic moments walk right in front of your lens. But they’re only there for a second and then they’re gone. How about a moment like when the flower girl, who wouldn’t walk down the aisle during the ceremony, suddenly finds her courage when left to her own devices…
We were delighted to find out just a few days ago that the wedding blog Love and Lavender had picked up Jane’s and Andrew’s wedding for publication. For many reasons we have been excited to share this wedding with you, not the least of which is the fantastic apple theme that runs through the entire affair; from the desert table to the settings to the entire venue itself. Add to that a very happy ring-bearing-dog, a gorgeous spring day in the foothills of Virginia, and a lovely collection of friends and family…well, you can see why it’s about time this made it to the blog!
A big thank you to the following friends and colleagues: The staff at Castle Hill Cider, Lindsay Averette Kennedy of LK Events and Design, Champagne Taste Catering, Tommy’s Garden, lighting from MS Events, Classic Party Rentals, The Empty Pocket Band with Sam Hill Entertainment
We’ve known for a while that Lisa and Mike had the chance of popping up on Style Me Pretty, so we had to hold back their wedding until we heard the word. Well, the day is finally here and we’re so happy to share their wedding with you. We’re not ones who thinks that the details of the day should overshadow the real moments, but it was pretty hard not to notice all the well planned and elegant choices throughout the event. And it was such a beautiful and very Richmond type of day, as well. The getting ready at the Jefferson led to St. John’s at Stuart Circle with a wonderful finish in the new wing of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
The link to the Style Me Pretty Article is here: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2013/04/11/richmond-wedding-from-don-mears-photography/
You can’t argue with a line like ” Don Mears Photography used every trick in his back pocket and has filled a gallery with the most amazing wedding you’ll see all day.”
Special thanks to McBride Events, Floraculture, Mike Beane of Choice Entertainment, The Jeff Decker Band, The Buttercream Bee, Emily Hudspeth, and Paper Freckles for their always wonderful efforts in making the day for Lisa and Mike a success.
Enjoy!
As we gear up for another fantastic wedding season, it’s nice to get things rolling with a little love from our fellow wedding professionals. Claire Goodman from One Sweet Wedding and The Charlottesville Wedding blog was nice enough to let us know she’d published a few choice images in their “Best of 2012” series.
We’d be thrilled if you headed over there to check it out and leave a few comments about the work. Here’s the link: http://www.charlottesvilleweddingblog.com/best-of-2012-don-mears-photography/
Thank you to Allison and Nick, Liz and Michael, Samantha and Duncan, Karen and Mike, Sarah and T.J., Jenny and Bruce, Jessica and Fox, and Jane and Andrew. These are the wonderful couples that made these images possible. You see, it’s impossible to get featured in anything unless you get invited to the wedding first! Here is a collection of single frames from each of these weddings that were also our favorites of 2012.
Enjoy!
We were delighted to hear from our friends at The Knot that we had been selected as a 2013 “Top Knot”, one of a select group of vendors recognized each year as providing excellent work and service. The great thing about this recognition is that it’s voted upon by brides AND other wedding professionals. So it’s doubly humbling to be recognized in such a manner.
Oh, and if you missed it (even though it’s the post right below this one) check out Jessica and Fox at the VMFA. Their wedding was picked up by The Knot™ magazine recently. The link is here.
Thank you to everyone who voted for us and we wish everyone a healthy and successful year. Enjoy!
So much has been happening in and around Don Mears Photography in the past two months and I cannot believe we’ve taken this long to bring this wedding to the blog. Jessica and Fox are truly wonderful people with warm families who just happened to throw one of the best parties of the year (I have proof!). We’re not alone in thinking this was a grand affair, as The Knot™ Magazine gave it a four page spread in one of their recent winter editions. You can find a link to that spread here.
Now, of course it doesn’t hurt that some of our favorite vendors and one of Richmond’s finest venues were also involved in the evening. I don’t know if this is a full list, and my apologies to any I may miss, but it’s pretty impressive nonetheless: McBride Events, White House Flowers, Cakes By Graham, The Attraction Band, Lou Stevens, and Petite Bouchees. Their work is definitely on display in this collection of images from the day.
This wedding and reception was a testament to the class and style of the couple as well as their fun-loving natures. Jessica and Fox were the epitome of grace throughout, but then willing leaders of a pretty rowdy bunch of friends and family; definitely check out the couple taking the stage to cheer on the crowd. I hadn’t seen those kind of tambourine moves out of a groom at any wedding I’ve attended or photographed. Good work, Fox, and great socks.
All in all, a great party and a beautiful wedding day. Cheers and enjoy the images.
As we’ve moved in to the relative quiet of the wedding off-season, it gives us a little time to reflect on all that happened in 2012. Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting quite a few events that cover the gamut of the wedding experience in Richmond and other parts of the world. I wanted to start with one of our beloved weddings and couples of 2012, Julie and Jared Ireland. It’s always an honor to be among the families and friends that gather for weddings; to be a part of their lives for just brief time and to share something that they’ll remember for many years. With Julie and Jared, I had the sense that these two were truly destined to be together and that I was witnessing something special. It was a feeling that came from how their friends spoke of them and how everyone seemed changed for the better by seeing them together. That confidence in each other and what this day meant to them followed me long after the evening was over. Thank you to the Ramsey and Ireland families for your warm natures and for inviting us in for the weekend. From the rehearsal to the end of the reception, we felt welcome and we were certainly entertained.
An aside:
I often speak to people of what I consider to be the nature of great wedding photography and a simple yet elegant affair like this one really drives it home. Events like this one allow me to focus on people, on their expressions, on their interactions, which is the foundation of great event coverage. Simply put, people make the event and provide the moments. It’s just my job to keep my eyes open, find the right light and the right angle and catch it. Sure, details are wonderful and you’ll always find them in my take on the day. Portraits are fun and can really put a spotlight on the “on stage” personality of a couple, but nothing beats a true moment caught as it occurs. I’ve yet to see a well lit and well posed image as profound as well lit and unguarded moment.
I hope everyone has enjoyed the past few weeks of shorts and t-shirts followed by snow and ski jackets. Take care, be warm (or cool…depends on the day!), and we hope to see you back on the blog soon.
Enjoy!
Happy Monday morning and what a lovely one it is. While we contemplate the next few days of rain (much needed), clouds (always nice), and indoor work (boo), I thought I’d share one of my favorite weddings of 2012 which also happens to be one of our last of 2012. There’s nothing like heading in to the New Year with a few beautiful weddings to tackle. Corey and Matt provided that and then some, with a stunning reception following a very emotional ceremony. You’ll see some familiar venues for us if you’ve been following our blog at all; the ever stunning Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the Beaux Arts beauty of the Jefferson Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Of course, there’s also our happy couple who make an attractive and happy pair to round out the spectacle.
Special thanks to some of our dear friends and fellow wedding afficionados: Blue Steel Lighting and Design, Lindsay Averett at LK Events, Mosaics, Bill Gilliam with Choice Entertainment just to name a few.
Happy New Year to everyone and enjoy the images!
Talk about one heck of a month for Don Mears Photography. First we were told by Virginia Living Magazine™ that we were voted one of Virginia’s Best Wedding photographers, a distinction given to only a select few studios throughout the entire state. Virginia Living is a very elegant magazine and we’ve always admired its layout and content, definitely a top-rate publication for our beautiful state. It’s truly an honor to be included among their chosen best. Their Weddings special edition will be out after the first of the year and we’ll certainly be posting again about that once it does.
Shortly after that wonderful news, Richmond Magazine™ called to let us know that we were voted the #1 wedding photography studio in Richmond. An equally humbling honor, but different because it was a collection of votes from all of you; our past couples and families, our current clients who’ve yet to be photographed, and all our friends and fellow vendors from around the area. To us, that means everything. From our inauspicious beginnings as a fledgling studio pushing out in to the world of wedding photography to now being voted as the top studio by our beloved clients, colleagues, and fellow Richmonders has made our year. Heck, it made our decade.
We know in the world of photography that it seems image is everything, but we’ve always felt that trust and relationships are on equal footing. Well, thank you to the hundreds of couples, families, and vendors that have put their trust in us over the past years to capture some of the best moments in their lives. Here’s a little preview (heavily biased in our favor, of course) of the A-List by Richmond Weddings, but make sure you pick up a copy of your own!
Their wedding images are almost ready so I thought it was a good time to share the lovely Corey Sweeney nee Erickson (congrats again, you two) and her bridal session. She chose her reception venue, the always elegant Jefferson Hotel, for half of the day and the lovely English gardens of the Virginia House as the other. We love the way her gorgeous Eve of Milady dress fits each backdrop so gracefully. Enjoy and we’ll have the wedding day on display very soon. Until then, get ready for exciting news about Don Mears Photography in the next blog post!
