Last weekend, I had the pleasure of shooting with Emily Jackson at Emma & Trevor's wedding in Leesburg, VA.  Emma and Trevor were the cutest couple and complemented each other in every way.  They had a beautiful ceremony at the St. Francis de Sales Church in Purcellville, VA and then had their reception at the Rust House Manor.  I always love the opportunity to shoot weddings because it really allows me to see what's most important to the couple and makes it uniquely them.  For Emma and Trevor, their families and friends having a good time and including their dogs in the festivites were the most important.  I don't think I've been surrounded by so many smart people in a room since most of their friends and family were Princeton alumni. Despite a ceremony delay and the rain, these two were very calm and collected.  Speaking from experience, rain is good luck!  Everyone had a great time and their families and friends all knew how to party.   

Here's the stunningly gorgeous bride:

The dashing groom:

I love this one of the good looking couple!

A great shot of the entire wedding party in the amazing church.

The long awaited kiss.

I love this one of Emma kissing Pearl, her Dog of Honor during the cocktail reception. 

Here's one of Beau, the Best Dog.  I really love how important it was for the couple to include their love for their dogs on their special day.  Here's your "aww" moment, you can't see it in these photos, but Pearl's collar is personalized with "Dog of Honor" and Beau's is with "Best Dog".  Say it with me guys, "Awwww".

I love the vibrant colors of the bouquets!

Here's the tribute to Men in Black.

Emma and Trevor were surrounded by the most funny and loving people on their wedding day.  All the speeches made that evening were so personal, touching, and hilarious.  Here's Emma's reaction to her brother-in-law's Best Man speech.

A tender moment between the couple during the Maid of Honor speech.

The first dance was so cute and romantic.

Here are some really cute details.  The lighting in the tents was very cool.

The refreshments :).  You know it is a good party when people head to the bar and come back to the table with bottles of wine as opposed to glasses.  Good times..

The reception theme kinda had a picnic feel to it with gingham patterned tablecloths and pretty arrangements in mini silver galvanized pails.  The food was right up my alley with BBQ pork, fried chicken, and corn on the cob.  YUM!  They even had a triangle to ring announcing dinner.  Gotta love it!

They had rum bundt cakes instead of the traditional tiered cake.  Super cute and look at the yummy favors!

I love this one!  No, the bride is not yelling at her guests.  She is leading the chant for her alma mater with her fellow Princeton alumni!

Aren't these two just the cutest?  Trevor, way to go for always being there for Emma!  

Thanks again to Emily for inviting me and Emma and Trevor for having me.  I had such a great time.  Congrats to Emma & Trevor and I wish you both all the best in the start of your next chapter in life together!

Back on April 6, 2008, I had to opportunity to shoot Katie & Phil's wedding at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD.  I've never been here before so I didn't know what to expect, but once there, it was one of the most beautiful locations to have a wedding.  They had their ceremony under (yes I said under) the Hooper Trait Lighthouse and it was just the coolest.  Katie and Phil were two of the most laid back bride and groom that I've ever met.  When we showed up, she was just hanging out with family members in her gown without a care in the world.  They opted to see each other and take formal pictures with family before the ceremony, which I highly recommend.  These days many still go back and forth on seeing each other before the ceremony, and it's obviously an individual choice.  However, for those on the fence, I think it's a great way to have that moment to yourselves before guests and the photographers (LOL) swarm you after the ceremony.  It also allows the bride and groom to not miss out on as much of the cocktail hour partying because they're taking formal photos.  I know as a former bride looking back, I wish I didn't miss as much of our cocktail hour.  Back to Katie and Phil, these two planned a very intimate, relaxed, and personal celebration of themselves as a couple which was a joy to be a part of.  There were so many details and moments that evoked an "aww" or "wow".  Photos of each of the guests were at the tables as placecards, favors were cute boxes of M&Ms with their names on them, the list goes on.  Here are some highlights:

The bell tower with the ceremony site in the background.

The cute couple on the lighthouse balcony.

Now onward with the awesome details, the lovely corset back gown.

Check out these cufflinks with the tie! 

I LOVE her ring!

Her fabulous hair, did I mention that I love orchids?

The bouquet was so unique!

Looks like Phil likes her bouquet too.

Isn't she beautiful?

Here's your "aww" moment:  the weather was a bit breezy that day.  However, when Phil noticed it got a little to chilly, he put his coat on Katie for the remainder of the ceremony.  It was so sweet.

The newly married couple sharing a moment after the ceremony.

Their first dance was a very lively and fun jig.  The live bluegrass band was terrific!

Instead of a cake, they had pie towers.  I love this idea!

I caught this funny reaction from a guest checking out the gift that Phil's sister gave him.

You know, I had to sneak in this cutiepie in.  Isn't she just adorable?

The dance floor was packed all night.  This guy shows us how to "Jump Around" a la House of Pain.

So I'm going to end things on this random picture.  I overheard some guys mentioning that they thought it was hilarious that they had arrangements in the men's room.  Of course, this peaked my curiosity as to what this would look like.  So I snuck into the men's bathroom and snapped a picture of it.  Seriously, I don't think I saw this one on Martha Stewart, but I do commend the recycled use of the Bud Light can   Cheers!

Congrats to Katie & Phil and I wish you both all the happiness in the world.  Thanks again to Emily Jackson for letting me join in on this awesomely unique wedding!

The fabulous Emily Jackson asked me to help shoot Erin & Dan's wedding at the Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville, MD back on March 15, 2008.  I know, I'm way overdue on posting this one, but I'm catching up.

I was not sure what to expect, but Erin & Dan are two of the nicest people that you could ever meet and they picked the perfect location for their wedding.  Musket Ridge was so scenic and beautiful, I don't know if pictures could do it justice.  The weather was great and everyone had a fun time. 

Let's start with some details.  She had the cutest birdcage card box.

White orchids, my personal favorite!

I loved the ruching on on this dress!

 Isn't the garland headpiece the perfect accessory for this pretty girl?

I loved how the wind is ever so lightly picking up her veil during the beautiful ceremony.

1 word...BEAU-TI-FUL!

I know I am sucker for the details.  How cute are the little nests!

Did I mention the fabulous cake?  I couldn't help but indulge and it was delicious!

These two could not keep their eyes off one another.  It was soo sweet.

This one is probably my favorite of the night, proud papa could not get enough photos. 

What a night for the kids!  I snuck in this shot of the Ringbearer and Flowergirl taking a break from the dance floor.

Thanks Emily for the opportunity to do this and best wishes to Erin & Dan! Cheers!