I Am Thankful...

...for many things today.  Not the least of which are the TWO Thanksgiving feasts I get to stuff myself with (score for celebrating with both sides of our families today!).  Another is vanilla ice cream, and that it's a perfect complement to apple cobbler and pumpkin pies.  God takes pity on those of us who don't have time to cook, and for that I am grateful.  So I got ice cream for BOTH family celebrations today.  Okay, well, technically Chris picked up the ice cream while I was still hard at work.  So I'm thankful for him too, especially since he also picked up Linner for me, and always takes good care of me.  :)

And on that note, after a busy wedding season (and amazing clients! - which I'm also thankful for), I'm thankful that I can take off for the next few days...because I'm my own boss!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and are thankful for the small things!

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Ronald Reagan Building Wedding: Beejal + Ben

It was a bustling day at the Willard InterContinental, where Beejal rented out a large room for her and her 11 bridesmaids to get ready.  Secret Service roamed the halls, for what we assumed were because of dignitaries there on business, and peeked into their room several different times.  (Don't worry, gentlemen, the girls in saris getting their makeup and hair done while drinking champagne are not a threat...I promise!)

Beejal was calm and collected, ready to let the day unfold as it would.  I had been excited about this wedding ever since shooting their engagement session in April.  My husband and I came to know Beejal and Ben through mutual friends, and we all immediately got along.  So it was no surprise to me when I found out they had 17 bridesmaids and groomsmen.  These two don't know a single stranger with their warm and welcoming personalities!

Thank you to Gina Robinson for making the girls look their amazing best, and thank you for being so sweet and fun!

The first look, where Ben gets to see just how beautiful his lovely bride is, and Beejal gets to see her handsome groom for the first time.  For me, there isn't much better than this unscripted moment a bride and groom get to share....

I could not have made it through the day without my incredibly talented and amazing 2nd shooter, Melissa Manzione.  While I was taking the photo on the left, Melissa was capturing the image on the right, as well as a few others in this post.  Love you, Melis...I couldn't have done this wedding without you!!

Katie Martin of Elegance & Simplicity and her amazing team did such a beautiful job transforming the Ronald Reagan Building into a gorgeous reception space...

After the Hindu ceremony, Beejal and Ben also had a Christian ceremony...

Beejal and Ben, thank you for the joy of getting to spend your day with you - not only as your photographer but also as your friend.  I love how you make each other laugh and smile, and the love in your eyes as you look at each other says it all...here's to a lifetime of happiness for you both!!  xo...


Associate photographer: Melissa Manzione
Event Designer, Flowers, Lighting: Katie Martin of Elegance & Simplicity
In-house Coordinator: Danielle Johnson (thank you for being so awesome to work with!!!)
Accommodations: Willard InterContinental Hotel 
Wedding and Reception Venue: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Cake: Forget-Me-Not Cakes
Makeup: Gina Robinson
Hair Stylist: Lauren Perkins
DJ: Brian King

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Fell's Point Engagement Session: Kimberly + Steve

Baltimore.  It's their stomping ground, and it used to be home until they moved to Northern Virginia.  After Kimberly and Steve met, they found out they lived close to each other and had many other things in common.  Their first date was in Baltimore: sushi, salsa dancing and a boat ride on the water.  Steve didn't even know how to salsa, but he knew that Kimberly loved to, so he was prepared to learn and impress.  The wining, dining, and his skills on the dance floor must have won her over, because many more dates followed, not the least of which included a marriage proposal and a stay on their engagement night at Admiral Inn.  Now they are to be married next June.  In Baltimore.  A place that holds so many special memories.

So it was only fitting that we have their engagement session at Fell's Point, where Steve and Kimberly spent much of their time together.  

Steve is a political consultant, and his friends joke that when he looks at the camera he gives his "politician smile."  I found that every time he looked at Kimberly, his truest and most genuine smile shined through.

"Their bench" where Steve proposed...

Kimberly and Steve, thank you for a fun time in Fells Point.  I can see why you love this place so much!  So excited for your wedding at the Engineer's Club in June!! Pin It

Rustic Maryland Engagement Session: Erin + Michael

She wasn't even supposed to go, but they had an odd number of people and needed an extra to fill their 6-person raft.  Erin had just returned from the Grand Canyon when her best friend asked if she wanted to travel to Pennsylvania for a white water rafting trip early the next morning.  "Why not," Erin decided.

As the caravan of 5 friends made its way down the road, Michael wondered why they were headed back to his house.  Until they passed his turn, heading to Erin's home just a short distance from where he lived.  Erin and Michael talked about their similarities on the drive to PA: how close they lived to each other, that they attended the same school, and that their parents also grew up near each other.  What's more, Erin's best friend was dating Michael's best friend.  

Not long after their rafting trip, Michael asked his best friend to ask his girlfriend to ask Erin to join them on another night out, since he didn't have a date to hang out with.  (And for the longest time, Erin didn't know that's how she got invited - she assumed her best friend had just asked her along.)  But Michael finally came around to asking her out directly, not a group of friends this time, but a movie night at his house.  Now, no longer making up the odd numbers, they are paired for life....

When Erin told me she wanted to have their engagement session on the farm where they live, I was nothing short of ecstatic.  I love me some farmland.  Maybe it's because I spent part of my childhood in upstate New York and have fond memories of picking wild blackberries and watching the production of baling hay, but in some way it feels like a small slice of home.  And their farm?  It didn't disappoint!

Erin and Michael, I had so much fun with you both, and I can't wait for your May wedding at the Evergreen Museum!!  xo... Pin It