About a year ago, I get this email through my online website form, from a Jason, asking about my wedding packages. After a few back and forth email's, we sent up a meeting downtown to discuss their wedding. I show up a few early, and in walks one of my former yoga students. It takes me a second to put two and two together, when his girlfriend, Stina, also a former student, joins him. They sit down and say "we thought it would be a fun surprise not to tell you!"

Needless to say, so much fun to work for folks that you respect so much, and who are so vibrant at heart.

Their lovely wedding brought Stina's family in from Sweden, and united many friends from California and around the country. Meadowlark Garden, in Virginia, one of my favorite family portrait locations, provided the perfect backdrop for this heartfelt ceremony.

The gorgeous bride:

 

I love this shot of the "first look" among Jason and Stina. It's as if they can't believe that the day is finally here!

During the ceremony, Stina choked up (as did I). During the toasts, her father said "This is true love and commitment, for us Swedes don't often cry. "

The ceremony was so pitch perfect. A misty haze settled over the gorgeous landscape. The bride and groom had picked very heartfelt and unique music to set the mood for the ceremony, then walked down the aisle together, in typical Swedish fashion.

During the ceremony, a gong was hit every few minutes, which resonated throughout the gardens and really deepened the emotion of the vows. Come to find out that the gong was not theirs, nor did anyone know where it came from! How perfectly serendipitous.

The witnesses!

 

The Bridal Party!

Music provided by One Nite Stand, who performs every Monday night at Madams Organ, in my home neighborhood of Adams Morgan.

Post Ceremony, on the grounds...

The relief - we did it! photo

Pre-ceremony, mid-day sun

Post-ceremony, dusk....

The ever gorgeous Meadowlark Gardens

Many congratulations Jason and Stina! What an honor to work with you both.
Have an amazing honeymoon!
more soon,
svg

What a wedding! Jeff and Paola got married last week at the beautiful Ritz Carlton. Every detail was planned to perfection and went off without a hitch, thanks to the amazing vendor team and totally passionate couple and their families. It was a true pleasure to work with them and share in their amazing day.

And the day would not have been complete without getting ready to the World Cup!!

Vendor Team:
Event Planner: Jodi Moraru, Evoke
Venue: Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner
Florist: Edge Flowers
DJ: Marc at Washington Talent

I've blogged before about light (and if you're a client of mine, you've definitely heard me talk about it). This weekends' wedding was a great example of how a photograph is truly just capturing light, its mood, its intensity. The subject of the photograph shapes, bends and reflects the light in different ways. If you can think about photography in this way, your images will become more interesting, more unique, and definitely more creative. I actually am going to make this blog a little photography lesson, so read all the way through. First, in a prelude to the the pretty photographs, a little about this wonderful couple. The light, the spark that is between Meghan and Mike is so palatable,  it's remarkable. Although I have only known them for a short time, it feels like these two have been partners forever. The story of how they met (can you say love at first sight?) and their desire to just get married already! and plan their wedding in three short months...well it's a testament to how some things are just meant to be.

Here are a few favorite images from Saturday, a few of which I'll discuss in detail at the end.

It was such an amazing day - congratulations Mike and Meghan!!

So here's a little play by play on capturing some of these images. In this image of Meghan siting in the church after her ceremony, I wanted to capture the essence, the feel, of her wedding day, without overtly shooting a 'wedding image', at the alter, bride and groom smiling, etc. So I positioned Meghan in a swath of light coming in from the window, and loved the shape of her in her dress breaking up the translucence of her veil. The subject, in this case, Meghan, shapes the light by blocking it from flooding into the scene. If she weren't in this frame, the flowers would be the subject, and the light from the window would come pouring in, uninterrupted. But in this picture, her head, shoulders, legs, arm, and hand are so solid, that they fully block light from entering the space, it has to wrap right around her. The veil is semi solid, and white, so shapes the light differently, less overtly.

Here's another example of the same window light, with a different treatment.  In the above image, I allowed the frame to be over exposed. I wanted a light, airy feeling, an outline of my subject, and a very daytime look. I wanted my viewer to think "serene" when they saw it.  In the image below, I wanted a moodier feeling, think "calm after the storm". So I used the exact same location, where the bride and groom could have a few minutes to just be, right after their ceremony. By exposing for the couple, I allowed the rest of the church not bathed in direct light to go dark. This gives the image a certain drama by focusing your eye directly on the subject. Additionally, I loved the symmetry of the three windows, their very linear window panes, and the pews, all leading lines that bring your eye right to the top 2/3rds of the frame, where the subject (the couple, in this case) interrupts your viewpoint and draws it in.

Similarly, this image uses geometric shapes to draw your eye right to the bride and her mom, getting ready before the ceremony. See how different the feel is when I stepped back 20 feet and framed in my subject:

as opposed to shooting them close up?

If you have any questions on the other images and how I got them, hit me up in the comments section.  As well, if this was useful, let me know and I'll post more mini-lessons through the regular blog posts. More soon,
svg

Sam and Emma invited me into their lives for a short time, to share in and capture the celebration of their marriage. They were blessed with a rain-free (despite all odds) wonderful, spirit filled day today as they became man and wife.

Congratulations Sam and Emma!