Brrrrrrrrrrrrr! | Maryland wedding photographer

I shot my last wedding of the season Thanksgiving weekend…it’s a bitter-sweet moment for me. The end of a wedding season means that I have my weekends back…yeah….but it also means the year is coming to a close and that I must move forward to the marketing end of my business and start working on next year’s clients…not the most fun thing to do as a creative person.

This wedding was pretty special though. I’ve known Lynn and Sean for a while now…though not very well, I’ve always admired the people that they are together and individually. Sean and Lynn are very warm people, always making you feel special when they see you. When Lynn asked me to shoot their wedding, I was very excited because I knew that it would be a blast. Sean & his brother (and best man) Kevin play in The Gecko’s, a much-loved band in Annapolis…which has steel drums that Kevin makes.

The wedding was in Ocean City, MD. The ceremony was a simple catholic ceremony and the reception was held at the beautiful Lighthouse Sound Restaurant which is located on a bay front golf course. After a wonderful ceremony, we hurried over to Lighthouse Sound to get the group photos quickly done…now, I hate to rush any photos, but we had a few major factors working against us. One was the sun…it sets so early in late November that we had to grab the last bits of daylight, two was the little bit of time to sneak in the group shots before the reception officially began and three was THE COLD! I can’t tell you how cold it was…and windy. Luckily I had some hearty subjects who didn’t care one bit about running out of the heated reception area to stand in for a family shot or two. Then it was on to the wedding party. I usually like to spend at least 15-30 minutes with them, but they weren’t having it and neither were my fingers. So we quickly got the group shots finished and some guy only and gal only shots and let them run back in to enjoy their cocktails in the comfort of the heat.
Lynn and Sean…I wasn’t letting them off easy. I HAD to get some nice shots of them by the water as the sun began to set. So, we hopped in a golf cart (with plastic panels..which helped a bit) and went to the closest area to do some portraits. They were troopers…and I was very impressed and pleased how agreeable they were to stand out in the cold…I was starting to lose feeling in my hands so we called it a wrap and headed indoors.

The reception was so cozy as a nice fire blazed away in a large hearth in the center of the room. Outside, two fire pits burned to add even more ambiance to the party. Lynn and Sean were introduced to rounds of applause and whistles. After a yummy dinner, the first dance and speeches took their place in the wedding timeline. The speeches were incredibly moving as both fathers gave their well wishes to the newly wed couple and then Sean’s brother Kevin followed by Lynn’s twin sister Laura brought many in the room to tears. There was love all over that room.

The best part of the evening was when the Gecko’s set up their steel drums and plugged in their guitars and performed for the couple and their most special guests. The room was on fire as the guests sang along to Gecko’s tunes and kids danced around the floor. Next, Lynn’s uncle got his chance in the spotlight as he sang “Glory of Love” with almost all the guests joining in and then following it up with “You are my Sunshine”…which I believe everyone, including me was singing along to.

Lynn and Sean left the party to a tunnel of sparklers and hopped in their limo to start their new life together.

Thank you both for inviting me to join in the fun and document your very special day….you have a most beautiful group of friends and family that all made me feel welcome just like you both always do.
Much love to you both.

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Crisp November wedding | Maryland wedding photographer

A few weekends ago, my trusty second shooter Arianne and I photographed a beautiful wedding in Severna Park for Rebekah and Ed. I didn’t know much about this couple going into the big day because they lived in Boston and couldn’t quite rush home to chat with me about the wedding day plans. I first found out about the couple through her very wonderful mother. I met with her at the family home in Arnold…just down the street from my house and she filled me in on what Bekah and Ed were looking for. It’s hard to envision the day without personally meeting the bride & groom and seeing what their personalities are like, so I was happy when just about a month ago, I got to finally meet Bekah on a very rainy day. I was immeadiately impressed by her by the fact that she rode her bike and got all muddy in the rain to come meet me at a local coffee shop. I knew then that I did NOT have a bridezilla on my hands.

Actually, she was so far from a bridezilla and Ed was as sweet and kind as can be that the whole day seemed pretty easy. That’s saying alot because I was pretty crazed about this wedding when I realized that daylight savings time was the night before and I was losing a whole hour of sun! Yikes! Somehow though, Arianne and I pulled it off and got all the immeadiate family shots that they requested and even a giant group photo of the whole party outside of the church while I stood on a very tall ladder…did I mention that I am afraid of heights!?

The ceremony was very touching, with one of the best wedding “sermons” I’ve ever heard, a beautiful duet sung by her friend and her sister and a very giddy Bekah whose smile radiated during the entire ceremony. The church was filled with family and friends and you could feel the love in the room.

The reception, which was held at the Chartwell Country Club in Severna Park, was a very nice change from alot of the weddings that I’ve shot this season. Most of the receptions turn into a big party with lots of crazy dancing all night long. Not that Bekah and Ed’s reception wasn’t a party atmosphere, but the level of sophistication that they took it to was a pleasant contrast. Smooth moves were all over the dance floor as husbands twirled around the floor with their wives. It’s so nice to see couples of all ages embraceing the love that was felt that night between Bekah and Ed and joining in on all the fun. Another fun little added bonus to the reception was a photo station that Arianne and I set up near the dance floor. Bekah’s Dad provided a trunk full of hilarious costume accessories and all the guests dug right in and showed their goofy side for the camera.

Bekah and Ed, thank you so much for having us be a part of your very special day, it was so wonderful to watch the two of you together dancing the first dance as husband and wife. You two make a beautiful couple! Congrats and good luck in your new home in Tennessee!

wedding in paradise | destination wedding photographer

I have just returned from one of the best weddings I’ve ever shot. Not to downplay all of the other fabulous weddings this year, but this one took me on a journey to Mexico! Not only was the location steller, but the nice long weekend I got to spend with the bride and grooms’ friends and family at an all-inclusive resort near Cancun really added icing to the cake.

Getting there was a bit of a long ordeal thanks to Hurricane Paula hanging out over Cuba, but after a 6 hour delay at BWI airport, I finally made my way to Mexico.
Upon arrival, I was greeted in the lobby with a cool towel and a glass of champagne. I was smitten.

I’ve known the bride & groom, Dana and Doug for about 5 years. I met them before they were even a couple, so to see their relationship come to this moment before their awesome friends and family was really an added bonus.

The day before the wedding, Dana, Doug and I had some fun running around the beautiful resort for an engagement-style shoot. With so many amazing spots that looked like they were just set up for a photo shoot, I was a bit overwhelmed, but loved every minute of it.

On Saturday, the big wedding day, the weather was absolutely perfect, nice and overcast, perfect for photos! Most people pray for sun on their wedding day, but we photographers love a cloudy day!

Dana looked absolutely fabulous as she slipped into her silk gown that looked like it was sculpted for her body. After mom and the bridesmaids buttoned the many buttons that adorned the back of her dress, it was time to see Doug for the first look.
Dana and Doug’s room, which overlooked the water and beach, had a rooftop deck, so I had Dana wait on the deck looking out over the water and then called for Doug to come up and surprise her. As usual, the first look is my favorite moment of the entire day….the moment when the groom finally sees the dress and the woman he is about to marry…it gives me goosebumps every time.

The ceremony took place near the beach in a marble-like “gazebo” surrounded by fountains…very classy! The white stone of the structure framed the ceremony beautifully. About 60 friends and family watched as Dana and Doug became husband and wife.

After a very cool cocktail hour, complete with a mariachi band, the guests made their way down a path to the reception terrace. Blue lighted fabric columns, white fabric draped down from another gazebo and native palms flanking the dance floor kept the look simple and classy. After speeches by the best man, maid of honor and Dana’s father, it was easy to see that this group of friends and family that assembled in Mexico to celebrate with Dana and Doug were top-notch. Once the dancing began and the tequilla shots started to flow (thanks to Edgar, a resort employee who happened to show up everywhere we were with shots of tequilla in hand) there was no turning back…it was going to one heck of a party…and it was!

Congratulations Dana and Doug! Thank you for choosing me to document your most awesome weekend!

Two families join | Philadelphia wedding photographer

It’s 11am on Thursday and I am sitting in BWI airport waiting on the status of my flight which should have left 30 minutes ago for Cancun where I am shooting a wedding on Saturday. We just found out that the flight has been delayed up to 6 hours because of Hurricane Paula…which is now over Cuba. So, instead of boring myself to death as I wait for the update, I thought I would blog about an awesome wedding I shot last weekend in Philadelphia.

I had been looking forward to this wedding for almost a year since I first met bride Jen and groom John in Annapolis to discuss their wedding. When I asked Jen how she picked me, the very cool connection that we all had made this wedding a bit closer to my heart then most. Jen went to the same college I did (Philadelphia University) and John graduated from The US Naval Academy, where I worked for my first two years in Annapolis as a sports photographer.

The wedding was originally planned to take place in Annapolis…but after much deliberation and reality sinking in, Jen quickly changed the location to Philadelphia and I was estatic! Jen has two kids and John has three and they all live in New Jersey, so Philly seemed a much more logical choice then lugging the whole family down to Annapolis for the wedding. The best part of the location change was the incredible venue that they acquired…The Philadelphia Seaport Museum!

I adore Philadelphia. I actually consider it my home more than anywhere else on the planet. The 5 years that I lived there really shaped the person I am today and the city has so much to offer. I go up to visit the city and all my friends any chance I can get.

The day of the wedding was a gorgeous fall Saturday, the sun shone brightly and the breeze was gentle. Jen was stunning in her simple, yet elegant gown and John looked handsome in his very cool orange tie. The 3 girls and 2 boys (their children) made up their wedding party and I have to say they were the best looking wedding party I’ve ever photographed! I was blown away by how well-behaved all of them were and how adorable they looked all dressed up in their fall colors. Kudos to the parents on that one!

The ceremony took place on a concrete terrace overlooking the Delaware River with the Ben Franklin Bridge on our left and the Walt Whitman on our right, the view was spectacular! One very funny moment that I can’t fail to mention because I have a great set of photos documenting the moment was Jen’s youngest kiddo, Andrew, was not a fan of the grown-up looking suit and tie that he had to wear. He walked down the aisle looking as if life were ending as he dragged his feet and wore a perfect frown. We all got quite the chuckle out of it.

The reception is where the fun really started to happen. Jen and John have an amazing group of friends and family who were not the least bit shy to jump onto the dance floor right away. Most of the time, the couple is too preoccupied with their guests to enjoy dancing the night away. Not true with Jon and Jen…they rocked it all night long thanks to the awesome tunes provided by Cutting Edge Djs! I had a blast photographing this reception and was contantly smiling at all the fun and hilarity that was happening thorughout the reception….so much that my cheeks hurt the rest of the night!

Jen and John…thank you for choosing me to be a part of your special day! It was definitely one of my favorite weddings I’ve photographed. You both were so kind and laid back that it made everything go so smoothly and without and stress.
Also a giant shoutout to the kids Dalton, Payton, Reilly Andrew and Julia…you guys were so much fun to be around and looked amazing! Enjoy the photos!

Camp away wedding | Maryland wedding photographer

As promised, I said last week that I would blog about the fun camp-away wedding I had the opportunity to photograph this past weekend. The wedding took place at Ramblewood Campground in Darlington, MD. This rustic setting was great for the fall chilly weather that seemed to sneak up on us this year. The bride and groom, Kelly & Greaton had planned every detail themselves and enlisted family and friends to make the rustic property into a venue suitable for a wedding. I arrived Saturday night for the rehearsal and watched how their friends and family all pulled together to make it happen.

Kelly looked absolutely stunning in her “old hollywood” style gown with her beautiful red hair pulled back tight like a old-time starlet from the past. She and Greaton were so easy to photograph as they knew just what pose to strike to make the shot happen. I love it when that happens!

The ceremony took place down by a small pond and wooded area. Kelly walked down a beautiful stone stairway to greet her groom to the sounds of bagpipes. After the ceremony, the wedding party and I had a little adventure as we used the cabins, old barn and woodsy areas around the rather large property of Ramblewood. I was totally in my element as I came up with new an interesting ways to shoot the wedding party “posed” photos. I always love shooting at a new venue and exploring the not so beautiful areas and making them look amazing in my photographs. My favorite shot is of Kelly and Greaton standing in the barn on the stage with the red velvet curtains behind them and an old “The Barn” sign in the background.

After a delicious dinner in the dining hall, we all moved out to the pavilion for the reception. They did an awesome job of transforming the simple wood structure into a fun party atmosphere with strings of white lights, a disco ball and lots of orange and purple lanterns hanging from the ceiling. This place was a challenge to light with the bare wooden rafters and high roof, so I decided to have a little fun with my lighting toward the end of the ceremony and played a bit with my artsy side.

That evening after the reception, the plan was to have everyone go down the hill to a giant bonfire and play music….
side note: Kelly and Greaton have a ton of musician friends who were all in attendance (including many of my boyfriend’s long time friends), so I was relieved of my shooting duties and got to join in on the bonfire fun….I love when a wedding ends this way!
…unfortunately, it started to rain so the instruments never made it down to the bonfire, but several of us did with umbrellas in tow. It was a blast hanging out by the fire while it was raining…a perfect way to end the evening.

I also want to give a shout out to her friend and Best of Baltimore dessert maker extraordinaire Bettina Clair who knocked it out of the park not only with her fabulous cake but with a table full of fall inspired desserts and candy apples for the guests to take home.

I kinda like being the third wheel | Maryland wedding photographer

I was asked by fellow photographer, Cindy Lawson to be a third shooter alongside she and her assistant for the day Tony J I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but when she told me that I needed to focus on details and cocktail hour, my ears perked up. I LOVE photographing details…so much time and artistry goes into designing every last detail and too many times I don’t have enough time to capture it all the way I would like when I shoot my weddings. This was a perfect opportunity for me to have a little fun and not be stressed out about missing a single moment with the bride and groom.

I started shooting alongside Cindy before the ceremony as she photographed the bride in her beautiful vintage inspired gown. The wedding took place at her parents beautiful home in Baltimore County where every inch of the home and property was perfect for photos. I could have shot for hours, but I had another job to do so I quickly snapped some different angles of the bride as Cindy did her thing and then I moved onto the tent for the first round of details.

Once the guests started to arrive, I snapped off a round of detail shots of the ceremony site and the band and then back to the tent I went….the longer I waited, the better the light was in the tent.

The tent was filled with the most beautiful arrangements of flowers that I have ever seen. I’ve never shot a wedding where so much thought had been put into the design of the flower arrangements…it was just fantastic.
The flower arrangements were created by Romance of Flowers in Reisterstown, MD. Every table was lined down the center with different arrangements of fall colored flowers, fruits, and even red chili peppers. Among the flower arrangements were candles and lanterns that glowed and lit the tables as the sun slowly went behind the trees. It was breathtaking! Palate Pleasers, a catering company out of Annapolis, MD rounded out the decor with beautiful red plates, burgundy and gold linens and wooden chairs with golden yellow seats.
I left just as the sun was going down and the reception was gearing up. As I walked away to my car and looked back at the tent, the candles were flickering in the night and the understated orange lighting illuminated the tent.
I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking…

beautiful things…

July 13-23rd:

1: Cooperstown wedding (actually took place on July 4th but edited during this week): I had the awesome opportunity to photograph a wedding on the Fourth of July at a beautiful lake-side resort in Cooperstown, NY. The quaint little historic town is well known for its Baseball Hall of Fame (which I’ve visited in the past when one of my favorite players, Eddie Murray was inducted), but what I didn’t realize was just how gorgeous the lake area was. I was blown away when I got there and checked out the property the day before the wedding. This was gonna be an easy one, I thought…and it was. The day went off perfectly. The bride Rebecca was absolutely stunning in her vintage inspired wedding gown that stayed true to the 1920’s feel they were going for. The groom was dashing in his simple linen suit. They complimented each other beautifully and pulled off a very classy ceremony and reception. Congrats to Rebecca and Greg!

2: Already Artist summer camp: Last week was the second of three camps that we have at Already Artists in downtown Annapolis. I had taken a little break from the studio, so I was anxious to get back to the kids and make some art! The kids that come to this class are so exceptional…and this group definitely lived up to that. Stacey, the owner and planner of all the projects, decided that for this camp, our focus would be Mexican art…something that our little studio loves and seems to be a reoccurring theme in the art we create (Stacey is a huge fan of Frida Kahlo).
Instead of describing the art these little artistic kiddos did…I’ll share a few quick shots I took with my iPhone.

3: Night street shooting: This month I’ve been going out and shooting nighttime street scenes of downtown Annapolis. My goal is to improve my style and start to see the light and shadows that can be captured on a simple street that we walk down every day and never notice the contrast and beauty. I enjoyed this little exercise so much that I am going to continue to do this from time to time. It’s a great way to push myself to see beautiful photos everywhere. You can see the full gallery at The Annapolis Sound. click here for the direct link to the latest gallery.

new kid on the block.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of working with Amy Raab and her associate David Spence. I have been following their work for some time now and have always been very impressed by their amazing weddings. After meeting Amy earlier this year she asked if I might be interested in second shooting for her sometime. Of course I said YES…

Fast forward to this past weekend…I was actually the second shooter in training for this wedding. Amy and Dave had me tag along to the wedding of Kirsten and Ryan at The Oaks in St. Michael’s, MD to shoot and learn.

This wedding was awesome…the bride and groom where SO in love and their love for one another was infectious throughout the day. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched them together and I have to say, I got a bit teary eyed a few times…you just don’t see love like that very often!

Three moments from this wonderful day stick out in my mind.
1. The moment when they first saw eachother…Kirsten walked up from behind and put her arms around Ryan…what happened then was pure magic and a wedding photographers dream. Seems like I am always directing the bride and groom to kiss and “act like they like eachother”…but Kirsten and Ryan..it was natural, you couldn’t tear these two apart…awesome!

2. The ceremony…I loved how personal the ceremony was. Not only did they write their own vows, but they had 3 couples come up and talk about what love meant to them…what these friends and family had to say to them was perfect…I can only hope that on my wedding day I am surrounded by half as much love as they had on that day!

3. The dancing! Man, this couple knew how to party! With passed hors d’oeuvres instead of a sit down dinner, the dance floor was open right away and went on all night. Usually at weddings people get up for a few dances and mill around at their tables or the bar most of the time…not this time…just about everyone in the place was shaking a tail feather and loving every minute of it. It helped that the DC band Millennium was rocking the place!

So…I have to say THANK you to the bride and groom for such an amazing and intimate ceremony and a kickin’ reception! Thanks also to Amy and Dave for showing me the ropes. I’m looking forward to my first official second shooter gig with Amy in September!

Golf Course wedding

Seems like I’ve been going home alot more than usual lately. Which is always nice. Being only 1.5 hours from my hometown of New Oxford, PA, it’s nice that I can hop in the car and be there quickly. Recently though, my trips home have been working trips as was the most recent one for my sister’s good friends April and Brian.

They got married at The Bridges Golf Club in Abbottstown, PA. This place has a special place in my heart…when I was 16 years old I worked at this golf course (which was then brand new) as the snack shack gal, and the not so glamorous job of the hotel maid. Needless to say…I’ve come a long way baby 🙂

I love it when a bride and groom are easy going…April and Brian agreed to have the photos taken before the ceremony, which was great b/c it rained right after the ceremony ended. We took advantage of the awesome light and the wedding party hopped in golf carts and took off for the course.  We drove from hole to hole looking for some great scenery for the “posed” photos of the wedding party and the bride and groom. This was one of those place that I could have shot for hours and hours…but only having about an hour and some change, I had to stay focused.

Being that this course is called “The Bridges” you’d imagine that there would be alot of bridges throughout the course…and there were. This one was my favorite!!!

Another super cool aspect of this wedding was that my “little” sister was a bridesmaid, her husband was a groomsman, and my mom (the awesome gardener) did the flower vases for the tables with flowers out of her own garden.

April and Cook…thanks for a wonderful day…it was so wonderful seeing the two of you and being a part of such a special time! April…you looked stunning!!! I’m sure everyone can agree with me on that one!