National Press Club Wedding Photographer | Andrea & Esteban

Andrea and Esteban are one of the most fun loving couples I have had the opportunity to work with. I mean, I think all of my couples are fun....but Andrea is a bit non traditional (in an awesome way!) because instead of worrying so much about what the color scheme for the day would be, she focused on making sure their guests had the absolute best time possible; they had family coming in from all over the country and didn't want to disappoint! Esteban was able to convince one of his favorite local bands, Nayas, to reunite for their wedding night and they were simply amazing -- everyone was out dancing as soon as they started! And they didn't stop until 2:00am... well, I mean the guests didn't stop dancing until 2:00am -- the band and DJ took turns so that the music was always fresh!

Since the ceremony only started at 8:00pm, we were out of natural light when it ended and left with few options for outdoor portraits. But like I told you, these two are pretty awesome and agreed to do a day-after session (sunrise, to boot!) with me which you will also see below! I think it was the perfect way to end all their wedding celebrations and I truly wish them nothing but the best!! Also, it didn't hurt that they were able to bring their super cute bulldog, Basil, along with them for our shoot :)

Please check out some of the wonderful vendors who made their day possible!

Venue & Catering | National Press Club

Florist | Greenworks

Band | Nayas

Cake | Praline Bakery

Invitations | Just Paper & Tea

Dress | Mikaella Bridal

Second Shooter | Cardinal Rose Photography

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First Looks | Bridal Business

Let me start this post with a disclaimer: I think first looks are awesome -- Rob and I did one on our wedding day and I have never regretted it. It is still one of my favorite moments from our wedding day and I love looking at the pictures and remembering what we talked about during that private few minutes of an otherwise crazy day. 

That being said, I am the first to recognize they aren't for every couple. First looks are something I talk about at every initial meeting with clients; I want to be sure that I am planting the seed early enough that they have time to think things over and make an informed decision. The last thing I would want would be for someone to decide at the last minute, based off my recommendation, and then regret it!! 

Which also leads me to my next disclaimer: while I always bring it up, I never, ever try to sell it, per se. I simply lay out the information to educate my couple so they can discuss what is best for them. If they decide against it, it truly doesn't make a difference to me either way -- I just want to make sure you have the best wedding day possible! 

While I know this may have all been said before, let me explain some reasons why I think first looks are beneficial on your wedding day.

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Biscuits & Gravy Casserole | What's Cooking Wednesday

Have I addressed my love affair with casseroles? If not, I can't believe I have somehow gone this far into the What's Cooking Wednesday series without doing so. I make some sort of casserole at a minimum of once a month, but if I'm being honest with myself... more like 2-3 times a month. Since they normally serve, oh, 8 people, they easily work at three meals. So I make it on Monday, we have it for leftovers on "Leftovers Thursday" and then freeze the rest for later in the month so we don't get sick of it! It's like the gift that keeps on giving ;) 

I DO know that I have a well documented love affair with breakfast for dinner (here and here) and this dish is no exception to that rule. Rob and I try to go out to breakfast once a month or so and always end up at this place in Northern VA called Ted's Bulletin. One of the amazing dishes on their menu is biscuits and gravy and whenever we make this casserole it reminds me of those lazy weekends at Ted's.  It's not an exact replica, but for something that can be thrown together in under 15 minutes of prep time, it's pretty darn tasty. I'll be the first to say, nothing beats a homemade biscuit... but when you smother it in sausage gravy, honestly who can tell the difference!?

As always, my goal with this series is to provide y'all with recipes that I think any skill level could master. There are only *6* ingredients in the recipe and I'm willing to bet you already have four in your kitchen even if you aren't normally someone who cooks a ton!! So go buy some sausage and Grands and get cookin' -- your significant others and kids will thank you for this one!


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Bowling Green Country Club Wedding Photographer | Kaity & Aaron

When working a wedding day with a second shooter, often times the lead and second will split up during getting ready or bridal party portraits -- the lead goes with the bride and her bridesmaids and the second goes with the groom and his groomsmen. It's just a way to make the day flow smoother and cover two things at once... just one of the many great things about working as a duo on wedding days! 

All this to say, as I've been second shooting a lot this summer, I have had an opportunity to work with quite a few groups of groomsmen. A few weeks ago I headed out to Bowling Green Country Club for the sole purpose of hanging out with Aaron and his groomsmen for the first part of his wedding day. They wanted someone there to capture all their festivities before the ceremony took place and since the lead photographer, Jacqueline Binkley, was going to be with the girls, I was hired to come out for the guys. I had no idea what a treat I was in for -- I have never had so much fun with a group of groomsmen before! A little tip from me to you: I always make a promise to them that for every "serious" picture we take, we can also do a "silly" one... seems like it makes it less painful for them and gives them something to look forward to :) And while all of them said they weren't very excited for portraits, I think these pictures tell a very different story... 

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United With Love: Katie & Matt's Georgetown Engagement | Featured

A few weeks back, you might remember this gorgeous engagement session that I posted in Georgetown featuring Katie, Matt, and their adorable little pup, Linus. I was lucky enough to have this shoot picked up by my favorite DC wedding blog, United With Love! I am so honored they chose to feature this engagement; it is one of my first ever engagement shoots (I had done a lot of married couples in the past, but not many engagements), so it is really special to me. Plus it is my very first shoot with a dog -- my favorite accessory a couple can bring!

See the rest of the beautiful feature from United With Love here!

Warrenton Maternity Photographer | Jennifer & Cory

Back in May, I had a little "celebration" on my blog for hitting 250 fans on Facebook; I hosted a giveaway for a free mini session so that I could finally give back to those who have been supporting me along the way! Well the winner ended up being Jennifer, who I hadn't met prior to the giveaway... and the timing couldn't have been more perfect for her to win; she and her husband had recently found out that they were expecting their first child this November! We had the opportunity to get together this past weekend when she was around her 7-month mark for our session and it was, in a word, lovely. The light was dreamy and the air was light -- you could sense Fall was on the verge of breaking.

I could tell immediately upon e-mailing Jennifer and telling her that she won that I was truly the one who got lucky --  she couldn't have been more kind or gracious from the onset. Her sweet demeanor naturally translated in person and working with her and her husband, Cory, couldn't have been more of a breeze. They are so deeply in love that they were posing with very little direction from me -- our mini session yielded almost as many images as a full session in half the time! 

These two are going to be absolutely fantastic parents and I cannot wait to see the little one! 

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Pumpkin Crumb Cake | What's Cooking Wednesday

I love Fall. Unabashedly, with all my heart, LOVE Fall. I know it isn’t “technically” fall until September 20-whatever, but honestly, once Labor Day passes, I’m all in. No other season, not even Christmas gets me this excited – I firmly believe in not putting up a Christmas tree until after Thanksgiving, but will throw up pumpkin

everything the instant that first cool breeze sweeps across DC.

My husband blames the insanity of this love on my intense hatred of summer heat/humidity (am I the only one who hates sweating nonstop!? Hello, pimples!), but I’ve loved the Fall since I can remember. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday (sorry Christmas!) and of course, my birthday is in October (the greatest of all months), which doesn’t hurt.  There is an endless list of great things about Fall, from football and the return of good TV (I don’t know about you, but even I can’t watch one more episode of Bachelor in Paradise) to the leaves changing and of course, pulling out those cute boots and coats that have been hiding away since April. 

Oh, and did I mention… pumpkin-flavored everything!? Which leads me to this week’s recipe, since it is, after all, What’s Cooking Wednesday. Think of all your favorite desserts and then put the word “pumpkin” in front of it and I promise it will get 5x better: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies, Pumpkin French Toast; heck, I’ve even put pumpkin in lasagna and stuffed shells!  I kicked off “Pumpkin Season” with a crumb cake and it was to die for – so moist (btw, I hate that word so I don't use it lightly) that it literally tasted like it was melting Fall right in your mouth (that also sounded pretty gross). Sorry, I’m not sorry – Fall, I love you.

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Annapolis Wedding Photographer | Derby & Trevor

 Of all the weddings I’ve photographed this season (or even attended in the past), it has yet to rain on a single one of them. I knew it was bound to happen, especially this time of year when the seasons are in that crazy limbo between summer heat and the cool, crisp breezes of fall. Luckily I was second shooting this wedding with Ali (of Alisandra Photography) who is the essence of being calm and collected. I’ve seen nothing rattle this girl yet and will be surprised if I do – she has nearly five wedding seasons under her belt and has likely already experienced anything and everything that can go wrong.

I am probably making this sound more dramatic than it was, though. I mean, it did storm – HARD --  all out thunder, lightning, and down pouring rain. However, we were fortunate enough to have already completed the majority of the day and were at the reception under a tent.  And no one seemed to be mind one bit, even in spite of the mini-waterfall that fell upon the dance floor -- everyone just pitched in to get it cleaned up so they could get back to dancing! The outpouring of love for these two was amazing; they had been together since they were in high school and had friends present from childhood all the way through their various undergrad and graduate colleges of Georgetown, Cornell, and Columbia. 

Click through to see just how FUN a wedding can be in spite of a little rain :)

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Business Coaching Session with Katelyn James | Personal

The nervous excitement started as soon as I set my alarm for 11:45pm. You see, I finally saved up enough to book my coaching session with Katelyn James and the sessions "go live" at midnight upon release of her monthly newsletter. I sat with Granger in the hall, lit only by the light of my laptop, pressing refresh until the moment it arrived in my inbox. My fingers couldn't move fast enough as I filled out the booking form and then finally pressed, 'Submit'. A few minutes later the confirmation e-mail arrived and I was booked. I WAS BOOKED!! Granger didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but I knew.... I knew that this was a huge turning point for my business. In two short months I would be learning from someone I followed since 2010, before I even dreamed about getting into photography. I started my Google Doc that night with a list of questions and continued adding to it for the next two months...

Fast forward to September; that nervous excitement was still lingering as I made the drive to her home. I was fortunate that I already had the opportunity to work with Katelyn; she shot our second anniversary as well as had Rob and I 'model' (I use that term loosely!!) for a styled shoot at her Workshop Experience. She, Michael, and Bokeh welcomed me into their home once again as if I was family instead of just a client. We caught up for a minute and then dove in immediately, covering everything from shooting and editing to blogging and client experiences. I'm not sure if it was the excitement or just the length of my list, but before I knew it we were wrapping up to head to lunch. My head was spinning -- in the best way possible!! I was bursting with new ideas and techniques that I wanted to try out immediately.

After lunch I had one last treat -- headshots in the infamous parking garage. You laugh, but that light is legendary! This was actually one of the parts of the experience that I was most excited for. As an introvert, I am still working on taking charge during posing (just another area where Katelyn is a rock star!). I listened as she effortlessly flowed from one core pose to the next, all while making me feel as if *I* was the one who was the pro :) We packed up and headed back to the car and my heart sank a little bit -- I definitely was not ready for the day to end! But as I drove home, that nervous excitement slowly crept back in, this time for the direction that I could see my business heading over the coming years. I cannot wait to implement the ideas we brainstormed and revamp an amazing client experience. 

Katelyn, "thank you" simply does not suffice; you are such an inspiration and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from you. You know how occasionally when a person makes it "big", they lose all the great qualities that got them there in the first place? I can honestly say Katelyn is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum; she is one of the most genuinely kind people I have ever met -- she cares about YOU and your business and wants to see you succeed. It's kind of amazing and why it makes me so happy to be part of this industry, having the pleasure of working with people like her!

Here are some of my headshots from Katelyn and some behind the scenes pics :)

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Reese's Cookie Cake | What's Cooking Wednesday

Do you remember back in elementary school when it was customary for each kid to bring in a treat for the class on their birthday? My mom would spend hours whipping up something for us to take in for everyone, usually something really creative like cookies that looked like mini hamburgers or a personal favorite -- puppy chow -- before it was popular (hello, 1996). And they were all amazing and loved by my class. 

However.....there was something really exciting about when someone would bring in one of those humongous chocolate chip cookies that were decorated in colored icing. I mean, after all, it was from the MALL -- a foreign land for a third grader from a small town (we lived 40 minutes from a mall back then and went maybe 2-3 times a year).  After waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the teacher to cut everyone pieces, one would finally land on your desk and you'd immediately dig in. It was, in a word, glorious. Well, truth be told I had one more recently and it was so sweet that my teeth hurt... but to my third grade self, I'm sure the excitement out-won my taste buds. 

So all that being said, when I saw a picture of a cookie cake on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it, for old times' sake. This particular recipe is a chocolate cookie dough base instead of the traditional, but I think it takes it up a notch! Feel free to swap out Reese's Pieces for your favorite hardshell candy and voila -- your third grade self will thank you! 

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Georgetown Engagement Photographer | Lucy & Michael

Prior to Katie & Matt’s sunrise session (here), I hadn’t had the opportunity to do a session in Georgetown despite desperately wanting to take advantage of all the beautiful, hidden spots it has to offer. Oddly enough, I got an inquiry from Lucy who also wanted to do a sunrise engagement session with her fiancé, Michael, in Georgetown that same weekend! I giddily accepted on the spot; Abby Grace turned me into a sunrise convert so anytime someone agrees to one, it’s icing on the cake!

I knew it would be a bit of a challenge to ensure that the sessions didn’t turn in to a replica of one another; when doing them back to back in the same location it is easy to fall into the trap of repeats. In some ways, the weather did half the work for me! Katie and Matt had overcast grey skies, while Lucy and Michael had a glowing sunrise – neither bad, just different! While I tried to avoid going to the same locations, we of course had to go to the canal – the beautiful reflections that it creates are to die for! Both turned out beautifully and there is no way to pick a favorite!

Lucy and Michael were an absolute dream to work with; their love for one another came pouring out immediately, doing half the posing work for me through their natural embraces and soft gentle kisses.  These two will be getting married next April in Peru! The majority of Lucy’s family still lives there and instead of having them travel here, they decided to take the once in a lifetime opportunity to have scenic Peru as the backdrop for their big day. I hope you enjoy some favorites of this sweet couple as much as I did!

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Off Camera Flash | Tips

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a really fun (and helpful!) photographers group I joined that is dedicated to the growth and knowledge of others in the industry. Each month the topic varies, but this past session was of particular interest to me: Mastering Off Camera Flash. The reason being? I am shooting my first wedding as lead photographer at the end of September and the ceremony starts at 7:00pm! I know sunrise and sunset times like the back of my hand, but for all the non-photographers reading, that translates to: it will be completely dark! So.....I really needed to nail this!

Stephen Gosling, of Stephen Gosling Photography, was our guest speaker and came in guns blazing, asking how many of us considered ourselves natural light photographers? I raised my hand. "Well, that just means you don't know how to use flash." Gulp. Oh, in case I didn't mention it, Stephen is very blunt. Personally, I loved it -- it helps me when people don't sugar coat things! But he didn't stop there. He spent about an hour explaining and demonstrating the ins and outs of off camera flash, then set us loose to try it on our own.

All in all, I wouldn't say I left being a pro -- like all things in photography, the only way to truly grow is to practice! A huge thank you to Stephen for giving up his evening to teach us a little bit about his specialty; it went a long way! I took the "test" time really seriously, probably a little too serious -- see the results below! 

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Spinach & Ricotta Turkey Meatloaf | What's Cooking Wednesday

Meatloaf is definitely not the most appetizing word. Meat. Loaf. Meatloaf. It's clunky and doesn't roll off the tongue, which if you're anything like me, is somewhat how I associate the food in my head. I remember having this dish as a kid and it was literally just ground beef mixed with seasonings and topped with ketchup. Without mincing words, the ketchup was pretty much the best part (sorry, Mom!). I pretty much avoided meatloaf for the past... oh, 20 years?

Like all good things, enter Pinterest. Since you can find pretty much anything your heart desires on there, I saw a picture for this meatloaf pop up on my homepage and put it on my "To Cook" list. The recipe sat there for some time, intimidated by my history with it. Well, I was running out of easy dishes and decided to give it a go and it was -- AMAZING. I am a total convert, to say the least!

First, this dish, like most recipes I try to post here, was so easy. I threw it together in under 5 minutes, using only one bowl -- any time you can cut down on dishes, count me in. Second it's healthy and light! It's made with ground turkey, which is less greasy than beef. I try to make this swap as much as possible; I just FEEL better after eating when it's turkey vs. beef. While meatloaf is still a gross word, give this recipe a try to see if it will at least change your mind on the taste :)


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Belhurst Castle Wedding Photographer | Lauren & Mike

I met my friend Mary virtually via a Facebook group after we both signed up for Katie Nesbitt's Workshop. We had many mutual friends and when we finally had the chance to meet in person a few months later, we clicked immediately. She is one of the sweetest, most genuine people I have ever met, not to mention the super talented photographer behind Mary Neumann Photography. To make a long story short, when she talked about possibly needing a second shooter for a wedding in New York state the following weekend, I jumped at the chance!

What I've failed to mentioned is that this particular wedding was taking place at a beautiful old CASTLE!. Belhurst Castle has been around since the 1880's and overlooks Seneca Lake in Geneva, NY. To say it is stunning would be an understatement. The drive up to the castle itself was equally beautiful, passing by vineyard after vineyard on our way to celebrate Lauren and Mike's wedding day.

I love all the small details that go into making a wedding unique and Lauren and Mike's day was no exception. Mike loves riding motorcycles and Lauren incorporated that into his groom's cake as well as his wedding band. Lauren is a huge fan of the movie "Frozen" and her Maid of Honor completely re-worded "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" and then sang it to the couple during the reception. Keep scrolling to see more personalized details from Lauren and Mike's wedding!

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