Warrenton Anniversary Photographer | Megan & Chris

I absolutely love and adore Megan. I've debated on the best way to start this post (I think I've had at least 2 failed joke intros and one that was way too serious... it's almost harder to write about friends!) so I'm just putting it out there. We connected via a FB photography group and hit it off immediately -- our love for all things J.Crew, wine, and of course, photography has grown over the past several months into a very strong friendship/sisterhood. I know I can literally text her any time of day with the silliest questions and she will always answer. I can take the worst picture in the world and she somehow will still find a way to praise and encourage me. Besides Rob and my parents (Hey mom!), I think she is the most supportive person of my business -- she just wants to see me succeed and I think that is crazy awesome.

Butttt, I've written an entire paragraph already and haven't mentioned Chris, Megan's wonderful husband! I didn't know the two of them when they first met at Virginia Tech, or even when they got married at Lansdowne Resort in 2012, but after a few months, I do know exactly why their relationship works. Just like Megan, Chris is also such a kind and giving person. In the limited amount of time I have spent with him, I already know he would go out of his way to help us if it was ever needed.  In fact, a little situation came up earlier this week and at the drop of a hat he just needed to know when and where to be to help, if necessary. I seriously don't know how I got so lucky, but I am beyond blessed to have Megan & Chris in my life. These are the types of friends you want to surround yourself with; the kind who build you up and genuinely care. And if they do that for me after only a few months, I can't imagine how wonderful their marriage is going to be throughout the rest of their lives.

Thank you for allowing me to capture what year two of your marriage looks like; I sincerely cannot wait to watch it grow over the years!

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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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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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Georgetown Engagement Photographer | Katie & Matt

Where to begin!? Katie and I were college roommates at JMU and have an endless amount stories... stories that are probably best kept buried in the apartments at Sunchase. We shared everything from closets and beauty tips to secrets and relationship advice. Katie and I are so much alike and yet I've never found it hard to get along with her as she is a kind, giving, and loving friend. I graduated a year early and we parted ways then, but have kept in contact over the years. Any time we talk or see each other it's like no time has passed, we can pick up right where we left off. But, this post is about Katie and her fiance, not me! So moving on...

Katie interned at Georgetown during the summer after her Junior year at JMU. Matt, a recent PSU grad, was also interning in the city during this time and heard that there were a couple of "cute" girls who moved in next door. Upon their initial meeting, they actually did not hit it off; Matt thought Katie was a little bit too serious and even a bit mean! When they finally had a chance to sit down and chat a few weeks later, they realized that they both had family/grew up near the same small town in PA and their relationship took off from there. 

As many relationships go, it wasn't easy, of course. Katie had to head back to school to finish up her Senior year while Matt stayed in DC. They were able to spend a year together after graduating but were again separated when Katie moved to Philly to pursue her passion of becoming a nurse anesthetist. Matt now works for Under Armour in Baltimore, which has eased the commute quite a bit, but it is still a (wonderful) challenge. After getting married in May 2016, they plan to make their home in DC. 

We shot their session in Georgetown as it holds a special place in their relationship. We somehow managed to dodge any rainstorms and ended up with some beautiful images on this overcast day. Enjoy some of my favorites!

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North Carolina Couples Photographer | Tom & Katie

You might remember reading a bit about my brother-in-law, Tom, and his wife, Katie, a couple weeks ago on Memorial Day here. Well, Rob and I spent the weekend visiting them in North Carolina and I thought some new photos might be a wonderful gift to thank them for being such thoughtful hosts.

Tom and Katie were married in December 2012, but their story starts way before then. They both grew up in Stafford, VA, less than 10 minutes from where the other lived. By the chance of zoning, they ended up attending different high schools. It's a relatively small area where schools tend to mix, so they knew each other by name, but hadn't ever really had the chance to talk. Luckily that changed when Tom went to visit JMU in 2009, where Katie attended college, the same weekend she was having a birthday party. (Fun fact: Rob and I also met at my birthday party at JMU -- weird!) They hit it off immediately and spent the summer getting to know one another.

To say "the rest is history" would be unfair to how much dedication they each put in to making the relationship last. For the next year, Tom was at GMU while Katie finished up at JMU -- a solid 3 hours apart. Tom then graduated college and had to start spending months away from home on various Marine training courses. Meanwhile, Katie immediately started grad school, requiring an additional 2 years at JMU. There were countless hours spent by both of them driving to and from, just to see each other for a day or two at most. 

After all that, they are finally able to live their lives together now in NC. They have such a beautiful house that's only minutes away from the beach, which is where we decided to do their shoot. I hope you enjoy their beach session as much as I do! 


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Reston Town Center Couples Photographer | Abby & Matt

I

first met Abby almost two years ago after following her work on Facebook. She is the super talented photographer behind Abby Grace Photography and chose Rob and I as her subjects for a beautiful film shoot at an abandoned barn in VA. Throughout the years since, she has always been the definition of selfless -- answering any questions I may have whether it's about photography, real estate agents, or even as silly as Harry Potter World.  

I've been wanting the opportunity to shoot with her since I first started up my business -- yes, Abby is absolutely gorgeous and the perfect model -- but even more, just to give back for all the kindness she has showed me over the years. This past weekend we finally had the chance to get together along with her very handsome husband, Matt, and shot one of my favorite sessions to date. Like many husbands, Matt isn't a huge fan of having his picture taken (although I think you'll agree he is a natural!) but was so sweet about it regardless. The deepness of their love for one another is apparent within seconds of seeing them interact and I truly hope I managed to capture the beauty of it. 

I highly recommend checking out Abby's blog -- not only is she a wonderful photographer, but also an incredible writer! Thank you, Abby + Matt, for gracing me with your company! 
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Gainesville Couples Photographer | Mary & Kyle

I

am incredibly fortunate to have not one, but two, absolutely gorgeous sister-in-laws who are always kind enough to humor me when the time is right for a photo session. So when I found out that Mary was going to come up to visit us for Easter this past weekend with her boyfriend Kyle, which incidentally  marked their one year anniversary, I thought it would be a fun little gift to give them some new pictures. 

Mary and Kyle met at Longwood University in college and had been friends for several years before dating. Initially they started hanging out as strictly study buddies; however, the friendship evolved and they each felt a different type of closeness growing. On a trip to Kyle's hometown of Reedsville, he admitted to Mary that he had deeper feelings and she reciprocated. I'm a sucker for a romances that start out as friends -- what better way to build a foundation than with someone you genuinely like as well as love.

Kyle warned me that he already had some practice in the posing arena, but I didn't believe him until he got behind the lens -- once you see the pictures, I think you'll agree that they are both naturals! Check out my favorites of this sweet couple!

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