Rose Hill Manor Wedding Photographer | Susan & Stephen

Weddings are about one thing: celebrating the union and love of the beautiful bride and handsome groom. Of course there are other things! Fun dancing, delicious cake, tearful toasts, and a grand exit throughout the day.  At the core of everything is the love of the bride and groom. Susan and Stephen's wedding day was no different; hundreds joined together to lift these two up in celebration.

But outside of that core value, everything else was different! See the dancing wasn't just dancing; these two, as well as many of their guests, were very skilled and made the entire dance floor look like a ballroom competition! And the cake wasn't just any cake; it was handmade by the bride and featured a Star Wars theme!! The exit was one for the books; Stephen's family comes from New Orleans and they did a traditional "Second Line" through the reception out to their getaway car! You could truly tell that for as much thought as the guests put into Susan & Stephen's love, Susan & Stephen put just as much back into ensuring their guests had a wonderful evening.  I had the honor of joining Ali (of Alisandra Photography) as second shooter to help capture all of these moments for this wonderful couple.

Venue | Rose Hill Manor

Lead Photographer | Alisandra Photography

Videographer | EMotion Pictures, Inc. 

Flowers | Rick's Flowers 

Wedding Dress | Ellie's Bridal

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Herrington on the Bay Wedding Photographer | Catherine & Christian

I am having such an incredible 2014 wedding season. I've been able to work as a second shooter with seven different photographers -- each who has a different, unique style and each has so much talent that it was a huge blessing from me to be able soak up their knowledge. Megan, of Megan Chase Photography (check out her site here!), and I hit it off immediately, which of course is always great, but especially in this situation as we had a total of four weddings together. Although I think “hit it off” is a bit of an understatement for someone I now call my long lost sister! She is the sweetest, most genuine person I have ever met and I happy to call her not just a lead photographer, but also a friend.

It’s sort of a strange feeling being the second shooter at a wedding; you haven’t built up a year(s) long connection with the couple like the lead photographer has, but you become part of one of the most important milestones in their lives, helping to capture memories they will cherish for years to come.

Throughout the entire 2014 season, I can honestly say that every couple I worked with was very kind and welcoming; however, Catherine and Christian took it to a whole other level. It was a hot July day and instead of being worried about sweating for pictures or complaining about the heat, they were constantly checking to make sure Megan and I enough water. Just one small example, but its couples like this that make me love what I do! I hope the two of you are enjoying all the wonderful blessings of married life; thank you for letting me be part of your day!

Lead Photographer | Megan Chase Photography
Venue | Herrington on the Bay
Florist | Love Blooms
Cake | Cakes by Rachel

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King Family Vineyard Wedding Photographer | Julie & David

Erin Forehand and I met at Katie's workshop back in August (seriously, I feel like I need to thank Katie for introducing me to two of the sweetest people in the industry -- Erin & Mary!). 

Erin is an insanely sweet and talented photographer based in Harrisonburg, VA (shout out to my alma mater -- JMU!) and she invited me to second shoot with her at King Family Vineyard outside of Charlottesville. Well... 1. Erin is the best and 2. that venue -- so yes! Seriously, that place belongs in a magazine -- it is the epitome of Virginia vineyards. Rolling hills, open plains, horses... you name it, it was there. We got a picture perfect day full of blue skies spotted with fluffy clouds.

Upon arrival, the day only got better. I met the bride, Julie, and she was just too fun. Happy, goofy, and funny, all at the same time. Not stressed, but enjoying the day and soaking in every single minute. She and her husband to be, David, were so welcoming and accommodating, it made the day a blast. I even almost spoiled the dessert surprise for David (um, donuts!) but Julie just laughed it off. Julie and David, I don't even need to wish you the best because I know you both already have found it :) Hope you had an amazing, sun-filled honeymoon in the Riviera Maya!

Venue | King Family Vineyards

Lead Shooter | Erin Forehand Photography

Videographer | Whiddon Productions

Flowers | Blakemore's Flowers

Hair & Makeup | The Studio

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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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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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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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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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Wedding Day Timelines | Bridal Business

I will be the first to admit, I am serious, all in, "Type A" personality -- organization is my second love. Think I'm exaggerating? My movies and books are all arranged in alphabetical order. The shirts in my closet are first arranged by color and then by sleeve length within color. I keep a calendar for personal, work, and blogging, a to-do list on my phone, and a day planner, that way I am never without one of them! It may be a tad overzealous, but it's what keeps me sane. 

This obviously held true on my wedding day as well. I had an Excel spreadsheet that detailed every 15 minutes from 10:00am to 10:00pm. No, not just for me. For myself, Rob, my parents, the bridal party, guests, and all vendors. To an outsider, this DEFINITELY sounds a tad overzealous, but to the right person this can be a dream (or nightmare). We didn't have a wedding planner, so my mom and I were doing everything ourselves. This timeline was my way of being in control without having to actually be in control! That sounds like it doesn't make sense, but listen... The more I planned in advance and spoke with vendors and family, the more I was able to let go on the day of because I already trusted that everything would be done according to the timeline. And you know what? It worked! With the exception of my mom's speech (which never actually made it's way to the timeline... see!), we didn't miss anything. 

I've said it once and I'll say it a million times (no matter how cliché) -- your wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye. ENJOY IT! The easiest way to ensure this happens it to coordinate with your vendors regarding what you want to see happen and when on your special day! It definitely does not need to spell out every 15 minutes, but be sure to include all major events. Here are a few tips when planning out your timeline:

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Early Mountain Vineyard Wedding Photographer | Katie & Andrew

I had an amazing opportunity to second shoot with Ali (from Alisandra Photography -- she is awesome, check her out!) a few weeks ago at Early Mountain Vineyard in Madison, VA. This place is an absolute dream for a photographer -- multiple barns, sweeping fields, rows and rows of vines, and an interior that Ali and I agreed looked like a brighter Great Hall from Harry Potter. 

The week leading up to the wedding was a bit nerve-wracking -- many DC area photographers on Facebook were in a mini-panic looking for areas to shoot indoors as an impending storm was due to hit the area Friday night and not leave until Sunday. I remember how awful that feeling can be as a bride, as it was supposed to rain on our day as well -- you plan this huge event over a year in advance with, of course, no idea what the weather will be like when it finally arrives. You hope, and even pray, that everything goes smoothly but it's completely out of your hands. 

Well after all the worry, it ended up not raining during Katie + Andrew's day! We made it through getting ready, portraits, the ceremony, and cocktail hour without even a drop. By the time sunset rolled around, the sun peeked out of the clouds for a quick hello just before setting. Thank you, Ali, for allowing me to second shoot with you; the wedding was a blast and I am so grateful to have been a part of it!

Lead Photographer | Alisandra Photography
Venue | Early Mountain Vineyard

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Clover Forest Plantation Wedding Photographer | Ashlee & Brett

This summer, I have been incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to second shoot with photographers who I highly respect and have been following for years. I'm currently in a phase where I want to learn and grow as much as possible, so getting the chance to see a wedding day from their perspective has been absolutely priceless. They've been incredibly patient despite busy wedding days; letting me ask questions when they have a free second and teaching me new tricks.

I thought it would be fun to give a sneak peek of a few images I took during one of the weddings at Clover Forest Plantation. It was an absolutely perfect day -- one of those days when you can tell summer heat is about to break, but you still have the cool breeze and not a single cloud in sky. The pastor was hilarious and I got treated to one of the best live bands I've heard to date. Not to mention, I had the honor to shoot with the incredibly talented Ashley and Jeremy of We are the Mitchells -- seriously, these two are a blast and make wedding days so much fun!

Anyway, I can only share a few for now, but promise to have a full post for it in the future! Enjoy!!
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