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Happy Anniversary: Kate & Andrew

Anniversaries

You’ve probably seen all the 10-year anniversary posts we’ve been doing of late and wondered, hey, what about those still-pretty-damn-awesome folks from just a year ago? Never fear, we’d not leave you without, and to today we’re featuring Kate & Andrew who are celebrating their one-year anniversary from their Clifton Inn wedding. Find out what they had to say about their favorite moments that day below.

We had a lovely time yesterday! We went to bunch and exchanged some traditional and modern anniversary gifts. We also tasted our delicious (???) year-old freezer cake with a Prosecco chaser while reliving the day through our Holland photos! I for one know that I will cherish the photos you captured of us and our loved ones for the rest of our lives.

The new house has been fun so far – we did spend part of our anniversary painting a closet, breaking down boxes, taking a quick trip to the gardening center, and planting a few cooking herbs!

Kate’s faves:

Kate sports cake on her nose at their wedding at Clifton Inn

I love Andrew‘s look of payback. Taken right after I got him first.

Kate's dad gives her away in garden wedding ceremony at Clifton Inn

The two most important men in my life are in this photo. It was a significant and precious moment where my dad gave away his daughter and even managed to crack a little smile.

Andrew’s faves:

Group photo with all guests at K&A wedding at Clifton Inn

I love how this photo captures the bride and groom surrounded by so many friends and family.

Kate holds a butterfly on her finger at K&A wedding at Clifton Inn

This one shows the moment a butterfly crashed the wedding while we were watching California Chrome (unsuccessfully) run for the Triple Crown during the Belmont Stakes. We had fun watching the Belmont on our first anniversary and seeing an actual Triple Crown win.

Joint faves:

Black and white of K&A walking on their wedding day at Clifton Inn

Our favorite portrait.

K&A wedding exit with lavender toss at Clifton Inn

Having our guests toss lavender seemed like a good idea at the time…

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Seeing this photo reminds us of how much fun we had dancing under the stars.

Congratulations, K&A on your first anniversary!

Elizabeth & John’s Colorado Wedding in Leadville

Weddings

Back in late Summer we had a kinda crazy weekend. Crazy scary and crazy awesome. We photographed Lisa and Elaine’s wedding in North Carolina on Saturday and then attended, as well as photographed, our dear friends Elizabeth & John’s wedding on Sunday back here in Colorado! Normally we would not attempt such a feat, lest we tempt the travel gods, but we just couldn’t miss either one. And that’s what planes are for anyway, right? Well, our journey involved not only planes, but trains and automobiles (if you count DEN’s monorail).

We really thought it through…to speed things up, we parked in daily parking right next to the terminal (no economy lot for us this time!), charged batteries after Saturday’s wedding, already had our wedding clothes hanging in said automobile and changed in a hotel lobby on the way up through the Colorado Rockies. Thanks to our good karma, said travel gods smiled upon us and we made it to J&E’s wedding in plenty of time, ahead of both the bride and groom in fact! And we’re so glad we did.

Talk about a perfect day for these two. We loved every minute of it and since John’s a fellow photographer, we were especially honored to be asked to photograph it, even though there would be other photographer friends in attendance with their cameras. Perhaps one of the craziest parts involved the weather. On Saturday we were ahem, “glowing” in hot, steamy North Carolina and on Sunday, shivering at 10,000 feet where it didn’t make it much past 50 degrees! After some early clouds though, the sun came out just in time for their ceremony and bathed us all in some sweet, warm sunlight reflecting off the mountain lake behind the couple. Guests were asked to bring their camp chairs for the lake side ceremony and lots of other friends volunteered for various jobs, like catering and reception music playlist. E&J met each other among the trees, each with one of their pups and walked to meet their guests together hand in hand. The intimate ceremony they designed was officiated by Elizabeth’s Mom and included readings from several family and friends, as well as a serenade from John to his bride. At one point, they asked their guests to say and share a “word of the day”, which is a tradition E&J started where they share a word each day with one another that is meaningful in some way. Such a cool idea! Needless to say, we love these two and are tickled pink (do the kids say that anymore these days?) to have been a part of it. We also can’t thank them enough for the patience in understanding our crazy travel schedule! With that, on to the photos!

Venue: Leadville National Fish Hatchery

colorado-rocky-mountain-wedding_JE-1710-03x colorado-rocky-mountain-first-site colorado-rocky-mountain-processional colorado-rocky-mountain-recessional colorado-rocky-mountain-sneak-peek And then he turned the camera on us. Not everyday we wear jeans to a wedding!

Oh, those Colorado skies…

colorado-rocky-mountain-wedding_JE-1836-36x We wouldn’t mind if more weddings ended with a campfire.

Congratulations, E&J and thank you so much for your faith and trust in us. We love you guys!

xoxo,
…a&b

Lindsey & Rob’s Mountain Wedding at Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Featured, Weddings

The air at 9000 feet is always pretty crisp, and it wasn’t any different for Lindsey & Rob’s sunny Colorado wedding up at Steamboat Springs this fall. Their guests arrived at the mountain ceremony site via gondola and were treated to breathtaking views while the couple said their vows to one another. Not that anyone was looking at anything other than the happy couple, of course ;-). Talk about a breath of fresh air.

Our wish for every couple is that they have a wedding that feels like them where their friends and family can’t imagine them marrying any other way. Steamboat fit them to a tee, reflective of their adventures together (she hikes 14’ers in a day for fun, and their travels have taken them from Australia to Dubai. You might remember them from their relaxed Boulder County Fair and CU engagement session this Summer–we all had such a blast (plus some cotton candy). Check out a few of our favorite moments and images from their wedding, and of course their complete gallery. The password is Lindsey’s maiden name and is case-sensitive. Enjoy!

The awesome team:
Venue: Steamboat Springs Resort
Catering: Steamboat Meat & Seafood
Florist: One Fine Day Productions
Hair/Make-up: Waterside Day Salon
DJ: Marc with Complete Music
Baker: Cupcake Mini Bar

B’s faves of A’s:

It was such a scenic spot photographing the Steamboat valley below, with L&R’s wedding site behind us.

Even at 9000 feet, the mountains rose up and to the right of their wedding ceremony.

How cool is it to get a private, surprise wedding gondola for the ride down the mountain? It was just the right timing to photograph L&R as they sped down toward their wedding reception.

Don’t you just love these late-afternoon shadows? A wedding photographer’s dream.

A’s faves of B’s:

A gaggle of groomsmen.

We loved photographing the wedding ceremony at Steamboat Springs, with mountains on one side and a long valley down the other.

The sun’s so bright at Steamboat Springs even the dogs wear shades.

Photographing sunset at L&R’s wedding reception at the base of Steamboat Springs.

Some sweet details:

getting ready

reception

Another cake at L&R's wedding at Steamboat Springs

Dear l&r,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding day are:
Your uncle’s quiet moments, Lindsey, stolen away from arriving guests as he prepared to officiate your ceremony. Lindsey, your dad’s emotions as he spoke during your ceremony, and the comfort your mom offered as he returned to his seat to witness the rest. In an only-in-Colorado-moment, a ready-made welcome committee of ultra-marathon race fans cheering you as you walked from the gondola to the start of your reception. Eschewing a more traditional (and some might say boring!) way to feed each other your first piece of cake, you instead tossed the pieces up in the air and each caught them in your mouths. Impressive! The peacefulness you had around your first dance. It was as if you were just lost in each other. Not sure what game it was, but the intensity with which your college friends kept their fingers intently on that beer was fun to watch.

Congratulations, you two and we look forward to sharing a beer sometime soon!

xoxo…
…a&b

Max & Sarah’s Wedding at Washington DC’s Newseum

Featured, Weddings

In a funny travel irony, one of our recent Fall weddings involved a bi-coastal couple of sorts. Lucky for us, Max & Sarah are based both in Denver and Washington, DC so when they chose to marry, they knew it would be in the town where they met (DC), but chose to have their engagement photos in a town they love (Vail). They selected one of DC’s coolest and well renowned museums – the Newseum in which to say their I Do’s as the Capitol was beautifully framed, quite literally behind them. Theme: Black, White and Re(a)d all over. Their guests were also treated to a rousing thunderstorm that thankfully waited until cocktail hour to truly manifest and merely threatened their outdoor, rooftop ceremony.

This jet-setting duo’s likeableness and charisma was on full display at their roast, er…rehearsal dinner (theme: Wisconsin meets Great Britain) at the Hay Adams Hotel the night prior. Several friends offered some valuable intel on their individual personalities followed by key advice (complete with an intensive Power Point presentation!) on how to have a happy marriage with said quirky, yet highly accomplished and ambitious backgrounds. We’ve seen a trend towards roast type rehearsal dinner/celebrations and we have to say, we love it. Judging from the gathered crowd’s reactions, they did as well.

Here is a selection of our favorite moments and details from their celebration, and of course you can see everything in their gallery. The password is Sarah’s last name and is case-sensitive.Read on at the bottom for a recap of our favorite moments from the weekend’s celebration. Enjoy!

The wedding team:
Venue & Lighting: Newseum
Event Planner: Sara Muchnick for Engaging Affairs
Catering & Cake: Wolfgang Puck
Flowers: Amaryllis
Officiant: Family Friend
Make-up: Erwin Gomez and Nikki Fraser
Hairstylist: Thania Trieu
Reception Music: Celebrity All Stars through East Coast Entertainment
Stationer: smock. and Luscious Verde
Calligraphy: Sprites Ink
Videographer: Suburban Video

A’s faves of B’s:

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B’s faves of A’s:

A few of our favorites from our longtime assistant, Karen who was able to join us for part of the day:

And, of course, we had to leave you with some simply luminous eye candy…

dress

red flowers

(Bill’s note: This shot below’s so damn cool. Not to brag, but my wife’s pretty incredibly talented.)

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SM-1806-14z

red black white

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reception

Dear m&s,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding weekend include…
Your sisters’ toast (or should we call it training?), Sarah, complete with a 2″ binder full of the “Care and Feeding of Sarah” for Max, ostensibly to read while traveling to your honeymoon. The end of the toast, showing a picture of you at 60 holding a certain prestigious office, was priceless! Your officiant becoming the envy of music directors everywhere by getting all the guests to actually sing at a service. The story told at your rehearsal dinner, Max, exemplifying your competitiveness, at least in tennis, and probably in finance too. Holding your flower girl in your lap during toasts, precariously perched due to all the laughter (your sisters, Sarah, did an amazing job, but it was especially cool to have two upstanding British gents deliver a rousing one for Max). Your first dance kept your guests guessing and was so much fun to watch. That so-tender moment between you and your dad as you began to proceed down the aisle, Sarah, and when you got there, the emotion on your mom’s face, Max, really showed how happy these two families will now be one. Your entire weekend celebration was a wonderful reminder of the incredible meaning of our relationships with our family and those we choose as our family to surround us. Congratulations again to you both and we can’t wait to raise a beer again with you soon!

xoxo…
…a&b

Lisa & Elaine’s Wedding at North Carolina’s Umstead Resort

Weddings

Holland Photo Arts is built on relationships and always has been. We were glad to recently hear from former client Lisa, whose wedding to Dee Dee we photographed in 2003 (Dee Dee unfortunately passed away some years later). Lisa had since found love again with Elaine, were now marrying, and oh, would we be available to fly to North Carolina to document her wedding? In five weeks? We were so grateful to be available, get to see Lisa again, meet Elaine and of course, their children –two girls and a boy between them! Their wedding party (many who had amazing memories of the last time we all gathered together those many years ago), made up of dear, longtime friends were especially ready to party and celebrate these two dear souls.

We get to return East for a good number of weddings, and loved how at this wedding, it was all about families (despite a rather large 300-count) guest list, with 71 kids. Wow. And the celebration reflected their influence. So. Much. Fun.

Please enjoy some of our favorite moments from the day below, then visit their gallery to see their complete wedding. The password is Lisa’s last name and is case sensitive.

The wedding team:

Venue, Catering & Cake: Umstead Hotel & Spa
Flowers: Watered Garden
Ceremony Music: Arioso Strings
Reception Music: Sleeping Booty

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

Some lovely details:

getting ready

ceremony

ceremony2

bouquets

cake

party

umstead

Dear l&e,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding celebration include:

Sharing a quiet moment, just the two of you, a few moments before walking down the aisle. But…but before getting Cooper “in the mood” to lead the way. All the shenanigans with your wedding party before and after your ceremony. They were like kids, as if you didn’t quite have enough there. Mason, trying in vain, to get Cooper to calm down and “behave like an adult” during family portraits. Lily donning her flower basket atop her head and balancing across the stone walkway. Privately enjoying a sip of whiskey for the first time, Elaine, with your new wife. That hug…when Dee Dee’s dad tightly embraced you both, it sent shivers down our spines. The looks of anticipation on all those kids’ faces as you cut the cake, almost as if they were expressing, “Hurry up, already!” The gentleness with which you each treated each other all night (except that raucous moment on stage with you both, heehee), showing everyone around just how much you loved one another.

Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Joe & Rick’s Wedding at a Private Estate in Geneva, New York

Weddings

We’re so delighted to share Joe & Rick’s wedding with you today. Joe is a former co-worker of Anne’s and we’ve been friends with these two since they began dating 16 years ago, and were so happy to see them take the plunge and formally commit themselves to one another in front of their dear friends and family on the banks of Lake Geneva in New York. We of course have our own favorite moments from the day below, and afterward check out their complete gallery here. The password is Rick’s last name. Enjoy!

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

JR-2202-55y

Some fun details:

Dear j&r,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding include:

The huge range of emotions on your faces and loving glances to one another as you waited (patiently?) to walk down the aisle together to marry each other. The story told about your first Christmas together with the rings you gave each other 16 years ago and how they felt perfect as your wedding rings today. The surprise garter (nice touch with the teeth!) and bouquet toss, a huge hit among your guests and especially those who caught them. When getting ready, the casual attentiveness you had toward the other, tying ties and making sure the other looked just right. The cheers of congratulations among your loved ones as they watched you turn around at the altar with beaming smiles on your faces. Even the rain later that evening couldn’t dampen anyones spirits.

We love you guys and were so happy to have been a part of your wedding!

xoxo…
…a&b

Laura & Gavin’s Wedding at Lionscrest Manor in Lyons, Colorado

Weddings

When we first moved to Boulder we worked closely with our realtor Chad St. Onge and his awesome team, one of whom is the wonderful Laura. She and Gavin were engaged in Europe shortly before we moved out here and we were so excited when they wanted to talk with us about shooting their wedding up in Lyons, just a short drive outside of Boulder. We all hit it off and the only thing we were bummed about is that Summer 2014 seemed so far away at the time!

You might remember hers and Gavin’s Boulder engagement session from a couple of months ago and their wedding was done in true Colorado fashion. Just look at that view! As you’ll see their nieces and nephews enjoyed running around the grounds, as well.

Below are just a few of our favorite moments and details from their celebration, and of course you can see everything on their gallery. The password is Laura’s maiden name and is case-sensitive. Enjoy!

The wedding team:
Venue: Lionscrest Manor
Catering: Greenspoint Catering
Cake: Indulge Bakery
Flowers: Crab Apple Creek Flower Company
Officiant: Keith Vandegrift
Hair & make-up: Salon Salon
Reception Music: Pure Sounds
Stationer: Paperzest

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

Some sweet details:

outside

bouquets

fountain

invite

LG-1947-20y

reception

Dear l&g,

Some of our favorite moments while photographing your wedding include:
Gavin, your arrival at Lyonscrest Manor with your groomsmen was among the most celebratory we’ve ever seen. Joyous, fun, tight with your guys. It was awesome. That mischievous grin on your face, Laura, as you approached Gavin during your first sight. For each of you, when your respective moms saw you dressed for the ceremony that day, they had the most loving, caring, adoring looks on their faces. Your maid of honor’s assertion, holding up her iPhone, that she was being a true Boulder-ite by going paperless with her toast, ha! The semblance of comity (just a semblance) during your cake cutting. You knew you had to do it.

Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Kate & Andrew’s Wedding at Clifton Inn

Weddings

When we lived in Charlottesville and our newly engaged then-assistant Eric asked us where in town we’d marry if we were to do it again, we offered Clifton Inn, a place (and people) we adore. So it was nice to once again return for Kate & Andrew’s wedding (you might remember their fun Love Session in Georgetown) and celebrate with their welcoming families. It coincided with the last race of the Triple Crown, and the couple was surrounded by enthusiastic fans to watch as the last part of cocktail hour faded in the golden afternoon light. While their favorite horse may not have won, these two most definitely did with the heartfelt and tender toasts offered by their friends and family that evening. We loved spending the weekend with them, and you can relive those moments with their complete gallery. The password is Kate’s maiden name and is case-sensitive. Enjoy!

The wedding team:
Venue, Catering & Cake: Clifton Inn
Flowers: Floral Images Design Studio
Tent Company: Skyline
Officiant: Family Friend
Hair & make-up: Studio 500
Ceremony Musicians: Terra Voce
Reception Music: Miguel with DJ D-Mac
Stationer: Rock Paper Scissors

B’s faves of A:

A’s faves of B:

We’re so happy our wonderful assistant Karen could join us in Charlottesville for K&A’s wedding. Here are a few of our faves from her.

Some sweet details:

dress

details1

shoes-flowers

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ceremony

cocktails

cocktails2

cocktails1

imbibe

clifton

clifton1

veranda

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KA-2236-50x

late night

Dear k&a,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding day include:
Watching utter joy as the two of you saw each other for the first time in private that day, taking each other in without a care in the world. Just as you reached the altar, Kate, the look of true love and amazement in your dad’s eyes as he watched you just beaming in front of Andrew. The flowers you each presented to your mothers during the ceremony, not for the flowers’ sake, but for what they represented. The way you, Andrew, and every other man wearing a suit at your ceremony heroically fended off the hot Virginia sun, ignoring the weather completely to focus on your wife-to-be. The surprise, then determination, then triumph you felt, Kate, when you finally got Andrew’s ring on his finger! The intoxicating smell of lavender when you ran through your guests gleefully tossing it on you after your ceremony. Your Mother’s beautiful and heartfelt toast, Andrew. While we don’t remember the words, we won’t soon forget the feeling we had listening to it. The golden butterfly that crashed your cocktail hour. When your dad, Kate, spoke during his toast of the first time he and Andrew talked, and of the long awkward silence (so funny!) At the very end of the night, Kate while your parents slow danced under the stars and you looked over with admiration, hope and love.

Congratulations, you two! What an incredible joy for us to be a part of your wedding and we wish you have many years of enjoying sharing in each other’s life.

xoxo…
…a&b

Alison & Jasper’s Brunch Wedding at Farmington Country Club

Weddings

Our first Summer wedding had us back in Charlottesville for a sunny brunch wedding for Alison & Jasper, who married close to Alison’s childhood home. These two were an incredibly gentle and quiet couple, and had decided to host their guests for a brunch along the lawn at Farmington Country Club. Many guests played the myriad lawn games, especially croquet, to wear off the abundant brunch buffet (including, of course, Oreo cookies). It was a fun, relaxed way to start the spring season, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have been part of the celebration. Check out our favorite moments and details from A&J’s wedding, and view their complete gallery here. The password is Alison’s maiden name. Enjoy!

The wedding team:
Venue & catering: Farmington Country Club
Flowers: Whimsical Floral
Baker: Paradox Pastry
Officiant: Travis Crytzer
Hair & make-up: Studio FBJ
Stationer: Erica Jack
Gown: Oscar de la Renta

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

A few favorites from our talented assistant Karen:

This moment of her brother watching his sister and other brother hug following the ceremony is among our absolute faves from the day.

Sweet eye candy…

dress

reception

slice

A man after our own hearts. Does anyone else think Oreo’s are part crack?! SO incredibly addictive!

Dear a&j,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding day include: Your dog snuggled up in your lap while you got your hair and make-up done, Alison. Jasper, when you stretched out on the bed for a breather just before your ceremony was to begin. The near tears-of-joy your families each had upon your marriage when you all celebrated together afterward. Getting nearly everyone to play croquet despite the 90 degree heat and classic Virginia humidity. Jasper, that look on your face when you saw Alison for the first time in her pink wedding dress during your First Sight. Loved it!

Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Best of 2013 – Bill’s Faves of Anne’s

Buzz, Weddings

Today we wrap up our favorite images (we somewhat randomly selected 25 each) among the nearly 15,000 we delivered to our wonderful clients in 2013. These are images Bill loves that Anne captured, vs. Anne’s faves Bill captured. We hope you enjoy them, reminiscing about each of the weddings (click on the link for each couple to see more). Have a great weekend everyone and we’ll soon be sharing a sweet and fun wedding right here in Colorado at Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

Alicia & Gio’s wedding at the Hay Adams Hotel

Ashley & Kevin’s wedding at the Army Navy Club

Cristin & Nima’s wedding at Veritas Vineyards

Elizabeth & Ryan’s wedding at Woodbury Forest School

Joy & Jerry’s wedding at Vail Mountain Resort

Jenn & Mike’s wedding at Clifton Inn

Lindsay & Charles’s wedding at Hotel Monaco

Lindsay & Kyle’s wedding at the National Museum for Women in the Arts

Laura & Tony’s wedding at The Barns at Hamilton Station

Mary Beth & Chris’s wedding at Shrine Mont

Misty & Roby’s wedding at the Mellon Auditorium

Sam & Casey’s wedding at Panorama Farms

Sheryl & David’s wedding at The Homestead

Sarah & Jason’s wedding at The Homestead

Tammy & Andrew’s wedding at The Mill at Fine Creek

Best of 2013 – Anne’s Faves of Bill’s

Buzz, Weddings

Before things really get cranking in 2014, let’s take a quick look back at some of our favorite moments and images from our 2013 weddings! It was so insanely difficult narrowing down our selections to just 25 (seemed like a reasonable number taken from the 14,983 photos we delivered last year to happy clients). Today we’re looking at some of Anne’s favorite images that Bill captured from the past year. Thanks so much for all our incredible, loving, and happy couples for sharing these moments so we could capture them!

Alicia & Gio’s wedding at the Hay Adams Hotel

Ashley & Kevin’s wedding at the Army Navy Club

Brooke & Phill’s wedding at the National Museum for Women in the Arts

Cristin & Nima’s wedding at Veritas Vineyards

Healy & Tim’s wedding at a private residence

Jenn & Mike’s wedding at Clifton Inn

Joy & Jerry’s wedding at Vail Mountain Resort

Kaitlyn & Mark’s wedding at the Mellon Auditorium

Lauren & Chas’s wedding at Fat Cat Farms

Lindsay & Charles’s wedding at Hotel Monaco

Laura & Tony’s wedding at The Barns at Hamilton Station

Mary Beth & Chris’s wedding at Shrine Mont

Sam & Casey’s wedding at Panorama Farms

Sarah & Jason’s wedding at The Homestead

Tammy & Andrew’s wedding at The Mill at Fine Creek

Tony & Laura’s Vineyard Wedding at The Barns at Hamilton Station

Weddings

Well what do you know? It’s another fantastic wedding to share with you. One of our last ones this past Fall and it was a great one to end on. We absolutely adore Laura & Tony, and are thrilled to share their wedding images with you. Enjoy some of our highlights from their celebration below, and then check out their complete gallery. The password is Laura’s maiden name and is case-sensitive. Have fun!

The incredible team:
Venue: The Barns at Hamilton Station
Catering: Market Table Bistro
Baker: CG Cakes
Florist: Creations in Bloom
Makeup: Ashley Parker
Hair: Joanne McMullen
Gown: DaVinci
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
DJ: Karl Fisher

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

A few fab shots from our assistant Karen:

Isn’t this the best moment? They’re watching as Tony & Laura see each other for the first time on their wedding day.

Some oh-so-pretty (many DIY) details:

Dear L&T,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding day include: Your flower girl clapping enthusiastically as you donned those love-themed shades, Laura. And the hug you shared with your mom before going to see Tony for the first time that day. Your first sight. All of it (and the reactions of your bridesmaids as they watched from a distance). Tony, your reaction and overwhelming emotion as you watched Laura walk down the aisle. All the laughter during your ceremony. The hands-in-the-air-like-you-just-didn’t-care dancing.

Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Sam & Casey’s Wedding at Panorama Farms

Weddings

We very frequently become friends with our clients if we didn’t know them before, and sometimes our clients start out as employees (as Eric did when he married Lora at Clifton Inn). So we were absolutely thrilled when our former production assistant, Sam, reached out to let us know she had recently gotten engaged to Casey. It was so nice gathering at the picturesque Panorama Farms just north of Charlottesville for their wedding, even if it was 87 degrees in October! As you can see, the happy couple kept their cool throughout their blissful day. Check out our favorite images from the day, then their complete gallery. The password is Sam’s maiden name and is case-sensitive.

The wonderful team:
Venue: Panorama Farms
Caterer: Harvest Moon
Baker: Sweethaus
Gown: Marisa Bridals
Florist: Sugar Magnolias
Ceremony music: Madison Trio
Band: Jebus
Make-up: Lauren Kelly
Hair: Bella Boutique
Lighting: Blue Ridge Lightforms
Stationery: Behold Designz

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

This kid had some mad moves.

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Loving these details:

Dear s&c,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding include:

Maximizing your use of any breeze (or air conditioning, whatever the environment) to cool off before your ceremony. The laughter with both your bridesmaids and groomsmen throughout the afternoon. Nearly everything called for at least a smile. Your incredibly touching and tender First Sight. Seeing hot air balloons off in the distance after your ceremony. Your sister, Sam, serenading the two of you during your first dance. Your dad’s band playing tirelessly throughout the night. The quiet way you two slipped off by yourselves to feed each other cupcakes in lieu of cake (yup, we saw you!). The extreme close-up photo your dad took of you, Sam, and Casey during family portraits. Your hugs.

We couldn’t be happier that you have found each other and so honored you chose us to capture these memories for you. Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Mary Beth & Chris’s Wedding at Shrine Mont

Weddings

When you’re in love with not only the couple, but their families, it makes documenting the wedding day that much richer. We had known Mary Beth’s family from back when her sister married (thanks to the recommendation of Andrew & Julie) and while sadly we were already commissioned on her date we all kept in touch. When Mary Beth and Chris decided to tie the knot at a peaceful place very close to her heart, we were thrilled to be able to photograph it all for them, even without air conditioning and with a smidgen of rain. 😉 What’s a few rain drops between friends, anyway?

So take a look, and when you’re ready for more, you can see the complete gallery. The password is Chris’s last name and is case-sensitive (this one might be a spelling test for you too!).

The fabulous team:
Venue: Shrine Mont
Planner: Janice with Bellweather Events
Catering: Harvest Moon
Baker: Cakes by Rachel
Videography: Ian’s Creations
Lighting: Blue Ridge Lightforms
Florist: Countrypolitan Events
Band: Walrus
Calligraphy: Lydia Buschenfeldt
Gown: Modern Trousseau

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

Some lovely details:

This was so incredibly funny. Mary’s tweets are like that, and who knew this would appear in the Washington Post just before the wedding?

Dear m&c,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding day include:

The way the sunrise shone straight through the early morning fog. Mary Beth, your look of intrigue when you heard your dress was “going on a field trip.” Don’t worry, it was chaperoned. Your families’ infectious energy, not just for one moment but during the entire day. The way Ann reached out and touched your arm, Chris, as Mary Beth began walking down the aisle. The kids during your ceremony (too many individual moments to note–it’d fill a small book). That you shrugged off the small amount of rain in favor of marrying at your favorite spot. The way you held hands all through the ceremony. S’mores! Again, not really a moment per se, but boy were those tasty.

Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Joy & Jerry atop Vail Mountain’s Wedding Deck

Weddings

Those of you who live in or near the Rockies know weather can be, well, a bit fickle. Such was the case with Joy and Jerry, who celebrated their vows once more (first and second times here on the same day) atop Vail Mountain, where Jerry spent some time way back when. The original time for their intimate (just the two of them and their officiant) was set for 2pm, but Jerry was concerned about the near-daily afternoon thunderstorms, so the decision was made to shift to 11am. Well, you can see the results below, but at least his choice in bride was clearly an excellent one. 🙂 During their short ceremony the temperature topped out at a gusty 46 degrees. In August. Not only did Bill have to purchase a last minute fleece pullover, Joy found a sweater to go over her sleeveless dress. Hmm…perhaps the mountain resorts are in cahoots with Mother Nature!

We were lucky enough to be able to let the storm pass with steaming cups of coffee and pictures around Vail Village and then head back up the mountain for some additional portraits with the two of them when the sun came out later that afternoon. Their ceremony was further evidence that a wedding may last only one day, but the marriage is long lasting. Even when it’s briefly interrupted, as was the case here, the base friendship and love survived, and the two of them are back together again. We’re so happy about that and really enjoyed seeing them again.

Their vows opened with a few minutes of meditation led by their wonderful officiant Tara van Dernoot…

Not just rainy, but windy too.

We love the expression on Joy’s face here. It says, “I love you, but I’m freezing. Can we hurry this along?”

Needless to say, the weather at the base was significantly different.

Bikers were driven to distraction (and laying down a bike) because of these two!

Dear j&j,

What kismet, that we would find ourselves in our new adopted hometown of Boulder, Colorado just a few weeks before your re-marriage ceremony atop beautiful Vail mountain. Despite the chill, Joy, you were literally radiating, well, joy and Jerry, you looked so happy and healthy. We can’t tell you how happy we are for you both, that you’ve found your way back to each other, stronger and more in love than ever. It may be cliche, but perhaps love really does conquer all.

Love you guys!
…a&b