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Maddie & Nick’s Rocky Mountain Wedding at a Private Estate

Weddings

You could go lots of different places in Colorado for equally beautiful settings for your wedding. The third time I (Bill) guest photographed for our good friend Kent Meireis. From wedding party shenanigans ahead of the ceremony to Nick spontaneously throwing Maddie over his shoulder during the recessional to doing ski shots with their officiant and his wife, I absolutely loved spending the day with Maddie & Nick, not to mention Kent (thanks, Kent!). Below are a few of our favorite details and moments from the day.

The fantastic team:
Venue: Nick’s family home
Planner: Claire + team of Claire Gordon Events
Catering: Wild Horse Catering-We Love Food
Florist: Margaret’s Garden
DJ: DJ Rockstar Aaron
Wedding gown: Little White Dress
Make-up/hair: Kaylee Martin & Ally Triolo / Monika Barnett
Officiant: (Former U.S. Senator) Mark Udall

Wedding dress silhouette in rustic cabin against Rocky Mountains

Wedding day flowers against stone fireplace

Groom getting ready

Bride getting ready, mom buttoning dress

Bride looks up at flower girls as she puts on her dress

Bride and bridesmaids laugh

Bridesmaids hold bride's hand, showing off wedding ring

Bride and groom see each other against mountain backdrop

Bride swings on custom swing in middle of pine trees

Wedding party portrait on porch of rustic cabin

Bride and groom walk in field toward rustic barn

Bride and sister play

Chivari chairs lined up for wedding ceremony

Flower girl and ring bearer in walk in woods

Flower girls and ring bearer funny wedding portrait

Wedding Ceremony setting with Rocky mountains in background

Groomsman holding programs in hand

Ring bearer throws fruit near guests with flower girls in background

Mr. Udall, Maddie’s uncle and having watched her grow up, served as officiant.

Mark Udall performs Rocky mountain wedding ceremony

Celebration at end of Rocky mountain wedding

Happy couple recess at end of wedding ceremony

Groom picks up bride and throws her over his shoulder after wedding

Bride and mom share tender moment following wedding ceremony

Flower girls talk in field

DJ and flower girls talk

Ok, so how cute is this? The kids, on their own, decided to start helping out the catering staff move the chivari chairs from the ceremony pasture to the reception tent. Pretty sure this spectacle competed with the mountain backdrop for guests’ attention.

MN-1722-36

Colorful table setting at farm tables

Circular tables with colorful flowers and purple napkins

Bridal bouquet with wedding cake in background

First dance as bride and groom laugh

Bride and groom laugh, reacting to toast

Bridesmaid and boyfriend share tender moment in field

Bride and groom play at dusk with Rocky mountains in background

Bride and groom tender moment

Bride and groom tender moment with Rocky mountains in background

Ski shots with family at wedding

Dancing in tent at wedding at base of Rocky mountains

Sparkler departure for wedding couple at base of Rocky mountains

Congratulations, m&n!

Lisa & Ian’s Wedding at Charlottesville’s Veritas Vineyards

Weddings

We’re so excited for Memorial Day weekend, although true to history, Mother Nature’s really kicking off summer with temps in the 90s. Won’t slow us down, though. What are you guys planning? A little getaway? Sticking around close to home? Sequestering yourself in the A/C for a movie marathon? Well, while you ponder such weighty things, we’ve got a wedding for you about an incredibly sweet couple whose wedding we recently had the pleasure of documenting. Without further ado, we present Lisa & Ian’s fun celebration at nearly Veritas Vineyards.

Venue and catering: Veritas Vineyards
Florist: Blue Ridge Floral
Baker: Favorite Cakes
DJ: Derek Tobler
Transportation: Albemarle Vintage Limousine (a very cool surprise for Lisa at night’s end)

After seeing some of our favorites below, you’re probably itching to see the complete gallery from their wedding. Just be sure to use Lisa’s maiden name as the password (oh yes, and it’s case-sensitive). Have fun and a safe holiday weekend, everyone! Oh, and let us know how you liked that movie! ;-D

Anne’s Faves of Bill’s:

Bill’s Faves of Anne’s:

And, of course, we can’t forget some of the lovely details from the day.

Dear l&i,

Sweet and considerate, and full of Southern hospitality. Oh, and fickle weather! Those are a few of the adjectives that come to mind when we think of the two of you and your wedding day. The joy you both shared with each other when you first saw each other before your ceremony was so bubbly, champagne producers should inquire about bottling it. We loved how you personalized your ceremony by not only having one of your cousins serve as officiant, but that you privately selected ceremony readings for one another and watched as you shared emotional tears along with many present. And how adorable was your nephew Caine offering up a blessing for dinner? (Just don’t tell him we called him adorable. Although, we know boys just adore that adjective.) Throughout the day regardless of his duties he was all business, making sure every t was crossed and i dotted. Loved it.

We were so happy for you guys, when it became clear that you were going to get your outdoor ceremony. This Spring weather has been especially a bit bi-polar this year, but even if you had ended up indoors, we know you would have taken it with ease. Lisa, while all brides are beautiful on their wedding day when their heart and soul are full of love, but you were absolutely radiant. Ian, there wasn’t a dry eye on the house that night when you related your marriage proposal(s) to your guests and then proceded to serenade Lisa to an originally-written score, culminating in a standing ovation among your guests (a first for us). And then you proceded to further surprise Lisa with a vintage car for a festive end-of-the-night getaway.

People talk at times about their “perfect day” during their wedding prep and while we feel that’s a bit of a misnomer, what you shared with your friends and family that day made your celebration no less than perfection. We’re so grateful to have been there to observe and document it all for you. And thanks too for the slices of cake. Very tasty!

And lastly, we hope your best man’s toast was exactly as long as you wanted it to be. 😉 Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Ashlee & Aaron’s Wedding at LaGrange Christian Chruch & Kinston Country Club, NC

Weddings

Whoo-boy, the merry little elves are busy little, uh, bees, this week wrapping up holiday orders, but we just had to share Ashlee and Aaron’s early winter wedding before this weekend. You may remember this adorable couple from their early Spring engagement session at the beautiful Homestead. (Ironically, we will be back at the beautiful resort in western Virginia’s mountain’s very, very soon to shoot a sweet elopement for a couple and their two children!) Big “A” and Little “a” were married amidst all of their family in friends in the small, neighboring North Carolina towns in which they grew up. It may have been a little chilly. Ok, it was A LOT chilly – just ask the flower girls–but A&a’s smiles throughout the day helped keep everyone happy and warm. Oh, and the band, might have had something to do with that, too, given how hot the dance floor was! A&a, you’ve been so patient, so without further ado…

The talented team:

Church: LaGrange Christian Church
Reception venue & catering: Kinston Country Club
Gown: Monique Lhullier
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Band: Jupiter Jones
Baker: Your Perfect Cake
Stationary: The Green Kangaroo
Videography: Duncan Armsby
Flowers: Cheryl’s Floral Designs

Ready for more? You can view their complete gallery here and the SnapHappy photobooth images here. The password is Ashlee’s maiden name and is case-sensitive.

Now those, boys and girls, are heels! I would likely break my neck if I even attempted such heights, but man, a girl can dream can’t she? At least I get to take purty pictures of these beauties. (Oh, and yes, this is Anne. Although I do believe Bill would most definitely break his neck, too.) 😉

Love Aaron’s duck tie from Vineyard Vines!

Gotta love those little ones. Hee..hee…

Ash, your smile could light up even the darkest, coldest night. SO beautiful!

Excuse me, I really need to take this call…

Yea, being in weddings can be hard, hard work. Loved this little drama princess.

Quiet moment as Ashlee watches her bridesmaids line up for the ceremony. All fourteen of them!

Time for blast off!

Houston, we have a problem. 😉

Just Married!

Who’s afraid of a few portraits after the sun goes down? Not us! Ashlee was a serious trooper in that 40-degree night air, too. Guess it was a good thing we were only out there for five minutes after all.

First dance!

Adore this sweet moment between Ash and her Dad that Bill captured just after their father/daughter dance.

Cool shot Anne snagged during dancing!

Love, love, love this one.

Dear a&a…

It was so nice arriving for your Friday evening rehearsal after a chilly, rainy, and super windy five-hour drive to see your smiling faces and welcoming hearts. It was as if we had just left off from your engagement session last Spring. Even though it was over much too soon, there were a great many things for which we were grateful at your wedding celebration:

– Your smiles. Yes, we might have mentioned them before (and we just might mention them again!) but, they’d truly heal any rift and lift any heart. They set the day’s (and night’s) tone for all of your 300+ guests.
– Speaking of which, we’d not ever seen such a large grouping of family all together in one spot to support a couple. It means so much that you chose your home towns to say your I Do’s so that everyone who loves you could be there to celebrate with you and support you. What a wonderful and meaningful way to start your married life together.
– If you looked up southern charm in the dictionary (or wikipedia for you youngsters), we’re pretty sure we’d see your smiling faces. You two are as sweet as tea. Sweet tea, of course!
– Everyone’s southern hospitality. (Oh, we love us some southern weddings!) It didn’t matter whose job it might have been to do something–there was always a member of your wedding party or immediate family to step in and take care of it for you.
– We hadn’t seen a get-away vehicle “decorated” in quite some time, and it was fun watching your groomsmen take care of that little task, Aaron on your huge truck.
– That you brought your love for hunting and sense of humor into the day with Aaron’s Vineyard Vines duck tie; Ashlee, your hot pink & camo garters (one to toss and one to keep!); and your beer coozie favors that boldly stated “The Hunt is Over.” Love it!

Well, the day flew by much too fast, but we are so happy to have been a part of it all with you and your families. We love our job and can’t thank you enough for bringing us down to document your wedding day for you and your future generations. Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

PS – Don’t miss the crazy SnapHappy pics from their wedding on the blog Monday!

Annamaria & Jay’s Wedding at Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville

Weddings

It’s Friday, so that must mean it’s a great day for sharing a wedding with you all before you head off on a weekend of shopping! We’re so happy to share Annamaria & Jay’s heartfelt celebration with you to get you in the perfect mood. Enjoy!

Ready for more? You can view their complete wedding. The password is Annamaria’s last name and is case-sensitive.

The talent team:
Venue and catering: Farmington Country Club
Florist: Floral Images
Hot Air Balloon: Boars Head Balloons
Band: Great Expectations
Make-up & hair: Face Value Studio
Gown: Ulla Maija
Harpist: Eve Watters
Stationary: The Dandelion Patch

We met up with Jay and Annamaria the Thursday before their wedding to do a few “day before” pics. They wanted to get a nice variety of portraits to take advantage of the seriously gorgeous Fall foliage and not have to rush them on the wedding day. And we’re all SO glad we did as that Saturday was super cold and crazy windy. We love that they did their First Sight before their wedding day! Even with a little tux mishap, everyone was so relaxed and even Anna Maria’s adorable daughter got caught up in the excitement.

Yea, she may have stolen the show more than once, but she was just getting warmed up!

Starting off the wedding day…

Checking out the dress…

Their ring bearer may not have been as enthusiastic, at least at first. But he rose to the occasion. Anne love, love, loves this capture that Bill got before the ceremony!

Yea, they were at it again and we just couldn’t help ourselves.

There was a moment of levity just as the ceremony began, when the Wedding March was played just after Annamaria made it down the aisle. Good laughs all around and they wouldn’t be the last during the ceremony either, officiated by Jay’s friend Senator Mark Warner.

As the ceremony concluded, Senator Warner (who is a former Virginia governor for those not into politics) declared, “By the power vested in me, by me, I now declare that you are husband and wife…”. Yup that got some more laughs, and resulted in a good story later on that night.

They had intended to give all of their guests (a few at a time) tethered hot air balloon rides, but as you can see from Annamaria’s bundling up, the wind was crazy blowing, and they were lucky enough to get the balloon up for just a couple of minutes while we got a shot with them and the girls before it basically blew over.

Their dessert bar included Hungarian treats in a nod to Annamaria’s heritage.

Both Jay and his daughter, Katie graduated from UVa so Charlottesville was a sentimental choice for his and Annamaria’s wedding.

Being of very good mind and sound judgment, they asked us to bring the SnapHappy Studio along, which we happily obliged. A few of our faves:

Dear a&j,

Your wedding celebration was the perfect mix of stylish party and irreverent fun. The natural, easy-going attitude you brought with you for your weekend made it what it was and set the tone for your friends and family in attendance. No matter how cold it was outside, everyone could feel the warmth in the room. Especially during the toasts! Thinking back, we are grateful for a good number of things about getting to be a part of your wedding:

You took such great care in selecting locally-grown, sustainable fare that Virginia is known for such as Carter Mountain apples and local vino. They couldn’t have walked away from that dinner hungry. It’s a good thing Great Expectations was in house to get them movin’ and groovin’. (Yea, we said groovin’. We’re nerds. So glad you you don’t hold it against us. 😉 )
Even when the wind blew so hard it made ballooning difficult at best, the balloon guys were still dedicated to at least giving you a portrait with the balloon all lit up against the evening sky. Gorgeous! At least for the 30 seconds it was up.
You totally laughed off the ceremony musical timing mismatch, giving your guests a good chuckle in the process and setting the mood for a wonderfully light-hearted wedding ceremony.
This was definitely the first time we’ve had an officiant declare self-invested powers to marry. That was pretty funny. If not 100% true. Hee, hee.
That dessert bar had something for everyone (we may have sneaked one or two of those delicious little…ooops…we wouldn’t want to incriminate ourselves). 🙂
Hearing how much photography was important to you, Annamaria, and that your dad was a collector was music to our ears. We’re thrilled that we just may have taken some shots that end up in your families collection.

We were just delighted to be a part of it all with you. Thank you so much for including us and having us document your celebration. Congratulations to you all!

Peace & Love,
…a&b

Diana & Carlos’s Wedding at Washington DC’s National Museum for Women in the Arts

Weddings

Happy, happy Friday one and all! We have a jam-packed weekend coming up with a wedding, meetings, & portrait sessions (including one at sunrise) through Monday, so if you don’t hear from us right away, we’ll get back to you just as soon as we can. We’ll also be taking a moment to pause and reflect on the tragic events ten years ago and keep all the men and women in uniform deployed in foreign lands in our thoughts and prayers. We hope that you’ll take a moment to do the same and that we’ll all be safe and sound.

When you’re ready for more, you can view their complete image gallery here, and of course there’s always the SnapHappy photo booth images here. The password is Diana’s maiden name for both.

Today we’re absolutely thrilled to share Diana & Carlos’s incredibly fun wedding with you. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did photographing it!

The Fab Team:
Venues: Dahlgren Chapel at Georgetown University and National Museum for Women in the Arts
Florist: Petal’s Edge
Catering: Susan Gage Catering
Baker: Cake Panache
Make-up: Kim Giammaria
Hair: Christy Robinson
Lighting: John Farr Lighting
DJ: Aaron with Chris Laich Music

Diana’s sister surprised her with a beautiful hand-painted watercolor map of DC & their venues.

Carlos and all the groomsmen received professional shaves that morning at the Grooming Lounge. It’s so smooth you don’t need to shave for 2-3 days afterward. Nice.

Diana’s brother-in-law guards his Mexican wrestling mask (all the groomsmen had one) while awaiting the bus to take everyone to Dahlgren Chapel.

Carlos cleans his glasses to ensure his first sight with Diana is crystal clear. We’ve not seen a groom with such single-minded dedication at this moment. We love it, but he needn’t have worried – you could see that smile from a mile away.

Interesting portraits can be made anywhere, including hotel lobbies while waiting for the bus. Bill’s shot …

and Anne’s shot (always mistress of the reflection)!

The bicyclist on the left is not as enthralled with our commandeering of the bicycle lane down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The “wave house” in Georgetown, where d&c met.

We continued the portrait fun around Georgetown University’s campus. We absolutely love these stairs!

Yup, Carlos, it’s starting to rain again. Time to go!

But that doesn’t mean the photographer can’t get wet! 😉

And….the sun is back out! Gotta love those crazy August storms.

Carlos’s brother, coincidentally a talented mariachi musician, serenades all the guests on the museum’s mezzanine along with the rest of the ensemble during cocktail hour.

In a nod to Carlos’s heritage, all the groomsmen donned their Mexican wrestling masks for a portion of the reception and apparently reenacted moves from their favorite character.

Poor Carlos, about to be the victim of a body slam. Or maybe they’re just toying with him.

Gotta love when the photo booth props make an appearance on the dance floor!

Dear d&c,

We knew almost from the start when we first met you both, we wanted to be there to document your wedding for you. Not only were you planning such a fun party for all your nearest and dearest, but we were immediately struck by your genuine warmth. We loved that you were going to wear your twin sister’s wedding dress, Diana and that your German professor was traveling from Europe to officiate your ceremony. And who wouldn’t love a proposal on YouTube?!

Your wedding celebration was such a blast, and you were just so low-key and easy-going throughout the day, despite the weather changing every five minutes. We loved stopping by the “wave house” in Georgetown for some portraits with you both, given that’s where you had met for the first time, as creating portraits in places of emotional connection to clients are inevitably more compelling. And it was a cool coincidence that you ended up waiting for your wedding ceremony together in a room where you both had classes at Georgetown University.

Carlos, what a memorable, personal touch it was that your brother played along with a mariachi band during your cocktail hour. It was truly one of the most fun and energizing musical performances we’ve seen in a long time, but also incredibly touching and magical. What a great way to get your guests in the mood to party! And there was a special sweetness and humor, Diana, in the toast your twin sister gave that night, that really showed the tight bond between the two of you. We were so grateful to be there to document the entire celebration for you. Thank you so much!

Peace & love…
…a&b