An intimate beach wedding – swoon.

beach wedding portrait

sunset walk at the beach

credits
venue: their home
caterer: Avenue Foods
cake: Magnolia Foods
dress salon: Church Street Bridal

Sarabeth and John were able to pull off an amazing, intimate wedding during the power outage of 2012!  Kudos to the many vendors who stepped it up and ensured that the couple’s day went off without a hitch!

How did you meet?

I was living in a downtown loft apartment in Lynchburg and visited John’s store–Galaxie Modern— while out shopping and ended up buying a coffee table.

Tell us about your dress, shoes and other accessories!

My dress and shoes were purchased from Church Street Bridal. The dress was altered by the Gilded Thimble in Bedford. It was the first dress I tried on and I felt like it was the right dress when I first saw it. Breaking with tradition, my then-fiance accompanied me to the bridal shop and helped me pick out the dress.

How did you choose your venue?

I wanted a small, intimate wedding. We had just purchased the house and thought it would be a perfect setting for a small ceremony and to begin making lasting memories of our wedding and home.

Describe your decor and how you chose it.

Some of the items came from my husband’s store while my mother spent hours on Pinterest scoping out wedding ideas.

What detail did you like best about your wedding day?

 Being able to have the wedding ceremony in our home with my family, closest friends, and dogs present.

What was your favorite moment during your wedding day?

I loved our exit with the lavender being thrown at/on us and my car being decorated.

What’s next on your calender as a couple?

We just returned from a short honeymoon trip to Williamsburg and are looking forward to getting our new home set up and planning a winter trip to somewhere tropical.

Wow does the summer just fly by or what??!  I’ve missed a few anniversaries due to the hectic schedule we’ve had so with apologies, I’m playing a bit of catch up.  Katie and Tony had a luxurious wedding at the always fabulous Clifton InnYou can see their original blog posting here.  I am always delighted to know which images my clients favored and why!

It’s hard to pick just one, because there are so many that we both think capture “us”.  We both love picture 5466.  For both of us, our first dance was really the moment where we felt married and the gravity of the vows we had just taken.  It felt like it was just us during that moment…and everything and everybody else was blurred from our vision.  We both think that this picture really reflects that feeling.  I’ll let Tony take that one. 

The other one that we both love, but I’m going to take as my favorite, is 5081.  That was our “first look”, and this picture was really amazing because it framed that moment perfectly.  I look at it and still can’t believe how gorgeous it is – the lilies, the vines, the curtains, all of it really brought to life just how important and exciting that moment was for us…it was the start point, and it looks like a fairy tale. 

That said, I could also make a really strong case for picture 5004…I mean, c’mon, those are some awesome shoes.  Cinderella – eat your heart out!

Shoes (and yes I’ll take these over glass slippers ANY day!)

First Look

first look

First Dance

first dance at Clifton Inn

Alrighty then!   Just booked another 2013 wedding so only 6 5 more more weekends left for 2013. 🙂  Thanks to all my couples who put their faith and trust in me.  After 20 years, I still get a thrill with every wedding I do!

EDITED TO ADD: I am still getting inquiries for 2012 – if you are a 2012 bride, contact me asap regarding your wedding plans.  I have 2 remaining openings for this year.

and as always, posts are better with pictures!

tornadoes over Richmond

I love the Tidal Basin!  Sometimes, dawn IS just worth it!

reflected kiss

I can’t wait for Rachel and Mike’s wedding next year at Veritas Vineyard!

I have never done this before and may never do it again but the heat is getting to my brain!  Soooo… if you are getting married this winter, (December 22-March 22), not on a holiday (ie Christmas, New Years etc), and you book the studio before the end of this month, you will get a FREE ALBUM!  yes you heard that right, totally free!

ouch

Contact the studio ASAP to book your date as for obvious reasons we have to limit how many of these we can do!  434-384-0138

and now for a wintry break…

winter storm

credits
venue: West Manor
florals: Petal Flower Company
cake: La Bella Torta
dj: Music, Music and more music
dress salon: Nitsa’s
dress designer: Monique Lhuillier
shoe designer: Jimmy Choo
stationery: emDOTzee Designs

Whitney and Johnathon had a gorgeous June day for their outdoor wedding in Forest, VA.  Another one of my international couples, they came back home from Scotland for their big weekend.  Let me show you some of the fantastic details and emotional moments from their day while they tell you a little bit about it in their own words.

How did you meet?

We met in the 6th grade and were always good friends until we started dating our senior year of high school!

uva engagement session

hand painted wedding sign

Tell us about your dress, shoes and other accessories!
My gown was one of my favorite things about the wedding. After going to countless bridal salons in Virginia and North Carolina, I finally found my Monique Lhuillier gown at Nitsa’s in Charlotte. It was the perfect combination of classic and modern with an alencon lace bodice and peplum over the tulle skirt. I found just the right sparkly belt and Jimmy Choo heels to accent my gown.

monique lhuillier dress

monique lhuillier dress

monique lhuillier dress and jimmy choo shoes

groom getting ready

crying over wedding card

getting ready by window

grandma and bride

Whitney and Johnathon decided to have a First Look and do their pictures beforehand!

groom waiting for bride

bride going for first look

bride cries during first look

ceremony on west manor steps

ceremony on west manor steps

ceremony on west manor steps

What was your favorite moment during your wedding day?

I think our favorite moment of the day would have to be walking back down the aisle at the end of the ceremony!

married! at west manor

wedding party jump

bride and groom under veil

bride and groom at west manor

What was your favorite detail about the day?

I don’t think I could choose just one detail because there are so many that I loved. I was just so excited to see everything finally come together!

west manor ballroom

Describe your decor and how you chose it!

Our goal from the beginning was for our wedding to have a theme of “Old Southern Elegance.” Our historic venue served as the ideal backdrop for our navy, blush, gold, and silver color palette, and it really set the tone for the look we wanted. After that, I knew I wanted our flowers to make the biggest impact, so we had blush and white floral arrangements in every space. One of my favorite details was having each guest’s napkin tied with a pale pink ribbon on their place setting.

bouquet by the petal flower company

west manor ballroom

ribbon menu

How did you choose your venues?

Choosing our venue was such a difficult process! Things started out a little bumpy, but everything fell perfectly into place when West Manor Estate was purchased by new owners and started booking weddings again just in time. It couldn’t have worked out better for us!

west manor sunset

laughing couple

west manor sunset

infrared wedding couple at west manor

Tell us about your food and cake!

Our catering started with a light cocktail hour spread of fruits, cheeses, and our signature cocktails, which were great for guests to cool down a bit after the ceremony out in the hot sun. For dinner, we had chicken, steak, and pasta options, and I’ve heard that everyone especially loved the summer salad with pecans, peaches, and poppy seed dressing.

signature cocktails

west manor wedding reception

We ended up having three flavors for our wedding cake, which were all so delicious! Our favorites were the yellow butter cake with strawberry filling and the chocolate cake with a layer of brownies in the middle.

bella torta cake

monogram dance floor light

wedding reception

blue light dance floor

dramatically lit portrait

What’s next for you as a couple?

We just got home to Edinburgh, Scotland after our honeymoon in Santorini, Greece, and we’re busy getting settled back in after traveling for almost a month. Johnathon just started back working on his Ph.D., and we’re making plans for exploring the U.K. in the next few months. After that, we’re planning to travel through Europe as much as possible!

sparkler LOVE

Watch the slideshow for many more images and click on this link to view the complete ordering gallery (password required).

The Blue Ridge Photographic Arts Society is having their opening reception this Friday from 6:00-8:30 at CVCC. This is an annual juried exhibit for members and I have two images hanging! Come by and say hi!

brpas show

Sarabeth and John tied the knot on a warmish  (!) day in July.  Congratulations you two and hope you’re having a wonderful honeymoon this week enjoying the cooler weather!

Their dogs were a very important part of this intimate event.  Meet Allie…

bride with dog

and Winston!

dog with bride's dress

Look at this amazing backyard!

backyard wedding

In order to provide superior service to all my clients, I limit the number of weddings I photograph.  Just booked another 2013 wedding so only 6 more weekends left for 2013. 🙂  Thanks to all my couples who put their faith and trust in me.  After 20 years, I still get a thrill with every wedding I do!

EDITED TO ADD: I am still getting inquiries for 2012 – if you are a 2012 bride, contact me asap regarding your wedding plans.  I have 2 remaining openings for this year.

dancing bridal party