To my one and only daughter…you changed our lives for the better when you appeared seven years ago today.
today
Come on down to the spectacular holiday party we will be having on Friday for First Friday’s Open House! Enjoy food, libations and special treats for the kids.
We’ll have a special frame sale table – every frame, new $2 or used just $1!!
Best of all, bring a new unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots and get a free Holiday Portrait! Yes totally free – we’ll even upload the file to our facebook page for you to snag! We have a new surprise set for this year so here are some images from last year!
Did you get a special surprise this Thanksgiving? Celebrate with an engagement session from Allegra’s Studio! No, we don’t have to be photographing your wedding to create an amazing experience for you! Here are some favorite images from a recent shoot – see them all on the slideshow below!
I am thankful for so many blessings in this life.
First and foremost, life and good health because without those, the rest becomes much more difficult.
Secondly, my family who help give my life meaning and my friends who help me enjoy it.
Thirdly, the privileges of being a US citizen and enjoying the liberties we have.
And lastly, but not least, you, my amazing clients and awesome fans! What I do would not be possible without your love and support!
Have a fantastical, fabulous, phenomenal, Thanksgiving Day!
I AM thankful for so many blessings in my life this year especially my amazing clients! I’ll have a special blog post on Thursday to share but even more important, I want to give my clients something to be thankful for as well! Coming Friday only, I am having a blow out 50% off sale!! That’s 50% off prints, 50% off canvases, 50% everything available online (does not include albums – sorry!) This sale is good for any 2011 wedding or portrait session*, is not applicable to any prior orders, and you must be prepared to place your order when you pay. If your gallery has expired, it will be reinstated for the weekend but the 50% off is ONLY GOOD FOR FRIDAY!!
* (please note portraits will only include images that were ordered prior to November 2011 or kept for portfolio – does NOT include collections – everything is a la carte)
credits
venue: Oak Ridge Estate
caterer: April Farmer
floral: Blue Ridge Floral
DJ: Wendell Witt
band: The Ruckus
cake: Billie’s Cakes
How did you choose your venue?
A woman I work with, Nancy, helps with weddings at Oak Ridge Estates. She suggested I go take a look, and we put the deposit down that day. It was the first place we looked at- it just felt right!
How did the two of you meet?
Alan & I met at a summer camp for at risk youth in Lynchburg. We were both counselors there, but went to separate high schools. We hit it off right away and were high school sweat hearts from then on.
What was your favorite moment during the day?
I loved getting ready with my bridesmaids, you rarely have moments like that. Also, walking down the aisle and seeing Alan for the first time. He had been guessing what my dress looked like for so long, I was excited for him to see it! Also, Alan delivered flowers upstairs to me that he had bought the morning of with a card explaining how excited he was for the wedding. It was so sweet and thoughtful. Seeing everyone gathered in one place that we all cared about was probably the best part though, that may never happen again!
Tell us about your dress and other accessories!
My dress was gorgeous- hand beaded and couture. When I walked into Becky’s Bridal (Buena Vista) it was standing in the center of the store. It was the first dress I tried on. I tried on one more, a different style, to make sure it was what I wanted. We bought it that day as well. It was quite a princess dress! The shoes were called “poof” shoes, although they were hidden they were one of my favorite parts.
What detail did you like best about your day?
It is so hard to pick one detail. I would say seeing everyone so dressed up, and the bridesmaids with their bouquets. The flower girl and ring bearer were priceless, they could not have been cuter. Also, my dress of course!
Describe your decor and how you chose it!
Our decor was simple- our plan was to keep the wedding classic and elegant. Everything was black & white. The tables had white linens with black bird cage like pieces on them that held candles. All of the flowers were done by Amy Webb out of Afton, VA. The house itself was enough of a decoration, we just added small touches to enhance the look.
Tell us about your food!
Our food was catered by April , we had quite a spread. There was a carving station, fondue fountains (chocolate and cheese), and much more. Our cake was done by Billy’s Cakes in Altavista, VA. It was orange spice and the top was red velvet (we wanted red velvet, but also orange spice to fit the fall atmosphere). The outside was black and white, beautiful!
What’s next on your calender as a couple?
We just bought a house, so we will continue to work on that and make it our own. We plan to have children, but not for a few years!
and log into the full gallery at this link (password required)
credits
coordinator: La Londe Events, what a DIFFERENCE a good planner makes!
ceremony: First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis
venue and catering: Governor Calvert House
florist: Fantastic Flowers
DJ: DJ Chris 410.551.5025
Cake: Shockley’s Sweet Shoppe
hair and make up: Up Dos for I Dos
assistant photographer: Cindy Alderton
How did you meet?
We were both in 3rd Company at the Naval Academy.
What did you like best about your wedding day?
It was exciting to have so many friends and family meet each other as we celebrated.
After speaking with a potential client this week, I thought I would be sure to post this image. I don’t normally show what I call the standard formal stuff but you should know that I pretty much always capture some version of this image. I call it the mom shot – the image that moms want for their piano top silver frames and for the newspaper. In general, we spend about 20-30 minutes on ALL the group images either before or after the ceremony – your choice! I want you to be able to get to your party without worrying about missing an important family group! Of course, the formals list is always in your hands – more groups? Sure! Fewer? That’s great too!
I do like to have a wee bit of time to get the romantic stuff. 🙂
What was your favorite moment during the day?
Getting heckled during our first dance…
and continuing the party at McGarvey’s in downtown Annapolis!
some of the fun details from the wedding include amazing flowers
and delicious bonbons!
What’s next on your calender as a couple?
We’re looking forward to a honeymoon in Italy!
click on the FACEplace collage below to see full size!
and enjoy the slideshow with even more images. Link to the full gallery can be found here (password required).
I love a bride who loves snow. That is all. 🙂
A sneak peek for Whitney and Johnathon! I can’t wait for their wedding in 2012!
