We’ve been waiting for this one for awhile.  Jolene and Eric just so happened to get married on my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary so we already knew the day was auspicious.  We’ve known Jolene and Eric ever since our days at Virginia Commonwealth University: Eric may not have known he was a guinea pig at the time but he enrolled in either my first or second (I can’t remember now!) Intro to Photography class his freshman year while Sam had both Jolene and Eric as students in upper level classes as film students.  As you can imagine, it was a true honor to be asked to shoot their wedding day, especially knowing that VCU is where their story began…

Their ceremony took place in the rose garden at Lewis Ginter with a reception in the Robins Center.  The color scheme of fuchsia, orange, pink and sage were reflected in the roses that bloomed at the site of the ceremony.  The gals’ bouquets, infused with sprigs of fresh herbs, smelled amazing.  Courtney and Emily from Merriment made sure all the details were in place.  There were too many great details for me to include in the swatch below so I’m hoping Courtney will blog about everything including the rock ceremony, burlap gift bags for the kids, bright table assignments with pretty name cards, and yes – we definitely noticed the local micro brew from Star Hill known as “The Love” (we are fans).  And while the Macintosh groom’s cake might have had a minor melt down, what computer doesn’t?  And who better to fix a computer problem than Eric?  So I guess it kind of worked.  We especially loved the keyboard parts scattered all over the cake table…

These two are just too great together…

We had no idea but it turns out that noise makers are a real crowd pleaser for the big send off.  They probably aren’t very popular with the neighbors but hey…

Jolene and Eric, from one couple that met at VCU to another, we couldn’t be happier that you found each other and tied the knot.   Thank you for asking us to document your wedding day, we really hope these pictures bring back all the emotion for many years to come.  Here’s a slideshow with our favorites from the day and if you would like to be notified by email when their online gallery is ready for viewing, click here.  Congrats…

Posted by Mel @ 10:07 pm, in Weddings | 3 Comments | Permalink

Argh, we’re behind again but Jesse and Jonathan’s amazing Crozet wedding was featured on The Little White Book yesterday, check it out!

Congrats to Jesse and Jonathan for catching Courtney’s eye and making us look so good….

Posted by Mel @ 7:22 pm, in News, Weddings | No comments | Permalink

We thank everyone for their patience, we took a break last week to go to Charleston so we’re a few days behind on bloggin’!

Ashley and Alberto’s June 27th wedding was, factually speaking, their third marriage ceremony.  The couple was first married in a civil ceremony in Ecuador, home to Alberto’s family, followed by a church ceremony and reception.  The whole wedding party and both immediate families flew to Ecuador for the big events, testament to how close Ashley and Alberto are to their family and friends.  And while you might suspect that the emotion and celebration would have waned a bit by wedding #3, not so… the proof is in the pictures.

The American ceremony and reception took place at the Queenstown Harbor Golf Course in Queenstown, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay.  Beyond the course is a historic house where the ceremony was set up to face the water with a tent awaiting the reception nearby.  The breeze was so strong that I felt a slight chill standing in the sun beside the water despite my black dress, talk about an great venue for a summer wedding! 

While Ashley was upstairs watching guests arrive through the window her Blackberry rang an alarm, we all cracked up:

The day was made up of many inviting details including lovely Latin style fans set out on the ceremony chairs and an irresistable cupcake station with several flavors for guests to choose from.  Laura of R&R Catering and Events in the City made sure all the details were in their perfect place.

Here’s a slideshow with our favorites from the day and if you wish to be notified by email when all their photos are available for viewing, click here.  Congratulations many times over A&A, thank you so much for your hospitality and kindness and for inviting us to be part of it.

Posted by Mel @ 10:24 pm, in Weddings | No comments | Permalink

Baby Mabel is only 5 weeks old in these shots and she’s cute as a button.  We caught her on a sleepy growth spurt day: she had slept all morning and we were still keeping her up!

While everyone hopes their baby will be all smiles and happiness during a photo shoot, that’s rarely the case, its just Murphy’s Law. But fussy feelings give me the opportunity to document parents in action as they sooth and calm their babies and Ashley and Mike are already great in this arena:

Ashley and Mike wanted to be surprised and didn’t find out the baby’s sex until the big event.  Mabel’s super mod, gender neutral nursery is way hip.  The room is bright and baby appropriate with all kinds of interesting things to look at without being cutesy, I’m especially fond of the super wide rocker and yellow and white patterned crib bedding.

I’m excited to return and take more photos of Mabel when she’s about six months old, it won’t be long now because time flies when a small being enters your life.  Here’s a slideshow of the shoot and if you would like to access the online gallery of photos, click here.  Congrats to Ashley and Mike on such a beautiful baby girl!

Posted by Mel @ 12:29 pm, in Portraits, Wee Ones | No comments | Permalink