Teasers: Family Portraits { Oldtowne Alexandria Portraits, VA}

I made the most of the beautiful weather we had this weekend 

and filled my Sunday with 3 wonderful family sessions.

Thank you all for braving the busy streets of Oldtown with me, despite unfinished naps, comedian kiddos and a bit of drizzle ... you all we fantastic!!!

 

Preview: Josh + Jenn { Shade trees and Evergreens, MD Wedding}

Oldtown Alexandria Wedding Teaser: Ryan & Mary Rose

Today I ended my wedding season capturing this beautiful couple's wedding.

Thank you Mary & Ryan for trusting Tim and I with your wedding day. Your trust and full faith in me moved me deeply, allow me to be adventurous and brave like never before. Thank you so much for  also treating Tim and I like family all day long, we are so humbled by your kindness and thoughtfulness. You two are one in a million! 

Lastly, thank you for sticking it out for 13 years, allowing Tim and I the honor of capturing your love in it's newest, finest season; marriage. Your genuine, selfless, utterly loyal love has been one of the most beautiful things I've captured this year, again thank you.

Teasers: Dameon & Sarah's Wedding

 Today my dear friends Sarah and Dameon got married. 

About six months ago we were complete strangers but have become the sweetest of friends since.

 We are so grateful God has placed them in our lives, fore our summer has been so much more fun with them around.  

Welcome to the greatest club you newlyweds.

Marriage is the best!

Mr. & Mrs. Hayden,

We wish you all the best & pray God grows and blesses your marriage richly, 

as you have richly blessed our lives.

Summer Update: Teasers & Travels

Inhale ... 

exhale.

As summer starts to retreat I am finally able to catch my breath. It's been an extraordinary summer, engrossed in adventure, love, family, and work. I'm grateful for a season of busy, but ever so glad for things to finally slow down. 

My husband is mostly healed from a car accident at the beginning of the summer {praise God and thank you for all the love and patience while we have dealt with this!}. I've gained new friends and built stronger bonds with existing ones. We traveled & then traveled again. I've been challenged by a food allergy I never knew I had, but have learned to manage and live with.  I've juggled many hats this summer and by the grace of God have been able to accomplish the many jobs He's set before me. And best of all I've grown. I can't pinpoint specifics, but this summer has changed me and I'm not the same lady I was at the start of it.

Hope your summer was a full, as wonderfully-challenging, life giving & warm as ours. 

I'll leave you now with a sweet set of teasers, with full blog posts to follow.

{My husband took this dreamy sparkler filled photo, as I was on the other side of my bride & groom taking a completely average photo. My Mr. is so talented!}

 The rest are photos from this summer's East Coast travels.

Happy weekend folks!

Tim's Teasers: My second-shooting Husband

If you've seen me working these past few weeks, you've probably seen my talented husband working near by.

Early in the spring time my husband sat me down and asked me seriously if I could teach him how to improve his photography and then asked me if he got good enough could he someday second shoot for me. I was floored he was that interested and of course I happily obliged.

One thing you must know about my husband is that he is a learner. By profession he is a teacher, but that love for teaching stems from his love for learning. He wanted to learn as much as possible so we talked about shooting manual for quite some time, we went out and practiced, we looked for good light, and on a pretty regular basis we talking about camera settings in different situations with or with out a camera in hand.

With that said, he got good.

Good enough to ask him to get certain shots and know he'd deliver. Good enough to let him off on his own and then upon seeing his photos, wish I could take credit for such work. Good enough to trust as a second shooter and spend every weekend working along side him.

These photos I'm proud to say are some my husband's work from shooting along side me these past few months.

Details, moments, low light or sun light my husband makes me so incredibly proud and his work, and willingness to help me these past few months, humbles me.

Teasers: Geo + Heidi = Married

 This weekend was more than my heart could take. 

The joy, laughter, kindness, encouragement, the gorgeous sights, sounds, faces and friends {not to mention the heat} ... it was a recipe for one joyful and weepy photographer. 

 This weekend my friends Heidi and Geo got married, a perfect and long awaited day.

 So blessed to have gotten to know these two so much better in the course of the past year. 

I didn't even think I'd be at their wedding months ago, but God had other plans and sweet surprises. Now I've got more than just a camera full of photos, but a weekend of memories and new friendships to take me with.

 Heidi and Geo, welcome to the newest, sweetest, most fun, and most exciting season of life ... marriage. You are going to love it!

We all know God will be doing so many beautiful things in your marriage and through your marriage, it's a blessing to call you both our friends. We can't wait to see all God has planned for you both!

 Congrats you "HILARIOUS" lovebirds!

{And to the groomsman who poured his love on me all weekend long, I love you!}

This handsome, dancing, goofy, incredible man was the sweetest gift in the world this weekend. He's already an incredible husband, but this weekend he went above and beyond in helping me when he could, all while being a great groomsmen and friend to the groom. I am blessed beyond what I deserve.

Teasers: Sara & Chad { Maryland Engagement Shoot }

Being engaged is one of the sweetest seasons in life. 

It's a season full of celebrating, decision making, growing, learning, maturing and lots of lots of change.

It's so sweet to finally be on the other side of it, but looking back

 I loved every second of being engaged no matter how much I wanted to just get married already.

It's a joy and a blessing to witness others go through all the joys of being engaged, it brings back the sweetest memories. 

And it reminds me of all that my husband and I went through to get to this point.

Sara and Chad were insanely sweet and so much fun to work with.

 The way a man looks at his lady says everything.

 I can't wait to share more from this lovely shoot, shot in my new neighborhood.

Maryland is starting to grow on me.

Hair and make-up by: Emily at Tollehouse Beauty

Happy Monday everyone and hope you all had a great weekend. 

Teaser: Dave & Tait { Delaware Barn Wedding }

To celebrate 3 weeks of marriage, my husband and I ventured up to Delaware for a beautiful barn wedding. 

Seeing it through the eyes of a bride and now wife, brought a flood of emotions and waves of joy.

Congrats, Tait and Dave!

It's been a joy getting to know you both and it was truly a blessing to capture your gorgeous wedding day.

 Welcome to the married club. It's the best!!!

Weddings will never be the same for me ever again.