We moved with 3 weeks notice, so I had no time to build relationships or my business here.  I arrived in January with nothing on my books and only knowing a handful of names of other photographers.  When I started to reach out, everyone volunteered information about what the business was like in the DC area, and really accepted me in, with any hesitation of new competition.

Thanks to shared referrals from other photographers, and lots of networking, I wrapped up my season this year, having shot 20 weddings in the DC area!  I’ve also made some great new friends, met wonderful couples, and gotten to see lots of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC wedding venues.

Below are some highlights from 2011.  A special thanks to the wedding photographers that invited me to photograph with them, Leo Druker, Heather Bee, Ayesha Ahmed, Stephen Gosling, Hadar Goren, Sam Hurd, Astrid, and Jen Smith!

Thanks to all my awesome clients as well!

A few quick credits…

Ritzy Bee Events

Holly Chapple Floral

Love Point at Kent Island

Eric Scott Band

Uptown Catering

From talking to brides, it seems the news of Love Point is spreading fast.  Vanessa and Rob’s wedding is one of the first at this new wedding venue, just about 20 minutes past Annapolis.  The venue is beachy and elegant at the same time!  It’s view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is just breathtaking.

I met Vanessa and Rob just a few hours before the wedding.  Jen introduced me to the bride as she was getting ready in a suite at the Sheraton in Annapolis with her sister, mom and all the bridesmaids.  There is something special about the chaos of all the ladies together!  The couple is so sweet and seemed super in love.  This wedding was filled with big smiles, families laughing, delicious food, and lots of dancing!

First, go to their website and watch Matt & Susan’s wedding.  This is the wedding where I had the pleasure of meeting Tom and Melissa.  They are husband and wife, based in Boston.  It’s rare I recommend a wedding vendor that is out of town, but they are willing to travel to the DC area.  Besides the amazing artistic work they turn out, the two were a pleasure to be around.  Heather and I shot side by side Tom and Melissa all day.  They were creative, shared ideas, and just fun.

The teams used different tools and cameras through out the day.  They mixed modern dslr cameras with vintage film… just really neat stuff.  I admitedly am not very into video.  I don’t watch utube very often.  I prefer my tutorials in text than video.  It’s rare I think to watch a couple’s wedding video, but this one I have been super excited to see, since the day of the wedding.

So if you are looking for a wedding videographer, check out Long Haul Film.   Especially if you are looking for something a little different, I think it’s worth bringing these two in from out of town.

Read this article and think about it.  Many of you, will say no way, and honestly I may too, but it’s worth consideration.  Do you want your guests watching you, or looking through their phone lcd?  As as wedding photographer, it doesn’t bother me if guests take pictures, so that is in no way my intent in sharing this.  I also love to see people excited about photography.  Sometimes it’s just nice to turn off our phones, ipads, cameras and so on, and be in the moment of the day.

“As a web nerd who spends the majority of my life plugged in, even I think it’s critical to take a few moments to be truly present.”  This is a quote from the author of the article.  I whole-heartedly agree (though prefer not to call myself a web-nerd, though hubby may agree with that part too).

Gretchen and Lauren got married in Washington DC, at the courthouse.  The DC courthouse room is small.  Their immediate family and closest friends surrounded them as they exchanged vows.  It was intimate and sweet.  Afterwards, we took portraits, and then Lauren & Gretchen joined their family for ice cream!  I think ice cream is a great way to celebrate everything.

Two days later, I joined Gretchen & Lauren at a bed and breakfast, for the rest of the wedding.  The couple rented the inn for the entire weekend, to have a relaxing wedding celebration with lots of friends and family.  The location was stunning, with rolling hills and horses.  It was hard to believe we were only an hour from Washington DC.  I arrived before most of the guests so we could explore the grounds, and take lots of portraits.  Gretchen is very creative and made all the wedding details herself.  Everywhere I looked in the house, their were handmade details, from an antique suitcase for messages from the guests to butterfly decorated centerpieces.

Couples, and families arrived.  Everyone gathered around the delicious foods in the kitchen, and the plentiful bottles of wine.  Children played.  Everyone laughed.  It was an amazing intimate and unique way to celebrate a marriage.  Thank you Gretchen and Lauren for sharing it with me!