Category Archives: wedding

jennifer + rob had a beautiful outdoor ceremony on the water at collingwood library, with the reception at the officer’s club at fort belvoir.
jen is high energy and really funny, she and her girls had a blast getting ready before the ceremony…rob is quieter, although he shares many of the same passions as jen. they are both youth group leaders and actually met on a trip to king’s dominion! a group of their kids came to the wedding and helped them celebrate all night long on the dancefloor…they were having the time of their lives!
there was lots of great 80s music (jen’s favorite) and some serious dance moves…rob even breakdanced at one point!
jen + rob are a very sweet couple and i was so happy to be a part of their wedding day – congrats!

ramona + jimale. what a wedding! on a beatiful saturday afternoon these two tied the knot at the newton white mansion in front of their closest family and friends. they are such a cute couple, and so amazingly photogenic – it was a joy to photograph them.
mk and i arrived early to document the getting ready for both the bride and the groom – there was so much excitement going on just rooms apart! we arranged for ramona and jimale to see each other before the ceremony, so i took him outside and had him wait patiently for ramona…they both looked incredible and as we did their portraits it was obvious how truly in love they were.
the ceremony was very emotional, starting with ramona’s dad. he was all smiles as they started out, but as they turned to take that walk down the aisle it hit him, his little girl was getting married! the tears started…
sadly, jimale’s dad had passed away and in his place he hung a framed photo in a chair next to his mother. in contrast to his joy of marrying ramona you could see how difficult it was for him not to have his father present. however, it was easy to see how close he was to his mother, and how proud she was of him.
the reception was an all-out party! the parents and bridal party danced their way into the room, setting the tone for everyone to get down! there was some serious “hammer time” and the guys weren’t shy about performing seemingly choregraphed moves on the dancefloor. ramona + jimale danced and mingled, and the smiles never left their faces. they were glowing and excited – and i am certain they will have a wonderful life together.
a bubble send-off saw them out and into their white convertible – and off to mexico for a fabulous honeymoon!

matt + leslie are married!
i loved everything about their rehearsal dinner on thursday night, and the feeling continued at their beautiful wedding at the liriodendron mansion in bel air last night.
getting ready with her bridesmaids and mom, leslie was absolutely radiant, and her calm manner was unshakable throughout the day. and matt – what can i say about matt? this guy is great. we’ve worked together tons at his restaurant the rockfish, and he is a man of action. never before have i seen him so relaxed, at ease, and perfectly happy as he was yesterday.
the liriodendron is a very small, unique space, making the ceremony incredibly intimate. including the bridal party there were less than 70 people – and everyone involved in the wedding knew the couple, including the officiant – matt’s godfather – the caterer’s and bartender – friends of leslie’s from vin restaurant– as well as the vocalist, the chef, the coordinator, the florist, and myself!
as the couple exchanged vows the audible silence of the room nearly took my breath away – leslie and matt’s eyes were locked the entire time, and as they spoke it was as if the words had never held as much meaning for anyone else in the entire world…
it was a gorgeous evening and guests wandered beneath the trellis covered in wisteria, gathered at the dimly lit tables on the patio, and danced to the romantic, soft tunes. matt and leslie seemed to glide through the crowd, making their way to each and every guest, smiling and ecstatic.
after the couple’s first dance, leslie’s dad gave a great german toast – presenting them with a nuernberg bridal cup, and telling the story of impossible love between a young noble mistress and an ambitious goldsmith, who rose to the challenge of creating a cup that they could both drink from without spilling a drop, in order to win her father’s unlikely approval. [read the legend here] the young couple joined hands in marriage, and with that the chalice became a symbol of love, faithfulness and good luck for couples who drink together from the cup. of course they drank together perfectly without spilling a drop!
i have no doubt that matt and leslie will have a very happy and rewarding life together – they are an awesome couple, with supportive, loving families. matt’s dad closed the night with a final toast, thanking everyone for being part of their day, and blessing the couple with happiness and “god willing, many children!”
they drove off in their fabulously decorated suv (yeah bridesmaids!) with their family cheering and waving behind them…a family brunch today and then off to the dominican republic for an incredible honeymoon! woo hoo!

i am still reeling from the amazing thai buddhist blessing wedding ceremony for peter + mary last weekend…it was so beautiful, so full of tradition and love, and such an embodiment of the devotion and commitment that defines marriage.

guests gathered outside of the wat yarnna rangsee buddhist monastery to bear witness to a series of blessing ceremonies that were rooted in both buddhist and folk traditions.

the buddhist ceremony: peter + mary bowed before the image of the buddha as the monks of the monastery looked on. together they recited buddhist prayers and chants, lit candles and incense before the image, and made offerings of flowers to the monks. they were each anointed with three white dots on their foreheads, made of powder and blessed by the monks. afterwards, the couple entered the monastery to present offerings of food to the monks – their first “act of merit” or good deed, performed together. this action served to link their good deeds together and signifies that they are destined to be together forever.

during the ceremony the couple performed every act simultaneously, and in perfect unison – a further demonstration of their newly joined lives. buddhists believe that when you meet someone and are meant to be together, you fall in love, and become a couple, because you have done this together in your past life as well. in turn, joint merits performed in this life ensure your future together beyond this life. in this way, love never ends.

the groom’s processional: peter and his family gathered at the entrance to the monastery and began their “entrance” – thai drums beating alongside him, peter led the way, with everyone chanting, singing, and dancing behind him…guests lined their path clapping and cheering them on. when peter reached the archway where mary waited with her parents, he had to find a way to “pay his way” in order to “pass through”…he dug in his pockets searching for adequate gifts! it was hilarious! everyone helped him out, he was allowed to pass, and greeted his bride enthusiastically with a kiss…

holy thread blessing: at this point the couple knelt side by side while white yarn headpieces called monkols were placed on the crown of their heads. connected to each other by a string, this holy looped thread is a symbol of unity and matrimony and “binds” them together as a couple. a puang malei, or floral lei, was also placed around the neck of both the bride and groom.

water blessing ceremony: using the sacred conch shell, guests took turns pouring blessed water over the hands of the bride and groom – a sign of respect and love, and an opportunity to intimately congratulate them.

afterwards, guests were treated to an expansive arrary of home-cooked thai food, and karaoke by members of the family!

to peter + mary: thank you so much for allowing me to witness such an incredible event; i feel so lucky to have documented your day. it was a beautiful ceremony and a truly memorable experience that i will treasure always. best of luck in your newest adventure: married life!