Jill and Charles | Keswick Vineyards Wedding Photographer

Keswick Vineyards is quite literally a wedding photographer’s dream venue. Jill and Chas’s wedding in October went so smoothly partly because of this fun and laid back couple, and partly because this venue has everything you could want for photo locations, all within a few steps in any direction. From the epic estate house with iconic white columns to the vineyard views, Keswick Vineyards has endless spots for gorgeous wedding portraits. They have beautiful getting ready suites for the guys and the gals in a cute building just off of the pool. The pool terrace itself is a great spot for photos, with striking architecture surrounding the pool. The fountain in front of the main house is a photo op in itself, and there is all sorts of varied landscaping around the elegant estate building. You’ll find beautiful views as you wander the vineyard rows, or go all the way down to the pond with it’s own swans. Their onsite tent for the reception is perfect, and gives piece of mind during COVID times- it’s like being inside, but actually being outside with plenty of air circulation!

Anyway, enough about the venue….just LOOK at this gorgeous bride and groom, who are so comfortable in each others’ arms. This couple really killed it on their wedding day looks, I must say. I adored Jill’s lace long-sleeved dress with tattoos barely peeking through here and there. She wore her hair in a long loose braid into which were woven gorgeous crystals and pearls. Chas (pronounced Chase) surprised with a dark floral bow tie and a perfectly fitted blue three-piece suit with a coral pocket square. His light blue eyes stole the show, though!

I was so happy to see them finally get the wedding they had been dreaming of for so long. Charles is a Lieutenant in the US Navy, and Jill is a school teacher turned nurse. Jill and Charles’s wedding was one of many that had to be rescheduled from 2020 to 2021. They were so ready to finally tie the knot after all of that time waiting. They danced the night away on a beautiful fall night. I never did get the story on those dinosaur cake toppers!!

Event Coordinator: Stacy Burleson of Burleson’s Big Day Events

Flowers: Verde Natural Florals

Cake: Paradox Pastry

Hair: Event Hair by Lauren

Officiant: Kathleen Ayers at Virginia Wedding Vows

Betty Cabell & David | Charlottesville Elopement Photographer

During the time of socially distanced gatherings, large wedding processionals and hundreds of wedding invitations have been exchanged for smaller ceremonies with close friends and loved ones, or microweddings, as well as elopements.

Betty Cabell and David did just that in a beautiful Bed and Breakfast in adorable Orange, Virginia. They exchanged vows in the intimate presence of three people: the Innkeeper, the officiant, and me, their photographer. Despite the small wedding, Betty Cabell and David still wanted the ceremony to be captured and preserved for those not in attendance.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the newlyweds and I set out on foot for local destinations within walking distance of the Bed and Breakfast where we ended up in front of an old train station down the main drag. The train passed through with perfect timing, running behind the couple in gorgeous photos to be shared with their loved ones.
Therein lies the beauty of elopements and microweddings: with small ceremonies trending during this period of distance, couples have been able to shake off the anxieties of organizing large weddings and focus on the importance of the day. Family and friends are still able to experience the day through the artistry of photography, while the couple can decide to have a larger celebration later on if they wish. 

Even if the day of is smaller than expected in the constant change of the world, couples have options to celebrate and capture the day!

Gilly & Flash | Richmond Wedding Photographer

Every bit of Flash and Gilly’s wedding at the Science Museum of Virginia showed their personalities and style, from their untraditional cakes to their hipster beer koozie wedding favors.  EVERYONE is quirky in their own way, and your wedding is your chance to express yourselves, so the more you can break a little from the norm to show something a little special and different about yourselves, the better!  

A textile designer at Urban Outfitters, Gilly knew just how to express herself stylistically.  She found the perfect vintage, lace dress online, sewed her own veil, found purple shoes for the ceremony, and incorporated a pearl necklace, art deco earrings, an old beaded clutch, a brooch ring, and her mother’s old library pin for her something blue.  She had elegant blond finger waves on one side of her hair, and the other side revealed recently buzzed hair of a darker brown shade.  She wore her signature chunky glasses and switched to new white birkenstocks toward the end of the night.  She looked elegant and vintage with a punk rock twist.  

Her groom, Flash, is actually known for wearing some pretty interesting suits to his friend’s weddings…you could catch him wearing a khaki corduroy suit one day, and cut off jean shorts with a plaid shirt the next, but he ramped up his style a little bit for his big day, wearing a classic grey, 3-piece suit.  His accessories showed a little of his signature style, with a blue bow tie with tiny bicycles, dark-rimmed glasses, a pretty sweet mustache to go with his silver grey hair, and…the classiest lapel pin I have ever seen…a pepperoni PIZZA slice with a dagger through it.  In fact, Matt gifted each of his groomsmen with a custom lapel pin: one had a Bart Simpson and Millhouse pin, one had an eagle, and one had a hot dog.  They also did not dictate what the bridesmaids and groomsmen should wear, but the wedding party was pulled together with their bouquets and boutonnieres, and all looked wonderful together in the wedding party pictures.  With a wedding full of personal style, it was cool that they also allowed their wedding party to express their own individual styles. 

Instead of the typical big white wedding cake, or the trendy tiers of cupcakes, they did four small cakes of different types- different fillings, and very different designs.  One of the cakes looked like it was tie-dyed, one reminded me of that original 1980s computer game, Q-Bert, one had a floral painting, and one was seriously avant-garde with a blue cube sitting atop a round white circle, all covered in thin paper flaps and waves.  If I had to guess, I surmised they could possibly have a science theme, as they looked at home underneath the “PERIODIC TABLE” sign, in the grand hall of the Science Museum of Virginia.  I asked the cake maker, Jen Cheney Starchak of Simply Desserts how she came up with these cakes, and she told me that Gilly had given her a few different textile clippings that she loved, and told her to be inspired by those, and to do what she wanted!  What a dream client!  Someone who gives the artist inspiration, yet gives them room to be creative and showcase their talent and artistry.

The soundtrack to the dance floor included Pavement, Billy Idol, Taylor Swift, the New Radicals, LCD Soundsystem, and the Dead Milkmen, provoking lots of nostalgic sing-along moments among old friends.

And the ultimate hipster wedding favor to go with the cases of PBR at the reception: custom designed beer koozies with tattoo-inspired artwork: GILLY & FLASH-  GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD TIMES-  7.18.2015

So go ahead, be different!  Don’t fall into the trap of emulating every one else’s wedding!  Find your muse and follow it!  Go your own way.  Enjoy the photos from this awesome, unforgettable wedding- including portraits with all the amazing vintage trains behind the Science Museum of Virginia!

WEDDING ALBUMS

“Why should I buy a wedding album when I’ll already have the photos as digital files?”

It’s a question I get all the time. 

Think about it. What are your photos REALLY doing for you by sitting on a hard drive in your closet? 

Imagine this: It’s 30 years down the road, and your sweet grandchildren come running in asking to see pictures from your big day. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit down with them and flip through the pages of a beautifully designed, archival-quality album? 

What happens years from now when you finally unearth those dusty hard drives, only to discover that the technology has changed and you can no longer access your files?

The fact is, maintaining physical prints of your favorite wedding photos is extremely important, and albums represent one of the best ways to do so. Not only do they look great and provide a convenient means for viewing, but—if taken care of—they can last forever, becoming treasured family heirlooms that span generations. 

Some couples I work with elect not to purchase an album when choosing their photo package. They swear they’ll get around to making their own one day. But they rarely do. Life gets crazy, and kids and jobs take hold—not to mention the fact that producing these things takes patience, skill, and a WHOLE lot of time. 

My albums use the traditional “silver halide” photographic process, which results in a classic look that you’ll never achieve on consumer sites that employ standard ink-jet printing (which tends to age badly and fade). The pages of my albums are thick, rigid and feature lay-flat construction.  

I also offer a number of customizable options to achieve precisely the look you want: Choose from silver, gold, or black gilded edges, and take your pick of cover materials—from virtually any shade of leather you can imagine to Japanese silk. 

Two of my wedding packages contain albums: The Premium Album (Zook Book) Package includes a 12" x 12" Zook Book album, with 90 photos included, and the Lustre Book Album Package includes a 10" x 10" Lustre Book album, with 75 photos included.  

When you sign up for a wedding package that includes an album, you get a break on the price of the album. For those of you who want to buy an album after the wedding, I’ve included a la carte pricing as well. Under the pricing, check out some of the options available for each book. There are many, making each album a truly custom affair.

So to summarize, if you’re getting married soon, please do yourself a favor and BUY THE ALBUM! They are the best way to tell the story of your wedding day. They look and feel great, and they’re sure to outlast any technology that may not be around in the future. 

I promise, you’ll never be sorry.

Kristin and Lindsay Wedding | Charlottesville LGBT Wedding

I’m looking back on Kristin and Lindsay’s wedding at Lydia Mountain Lodge, near Charlottesville, and there were so many memorable moments, it’s hard to know where to start.  First of all, they had a bounce house for the many kids at their wedding- that was one of the first things they mentioned when I had my first phone call with them - they wanted the kids to have fun.   It was a destination wedding for everyone, and they all stayed in cabins on site at Lydia Mountain.

Lindsay and Kristin told me they never had any grand visions of how their wedding day would be, they just wanted everyone to have a great time hanging out.  They didn’t care  too much about all of those cliche wedding photos you see- close-up shots of rings, dresses hanging by themselves on a tree…they cared about documenting the people and the day as it unfolded, and capturing all of the fun.

Snubbing tradition, Lindsay and Kristin got ready together, in their rustic cabin.  They normally don’t wear any makeup…but wanted to wear a small amount of makeup for the occasion.  Endearingly, they tried to decipher some makeup instructions they had found on the internet - what goes on first- BB cream, CC Cream, or Foundation?…  and followed them step by step, stopping every once in a while to pick up a walkie talkie to joke around with other guests on the premises.  This whole process was extremely adorable.  

After they each were suited up, and looking super fly, we headed out for some pre-ceremony portraits.

One thing Charlottesville area weddings do well are ceremonies with Blue Ridge Mountain backdrops, and this venue did not disappoint in that respect.  If I’m not mistaken, Lindsay and Kristin walked each other down the aisle, to the epic strains of the JURASSIC PARK THEME SONG.  (Also, their reception dinner tables were named after different dinosaurs.)

After the ceremony, the party got started, and the camp fire was blazing outside the barn reception room.  The kids were having a ball…marshmallows were roasted, toasts were made…I witnessed an impromptu taste test performed between the classic canned beer brands Modelo, Busch and Miller Lite…   As the night went on, inexplicably…a NARWHAL showed up in costume, the brides SHOTGUNNED a beer and there was a RAUCOUS singalong to none other than CELINE DION.   So, yes, people, this was a wedding I will never forget.  Cheers to you, Kristin and Lindsay, for the good times and good stories!!!  

Thanks to the Vendors:

Day-of planning by Emerald Events by Nilsa

DJ: Rhythm of Love

Ali & Tony | Charlottesville Courthouse Wedding Photographer

When I arrived to shoot this Charlottesville Courthouse wedding, there was a real buzz in the air - this couple was so excited!  I even believe I heard one of them say "Are we really doing this?!!!"  The bride was wearing an adorable white lacy romper, which reflected her free spirit.  First, we went downstairs in the courthouse to fill out paperwork, which sounds mundane, but I really enjoyed shooting this part!  The old files room was so cool and retro looking, so I got a few quick shots of them in there.  Then we went over to Court Square Park and they chose to do the ceremony under a pretty little Dogwood tree that was just blooming.  After the short and sweet ceremony, we did some portraits around the park and courthouse, some photos with their parents, and then we took a short walk down to The Pie Place on the Downtown Mall for a piece of pie.  I loved that they did that as their little celebration, in lieu of a traditional wedding cake cutting.

Ashleigh & Casey | Charlottesville Courthouse Wedding Photographer

I love shooting Charlottesville Courthouse weddings so much!  They are short and sweet, but each one is so different from the next!  It’s so nice that they allow you to do the ceremony anywhere you want around the adjacent park.  There are several nice spots, with different backgrounds.  In this case, we chose to do the ceremony right in front of the historic Albemarle County Circuit Court, a half block from the Charlottesville Circuit Court.  The red bricks and white columns…classic Charlottesville.  This wedding was the beautiful coming together of two families, with 2 boys on one side and one boy on the other side.  The 3 boys looked on as heartfelt vows were exchanged, with their arms around each other.  This was a big day for them too - they were officially becoming 3 brothers.

I have a connection to Courthouse weddings, because my parents were married at a courthouse!  My mom was wearing jeans from what I have heard!  There are no pictures from their wedding, unfortunately.  I would have loved to see pictures of them on that day.  Just because you are doing a simple courthouse wedding, doesn’t mean you have to skip the photographer!  Your kids will thank you some day!  Even if you are foregoing the huge party, floral arrangements, DJ, catering, etc., that doesn’t mean you don't deserve to have photos of your ceremony and portraits just as beautiful as if you had booked that vineyard venue!  

I have very reasonable special rates for courthouse weddings.  Give me a call!  I’d love to be there to document your big day for you!  I would love to be the official Charlottesville Courthouse Wedding Photographer!  In the mean time, please enjoy pictures from this charming courthouse wedding.