Shannon & Justin: Wedding

She has an amazing smile. Big, beautiful and genuine, it lights up her entire face. And an entire room. On the day of her wedding, she left no room in the dark. She was, afterall, marrying the man of her dreams.

With a wonderfully random iPod mix providing the soundtrack for the day, Shannon and her bridesmaids spent the pre-ceremony hours sharing stories, hairspray and bites of cheesecake. As the sounds of Britney Spears and Warren G danced in the air, Shannon prepared amidst a sea of smiles and laughter and love.

Large, dome-shaped chandeliers provided a warm glow to the Hilton Arlington ballroom as the wedding guests gathered to witness Shannon and Justin pledge their lives to each other. On the arm of her father, Shannon began her walk down the aisle and when she spotted Justin waiting for her, she smiled. And it lit up the entire room. She was, afterall, about to marry the man of her dreams.

Shannon and Justin- it was a pleasure and honor to photograph your wedding. You're both awesome individuals and I know your future together will be nothing short of amazing! I wish you all the best!

















Putting on the finishing touches:



Shannon and Justin decided to have a First Look, which always makes me happy:















We found this fun wall and Shannon and Justin worked it:







And Shannon worked it solo! :)



Such a fun wedding party!





The ceremony and reception were held at the Hilton Arlington and it made for a very intimate venue:





Married!



Like any good Virginia Tech graduate, I have a special place in my heart for Metallica's Enter Sandman. Also like any good Virginia Tech graduate, I instinctively start jumping up and down when I hear it. I can't help it- it's in my Hokie blood. Luckily, this time, I kept my feet on the ground and was able to take a photo!





Shannon and her dad were so sweet...



...and the guests were FUN!



Last dance of the night:



A special thanks to Susan Solo for shooting with me! I had a great time and I hope we can do it again! :)

posted by Amy @ 8:12 PM, ,

Occupational Hazards

Firemen have fires. Cops have gun-wielding criminals. Nine-to-fivers have carpel tunnel. Every occupation has its hazards and photography is no exception. But here in the south, photographers have a couple of extra things to look out for.

Like twelve foot alligators:



Fortunately, Ruth and I were out of harm's way when this guy came trotting along the golf course. Due to rain, the ceremony location was changed from the golf course to a covered porch. Whew.

Happy Monday! :)

posted by Amy @ 7:57 PM, ,

Nikki: Bridal

Last week, I made the trip to Asheville to photograph Nikki's bridals. Despite the ninety eight degree temperature, we had a great time wandering the grounds of the Biltmore. If you've never been, the Biltmore is amazing, and we had no shortage of fabulous spots at our disposal. I can't wait to return for the wedding in August!

Nikki will be wearing two dresses during the wedding day and wanted to be photographed in both. So, we decided to start down at the conservatory in dress #1 (the reception dress):









Um, stunning!!!





My favorite images, though, were at the very end of our session. I saw this field and was smitten!







Not my normal editing style, but I kind of like it:



Thanks for a fun time Nikki!

posted by Amy @ 11:53 PM, ,

Terran & Andrew: Wedding

They started early and they never left. They were there through it all- through the getting ready, the ceremony, the reception, and everywhere in between. They were everywhere, all day. And by "they," I mean Smile and a Smile's first cousin, Laughter.

If the old adage is true, and laughter really is the best medicine, then Terran and Andrew could easily start their own pharmacy. It's extremely refreshing to see a couple so genuinely happy- with themselves, with life, with each other. It's contagious and just darn fun to be around!

Terran is one of the most organized brides I've ever worked with and she worked hard making sure all the details of the day came together seamlessly. She paid such attention to detail and added tons of personal touches, which resulted in day filled with warmth, joy, love and of course, laughter.

Terran and Andrew- you guys are contagious. It was a joy to work with you and to take part in your amazing day. I wish you lifetimes of love and laughter!

Thanks to my great friend, Mary Beth Tyson, for coming to shoot with me. I'm glad your Florida blood could handle the Baltimore temperatures. ;)








The satisfaction of having the veil in place:







Isn't this smile contagious?



Great groomsman gift alert! Andrew gave his groomsman (and himself!) cufflinks that represented where they went to college. I'm a big fan of cool cufflinks for guys because, seriously, how many flasks and money clips does one guy need? ;)





Terran and Andrew did not see each other before the ceremony, but they allowed for plenty of time afterwards to ensure that we got some great images of the two of them as a newly married couple. I had SO many favorites, but here are a few.

We almost got taken out by a bus trying to get these next shots:















Terran and I were in the same sorority and red and green are our colors. So, naturally, I had to take advantage!



Any bride and groom that make their Grand Entrance to Guns N' Roses are ok in my book! My hubby and I entered to Sweet Child of Mine, Terran and Andrew chose Welcome to the Jungle.



Sweet first dance with lots of laughs:





This was the last dance of the night. I love the look on Terran's face and the crazy groomsmen in the background:



posted by Amy @ 1:59 PM, ,