When they first met, they were planning on jumping out of a plane. On a group trip to go skydiving, the shared the experience and got to see each other’s sense of adventure. It was almost like a litmus test, not that either of them asked for it, but right away they knew what kind of person they were meeting. Of course, there is always so much more under the surface, and so Dawn and David set about getting to know one another.
It was the eve of Dawn’s birthday when David proposed. He gave her a present and inside was an engagement ring that he designed and Dawn said yes. They set about preparing for their wedding and their marriage, which if anything is an adventure. So, last month on a rainy spring day, I joined them in Arlington, Virginia for their wedding.
Some gorgeous florals took center stage at the reception, where a lot of the decorations were handmade by David and Dawn. Curly willow came from the mother of the bride’s backyard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and stood as beautiful mini trees in the center of each table. Since David is a carpenter he made the centerpiece boxes that they stood in, and the gorgeous multi-tiered cupcake stand.
See that amazing cupcake stand? I think all of the kids, including the ring bearer below, were amazed by the display of dessert :)
After the wedding and reception, I headed into the district for some photos of David and Dawn with a true DC backdrop. It was steadily raining, so we brought out umbrellas and shot some romantic images… rain just tends to lend itself to a really interesting and romantic backdrop. (have you seen the new pride + prejudice?)
We had some fun with the umbrella as well of course, and I think they pulled it off perfectly… it’s always important to have fun when you’re taking pictures.
…and after all the pictures they were off on their honeymoon to Brazil!! Thanks for braving the rain and I think the pictures are totally worth it. I’ve had such a good time getting to know you both and it’s a been a privilege to photograph your engagement + wedding. View the slideshow below to see a more complete overview of the day, and then check out the full gallery of images. Just register and then use D+D’s last name to enter their gallery. Comments left on this post will help them earn a free print, so leave them a note or let me know what you think!
by Mary Dougherty
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