If a relationship was charted on a map, getting from point A to B would a cross-country journey. It may even be around the world, crossing through deserts and oceans, mountains and valleys, forests and plains. While you can take clues from others on the direction to go and the path to take, most often the trail you look back on is unique.

For Sophie and Peter that path started in college, where they met and became friends… took them to Africa where they studied abroad together… kept them apart as they started careers after graduation… and brought them to a point where Peter asked Sophie to marry him and she said yes.

Of course, that sentence does not even begin to delve into the details of their lives, what kept them together through the tough times and turned their friendship in to love. What’s beautiful is where they are now, and being able to look back on those times and see why they are stronger together than they are apart. So how do you sum up that relationship, and more importantly retell it visually?

When Sophie and Peter submitted their inspiration board they ventured to document all of the highlights of their traveling, academic, and long distance lives for the past few years. I loved their ideas and prospect of being able to collaborate with them. I say collaboration because with all of the ideas they brought to the table it inspired me and I readily accepted the challenge of creating images that told their story.

Looking back I couldn’t be happier with the finished images. Not only was it a blast to hang out with them but I think their photos hold true to their original intent. Here is an excerpt of what Sophie + Peter’s sent with their submission so you can judge the success.

We have spent a lot of our relationship traveling to see each other and perfecting the art of long distance communication. We’re finally engaged!, and are so excited about getting out into the world with each other. While away from Houghton over summers and even post-graduation we have spent countless hours on trains traveling to see each other. We can see ourselves talking, surrounded by books, newspapers, (things that we love) and being playful with old-fashioned telephones–looking at maps together, talking about where we’ll go next, doing things that best friends do.

I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. Sophie and Peter – I’m planning to meet you at Ted’s next time I’m in DC so save me a poptart.

They first met at a wedding. Some of their first exchanges were recorded congratulations to their mutual friends on that wedding day. During that first meeting they shared stories and interests and from that point on their lives would never be the same. Of course, like any great love story (and Sheffield and Ginna’s story is truly great) their journey did not come without challenges. Five years after that first meeting, on October 10th, 2010 they proved that their love was greater than anything that could keep them apart and pledged to love and live together forever.

Never have I been to a wedding that has expressed more deeply – in each aspect of the day – the love between two people. Sheffield and Ginna bonded over many things, but they particularly loved words. As actors they knew the power of words and memorized and delivered them daily. No words were more genuine, more true, or sincere than the ones they declared on their wedding day.

Sheffield and Ginna, as I try to describe your day I hardly know where to start. It was wonderful and thank you for not only letting me document it, but for inviting me to be a part of it. I’m so happy that you found each other and enjoy reliving the details and moments through these pictures.

The wedding took place at Barren Ridge Vineyards in Fishersville, Virginia. It was a gorgeous fall day and as guests arrived they enjoyed wine and the view from the outdoor patio.

Once again, Ginna’s custom dress is stunning.

Ginna got ready with the help of her sister and Jenny (her good friend and dressmaker) two of the few people who knew about Ginna’s dress. Since the dress was two pieces she worn the long skirt for the ceremony and surprised everyone when she took it off during the reception to reveal the short dress!

Lots of time and effort went in to planning and creating the decorations for the wedding. Dream and Love were the two words that wedding was based off of, and a rustic fall theme was also woven in with apples, berries, pine cones, leaves and ribbon.

Each table setting had a custom painted wine bottle that held branches adorned with people’s names on custom wine glass charms – so creative :)

The cake was three different cakes and during the cake cutting Ginna + Sheffield tried all three and then pointed to their favorite – a game they’ve always played.

The ceremony started and Ginna walked in with her father holding her vows, tied up in ribbon.

Sheffield poses the question “who thought I would never marry” and friends respond:

The ceremony was truly unique and had a number of traditions that made it special. One example was the ring passing – the rings made their way around the room and to each and every guest so that everyone could take part in the exchanging that happened at the end of the ceremony.

They were proclaimed husband and wife, kissed and exited the room with joy and excitement!

Right after the ceremony we stepped out into the vineyard for some pictures, and it was perfect timing. The sun was about to set and the light was amazing…

The sunset really was gorgeous – so much more beautiful in real life, I have to say. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres on the veranda and as the light dimmed everyone gathered inside for the celebration to begin.

Once inside guests dined, laughed, shared, and kissed. The speech by Sheffield’s “Primo Amigo” (as they called their best man, John) now ranks as my favorite best man speech. Ginna and Sheffield kissed when another couple did first and this is the best update (in my opinion) to clinking of glasses. It was an evening filled with everything you could want in a wedding and then it came time to dance.

…and after the formal dancing Ginna invited her friends up to surround her…

…and emerged with a short dress!

this really got the party started and the dancing continued well into the night

They marked 10:10.10 on October 10th, 2010 and threw petals in the air and celebrated!

The evening was complete and when it came time to leave guests were given a ride on the trolley back to their hotels.

Like this last picture, the day felt like a dream. I’m so glad you found each other, Sheffield and Ginna and I know you’re on your way to live happily ever after.

When Ginna Hoben, actress with the American Shakespeare Center, needed to find a wedding dress, she talked to her good friend and costume designer Jenny McNee. Ginna is not just an ordinary person, which was why she wouldn’t have just an ordinary dress. Jenny, one of two costume designers at ASC, could do more than just sew. She had created costumes for each play put on by ASC and could design, tailor, fit and re-purpose as needed to give the cast and crew the looks they needed. What she liked to do most was make dresses, and Ginna’s dress was the perfect opportunity to create something truly one of a kind. Together they dreamt up a dress that Ginna continually described as “frosting” when she wore it and Jenny went to work. It was a fitted and layered gown made from a gorgeous pink sandstone color of silk. The fitted and tucked bodice had a delicate off the shoulder strap and the waist was accented with a sequin belt taken from a historic gown. The dress also held a secret – it was actually two pieces, a short dress with a long skirt underneath – which allowed it to covert easily between the two. As a surprise during the reception, Ginna had her girls surround her while the bottom skirt was taken off and emerged with her short dress, ready to get the dancing started.

I met up with Ginna and Jenny for a bridal session a few weeks before the wedding to document the amazing work of art Ginna would be wearing. From the time I met Ginna to talk about being her photographer we had talked about this session and I was so excited for it to finally become reality. We started in the dressing room of the Blackfriar’s Playhouse (home to the American Shakespeare Center) so Ginna could get ready and then used the stage that Ginna has known so well for the first part of the session. Next we moved outside to the streets of Staunton, Virginia and overall we captured a lot of variety so I hope you enjoy!

Inside the playhouse, the view from the stage to the audience. Ginna has called this place home for several years and knows this view well.

The dress had a ton of detail and fit Ginna perfectly. Jenny did an amazing job and created the dress of Ginna’s dreams.

There’s a moment during each bridal session where you feel like you’re dreaming. You can’t believe this is what you will be wearing when you get married – and yes, you’re getting married!

Fierce! Ginna knew how to work it. Being an actress made it easy to be in front of the camera, and I loved it. Ginna and Sheffield’s wedding was anything but ordinary and I’m excited to share it with you tomorrow so stay tuned!

This post needs a soundtrack, so before you start reading start listening. I’m in love with this image above and if you were among those in attendance at Sheffield + Ginna’s wedding on 10.10.10 you witnessed the love these two have for each other as expressed in this photo. Even though this is the busiest October I’ve had, I’m finding it incredibly rewarding and my weekend in Virginia was amazing. I have a few days at home before I head back to Virginia for the last weddings I have in that great state since I now live in New York (but I’m secretly hoping I’ll photograph a few more weddings down there in the future).

The benefit of traveling a lot is that I’ve had the odd down time that comes when you are sitting on a plane or driving a car. It just took the trip to SC for Luke and Margaret’s wedding to read The Irresistable Revolution on the plane, and I have hours in the car to try and process the book on my trips to Virginia and back! (who else has read that book – and more importantly, what did you do after reading it?) Also, I find myself unable to keep from calling everyone in my phone until I find someone to talk to when I’m on the road. I think a few of my good friends are getting tired of the hour long conversations but for the most part it’s wonderful to be able to devote time to catching up.

One thing I haven’t been doing during this busy season is planning the baby shower that will happen in two and a half weeks. I’m getting together with my best friends from college and after years of placing bets on who would have the first baby Emily has come away with the win and I couldn’t be happier for her and Ben. I volunteered to head up the organization at the end of summer and after a week my free time went out the window so I haven’t done too much (please don’t tell). This is not exactly your typical baby shower, we’re forgoing cheesy games for more hilarious and embarrassing ones and overall will be enjoying the little weekend we have together. Oh yes, I forgot to mention it’s halloween weekend and despite the urge to plan it around the holiday we’re sticking to winter lodge feel/theme. So now it’s crunch time and I know it’s going to come together but if you have suggestions/ideas to add send them my way! First order of business: decorations/favors. These all need to be transported so nothing to bulky or fragile. I want to get my craft on so point me in the right direction people!

Some weddings are so unique and fun they stand out above the rest. It’s not just the location, the food, the weather that makes the day but it is so often the people. Tommy and Megan are the kind of people that would rather not be in the spotlight, in fact I think I heard Megan mention she would have been fine  with and even smaller affair. Their wedding reflected their personality and instead of asking everyone to focus on them, they invited everyone to celebrate with them. Taking place at the Williamsburg Inn (in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia) the wedding was midday and guested were invited to a high tea reception afterwards. Since Tommy and Megan did a first look and took pictures before the wedding, the day flowed very smoothly.

So, how did these two Wheaton grads meet and get together? It all started back in speech class. Megan signed up with friends but was put in a different section then all of them – a class that had a lot of upperclassmen. Tommy was one of those upperclassmen and they started to get to know each other.

When you like someone and are trying to figure out if they like you, you pick up signs and read into every move… which is why (understandably, I might add) when Megan sent Tommy some cookies in the mail he was sure she was in to him. While that might have been true, Megan is an avid baker and loves to make treats and share them with all her friends. After packaging up enough for everyone, she had some left over so she thought of Tommy from her speech class. Tommy thought he was the only one getting cookies, but it didn’t matter since it was just the move he needed to start pursuing her more, and the rest is history.

This gorgeous vine covered walkway was are of the Williamsburg Inn, and the perfect spot for the first look and some photos afterwards. Don’t they look so classic?

TOM’s are a favorite of Tommy + Megan and they incorporated them into the wedding as the gift to their wedding party. The guys wore the burlap classics for the wedding and the girls were given the yellow linen shoes.

I achieved a rare thing by getting some of these guys to jump – I didn’t know that until afterwards, but I think it was worth it!

The back of the Inn was gorgeous and the perfect spot for some wedding party pictures – both the building and the golf course, where there was also croquet set out!

The ceremony took place over looking the golf course from behind the Inn and it was beautiful.

Megan’s brother was deployed and couldn’t make it for the wedding… he was however in an article in the New York times on the same day! The high tea reception was amazing, and the staff at the Williamsburg Inn not only did an awesome job, but they were so helpful to everyone. Here are a few details from the reception:

Megan’s nephew was adorable! In between the reception we went to the front of the Inn for a few last shots with the bikes…

I’m so happy for you guys, and was thrilled to be a part of the day! I hope you enjoyed all of the images and to see the full set head to their gallery. Leave Tommy + Megan a comment or let me know what you think about the wedding + images and help them earn a free enlargement.

One thing I like about having this blog is not only the opportunity for you to get to know me through my writing and images, but you get to know the people I photograph. I know for a fact that Joy has enjoyed reading the stories of other couples and seeing the images from engagement to wedding, so I’m excited that it’s time for me to share her and Andrew’s wedding!

From the time that I first talked with Joy, and then photographed her and Andrew for their engagement session, I could tell that I was photographing a couple that had something special. They are people that are genuine, real, and so in love. When I arrived in Richmond to document their wedding I was immediately welcomed by their family and friends and it was obvious to me why Andrew and Joy were the people they are. I can only say it was wonderful to be a part of this day and I have to admit I even cried a little behind my camera while I was photographing the speeches. So let’s start at the beginning with some of the gorgeous details…

The reception took place at James River Cellars Winery, in Richmond Virginia and to get there a vintage Rolls-Royce (I’m not actually sure that’s the car – correct me if I’m wrong) transported and Andrew and Joy in style. Joy’s dress was fabulous and the lace at the bottom was stunning. It’s oyster color was complemented by copper-gold heels she wore.

Birds were a decorating theme throughout the wedding and the cake topper was an adorable felted set. I’ve never seen a pear shaped ring that is more beautiful than Joy’s and I absolutely love it. Word on the street is that Andrew designed it – or at least picked it out for Joy. Either way kudos to you Andrew on a job well done.

I guess it’s at this point that I should tell not only the best story from Andrew and Joy’s wedding, but one of the best stories from any wedding. It goes something like this:

We arrived at the winery to take pictures, and I quickly saw a row a trees next to the driveway. Noticing the ivy on the trees and the gorgeous greens I suggested Andrew and Joy stand next to them. I’ll add that at this point we are right next to the winery building – not at all off the beaten path. Joy took her time, since you saw the shoes she wore, and gracefully took her place under the trees. Andrew joined her, and just as we were ready to start shooting, his uncle came over to us and said “that’s poison ivy you’re standing in.”

*gasp* (In my head I’m thinking not only did I just ruin their wedding, add to a more stressful day and successfully cripple them for their Italian honeymoon… but they’re going to hate me)

Joy and Andrew moved out of the ivy (not all of it was poison ivy – but some of it was) and seemed unscathed by the event. The reassured me that it would be okay and that they couldn’t tell if their was poison ivy in their either. We decided praying for them was the best decision and did the only thing we could do: move on. A few days later on their honeymoon, Joy commented on the preview post on my blog from their wedding and let me know they were poison ivy free and were enjoying their time in Rome!

That last one is so mysterious and romantic. To see the full story of Andrew and Joy’s wedding visit their proofing gallery, and watch the slideshow below. Joy has become a blog follower (along with a few family and friends I hear!) so it’s time to leave her and Andrew some love and let say hi or let them know what you liked about their wedding – I know they won’t have any problem getting a free 16×20 print!

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I love that I get to share this with everyone. I’ve been wanting to incorporate film into a session and Mike and Nikki gave me the perfect opportunity when they brought along their twin lens reflex for their engagement shoot. You might not know this about me, but when I studied photography in college I only used film for my work (and I’ll admit digital was just really taking over the scene) so I was fairly resistant to switching over to digital. When I finally made the switch it was a slippery slope and of course with the ease of digital and the complexities of the darkroom I haven’t really gone back. Now I’m looking forward to finding ways to incorporate film back into some sessions, and this was a great place to start.

The tri-x 120 film that was used for these images was sent off to a lab, developed and printed as proofs. I love the different approach film photography brings; the fact that you don’t do any editing on your computer, that the anticipation builds as you wait for the film to return, and the slower pace to which you approach image making. This approach is different from the fast paced impulsive image making process that has become the trademark of digital photography, but I think there are things to learn from both mediums. Experience in both has only made me a better photographer.

Without further ado I invite you to look through a few of the images captured on film. We had one roll, which meant 10 square images and only a few to share with you… which is all part of the romance of film that is coming back and sweeping people off their feet.

You know I couldn’t help but blog another preview from Tommy+Megan’s wedding. The scene you see above is from their first look, a gorgeous vine covered archway at the Williamsburg Inn. I’m finally in air conditioning, after an incredibly long and hot day packing all of our earthly belongings into a truck so we can drive up to New York tomorrow. Our drive was pushed up due to travel and housing, and once we get to New York we’ll almost immediately go up to Canada to celebrate Laura + Travis’ wedding! I’m excited to attend a wedding and have a long awaited reunion with some of my best friends. The next weekend we head out to Minneapolis area to attend the wedding of one of Matt’s best friends – so we’ll have some time off and fun travel, if we can manage to stay sane during our move.

I wanted to give a shout out on this Memorial day to all of the service men and women and say thank you! I can’t help but think about Amanda + Wes who are currently deployed in Kuwait and who will be getting married next May – I can’t wait to photograph your wedding!

I’ve never photographed an engagement the day before a wedding until Friday. It sounds kind of crazy, but it was perfect and gave Megan and Tommy a chance to get away from some of the craziness of weddings and relax and be together. Those usual in front of the camera butterflies were also not present at all – and as Tommy put it at the end of the session “that had the potential to be the most uncomfortable moment in my life, but it was fun” so I would have to judge that as a success. I’m not sure what they were expecting, but seriously I could have hung out with Megan and Tommy all day, and I think they would have hung out with me for another hour maybe? :) It was great to meet these Wheaton grads and spend some time with them before their wedding at the Williamsburg Inn. Everyone was so gracious and wonderful to meet at the wedding and I love what they chose to do for their day. I’m dying to post more pictures but as luck would have it we are right in the middle of our move, so I’m confined to the little time I can sneak in at coffee shops before they close (I have ten more minutes right now). So you’ll have to be patient for now but I’ll be back to regular blogging and sharing the rest of their story soon!

Andrew and Joy were married on Saturday. It was the kind of wedding that gave you a glimpse of the love and commitment they have for each other, something so deep you can hardly describe it or put it into words. As always it is wonderful to photograph a love like this.