It started as a rainy day. Driving to Erie I passed through some significant downpour, only to be pleasantly greeted with light rain and sunshine very soon after. The day that Dan and Aimee had been waiting for had arrived and the weather was on their side.

Aimee carefully slipped into her Maggie Sottero gown with her mother’s help, and her bridesmaids stood close by – ready to jump into action if needed. With delicate touches of beading, sumptuous draping of the fabric, and a peek of lace from the bottom of the dress it complimented Aimee perfectly. She finished her preparations upstairs as Dan and his groomsmen arrived.

Dan waited outside with anticipation. Aimee made her way down the stairs. She slowly walked up to him and he turned to see her for the first time. It was a moment they won’t ever forget; a perfect time to share their joy for the wedding that would be uniting them in a few hours. Now that they were together the wedding day had officially started .

After the first look picture-taking ensued and a good time was had by all as we moved from the house to the ceremony and later on to the reception. It was a full night and one that I enjoyed documenting.

A gorgeous gown – I love the lacing, and know for a fact that it is also quite comfortable to wear

Dan looking very dapper. I wish I had a picture of him during his wild college years… not that I knew him well then or that he was necessarily wild but the beard he used to sport was!

The purpose of a first look is not just to get pictures done beforehand…. it also gives the bride and groom some time alone when they first see each other and in my opinion allows them to be more relaxed and ready for the ceremony. After Dan and Aimee’s first look we captured images of them before joining the bridal party for some group images.

The bridesmaid dresses were a beautiful deep purple and accented by some bright flowers

You can tell this is a fun crowd

The light in the church was warm and accented by the deep reds and oranges of decorations

The newlyweds! After the ceremony we were able to catch the last of the sunlight in a gorgeous field. I was adamant that we get there for some pictures because I knew it would be gorgeous and I think it was definitely worth it.

It didn’t take long to get the party started at the reception, as Dan and Aimee danced their friends waited in the wings for the surprise choreographed group dance (and by group I mean 25-30 people?) It was fun to see people gradually join in until the floor was full.

I love this bouquet toss shot and to end I’ll leave you with this black + white of Dan and Aimee. Congratulations you two and thanks for letting me be a part of the day. Remember to leave a comment on this post so that they can earn a free enlargement, and head over to their gallery to view all of the wedding images.

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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It’s one thing to have a wedding. It’s quite another to have a wedding when it seems that the forces of nature are working against you. Honestly, when you get two feet of unexpected snow in Fredericksburg Virginia what are you suppose to do? You’re still suppose to get married – and that’s exactly what Kyle and Christie did. The memorable weather made for some even more memorable photos that set the scene for the gorgeous winter wedding that you see here. It presented a few more challenges for the wedding day, and you can read about my story of getting to the wedding in this earlier post. Kyle and Christie have the most amazing support of family and friends that came together for their day, and I know there were many more who weren’t able to make it because of the weather so I’m excited to share these photos with you.

Christie got ready with the help of her bridesmaids and was looking gorgeous. There’s nothing like good friends by your side on your wedding day.

Kyle was upstairs getting the finishing touches to his tux with the help of his dad and best man. This wedding really was all about family and friends which they clearly are blessed with.

After the ceremony there was barely a dry eye in the house. It was memorable and personal and the perfect start for their lives together. After the ceremony Kyle and Christie were up for braving the snow and we took some of my favorite pictures from the night.

After a few minutes in the snow, we ducked in to the reception which was in an awesome location in downtown Fredericksburg. It used to be an art gallery so it had the perfect open floor plan and wooden dance floor which got a lot of use throughout the night!

Paper lanterns decorated the space for a warm feel, and the bridal party made a dramatic entrance which was only more memorable in the photographs

Christie’s best friend and maid of honor, Blythe (who’s wedding I’ll be photographing next weekend!) told the story of how she set up Christie and Kyle, and explained that since she and Christie were basically sisters, Kyle and his family were welcoming her into the family as well! (I don’t think that was a joke either, but correct me if I’m wrong) :)

After the first dances, the real dancing began and didn’t stop! This crowd couldn’t get enough and since I was there for some of it, there are plenty of embarrassing – I mean fun dancing pictures you should check out! To see the full set of photos head over to my proofing site, create a profile, and then use the couple’s last name as your password to view the gallery. Also, help Kyle and Christie win a free 11×14 or 16×20 by leaving your comments below! Thanks again Kyle and Christie for letting me be apart of everything.  I’m so happy for you guys and can’t wait to see you in a week!