Sempiternal :: Emily & Matt's Wedding at the Airlie House

You might want to make a pot of coffee and clear your schedule because this is going to be a monster blog post with lots of images from a great wedding. Emily and Matt were married on a beautiful day at the Airlie House in Warrenton, VA. They are both actors in LA, and together they make a super talented and fun-loving couple. They did a great job of incorporating pieces of their lives into their wedding (as you'll see below), and also had lots of help from their friends and family.

This was my first time shooting at the Airlie House, but it quickly became one of my favorite venues. The grounds are just beautiful, with amazing gardens, sculptures, open fields and lots of fun nooks and crannies for photos. If you're a bride looking for a garden wedding, definitely check out the Airlie House (and then call me!). 

Here are just a few of the highlights from Emily and Matt's day...

Someone made good use of the dry-erase board...

The Airlie Center has a perfect little area for an intimate, outdoor wedding. I chose this vantage point for Emily's entrance.

Did I mention the great light?

A sweet moment during the ceremony.

This was a first for me... as soon as the ceremony ended Emily and Matt BOTH broke out their hankies.

I loved this shot the second I saw it in my viewfinder. Still do...

The gardens were a perfect backdrop for portraits of the newlyweds.

Have I mentioned the light?

While they were eating dinner, I ran up the hill and grabbed some sunset shots.

Emily's cousin wrote and performed a Dylanesque tribute to the couple. Very entertaining. 

The pavilion at the Airlie House...

The talented duo had a surprise for their guests...

They performed "Falling Slowly," the Academy Award-winning song from the film "Once." 

A little first dance love...

It was wonderful seeing these two families come together. Here Matt's mom and Emily's dad share a dance.

The party really kicked into high gear when Matt busted out his dance moves...

I love the look on Emily's sister's face here...

Emily and Matt are not only talented, but intelligent as well. They created the Dictionary Game at a party one night and wanted to incorporate it into their wedding. Each guest was given an obscure word on a card, with the goal being to use the word in conversation as if it is a normal part of your vocabulary. Being a crossword lover myself and avid watcher of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, I starting turning over cards towards the end of the night out of curiosity. As soon as I saw this one, I knew I had to get this shot. (Em and Matt, thanks for indulging me!)

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Molly & Tony :: A River Farm Wedding

The day started out beautifully for Molly and Tony's wedding at one of my favorite places, River Farm, in Alexandria, VA. The sun was shining and the light was perfect for their garden ceremony. As soon as the ceremony was over, the clouds rolled in and we raced through the group portraits. Just as I was rushing to catch some portraits of Molly and Tony, the sky opened up and the rain came pouring down. Whoever said rain on your wedding day is good luck definitely wasn't a wedding photographer! Molly and Tony didn't let the rain dampen their spirits one bit, as they were surrounded by their closest friends and family.

Molly did a fantastic job of coordinating all of the wedding details with a vibrant color scheme of orange, pink and green. I loved the lanterns that were hung from the tent. The flowers from Royce Flowers were beautiful and, of course, matched perfectly. Guests were treated to a Spanish buffet from Avalon Caterers and a delicious cake from Victoria's Cakery.

Congratulaitons Molly and Tony! Thank you for having me as your wedding photographer.

Molly's stunning bouquet...

River Farm, now home to the American Horticultural Society, was once owned by George Washington...

Molly's simple but elegant dress...

I found this in the garden and had to take a picture. B is the initial of Tony's last name.

The ceremony setup...

Great details!

Perhaps my favorite shot of the day...

Love this shot!

If you look closely you will see the rain starting to fall...

This was literally seconds later...

Tony gave a heartfelt toast to his bride...

Had to end with a lantern shot. I was slightly obsessed with shooting the lanterns.

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Elaine & Ricky

Though a torrential rain forced their wedding indoors at the Lansdowne Resort, Elaine and Ricky didn’t let it dampen their spirits.  Their love and friendship shone through despite the change in plans.  We even got to go outside after the rain for a few quick portraits.  Elaine and Ricky switched up the “clinking glass kiss” tradition by pulling names of their married guests out of a bowl and making them kiss!  Great idea!

Congratulations Elaine and Ricky!  Thank you for having me as your wedding photographer.

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Lisa & David

One of the best reasons to have a winter wedding is that venues are usually beautifully decorated for the season.  St. Thomas a Beckett church and the Atrium at Meadowlark Gardens were festively adorned with poinsettias, pine trees, wreaths and twinkle lights for Lisa and David’s wedding.  They had an amazing chocolate cake made by family, and a cookie bar (a hot trend this year, and one I wholeheartedly approve of!).  Minda from Knife and Fork Catering did a tremendous job keeping everything organized and running smoothly.  Most impressive, though, was the warmth of the two families.  I had a great time! 

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