Ashley & Dan are Married!

If I leave a wedding with soaked shoes, mud all over my pants, and a twig stuck in my hair, you can guarantee that I just documented a wedding that will be one of my favorites for years to come. I could document weddings like Ashley and Dans every weekend and be the happiest photographer in the world. Ballrooms are beautiful but Im just a backyard, outdoor, rolling fields and garden kind of girl! And I knew before this day even arrived that Ashley was too : ) I had been looking forward to this day for over a year, especially when Ashley described to me what she was envisioning. She was actually one of the first people to find out that Drew and I were expecting a baby! While her offer to bring Drew along and camp with everyone the night of the wedding sounded so amazing.. I had to inform her that camping with a 9 month old might not be ideal for us at that time : ) 

So the wedding day arrived and I woke up bright and early to leave for Ashley and Dan’s wedding at Caboose Farm in Western MD. The entire drive I prayed the sunshine would follow me up into the mountains for their big day. I knew all the beautiful things they had planned for the wedding and I did not want the weather to hinder that! On arrival, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning. But very quickly, I learned that mountain weather is quite similar to tropical weather. Pop up storms can come and go very fast and with little to no notice! But it was music to my ears when Ashley told me the ceremony would be outside, RAIN OR SHINE. I could have kissed her right then and there! After taking a walk back into the woods to see the spot where Ashley and Dan would say their vows, I knew why these two weren't going to let the weather get in the way. It was a magical grassy knoll hidden in the forest, the kind you would only read about in a fairytale but never imagine actually existed. A winding stream was just behind the wooden arbor they would stand beneath and the sun cut through the trees, creating the most beautiful golden light on everything it touched. 

Alright, Im just going to stop now and be honest... I have SO much to say about this day... too much to be writing in paragraph form. I will be writing for days and you will be reading a chapter book...  So with that said, I've just decided to change up the game and give you this list... it was actually a lot of fun to write!! I might be doing this more often..Enjoy : )

10 REASONS WHY ASHLEY AND DAN'S WEDDING WAS SUPER AWESOME

1. I loved the polaroid camera that was floating through the hands of bridesmaids, guests, and even the bride herself. I love that they will have my photos but also the candid polaroids that were snapped throughout the day. It even inspired me to pull out my own Polaroid camera when I got home!

2. Ashley had her wedding dress designed and custom made by two of her bridesmaids!!! How cool is that?! I know every bride has a special attachment to their wedding dress but this is on another level of sentiment! Lindsay and Diana are college friends of Ashley and own their own clothing line called Black Wednesday. I love that although their clothing line has a dark and glamorous vibe, they created a wedding dress for Ashley that was so romantic, soft, and delicate. 

3. The groom and his men had some serious style too. Floral ties, suspenders, a few man buns.. it was awesome. I also LOVED Dans wooden wedding band.

4. One of Ashley's hobbies is hula hooping! Im pretty sure you want to be friends with anyone who hula hoops on their free time.. and it was so fun that Ashley and Dan included hula hooping during the reception. Taking photos of people dancing during the receptions has always been one of my favorite parts of the night.. until I photographed hula hooping. Now I will be forever disappointed when hula hoops are not a part of my future wedding receptions.

5. Ashley and Dan would be surrounded by nature when they became husband and wife and I cant imagine a more appropriate setting. Ashley works as a gardener and living a green and sustainable lifestyle is very important to both her and Dan. I absolutely love that she requested only flowers that were in season for her wedding. Flourish Floral Artistry did an amazing job with this! Not only were their bouquets and floral crowns amazing but Maddie also created the most beautiful floating flower display on the ceremony arbor. I decided that every wedding should absolutely have one of these! Still swooning..

6. Ashley and Dan had a good friend marry them and he did such an amazing job! I would have never known he wasn't a professional officiant... or that he has some serious hula hooping skills. 

7. Ashley and Dan tried to use only vendors of people they knew which I thought was really awesome. To be surrounded by friendly familiar faces on your wedding day makes it even more personable. (Ashley and I graduated high school together!) She also used a friend who is a graphic designer over at Tiffani Angelone Designs for her invitations. 

8. With multiple rain showers, wind, and clouds through out the day it was looking unlikely that we would see the sun at all. But the most amazing thing happened. Just as Ashley began to walk down the aisle, the sun came out. Not just a little... it was like the heavens opened up just for her! It was so magical and couldn't have been timed more perfectly. 

9. Ashley and Dan had an awesome Folk band play for their ceremony and reception!

10. Even with the little bit of sunshine we got, we were still left with A LOT of mud. And this is why I love Ashley. She couldn't have cared less. Even with mud all over the bottom of her beautiful dress, she rocked it.  And to be honest, it seemed almost fitting! As a gardener, and environmentally conscious person, having mud on her dress just felt right! 

Ashley and Dan, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful wedding. Everything about it felt like a reflection of who you two are as individuals and as a couple. I wish you all the love in the world!

Chelsea & Jon are Married!

I feel like I talk about the weather in every blog post.. and I tell myself, I should probably not bring up the weather so much. But then again, the weather is SO important on a wedding day. It can change everything! Literally, within a matter of seconds, the entire mood of a wedding can flip. If it rains, the ceremony location may change completely. The bright summertime wedding suddenly becomes a more moody and dark wedding. (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!) If its windy, cloudy, or super sunny and bright... these are all important factors that create a certain vision for the day. And as a photographer, I am constantly on my toes because of the weather! So I am sorry if my weekly "wedding weather" updates are a bit repetitive. But the truth of the matter is, the weather is absolutely crucial for me! My job revolves around it and my photos reflect whatever mother nature decides to throw my way! Anyway, now that I just spent an entire paragraph on weather... I will finish by saying, Chelsea and Jon had beautiful weather for their big day! In the midst of all these rainy weeks, the sun decided to pop out for these two and it was so glorious! What was so cool about this wedding weather was that, as the sun was shining down, we could see all the storm clouds in the distance. The perfect backdrop for their photos.

On arrival to the Hyatt Resort in Cambridge, I spent the first hour with Jon and his groomsmen as they got ready. Although I had already met Chelsea prior to the wedding, I hadn't had the privilege to meet her fiance Jon until the wedding day. Well, as soon as I walked into their suite, I knew this was going to be a super fun group of guys. I think some groomsmen assume that I get annoyed by their antics, but it is quite the opposite. The more outgoing and laid back you are, the better! Well Jon and his men were just that. I didn't have to do much with this crew except stand back and snap away. Not to mention, I got to spend some time with the most adorable ring bearer!! Seriously, the sweetest!

Hanging out with the ladies was no different. Which is always a plus! I think Jon said it best in his vows when he said he never thought he could find someone as weird as him. Don't worry, I don't think you guys are weird! But I loved every bit of your quirkiness and how it reflected into the details of your wedding day. For example, their love of Game of Thrones. It shined through in a couple of ways... Their wedding hashtag was #JONSREDWEDDING. (<< amazing) and Chelsea surprised Jon with a very unique wedding band. The inside has a rose gold dragon scale texture (<< even more amazing). When Chelsea told me how much she loved rose gold and how she was plaining on incorporating it into her color scheme I was so excited. Her jewelry, including her engagement ring is rose gold and I could have spent the entire morning photographing her details. 

Along with thinking I talk too much about the weather, I also think I talk too much about my couples pets... but this one doesn't need an explanation. I think we can all agree that its absolutely necessary. Jon and Chelsea have a pup named Menace and he was such a character. Menace was a true member of this wedding party and he owned it! Once the groomsmen got to the top of the hill during the ceremony, Menace marked his territory right at the front of the aisle! He was proud and without a care in the world, relieved himself for what felt like an eternity, in front of everyone. It gave everyone a good laugh and this is exactly why I think everyones pet should be a part of their wedding... You need that element of surprise once in a while!

After the sweetest first look with her father, Chelsea walked down the aisle to see her future husband for the first time that day. There were tears from both sides and it was so easy to see that these two are meant for each other. Chelsea and Jon, thank you a million times over for allowing me to document this amazing day for you. It was an honor and a privilege. I can only hope that some of your "weirdness" rubbed off on me that day : )