The first time I met Kate and Brian in the fall of 2009 I knew working with them would be a real treat – they certainly did not disappoint! Married June 12th, working with Kate and Brian was such an absolute pleasure. Cassidy DuHon did an amazing job capturing the day.

Aren’t the bridesmaids bouquets gorgeous? Kudos to Linda from Heaven on Earth who was such a joy to work with!

Here is a shot inside the limo heading to St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church for the ceremony:

Brian and his best man – his dad Tom! Don’t they look dapper:

Kate and Brian’s attendants were so much fun! Here they are getting ready for the processional:

The ceremony, officiated by Father John Kartje was beautiful and included many special personal touches. Father John flew in from Chicago to be a part of Brian and Kate’s special day!

Husband and Wife! I love this shot:

In the limo heading downtown to take some formal photographs at the monuments:

Kate and her bridesmaids:

A shot of the groom and his groomsmen:

Cassidy DuHon really captures great moments and this is one of my favorites:

The Omni Shoreham was such a  beautiful backdrop for some of the portraits. I love with one of all the girls!

The hammocks on the property made for some great, playful shots:

The patio behind the ballroom served as the site for the cocktail hour and luckily for us, the rain held off just long enough for the guests to enjoy some time outside before heading in to eat.

Atmosphere Lighting did a great job setting the mood with the lighting and the centerpieces Linda put together made the room look absolutely stunning!

I love the green and black color scheme!

Fluffy Thoughts provided this gorgeous (and delicious) three tiered cake complete with a custom damask middle tier.

The couple used Washington landmarks as their table names along with some of their engagements shots. I love the touch of personality it added to each table:

Kate and Brian had one of the best choreographed first dances I have ever seen!

The couples sweetheart table gave them a great vantage point of the room. I loved the green linens and black chiavari chairs!

Brennan Sullivan with Bialek’s Music kept everyone dancing long into the night:

I’ve never seen a dance floor so packed!

Kate and Brian had a great group of friends surrounding them on their special day.

Here is Kate, her matron of honor and the rest of the girls getting down on the dance floor:

The guys did their fair share of dancing as well!

Here are the bride and groom, once again demonstrating their awesome dance moves!

It was such a pleasure to work with Kate and Brian over the last few months. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of such a special day!

We got some fantastic images of Anna & Mike’s wedding from photographer Elaine Studley.  I thought Elaine’s images turned out great!

It wouldn’t be a Hokie’s wedding without a Virginia Tech garter, now would it?

They exchanged vows at the Church of the Holy Rosary on 3rd Street in Washington, DC:

Isn’t this church amazing!?  I thought the grand aisle made for a fantastic entrance:

Look how sweet these guys are!

After the ceremony, Anna & Mike took their bridal party around the mall for some quintessential DC monument shots:

Elise Alexander provided this beautiful bouquet and all the flowers for the wedding:

I think the Jefferson Memorial is one of my favorite spots for wedding portraits:

The US Capitol is just about as “DC” as it gets!  This is also a good photo to point out Anna’s gorgeous wedding-day look from Elegant Hair by Giselle and BeautyMark:

The reception took place at the Carnegie Institute in Washington, DC.  There are two large rooms in this venue, connected by a large sliding door.  Here’s the bigger space of the two:

Martin’s Caterers did a beautiful job on the yummy cake:

Complete with orange & maroon icing flowers!  How fitting!

The big entrance:

I really love this shot…aren’t Anna & Mike cute together?  I also loved the whimsical polka dot lighting:

Musica Entertainment kept the party going all night:

Mmmm….this cake display was the perfect end to the evening.  Look how many different types there were!

….and they danced and danced and danced.

Congratulations, Anna & Mike!  I’m glad I could be a part of your day and hope you enjoyed every second of it.

Stephanie and Chris were married this past May in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at The Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, and below are some of the professional shots by the very talented Michael Bonfigli. The afternoon started with the outdoor ceremony on the patio of the mansion, and was immediately followed by a cocktail hour on the patio steps. Guests were then invited inside for dinner and dancing.

Stephanie and I are discussing how she will walk down the stairs to meet her father:

Taking a few private moments before the ceremony:

I love these next two! The ladies are just about ready to head down the aisle and they realized they’re a few minutes late:

Getting hitched on the mansion’s front steps:

And they’re off!  The newlyweds snuck off for a little alone time before the reception started:

I just love the interiors at Strathmore:

Restaurant Associates (Strathmore’s in-house caterer) did a wonderful job with the food and service:

The beautiful centerpieces and floral decor were provided by Distinctive Floral Designs:

Look at this adorable cake topper!  This scrumptious cake was baked by Sticky Fingers Bakery in DC. It was delicious, and completely vegan!

Strathmore is a such a perfect venue for an intimate party:

The band, Retrospect, kept people dancing all night long:

And they’re off!

Congratulations again Stephanie and Chris! You had a beautiful wedding and it was a pleasure to be a part of!

In this series, we interviewed our team with a handful of lighthearted questions.  You can read Allison’s formal bio here. Read below to learn a bit more about who she really is inside:

How would you describe your approach to planning weddings?
Detailed and organized.  Being organized is the easiest approach to making sure nothing is overlooked.  With so many important details, it could be easy to get overwhelmed.  I find that being systematic keeps everything as manageable as possible.

What do you do for fun?
Other than plan weddings, of course?  I love to run, read, and play kickball on Wednesday nights in the World Adult Kickball Association!  I also enjoy traveling and watching football.

What’s the most important piece of advice for brides?
I try to remind brides that their wedding day is ultimately about them and their future husband.  When the pressure of planning the “event of the year” becomes so stressful it is important to remember why you are planning the wedding in the first place.  While all the details are important, as long as the couple is happy and comfortable then everything else can be taken care of.

What inspires you?
The couples are always my inspiration.  Each wedding is one-of-a-kind because the people are!

Which blogs do you frequent often?
The Regeti’s Photography blog is definitely one of my favorites.  They are amazing!

What’s the best thing about weddings?
The moment in each wedding that I enjoy most is just before the bride walks down the aisle.  The anticipation in the room, from the groom, and from the bride is just exciting to me.

What is your favorite memory from a wedding?
During my very first wedding, the bride accidentally ripped the hem on her gown.  Luckily I was able to sew it back and the bride kept right on dancing.  While this could have easily make it into my worst memory from a wedding, the bride had the most amazing attitude.  She was just enjoying the time surrounded by family, friends, and her new husband.  It was one of those moments when you noticed that even the bride was just happy to be having fun.

What is your favorite wedding trend right now?
The ‘Man of Honor.’  I think that having a wedding party where a female can be in the groom’s party and a male can be in the bride’s party is a great example of the changing  times.  While I am a full supporter of traditions, it’s wonderful to see the bride and groom have their best friend stand next to them at the altar, regardless of sex or gender.

What is your least favorite wedding trend right now?
Ice sculptures.  They can be very pretty and add a unique vantage point to the room.  However at the end of the night when it’s begun to melt, you spent your money on frozen water.  I just don’t see the appeal.