Tara and Craig … The day of their wedding was overcast. There was a slight breeze when I pulled up to King Family Vineyards. The mountains were bright blue in the distance. The sun was poking through the clouds ever so slightly. It was perfect! Every little detail was incredible.

There isn’t much I can say about Tara and Craig that their family and friends don’t already know. They are kind. They are generous. They are selfless. They have two of the biggest hearts. They are masters at spreading love and joy. They were truly made for each other, and being a part of their wedding day was amazing!

JOY. It’s a small but powerful word. And when I think of Tara and Craig’s wedding day, it’s the first word that comes to mind. The light on Tara’s face when she was finally in her dress – JOY. The excitement felt as I positioned Tara and Craig for their First Look – JOY. When Craig couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful Tara looked and how lucky he was – JOY. When people gathered and listened to them read their incredibly thoughtful and loving vows to one another – JOY. When they laughed and smiled and danced their hearts out all night in celebration – JOY!

The reason that word is so important to me in this post is because for the first time, I really understood what it means to capture the spirit of the day. Sadly, not long after their wedding day, Tara lost her father. I know this has been a devastating time for her and her family. I can only hope that these images captured the JOY of the day and can serve as a reminder of the happiness he felt before he died. And with her permission, I’m sharing these images with love and excitement… and JOY.

One of my absolute favorite parts of the day was the intimate time Tara and Craig shared with each other before their first look. They exchanged cards and gift. They ended up giving each other the same card! 

More bride a groom portraits! Isn’t this vintage couch amazing?

Congratulations Tara and Craig! Thank you to Sarah Goodwin for being my second shooter!

Vendors: 

Venue: King Family Vineyards

Flowers: Honey Bee’s Florist

Bride’s Dress: David Tutera from White Swan

Groom’s Attire: Perry Ellis

Hair and Makeup: Amber Lowe

DJ: Greg Tutwiler

Videographer: Hoopla Media

Cake: The Cupcake Company

Invitation: Smart Press – designed by bride’s sister!

Favors: Brother’s Craft Brewing Beer

Vintage Couch Rental: Valley Heirlooms

 As I pulled up to the venue on the day of Bethany and Michael’s wedding I remember thinking how beautiful it was. Friends and family were already hard at work making everything perfect. I walked into the most adorable house where Bethany and her girls were getting ready. Everyone looked beautiful and had smiles from ear to ear! I loved everything about this wedding. Everything was very elegant and romantic… it was perfect! Right before the ceremony was about to begin, clouds moved in, the sky turned dark, and sure enough it started to rain…. and it didn’t just rain, it poured! Hail was pounding the roads and trees were being blown sideways. My heart dropped for Bethany, Michael, and their families. They had worked so hard on everything! But I’ll tell you what… as quickly and efficiently as their family and friends had set everything up outside, they worked the same way to get everything moved inside. And this couple didn’t let the rain ruin a single moment of their day. Right before the ceremony, Bethany and Michael met for prayer and some other special moments. At that point the rain didn’t matter. They were ready to get married…

After the ceremony, the clouds lifted and we had perfect weather for outdoor pictures! The day was filled with love, laughter, friends and family. And not only was it about Bethany and Michael becoming husband and wife, but also a family with their daughter Camdyn! It was such a pleasure being there for their day!

 Bethany and her father had a first look… not a dry eye in the house!

Two of my favorite pictures of the whole day, so special!

Seriously… these guys make my job easy!

Congratulations Bethany and Michael!  

A huge thank you to Sarah Goodwin for shooting with me! I could not have done it without her!

Vendors:

Venue: Shenandoah Valley Golf Club

Bride’s Gown: Eddy K from Ava Laurenne

Flowers: Buttercups Floral Design

Hair: CalJack’s Salon

Entertainment: DJ Jammin’ Jim

Cake: Beckaboo’s Cakes

Bridemaid’s Attire: Dessy from Ebrada

Men’s Attire: Classic Tuxedos

I have been so completely blessed to have been able to work with some really incredible couples this year! Julie and David are such amazing people and being able to be a part of their wedding day was a true honor. Julie was a bridesmaid in a wedding I shot last year, and she emailed me as soon as she was engaged. Her email had smiley faces and exclamation points all over it… just like me! She was so excited to be engaged to David and couldn’t wait to be his wife! I have been looking forward to this wedding since their engagement session last winter and when the day finally arrived it was just as incredible as I thought it would be!

Julie worked so hard on the details and it paid off! Everything was perfect! King Family Vineyards is officially my new favorite venue. It is stunning!!! 

Julie and David… thank you so much for having me be there to document your wedding day. You guys are such a special couple and I know great things are in your future!!!

First of all let me start by saying that I died when I saw these amazing shoes… Recognize that gorgeous bridesmaid on the right? Yep, that’s another EFP bride!Beautiful ladies!!!!

 Loved the orange that they guys were wearing!

 First Look time!

Bridal Party! These guys were so fun! 

Ceremony time! 

And they’re MARRIED! A few more portraits before the reception!

Seriously Julie…. you’re so gorgeous!

I loved everything about these reception details… and Julie surprised David with his favorite dessert!

 Congratulations Julie and David! I hope you had an amazing time in Mexico!!!

A GIGANTIC thank you to my second shooter Alicia Lacey! 

Vendors:

Venue: King Family Vineyards

Church: St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church

Flowers: Blakemore’s Flowers

Bride’s Gown: Pronovias from Bella Rosa Bridal

Hair: The Studio

DJ/Entertainment: Derek J. Tobler

Videographer: Whiddon Productions

Cake: Jessie Lu’s Cakes (one of Julie’s bridesmaids!)

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Alfred Sung from Bella Rosa Bridal

Men’s Attire: Jos A. Bank

Where do I even begin with this wedding? Becca and Tom are seriously one of the most amazing couples I have had the pleasure of working with! They are so genuine and kind! On their wedding day, the statement I heard the most was “they are amazing people” and I have to say that is so true! You could just tell how much they are loved by all their friends and family!

From the minute I met Becca and Tom I knew… I knew that they are the real deal. They are 100% head over heels in love with each other. Not only are they amazing partners to each other, but they are amazing to everyone around them… friends, family, strangers… you name it! They would do anything for the people they love!

I adored everything about their wedding! They started out with a sweet ceremony at The Poe Museum followed by a brunch reception at The Old City Bar! Becca did an amazing job and touched almost every detail! 

Becca and Tom… thank you so much for allowing me to document your day! Congratulations!

Oh my word Becca…

I just love the Poe Museum. It’s such a gorgeous venue!

Like what you see Tom?

Lots of kissing…

Reception time! The Old City Bar was perfect!

 Congratulations Becca and Tom!!!

Thank you to my second shooter for the day, Ashley Link!

Vendors:

Bride’s Dress: Ann Taylor

Flowers: Petals & Twigs

Ceremony Venue: The Poe Museum

Reception Venue: The Old City Bar

DJ: Splash DJ

Bridesmaid Dress: Etsy

Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Suzy and Aaron are seriously the sweetest couples! They are so head over heels in love with each other and their joy is contagious! Their wedding took place at the Piedmont Country Club in Haymarket which made for a gorgeous venue! Plus, their colors were pink and mint. LOVE!

A huge thank you to Karen for having me along as her second shooter again! 

Suzy looked amazing!

 First Look!

 This place had so many beautiful locations for portraits!

Favorite!

More portraits!

Congratulations Suzy and Aaron!

I am so excited and honored to be able to share this wedding. On their big day, it didn’t take long to figure out how loved Kimberly and Hunter are by all of their family and friends. From all of the tears that were flowing when Kimberly’s father walked her down the aisle, to all of the heartfelt toasts during the reception (there were lots of them!)… their wedding day was filled with tons excitement and emotion all around! Their sweet pup Calvin even joined in for a little bit! Enjoy!

Time to get married!!!

Remember their pup Calvin from their engagement session? He was the ring bearer

Look how happy this man is!!!

I seriously loved this bridal party! They were so fun!

Gorgeous ladies!

Love these two. Such a gorgeous couple!

Reception time!

Congratulations Kimberly and Hunter! Hope you had an amazing time in Mexico!

A huge thank you to Kendall Thow for second shooting with me!

Vendors:

Venue: Double Tree Hotel

Bridal gown: Bridal Impressions

Bride’s bouquet: Don’s Florist and Gifts

All other flowers: Bride’s mother!

Cake: Friend of bride

Bridesmaids dresses: Charm Bride

Groom/Groomsmen attire: Men’s Warehouse

The day could not have been more beautiful. The sun was shining, the temperature was pleasant, and the grounds at CrossKeys Vineyards surrounded by deep blue mountains made for an incredible setting for Lauren and Nick‘s wedding day. This wedding was special for me. I grew up with Lauren and in fact our parents still live across the street from each other! It was so great to be able to see these two become husband and wife! The day wasn’t just about Lauren and Nick though… Lauren’s sweet little boy Tucker was a huge part of the day. It was a celebration of the three of them becoming a family! Enjoy!

The look on Tucker’s face when he saw his mom in her wedding dress! So cute!

Lauren, you looked amazing!

 Loved this willow tree!

Time to get married! This view was AMAZING!

The reception area was so lovely!

We snuck away for a few more portraits at sunset in the vines!

Congratulations Lauren and Nick!

Thank you to Casey Myers for shooting with me!

Venue: CrossKeys Vineyards

Bride’s Gown: Casablanca from Sealed With A Kiss Bridal

Flowers: Flowers by Rose

Coordinator: Bev Randolph

Hair and makeup: Friend of bride

Cake: Cakes by Cathy Stewart

Bridemaids Dresses: Bridal Impressions

Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Classic Tuxedo

The day started dark and cloudy. The possibility of rain was around every corner. As I drove to Staunton for Kristin and Nolan’s wedding the sky opened up and it didn’t just rain… it poured. My heart sank a little bit for my couple. They had planned an outdoor ceremony! However, when I entered the bed and breakfast where Kristin and her bridesmaids were getting ready, everyone was smiling! There was so much energy and excitement in the room! Kristin looked absolutely stunning and she was so happy to finally be marrying her best friend. No amount of rain could ruin this day for her! The rest of the day ended up being gorgeous! It sprinkled here and there, but the rain held off and Kristin and Nolan had the wedding they had been dreaming of! 

Beautiful ladies!

Ready for the first look! So sweet!

 The Frontier Culture Museum had so many amazing places to take pictures!

Such a fun bridal party!

Time to get married!

MARRIED!

Reception time!

 Congratulations Kristin and Nolan!

Thank you to Casey Myers for shooting with me!

Vendors:

Venue: The Frontier Culture Museum

Flowers: Bride and family!

Bride’s Gown: Amanda’s Touch

Hair and makeup: High Tech Design and Spa

Band: Hound Dog Hill

Cake: The Cupcake Company

Catering: Hank’s Smokehouse

Bridemaid’s dresses: David’s Bridal

Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Warehouse