Katie and Pat hired us last year in the midst of moving to Connecticut and beginning to plan their Tybee Island and Savannah, Georgia wedding! We had been excited about it for months and when the day finally came to fly to Savannah I had visions of a bride and groom amid Spanish moss and great southern food. I was not disappointed on either count Katie and her family have been going to Tybee Island for years.

A fun, casual rehearsal dinner was followed by a beautiful and elegant wedding day. The ceremony was on Tybee Island at Katie’s local church where I found out that the priest is originally from Baltimore! Then we traveled back into historic Savannah for their reception at the beautiful Mansion at Forsyth Park. I will let the images tell the rest of the story

Elizabeth and Stephen were married at her parents’ home in Maryland. An international couple, they met in the UK where they reside and Stephen is from New Zealand, while Elizabeth grew up in Maryland. The very warm day was a lot of fun with guests from far and wide in attendance. It also happened to be Elizabeth’s birthday, so her friends made sure she had birthday cupcakes while she was getting ready!

Coordinator: Wedding Savvy
Hair and Makeup: Amie Decker and the glam squad
Video: Blue Sky Films
Catering: Ken’s Creative Kitchen

Venue: The Hippodrome
Flowers: Radebaugh Florist
DJ: Paul Love

We were excited when we heard that Tovah and Eric were going to have their wedding at the Hippodrome in Baltimore. Like a true leading lady, Tovah prepared for the big night backstage in a dressing room, surrounded by friends and family. The couple had their first look photos taken on the mezzanine. Tovah and Eric were wed on the stage, and we loved how the rabbi couldn’t resist working in a few bars from some of his favorite musicals. Afterwards, guests enjoyed the cocktail hour in the front of house while the entire stage became the setting for a show-stopping reception. We wish Tovah and Eric all the best as they laugh, sing and dance their way from their memorable opening act of a wedding into a lifetime of duets together.

Location: USNA chapel and the US Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium
Makeup Artist: Amie Decker
Hair Stylist: Kelley Small
Florist: Gateway Florist
Coordinator: Cheryl Haendel, Bo Brooks Catering (at the N* Room)

Alyson and Matt were married on Memorial Day weekend at the United States Naval Academy Chapel. Alyson’s uncle escorted her down the aisle and after saying their vows, the newlyweds had a memorable sword exit! After family portraits and some time for images of Alyson and Matt alone, we headed off via trolley to the reception at the N* Room at the Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. We had a fabulous time with the beautiful weather, intimate reception, and enthusiastic sparkler send-off!

We don’t think of ourselves as relationship experts, although we do love telling stories about relationships through images.  But on our recent engagement session photo shoot with Christine and Steve, we couldn’t help but take note of this couple’s ability to roll with the punches and laugh all along the way.  After a last minute location change, we were greeted at Montrose Park with some unsavory comments from a man whose mid-afternoon nap we unwittingly interrupted.  The couple also brought along their beloved dog, who took us on quite a few adventures.  So how did Christine and Steve get so many lovely photographs that day?  Flexibility, great senses of humor and a deep affection for each other that we believe will carry them into many happy days in the future, including their upcoming wedding this summer at Lansdowne Resort!

Every moment of your wedding is special; slipping into your dress, walking down the aisle, exchanging rings and your first kiss.  But some of the most intimate and precious moments of that day are those that happen during your first dance.  By then, it can feel as if the ceremony happened years ago, yet the realization is just now sinking in: “We did it! We’re finally married!”  The secret to getting the best possible first dance photographs isn’t complicated.  In fact, it’s all about simplicity.

Some couples are life-long dancers, or have invested enough time dancing together for such a long time that they can waltz, swing or rhumba with ease.  The rest of us can feel pressure to entertain our guests and squeeze in a dance lesson or two just before the wedding.  We find that folks in the latter category don’t feel comfortable on the dance floor, and therefore don’t look comfortable during their first dance.  Last minute dance instruction can actually cause more anxiety during the first dance, as couples may find themselves counting in their heads, stepping on each other’s feet, or bumping into tables and chairs.  So keep it natural.  The best first dance images can come from those moments when you hold each other naturally, gaze at each other and just enjoy those first moments as a married couple.

Recently we were interviewed for the new and fabulous Maryland Shore Weddings website! You can read the questions and answers here:

INTERVIEW

Check out the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club and the Tidewater Inn if you’re interested in planning your wedding on the Eastern shore!

We are still refining content and menu items, so please bear with us! You can check out recent weddings by clicking portfolio or visiting our proofing site. We welcome feedback on our new site from all of our visitors, so please feel free to get in touch! You can contact us by filling out the contact form or by sending us an email.

One of the photos that most wedding photographers take and most brides want to see is an image of the wedding dress. Usually your photographer will have a chance to take that photo during the time when you are getting ready. We don’t believe in spending an hour photographing your gown from different angles; we’re more interested in capturing images of you and your family as you make your preparations. But we do like to take a few photographs of your lovely gown before you put it on. Along those lines, this tip is all about what you can do, even before your photographer arrives, to help us create the most beautiful portrayal of your dress possible.

Bridal boutiques are well practiced at altering and pressing your gown to a level of perfection that mere humans like you and I could never attain, even with hours of ironing and steaming. As part of preparing your dress and ensuring that it remains in peak condition for the wedding day, often they stuff your dress with tissue paper and cardboard. The dress is often hung on a wire or plastic hanger and pretty much pinned into a position that is meant to keep it from being wrinkled or creased in any way. And this is a good thing.

However, when it comes time to photograph the dress, plastic hangers and cardboard stuffing are not what you want to see. Now in my opinion the best possible way to show off your dress before you put it on is on a mannequin or dress form. But that’s not very realistic – hotel staff tend to give you strange looks when you walk through the halls carrying a creepy white mannequin (trust me, I know). Slightly easier and also a huge step up from cardboard is the use of a pretty fabric hanger. Often labeled as lingerie hangers, they are sold at places like Target and Bed Bath and Beyond. Yes, there is such thing as an elegant hanger. Before your photographer arrives, or soon after depending on your schedule, ask your mom or bridesmaids to transfer your dress to the fabric hanger and remove the stuffing so that you show the gown in its best light for photography, free of wire or pins.

I can’t resist – I have to close this tip with that famous quote from the movie Mommie Dearest:

“No wire hangers, ever!”

Well, at least not on your wedding day!

In May we photographed Kim and Eric’s beautiful wedding in New Jersey at Seton Hall Chapel and the Newark Club. We had the opportunity to work with Tina LaMorte from Oh So Fabulous!, who is regularly featured on shows like Platinum Weddings and Whose Wedding is it Anyway. We had a wonderful time and the images were stunning. Check out the featured article!