Lauren & Jakub; April 23, 2011 George Washington River Farm

Pulling into George Washington River Farm on April 23rd was like arriving at a photographers dream.  It had been years since I had photographed there and as the manor house pulled into view I could feel my excitement mounting.  It was one of those spring days that we look forward to all winter long; warm but not too hot and blue skies.  I was greeted by a sign pointing me in the direction of the celebrations.  Lauren and Jakub had attended to all those little details that makes a wedding unique and person.

Upon entering the brides room I saw the purple shoes.  Vibrant, royal and fun… Those that know me know I have a passion for all things purple.  Not so much light purple but what I like to call “royple”  royal purple, that dark blue purple that seems to be one of the seasons hottest wedding colors.   She paired it up with the contrasting color yellow for pop.  I fell in love with the yellow and purple shoes and probably took more photographs of the shoes then one ever should.  I was just having that much fun.

My fun with the couple continued and included a fast red car,  enough sweets to satisfy any sweet tooth ( I will not eat another Peeps for a long time…), hula dancing and more.   I hope you enjoy the images from this wonderful spring wedding! ~ Amanda

Elsy and Manuel

I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by.  As a new mom which I might add is a full time job in and of itself and a small business owner I am constantly wondering where the time goes.  I am eternally grateful to my end of August and September clients for their patience in getting all their photographs.  I was placed on strict bed rest due to complications with my pregnancy unexpectedly and all those weddings I had scheduled to be completed before baby Jacobs arrival got postponed and then backlogged as associate photographers were continuing to photograph.  One of the great things about our couples is how cool they are, always friendly and fun to work with.  Manuel and Elsy were no exception, with lots of family and friends in attendance Brandy and I with the help of Rebecca photographed their August 29th wedding.   Following their ceremony we headed over to the Fairview Park Marriott for some fun outdoor photographs.  After pictures came the party;  Manuel, Elsy their family friends showed us what it means to them to party.  The dance floor was full with everyone celebrating in style.  I hope you enjoy their sneak peak, it is a little longer then others as I wanted to give them a great sneak peak.   Check back at our  website next week to see their entire collection.

Tara & Bryan

I promised myself that I would not start another blog entry with some bit about it being a while since I last blogged.  So I won’t say it… The past months a lot has happened and changed in my personal life that has impacted my professional life as well.  My husband and I were expecting our first child, a baby boy.   I being  the work-a-holic kept photographing up until the doctor said no more and put me on bed rest due to complications.  Having just finished our busiest summer ever the bed rest back logged me on editing jobs.  I am so grateful to my clients who were all understanding and remain to be as I work hard at getting everything done.

Jacob Tyler Godlove made his entrance via c-section a little early on October 4, 2010 at 5 pounds 12 ounces.  He was and is to this day the epitome of tiny perfection.  Following a long weekend of rest I made my way back to the computer on Tuesday and began the process of catching up.  Jacob is so good and not fussy at all, although I confess he does like to be held or close to mom.  That’s me I can’t believe even when I hold him that I am a mom!   My husband came home one evening to find me typing away with Jacob held close and propped on my arm/ desk/ body.  It’s hard to describe but he is happy there and sleeps like (as the saying goes) a baby.  I was so happy I pointed out to my husband “look I can hold him and still work on the computer”.  My husband dryly  exclaimed that “there is a useful skill”.  I responded that it is and not to knock it or I will go into the questionable benefits of him holding the baby while playing his beloved X-Box.  Adding a baby into the mix doesn’t change who we are, it only increases the joy and pleasure we get out of our daily lives.

I will definitely continue to blog about our newest addition but want to share with you some images from Tara & Bryan’s wedding at Ceresville Mansion on August 20.  Tara and Bryan’s photography experience got off to a rough start when the photographers they originally booked canceled on them the Monday before their Friday wedding.   Every brides nightmare is that a vendor will not show up, second on the list of nightmares (I remember from my 2007 wedding) is that someone will cancel at the last minute.  Bryan who contacted me had one of the nicest, most sincere personalities.  After speaking with him and creating a custom package to meet their needs I hoped they would choose me;  I wanted to help this groom who was on a mission to make his bride happy again.  I was excited when Bryan contacted me back the next day to book me.  As we discussed what they were looking for in their photography it became apparent to me that we would be a good fit.  Although at the time I think Bryan and Tara were really looking at the best “fit” as someone being available .  Self described as easy going, laid back, not really particular just looking for the memories to be captured I made it my mission to exceed their expectations.  Unfortunately shortly after photographing this wedding I was placed on bed rest delaying getting their images to them by a few weeks.  Ever the nice couple they have been super understanding and I hope they and you enjoy this sneak peak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite images to photograph at Ceresville Mansion

 

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Samantha & Starling Engaged!

June 10th was one of those pleasant June days, not one of the baking hot I don’t want to move much less photograph days.  To make it even nicer I had an engagement session scheduled with Samantha and Starling at Meadowlark Gardens.  For my loyal blog followers you will know I often photograph couples, families and weddings there.  I even had my wedding reception in the atrium overlooking the expansive gardens.  One of my favorite things about Meadowlark is that while the backgrounds are beautiful and plentiful they serve a greater purpose allowing my couples and families personalities to shine through and not overshadow them.    It was the perfect choice for Samantha and Starling.  Samantha had very definite ideas about what she was looking for: fun, laughter, spontaneity and natural expressions.  They wanted their personalities, who they were as a couple to be the focus.  While we got  few  requisite classic poses for mom including “the proposal” re-staged; our focus was on being ourselves.  All three of us; while I am not in the photograph as a subject, who I am, my style, what I like about the people I am photographing, my likes and dislikes to some degree are all reflected in the images I create.  Often times it is these things why brides, couples and families select myself and the Lux Photographers to photograph their portraits or special events.

Focusing on fun and laughter we set out to have a good time.  It was readily apparent that Samantha was a believer in fun, with a myriad of expressions to reflect her moods.  Starling the good sport that he is warmed up quickly to Samantha’s antics to get him to laugh and be himself.  It is this part of photographing that I love best, the chance to be an observer and catch my couples in the moment, just enjoying each others company.   With only a little guidance from me Samantha and Starling interacted, created natural poses/ expressions and were just plain awesome!  I hope you enjoy the sneak peak into their collection as much as I enjoyed the time I spent with them.  Stop by our website where their entire collection will be posted soon.    If you like what you see stop by our Facebook page and become a fan!

I love Samantha's expression and her intensity in this one!

Jessica & Jason Engaged!

I really enjoy photographing engagement sessions and getting to know our couples.  I love watching their personalities emerge as we go through the session.  A little reserved at first after a few photos and minutes we’re having fun and enjoying the photography process.  I met up with Jessica and Jason at Meadowlark Gardens one of my go to spots for engagement sessions because of all the variety the park offers.  Even having been there before each session is different as no two couples are the same.  This one of those spring days you hope for not too hot and not to cold, blue sky’s with white puffy clouds that offered some relief when our eyes could take no more sun they darted out kindly and diffused the light.   The session started out with Jessica pulling out her way hot, hot pink heels which offered a great contrast to the greenery and natural colors the park was full of.   You can tell a lot from a woman about her shoes and these screamed fun.  I knew it was going to be a great day.  The groom did not disappoint either with his antics.   I was trying diligently not to anger the geese which have been known to be not so friendly when they learn you do not have any bread when Jason decided to try and “catch” a goose for the photograph.  Apparently there is a way if you grab them correctly you can hold onto them without getting hurt.  I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure this was a good idea…I had to snap a photograph as Jason took off after the geese.  Lucky for the geese they were ready for a swim and Jason was not and they escaped into the water.  We finished up the day as the sun was finishing the golden hour and the air was beginning to cool.  Here is a sneak peak of their images.

Fun feet!

Jessica & Wilson April 3, 2010; 2941 Restaurant

I met Jessica and Wilson at a menu tasting for brides at 2941 Restaurant.  Planning a more intimate event they were looking for fantastic photographs but not all the “extras” that sometimes come with large packages.  As 2941 is one of our preferred venues we often work closely to create custom packages for couples getting married there.  After describing what kinds of photographs they were looking for we realized we were a match!  Jessica wanted photos, photos and more photos focusing on fun and creative images especially of the bride and groom.   Desiring  a lot of poses of the two of them they chose to start with photography before the ceremony together.   With so many options for great backgrounds I knew I could deliver.   They  needed only one photographer and as I love the location assigned myself to the job.  One of the perks of being the boss

The groom picked up the bride and we began photographing prior to the ceremony to make sure they had plenty of time to spend at the party with their guests.  The ceremony went off without a hitch – no pun intended and the couple who already shared  the most common last name of Lee were now husband and wife.   Following the ceremony we finished up with a few more formals and then I got the chance to meet and photograph Jessica and Wilson with their friends, some formal and some not so formal.  Wilson just barely avoided getting dropped during one of their fun poses!  Please see our website under online viewing as well their slide-show highlighting key moments.  I hope you enjoy their images.

Jessica and Wilson excited to say there "I do's"

Husband and wife at last!

Jessica & Wilsons friends kicked up their heels and were ready to celebrate the new Mr. & Mrs.

Anthony & Tracy February 27, 2010; Overhills Mansion

February 27 was one of those clear days that looks great until you step outside into the cold.  Luckily Tracy and Anthony are not new to weddings, Anthony is a wedding DJ and they knew to make sure their February wedding held inside was warm and cozy.  Held at Overhills Mansion in Baltimore Maryland there was plenty of space for their ceremony and reception.

I had not been to Overhills in a few years and my friend and fellow photographer Victoria of Beautiful Rose Photography was kind enough to allow me to “tag along”.  I love what I do but every now and then I welcome the opportunity to not be in charge and be able to metaphorically “lurk” in the shadows and take photographs of whatever catches my eye.   Anthony and Tracy were full of smiles and I enjoyed catching some of those unexpected moments.  Here are a few of my favorites from that day.   Please stop by Lux Photography to see more examples of our work.

Capturing that "first look" before the couple headed outside to enjoy the sunset together.

The Mansion at sunset provided a dramatic backdrop for Tracy & Anthony as well as arriving guests.

Rushing to take care of those last few details before heading down the aisle.

Choosing to do a "first look" took nothing away from this grooms experience when he first saw his bride coming down the aisle.

Tracy had a few smiles of her own during the ceremony.

I love to watch couples expressions during their first dance as husband and wife.

Meadowlark Gardens

Those of you who are loyal blog followers may recognize Meadowlark Gardens as one of my favorite wedding and reception sites.  I know I seem to have a lot of “favorites”, there are just so many amazing wedding venues out there that I can’t just pick one or two.  This one holds a special place for me as it is where I chose to have my wedding reception.   I’m not the type of girl who had been planning her wedding since she was 2 however when my husband asked me to marry him I knew right away where we would hold our reception.  Meadowlark, I have been photographing at this site for many years; from intimate weddings on on the lake under the gazebo to family portraits & engagement sessions to ceremonies and receptions held at the atrium.  The park and I have a connection…   So much so that my mom got in line January 3rd at 7:30 am 2006 to reserve the site for June 30, 2007.  As an FYI if you are looking to book this site peak Saturdays fill up fast; Meadowlark begins the first day after the new year to take reservations for the following year.  At the time the rental rates were very reasonable and offered an incredible value for what you got hence the overwhelming demand for the site.   Reserving my date was a family effort, my dad stopped by to “refresh” my moms Starbucks later in the morning.  If you’re wondering my mom arriving at 7:30 am was fourth in line!  Unfortunately I was at a work related conference in San Diego, not to be deterred I had to promise my mom that I would begin calling them at 9:00 am when they opened (6:00 am in CA).  They alternate one reservation in person one from the phone.  Due to my job in corporate America and unofficial “mandatory” vacation times I had little flexability regarding my date (Saturday before 4th of July week).   Reserving this location was the only thing I stressed about, I had my heart set on this location.   Other then that I’ll be honest my mom and planner made a lot of decisions.  At one point we were looking at invitations and were 3/4 of the way through the selection process and I was done with wedding invitations, it pieces, thank you cards etc…  I looked at the planner and told her to pick something, she knew my tastes and I trusted her.  After all I had my venue site and a great guy, the rest was not worth stressing over or spending too much time making decisions.  I just realized I put venue site before the great guy, not sure what that says about me…

I love the atrium with it’s bring the outdoors in feel.  Ever concerned about the weather I wanted the outdoor feel to my reception and knew rain or shine the atrium would deliver that feeling.   We have one wedding scheduled there so far for this year and in speaking with my bride I realized that I had not featured this location on my blog.  How could I have missed this site?   Yet again I wasn’t able to narrow done the image selections too well as I wanted to show the atrium, gardens and all they have to offer.  Enjoy the images and if you have any questions about my experience there as a bride and or as a photographer let me know.

The patio overlooking the expanse gardens makes a stunning backdrop for ceremonies and cocktail hours.

Fans helped the guests stay cool during this outdoor ceremony.

Heading into the gardens for some fun formals after the ceremony.

Multiple bridges provide many opportunities for photographs.

Sunset at the gardens

Sneaking private moment...

Grand entrance for the new Mr. & Mrs.

Plenty of space to celebrate with friends and family in the Atrium.

The lights in the trees indoors add to the mystical feeling of this indoor garden and the first dance.

A memorable father daughter dance

Time to get serious and PARTY...

Guests always have a great time celebrating on the dance floor.

Lansdowne Resort Weddings

I can not believe what the winter we are having here in Northern Virginia.  For wedding photographers like myself this is the time of year when brides are looking for their photographers and booking in record numbers.  I had the chance to participate in several bridal shows this winter (in between snows) and was excited to meet with many of the brides we had met.  The snow has foiled many a consultation these past two weeks.  One bride located in Charlottesville tried multiple times to get into the area to get together and every time the snow prevented her.  She gave up… she went ahead and booked her date and we made plans to connect in the spring.   Our brides are feeling hopeful the spring will end before the cherry blossom season as we have scheduled several engagement sessions for downtown.

I’m keeping busy working on marketing materials, my business plan and transitioning over to a new office management program.    I love being a wedding photographer and having my own business yet sometimes I wish I could just photograph and edit.  Someday I’ll get an office manager…Until then I will continue to wear a multitude of hats, sometimes more then one at a time .

View of the hotel as you arrive at Lansdowne Resort

I took a look at past wedding to have some images to post and realized I had not done an entry on Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg Virginia.  A great location located on the edge of the Blue Ridge Region.  The Blue Ridge is one of the fastest growing “destination” locations for east coast brides.  If offers a multitude of activities for guests choosing to stay the weekend, from wineries to “antiquing”.  One of my favorite drives is Rt 15, north it takes you to Fredrick Maryland passing a pink polka dotted grain silo , south it takes you into the heart of the Blue Ridge region.

Back to Lansdowne, great staff, amazing views, large rooms to get ready in, a golf coarse for the guys, a billiards pub and more gives not only your photographer a variety of  backdrops for photographs but ensures that everything from keeping the guys entertained to the perfect party will be taken care of.   I realize I am starting to sound like an ad but this is one of the few locations that truly has it all.   I could write more but know most of my readers are coming for the pictures.  Enjoy!

To see more work from myself and other Lux Photographers please visit our website.  Like what you see?  Join us as a fan on Facebook.

View of the clubhouse from one of the suites

Even the cake benefits from the fantastic views!

Kristin & Ben October 31, 2009; Stone Manor Vineyard & Orchard

Halloween was the day Kristin and Ben choose to get married on.  With one exception every day the week prior had been grey, cold and rainy.  I had been looking forward to photographing at this location for some time now.  Kate had been there two weeks previously to photograph a couple who eloped and had brought back beautiful pictures set on incredible grounds.  I couldn’t wait for my turn…  Kristin and I spoke the week of her wedding to re-confirm everything and I was even more excited as she and Ben had chosen to do have their “first look” photographed so they would have plenty of times for portraits of the two of them prior to their ceremony.  I like to say my wedding mojo was on hand Saturday, when I arrived the sun was shining and the temperature was unseasonably warm.  We spent about an hour or so taking photographs around the grounds before heading one mile down the road to a quaint one room stone church.  Timing was perfect… the sky clouded up and the rain started just before the ceremony.  Ben and Kristin’s friends who had been staying at a campground were grateful too as the shuttle got lost and never arrived; not wanting to miss the ceremony these friends all hopped into the back of someone’s pickup truck and rode to the wedding.  Having photographed over 275 weddings this is the first time I’ve seen guests arrive in the back of a pick up truck.  These friends were committed to being there!

Willing to go to any lengths their friends arrived in a pickup just before the rain came down. The shuttle van scheduled to pick them up was MIA.

Trick or treating for the children in the wedding party - so cute!

Having taken all their photographs before hand Kristin and Ben had time to greet their guests outside the church (another lull in the rain – mojo at work again   ) and enjoy their cocktail hour held in the main house at Stone Manor.   The reception was held in a separate building behind the main manor house.  Being Halloween and having several children in the wedding party Kristin and Ben didn’t want them to miss out; prior to dinner the children put on their costumes and during dinner went “trick or treating” at the tables.  The guests willingly filled their pumpkins with candy.    So fitting with Kristin and Ben’s personalities – thinking about the children on their wedding day.

I had so much fun with this couple and was reminded that the most important thing on ones wedding day is spending time with each other, friends and family.   I would also be remiss if I didn’t tell you about Stone Manor and it’s green initiatives…  They compost, create some of their own electricity, offer locally grown produce, they even have the nicest composting restrooms for reception guests that I have ever seen (no smell- I’ll admit I was a worried and a little reluctant to enter).   Luxury is not an option in their guests rooms it is standard.  Soaking tubs, canopied beds, lounge areas, etc… are included with each room.   They refer to themselves as a country retreat and I can’t think of a more fitting description.   I hope to find time in the spring to “retreat” there myself.   Just another reason to love weddings, I get to check out awesome locales and find new places perfect for that long weekend (my weekend is usually consists of a Monday).   It is incredible the number of great choices couples have today to choose to celebrate their marriage at.  After 10 years of photographing weddings in the area I still haven’t been to them all.    As I keep photographing I’ll keep posting my favorite images from great locations.  If you want to see more of our work please visit our website.

I had such a hard time narrowing it down to just a few that I posted more than usual.  Enjoy!

Capturing that emotional First Look.

Incredible luxury for an "eco friendly" retreat

Picture perfect weather for our photography time gave way to rain later that day.

Just before heading down the aisle