This summer has been so full to the brim that I’ve hardly had a chance to breathe!  And in all the bustle, I never got around to posting a few favorite images from Laura & Nate’s wedding at Brookside Gardens in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Shooting this wedding with the always fun Amber Byrne of Live It Out Photography was such a blast!  Laura & Nate are wonderful people and their family and friends were so sweet and genuine.  I had the opportunity to get to know Laura’s mom a bit in the car ride from Brookside to Restaurant Nora (where the reception was held) and was so fascinated to hear all about her many times living abroad – she has amazing stories!  It was also at Laura & Nate’s wedding that I first heard about Global Giving, which has just become one of my favorite sites to follow and support international aid efforts.  Definitely check it out!

These are just a few favs – enjoy!

Everyone should get just a little bit silly on their wedding day!

Rosie, my lovely foster kitty, was found wandering the streets in Virginia.  No one was looking for her and she was very hungry, and, well, yes – quite preggers!  A wonderful woman scooped her off the streets, had her checked by a vet and fed her well, but couldn’t keep her.  Lucky Rosie was taken in by Homeward Trails Animal Rescue when I agreed to foster her.  Rosie is so sweet and darling and has been such a joy to have with us.

When I went to sleep Saturday night, it was just Rosie and her big belly.  When I checked on her Sunday morning, it was Rosie plus one!  Number two (the gray one) and number three (the orange one) came soon after and the whole family is doing great.  I can’t even believe how quickly these little guys grow!  These photos were taken when they were only 5 hours old – their eyes won’t open until they’re about a week old.  These little guys will need homes when they are old enough (about 8 weeks), so keep them in mind if you’re looking to adopt kittens.  And in the meantime, they need names -so definitely comment on this post with ideas for names!  The gray and orange kittens are both boys and the tortoiseshell kitten is a girl.

I make no secret of the fact that I am a big fan of Kimpton Hotels.  It’s really about three things for me.  One, they allow dogs to stay in the hotel, no extra charge.  We took my dog to Hotel Rouge once and she was so scared of the bellman, but he was so sweet to her – I loved it!  Two – they give you cheaper parking if you drive a hybrid – yes, it’s true!  And three – the colors, oh my, the colors!

So before I had a chance to get to know Lindsay and Mark, I was so very excited to shoot their wedding at Hotel Monaco in Washington, DC.  The hotel is in the old post office building, in the heart of downtown DC, and is just full of amazing colors and textures and great old stuff.  And after I spent some time with Lindsay & Mark at our consultation and during their engagement session, I was even more excited.  These two are such truly kind people – you can quickly see how much their friends and family love that about them and it’s so easy and wonderful to spend time with them.  Lindsay’s maid of honor remarked during her toast that Lindsay is the sort of friend who is always there and never forgets a birthday, an anniversary or an important moment.  She and Mark have clearly found such happiness together and I wish them all the best!

I love this dress shot so much that I can’t even stand it!  I want to live in that gorgeous staircase!

A little last-minute tracking-down of the boutonnieres – these two are lucky to have such wonderful and helpful family!

Lindsay’s brother and her almost-husband (at that moment anyways) get their finishing touches…

The ceremony was at Holy Rosary Church, which is stunning.  I loved this moment before the ceremony – Lindsay’s mom hugging Mark’s mom.

I loved the toasts given by Lindsay & Mark’s family and friends.  There were many references to Lindsay’s kindness, loveliness and childhood pigtails.  And everyone agreed that she had just married the most stand-up guy in town!

Dana and I were pretty blown away at the way this crowd could dance – it was hard not to join in!  Ok, I admit, we may have moved our hips a bit as we shot!

Labor Day weekend was a busy one for us, but with this gorgeous weather, it breezed by!  The weather was just perfect for Fausta & Sean’s engagement session on Monday and we had a blast wandering around DC.  It’s no secret that I love to laugh and love even more to photograph people who laugh.  So spending the evening with Fausta & Sean, who couldn’t stop laughing, was just heavenly!

I call this one…..”elements of a fabulous dip!”

Sarah & Nick both have big, cheerful families and everyone came to celebrate the happiness of their big day.  It was so much fun to see how much their friends and family just adore them – the warmth and support was seriously thick in the air!  And no two people could be more deserving.  These two are so sweet and perfect together.  Sarah & Nick bring out the best in each other – when they’re together, they just get so cute and giggly that everyone else can’t help but giggle too!  Their wedding day was full of love and celebration – congratulations you guys!

The flowers, by Jonathan’s Weddings & Flowers, were colorful, cheerful and perfect!

Sarah looked absolutely amazing and I loved the detail on her dress!

Check out her nails – oh so cute!

It could not have been a more perfect day – the sky was just impossibly blue over St. Stephen Church in Bradshaw, Maryland.  St. Stephen’s is just so quaint and gorgeous!

Sarah & Nick exited the church to a shower of bubbles!

I loved their cake – such a great little Eiffel Tower topper!

One of Sarah’s bridesmaids caught the bouquet and her lucky boyfriend happened to catch the garter!

……and then there was much merry-making…..

…celebration…

…and floor dancing!!