Andrea + Chris are two of the sweetest and kindest people I’ve ever met – they’re also full of silliness and fun!  Their engagement session from this past spring was a blast and it’s not surprising that their festive New Year’s Eve wedding was a ton of fun for everyone!  These two have the cutest story – they were best friends for years before they finally started dating.  And they’re clearly so perfect for each other – it wasn’t surprising when the officiant during their ceremony said “it’s about time!” as they exchanged vows.  Andrea + Chris’ wedding day was chock full of laughter, smiles and tons of fun and celebration – we were lucky to be there!

Getting Ready, Ceremony & Reception Venue: Governor Calvert House in Annapolis, Maryland

Dress: Marisa

Hair: Maria from Behind the Veil

Invitation Design: Allison Barnhill Designs

Florist: Intrigue Designs

Videographer: The Wood Room

DJ: Karl from C&J Entertainment

Cake:  Fiona’s Cakes

Andrea + Chris’ invitations were custom-designed by Allison Barnhill Designs, and then personalized by using Andrea’s moms hand-written calligraphy!

This from Andrea about her gorgeous Chinese dress: “My Chinese relatives found a Chinese tailor in NY Chinatown to make the Chinese dress for me. It was made from fabric that my Popo (Grandma in Chinese) brought back from China over 50 years ago.”

I love the Chinese fabric wrapped around Andrea’s bouquet – such a unique touch

I loved that Andrea wrote on the bottom of her shoes.  She even wrote in blue ink so she’d have her “something blue!”

After family shots, we booked it out to the Statehouse lawn for some preview fireworks fun.

The next two shots require a little explanation.  Andrea and her dad danced to “Swinging on a Star.”  They actually acted out each of the animals during the dance!  In the 2nd shot, they are exhibiting the line in the lyrics:

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He ain’t got no manners when he eats his food
He’s fat and lazy and extremely rude

They also passed little cards to the guests with the lyrics written on them so everyone could sing along!

Super cute wedding favors!  These are chocolates with their vows on one side of the wrapper and engagement photos on the other side!

And as the night wore on and midnight loomed closer, things just got crazier and crazier!  I’ve never seen such a packed dance floor!

Countdown to midnight!  3….2….1……

……HAPPY NEW YEAR!

These guys are definitely going to be living happily ever after!

I thought Meredith & Matt really deserved to have a beautiful wedding day given the bravery of choosing a mid-November date.  So when the big day dawned and the weather was unseasonably gorgeous, I felt so happy for them!  Meredith & Matt’s wedding was tinged with a beautiful vibrant shade of pink, which gave everything a wonderfully celebratory feel.  Their reception at The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel near Dupont Circle was so much fun – we were thrilled to be a part of it!

Wedding Planning: Laura Ritchie of Events in the City

Hair: Beautiful Hair by Beverly

Makeup: Kim Giammaria of Beauty Mark

Dress: Watters

Ceremony: St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church in Washington, DC

Florist: Da Vinci’s Florist

Reception: The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel

Music: NightLife Band

Cake: Fluffy Thoughts

Cupcakes: Georgetown Cupcake

There’s just one perfect word to describe Faye + Henry’s wedding day: beautiful.  In every sense.  The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and everything went off without a hitch!  It was just a simple, wonderful and gorgeous day.  Faye + Henry have wonderful families who had such a great time taking pictures, giving lots of toasts and reveling in Faye + Henry’s happiness – it was wonderful to be a part of such a fantastic day!

Wedding Planning: Elizabeth Leibundguth of Cherry Blossom Events

Dress: Monique Lhuillier

Hair: Kass Benedick

Makeup: Gustavo Mottola

Florist: Wicked Willow

Ceremony & Reception: Chesapeake Bay Beach Club

Deejay:  Jaime Mizell Easson of E2 Events

Big thank you to Dana for these great shots of the guys getting ready!

Loved the cake topper!!  It was a custom-made tiny version of Henry + Faye wearing Caps jerseys!

Once the dance floor opened, Faye changed into this gorgeous, plum-colored, floor-length, fabulous gown!

Faith and Aaron are just about the most easy-going and all-around friendly people you’ll ever meet! They wanted their wedding to be fun, easy and relaxed – just a memorable and beautiful get-together with their family and friends. Hendry House in Arlington VA was the perfect location for just that atmosphere. The pre-ceremony cocktail hour complete with lawn games followed by a laid-back reception with barbecue from Rockland’s and a pie bar for dessert helped create the perfect setting. Faith and Aaron’s joie de vivre was infectious and combined with the absolutely perfect weather, their wedding day was unforgettable!

Wedding Planning: Sara Bauleke with Bella Notte

Catering: Rockland’s Barbecue & Grilling Company

Venue: Hendry House, Arlington VA

After the ceremony, Faith had a surprise when she took a closer look at her wedding ring and discovered that Aaron had secretly had them engraved with each others’ names an their wedding date.

When Laura + Ryan told me they were getting married at Shadetrees & Evergreens, I said, “where?”  It’s not a place I’d heard of and not many people have.  But it’s a hidden gem up near Frederick MD and is just one of the most natural, simple, and beautifully organic venues I’ve seen.  It was perfect for Laura + Ryan, who love nature and the woods – check out their forest-y engagement session!   Their wedding was full of beautiful, warm details – my favorite was the pie bar, although the apple tree was a close second.  The weather was not so cooperative and it rained all day long, pretty non-stop.  But at Shadetrees, the pavilion has a glass roof.  So even under the pavilion, you can still see everything outside and you feel like you’re in a beautiful clearing in the woods.  And the sound of the rain on the roof was so enchanting during their ceremony!

Wedding Planning: Tiffany Parry of Ribbon Box Events

Venue: Shadetrees & Evergreens

Dress: Wtoo

Florist: Ory Custom Florals

Caterer: Canapes Catering

DJ: Luciano’s Entertainment

Love the look on Laura’s dad’s face when he sees her ready to walk down that aisle!

During the ceremony, Laura & Ryan combined dirt from each parents’ yard into the pot of an apple tree that they’ll plant in their own yard.  It was so sweet and so perfect for these two!

The steaming hot food was delicious!