Washington, D.C. Wedding Blog – Real Weddings, Inspiring Ideas, Planning Tools, & Top Vendors in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia
Hotel Monaco Alexandria Cultural Wedding
Sareh Nouri 
Dance Band Showcase - Monday, February 6th
Mandarin Oriental Wedding
Edge Floral Event Designers
Bride Blogger Update: Shoes
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Strong Mansion Wedding
Fluffy Thoughts Cakes
Mount Vernon Inn
Bride Blogger Update: Cake!
District Favorites and Chic Longview Gallery Wedding
Beautiful Local Invitations
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Mansion on O Street
Bride Blogger Update: Flowers
Modern Orthodox Jewish Gay Wedding
Tangerine Tango
Bride & Groom Unveiled
Much Ado About Nothing Tickets Giveaway
A picture is worth a thousand words…and MaryBeth will certainly show you why with her engagement pictures…
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A few weeks ago, I posted about my struggles in finding the perfect engagement photo outfit. This week, instead of telling you about our amazing engagement photos shot by Jennifer Lust, I am going to let the photos do the talking!
This post is spoken from a true fashionista bride’s perspective – I totally agree and love it! With Marybeth‘s fabulous style, I am certain she picked the perfect outfit!!
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A few weeks ago I wrote about finding a setting for our engagement photos. I thought choosing the setting would be the most difficult part, turns out what to wear was the biggest obstacle.
A few weeks before our session, I spoke with our photographer about potential locations and what to wear. Deciding what to wear was complicated with color choices, making it season and location appropriate.
Today, Marybeth is back to let us know about her the awesome decision for the setting of her e-photos!
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While James and I have been engaged since December, we still have not done our engagement photos. Initially, I thought it would be beautiful to have our pictures done while the cherry blossoms were in bloom. I pictured us posing along the Tidal Basin and sitting on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. Then I started thinking about all the other things that come with the cherry blossoms, huge tourist crowds and crowded metro cars. Yes, we could pose on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, but did I want 200 of our closest strangers in the background of our pictures? Not to mention the unpredictability of the blossoms and when they bloom.
So the cherry blossoms were out, and then our planner brought up something I hadn’t even thought about, the photographer for our engagement photos should be our wedding photographer. Not only do most wedding photographers include an engagement session in their packages is also an opportunity for your photographer to get to know you and how you both photograph. That last part is huge for me as I am not the most photogenic person.
Okay, our wedding photographer would do our engagement photos, but before choosing a photographer we needed a wedding date, which of course meant we needed a reception venue and a church. Six months later, as you have seen from previous posts, we have our church, venue and date. BUT…it has been 100 degrees with 70% humidity, how pretty would I look with flat hair and melting make-up?
All that in mind, we settled on a date in September for our engagement session. Next we had to decide where we would take our photos. I drive by Glen Echo Park on a regular basis and always love looking at the retro sign, especially at night with its neon colors. I started thinking that the park could be a pretty cool place for pictures. One evening I Googled “Glen Echo Park Engagement Photos” and it was confirmed – it would be an amazing location! Did I mention they have a carousel? Below are my favorite photos that came up during my search. In September I will share some of our photos with you.
Photography Credit: Michelle Lindsay Photography
Photography Credit: Lydia Jane Photography
Photography Credit: Maria Vicencio Photography
ACME Party Box just introduced a brand new product – “photo booth” backdrops!
Available in a wide range of chic colors and designs, ACME Party Box’s custom “photo booth” backdrop comes with two chalkboard “bubbles” that wedding guests can write their own messages on to the bride and groom. These are retailing for $135.00, perfect for those who have not necessarily budgeted for a full traditional photo booth.
The 3.5′ x 7′ backdrop can be repurposed in a many different ways post-wedding, keeping in line with ACME’s philosophy of sustainability and reuse. Seriously, they have so many cute things, I can’t stand it!!
A few weeks ago I updated the District Favorites list and I could not be more excited about the new addition of Abby Jiu! Not only is she an extremely talented photographer, she is super adorable and stylish – a total sweetheart!
Today, we are catching up with Abby to hear all about her take on being a local DC photographer — it is great insider advice for us all!
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What should a couple look for when meeting with (and eventually deciding on) a photographer?
I’ve found the most important things when it comes to choosing a photographer are style and personality. There are so many different styles, and initially couples are learning about what they want. For many of them, this is the first time that they begin learning about photography and end up figuring out what they want after research and help from their planners.
It’s important for not only the couple, but also the photographer, to feel that they are working with someone who is a good fit for them, and that both will enjoy working together. Although it is very important for the couple, photographers many times are selective as well, preferring to work with couples that share the same vision and appreciate the type of photography that they specialize in. And for personality, that is something that you can immediately tell on the first call or meeting. A photographer is with the couple for most of the wedding day, and couples are looking for someone they feel comfortable with and can enjoy being around.
For the photographer, it’s important they help to create a memorable and enjoyable experience throughout their day and finding a couple who you get along with is key. It’s a much more enjoyable experience for the couple and photographer if personalities mesh and work well together.
District Weddings Editor
