Lydia Jane Photography

KRISTEN AND CALEB - ENGAGED (DISNEY WORLD, FLORIDA)

2012-02-29T07:03:00.003-08:00

Once upon a time there lived a girl named Kristen. Kristen grew up in Maryland and met Lydia in middle school where they played basketball and started a cleaning "business" together. They named their Swiffers and sponges and thought it was normal. They became best friends.

And then there was Caleb. Who grew up in Oklahoma and met Lydia curbside at Reagan National Airport when he flew to surprise Kristen in January 2011. It was the second time he had flown on an airplane and he really liked all the trees. Lydia thought Caleb was nice.

"Hi, where do I wait in line for the princess show?"- "You can wait to MEET the princesses here. It's not a show." - "Ooh..." Let it be known from the start that I know very little about Disney and their World or Land. I went about 18 years ago and all I remember are the long lines. So when Caleb told me that he would be proposing to Kristen at Disney World in Florida it felt like I was booking a flight to the Amazon, just with a lot more sparkles. And the mice wear polka dots.

But what do you know, the place is charming! I don't recommend going by yourself (haha) but it is a sweet little (and by little I don't mean little) place. I entertained myself for a few hours taking photos of the landscapes. As the day came to a close I started to get serious about my mission. To Kristen's knowledge I was still in Maryland texting her that I miss her and wish I could hang out with her. Really I was fresh off an airplane and wandering the magical streets of Disney pretending I knew what "confectionery" meant.

I had my game face on. A disguise too. I was determined not to be seen by Kristen. Because the only thing she ever asked was that she be completely surprised when she was engaged. She didn't care if it was public, private, skydiving or underwater. She just wanted to be surprised! There's something else you need to understand about Kristen: she has the most unnatural memory ever. She could tell you what I was wearing when she first met me in middle school. So I had to try extra hard to wear something she wouldn't recognize or think "Huh, that looks like Lydia." Which resulted in me looking like this. I looked like a middle aged soccer mom stalker with a camera and sunglasses. Hahah I still laugh looking at these photos.

So, you may be wondering how I found Kristen and Caleb at all in the sea of humans. Well, Caleb was taking a lot of "bathroom breaks" and updating me on where they were and what they looked like. His description of what Kristen was wearing was my personal favorite. "She's wearing a topless dress" - "TOPLESS? You mean strapless?" - "Oh sure. Same thing." - "No, Caleb, they are not the same thing."

At around 6pm he called me to let me know the had a dinner reservation at the Liberty Tree Tavern at 6:45pm. He also told me that it was the last time he was going to be able to call me without suspicion and that if I didn't spot them leaving dinner I would never be able to find them in the dark before he proposed. YAY nerves! I was freaking out of my mind. I proceeded to lock my eyes on the front door of the Tavern for the next two hours (while hiding behind a trash can, of course) and text Courtney and Julie non-stop to keep me from passing out. Haha I have honestly never felt so much pressure during a shoot in my life. I was so worried I would mess it up.

At 8:15pm I spotted Kristen and Caleb leaving dinner and followed them around the corner. The parade started an hour later and Disney shut off all the street lights. In the cover of darkness I slowly crept closer and closer.

Finally the parade was finished, the light show wrapped up, and the fireworks portion of the night upon us! Or so I thought. A voice came over the loudspeaker and in a oh-so-calm voice informed everyone that the "Fireworks show will begin in just 5 minutes." Clinkblinkclickclink the park lights turned on and suddenly I was standing 10 feet away from Kristen and Caleb in the near bright of day. NO! I immediately dropped to the ground and pretended to tie the imaginary laces on my Urban Outfitters flats for the next 5 minutes. Those were the longest 5 minutes of my life.

And then it started. The most heart pounding, eye watering, insane moment I've ever experienced behind a camera. My best friend was swept off her feet by her soon-to-be-fiance and placed in a bed of flowers on the other side of the fence. I threw myself over the said fence and started shooting away in the near pitch black.

It's stupid for me to even try and describe the next 10 minutes. Kristen does a wonderful job of that on her blog here! Let me just say between me throwing off my shoes and sprinting through the Disney soil, the audience spontaneously clapping and cheering, my best friend sobbing and smiling harder than I thought humanly possible, Caleb NOT dropping the ring (praise God), and those flipping insane fireworks, it was one of the most surreal, ecstatic moments of my life thus far.

I love these next five photos so much.

And Caleb's happy dance was one of my favorite moments of the night. ;)

Oh, bestie. I'm so happy beyond words you found Caleb and that you had your dream SURPRISE engagement that you sometimes wondered wasn't possible (or at least we didn't think was possible, you little sneak). Caleb, you are the man. I've loved these past few months helping you find the ring, etc. Both of yous, I will never ever forget that group hug.
Much love forever and always,Lydia

MR. AND MRS. COOL (LAWSON HALL, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA)

2012-02-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

I photographed this beautiful wedding at Lawson Hall in Virginia Beach. Nothing like a outdoor wedding that hits the jackpot and scores incredible weather. Not to mention incredibly attractive people and amazing details! Here are some of my favorites from the day.

One of my favorite parts of this wedding was the cocktail hour after the ceremony. If you are a wedding photographer you know cocktail hour is one of the busiest times of the day. You're just finishing up the formal photos and you have ten minutes (if that!) to get all the reception details before all the guests pour in and drop their beers on the table. But this cocktail hour was incredible. Ryan and Haley had tables and chairs set up with multiple drinking stations, live music, and lots of time to relax and enjoy each other's company before the sun went down. It was one of the only times I can remember standing still long enough to admire just how beautiful everything was.

FAMILY SESSION (BRIGHTON, ENGLAND)

2012-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

It's summer planning time in Lydia's world! Lots of amazing opportunities and adventures are on the horizon. I can't wait to share them with you. But looking ahead always causes me to look back for at least a second. Which is when I realized that I never posted this wonderful family session! I photographed this session on the beautiful Brighton coast right before Hannah's incredible wedding. <--(FYI, this is one of my favorite weddings of all time so if you haven't seen it yet pshh, what are you waiting for?)

These people are so very dear to me. It's a little nuts to realize I've only known them since Reuben & Ruth's wedding in London two years ago. They have treated me with real kindness and generosity and I'm very lucky to know them. And I don't care what stereotypes Americans give the Brits, these Brits know how to go a little crazy! I think I was laughing outloud the entirety of this family session.

Then...

...and now :)

One of my favorites from the evening

Hahah guys, don't kill me for posting this. It's one of my favorites. I miss you all.

MR. AND MRS. HARRINGTON (HOWARD COUNTY CONSERVANCY, MARYLAND)

2012-02-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

Hello all! It's Monday and everybody hates a Monday so here's a wedding to brighten your day a bit. This wedding is especially cheerful and sweet. Occasionally I'll shoot a wedding and think "Wow, these two people are going to do something big in this world together" and this wedding was one of those. Will & Kate's wedding ceremony was royally rained out. The chairs were all set up in the garden when it rained some serious cats and dogs. But you would have thought Will & Kate didn't notice the way they didn't skip a happy, smily beat and rearranged their entire wedding day to bring the ceremony inside. If you aren't smiling along after looking through these photos then your Monday must have really sucked and I'm truly sorry haha.

TWIN REFLEX (VINEGAR HILL CREATIVE, PENNSYLVANIA)

2012-01-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

This week I've been shooting away on the set of Twin Reflex, a film by the wonderful storytellers at Vinegar Hill. I've talked about them lots of times on my blog. (Like the time I tagged along on their NYC shoot in 2010) My brother Michael is the Director of Photography at the company and I'm sort of connected to everybody in the business some way or another. I've photographed 3 of the 5 member's weddings!

Anyways, this week has been amazing. I've always wanted to take on longer photo assignments than 6 or 7 hour weddings and this has definitely been that! It's pretty darn cold here in Pennsylvania. It's been snowing for the past two days and right now it's about 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside. But it's the best watching my brother in his element. And the entire cast and crew are excellent. I love seeing artists flourish in their field. It's not easy for anyone to find a job these days but I feel like it's especially hard for an artist to make a living doing their art. So, needless to say this week has been exciting and encouraging.

A lot of the script is top secret but the writer/director David Altrogge said I could post a few to my blog! So, do enjoy and make sure you watch the Twin Reflex trailer below.

Twin Reflex - Trailer 1 from Vinegar Hill on Vimeo.

This man's name is Bingo O'Malley and he recently appeared in the movie Super 8! I sorta geeked out because I love that movie to death. It was a pleasure having him on set.

MRS. AND MRS. ECKENRODE (WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA)

2012-01-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

This wedding took place where many of my weddings do these days - Western Pennsylvania! If you are a dedicated follower of my blog you will see many familiar faces in this post.

I loved this wedding so much. I started photographing in Ligonier at an adorable B&B named The Campbell House. It was nice to be back in Ligonier after photographing the Hood wedding earlier that year. That town always reminds me so much of Gilmore Girls. The ceremony and reception took place in Laurel Summit State Park.

Randi is a complete sweetheart. If you don't want to be friends with her after looking at these next three photos then you're crazy.

The girls dresses were made by a local seamstress named Gail Riley. If you want her contact info hit me up!

The wedding ceremony was minutes from commencing when it started POURING. A full out flood kind of rain storm.

But did that stop smiley Randi and warm hearted Chris from getting married? Pshh no way. Take a look at this face. It melts my heart.

My brother Mike and his beautiful wife Jocelyn played a big behind the scenes part at the wedding. It was the best having them there. :) You can look at photos from their wedding in May here!

And here are wonderful Ian and Larissa from undoubtedly the most popular wedding I've ever photographed! Check out their incredible story here and amazing wedding here.

YEAR 2011

2011-12-31T18:12:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 has finally come to an end. Each year I try and blog a retrospective of the past year. Normally I blog a large post of my favorite photos from the past year. But this past year has been a lot more than photos. It has been the toughest and I daresay the most important year of my life thus far. I will never forget the year 2011 for a lot of reasons. But just in case I forget the happy ones I've made this film to remember them by.

I wish each and every one of you a happy new year! If you have a second, please comment so that I can thank you for being a part of my life this year.

Love, Lydia

My Year from Lydia Jane on Vimeo.

MR. AND MRS. CONNER (OUTER BANKS, NORTH CAROLINA)

2011-12-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

*Buzzbuzzzz* "That's probably Erin," Larry announced as he pulled out his iPhone. I glanced at the screen. Much to my surprise instead of a photo of Erin it was a photo of a kitty cat. Well, there was Erin sitting next to the kitty cat. But mostly it was a kitty cat. "Oh my gosh," I whispered to myself. "I think this is my dream couple."
"A Wes Anderson affair" that's how Larry and Erin chose to describe their wedding to me. Wes Anderson directed one of my favorite movies of all time, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. As if that didn't confirm how awesome this wedding was going to be I also spent the two hour drive from the Norfolk airport to Corolla, North Carolina gushing with Larry about Led Zeppelin and our favorite concerts.
And did I mention kittens?

Larry & Erin's wedding was perfection on so many levels. It was a very small wedding, only family and close friends. And we all stayed in a gorgeous beach house right off the coast. During the day the sound of laughter filled the walls and at night the sound of waves lulled us to sleep. It was one of the most peaceful, refreshing weddings I've ever had the pleasure of photographing.

I like throwing out little tributes to my favorite fine artists - This photo was inspired by the wonderful Vincent Van Gogh's "Shoes"

Larry & Erin opted to have a "First Look". Yes and please.

I swear the light in North Carolina is magic. I've photographed one wedding previously in NC in 2009 and it was exactly the same way. So, if you are from North Carolina and looking at this right now - bring me back!

I'm a sucker for good ties. And this wedding was packed full of them.

I can't end this post without thanking Larry & Erin's magnificent family and friends for welcoming me into their lives and their home for a weekend. You all were amazing. And Larry & Erin, you know what I think about you guys. :) You are just the best. Thank you. Hug the kitties for me.
(This wedding was edited using VSCO Film. If you are a photographer and not using this amazing tool yet - what are you waiting for?? I can't say enough great things about it.)

WHAT I DO (PERSONAL)

2011-11-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

I've been editing like crazy this weekend. (If you are one of my clients and reading this right now - I'm working hard to get you your photos before the holidays!) But, naturally, with all this time spent staring at a computer monitor tweaking thousands of photos I've had some time to think as well.

I've thought about how lucky I am to have a job I feel confident in. That I've never looked down and thought "what is this camera doing in my hands!?" It's the most natural thing in the world to me. When I'm shooting I'm in my comfort zone. And the older I get the more I realize that being good at something and enjoying something do not always go hand and hand. And that even if you are lucky enough to find this you can rarely make a living from it. So, I'm thankful that I can say that with my job.

I've also thought about how crazy bizarre my weddings can be at times. If you follow me on Twitter you've read some of my thoughts. At my last wedding of the season I realized that my job makes staying the weekend at a beach house with 30 strangers completely normal. My job makes helping a bride use the bathroom and sharing my chapstick with groomsmen pure instinct. I've had to play the role of best friend, confidant, roommate, deejay, wedding planner, seamstress, florist, waitress, interior decorator, chauffeur, babysitter, peacemaker, drill sergeant and, oh, photographer all in one day. I've had people curse at me, ask me out, dry hump me, spill beer on me, call me ugly, call me beautiful, make me laugh, and make me run into the bathroom crying. I've been in a car accident on the way to a wedding and had to lie my face off that I felt fine the whole day. I've had trials in my personal life that have haunted me like ghosts and made it hard to photograph two people entering 'happily ever after'. But, I've also cried happy tears, made true friends, felt so much happiness I thought I would burst, taken photos I couldn't be more proud of, and visited far away places surrounded by complete strangers only to be loved and treated like family.

In one month I will graduate college. It's been insanely difficult at times to balance work and school, but I know I will look back and be incredibly proud of myself for not taking the easy path. Because honestly life is anything but easy. And I've wanted to quit it more times this past year than I ever have before. But I think if you make your life about other people it might actually be worth it. And that's one of things I'm the most thankful for with my photography business - that it's just as much about me as it is about the people I photograph. I have shot five years of days that people will often look back on as the happiest of their lives. And if I can preserve that happiness for anyone I'd say my job was well done.

Here are a few photos to close out this post. If you are a wedding photographer you know what I mean when I say that you can feel like the designated driver for hundreds at a wedding reception. ;) You witness all the crazy while not actually being a part of it. It makes for some very honest photos I think.

Much Love & Happy Thanksgiving

SNOWEEN? (PERSONAL)

2011-10-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've been known to get very excited about the first snow of the season. I like to grab my camera and run outside and try to catch the first few measly flakes before they melt instantly.

However, this year decided to surprise me and give me the first snow in OCTOBER. Yeah, December is soo last year. So, here's a shot of the first snow we received over the weekend. Or "Snoween" as I decided to call it.

What's your costume for Halloween?? I channeled my inner Emma Stone (yeah, I wish) and dressed as Skeeter from The Help.

(source)

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY (PERSONAL)

2011-10-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

My, oh, my am I juggling a million things at once these days. But that's what I get for being in college full-time while I run a business! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way. But naturally that means a few things fall off the map (like blogging) while all this is going on. So, in effort to keep you all updated in the best way I know how here is a iPhone photo post of what I have been up to in the past 2 months!

Thanks for looking. :)
Love, Lydia

MR. AND MRS. RAISS (BRIGHTON, ENGLAND)

2011-09-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there. I'll cut straight to the point - I am really excited to show you these photos.

This wedding was a highlight in my career thus far. I've flown around quite a bit for my job. I won't pretend I've "done it all" or "seen the world" because haha that's not at all true. But I honestly haven't photographed a wedding where I was so far removed from my usual life and yet felt completely at home. Whereas most weddings last a day, I felt like this one lasted an entire week. Granted, it lasted a LOT longer for those actually in charge because there was at lot of time and attention poured into this beautiful wedding. But as a photographer not normally involved I was honored to participate a little bit in the wedding process. I "poofed" decorations, sorted hundreds of champagne glasses (Hint: there are at least four different kinds. Who knew.), mimicked the bridesmaids' beautiful table setting skills, and well, tried not to get in the way! I've been in weddings, attended weddings, and certainly photographed dozens of weddings, but I've never had the opportunity be so hands-on the week of a wedding that would have otherwise been another Saturday at work had it been a wedding back home.

Oh, and I was in England. Remember, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis from last summer? Well, at the beginning of this year I received an email from Ruth's sister, Hannah! Her fiance Tom had just proposed to her (In Bath...in the rain...talk about movie material) and she wanted to see if I would come back and photograph her wedding as well. Would I? Hmm, not sure. YES, of course.

And this is how that wedding day began in Brighton, England on a Saturday morning. I love color too much to normally black and white many photos but I saw this entire morning in black and white so that's how I'm showing it to you.

Hannah is an incredible girl. Just a little older than myself she has such an infectious laugh and warm heart that you will find her hugging you, offering to help you, and probably feeding you before you have even spoken one word in return. Hannah, I know you'll read this at some point so I want to take this opportunity to say you are one special girl. Tom was right to never let you go.

Hannah loves the Lord, Tom, and her family/friends the most. But after that I would say sparkle is her next best friend. ;) If you need any proof of that look up and down right now. The ring below is a "are you serious? that's real?" six carat family heirloom on Tom's side of the family. I tried it on and immediately started laughing and panicking at the same time. I don't believe I'll ever be worth as much as I was for the 3 minutes it sat on my finger.

Hannah has some of the loveliest friends. They helped her with so much of the wedding preparation the week of the wedding and certainly made my job easy when it came time to photograph them! Aren't they stunning?

Three of the best women I've ever had to pleasure to photograph.

The ceremony took place at the beautiful and historic St. Peter's Church, often referred to as "Brighton's cathedral". My first sight upon arriving at the church was the wedding programs featuring a photo by yours truly taken on my day trip to Brighton with Kristen last summer! How sweet.

LOVE this.

This sweet little girl stared at Hannah for the longest time before getting any words out. I love how you can just see her dreaming of being in Hannah's shoes one day.

Ok, so I know I've gushed about Hannah up until now, but now it's Tom's turn. I met Tom for the first time on the dance floor at Ruth and Reuben's wedding. I had just put down my camera for a little fun when he swept me up to dance with the others.

Watching Tom at his own wedding he was exactly the same way - inclusive, kind, fun loving, and sincere. It didn't take me long to find out he was sort of a rugby star too. So, that said, of course during his toast he apologized for crying during the wedding. ;) But that didn't keep him from crying again right after he apologized.

Tom, I like that about you. Because there's a time to dance, a time to play and honestly after a day as beautiful as your wedding day, marrying a beautiful girl like Hannah, a time to cry too.

Below is one of my favorites from the day. Can I just say my sense of humor was made for a British girl and accidentally given to me? Because I love being sarcastic. Love it. I don't remember who said what or why but I know we did a lot of laughing that week and I feel like this photo captures that pretty well.

And from here on down...takes me breath away.

I won't write another book, but I want to quickly talk about Tom and Hannah's relationship. They have been together for a long time - seven or so years. However, they are still only in their early twenties. I remember Hannah telling me about how she's loved going to all her friend's weddings, many of whom are a bit older. But then she laughed and said how her and Tom, while they are younger, have been together the longest. It wasn't said in a proud "Look how much better we are" way, rather I remember hearing that and simultaneously hearing "Praise God for being with us all that time. Whether we recognized Him or not we couldn't have done it without Him." I won't put words in Hannah's mouth, but from what I know of her and Tom I think she would agree.

The Lord worked in each of their lives and brought them to their wedding day as two people even more committed to a life of love for each other and service to the Lord than when they started their relationship so many years ago. And I praise God for that.

Such. good. smiles.

Oh, hey, that's us!

Now to the amazing reception. Hannah and Tom created a carnival themed layout with an ice cream truck, tipi tent, picnic benches, and a bouncy castle. I was in love.

The boys in front of the awesome tipi. I want one so badly.

The lovely Ruth and Reuben from last summer's incredible wedding in London.

Tom and Hannah brought in a band from one of their favorite pubs to play during the reception. Live music for the win! It took an already perfect day and ended it perfectly.

Tom and Hannah - Words can't even begin to express how wonderful your wedding was so hopefully my pictures make it a little more evident. :) Thank you so much for welcoming me into your lives with open arms and for trusting me with such a special day. You two make one incredible couple and I pray that the Lord will exceed your expectations in your new life together! Much love, Lydia.

MR. AND MRS. EWING (UNION MILLS HOMESTEAD, MD)

2011-08-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Heyhey! How is everybody doing? I've been a busy wedding shooting bee this summer and have a few weddings I can't wait to show you all. In case you're ever curious what I'm up to when I'm not posting on my blog do check out my Twitter. I love posting sneak peeks and funny stories from the weddings I shoot. So, what are you waiting for? Follow me!

This wedding took place at the lovely Union Mills Homestead in Westminster, MD. I had never been there before and it was just beautiful. Not to mention I think I really did fall in love with the wedding party and guests. I stalled a good 20 minutes at the end of my contracted time because I didn't want to leave. And once I did leave I felt like I hadn't just done my job but that I had also made friends. That's the best.

Before I get a hundred emails about where these girls got their dresses from I'll just tell you here: the one and only Anthropologie! Beautiful, right?

Tyler and Jessica went detail crazy for their reception. I was in heaven!

The favors were tea bags from Baltimore, MD. Haha I suddenly felt very far away from home.

Tyler and Jessica flew out their friend Jeff Alfiero from Nashville (where they now live together) to play during the reception. Can I just say live music is incredibly superior to any sort of mix at a reception? Or, forget a reception, anywhere for that matter! He played/sang for 4 hours straight - no sheet music, no lyrics. And he even took one of my requests! I was very impressed. Jeff, if you're reading this, you made my night.

Tyler is an incredibly talented musician himself. He composed much of the music for the wedding!

Tyler & Jess - You two are a wonderful couple. Thank you for having me on the first day of your life together. I wish you the very best forever and always.

MR. AND MRS. HOOD (LIGONIER, PA)

2011-06-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Little not-so-unknown fact - I shoot a lot of wedding in Pennsylvania. In fact, on average I have probably photographed more weddings in PA then MD. And I love this. Why? Because it's all word of mouth. I've never especially "targeted" Pennsylvania residents, or begged my relatives to pass my business card around. It's all due do the amazing couples that I have photographed passing my name onto their cousin who then shows her roommate who then shows her best friend. I love trying to trace my way back to the source. And this next wedding can be traced back to the Sylvester wedding two years ago. The bride's family remembered my photos of the Sylvester wedding and in March I received an 1,080 word email from a sweet, smart, and incredible girl named Meghan.

And this is the story of how Meghan and Matt fell in love.

"We are neighbors, not like "next door neighbors", but I can see his house from my bathroom window kind of neighbors."

"He's 6 years older than me, so at the time, he was away at school in State College and I was a 14 year old with a crush on a boy that I thought was TOTALLY out of my league."

Push pause on the story real quick. This is Meghan. Graduated high school when she was sixteen-interned at the Smithsonian American Art Museum-majored/minored in Art History, Graphic Design, and French-Meghan. Um, yeah. She's smart and beautiful.

And this is her awesome bouquet.

Mmkay, back to the story...

"I had gotten an internship in DC at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and so I was away that summer, then immediately left for Paris to study abroad for what I thought was going to be an entire school year."

"When I got to Paris I was terribly homesick, and missed Ligonier so much."

"One day I saw that Matt was on Facebook and I just started talking to him. And that was that. Every night after that while I was in Paris he would get online and we would chat for hours."

"We made each other feel better and became friends."

"I ended up coming home after the first semester and not going back, and when I did get home, Matt and I started dating a couple months later."

"Our engagement...it was perfect, in my opinion, of course."

"We were out taking pictures and on our way back home he asked if we could stop by a piece of property that he'd been thinking about buying. I'd known he was looking at it, but he hadn't shared much about it, or showed it to me, so I was thrilled to be let into his big secret, so thrilled in fact, that the thought that he might propose didn't even enter my mind!"

"When we got there I was looking around, and appreciating how cool it was, and he was just watching me."

"And then he got all quiet and nervous and pulled out a ring!"

"It started raining a little bit, but we didn't care, we just sat there for a while talking about the future."

"It was so us--low key--no drama, but lots of love."

And that, my friends, is my very favorite thing about Meghan and Matt together. They just fit. No airs, no frills, no drama. They are simply two best friends marrying one another.

There were honestly moments throughout the day that would leave me speechless. And not because they were just so adorable together. But because I could tell they simply loved being with one another. Making each other laugh, cracking inside jokes, walking in silence with smiles on their faces. Meghan and Matt have history with each other, memories over 5+ years of close friendship. And there they were, hand in hand, married. It gives me chills.

This is one of my very favorite parts of the day. We drove into town to where they will be living after their honeymoon. It's a little apartment above a craft store. I asked Meghan and Matt to look at their apartment and they both dropped their heads back and looked straight up at the exact same time. I laughed so hard. It was perfect.

Another favorite from the day. Wow.

And now for one of the most incredible receptions you will ever see.

Not only did they have a photo booth, but they used mason jars as table "cards" for the guests that doubled as glasses for lemonade, iced tea, or root beer floats.

And as if the decorations weren't enough, the food was RIDICULOUS. And they insisted that I sit down and eat as much as I wanted. Let me just say that was the easiest set of orders I've ever had to follow.

Meghan and Matt - You guys are incredible. I never wanted to leave your wedding. Thank you so much for having me along. I wish you the greatest happiness in the world. Much love, Lydia.

Mr. and Mrs. Paleos (Billingsley House Museum, MD)

2011-06-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

I was already looking forward to this wedding and then it happened. I saw The Tree of Life. I'm a little bit of a movie nerd and I had been looking forward to seeing this moving for a good amount of time. It surpassed every expectation I had. And more than that, it inspired me like nobody's business. As an artist that is the true test of a good movie, whether or not I'm sitting there going "I want to make art RIGHT NOW" or not. If you're an artist and you haven't felt that way watching a movie, stop counting down the days until Twilight and go see The Tree of Life. For serious.
Ok, so back to the wedding. Like I said, I was looking forward to this one for a while! I photographed Tierra and Nick's engagement photos this winter and I knew their wedding was going to be a blast. And then I Googled the venue. Shut up. The Billingsley House Museum was just what I needed after watching that movie. I wandered around in awe of the little details and enchanted by the patterns and colors. So, in honor of my inspiration, the charming venue, and beautiful couple, I present you Tierra and Nick's wedding!

Well, hello there gorgeous. I was in love with Tierra's shoes.

Words cannot express how proud I was of Tierra for not going "matchy matchy" on her wedding day. From the different bridesmaids bouquets to including a "bridesman" in her bridal party, I was loving Tierra's unconventional taste. You go girl.

And this is Tierra. If you aren't jealous of her name yet, you should be jealous of how gosh dang beautiful she looks.

In case you were wondering who the bridesman escorted down the aisle, there was a "groomswoman" as well. And she was a ginger.

I'm a big fan of bows and bow ties.

Aaand now for my maybe favorite of the day. (I can't decide)

I love colors! Such a beautiful and fun wedding party!

Tierra & Nick - Congratulations! I wish you the very best in your marriage and hope to see you again soon. Thanks for having me along!

MR. AND MRS. HARTNETT (INDIANA, PA)

2011-05-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging my brother's wedding photos. CRAZY. I can't get over this.

It all started when I kept noticing the saaame girl in all of Michael's Facebook mobile uploads. Michael is an amazing friend, but he doesn't normally take a million pictures with the same friend...or put his arm around them in every shot. ;) Sure enough the next time Michael came home from PA he couldn't stop talking about this girl named Jocelyn.

I met Jocelyn for the first time last July and she just fit. I never thought any girl would be good enough for my incredible brother, but I accepted my defeat in Jocelyn. ;) She loves all of Mike's quirks and banters back and forth like a true Hartnett. And boy does Mike love this girl. I've never seen my brother smile so much in my life. And not just smile, but literally hop up and down! Kristen from I'm Kristen was the official photographer (thank you, bestie!) so that I could sit back and actually enjoy the wedding, but Mike and Joce did ask me to take a couple photos of them after the ceremony. It was my pleasure!

This next shot it a tribute to conceptual artist, John Baldessari. :)

Love this so much.

Mike gave Jocelyn West Side Story tickets the night he proposed to her. This next image reminds me of the scene where Maria and Tony have their mock-wedding.

Joce, I can't believe I finally have a sister now! And more than that, I love that you are her :) Mikey, I love you so much and I'm so happy you have found your soul mate. You guys are the best. See you soon!
Love, Lydia

A DIFFERENT KIND OF WEDDING (PERSONAL)

2011-05-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

In three days my older brother and best friend will be marrying the girl of his dreams. If you've followed me the past few years you've heard me mention my brother many times (he's my only sibling I've got so I talk about him a lot). He was there as back up when I interviewed seven strangers for my "Waiting For" project, he helped plough the driveway after the infamous Snowmageddon last winter, and he modeled for my twin lens reflex assignment, and included me on an amazing video shoot in NYC for the NEXT promo video.

Besides being my favorite person alive Michael is also ridiculously talented. He works for an amazing film company Vinegar Hill and I know they will go far. He also has a pretty sweet little personal site too. You'll recognize the main photo as one taken by yours truly!

Mikey, thank you for being the best brother any girl could ask for. From playing with silly puddy in your room with our old Jurassic Park action figures to sitting in my room planning how you were going to propose to Jocelyn, we've been through it all. Thank you for going through that Avril Lavigne stage with me, sharing your first car with me, collecting every freaking Star Wars action figure invented, saving every box that Star Wars action figure came in, playing "Leap, Leap!" with me in our old basement, voicing over Stacie Orrico songs with me, watching season 1 of Smallville on VHS with me, coming to all my irish dance performances, gaining 20 pounds of fat while trying to gain muscle that one year (hahah), learning everything you ever learned about literature from Wishbone with me, watching cat videos for hours on YouTube with me, living with me in our tiny apartment for 6 months, taking me to Vampire Weekend and booing the Dum Dum Girls with me, hating Princess Bride with me, screaming like a girl when a cricket jumps within 20 yards of you, staying up all night crying with me, dumpster diving for McDonalds Monopoly pieces with me, writing down every single name in the credits of "The Carpenter's Son" with me (we were psycho!), playing MegaRace on our first Hewlett Packard computer with me, going to countless midnight movie premieres with me, and for never ever going through an "I hate you!" stage with me. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times we've fought. I won the lottery when God made you my brother. I love you more than you will ever know.

I will always think of you when I hear "Two of Us" by The Beatles.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

I love you, Mikey.

MR. AND MRS. OVERMAN (MORNINGSIDE INN, MD)

2011-05-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend I photographed the marriage of two sweethearts, Jessica and James. If the photo above doesn't just melt your heart well then you may as well stop reading now. ;) Jess and James got married on a very hot, sunny day...or...very overcast, rainy day. Take your pick. Classic Maryland weather couldn't make up it's mind and gave us brilliantly bright sun during the first half of the day and romantic showers during the last. But, Jess and James rocked them both.

Maybe it's my old-school documentary photography love coming out, but the majority of these getting ready shots are in black and white. I didn't plan it that way, but there's something so "right" about them in B&W. Like this shot of Jessica and her sisters below. See a resemblance? Yep, Jessica is an identical twin. :)

The below shot is one of my very favorites. I think the rain was absolutely perfect for these two. Jess and James used the cool rainy evening to cuddle even closer together under the umbrella.

I loved watching Jessica and Kristen throughout the wedding day. There is definitely an unspoken connection between twins, especially identical ones. At times it was like everything around them stopped when they looked at each other. Really sweet.

I love a crazy reception! In the photo below, the guests were miming rain to Rihanna's song "Umbrella". How fitting :D

Jess & James - Thank you for having me along :) I wish you the very best life together!

A LOOK INTO MY ARCHIVES...

2011-04-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! I hope this Wednesday afternoon finds you in a happy place, or better yet on lunch break. ;) I just got back from a half day at school and I like the feeling. More time to think, create, and catch up on American Idol from last night. Anybody else think this season has a lot of great talent? I'm a huge Casey fan. Love that kid.

As a senior in college I've been doing a lot of looking back. Looking back at my first black and white photography class at community college where I first fell in love with the smell of developer and wet Ilford paper. Looking back at those random electives I took like "Media Appreciation" where we just watched movies the entire class time. Looking back on how I've learned to love the art of photography while running a photography business on the side that sometimes made me do homework in airports terminals to turn in to class the next day. I've really loved these past few years and I hope the next few will be just as lovely.

In the middle of this "looking back" business I also went through some of my old archives of photos and found a wedding that I absolutely loved from last year but never blogged! I second shot it with my bestie Kristen. She absolutely killed the photos so be sure to check out her post here. The following are my contributions. They are fairly simple photos, but I love each one of them for different reasons.

MR. AND MRS. BRANOM (THE WINDMILL WINERY, ARIZONA)

2011-04-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Aaaah, sunshine! This next wedding was photographed a few weeks ago in the always beautiful Arizona. People tell me I need to experience Arizona when it's suuper hot before I make that judgement. But I say any hot that isn't humid like Maryland is always bearable. And regardless, Arizona's mountains and sunsets are enough to make you want to cry from happiness. Needless to say, I was very happy to have an excuse to photograph there again.
The wedding was held at The Windmill Winery in Florence, AZ (between Phoenix and Tucson). It was a beautiful location and definitely an oasis in the middle of the desert.

The bridal party got ready in an adorable bridal cottage. I love when venues have a separate house for the bride to get ready. It makes the day that much more relaxing and fun.

Check OUT these Michael Kors heels! I approve of a confident set of heels, especially when a bride is willing to rock them on her wedding day.

I found this little fella chilling in a tree outside the bridal cottage. No big deal.

The beautiful girls.

Aaand the handsome guys. Rocking a classic Lydia Jane black and white.

These next two shots were taken by my second shooter, Hannah Minkner, who was just married herself a few weeks before helping me shoot the Branom wedding! Congrats again, Hannah.

My favorite shot of the day. You won't find a whole lot of water in Arizona so I ate it up! Just look at that big blue sky. Crazy.

Another favorite.

Haha, this next one is a special treat for all the guests of the wedding who might be reading this. Where do I begin? This was one of the most memorable moments I've ever had shooting a wedding. At the very end of the night the DJ got on the dance floor himself (alone) and danced to Michael Jackson's P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). If you don't recognize this move in Michael Jackson's repertoire thaat's because it isn't. Nor were any of the other moves this guy pulled out. It was so awkward and hilarious and I'm so glad I have photos to remember it by.

What a beautiful day! Anna & Steve, thanks for having me along. :) You two make a lovely couple.

THE BEST OF 2010

2011-03-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it's taken me a little while to compile it, but here it is! The best of 2010 post! 2010 was a fairly "local" year compared to 2009 when I photographed in 8 different states..! I really do love to travel but it was a nice break to shoot the majority of my weddings in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. However, I think my trip to England made up for that! I had the huge honor of photographing two weddings in England in 2010 and made great friends I hope to keep forever. In 2010, I was published in The Knot North Carolina! I was also featured on UtterlyEngaged.com.

I'm sincerely thankful to each and every one of you who has shared my blog with a friend, passed on a recommendation word of mouth, commented on a post, or emailed me with a kind word. It means more to me than you know! A very special thanks to all of my second shooters. Thank you for helping me out! And last but not least, a huge thanks to all my dear clients. Thank you for sharing your homes, your lives, and your stories with me. I've loved getting to know each one of you. :)

My 2011 wedding season starts this weekend with a wedding in one of my favorite states - Arizona!! Stay tuuuuned.

COLIE (BROOKEVILLE, MD)

2011-02-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had the lovely pleasure of photographing a friend of mine for a school project. I've been dying to shoot at this location and this assignment presented the perfect opportunity for me to do so. I love how Colie looks so lost and alone in these images. She was so small in comparison to the huge dam and I definitely tried to focus on that. The shot with Colie in the middle of the road is a photo I've been picturing in my head for about a year now. I drive home this way every day from school and couldn't end the shoot without trying it. It was a bit trickier than I imagined (we both almost got ran over haha) so I'll probably try it again in the future at a different time of day. Please comment and let me know what you think!

FEATURED ON UTTERLY ENGAGED (NEWS)

2011-02-09T05:14:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know of a really lovely feature Utterly Engaged did of Mr. and Mrs. Murphy's wedding in their latest Issue # 14. I've been featured on Utterly Engaged once before last year and I think they are a great e-magazine. If you are a bride looking for inspiration/ideas or just a fan of weddings be sure to follow UtterlyEngaged.com!

Click here and turn to page 191 to see it!

If you'd like to stay up to date on all of my life happenings before they appear on my blog be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

MMM, INSPIRATION (PERSONAL)

2011-01-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

I was brainstorming things for school and frankly avoiding other home work when I came across these EF Language Schools videos on Fubiz.net. I'm absolutely in love with them. I had the lovely opportunity of going overseas last summer and I'm also finalizing some plans (hint, hint) for this summer so these videos are a very welcomed dose to excitement for what lies ahead. Below is my favorite video from the series. Watch and be inspired.

MR. AND MRS. BISSEX (FREDERICK, MD)

2011-01-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: The following is a sweet-tooth-ache inducing, butterfly giving, and fuzzy heart warming story.

Meet Jenn and Joe.

I first heard from Jenn in March of 2010. She found out about me through Lindsey and Jonny Charlton whose wedding I had photographed Winter of 2009. It was over six months until I met her and Joe face to face to talk wedding details. "OH MY, Joe! The comfy chairs are free!" Before Jenn could get even a full sentence out about her wedding she had already skipped over to the big red Starbucks chairs and claimed them. "Hey, there's only two. Let me pull up a chair for myself and you guys can have them," I offered. "No, no! We can share. Right, Joe?" Joe grinned and Jenn climbed into his lap.

I walked away from that meeting with a "Joe grin". Jenn reminds me so much of Pam from The Office. Talkative, fun loving, and quick to joke and laugh. And Joe. Well, he is just one of the most doting, attentive, and affectionate grooms I've ever seem. During our hour long meeting he had managed to make her giggle like a school girl, tickle her when she got too serious and Type-A with the plans, and steal a few kisses when he thought I wasn't looking.

"I want to know every stinking detail about these two" I thought to myself as I left the Starbucks that day. Thankfully, through our meeting, their wedding, and their wedding website I have a pretty solid summary. (Side note: My favorite part about their wedding website is under "Attractions" for Frederick, MD Joe wrote down one word: "Jenn." Hahah.) You ready?

Jenn and Joe met on a blind date set up by their friends December 12, 2009. In Jenn's own words "The connection was so wonderful that the weekend after our official first date, I proclaimed to my girlfriends at a party, "If it's not Joe...it isn't anyone."'

And you better believe Joe was thinking the same thing. Joe told me that it was around the same time he knew Jenn was "the one" too. He and Jenn were walking together and as he listened to Jenn talk it hit him like a load of bricks. "This is it. This is the girl." He couldn't believe that his dream girl was finally here and he was so overcome that he actually had to stop and sit down. HOW CUTE IS THAT.

I'll let Jenn's words take it from here:

"Right after Christmas, Joseph took me ice skating and we held hands as he pulled me around on the ice! After that we basically saw each other every day (with a couple of days off) for the next month, and it just kept getting better and better."

"I wouldn’t have admitted to it before our first date, and certainly not to Joseph…but I did know. Joseph is the one that I have to love. He is the one whose hand belongs in mine, and my hand belongs in his."

"This was all so incredible to discover that for the first month or two, Joseph and I would stop and stare in astonishment that we'd actually found each other. And then we’d laugh and called each other Flabber and Ghasted." After three months of dating they were engaged. And the rest is history.

And now for my favorite part of their wedding. At the reception Jenn and Joe wanted their first dance to be to Train's "Hey Soul Sister". But instead of doing the typical thing and actually DANCING to their first dance, the two decided to perform the first few verses, act out the next few, and finally dance to the last chorus while the rest of the bridal part joined them with percussion instruments. And because I'm in love with Jenn and Joe I couldn't resist recording the beginning on my phone as I took photos. It's pretty primitive but I think the ridiculously adorable comes through. ;)

I will conclude with one of my favorite quotes from Jenn:
"With each other, we found home. Literally, that's the only and best way to describe it. We have found home in each other's arms.

The end.

MR. AND MRS. BROWN (VALLEY FORGE, PA)

2011-01-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to the new and improved blog! Have a look around and let me know what you think.

Today I also have an increeeedible wedding to show you. Seriously, I dare you to come up with a more beautifully detailed reception. I've been so some gorgeous receptions, but this was definitely takes the cake for the most attention to detail. It didn't hurt that the wedding also took place at the amazing National Christian Conference Center in Valley Forge, PA. Or that the wedding took place at the end of October where all the leaves are bright and falling to the ground. Or that the couple was Rebekah and Ken. These two have such a sweet friendship with each other. I think that's one of my favorite things about them. They are clearly in love, but also just hanging out and taking things as they come. This wedding was one of my favorites this year and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did shooting it!

One of my favorites of the day. Just LOOK at those leaves.

Many thanks to Ica for being the best traveling buddy and for getting so many great detail shots like these next four (and a bunch more at the end of this post).

Another favorite.

The ceremony took place in the sweetest little chapel. It was one room with no more than 30 pews and a teensy balcony.

These next two are some of the things that made this day the best. 1. There were sheep grazing in the cemetery beside the church.

2. There was a grumppy ring-bearer :)

I love how hard they are smiling in this photo. You can see all over their faces how happy they are.

And now, drum roll please........

The the most fantastic reception this earth has ever seen.

Crazy, right? And there's more!

There was also a cappuccino bar and all-out decorated buffet table ( fireplace included!) I dare you to handle so many details. I was in awe the entire reception.

Rebekah & Ken: Thank you for having me along on your most beautiful wedding day. I hope to see you both soon!

CLASSWORK POST // 1

2011-01-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011, readers! I'm almost finished preparing my next wedding but before I did that I wanted to post a little something from my most recent semester at college. Many of you were kind enough to say you would like to see some of my classwork so here we go!

For this assignment (in my Studio Photography class) we were asked to create 4 images that could be used in an advertisement for hats, belts, or shoes. I chose hats and immediately thought "Advertising...hats...MAD MEN." I'm in love with the show Mad Men and thought it would be crazy fun to do some head shots in honor of the show. Mad Men is set in the 60's and I didn't have a lot of access to 60's costumes so there's a little bit of 20's in there but heey you get the idea. I would also like to throw out there that I thought of this before I knew about the Victor Sizemore WPPI Mad Men inspired mentor session thaaaank you. ;)

The photos were taken using two SB 800 Nikon flash units, a corner in my basement, and a simple stool for my models to sit on. Oh, and four lovely friends who let me photograph them. Thanks, guys.

MR. AND MRS. APELBERG (ELKRIDGE, MD)

2011-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year blog world! I hope you had a lovely holiday. And apparently the first of January is a holiday as well so happy holiday again!

I have all sorts of things I can't wait to show you. If you are friends with me on Facebook you may have seen some of my photographs from this semester at college, but if not no worries. I plan on making a post of them here as well! And go ahead and friend me (or "Like" me as it's called these days) on Facebook while you're at it. ;)

First up is a beautiful wedding I photographed a few months ago when East Coast weddings were still outdoors. I really loved this wedding. Manymany thanks to Jewel Peach for assisting me. A few of the photos below are hers and she made the day a blast. Thanks, dear.

The wedding took place at the Belmont Conference Center in Elkridge and wow, as soon as I arrived I wanted to come back to shoot there again. I couldn't have asked for a more lovely day. Meredith (bride) was glowing in a beautiful strapless gown and Ben (groom) kept me laughing with his charming demeanor. This wedding was my first Jewish/Christian wedding and it was incredible! I really loved the traditional Christian elements in the ceremony and the amazingly beautiful and fun Jewish elements during the ceremony. Also, on a more somber note, Ben's father is a Holocaust survivor and I was brought to tears listening to him bless the couple during the ceremony. Honestly, it was just a beautiful day and I couldn't be happier for the couple.

Meredith's bridesmaids were so kind and cooperative. I'm happy with how these shots turned out.

Lookin' fine!

Meredith and Ben chose to have a "first look" beforehand because the ceremony was set to take place at sunset and there wouldn't be any light afterwards. Best decision ever. I love this moment between the two of them before all the guests arrived.

Gaaaah. So beautiful.

Can you time a better moment than this? I think not. I'm in love with this shot that Jewel got at the back of the aisle.

You can barely make it out here, but the junior bridesmaid has a tear running down her cheek.

Party time!!

Congratulations Meredith and Ben! I hope you have the most beautiful life together.

Stay tuned for two more weddings and a "Best of 2010" post coming soon! It's been a great year. Thank you all so much for visiting and supporting my photography. It means the world. Much love.

MR. AND MRS. RUDERMAN (BALTIMORE, MD)

2010-11-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

It's no secret, I heart Baltimore. My mom went to MICA and worked in the city as an artist and now I go to school only 15 min from there. I have been dying to shoot a wedding in Baltimore since I started photographing weddings and was so blessed to shoot the beautiful Ruderman wedding in September. The ceremony took place on the rooftop of the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel and boooy was I in heaven. I love cities and city weddings. I find tall buildings and the shadows that fall on and from them so inspiring. Note to brides thinking about getting married in the city - email me right this second! ;)

Oh, this was the view from where we got ready. No big deal.

Not gonna lie, I think this is one of my favorite photos I've ever taken at a wedding. It's so peculiar and so wedding.

The rooftop was so amazing it deserves two photos.

UNREAL.

Married baaaaby!

Many thanks to my classmate and photographer Abnet for shooting with me and taking lovely photos like this next one.

Congrats you two. And to everyone reading this have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Baltimore

2010-11-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

I thought I would take a little break from the usual and give you a look into what I shoot for school. Who's interested in seeing more?

MR. AND MRS. HIRE (THE OAKS WATERFRONT INN, MD)

2010-11-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Back in August I photographed the lovely wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Hire at The Oaks Waterfront Inn near St. Michaels, Maryland. Oh my, I loved this wedding. I've always wanted to shoot at The Oaks and I couldn't have picked a more wonderful couple to photograph there. You may recognize Andrew and Melissa from their engagement shoot back in the Summer.

Speaking of which, I was greeted by one of my engagement photos when I walked in the door. :)

Melissa was a stunnnnning bride. I loved how clean her look was and the white bouquet she carried. White flowers are my fav.

The wedding details were also exquisite. I'm a sucker for beautiful handwriting and I was in awe with these place cards.

On to the ceremony...

I love these next two photos. The raw emotion in Melissa's face gets me every time.

The beautiful Oaks at sunset. Can you find the moon? :)

For the record, I want to steal these table cloths...they are so lovely.

Many thanks to the lovely people at The Oaks and Melissa and Andrew for letting me be a part of your beautiful wedding day!

Stay tuned!

2010-10-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! I'm awfully excited about showing you my latest weddings. Here are a few teasers. Stay tuned!

MR. AND MRS. MURPHY (FORKSVILLE, PA)

2010-09-19T19:24:00.001-07:00

When I was little one of my neighborhood friends told me that when it rained it meant that an angel was taking a shower in heaven. I thought that was pretty ridiculous. But ever since then on a rare occasion I'll think about the weather and what goes on up there when God decides which kind of day to give us here on earth. Because it always seems to be rainy on Mondays and never snow on Christmas, you know? I still don't know if there's a method to the madness, but one thing I know for sure is that God blessed a certain Saturday in Forksville, PA with unusually beautiful weather. I've never had such a distinct sense that He was smiling down on everything that was about to take place.

If you've been following my blog for a while you are no stranger to Ian and Larissa. My first post featuring them was David and Sarah Altrogge's wedding in 2008. Then a little over a year later I blogged photos of the two of them at Ian's home in Indiana, PA. You can read about their story in more detail in those posts or on the Pray for Ian blog. But to recap, Ian was in a very serious car accident in 2006 and wasn't expected to recover. In fact, I vividly remember praying with my family for comfort for his family as he was expected to pass away that evening. But, God had other plans. Ian and Larissa were close to engagement before his accident and after years of slow recovery Ian was finally able to propose to the love of his life, Larissa.

I feel like we use the word love a lot. "I love this movie!" or " I loove pizza!" But, let we tell you, witnessing this wedding and the true, complete, selfless love that Ian and Larissa have for each other has completely redefined my definition of the word "love". It's not your typical love. In fact, according to many in the world it would seem absurd for these two to marry. But they married because Ian and Larissa's definition for love is that of Christ's love for his people not the kind of watered down love we see in the movies. It's a once in a lifetime thing to attend an event like this one and certainly one of the greatest honors of my life to be invited to photograph it. Ian and Larissa, you have my deepest love and respect. I know God is going to impact so many people through you.

Hold it...it's three photos in and can't you already tell what an incredible style Larissa has? Just wait. It gets even better.

Larissa ordered the bridesmaids dresses from Etsy and collected vintage umbrellas for each of them from yard sales and other places. I can't put into words how lovely they looked so hopefully my photos will do a little of that for me.

Larissa also carried on her bouquet photos of deceased relatives who couldn't be at the wedding.

Holy cow, I'm in love with these bridesmaids photos. Are these girls just adorable??

The gorgeous location sure didn't hurt either!

After photographing the girls I met up with Ian and the boys. Ian was soo excited. It was the sweetest thing to watch.

I loved their boutonnieres, belt buckles, and other little details like this pocket watch.

The ceremony was the most emotional ceremony I've ever been too. The guests were each given a pack of tissues and I'm convinced there wasn't a dry eye the entire duration of the ceremony.

This is one of my favorite shots from the day. David Altrogge is Ian's best friend and has faithfully been by his side since the car accident.

Here's a photo I took from David's wedding in 2008. (Side note: Aren't you grateful I don't edit that way anymore? Haha.)

Ian and Larissa both wrote their own vows and during Ian's the entire congregation broke down. It was such an emotional moment.

But Ian has a wonderful sense of humor and he found a way to lighten the mood by leaning in multiple times to try and kiss Larissa before the "kiss" was announced!

The lovely David and Sarah :) I always try to sneak in a photo of my past clients.

So so sweet.

Larissa hand wrote notes to each of the guests at the reception. She even wrote one to me! I think my heart turned into melted butter when I realized that. Larissa is seriously one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know.

Okay, get ready for a BUNCH of reception photos. But, you'll understand why I posted so many once you scroll down. Larissa's vision for this wedding was just perfect. It was probably the most creative, charming, and beautifully decorated reception I've ever seen.

I also couldn't resist the typewriter guestbook :)

Also, stellar idea! Larissa set up a little refreshment station next to the porta potties.

At the end of the night, the guests lit dozens of sky lanterns set them free into the clear night sky. I've honestly never seen something so beautiful. The guests were speechless and teary eyed watching them gracefully lift into the sky. I kept it together until...

...moments later they began setting off fireworks! I lost it. It was honestly THE most beautiful celebration to conclude one of the most incredible displays of love the world has ever seen between two people.

Ian and Larissa, I have no more words. Just thanks upon thanks for inviting me to document your beautiful wedding day. I will never forget that day. I love you guys.

Mr. and Mrs. Garber (Fairfax, VA)

2010-09-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

The day after I photographed the lovely Reese wedding I shot Mr. and Mrs. Garber's wedding in Fairfax, VA. Huge thanks to Miss Brittany Kauflin for second shooting with me. A couple of her shots make an appearance below. Enjoy!

Cecelia is one of those stunningly sweet people who can calm you down with a word and then be a little goof ball the next minute. I loved the little dance party the girls all had while waiting to be summoned by the wedding planner to finally walk down the aisle!

Jonny and the boys!

Take a look at this face. Good lord, I almost cried.

I loooved this field.

I also love it when I don't have to pose my couples because they do exactly what I want them to do to begin with. Jonny kissed Cecelia's hand and I was like "HOLD THAT!" Haha. Boy, does that boy love that girl. Adorable.

Hey! I wish you two the very best in the whole world! Thank you for letting me be a part of your day.

Mr. and Mrs. Reese (Bluemont, VA)

2010-09-03T10:17:00.001-07:00

Oh boy, I have so many weddings to blog. So please bear with me! I started school this week which I am very pleased about, but that also means I pulled in all sorts of directions.

Today's featured wedding is the lovely wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Reese :) I photographed them the week I returned from Europe and their wedding was the perfect "recover from jetlag" wedding. Everybody was so chill and the ceremony was low-key and gorgeous. I especially loved the little decor elements such as the customized boutonnieres and colorful streamers. Which you will see for yourself when you start reading...now! ;)

Robin, you looked beautiful. Everything from the braid in your hair to the perfectly poofy dress suited you so well.

I love when weddings put out photos from their parent's weddings. I could look at them for hours.

Aaron and the boys!

Gaaah, I love this one too.

Too cute!

A few details from the reception.

MR. AND MRS. LEWIS (LONDON, ENGLAND)

2010-08-27T10:09:00.001-07:00

Here is it! England wedding #2. Oh boy, I'm going to have to be careful how I write this one or I will end up missing them more than I already do. The people I met during my trip overseas really did make my trip. They were so lovely, so hospitable, and so easy to photograph.

As for Ruth and Reuben, well they were already dear to me before I arrived. Ruth and Reuben and I had Skype-d and emailed for an entire year and I could NOT wait to finally see them face to face. Having already photographed one wedding I felt a little more at ease with the American/British wedding differences (surprisingly, there are very few). I had also being staying with the bride and her roommates for the whole week leading up to the wedding. Let me tell you, it was a huge plus to be able to wake up, walk downstairs, and start photographing in my own house! The bridal party met at Ruth's apartment to have a delicious breakfast and get dressed and ready. So, yes, lets start here...

Ruth's mom was one of the sweetest ladies I've ever met. And how awesome is her hat? I loved it!

One of my favorite shots.

Ah! Meet Reuben.

Kristen photographed the boys while I spent the morning with the girls. I loove the shots she got of them. Thanks, bestie. :)

Reuben is hilarious. And yet ridiculously generous and kind. I've only spent 21 years on this world, but even I know that is a rare combination. I loved watching Reuben care for Ruth. They definitely have that "Wow, I want that when I'm married" factor. It was seriously lovely to watch.

One of my favorite bridesmaids shots ever. Bridal party photos at Tower Bridge? Seriously? Aasldkjfsdalfkj.

Ruth gets a gold medal for being the first bride every to stop the photos and ask for a photo with me. (Side note: Darn it, I'm not succeeding at not missing her!) Ruth, you have no idea how much that meant. You are such a sweet friend and I'm so honored I got to photograph your wedding!

Meanwhile, Kristen took the boys to the Gerkin for their photos. Here's the Gerkin.

And here are the boys.

The church was spitting distance from the Gerkin. Here's the outside.

And here's the inside. I know, right? Amazing.

After the ceremony we headed to Leadenhall Market (where Diagon Alley was filmed in Harry Potter!).

Haha I laugh every time I look at this next photo. I was just starting to give Reuben and Ruth new instructions when all of a sudden Ruth's mouth dropped wide open and she gasped.

She has just spotted this lovely piano by the side of the road. It was a part of the StreetPianos.co.uk series throughout the city of London. Isn't that a great idea? I loved it. And so did Ruth as a talented pianist herself. More on that later.

Two more lovely shots by Miss Kristen.

Ok, ready? This next location was a portion of the old London wall from 200 A.D. There are just no words....

So so beautiful.

Reception time! The reception was held at Plaisterer's Hall. Aka the most outstanding reception venue I've ever photographed at. But, you be the judge.

Cute :)

Every table was designed to look like London's street signs.

Yeah, I dare you to attend a lovelier reception that this. And let me tell you, the food was incredible too.

Back to the piano! After dessert Ruth played a few lovely pieces on the piano while a friend of hers sang opera. It was incredibly beautiful and all because Ruth had this dream all her life to play piano in a white wedding dress at her wedding. I love checking off life goals. :)

Ruth and Reuben also hired an incredible Caleigh band with a caller that lead dozens of organized dances. Kristen and I definitely got in on the fun. It was a highlight of the trip for sure.

And with that they were off!

Kristen thanks for being the best bestie ever and flying all the way from home to help me photograph this wedding. I loved exploring England with you. I love you!

Reuben, Ruth, and all the friends and family of both: Thank you for making me a part of your life for two weeks. Thank you for letting me sleep in your beds, feeding me curry, introducing me to London, feeding me curry again (haha!), singing me the National Anthem on July 4th, picking me up and driving me to and fro, and for loving me as a sister in Christ. I will never forget you all! Visit Maryland! Love, Lydia.

Mr. and Mrs. Thambyrajah (London & Surrey, England)

2010-08-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

More than any other blog post I've written I am now faced with the question "Where do I begin?" How on earth do I start writing a blog post about my first International wedding??? It's honestly crazy just reading those world: International wedding. Wow.

James and Christine found me through Ruth and Reuben. Reuben is Christine's distant cousin. I was friends with Ruth and Reuben and coming over to vacation for 2 weeks in London and photograph their wedding while I was there. So, really, I didn't know James and Christine very well. What I knew of them was from email and the good taste I knew they had by Googling their beautiful wedding reception venue. What I didn't realize was just how wonderful they would turn out to be. Upon arriving at the Motspur Park overground station I spotted Christine in a lovely purple dress eagerly waiting for me to arrive. From there I was immediately whisked off to meet her entire Sri Lankan family at an party that evening. It was incredible. I knew no one, couldn't understand their native language, knew very little of their customs, and was so jet-lagged I couldn't see straight. But let me tell you, it was one of the most wonderful nights of my life.

Two days later James and Christine were married. Christine got ready at her parent's house. I love when this happens because I feel like I get to experience the 25+ years of Christine's life in just a couple of hours. There's so much to be found through photographs and trinkets that open a window into their world.

I loved this wedding photo so much. It made me dream of the day that James and Christine might be able to put on of theirs next to it.

The bridesmaids worked on the table charts in the morning. I was incredibly amused listening to them. The names of the tables were things like "Friendship", "Love", "Flexibility", etc. So, their conversations went like this: "Trust is missing. Have you got Love? How about Flexibility?" Brilliant.

Christine's beautiful sari. The beading was just insane. Definitely no David's Bridal gown. I was in love.

This is one of my favorite shots of the day. I loved watching Christine get her sari put on while the breeze floated through the window. It was just a beautiful moment.

The other bridesmaids also wore saris. I seriously loved how "different" this wedding was for me. Such a breath of fresh air. I love photographing new things.

And then it was ceremony time! The church was PACKED when I arrived there with the bridal party. I walked to the front to see James nervously pacing back and forth. Adorable.

So cute.

I really love this next series. It perfectly describes James and Christine to me. They are so much fun to be around.

How beautiful is this tree??

I was absolutely spoiled by this golden light. Amazing.

Off to the reception!

A quick shot of Christine's side of the family. Look at how many colors are in this photo!

I couldn't help but squeeze in one more shot of this fabulous sunset. Guuh.

A lovely bouquet tossing mishap. Haha gotta love it.

James, Christine, Daniels family, Thambyrajah family, and all the kind family and friends of the bride and groom - Thank you for your amazing hospitality. I was truly inspired by your close-knit love for each other. Thank you for sharing that love with me and giving me the opportunity to step into your lives for one day. I will never forget this wedding or you. Love, Lydia.

Mr. and Mrs. English (Boyds, MD)

2010-07-27T10:54:00.001-07:00

Hellohello! I'm back in blog business to post a most beautiful wedding that took place at The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek in Boyds, MD. This was the last wedding I shot in the States before my trip overseas so it got a little lost in the shuffle, but boy, editing these photos for this post reminded me just how much I LOVED this wedding. The wedding party was so relaxed and fun and willing to jump in a creek for me! What more could a photographer ask for? Seriously. Enjoy!

One of my favorite groom reactions ever. I love how he's fiddling with his pocket. So sweet.

Aaand this is what he was looking at :) A pretty appropriate response if you ask me. Alisha, you looked stunning.

I really love this next photo. You know I have a weak spot for Degas-like poses and this one reminds me of his Bathers or Dancers series.

Gah, amazing location. These kids were champs for wading out into that water. Haha and I was knee-deep as well. Completely worth it though.

I really love kids at wedding receptions. The day is half over and they're a little bit crazy and hungry and not getting the attention they want. So, sometimes they do crazy things...like climb the walls.

Alisha and her brother did a ridiculously awesome dance together. I love brides who aren't afraid to get dowwwn.

Congrats you two!

England (part 3)

2010-07-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Home sweet home. I'm officially back in good 'ol Maryland after one the loveliest of times in England. I've had my cup of American coffee, a couple of glasses of water with a thousand cubes of ice, and now I'm currently blasting music while sitting on my bed in a very air conditioned room. It's great to be back. But, it's not without it bittersweet moments. I really loved my time in overseas and already miss my new London friends! A huge thank you to everyone who let me crash at their place, fed me, and helped me get around a foreign land. I will never forget this Summer! So, here's one last post before the wedding posts (yay!) of my time in England.

The last day of our trip, Kristen and I took the train to Norwich. I was (finally!) a rainy day in England and we had a lovely time visiting markets, exploring bookshops, and meeting new friends.

My tribute to Van Eyck's "Arnolfini Marriage" mirror. :)

Love this shot Kristen got inside an antiques shop.

Haha I think this photo below this is my absolute favorite photo of Kristen from the trip. Completely ridiculous and too cute.

England (part 2)

2010-07-11T04:52:00.000-07:00

Hello again from the lovely London. Today Kristen and I are chilling and looking forward to the great World Cup finale tonight! Here are a couple photos from what the last few days have looked like. The first full day that Kristen was here I took her to see Trafalgar Sqaure, St. James's Park, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus etc. We had to get a cheesy telephone booth photo too....

Here's Piccadilly Circus

Here's Westminster Abbey

Aaand here's Spain vs. Germany. Haha

The next day we headed south to Brighton.

It was so beautiful there. I loved how blue/green the water was. Definitely beats the Maryland beaches :P

Aaaand on Friday we did something I've wanted to do for a while. Visit Abbey Road :) Abbey Road by the Beatles is one of my very favorite albums of all time and it was just eerie actually walking across that pedestrian cross walk.

And, yes, I did write on the wall. Haha.

Aaaand I'll leave you with this one. I'd love your best guesses as to what the heck is going on...and why my best friend is lying on the ground. Hahah.

England (part 1)

2010-07-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hello!! So, I'm here in England trying to soak up every little bit. I also managed to soak up some sun at well, which isn't my favorite seeing that I'm ginger and I burn like grilled cheese left on the stove when you go to check your email, but whatever I'll take it. Because I do love it here very much. I've now been here for over a week and know my way around a bit. I've been for the most part right in the heart of London and I love it. I'm definitely a city girl. I've taken the overground train many times by myself as well as the underground (tube). For those who have been here before, is it just me or is the overground train a million times better? I love seeing everything above ground and it's much cleaner.

Anyways! Here's a quick post of some of the things I saw on the days before Kristen joined me. I'll be honest, I didn't take a ton of photos. I wanted to take it all in without being a complete tourist. And I'm glad I did it. Sometimes the brain just needs eyes not a lens. Not something you probably hear often from a photographer, but a lot of times I just need stop trying to make a memory and just make one.

On Sunday I attended a lovely picnic birthday party for a friend at St. James's Park. It was so relaxing. I even took a nap. Perfect afternoon.

Major highlight, you ready? The National Art Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Yes, it's artsy fartsy and SO touristy, but oh my gosh I almost cried the art was so beautiful. Cezanne, Seurat, Titian, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, the list goes on and on. I would look at certain paintings and be able to clearly remember where in my mom's art books they were, the smell of the book, and how I used to stare at them for hours when I learned how to draw. I loved it so much.

Haha traditional after-art photo. I always try and take a photo of myself after I leave an art gallery to capture my reaction. I swear to you this was not forced. Pure bliss, ladies and gentleman.

Beautiful St. Paul's Cathedral

Chris & Ella - Engaged

2010-07-05T05:07:00.000-07:00

Before I left for London I shot an amazing engagement shoot with two wonderfully friendly and stylish people at Glen Echo Park. I'm in love with Glen Echo and have always wanted to shoot there so it was pretty much a dream come true. Chris and Ella, thanks such a wonderful evening!

Mr. and Mrs. Linehan (Annapolis, MD)

2010-07-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of adventure. It's a good thing too because it certainly seems to follow me around. As I type this I'm 39000 feet above the ground flying to the beautiful London, England. It sounds wonderful now, but 24 hours ago it was quite the nightmare. My flight from Baltimore, MD was delayed due to a storm in Charlotte, NC and so by the time I got there (just 10 minutes after my flight to London was scheduled to depart mind you) it had left without us. My, my, my. I then proceeded to stand in line for 2 hours to schedule a new flight which ironically lead me right back to Maryland before my flight today. Haha, so in the end I pretty much just spent an entire day sitting on a plane and standing in the Charlotte Airport.

But, what really matter is that I'm on my way now and I'm very excited. Going through all that silliness reminded me of what I'm really doing all this for and that's to shoot two incredible weddings with incredible people in an incredible place. Yeah, I can't complain about that. :)

Speeeaking of weddings, here's one a shot a couple weeks ago! Many thanks to the lovely Ica for assisting me. Enjoy.

Published!

2010-06-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Summer of 2010 is proving to be a very exciting time for Lydia Jane Photography! I'm leaving in under a week to shoot two weddings in London and just this past month I was published! A little while ago, a certain magazine you just miight have heard of called The Knot contacted me and asked if they could publish a wedding of mine from last Summer. Did they even have to ask? Seriously. I was incredibly honored and excited to see one of my very favorite weddings published. So, here are a few photos of the Fall/Winter issue of The Knot North Carolina. The wedding featured is the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Coleman wedding from last September. Daniel and Mindy, you guys make me look good. Love you both.

Mr. and Mrs. Moore (Gaithersburg, MD)

2010-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday to you all! I hope you had a good weekend. I spent two days in New York City this weekend. One of my highlights was watching the USA vs. England game at an Irish Pub. :) Yes, I'm a soccer lover. Any body else watching the World Cup? What teams are you rooting for??

Here's a wedding from a few weeks ago. The wedding took place at the church I've grown up attending all my life, Covenant Life Church. I've shot a good deal of weddings there, but I never stop enjoying the challenge of finding new places to shoot.

It was a drizzle-y day for the most part, but man did it makes the sky interesting! I love dark thunderstorm clouds.

Seriously too cute.

Mr. and Mrs. Graham (Pittsburgh, PA)

2010-06-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, goodness, I loved this wedding. Tom and Betsy are just two of the sweetest people you will ever met. But, let me start from the beginning. It all began with me and my friend Courtney (my driving pal and assistant. Thank you, Courts!) pulling up to Betsy the bride's house just outside of Pittsburgh. I love staying with the bride's family or friends because it immediately makes me feel a part of the day. I could easily stay at a hotel and meet up with them in the morning, but since people are my favorite part of my job it just makes so much sense to me to stay with them. I knocked and was quickly greeted by Betsy's beautiful mom. The family dog cheerfully barked and soon I was ushered in to meet Betsy's father, bridesmaids, and other friends. I loved it.

How much fun are these bridesmaids? Seriously. I told Betsy to bring umbrellas as a back-up plan in case it rained and look at the ones she chose. Adorable.

The rain and I were friends that day because the rain decided to clear up right as I got the bridesmaids into position so no need for the umbrellas anymore!

The boys looked pretty handsome themselves. And I love the architecture in this barn. If you're starting to recognize it that's because I shot here last summer.

Before the ceremony the girls kept themselves occupied playing Bananagrams. I love brides who still remember to have fun on their wedding day.

I went back to McConnell's Mill at Moraine State Park for the photos. Boy, do I love it there. Isn't it beautiful?

Look closely and you can see the rain drops coming down in this next shot. :)

Betsy's dad played Betsy and Tom's first dance song. He said that he'd sung to her all her life so he wanted to conclude that by singing to her as he gave her away on her wedding day. I thought that was such a sweet touch.

Final B&W Photography Project

2010-06-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

I thought it fitting as I have reached the end of the Spring semester at school to show you one of my final projects! If you're friends with me on Facebook you may have seen my final movie project as well. All I can say is that I'm glad I'm a photography major not a film major. Haha.

Anyways, for my black and white photography class (also mentioned in this post) I was given zero requirements except that the final product had to be six photos mounted on photo board and that one of these six had to be a 30x30 mural print. Nice. But also not-so-nice. I rather like boundaries when it comes to assignments. When the field is open so wide I'm afraid of not coming up with a good enough idea, or even worse, coming up with a great idea and not living up to its greatness. So, I wracked my brain. I knew I wanted to push myself and knew I wanted to photograph people (my favorite). Then I remembered a blog post by photographer jennyj my old art high school teacher, Connie, sent me around New Years. I loooved the idea of going up to random people and asking them to share a piece of their life.

So, I decided a location: the bus stop. I would go up to people waiting for the bus and ask them a deeper question, "What are you really waiting for?" I got some wonderful answers. And having spent hours in the darkroom I have grown awfully attached to these faces. I wish I could revisit them, befriend them, and help them achieve their goals. But I decided from the outset that the whole essence of this project was to tap into the lives of the people I carelessly pass every day in my car. I didn't want to know them or grown acquainted with them any more than I would any stranger. I didn't want to know their names or stories, just their dreams.

All of the photos were taken with a Hasselblad medium format camera and developed and printed by me.

"I am waiting for a bus to ride so I can have some fun. But right now I looking at a lovely lass who got a hell a lot of class. She's trying to get a real good shot with her camera."

"I'm waiting for a great opportunity"

"I am waiting for Eden"

"I'm waiting for things to be quiet @ work."

"I am waiting to buy a car so that I will never have to wait on this bus-stop"

"He's waiting for this scarf to come off" - "She's waiting to bother me to death"

I loved this project and still get chills remembering some of my conversations with these faces, especially the couple in the mural print. You'll have to excuse the bad scan of this one - the print is so large and one of a kind so I'm afraid to scuff it up, so what you see above is only a cell phone picture. But, I simply fell in love with these two. There's a great story behind this print. I tried to get all the shots I wanted in one trip to the bus stop. But what ended up happening was that the role with the images of these two didn't come out at all and my 35mm back up role was also blank. I was devastated. However, I felt like God told me to go back out and shoot 3 more rolls and He would make the results even better than the first time. I couldn't imagine what that would look like because I LOVED those two kids and what they wrote and thought I'd never see them again. But, God works miracles sometimes and sure enough RIGHT as I was about to leave disappointed they showed up. I stood there with my mouth wide open and asked them if they remembered what they wrote the week before. They said they did and we recreated the lost roll of photos. I'll never forget that moment.

Mr. and Mrs. Christenson (Damascus, MD)

2010-05-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

I remember first meeting Ian and Trieste at a Starbucks in Virginia. It was one of those client meetings you leave thinking "I can't believe how awesome my job is." Trieste and Ian had emailed me a few weeks before the meeting with some engagement photos Ian's friend had taken. Note to future clients - I LOVE seeing photos of you two together. The majority of my clients book me over email so it helps me so much to be able to reference your faces every time I email you. Ian and Trieste were just as lovely in person as in their photos. Trieste smiled and laughed and immediately made me feel part of their wedding day. Ian was so easy to talk to and I loved hearing about how God brought them together from different sides of the US. Their wedding took place on a lovely but WINDY spring day in Maryland.

Maybe a lot of people have seen this before, but it was new to me! Instead of signing a guestbook the guests stamped their fingerprint on a tree and wrote their name beside it. I thought it was so clever!

Instead of one flower girl and one ring bearer, Trieste had about a dozen kids come down the aisle with flowers and flower petals. It was adorable. Just look at their faces!

You've probably noticed my new chandelier icon. It's a part of my new brand I'm working on this Summer. I felt funny adding it to the picture below though! So many chandeliers! Haha.

Yay for backlit first dances.

Aaand finally, I love sweet moments like this.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Gaithersburg, MD)

2010-05-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday blog readers! I have a few lovely weddings to post from the past month so I thought I'd kick them off with this one in my hometown! If you've been following me for the past year you'll know I shot quite a few places around the US in 2009. I loved it. But, let me tell you, not having to print out directions or use a GPS for this wedding was kind of wonderful.

The day started as usual with the bride getting ready. But, let me tell you, there was something so different about this "getting ready". Lindsay the bride was so relaxed. She even took a nap while the bridesmaids ate lunch and watched tv! It was incredible to have such a low key morning.

Another great thing about Lindsay is that she's TALL. Her and the groom Nate are one of those 6 foot something gorgeous power couples. So, take note of how little baby heel she needs on her heels. Haha I think it's brilliant.

I love this moment.

Another great moment happened after the ceremony and family shots outside. It was very Maryland humid and hot and no sooner had I stepped inside I turned around to find this.

I love it when I run into the "problem" of not getting any serious shots because the bride and groom keep laughing. I'd like to have that problem all the time. :) Lindsay's laugh is just so wonderful.

And I conclude with my first cake cutting smack-down! I've been waiting for someone to really go all out with the cake. Nate was not expecting it whatsoever. Awesome.