Wedding Wednesday: The Importance of Engagement Photos | Virginia Wedding Photographer

Today's Wedding Wednesday post focuses on why I think engagement photos matter -- from personal experience. It's a good one!

It may come as a surprise to you that I, as a photographer who loves making and looking at beautiful  images of people in love, did not have an engagement session with my husband before we got married. Shocker, I know! It just did not seem like a big deal to leave out that step while we were planning our wedding -- in fact, it seemed like it would be more of a hassle to schedule yet another appointment during those already hectic months. We had already sent our save-the-dates as a simple postcard before we booked our photographer, and we thought, "What's the point of more pictures together? We'll have plenty from our wedding day."

Well, my friends, we could not have been more wrong. As I look back over that time, I realize that we could have easily scheduled a one-hour session in our 1 year + 4 months-long engagement.

Yes, we have beautiful images from our wedding day, and we will cherish them forever. We are obviously happy; it's clear from the giddy school-girl grins plastered to our faces in every. Single. Image. Yet those images are not completely us. There are various reasons for this, but perhaps the most obvious one is that despite our grins, our faces wear a mixed bag of emotions: joy, relief that the hard part (ceremony) is over, and even some nerves about being the one in front of the camera instead of behind it!

When I look back, I realize that  by not prioritizing and scheduling an engagement session, we missed out on a wonderful opportunity to document our joy and excitement during that year before the wedding. Just the pure, unadulterated joy and anticipation of the wonderful and awesome things that our life together has in store for us. We missed the opportunity to capture us, as we are in real life: relaxed, easygoing, and totally over the moon for each other.

In case you need any more convincing, here are a few additional reasons for booking an engagement session:

• It gives you some images to show off before the wedding on your save-the-dates. I hear that's all the rage these days!
• It will boost your confidence before your wedding day. Seriously. You'll realize that you ARE photogenic and beautiful, and that you look great together!
• It gives you and your photographer time to bond and get used to each other. This is important. It will make everything easier for everyone on your big day!
• Even if you don't use the same photographer for your wedding day and engagement session, an engagement session still gives you practice time in front of the camera. This is also important, as it helps both you and your fiance feel comfortable as a couple at the center of attention. Well, at least your photographer's attention.
• It helps you work out kinks like makeup and hair details in a situation with far less pressure and time constraints than your wedding day.
• It lets you show off your personalities a little more than your wedding portraits. I'm talking to you, couple with the his and hers RGIII jerseys!

And so, young brides, if you are wavering about scheduling an engagement session, here's my advice: just book it already. You won't regret it!

Weekend Round Up: Cherry Blossom Mini-Sessions (Round One)! | Virginia Portrait Photographer

Whew, this weekend was busy! Spring has finally made its debut in DC, and you won't see many people complaining. The cherry blossoms in DC are quite possibly the most beautiful feature of early spring in these parts; the one week where they are in full force is absolutely heavenly. I highly recommend checking them out this week if you haven't yet!

This weekend also marked the first weekend of my Cherry Blossom Mini-Sessions. Here's a sneak peek into the fun we had around the Tidal Basin and the National Mall. There are plenty more to come later this week and into the weekend, so stay tuned for updates!

Are you interested in a Cherry Blossom Mini-Session? This week is the peak week, so schedule yours today before you miss out on this year's blossoms!

Erica and Bryan's DC Engagement Session | Virginia Portrait Photographer

I'm so excited to finally reveal the wonderful couple and amazing engagement story that won my holiday engagement contest! If you missed the announcement, you can find more on that here.

I had a great time reveling in the wonderful spring weather downtown yesterday with Erica and Bryan. Although we were a bit too early to catch the Cherry trees in their full-on glory, we soaked up some sun on the National Mall and watched a beautiful sunset from the Lincoln Memorial. I absolutely loved my time with these guys. They were so relaxed and natural in front of the camera, goofy with each other, and so obviously in love! It was such a pleasure to finally meet the adorable couple from the story below, and I wish them all the best in their future life as Mr. and Mrs. Castleberry!

And so without further ado...here is their adorable story, as told by Erica!

My fiance Bryan and I have had a whirlwind romance. We met through a mutual friend when I lived in Destin, FL. He's originally from that area but moved here to NOVA for work. I am originally from Wisconsin, born and raised and thats where all of my family currently resides. 

I desperately wanted my kids first Christmas to be a big one, one that I remember from when I was a kid. So we hauled the babies and my fiance's two kids from a previous relationship (yes we are the brady bunch lol) from Alexandria to Wisconsin. On Christmas Eve, after all the kids went to bed (our 4 plus my niece and nephew) we all had to finish wrapping presents. Needless to say I was a little annoyed because my brother and fiance kept going outside and here my sister in law and I were stuck wrapping presents.

Finally, my fiance called me outside and I got a little snappy because I was tired and crabby and just wanted all that darn wrapping done. He told me to get my coat on and come look at this weird tree stump thing. I was completely clueless, and gave him "the look" lol.

The night before it snowed just enough to cover the grass. It melted a little throughout the day. Bryan lead me outside and said look. Looking.. looking.. and finally I see written in the snow "Will you be Mrs. Castleberry" and I turn around and he's on one knee with a flashlight on the box with my engagement ring in it!

I start to cry and ask if it's a prank. He laughed a little and I went to him said "YES" really loud and gave him a big hug and kiss. Definitely a moment I will always remember. :)

Wedding Wednesday: Let's Get Trendy | Virginia Wedding Photographer

The height of wedding planning season is upon us, and many of you are in the throes of planning your summer or fall weddings. In an effort to help y'all find that "something" to make your wedding really special and unique, I thought I would center today's post around the trends shaping up for 2013 weddings, from attire to decor to atmosphere!

Elegance & The Roaring Twenties

In 2012 we saw an abundance of vintage lace dresses and pretty, ornate details -- and I don't think this is going away in 2013. An emerging trend for 2013 is a throwback to the "Roaring Twenties", where romantic lace, delicate beading, and and soft colors dominated. The popularity of shows like Downton Abbey (the beautiful dresses of the Crawley ladies!) and upcoming movies like The Great Gatsby will only further highlight the elegant, gilded atmosphere of this time period. Look for even more throwback details this year, like beaded headbands, delicate veils, or crystal elements around the room to showcase this particular vintage trend.

Small Scale and Intimate

A few years ago, weddings were huge and quite extravagant -- an excuse to invite practically everyone you knew to your big day and party with you. I'm not saying they're not huge or extravagant now (there will always be someone who knows a lot of people!), but I do think that there is a trend towards smaller, more intimate gatherings over huge ballroom affairs.

As I pointed out above, though, smaller and more intimate does not mean skimping on everything. If anything, rich fabrics, opulent details, and elegant atmospheres are staging a comeback! It rather seems that couples are looking for ways to make their day more special, and as a result, are opting to invite only close friends and family who will truly cherish participating in the event.

Carefully Handmade

In the past few years, the biggest trend around has been DIY, and websites like Pinterest only continue to add fuel to that fire! Couples often want something that truly showcases their personality at their wedding - which often requires putting your artsy hat on and making it yourself.

Now, I know when you hear "DIY" or "handmade" your mind associates "budget" and "crafty"...but let me tell you: DIY and handmade can be beautiful! The key to making DIY look great is all in the details, and the care and time put into making it (hence my "carefully handmade" section title above, with emphasis on the "carefully").

In the past few months, I have seen the trend move from "do-it-yourself-to-save-some-money" to "do-it-yourself-to-make-a-lasting-family-keepsake". Couples are putting their own spin on everything, from incorporating custom artwork into their invitations to creating beautiful centerpieces that later become keepsakes in their home.

Fun and Quirky

At this point, I should just have a whole new category labeled "unique"! But in all seriousness, couples in 2013 are looking for personal touches to add to their celebrations that differentiate their day - and that entertain their guests! This fun and quirky element also goes somewhat hand in hand with the carefully handmade trend I just mentioned.

For quite some time now, weddings have been drifting far from the more serious, black tie affairs of old towards fun parties with lots of quirky elements. Things like photo booths with mustache props, latenight munchies and milkshake buffet bars, bridal parties wearing personalized Chucks, and scavenger hunt table cards are popping up everywhere!