Alonzo & Tiffany | Mitchellville, MD Wedding Photographer

Happy Friday guys!

We made it! It’s Friday and we made it through my first ever WEDDING WEEK! Well maybe I should say “I” made it lol. I had a couple unexpected super busy days earlier this week, but I stuck with it, thanks to my amazing assistant Nahshon and here we are with the last post for the week :)

I’m so happy to share this gorgeous wedding with you guys! There are so many pretty details! This was our first wedding of 2014 and one that I was heavily involved with. My good friends Tiffany and Alonzo got engaged back in October and I’ve been along for the entire ride! Their planner, Bella Underwood, is the absolute best planner I’ve had the privilege to work with! She is as sweet as she is hard-working and efficient and did a marvelous job planning and orchestrating this beautiful day!

I was doing double-duty this day, so a huge thanks goes to Adrian for being awesome as always and to Nahshon for stepping in my place when I had to go and be a bridesmaid lol. It was a pleasure capturing Tiff & Zo’s love and I look forward to seeing their love blossom even more in the years to come ♥

Going into “bridesmaid mode” :)

Check out the full wedding recap here via their slideshow! Set to their first dance song "Mirrors" by Justin Timerlake. 

If the video embed doesn't work, you can view the slideshow HERE.

Congratulations again you two and happy almost two month anniversary lol!

-Danielle

Ali & Clare | Virginia Beach, VA Wedding Photographer

Really excited to share this wedding with you guys this afternoon!

I’ve known Ali for the past 6 years- we were former co-workers at the investment firm I was laid off from back in 2009. Ali moved to Cleveland with his fiance right around the time I was laid off, but we kept in touch over the years, so I was super happy when he reached out and inquired about my availability for their December wedding last year!

I traveled to Cleveland to shoot their engagement session in November and Adrian, Nahshon, and I traveled down to Virginia Beach for their wedding. It was absolutely beautiful! The day was PERFECT- it was one of those unusually warm winter days before the polar vortex temps of Winter 2013-2014 set in and we couldn’t have been more thankful!

The day was full of family, love, and a mix of Afghan and Filipino traditions. They had guests from all over to celebrate with them and we enjoyed capturing the goings on of the day.

Ali & Clare’s wedding ceremony was full of both Afghan and Filipino wedding traditions.

So this was a funny moment. The priest wanted the parents to bless the rings but ended up dropping them unintentionally! A brief moment of panic ended in laughter as the rings were located soon after the mishap ;)

Introducing the brand new Mr. & Mrs. Sarwari!

This was the most dancing I’d ever seen at a reception and I love that everyone had such a great time!

There was a beautiful traditional Afghan Knife Dance prior to the cake cutting.

Hear directly from the bride on how her wedding day went!

“Since your wedding is an irreplaceable experience, Danielle wanted us to just soak up the moments and enjoy ourselves. She came with her team and they were flexible, respectful, and prompt. With so much going on that special day, she did not want to add to the stress. I appreciated that. Danielle let my husband and I live in the moment and she quietly captured those priceless memories, which we will always look back fondly.

When we started looking for a wedding photographer, we knew we wanted someone that listened to our requests and let us be ourselves. Not to mention we wanted awesome photos! Danielle definitely exceeded our expectations because she is talented, kind, artistic, intuitive, and a professional photographer – she is a premier photographer! Her work turned out stunning! I would definitely recommend her to someone looking to take beautiful photos, be themselves, and have tons of fun at the same time! We look forward to working with her again when we move on to the next phase of our lives and start a family!”

-Clare Sarwari 

Check out the full wedding recap here via their slideshow! Set to their first dance song “Somos Novios” by Andrea Bocelli & Christina Aguilera 

If the video embed doesn’t work, you can view the slideshow HERE.

Congratulations again you two and I wish you many more years of happiness!

-Danielle

Rymy & Zo | Washington, DC Wedding Photographer

Guess what weee have for you today?? Weddings!! Lol

I tried to go in order this week so we’re going to end the week off with weddings, weddings, and more weddings!

2013 ended on a busy note with two weddings and here is the first we shot that month!

Rymingtahn & Zonie were married early December and despite the rain (thankfully not snow!) on their wedding day, it was still an absolutely beautiful day! These two are such a sweet couple and we really enjoyed our time with them. 

THIS ONE BELOW IS WAY TOO SMALLTHIS ONE BELOW IS TOO SMALL

Check out the full wedding recap here via their slideshow! Set to their first dance song “Adore” by Prince.

If the video embed doesn’t work, you can view their slideshow HERE.

Congratulations again you two and happy almost 5 month anniversary! :) Wishing you many more months and years of happiness!

-Danielle

Don't Underestimate the Importance of Makeup

Happy Thursday!

Back in action today with three WEDDING WEEK posts today to make up for my super lateness yesterday :/

So to kick it off today, we’re going to talk about makeup!

This hasn’t been too much of an issue in recent years since I began including makeup with my standard sessions, but sometimes it still comes up, so I figured it was worth sharing this WEDDING WEEK especially since it’s very important for your engagement and wedding photos :)

Here to chat with us today on this topic is one of my fabulous makeup artists: Denyelle of Makeup Art by Denyelle!

Hey guys!

Professional makeup is essential when it comes to your engagement and wedding photos because you want to look like a refined version of yourself. A professional makeup application can help you achieve that picture perfect photo that you’re paying for. Once your makeup is applied, it may seem heavy, but the camera will balance out your look and you’ll look perfect in your photos!

Unless you’re makeup savvy, don’t attempt to do your makeup yourself. A professional makeup artist has been trained to create the perfect look for your specific eye shape, skin tone, and preference. Also, you are most likely a ball of nerves on your wedding day, so the last thing you want to worry yourself with is makeup. So go ahead, get pampered!

It’s always a good idea to schedule your trial run with your chosen makeup artist the day of your e-session. In doing so, you will have an idea of how your makeup will look on camera. In addition, if you want to add anything you can tell your makeup artist to ensure your ceremony look is the perfect representation of you.

When choosing a makeup artist for your wedding there are a few deciding factors that come into play. Know your location (where makeup will be done), your budget, and head count before contacting a prospective makeup artist. Not sure of where to find a makeup artist? Ask a friend, surf Instagram, Facebook, or ask your photographer to refer a trusted MUA.

Hopefully this helps!

-Denyelle 

Why Engagement Photos Are Important

“How much is it to take out the engagement session?”

I’ve heard this question a few times from prospective clients and although the answer is a dollar amount, it’s really much more than that! Removing the engagement session from your wedding package may save you a few dollars but what you GAIN is worth far more.

Engagement sessions are a special opportunity for you and your wedding photographer to get to know one another. 

Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life and you want to be sure that the photographer you’ve entrusted with that responsibility is one that you are comfortable with. Of course you’ve looked at their work and fell in love, met with them and signed your contract, but then what? Months pass and then your big day arrives… it’s almost as if a stranger is showing up to photograph your big day! Okay that statement might be a bit dramatic, but still there’s some validity to it lol.

Your engagement session gives you an opportunity to interact with your photographer in a similar manner to which you will be interacting with them on your wedding day. Not in a meeting setting, not in a hi and bye setting. But in a comfortable shooting environment. You get to see how your photographer operates and your photographer gets to see how you and your fiancé interact as a couple. As a photographer that’s super helpful for one big reason:

There’s no “adjustment” period on the wedding day. I’m already familiar with your love so I mentally can be prepared and on the lookout to capture moments that are uniquely you.

This is a big deal because with the wedding day already being super busy and fast paced, that’s one less thing I have to think about. I already have a few ideas in mind for photos based on what I know about you as a couple and that frees me up to be fully present instead of being stuck in the “getting to know you” period.

That’s one benefit, but what’s another? You and your fiancé get to have a carefree and fun afternoon with one another! Not to be overlooked in all of this is the quality time that will be spent with one another during your engagement session.

I try to make my couples as comfortable as possible and often by the end, they tell me how much fun they had! You can never have too many good memories with someone you love right? I like to think of the engagement session as kind of therapeutic (go with me here for a second lol). Even if you don’t like taking pictures, think of it this way: you have 2 hours where you don’t have to worry about anything but loving on each other :) And how often do you get a chance to just do that with the busy-ness of planning a wedding?

Well those are my two reasons for why engagement photos are important :) So look forward to your engagement session with excitement and not trepidation!