As the year is winding down I always like to look back at my photography over the past year and identify what I liked, didn’t like and where I want to go for the next year. Even though I still have quite a few weddings left before we ring in 2011, I think it’s a great exercise to do for both personal reflection and growth. After Emily & Will’s Duke Chapel wedding, it really affirmed for me what I really loved about the past year – my clients, their friends and families.
Emily is probably the most energetic, smiling and outgoing person I have met all year. Even better, it’s infectious so everyone around her catches her enthusiasm and joy and, well, it turns into one big laugh fest and celebration very quickly. Emily and her bridesmaids were getting ready in one of the conference rooms down by her wedding reception as she had quite a few bridesmaids and 2 hair & makeup artists. This allowed Emily to also get a sneak peek of her room, delicious wedding cake by sugarland & gorgeous wedding flowers by dogwood tree florist, before she headed over to Duke Chapel for the wedding.
As it was an evening wedding in winter the light we had, or I should say, not have, really makes for dramatic portraits and with Duke Chapel as a backdrop, I think they came out absolutely stunning. That is truly what I love about wedding photography… getting truly unique and gorgeous results using unconventional methods. so back to the important part of this blog entry, Emily & Will had a gorgeous ceremony and after we did our couples portraits, we headed back to the Washington Duke Inn for their wedding reception.
The room was gorgeous, Greg from Joe Bunn DJ Company was setting the mood with the tunes and everyone was ready to eat and party down. I ended up doing a few ring shots with the wine corks which, I found out later, Emily is a huge fan of wine. Wait, not like that… you know what I mean! Anyway, after the cake cutting and toasts, the party got started and everyone really had a great time (including me) celebrating Emily & Will’s marriage. When it came time for the bouquet toss, Emily had a game plan. That plan was, well, fairly straightforward…. throwing the bouquet straight at her sister. LOL.. I loved the expression on everyones faces.
The night just flew by and before I knew it, the evening was over. That’s the mark of a great party I think! I know I say this a lot but I really mean it – it is a true honor to be present and capture the moments, emotions and all elements of my clients wedding day. I think that passion shows in the work and, as you can see, there was no shortage of great moments! I hope you enjoy a few choice photos from Emily & Will’s Duke Chapel wedding.
