Allison + Austin | KENNEDY CENTER ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | WASHINGTON DC

I shot Allison and Austin’s engagement photos at Kennedy Center in Washington DC in November. The day of the engagement shoot was a windy Saturday evening. This incredibly adorable couple definitely showed how much love they have for each other.


The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has a lot to offer. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is beautiful year-round. If you are in town, this place is one of the must-see Washington DC sites and it happens to be one of the first places I visited when I first moved to Washington DC in 2011.

Pros:

• It is stunning

• Friendly and professional staff.

Cons:

• Parking can be expensive.

Nike + Rob | A Beautiful Spring Wedding at Fauquier Springs Country Club in Virginia

Nikeya & Robert got ready at Poplar Springs Inn Virginia for their May wedding and had their ceremony at Fauquier Springs Country Club. These two were surrounded by their amazing family and friends on their special day. There were so many beautiful emotions expressed this day that Peyton Olivia and I had the pleasure of capturing.

I loved photographing the bride and groom's first look. Nikeya looked absolutely stunning. 

The day was lovely and Fauquier Springs Country Club was the perfect setting for these two. Please enjoy some of my favorites from this amazing couple's Virginia wedding!

Lovely bride getting ready for her big day.

Groom and groomsman celebrating with whiskey before the wedding ceremony.

Bride and Groom's Frist Look Photos | Virginia Wedding

I love this bride and groom's facial expressions when they see each other for the first time on their wedding day!

Bride and bridesmaids with bouquets.

Groom and bride's brothers pose together.

Couple exchanging their wedding rings.

The kiss!

Nike and Rob enjoying a dance together for the first time as a married couple!

Bride and her proud father on the dance floor.

Lisa + Cameron | Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens Engagement Photos

We shot Lisa and Cameron's engagement photos at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Washington DC. It is one of my favorite engagement sessions of 2018. This incredibly cute couple definitely made my job easier by just being themselves.  We can not wait to photograph this lovely couple!

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is filled with nature and has beautiful gardens. Hillwood Estate gardens are beautiful year-round. If you are in town, this place is one of the must-see Washington DC sites. 

Pros:

• Plenty of parking spaces.
• It is absolutely gorgeous!
• Friendly and professional staff.

Cons (This one is for DC wedding , engagement and family photographers):

• Requires photography permit.
  
  Lisa and Cameron plan to get married on July 1, 2018 in Baltimore, MD.

Ceresville Mansion Wedding Photos in Frederick md | Stephane + Mario

Stephane and Mario met as young adults and were friends for a while first. They even had a "friend fight" and did not speak to each other for three months. As people say, there is a thin line between love and hate. LOL! Stephane and Mario had great chemistry since the moment they met, everyone around them knew it. They, however, pretended not to notice it for a long timef. 
In December 2017, it will be 10 years since they first met. They could have never imagined it then, but it was the beginning of an amazing journey- They had each met their better half. 
Their relationship is full of love and has proven to be very strong throughout the years. Stephane and Mario have grown up together and supported each other through very tough and challenging times. Together, they also lived some of the most amazing experiences of their lives. They were there for each other's multiple graduations, professional and personal accomplishments, met their families in Peru and Brasil and actually got to experience a World Cup in person! They also had the opportunity to visit Europe- a lifelong dream and the setting for one the most special days in their lives.
On July 11, 2016, Mario proposed in the most magical way! Stephane had no idea- which was very unusual since she is always so on top of everything! After deciding that Paris was not the right place for his special proposal, Mario's heart was set in Venice. Some of the family members who knew of the initial plan, were very confused as Paris came and went and no announcement was made. Stephane got some curious texts (you know who you are lol) and a very funny phone call with her mom- she was all giggly and Stephane had no idea why. Venice was an amazing place. As they were enjoying a gondola ride at sundown, Mario decided he wanted a picture. He asked Stephane to hand the camera to the gondola driver and Stephane said: No way! She was so worried about her friend's professional camera falling in the water that for once, she did not want to take a picture. Mario insisted and handed the camera to the driver. Stephane's sight was laser focused on that camera when all of a sudden, Mario got down to one knee and said- "Stephane, will you marry me? I love you!" Stephane had a smile from ear to ear and of course forgot all about the camera, oops! lol Right away, She said Yes! 
Since then, Stephane and Mario have been working very hard towards building a solid foundation for their future. Driving themselves super crazy at times, obviously. Even then, they are so happy to begin the next chapter of their lives (kids included!) in their new home. 

Stephane and Mario held their gorgeous Friday wedding at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, Maryland. My lovely second and third shooters and I were so excited for their big day.  After photographing Stephane and Mario’s engagement session at Meadowlark Gardens in Virginia, I knew their wedding would be beautiful. My assistant and I started with our stunning bride Stephane and her bridesmaids in the getting ready suite at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick Maryland. Mario, his groomsmen and our second shooter started across the hall. They were truly meant for each other and we had so much fun photographing their special day. Here are a few of our favorites from their wedding day!

Vendors:

Photographer: Justy Photography

Videography: SOK

Venue: Ceresville Mansion

Dj- Master Productions

Cake- custom cake designs

Officiant- Pastor Ed Choy, Premier Wedding Pastors

Florist- Deicy Sinani Flowers

Saxophone- Espinoza Music Professionals

String duo- Capriccio String Quartet

Photo booth- Say Cheese Rentals, LLC

Meredith + Rich | Josephine Butler Parks Center Wedding Photos | Washington DC

Kryssy + Billy | Omni Shoreham Wedding Photos, Washington DC Wedding Venues

Kryssy + Billy | Wedding at the Omni Shoreham Hotel

Our last wedding for 2017 was also one of our favorite weddings from last year!

The Omni Shoreham Hotel, the location where Kryssy and Billy chose to host their wedding, is a picturesque luxury hotel in Washington, DC with loads of historical charm. The ceremony was held outdoors in the hotel’s lush garden overlooking Rock Creek Park, and the overcast skies were just perfect for ceremony photos — the clouds were a natural softbox, making for some stunning wedding photos! We were racing against the weather, though — almost as soon as Kryssy and Billy walked down the aisle together as husband and wife, the skies opened up and the rain began. We had to work efficiently capture the portraits and family photos, then usher everyone inside before we all got soaked. Luckily the hotel staff were incredibly accommodating and provided a box of umbrellas for us to use.

Omni Shoreham - DC Luxury Hotel Wedding Venues

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We’ve heard that rain is considered good luck on a wedding day, and we couldn’t agree more! During the reception, once the sun had set, we pulled Billy and Kryssy away from the dance floor for a few minutes to shoot some more portraits in the rain. We set up a flash and had Kryssy and Billy stand in front of it while holding an umbrella. Look how dramatic the raindrops look in the photos! This is most certainly one of my favorite pictures from this beautiful wedding. 

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The reception had even more great moments for wedding pictures. To celebrate their big day, Kryssy and Billy opened a huge bottle of champagne after they cut their wedding cake. Turns out, when you open an extra-large bottle of champagne, you will have an extra-large champagne explosion. I love the bride and groom’s reactions in these photos! I was right up close to the action, but don’t worry, my camera gear got away unscathed.

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Another one of my favorite moments from the reception was the surprise hora. That’s right — a SURPRISE hora. I quickly guessed what was about to happen as soon as the band started playing Hava Nagila, and got into position as the groomsmen brought in a chair. Turns out, you really ought to practice a hora first. We had a slight mishap during the first attempt to lift Billy up, but the groomsmen quickly added a few more guys to the chair and Billy was safely returned to the ground at the end of the song.

What more can we say? This really was the perfect wedding. From the great band to the tasty food, to the wedding couple who so clearly love and adore each other, it all went off without a hitch. We are so happy Billy and Kryssy chose us to photograph their special day, and we really couldn’t ask for a better final wedding for the season. 

P.S. We’re now booking weddings for the 2018 season. If you’re looking for a photographer for your wedding in DC, Maryland, or Virginia, feel free to chat with us here.

15 Questions You Should Ask Your Wedding Photographer before Hiring Him/her

Wedding planning is not only about setting the date and buying your wedding dress. You should as well meet the different people helping you on that big day, and these include the event organizer, the emcee, and the Washington DC wedding photographer. Each one of these people play a key role in your wedding day, and it is important you meet him/her before you hire them and on the rehearsing day. For a wedding photographer, you should ask him the following questions. 

Finding Out About His/Her Availability

Before hiring your photographer, you need to verify their availability. Ask them some of the following questions.

• Are you available on my wedding date? This is so that you verify his/her availability and if s/he is not available you hire next option
• Are you working with someone else? Find out if s/he has an assistant. Some DC wedding photographers will prefer working with an assistant, and others will not. 
• What is your shooting style?
• How many weddings do you shoot per year?
• Do you send a highlight gallery?

Finding Out About Her Prowess

• How long have you worked as a Maryland photographer? You definitely want an experienced wedding photographer for your special day.
• Are you familiar with my wedding venue? 
• Do you know about my wedding organizer?
  
  Do You Know His/Her Rates?

• What is your pricing style? Some Virginia wedding photographers will charge per photo others will charge the hours worked. Go with the one that suits your budget.
• So how much will you charge? Depending on the answer above, get a quote.

Ask Him about Printing Style and Frame Designs

• Which printing styles do you have? You want a creative printing style and so let him show you the different styles you can choose the best.
• Is the rate inclusive of Framing? There are Virginia wedding photographers who will offer a free frame.
• What Frame types do you offer? Choose the framing type that you like. There are different types of frames used by DC wedding photographers.
• Do you offer soft copies? You definitely want to share photos online. So request for soft copy

The above wedding photographer questions are aimed at communicating what you would like your DC wedding photographer to do.

10 Wedding Planning Tips You Will Want to Know!

The wedding day is one of the special days in life, and therefore it is important you plan well for the events that will unfold in that day. Planning for a wedding begins early so that the all the key players such as destination wedding photographer is well informed of the day to make the wedding day memorable. 

1. Avoid Last Minute Rush

There are people you need to invite to your wedding so that they can perform some duties. For example, you need an event planner to assist in planning the venue and other things. The venue needs to be booked early for you to get a good venue. In most cases you will find that wedding venue in Washington DC will be booked for up to three months depending on the season and therefore you have to book early to get a good venue and also be convenient in terms of the day you want to have the wedding. 

2. Hire Top Notch Performers

Not everyone knows the secrets of wedding photography. Again, you want someone who knows what you need. So if you are having your wedding in West Virginia, you should look for a Virginia wedding photographer since he has some experience.

3. Hire People Who Know the Place Well

If your reception is in Washington DC, you should go for destination wedding photographer since you will save more money. If you have to transport someone from another place, you will pay more.

4. Go for a Convenient Venue

It is advisable to have the wedding reception to where you will be getting married. If you are going for a church wedding, you can consider a wedding reception venue close to the church. This saves on transport and time. 

5. Confirm Number of Guests Who Will Attend

After invitations are sent out, the people will accept the invitation, and therefore you need to hire a venue that is convenient and economical. You can then save by avoiding extra seats since most venues charge per capacity. 

6. Meet Your Destination Wedding Photographer before Actual Day

There are some special people and events you want to be captured well, so it’s important you alert him early regarding the same. 

7. Work Closely with Event Planner

No matter how busy you might be, it’s important you meet event planner regularly for updates. If you are far apart, technology can help you. This helps avoid disappointments.

8. Rehearse Before Wedding Day

You have bought new clothes and shoes, and it is important you try them out before the day to avoid such a disappointment where you are in an unfitting wedding dress. 

9. Flowers Are Important

These will help brighten the photos taken by Virginia wedding photographer and secondly the day will feel warmer. 

10. Plan Your Honey Moon Well

You might need the destination wedding photographer for your honeymoon, and thus you need to book with him early. 

Wedding planning is not a one-day event; it is actually something you need to think well about. You should work with these people you are hiring closely for a successful wedding day. Your Washington DC wedding photographer will be important, so hire one early.

11 questions you should never ask your wedding photographer

11 questions you should never ask your wedding photographer 

Wedding consultations are one of my favorite parts of my job.  Whether it is in DC or Virginia, I really enjoy discovering new coffee and donut shops (my favorite donut shop is in Alexandria). I love meeting my couples in person and getting to know them better. Most of my clients come well prepared and know what they are looking for. However, there are a few questions I get asked far too often. These are some common questions that most photographers dread hearing during a consultation. 

1. What kind of camera do you use?

This is probably one of the most common questions I receive as a wedding photographer. It is not only my couples, pretty much everyone who hears that I am a professional wedding photographer asks me this question. The problem with it is that it is not the camera that takes the pictures! The type of camera a photographer uses does not determine his or her skills. I have seen so many photographers with top of the line cameras who are not trained well enough to shoot photos in manual mode. We dedicate our lives to becoming the best photographers we can be by going to school, creating our portfolios and spending countless hours critiquing our own work. People should understand that there is a reason you’re not hiring uncle Bob with a DSLR to photograph your wedding day.

If you guys are still wondering what's in my camera bag, here it is:
2 Nikon Full Frame Camera
1 Canon Full Frame Camera
2 Fuji X Mirrorless Cameras
Prime Lenses: 35mm, 50mm, 56mm, 18-55 mm, 85mm,90mm,135mm, and Lens Baby Control Freak
Zoom and Telephoto Lenses: 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 17-55mm
6 Speedlites
MagMod Flash Diffusers & Light Modifiers
Creative gels
Soft boxes
Umbrellas
SD Cards
Extra batteries and chargers
Probably some Redbull and energy bars
 

2. Is it cheaper if we give you the Flash Drive?

Simple answer : No. 

3. Can we see all of the images you took?

What people may not realize is that you are paying your photographer to do more than just take photos. We also help with the planning, lead guests and family, go through a huge number of photos and edit the selected shots. Culling, or selecting the best photos, can take up to 20 hours for one wedding. This is a crucial step in the process as you don’t want to see the shots where the bride is blinking and the groom has his fly open!

4. Can we get the Raw photos?

The majority of well trained professional photographers will NOT give out RAW photos. Would you ask a painter to give you a blank canvas with their name signed on it? Probably not. Just like you wouldn’t ask a chef for a RAW chicken. It is simply unfinished work. 

5. Are you going to eat at my wedding?

This question was asked to one of our photographer friends. I feel like this one is a really silly question. Most of our weddings require 2 hours of driving and 8-12 hours of shooting so chances are your photographer is going to be hungry. If you don’t think you can fit a vendor meal into your budget, then please let them know so they can bring their own food.

6. Can you give us a discount?

Asking this question right off the bat might make your photographer feel undervalued and he or she may not take you as seriously as their other prospective clients.

7. How many photos will you take?

The problem with this question is that most photographers do not have a set number of photos that they limit themselves to take during a shoot. The number of photos we take depends on a number of different factors, such as the type of event, the flow of the wedding and the location(s). Also, this goes without saying; if you buy a package that comes with two photographers, you will receive more photos than you will with a basic package. 

 8. I saw another photographer’s work online that I like. Can you edit and/or shoot like them?

Every photographer has their own style! It's important that you find a photographer whose personality and style matches with what you are looking for. 

9. Do you give discounts for Sunday weddings?

I know there are some venues and vendors out there that are trying to book every wedding possible and will, therefore, offer discounts for Sunday weddings. However, the photographers at Justy Photography provide the same service for everyone regardless of where and when your wedding takes place. Each client will still be given our undivided effort and attention whether it be a Wednesday afternoon courthouse ceremony or a 12 hour Saturday wedding at the Ritz.

10. “Can you photoshop that out?”

To be honest, probably not. Your wedding photographer is going to have to back up and go through 1,500+ photos and pick the best ones (this takes around 10 hours). In addition to this, they will import them onto her/his hard drive, color correct, crop and enhance them (15-20 hours of work), backup the edited ones, sort them and upload your gallery. Photoshop is an expensive software that takes up a lot of time. One can spend hours photoshopping out something totally minuscule. Imagine doing that for every single photo delivered to you. It will likely cost you a pretty penny to get those manipulated photos.

11. A guest at my wedding is also a photographer. Can they take photos too?

Of course! As long as they are respectful of the other photographer’s space, they are more than welcome. But one important reminder: please don’t let them stand in the aisle during the kiss!