Alexandria Wedding - Torpedo Factory wedding — Alexandria Wedding - Torpedo Factory wedding

Why You Should Have a Winter Wedding

November 3, 2017

Wedding photographers have something known as a Wedding Season; these are months out of the year — March through November — when they get the majority of their bookings for wedding photography. But when everyone is holding their wedding in the summer, here are my reasons why every bride should consider having a winter wedding:

Your vendor of choice will likely be available.

When it comes to summer weddings, there is so much competition to book a venue, DJ, and wedding photographer. Not so much in the winter — chances are you’re not competing with another wedding couple for the same venue or wedding photographer during the winter months.

Snow!

Here in Washington, DC we usually get at least one good snow storm every winter. Think about how amazing it would be to have the beautiful snowy backdrop for your wedding photos! Now those would make for some wonderfully unique wedding portraits.

You can do a winter wonderland theme.

Winter weddings can go full on winter wonderland with their decorations. I’m talking garlands, candles, snowflakes, evergreen trees, twinkle lights, pine cones, etc. Serve your guests hot chocolate and mulled wine. Hand out roasted chestnuts as party favors. Surprise your guests with carolers!

Santa Claus can officiate!

If you have kids at your wedding, how cute would it be if Santa dropped by during the reception and handed out some presents? Or even better, what if Santa was the one to officiate your wedding? By the power vested in me by the State of the North Pole, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

No humidity.

Summer weddings in Washington, DC are quite often hot and muggy. Winter weddings don’t have that problem. Your hair and makeup will look flawless without that summer weather messing it up.

Your guests won’t have wedding fatigue.

Summers are so jam-packed with weddings, friends and family can get tired of attending a wedding every other weekend. When you hold your wedding in the winter, it’s the highlight of the season! Another bonus is that your family will already be getting together for the winter holidays, so no extra travel will be required for your wedding.

Perfect weather for black tie.

Tuxedos really aren’t meant to be worn in the summer, especially since many of them are created out of 100% wool. In the winter, however, they are absolutely ideal for an indoor wedding. Your female guests will have the perfect event for wearing floor-length gowns and sequined dresses. Rather than looking hot and sweaty, your guests will appear elegant and polished for your wedding.

You can wear a cape.

Since outdoor weddings photos can get chilly in just a wedding dress, brides choose to add a cape to their ensemble for warmth. And how often to you get an excuse to wear a cape? It’s the ultimate accessory for winter weddings!

Bride and groom - First dance - Torpedo Factory wedding — Bride and groom - First dance - Torpedo Factory wedding

Are you looking to book a photographer for your winter wedding? We here at Justy Photography would love to photograph it! Get in touch with us here.

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A Day in the Life of a Wedding Photographer

November 3, 2017

Have you ever wondered what a wedding photographer does when they’re not shooting a wedding? The answer: a lot! Being a wedding photographer is about more than just artistry, it’s about running a business. Here’s what a typical day for me looks like when I’m not off shooting a wedding:

7:30 AM

Sometimes I wake up from my alarm, but most often my dog, Pongo, will wake me up by licking my face. She gets fed and walked first thing every morning, and she likes to keep to her schedule.

8:00 AM

After returning home from walking Pongo, I shower, change, make breakfast and drink coffee. I try reading some of the news headlines, but quite often I end up checking social media.

9:00 AM

I catch up with my emails. Usually, I answer emails as soon as I receive them, but sometimes they accumulate too quickly and I need to block out time in my day to go through all of them. I send out contracts, schedule engagement sessions, answer inquiries and talk with vendors. If there’s a wedding coming up on the weekend, I check in with my second shooter and send her the schedule and shot list. I also use this time to update my website and check my SEO analytics.

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10:30 AM

I make another cup of coffee and call a bride for a phone consultation. We talk about the details of her wedding, and I answer any questions she has about working with me as her wedding photographer.

11:30 AM

I prepare a batch of photos to post to my blog. I try and update it at least twice a week with wedding photos, engagement sessions, and posts related to working as a wedding photographer in DC and Maryland. I also prepare the social media collateral to coincide with publishing the blog post.

12:30 PM

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I’m meeting my second shooter for lunch at a little cafe down the street from my house. I take Pongo with me. I love using my lunch break to take a walk outside and get some fresh air. During our lunch, my second shooter and I discuss our game plan for the upcoming wedding.

1:30 PM

Time for another consultation — this time the bride and groom are visiting me in my home office. I prepare refreshments and some sample wedding albums to show to the couple.

3:00 PM

Done with meetings! But my day is hardly over — I have several weddings for which I need to edit the photos. I sit down at my computer, crank up my photo editing playlist, and get to work.

6:00 PM

I take a small break to walk Pongo and answer any emails that have come in.

6:30 PM

Back to editing!

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8:30 PM

Usually, around now I finish working for the day. I make dinner, take Pongo on one last walk, and end the night curled up on the couch either with a book or watching Netflix. If I have the energy, I’ll go down to the gym and work out for an hour.

12:30 AM

Time for bed!

There you have, a typical day in my life as a wedding photographer!

Advice for Brides and Grooms from a Wedding Photographer

November 2, 2017

Your wedding photos will be some of your most valuable mementos. Here’s some advice from a wedding photographer — that’s me! — with tips and tricks that will make your wedding photos absolutely stunning.

For Brides

Purchase a nice hanger for your wedding dress.

You’ve invested so much time in choosing your wedding dress, and the last thing you want to do is display it on a plastic or (gasp!) wire hanger. A classic wooden hanger would work best for displaying your dress. You can even get a personalized hanger with your name and the date of your wedding written on it.

Keep your face powder handy.

I’ve photographed quite a few weddings in Washington, DC, and let me tell you, summers here are unbelievably humid. If you’re having a summer wedding, chances are you’ll start to sweat during your portrait session. And no one likes looking shiny in their photos! Assign one of your bridesmaids with the job of carrying a compact and performing any necessary touchups during your wedding photos.

For Grooms

Don’t forget about the socks!

Tux? Check.
Cufflinks? Check.
Socks? Er….

Let’s be honest here — grooms don’t have many options for accessories. Instead of sticking with plain black socks (for the love of all that is good, do NOT wear white socks to your wedding), try donning a pair with a fun color pattern. It’s a great way for you to express your creativity, and you can even coordinate with your groomsmen to make a matching set. One of my favorite wedding photos to take are the groomsmen showing off their fun (and sometimes funny) sock choices!

Plan a fun activity with your groomsmen.

Grooms usually take far less time to prepare for their wedding than their brides. Sometimes this works out great for scheduling — the photographer takes the preparation photos, captures a couple of portraits, and then heads to the wedding venue to get the detail photos before the ceremony and reception. Other times, the photographer is left twiddling their thumbs. Try including a fun impromptu activity, like a poker game or a light soccer match with your groomsmen. This will add variety for your photos, and ease the stress of a hectic day.

For Both

Prepare everything you need for detail photos in a box for your photographer.

That includes the wedding rings, shoes, invitations, and RSVP cards.

Brides, please add to this box your bouquet and any jewelry you’re planning to wear. Grooms, if you’re planning to wear a tie or a watch, include that in the box as well. Make a note for your photographer of any significant items — like the something old, something new, and something borrowed (she’ll probably figure out which item is blue herself!).

Keep your getting ready room clean!

Nothing can ruin beautiful preparation photos like empty plastic water bottles on the dresser, or clothes tossed all around the floor. Preparation can get hectic, so at the very least make sure the parts of the room where the bride is getting ready — her makeup table, the full-length mirror, the windows — are kept free of clutter. Same for the groom — work with your photographer to designate a part of the room where the photos will be taken (usually close to the window) and keep that area clean.

Jenn +Brian | Historic Round Barn Wedding in Pennsylvania - St. Anthony’s Shrine

November 2, 2017

I photographed Jenn and Brian’s engagement session back in 2016, and so I was absolutely thrilled when they asked me to take the photos for their wedding! I loved shooting their engagement photos — Jenn and Brian are full of joy and laughter, and were an absolute dream to photograph. As a bonus, we also shared a mutual love for Georgetown Cupcakes!

Historic Round Barn Wedding Photos - Georgetown Cupcake engagement

The two decided to hold their ceremony at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This is a picturesque church not too far from the Maryland/Pennsylvania border (the reception was held in PA). We did all of the pre-ceremony photos around the grounds of the church, and the overcast sky provided the perfect lighting for the portraits. While Jenn and Brian didn’t do a first look with each other, Jenn did a first look with her father and her brother. Their reactions were so touching; Jenn’s father had the biggest grin on his face when he hugged her, and her brother even teared up when he saw Jenn for the first time in her wedding gown.

Jenn and Brian did exchange letters before the ceremony. We placed them around the corner from each other, and photographed away as they read their letters. Moments like these are why I love my job as a wedding photographer! You can see the love and adoration they have for each other on their faces.

Then it was time for the wedding ceremony inside the church, and the natural lighting made for light and airy wedding photos. Another one of my favorite moments from this wedding was when Brian saw Jenn walk down the aisle. The two spent almost the entire ceremony grinning at each other.

Jenn and Brian hosted their reception at The Historic Round Barn in Biglerville, Pennsylvania. I loved the rustic setting, the dramatic ceiling, and the twinkle light strung all across the dance floor. My final favorite moment from the night was when Jenn and Brian’s friends and family performed a surprise dance show.

What a lovely wedding! Jenn and Brian were a wonderful couple, and it gave me so much joy to photograph their wedding day!

St. Anthony’s Shrine wedding photos - Bride's dad first look photos

St. Anthony’s Shrine  - Bride's brother sees the bride for the first time — St. Anthony’s Shrine - Bride's brother sees the bride for the first time

Historic Round Barn Wedding Photos by Justy Photography - PA wedding photographers

St. Anthony’s Shrine  - First touch — St. Anthony’s Shrine - First touch

St. Anthony’s Shrine  - first touch photos — St. Anthony’s Shrine - first touch photos

Historic Round Barn Wedding Photos - St. Anthony’s Shrine wedding — Historic Round Barn Wedding Photos - St. Anthony’s Shrine wedding

St. Anthony’s Shrine wedding photos - Bride crying

St. Anthony’s Shrine wedding photos- Groom's first look

St. Anthony’s Shrine wedding ceremony photos

St. Anthony’s Shrine PA wedding ceremony

St. Anthony’s Shrine wedding - The Kiss!

St. Anthony’s Shrine - PA wedding photographers

St. Anthony’s Shrine and Historic Round Barn wedding photos

We recreated Jenn and Brian's engagement photo! It's so cute seeing these two photos side-by-side.

Historic Round Barn wedding photographers

Historic Round Barn wedding photos - Champagne wedding photo

Romantic and cute Historic Round Barn wedding photos

beautiful Historic Round Barn wedding photos

Historic Round Barn wedding photos - PA Biglerville wedding photographers

Historic Round Barn wedding photos - Center pieces

Historic Round Barn wedding photos - Romantic First Dance

Historic Round Barn wedding photos - Father Daughter Dance

Historic Round Barn wedding photos - Mother and Son Dance

Photographer: Justy Photography

Dress: Charlene Little

Cake: New Oxford Baker

Flowers: The Flower Boutique

Catering: Bollinger’s Restaurant

DJ: Wizer Productions

Officiant: Father Rob Walsh from the University of Maryland Catholic Student Center

Ceremony Venue: Saint Anthony’s Shrine

Reception Venue: The Historic Round Barn

Kelli + David | Wedding at Little Seneca Creek

October 30, 2017

Kelli and David first met while traveling through Costa Rica. Kelli and her sister Holli were crossing Lake Arnel by boat when they ran into David. They started up a conversation and, upon reaching the town of Monteverde, they discovered that all three of them were staying at the same hostel. Kelli and David spent the next day hiking together through the jungle. The day after that they parted ways.

Kelli went back to Atlanta, and David returned home to Washington, DC. Not long after Kelli moved to London for graduate school. The two wouldn’t see each other for several years.

After graduating, Kelli moved to DC and started working as an English teacher. One day she took her students to a Nationals baseball game. Her class posed for a picture with the Abraham Lincoln mascot, and Kelli posted the photo to her Instagram account.

David saw it. He sent Kelli a message asking if she would like to get together and catch up. Kelli agreed, and the rest is history.

Kelli and David decided to host their wedding at The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek. As a wedding photographer, I loved how the tent where they held their outdoor ceremony provided so much natural light for photos. The lodge where they held their reception had even more great photo opportunities — the rustic interior made their wedding photos look warm and inviting, and I loved the twinkle lights all around the room! Another favorite were the candles and the mirror they set up in the fireplace. That was such a creative decoration, and I was able to use it to shoot some of Kelli and David’s dance photos.

The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek is a lovely rustic log cabin with cathedral ceilings that can host up to 120 guests. The interior also has a huge stone fireplace and panoramic views of the 26 acres of wooded park land. The cozy atmosphere of this lodge is a great location to host a Maryland wedding, and makes for warm and inviting wedding photos. The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek is in Gaithersburg, just a short car ride from Bethesda and Downtown DC.

Some of my other favorite details from Kelli and David’s wedding photos: The hand-drawn chalkboard signs used at the ceremony and reception. Kelli’s wedding bouquet. The beautiful sunset we caught for some of Kelli and David’s wedding portraits.

Cindy + Mackenzie | Engagement in Georgetown

October 26, 2017

Cindy and Mackenzie love everything October! It’s their favorite month, and so an October engagement session featuring Octoberfest beers was just the right fit for this incredibly sweet couple.

We met at Georgetown Waterfront Park in DC to shoot their engagement photos. The afternoon lighting was absolutely divine — it was soft and warm during the golden hour, and later on in the photoshoot we saw an incredibly colorful sunset over the Potomac River.

Georgetown is one of my favorite places for photo sessions. The Waterfront Park is filled with nature and has gorgeous views of the river, with the Kennedy Center, the Key Bridge, and the Rosslyn skyline in the background. Walk a block north and you’re in the old Georgetown industrial neighborhoods. I loved shooting against the brick walls and finding cute little nooks and crannies in this historic street for photos. There was even a haunted house — of course we had to stop for a picture!

Cindy and Mackenzie plan to get married on October 13, 2018 at beach wedding in Bolivar, Colombia.