Emily + Sam's Intimate Park Wedding in Richmond, Virginia

Anyone who has spent time in the land of wedding photography knows that most weddings found on the internet (blogs, photographer websites, etc) share the common qualities of being pristinely curated, insanely expensive, production-value-aware, and seemingly perfect. But these are not the things that make our hearts go pitter-patter. Instead, we are excited by the low-key, the simple, and the gorgeously un-perfect. When Emily and Sam came to the studio to talk about us shooting their wedding day, which consisted of a 30-guest ceremony at a local park and a stroll back to their home where the reception would be held, I was so excited I could burst. I knew that their celebration would be beautiful, but I also knew it wasn't going to be all about the perfect shot of her engagement ring emerging from a flower (WHY) or an overly-polished, strict-to-the-minute timeline. Their wedding day was relaxed. It was honest. It embraced and celebrated the work-in-progress spirit of their home (and their relationship). It included a special, sacred, personal portion of the ceremony during which photography was not allowed--even by me (and I wasn't mad about it). It was exactly the kind of thing I started shooting weddings to be part of: personal, un-fussy, and romantic in its realism. I am so excited to share their day as my first 2016 wedding on the blog.

// c