After the Rain Comes the Sunshine, the Smiles, and Joy!

May 5, 2011May 5, 2011
by Victoria J

A couple of weeks ago, I photographed a South Carolina wedding of a friend that I grew up with and then reconnected with last summer during a “Down South” road trip. Now before last year, we had not seen each other since we were around 6 or 7, so I was quite elated to see how grown she was, but even more, I was excited to hear that she was getting married.

Her wedding day started out with rain, and I was not near her in the morning, but I could only imagine what was going through her head. At some point, I believe it was supposed to be an outdoor wedding, but they made the executive decision in light of the weather report to set things up indoors. This was the same weekend that tornadoes ravished through North Carolina and other cities in the South, but thankfully, we did not see any of that kind of weather in Columbia. I remember just after the ceremony took place, it was absolutely gorgeous outside! It was not necessarily ideal for photographs with the bright sun, but it was a situation that I could work with. We took all of our wedding party portraits outdoors using the beautiful backdrop of this country club, although I hope that the grounds crew wasn’t too upset after we left one of the putting areas full of holes from sunken-in-heels.

I think I’ve said enough… now let’s get to good stuff: THE PHOTOGRAPHS! Some of my favorite photos below are:

When the ladies prayed for the marriage before the bride left the dressing room.
When the flower girl was taking baby steps down the aisle, and the mistress of ceremonies went to help her hurry along.
When the bride and groom honored their parents during the ceremony by giving each of them a hug.
When the groom asked for a smooch, and the bride gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
When the single men went to “not” try to catch the garter. Why is it that they came to the floor with cups in hand and hands in pockets. Compare their stance the single ladies who came empty-handed and actually put their hands up in the air when the bouquet was tossed.

All that said, I have included select images from this wedding below. If you see something you like, PLEASE do not hesitate to leave a comment!

After the Rain Comes the Sunshine :: SNEAK PEEK

April 26, 2011
by Victoria J

Last week, I photographed a wedding at the Columbia Country Club in Columbia, SC. This was the same weekend that a number of tornadoes tore through the South. Thankfully, we only got a little rain in Columbia, which was followed by beautiful sunshine and a few breezes here and there. I have just started processing through the photos, but here is a sneak peek of what’s to come! I will have an official post with many more photos soon, so please come back!

The Beauty of Purity

April 3, 2011April 3, 2011
by Victoria J

Yesterday I attended a friend’s wedding ceremony in Fort Washington, MD. Like most ceremonies, this was a beautiful affair with the lovely white gown, beautiful bridesmaids, adorable flowergirl, stately looking groomsmen and groom, handsome ringbearer, and guests wearing some of their best ensembles. But what set this ceremony apart from the majority of weddings that I have attended was the beauty of their purity. You see, this couple did not exchange their first kiss until the Pastor said, “You may now kiss your bride.” Wow! In our culture of instant gratification, this seems just about impossible for a lot of people, but I guess that’s why they say, “…with man it’s impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” Anyway, I was inspired by this couple and their journey, and I wish them God’s very best as the continue in their newly intertwined lives!

“You and I”

December 8, 2010December 8, 2010
by Victoria J

Here we are on earth together,
It’s you and I,
God has made us fall in love, it’s true,
I’ve really found someone like you

Will it say the love you feel for me, will it say,
That you will be by my side
To see me through,
Until my life is through

Well, in my mind, we can conquer the world,
In love you and I, you and I, you and I.

– Lyrics from “You and I” by Stevie Wonder

When I was a teenager, I once helped a woman get some favors together for her wedding. I remember that day when we sat in her living room with supplies surrounding us on the floor and she was telling us about the song that she wanted to to have played as she came down the aisle: “You and I” by Stevie Wonder. Her dilemma was the fact that she only had the track on a record and she did not think the church would be able to play it over the PA system (this was in the 90’s before all of the oldies but goodies were digitized – thank God for modern technology!). Anyway, she played this track for my best friend and I, and immediately I fell in love with the song (like so many other Stevie Wonder songs)! Before this day, I never thought anything could ever eclipse “Ribbon in the Sky” but lyrically, this song just might!

Anyway, as I looked for a song to display my latest wedding photographs, I thought of this tried and true classic, “You and I.” I have included images from a recent New Jersey wedding below.

By the way, if you see something you like, feel free to leave a comment!

Celebrating Love

September 15, 2010
by Victoria J

No matter what language you say it in, it’s still the same: rakkaus, dragoste, ?????, l’amour, ?????, love, amor, ljubav, amore, liebe, yêu. Whether you jump the broom, stand under the chuppah, ornately decorate your hands and arms with henna, or wear a veil, the point of it all is the same: to celebrate the union of a man and woman as they enter into holy matrimony. Few other occasions are able to bring together family and friends from miles away and different walks in life as weddings are able to. And what event can instantly transform a 2 people into a celebrities with royal status? Only weddings! And with proper planning and the right level of drama, a woman can get her wedding and/or the preparation for the wedding televised by Oxygen, TLC, or WE. And what other kind of event will allow you to dance the night away without paying a cover charge?

Even though a lot is involved afterwards, weddings are still one of my favorite things to capture because spirits are high, people look beautiful, and with so much time, money, and planning invested into the day, there is always something to capture (never a dull moment)!

Below, I have included images from a recent College Park, MD wedding. In addition to the images below, there is also a slideshow that you can watch that has more images.

By the way, if you see something you like, please leave a comment below! I really appreciate the feedback!

View Slideshow for more images

Preview of things to come…

September 2, 2010October 24, 2010
by Victoria J

This past weekend, I saw a lot of the sun, the road, and my clients! With 2 engagement portrait sessions, 1 wedding, and 1 pet portrait session scheduled, my weekend was full of work! But it was the kind of work that you enjoy so much that you really don’t view it as work. I have yet to meet 2 couples that are the same, so the dynamics between the individuals lend themselves to some poses naturally, so the excitement for me is to find what else is going to work well! The pet session was a first for me, and the only challenge was keeping the dog engaged in the portraits as she had a will of her own. All this to say, I have quite a few images to sift through and “optimize,” so I won’t be able to do my normal post on here this week, but I did want to provide a preview of the photographs that will come from these sessions! See images below, but more importantly, STAY TUNED!

Oh yeah and for the record, if you see something you like, please feel free to leave a comment or even pass along a link!

Thanks for checking this post out!
Victoria J.

First comes love…

Then comes marriage….

Then comes a… DOG!

(Children to come later! I could not do it all in 1 weekend)

That Sunday, That Summer

July 8, 2010
by Victoria J

I guess I’ve always been a “hopeless romantic” as the phrase goes. Perhaps it stems from the 15+ Barbies I used to have with the 3-story Barbie house with elevator, or it may have come from the countless times I’ve watched Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, or maybe it was just ingrained in my DNA that I would love those romantic exchanges… Regardless of the origins, I simply love to capture weddings and engagement sessions. They never grow old to me or lose their excitement! And just as no two flowers are identical, no two couples express their love in the same way or have their wedding go the exact same way. I recently was blessed with the opportunity to photograph a Delaware couple in New Jersey as they made their union official.

Some say love is blind, others say it’s color blind, and really, I am not sure which is true, but I do know that I (and all of the other wedding guests) saw love emanating so powerfully through this couple as they exchanged their vows. You can see select images below from this wedding and you can also view the slideshow here.