We performed for some beautiful weddings the weekend of October 16th, 17th and 18th, 2009.  Here are our recaps!

Kevin and Justin, 10/16/09 - Engineers Club, Baltimore, MD

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting:  One of our favorite venues, the beautiful and historic Engineers Club in Mt. Vernon in Baltimore.

The first dance: “Be Without You” by Mary J. Blige

The music: An awesome mix of all types of music – the big hits on the dance floor were 70’s disco and 80’s dance!

Outstanding vendors: Asha Hislop and her team from the Engineers Club kept things organized and moving!

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Carrie and Alex, 10/17/09 – Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, Cambridge, MD

DJ: Michael Bell

The setting: The always beautiful Hyatt was bedecked with giant centerpieces of roses, chrysanthemums and eucalyptus, in shades of red and orange.

The first dance: “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat

The music: Lots of hip hop as requested by the bride, as well as rock, oldies and country.

A funny moment: The bride and groom danced with their children to Rihanna’s “Disturbia” before they went off to bed.

Outstanding vendors: The staff of the Hyatt were very accommodating, and florist/coordinator Amy from Monteray Farms did a wonderful job as well.

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Gina and Christian, 10/17/09 – Ft. Belvoir Officer’s Club, Ft. Belvoir, VA

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting: The beautiful Mount Vernon room overlooking the Potomac River.

The first dance: “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder

The music: A great mix of old and new kept the crowd on the dance floor the entire night.  This was a great group and a lot of fun!

An unexpected surprise:  The bride’s sister and maid of honor conspired with me to deliver a jaw-dropping 3-minute song set to the music of “Miss You Much” by Janet Jackson.  It was ridiculously hilarious! 

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Emily and Matt, 10/17/09 – Loews Hotel, Annapolis, MD

DJ: Anthony Simpson

The setting:  The beautiful Loews Hotel in downtown Annapolis, with its stunning three-story atrium, provided a very elegant setting.

The first dance: “You and I” by Michael Buble

The music: The guests really enjoyed a high-energy mix of 80s hard rock, current R&B, and a couple of international songs honoring the couple’s diverse Lebanese and Greek heritages.

A fun tradition: The bride’s family performed a Dabke dance, a traditional Arabic circle dance that was a big hit.

A touching moment: The bride and groom gave a teary-eyed impromptu toast to their guests, during which they recognized their only living grandparent who happened to be in attendance.  The bride also thanked the groom’s parents for having their son, which was very touching and warmly received.

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Molly and Sergio, 10/17/09 – Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Stevensville, MD

DJ: Jeff Brown

The setting: The absolutely gorgeous Chesapeake Bay Beach Club with its sweeping bay views.

The first dance: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley

A fun moment: The bride’s sorority sisters requested “Perfect Gentleman” by Wyclef Jean and had a great time dancing together!

A touching tradition: The father of the bride, best man and maid of honor all gave very special toasts, and the groom shared a dance with his mother to a song she sang to him as a child.

Outstanding vendors: Teresa Hunter and everyone at the Beach Club were wonderful hosts, and photographer Heejin Ryu was wonderful to work with as well!

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Tara and Christopher, 10/17/09 – 1840s Ballroom, Baltimore, MD

DJ: Soor Kothari

The setting: The eclectic yet elegant ambiance of the 1840s perfectly reflected Baltimore’s culture — the venue also offered a beautiful view of the harbor and cityscape.

The first dance: “Best Days” by Graham Colton

The music: This couple was very into a wide variety of music, including Rat Pack classics, pop, 80s rock and roll, old school hip hop and salsa!

Outstanding vendors: Stasia from the 1840s Ballroom, Diane Maguire and everyone at Simply Elegant Catering and photographer Travis Hill made my job a pleasure!

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Melissa and Matthew, 10/18/09 – Grey Rock Mansion, Owings Mills, MD

DJ: Anthony Simpson

The setting: The historic Grey Rock Mansion provided a beautiful indoor backdrop for the ceremony, cocktails and dancing, while guests enjoyed dinner outside in a beautiful tent.

The first dance: “I Will” by The Beatles

A fun fact: The couple met at a party one night, and communicated regularly via email and phone between Boston and Delaware.  They are also huge New York Mets fans!

A special tradition: Dancing started off with a very spirited Hora, followed by a Mezinka tradition in honor of the groom’s parents, who had married off their last child.  Guests also enjoyed a polka in honor of the bride’s mother.

A fun moment: The best man’s toast was very touching and funny, and included a reference to the bride being the groom’s “number one draft pick!”

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Leah and Adrian, 10/18/09 – Inn at Brookeville Farms, Brookeville, MD

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The first dance:  “Question” by the Old 97’s

The music: A stellar mix of classics and current dance, this crowd was awesome – especially for a daytime wedding!

Outstanding vendors: Darcy Long and her staff at the Inn at Brookeville Farms did a great job, and photographer Sandi Foraci was an absolute pleasure to work with!

We’re excited to recap an amazing group of weddings from the weekend of October 9th through 11th, 2009!  Cheers!

Gillian and Ben, 10/9/09, Hotel Monaco, Alexandria, VA

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting: One of our favorite venues, Hotel Monaco, nestled in the heart of Old Town Alexandria.

The first dance: “She’s Everything” by Brad Paisley

The music: Everything from classics to country to current dance, this was a small group but a great crowd!

Outstanding vendors: Joi Funches from Hotel Monaco was outstanding as usual and her staff did a great job of managing the timeline.  Elizabeth Leibundguth of Cherry Blossom Weddings and Events was awesome as well, we had a lot of fun working together!

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Sarah and Michael, 10/9/09 – House of Sweden, Washington, DC

DJ: Jeff Brown

The setting: The unique House of Sweden, with its rooftop views of the Georgetown waterfront.

The first dance: “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce

The music: The guests enjoyed dancing to a mix of classic older hits from the 60s through the 80s.

A unique touch: The parents of the bride requested some timeless Irish songs for the bride and groom.

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Jessie and Alex, 10/9/09 – Fort Belvoir Officer’s Club, Fort Belvoir, VA

DJ: Michael Bell

The setting: Fort Belvoir Officer’s Club, with its beautiful Potomac River view and classic ambiance, was decked out in “Tiffany blue” and white accents.

A funny moment: The bridal party’s introduction music was Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” (a homage to Virginia Tech football), and the bride and groom, a military couple, entered the room to the “Army Strong” theme from TV, which got a big laugh!

A touching tradition: The bride and groom cut their cake with the same sword used by the groom’s father, a Brigadier General, at his own wedding.

A funny moment: A very young boy did the best rendition of “The Worm” ever!  The kids in attendance at the wedding were dancing like crazy.

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Katie and Bill, 10/10/09 – Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, DC

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting:  The very modern and elegant Pavilion Room at the Ronald Regan Building.

The first dance: “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

The music:  An awesome mix of everything – classics, 80’s, electronic, hip-hop – it was great!

Outstanding vendors: Candice Barnes from the Reagan Building was fabulous as always, and the RRB staff was outstanding.  Photographer Chris Zarconi snapped the action, and it was great to catch up with him!

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Lindsay and David, 10/10/09 – Engineer’s Club, Baltimore, MD

DJ: Soor Kothari

The setting: The soaring ceilings, grand spiral staircase and luxurious decor of the Engineer’s Club made this wedding all the more beautiful.

The first dance: “I’m Yours” by The Script

The music: A mix of old school hip hop, 80s, Motown and some Arabic songs resulted in a lot of dancing!

A funny moment: Each member of the bridal party was introduced into the reception to his or her own song, as chosen by the bride and groom — including “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred!

Outstanding vendors: Asha Hislop and everyone at the Engineer’s Club, photographer Eric Stocklin, florist My Flower Box and SugarBakers Cakes did an excellent job putting this wedding together!

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Molly and Ian, 10/10/09 – Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Annapolis, MD

DJ: David Johnson

The setting: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the area’s most economically responsible venue (that is also quite unique!)

The first dance: “To Be Alone With You” by Sufjan Stevens

The music: All of the songs for cocktails and dinner were chosen by the groom, who is really into music!  Guests enjoyed a very personal mix of popular and alternative artists.

A unique touch: The raw oyster bar, with oysters freshly shucked as guests arrived, was a huge hit — everyone was saying they were the best they’d ever tasted!

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Diane and Steve, 10/10/09 – Woman’s National Democratic Club, Washington, DCDJ: Jeff Brown

The setting: The historically elegant Woman’s National Democratic Club provided the perfect atmosphere for the event.

The first dance: “Let’s Fall in Love” by Diana Krall

The music: Lots of Rat Pack hits for cocktails and dinner, followed by classic rock, oldies, 70s and 80s.

A unique touch: The bride and groom had provided a bucket of flip flops for all of the women to change into before the dancing began.

A sentimental moment: The parents of both the bride and the groom gave very heartfelt toasts that really moved the guests!

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Faye and Mike, 10/11/09 – Whitehall Manor, Bluemont, VADJ: Michael Bell

The setting: Whitehall’s elegant decor was the perfect backdrop for florist Holly Heider Chapple’s breathtaking autumn-themed flowers.

The first dance: “Everything I Do” by Bryan Adams

A touching moment: The bride’s sister cried during her beautiful speech as she told a story from their childhood about dreaming about the men they were going to marry.

Outstanding vendors: Douglas Armstrong’s staff at Whitehall did a wonderful job with the catering and the event in general, while Holly Heider Chapple made the setting even more beautiful.

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Lea and Dan, 10/11/09 – Beth El Hebrew Congregation, Alexandria, VA

DJ: Anthony Simpson

The setting: The Beth El congregation was a very warm and accommodating venue with plenty of room for the ceremony, cocktails and dinner.

The first dance: “Como Fue” by Beny More

The music: Guests had a blast dancing to Motown, 80s pop, Top 40, salsa and merengue — they were literally worn out by the end of the night!

A touching moment: The groom and his mother danced to the song “Tomorrow” from the musical “Annie,” but as performed by The Pretzels.  This song obviously had a lot of meaning for them, as they were very emotional during their dance — those of us watching also got a little choked up!

An interesting fact: Lea and Dan went to high school together, but never really spoke — then, many years later, they met up again when both were early to their high school reunion!

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Michone and George, 10/11/09 – VisArts, Rockville, MD

DJ: David Johnson

The setting: The VisArts Center couldn’t have been cooler or more unique, with its working artist studios, gallery space, many windows and acoustic style ceiling treatments.

The first dance: “For the Love of You” by The Isley Brothers

A fun tradition: The bride’s sorority sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha surrounded her and they sang the sorority’s song.

A touching moment: The groom gave an unplanned toast to his new wife to thank her for all of her planning and hard work to make it the most incredible day of his life.  It was very sweet!

Outstanding vendors: Anita Ellis and her team from Avalon Caterers, Creation Waits Photography and coordinator Lisa Nelson of Elegant Event Planning and Design were a fantastic team!

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Kassi and Pete, 10/11/09 – Westwood Country Club, Vienna, VA

DJ: Jeff Brown

The setting: The dramatic grand ballroom of the Westwood Country Club, with sprawling views of the golf course.

The first dance: “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra

The music: Current hip hop and pop music, as well as some Greek music for the bride’s family.

A unique touch: The groom’s cake was a tribute to the University of Miami Hurricanes.

A fun surprise: The photographer, Anne Lord, provided a slideshow of the day’s events leading up to the wedding reception — this was very well received by the guests!

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Meredith and Joe, 10/11/2009, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, Cambridge, MD

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting: A picture-perfect night at an amazing waterfront resort on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

The first dance: “Try Me” by James Brown

The music: An eclectic mix of classics, indie, 80’s, and current hits.

Outstanding vendors: Kate Hopkins and her team at the Hyatt were great to work with, as usual.  Plus, I got to hang out and have fun with photographer pals Amy Raab and Kathy Blanchard all night! 

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We’re so excited for Carin, Julia, and all of the fabulous ladies at DC’s chicest bridal salon, Hitched Salon in Georgetown!  Their new blog is up and running and looks great!  To kick things off, it looks like they took nearly their entire team to New York this week for “Bridal Market” (Bridal Fashion Week) and are blogging about their adventures.  It’s a fantastic read, you should definitely check it out!

And, to all of you brides out there, if you haven’t gone to Georgetown to visit Hitched, do yourself a favor and go.  We love them because everyone there is down to earth and has a keen eye for fashion — our “Hitched brides” always look amazing!  Even if you already have your dress, it’s worth the trip.  They have tons of cute accessories, veils, shoes, and everything else a gal could need on her wedding day.  Well, except the groom… 

Their shop is up the hill from all the craziness of M Street at 1523 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.  Stop by and tell them we said hi!

This is another list which originally appeared on the now-defunct Canvas and Clover blog last August.  It’s still pretty relevant, so enjoy! 

International music is continuing to make its way into the American mainstream, with more and more people enjoying Bollywood films and exotic beats.  Our company has earned a reputation for excellent multicultural weddings, and we’re excited to share a sample playlist with selections from some of our Middle Eastern, Indian, and Pakistani clients’ weddings.  Enjoy!
 

 

Middle Eastern, Indian, and Pakistani Wedding Songs

 
Samyar featuring Ehsan: Bass (Persian)

Cheb Khaled: Henna (Arabic)

Kal Ho Naa Ho Film Soundtrack: It’s the Time to Disco (Hindi)

Panjabi MC Featuring Jay Z: Beware of the Boys/Mundian Tu Bach Radio Edit (US Remix)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham Film Soundtrack: Shava Shava (Southeast Asia)

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge Film Soundtrack: Tujhe Dekha To (Southeast Asia)

Tarkan: Kiss Kiss (Turkish)

Amr Diab featuring Shakira: Habibi Remix (Arabic)

Arash featuring Rebecca: Temptation (Persian)

Partner Film Soundtrack: Sohni De Nakhre (Southeast Asia)

Jab We Met Soundtrack: Mauja Hi Mauja (Southeast Asia)

Daler Mehndi: Bolo Tara Ra (Punjabi)

Sting featuring Cheb Mami: Desert Rose (UK/Arabic)

Himesh Reshammiya: Jhalak Dikhlaja (Southeast Asia)

Hum Aapke Hain Kaun Film Soundtrack: Joote Dedo (Southeast Asia)

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge Film Soundtrack: Mehndi Lagake Rakhna (Southeast Asia)

Raghav: Let’s Work It Out (UK/Southeast Asia)

Dr. Zeus: Aah Ni Kuriye (Punjabi)

 
This list could certainly be a lot longer, what are some of your wedding favorites?  Comments are welcome!

It’s Real Wedding Wednesday!  Here are our weddings from the weekend of October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2009!

Teresa and Cap, 10/2/09 – Washington Golf and Country Club, Arlington, VA

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting: A beautiful, historic, and very private club nestled in the heart of Arlington, VA.

The first dance: “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne

The music: A great mix, from polkas to classic rock to current pop and dance.

An unexpected surprise: Actually, two!  The bride surprised the groom with a Krispy Kreme groom’s cake, and the groom surprised the bride by playing guitar and singing her a song during the reception.

Outstanding vendors: Molly Jones from WGCC was fabulous as usual, and my former clients/family members/photographers Maria Vicencio and Drew Miller were great to see again!

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Reagan and Todd, 10/2/09 – Bluemont Vineyard, Bluemont, VA

DJ: Michael Bell

The setting: The gorgeous renovated barn was made even more beautiful by the sweeping views and the couple’s choice of wildflowers.

The first dance: “Your Precious Love” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

A funny moment: The bride really got down in her cowboy boots to Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight” with all her friends from Virginia Tech!

Outstanding vendors: Ronda from Bluemont Vineyard was wonderful to work with and her team provided incredible food and service, while Don Thompson of D. Bryant Photo took some very beautiful images!

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 Anita and Zach, 10/3/09, Doubletree Hotel, Bethesda, MD

DJ: Soor Kothari

The setting: The Doubletree was enhanced by the couple’s beautiful decor, featuring an exquisite mandap with gold accents and yellow lighting, white flowers, and warm lighting.

The first dance: The couple didn’t have a specific first dance, but the guests had a wonderful time kicking up their heels to Bollywood, 80s, and current pop hits.  I even was able to spin some very eclectic mixes of bhangra and country!

A special moment: Guests from many backgrounds took park in an age-old Gujurati tradition, in which you grab the hands of a stranger and twirl, allowing the clasped hands to become the center of balance.  It’s almost like a “trust game” — if you let go, everyone goes flying!  It was really fun to watch.

Outstanding vendors: The bride and groom were serviced by a wonderful team, including Meryl Berkowitz and her team at the Doubletree, Neal Miglani of Tandoori Nights Catering, photographer Jennifer Brooks, florist Aradhana Luthra of As U Wish, and cake baker Kim Joshi.

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Annabel and Tim, 10/3/09 - Dumbarton House, Washington, DC

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting: An amazing historic mansion in Georgetown, decorated to the hilt by an amazing team of vendors.

The first dance: “Find Love” by Clem Snide

The music: A fusion of classics, latin salsa and merengue, and current indie/pop hits kept the crowd guessing (and on the dance floor) the whole night.

Outstanding vendors: Basically a “dream team” at this wedding, everyone was incredible!  Wedding planner Pam Barefoot of Atrendy Wedding assembled a great group including Main Event Caterers, floral design by Philippa Tarrant, cake by Fancy Cakes by Leslie, and the ever-wonderful photographer and dear friend, photographer Jennifer Domenick of Love Life Images.

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Melissa and Colin, 10/3/09 – Westfields Marriott, Chantilly, VA

DJ: Anthony Simpson

The setting: The classic grand ballroom of the Westfields Marriott easily accommodated the couple’s family and friends.

The first dance: “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts

The music: The couple picked all of the songs played at their reception, which included a lot of 1980s pop, hard rock, and country.

A fun moment: The dancing was kicked off by a very spirited Hora, during which the father of the bride asked for the microphone and sung along to the music!

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Mandy and Scott, 10/3/09 – River Creek Country Club, Leesburg, VA

DJ: Michael Bell

The setting: River Creek Country Club was elegant and peaceful, with its view of the reflecting pond and the Potomac River.

The first dance: “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” by Mel Carter

A unique touch: Instead of a traditional wedding cake, the couple had a Rice Krispie treat tower which the guests loved!

A sentimental moment: Only one toast was planned, but four ended up being given since so many people wanted to tell the bride and groom how much they loved them!

An interesting tradition: The groom’s mother painted a series of beautiful framed watercolor pictures of flowers as the table favors — a family tradition!

Outstanding vendors: Aley Montel of River Creek was very helpful and kind, and photographer Tracy Timmester was on point as always!

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Rebecca and Ralph, 10/3/09 – Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Annapolis, MD

DJ: David Johnson

The setting: The outdoor deck at the one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly Chesapeake Bay Foundation, one of our favorite venues.

The first dance: “Grow Old With You” by Adam Sandler

A funny moment: The bride’s brother is in an excellent Southern rock band called The Cheaters, and they played a live set that the guests loved!

A unique touch: Everyone seemed to really enjoy the ice luge at the bar!

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Abby and Scott, 10/4/09 – Martin’s West, Baltimore, MD

DJ: Soor Kothari

The setting: Martin’s West offered more than enough room to warmly welcome all of the couple’s guests.

The first dance: “I Could Not Ask For More” by Edwin McCain

The music: Lots of current pop and hip hop, including Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and Timbaland, mixed with 80s hits and Arabic favorites — everyone seemed to love the cultural mix!

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Today, we’re celebrating our 150th review on WeddingWire, another 5.0 – this one from Christiana and Nick, whose wedding I did on August 28th in Columbia, MD.  They were great to work with, and Christiana has her own blog, as well as being a featured bride blogger as Miss D’orsay on WeddingBee.  Nick is from the UK, and their wedding was a beautiful and fun blend of both cultures with some very creative twists. 

The impact that WeddingWire has had on our business, and our industry, really struck me this morning.  We’ve been listed on WeddingWire since April of 2007, but we didn’t officially sign up for an account until that August.  I was initially resistant to the idea of online reviews of MyDeejay.com — it sounds crazy now to even say that.  My first thought was that it would become a space for random internet users to gripe about wedding vendors, fairly or unfairly, whether they even used their services or not.  Even though we do a great job at all of our weddings and have great customer service, I thought that no online review could give an accurate picture of the type of quality work we do.  I couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Since vendors can’t change or remove reviews on WeddingWire (unless they’re fake or fraudulent in some way), brides and grooms can actually trust what they’re reading.  This has had a huge impact on our business in an incredibly important way – it’s shown our potential clients that we actually back up our claims of consistency and excellence with great results.  When a couple comes to us through WeddingWire, we know that they’ve seen our reviews and know that we do an excellent job at every single wedding.  That’s invaluable.

So, on the occasion of our 150th review, I offer this:

A Love Letter to WeddingWire

Dear WeddingWire,

I know we’ve only been together for a little over two years, but I feel so strongly about you that I can’t hold it in any longer…  This may seem a little awkward since, you know, you’re a website and all…  I just want you to know – I love you.  Seriously.  You’ve done so much for us, and it only seems right that I take the time to say “thank you.”  

Thank you for being free.  Yes, we happily pay for an upgraded listing, but thank you for offering a free account to start with.  Nobody does that anymore, and it shows you’re confident in your product. 

Thank you for listing companies who don’t even sign up for an account.  I love the fact that a couple can review any wedding vendor, whether they are listed already on your site or not.

Thank you for having rules, and for sticking to those rules even when vendors complain.  I know you probably get a lot of angry emails and phone calls telling you to take down someone’s bad review, and I’m so glad you don’t.  Doing so would damage your credibility as an “honest broker” and a place to find real, objective reviews. 

Thank you for being smart.  You’ve managed to grow your network through partnerships with companies like Martha Stewart Weddings, but haven’t turned around and significantly raised your advertising rates.  That shows that you’re building for long-term growth, and not just trying to siphon money out of your advertisers as quickly as possible.

Thank you for being a good listener.  I know I’m a tough customer.  I complain a lot.  If there’s something I like or don’t like, you’re going to hear about it.  Thanks for always listening to what I have to say, and for understanding that I complain so much because I want you to be the best wedding website on earth.  It would probably be easier to write me off as a thorn in your side, so thanks for recognizing that I’m actually a customer evangelist.

Thank you for exposing bad companies for poor results.  In the wedding business, the proof is in the pudding.  So many companies have a beautiful website, slick salespeople, and amazing marketing materials — and then fail when it comes to consistenly delivering quality results.  You give couples a way to perform a true “background check” on any vendor they’re considering, and to see if they are totally fabulous or a total fraud.

Finally, thank you for letting us shine.  Thank you for letting us show brides and grooms, in a way we could never explain to them ourselves, that we have an amazing company and we deliver on our promises.  No amount of awards or press recognition we receive could ever show this more than real, unfiltered reviews from our previous customers. 

I was wrong about you when we first met.  I was confused and a little afraid, and I didn’t think your idea would work.  Thanks for proving me wrong.

Love,

 

 

 

Anthony’s wedding from July 4th in Virginia got a nice write-up in the current issue of Weddings Unveiled, a magazine featuring Southern weddings.  This wedding had a great team of vendors – us, wedding planner Jamie Sears, photographer Allison Britton, Select Event Rentals, and Historic Whitehall Manor.  It’s no wonder it went well! 

Here is the article, congrats again to Meredith and Zack!

We’re back again with another fabulous wedding vendor interview!  Today, we’re “in the mix with” Kate Headley of Kate Headley Photography.  Kate just did a wedding with David Johnson a couple weeks ago and the photos are fantastic – you can see them on Kate’s blog.  She also contributed to our wildly popular article on hiring a wedding photographer that we published earlier this week.  Kate, I hope you’re ready to answer some tough questions — here we go!

 

 

 

How did you get started in the wedding business?
I always loved photography–my favorite subjects were always people and food.  Over the years, I studied photography, took a ton of classes and experiemented with different equipment.  I took photos at a friend’s wedding and they ended up framing the photos I had taken, so I said, why not try this?  It was love at first wedding.  It kind of came natural I guess you could say.

 

What do you do when you are not working?
I love hanging out with my friends and my husband.  We live in Old Town Alexandria and I’m always downtown, at the farmer’s market or looking for treasures at flea markets.  I love visiting my grandparent’s farm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  

 

How would you describe your approach to weddings?
I look at is a very historic day in two people’s lives.   I try to capture the mood and feel, in addition to amazing portraits.  Sometimes I’m a fly on the wall, sometimes I’m hands on posing people, sometimes I’m on the dance floor in the middle of it all.

 

What inspires you in your work?
I get inpsired by color, texture, details, beautiful people, textiles, architecture and anything old.  I love old black and white photos.

 

What  do you find the most rewarding about your job?
Well, first and formost, when my clients love their wedding photos.  And I love photography so much that it really fulfills me to shoot and edit them and pick my favorites. 

 

What’s the one thing you wish everyone knew about you or your business?
I’m extremely dedicated to my clients, they come first.  I also love working on wedding details, concepts and have done that a little this past year — I have fun doing that with a planner and invitation designer I work with.

 

What do you think sets your company apart from other wedding photographers?
I have a great sense of style and I know what brides are looking for–I’m typically just a few years older than my clients and I got married two years ago. I’m reading what they are.  I’m really detail oriented and I love to take nontraditional and editorial style portraits.

 

What do you love about weddings?
All the prettiness and happiness going on.  The whole day is just fun.  I love being behind the scenes too. 

 

What do you hate about weddings?
When a site coordinator tells me what shots other photographers have taken.  I try to always do something new. 

 

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever seen at a wedding?
One of my brides spent next to nothing on her wedding and it got recognized by a national wedding publication. It really shows you what is driving the wedding — love and a lot of creativity and style. 

 

What’s the best piece of advice you can give to couples planning a wedding?
Book the big stuff early and decide the details later, trends can change over a year and a cool idea can come up later.  Choose a unique color combination to carry out your vision.  Don’t do flowers yourself.

 

Who is your favorite artist or band?
My favorite band is Hem, but I love all types of music.

 

What is the worst song of all time?
I’ve shot a lot of weddings this past year and I’m really tired of Oldies, like Sweet Caroline, that genre, sometimes it can really disperse the dance floor. 

 

Open mic, final thoughts:
Cut those hanger ribbon straps out of your wedding dress.

 

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[EVAN]  Thanks, Kate!  Some great advice there.  I’m no dress expert, so I’ll leave that last one to your expertise!  It’s obvious that you really love your work, and I think it shows!