Now Chad and I believe that true love, long-distance, can work and is totally worth it. We, ourselves, had a long-distance friendship then relationship, so we have firsthand experience with the late night “I miss you + can’t wait to see you soon!” phone calls and traveling hours back-and-forth for visits.

When Sherri and Nate told us their love story, we could not stop smiling: Sherri is originally from Maryland and Nate is originally from Oklahoma. The two met, became friends, and fell in love. After many flights back and forth, Nate decided he wanted to be with Sherri forever. He telephoned Sherri’s parents for permission, packed his bags, and drove his car halfway across the country to ask her to be his wife. (Seriously, how adorable is that?!)

That said, Sherri and I began throwing engagement session ideas back and forth for a “travel themed” session. We stumbled upon a private local airport and, after contacting the owner, we settled on the location as a perfect spot for their photos. Sherri brought along some vintage suitcases, maps, and even created + framed outlines of their home states (with hearts representing the city) to help visually tell the story of their long-distance love for one another. Simply perfect.

PS – Happy Valentine’s Day! ♡

I began the 2012 year with my first-ever surgery: PRK (think Lasik – but a slightly different type of procedure). I’ve never broken a bone, had stitches, or anything of the sort… so, naturally, I was nervous. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who helped me through the first week or so by keeping me relaxed and comfortable, helping to keep track of and administer all of the different daily eye drops/prescriptions/vitamins, and being the designated post-surgery driver.  It’s been exactly 1 month and 1 day since the surgery and I’ve almost completely forgotten what it was like to have blurry vision without eyewear. (Seriously – if you’re thinking about getting Lasik or a similiar surgery… don’t think twice. Go do it – it’s worth it!)

In mid-January, I took my first-ever trip to the west coast: Southern California. Beautiful light, 70-80 degree weather (note: if I could wear dresses 24/7, I probably would do so), zero humidity, and breathtaking sunsets overlooking the Pacific. It was simply perfect.

I’ll be blogging more images from the trip soon, but – for now – I’ll leave you with some of my favorites…

Above (left): Jahtziry at the Griffith Observatory / Above (right): Tessa & Alex’s maternity session at Laguna Beach

Above: Newport Beach at Sunset / Below: Diana & I at Long Beach

A huge thank you goes out to Rebecca Crumley of The Knot.  We are so excited to see Shannon & Alex’s Library Wedding published in the most recent Spring/Summer 2012 issue of The Knot DC/MD/VA. Pick up your copy today and check out our feature in the Real Weddings section!

Although it doesn’t look it from the photos (since it was quite the sunny day), it was freezing with gusts of wind. I can’t thank these two enough for being such troopers in the crazy winter cold…

I love the moment right before a kiss… Beautiful and so full of emotion.

We arrived to a very cold and snowy Niagara Falls, Canada. Being the photo enthusiast that I was at the time, we grabbed my handy-dandy Canon Rebel XTi (this was my first DSLR), my favorite tripod, and remote shutter (that I received for Christmas from Chad’s parents… well planned, Chad) from the car so we could take some photos of ourselves in front of the Falls. Little did I know what was about to happen.

Above: Some normal photos in front of the Canadian Falls.
Below: The photo right before Chad asked me to marry him.

I was apparently under the impression that it was time for funny faces… (Yep – I have a lot of dork moments.)

Chad had made early dinner reservations at the famous revolving restaurant, Skylon Tower.  Phenomenal view of the Falls.

The second photo (above) brings us to the end of 2011. Chad and I took another trip up to Niagara after the holidays.
Only this time, we were a married couple (as opposed to college kids) with a nice hotel reservation overlooking the Falls…

The next day, we hopped into our car and drove to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

On our way to Inniskillin (our hotel had suggested visiting this particular winery), we saw a sign for Ice Wine.

If you know me well, you know that I rarely drink. If I do have a drink, it’s a light [girly] cocktail or a small glass of Ice Wine.
In any case, we stumbled across a local, family-owned winery called Between The Lines and ventured over to check it out.

I loved their clever name: Between The Lines. This winery is located on Four Mile Creek Rd between Line Rd 5 and Line Rd 6.

We sampled their delicious Ice Wine and were shocked to hear that it was actually their first-ever-batch. How awesome is that?!
We also sampled their most recent creation: Ice Wine Chocolate Truffles. My definition? A sweet burst of happiness.

Thanks, Yannick, for taking the time to chat with us and let us sample your winery’s fabulous creations.
We will be sure to return the next time we’re visiting Niagara (and we’ll surely enjoy what we brought home with us)!

And, lastly, a photograph of us via self-timer. (This time, we had better gear + warmer weather.)

Happy Tuesday!

We would like to dedicate this post to all of our wonderful friends, clients, and supporters…

For every smile, laugh, hug, and kiss… We thank you all for making 2011 a year to truly remember.

Here, we’ve highlighted features from this past year…

Samantha & Anthony’s Wedding on Style Me Pretty

Shannon & Alex’s Wedding on Ruffled Blog

Bethany & Jeremy’s DIY Backyard Wedding on The Wedding Chicks

Loren’s Bridal Ballet Session on The Wedding Chicks

Erica & Joe’s Snowy Valentine’s Inspired Engagement Session on Engaged & Inspired

Lindsay & Joe’s Renaissance Themed Wedding on Offbeat Bride

Loren & Craig’s DC Engagement on United With Love

Margaret & Matt’s Chesapeake Bay Historic Manor Wedding on Bayside Bride

Emily & Chris’ Annapolis Engagement Session on Bayside Bride

Ashleigh & Brad’s DC Engagement Session on Capitol Romance

Bethany & Jeremy’s Wedding Highlight on Washingtonian’s Bridal Party Blog

Lili & Andrew’s Wedding in the Washington Post Online (Print Version Below)

Tomorrow, we have scheduled a special post dedicated to our wonderful clients… so check back for another 2011 Wrap Up Post! =)

We ventured over to The Inn at Kelly’s Ford in Remington, VA for Melody & Vic’s big day. Seriously – this location is gorgeous! A relaxing environment, a spectacular view, and fantastic spots for photographs. Oh – and they have delicious burgers in their Restaurant/Pub. (I’m not huge on burgers, but this place… Chad and I would both highly recommend it.)

Despite the several days of rain leading up to the date, the wedding came along and everything was beautiful. The weather was absolutely phenomenal. I’m talking 65 degrees and sunny. More-than-perfect for an October wedding…

Did you know that every time you purchase a pair of TOMS, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need? Incredible.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Melody and her bridesmaids demonstrated their support by
sporting a pink hair extension. Proceeds went to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Such an AWESOME idea!

As the bridal party entered the ceremony, Vic played Marry Me by Train on his acoustic guitar. So sweet.

Above: Hand-tied bags of bird seed were given to guests to dismiss the happy couple from their ceremony.

Below: A normal shot of the full 18-person bridal party (8 on each side)…

And… now they’re running from zombies? Say what?

Melody and Vic wanted a unique “funny photo.” Since they love zombie games and movies, it was fitting. We had so much fun.

LOVE the colorful shoes (TOMS)…

The reception decor was automobile (and fall) inspired. Vic loves Volkswagon and he also collects Hot Wheels.

Congrats to Melody & Vic! We had a ton of fun and we wish you the very best!

Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal
Cake/Desserts: Kathi Davis & The Cheesecake Factory
Catering: The Inn at Kelly’s Ford
Favors/Centerpieces/Decor: DIY
Flowers: Bouquets 4 You
Hair/Makeup: Leah Amador & Elizabeth Smothers
Invitations/Stationery: DIY
Jewelry: Onetribe Organics
Men’s Attire: Calvin Klein
Shoes: TOMS
Wedding Bands: Helzburg & Vic’s Grandmother’s Band

We arrived with our camera, remote shutter, and tripod in hand – ready to take some photos of ourselves beside the Falls.  And then something happened: Chad got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. And yes, there is photo evidence (which will be shared in a later post).

Later this week, we’ll be taking yet another adventure to the Canadian side of the Falls. But this time, as a married couple.  I’ll be posting photos from our trip sometime next week.  Until then – here are some holiday family photos that were taken over the weekend…

Above + Below (left): Chad & I. Below (right): Rick & Paulette (Chad’s parents/my in-laws).

Our three nieces (from left to right): Alexa, Mirabelle, and Maggie.

And the entire family: Chad, me, Rick, Paulette, Scott (Chad’s older brother), Alexa, Mirabelle, and Maggie.

Happy Monday! ♡ The Severtsons

After our summer 2009 wedding, I had wedding fever.  My interest in photography, mixed with my title as a newlywed, led to hours and hours of swooning over wedding magazines, sites, and blogs.  When a friend of mine (Leanne – who just had her little one this past fall – congrats!) introduced me to her good friend Kim, my heart skipped a beat.  Kim was planning a September wedding and was interested in having me second shoot the event! (I can’t even begin to explain how excited I felt!)

The following are a few shots I took. Luke Eshleman was their primary photographer and I sincerely thank him for being so kind + understanding with it being my first-ever wedding.

Being able to experience the rush of excitement of a newlywed couple on their wedding day was phenomenal.  I headed home. I was exhausted from being on my feet, but elated at being able to experience such happiness between a couple.

In the fall, I met Niki and Ben through my college friend, Sam. They were in-love and wanted to tie the knot… but things were complicated due to Ben’s military travel schedule. Finally, a last-minute November date was set and arrangements were made for a intimate ceremony (30-40 guests) at Sam’s home.

Sam, being a film major in college, was planning on taking a few shots here and there during their wedding, but they did not have an official photographer. Being such a sweet couple (and let’s face it: me being completely head-over-heels with all things wedding), I offered to bring along my equipment and snap whatever shots I could get for them…

Homemade Baked Brie, anyone?

Niki & Ben’s ceremony was completely put together by loving friends and family. From the decorations, to the homecooked meals, to the fantastic couple… my first “on-my-own” wedding was truly spectacular.

Now – a jump to the first wedding we shot together.

I’d been coming home to Chad, telling him all about these events. I’d tell him all about the love between these couples I met and the excitement of being there, with them, through one of the best days of their lives.  He asked to come along for a wedding, as he was curious to see if he’d be interested in assisting and to be able to see me on the weekend.

We met up with Stephanie and Zachary for our first wedding together (as a “husband and wife team” of photographers) and it was a success!

Throughout the day, it was nice to be able to look over at Chad and signal to him with simply a small glance or gesture. Being my husband, he just knew. Best assistant photographer ever, right? =)

And, well, things took off from there.  I had fallen in love and photography went from being a hobby, to a part-time job, to – in August 2010 – a full-time occupation.  Aside from marrying Chad (of course), taking on a career in photography was the best decision of my life.