Real Couples // Remote Forest Mansion Wedding: Chris + Brian

Real Couples // Remote Forest Mansion Wedding: Chris + Brian

They were married on the coast, celebrated under a tent filled with everyone they loved, and only escaped for a moment to hold hands and walk on the sandy beach. Two men in love, married by the water, dancing through the night. 

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Real Couples // A Traditional Canadian Wedding with Caribbean and African Flare: Julie + Kevin

Real Couples // A Traditional Canadian Wedding with Caribbean and African Flare: Julie + Kevin

Julie and Kevin met in Edmonton during High School. Some like to call them High School sweethearts, although they didn't start their relationship until they entered University. It was important to them to host the wedding in their vibrant hometown, surrounded by their community, family and friends. Julie and Kevin’s vision was to have a traditional wedding (church ceremony, reception, dance party) that had a mix of cultural elements. With Julie's mother from Trinidad and father from Ghana, they were thrilled to include Caribbean dancers and African drummers as part of their celebration.

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Wedding Inspiration // Asheville Glamping Elopement

Wedding Inspiration // Asheville Glamping Elopement

North Carolina photographer Latoya Dixon and her husband, Lee, are just as gorgeous on the inside as they are on the outside. When I started planning this shoot, I knew they would be perfect for the spot! They had a courthouse elopement and didn't have a big wedding. So, we treated her like a bride. She went dress shopping for the first time with her mom! We had her makeup done on site by my amazing makeup artist friend. It was amazing!

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Real Couples // A Multicultural Indian Wedding in Washington State: Patrick + Trupti

Real Couples // A Multicultural Indian Wedding in Washington State: Patrick + Trupti

Trupti and Patrick met a few years ago at work. They got to chatting over Star Wars, and the rest (as they say) is history. Their friendship grew into romance, and eventually they adopted a cat and a fluffy white puppy. Getting married was in the stars. We had the honor of photographing their wedding. It was extra special to us, as the bride and groom are friends of mine. The rain came and went during the day, and a few thunder rumbles added a bit of extra drama to the tented outdoor ceremony. But nothing could ruin this day (not even a terrible mishap with a safety pin in the bride’s sari). Just look at their faces, and it is plain as day: these two are madly in love. Their wedding was beautiful, the food was amazing, and it really was difficult to pick a favorite between Trupti’s traditional Indian attire and the stunning white wedding dress she changed into for the reception.

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Real Couples // A Modern and Lucky Wedding for Two Grooms: Sean + Ryan

Real Couples // A Modern and Lucky Wedding for Two Grooms: Sean + Ryan

Three years prior to the day they wed, Sean and Ryan met. “Our meeting was pure luck, and not just because it was on St. Patrick's Day. Sean was on a scavenger hunt and needed the shamrock beads that Ryan was wearing. He won the hunt and scored Ryan’s number!” They’ve been together ever since.
 

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Real Couples // A Fashionable Brick Lane Engagement: Chrissy + Sam

Real Couples // A Fashionable Brick Lane Engagement: Chrissy + Sam

Chrissy and Sam initially met through friends in 2014, but at the start it was a slow burn. They had no further contact until four months later when Sam found Chrissy on Facebook. He was about to be a groomsman for his friend and the night before the wedding he stayed up chatting on the phone all night with Chrissy, such that he overslept and was late for duty the next day. Since then they have been inseparable.

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Real Couples // Motorcycle Fine Art Engagement: Waqas + Kari

Real Couples // Motorcycle Fine Art Engagement: Waqas + Kari

Kari and Waqas went on a motorcycle camping trip and this session was a pilgrimage of sorts to return to a time they loved so dearly. As we walked around with a light breeze blowing Kari’s hat, they pointed out all the areas they remembered eating breakfast at, the places they stumbled around in the dark, the lake where they watched the sun set as the shadows creeped up the trees. The revs from Waqas’s motorcycle echoed through the forest, a curious baby black bear crossed the road behind us, peeking as he trotted along. We went our separate ways, the bear and us, and this is how their session went. 

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Real Couples // Bohemian Brunch Surprise Proposal: Brittany + Kate

Real Couples // Bohemian Brunch Surprise Proposal: Brittany + Kate

Brittany hired me in May to do some photos for her small business in June. During our first consultation meeting, we got through all of the details, then she shared with me that she wanted to discuss a second June photography project. She had planned to propose to the love of her life, Kate, before moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, together in July. My reaction was excitement since I love shooting live engagements. But once Brittany described to me what she planned to do, I started tearing up. She was planning a bohemian brunch in a wooded area, and was going to ask Kate, "Is forever long enough?" Brittany proposed to Kate on Monday, June 26th, at noon, and I was incredibly honored to be part of their special day.

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Operation Sequin // How I Proposed to My Boyfriend

Operation Sequin // How I Proposed to My Boyfriend

My name is Nelle, and this is the story of how I came to propose to my beau Matt via a surprise, bedazzled, bikerideflashmob engagement party with 150 of our closest friends and family from around the world.  

Let’s start at the beginning. I’ve never wanted a traditional wedding: the expenses, the material waste, the long odds of success, the celebrations of heteronormativity and wealth, conveying women as property, etc.

I’m bi, and like most people, have a tenuous relationship with monogamy. I have always planned to queer my marriage. When I was six, I told my mom I would like to marry Ellen Degeneres, and I asked her to make the introduction. For most of my life, I assumed I would partner with some dreamy person and that we’d pack up our Subaru and elope.

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Real Couples // Columbia, South Carolina Jamaican Takeover: Brandan + Nordica

Real Couples // Columbia, South Carolina Jamaican Takeover: Brandan + Nordica

I knew I was in love with Brandan when a few month into us dating I got extremely sick, and he was right there with me. He didn’t leave my side, and the way he looked at me didn’t change. He sat and ate all the pureed foods with me. I knew in that moment he would be there with me through sickness and in health, and I fell hard!

He planned a surprise trip for us to visit the Biltmore in Asheville, which is one of my favorite places to visit, but he kept telling me that we were going to different places. When he finally told me that we were going to the Biltmore, I was excited but expected nothing more than the tour. As we walked around the rose garden, I took pictures just taking it all in, totally unaware of what was happening. My back was turned to him, he called my name, and I turned around to see him on one knee!

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Real Couples // Beauty & Bounty in St. Louis: Lindy + Jordan

Real Couples // Beauty & Bounty in St. Louis: Lindy + Jordan

I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight but more of a “when you know, you know” type of love. Jordan and I met in summer of 2014 when a mutual friend introduced us with the intention of us dating. Knowing that was her intention made both of us a bit hesitant and probably nervous. We spent that summer going to endless Cardinal’s baseball games and eating as many tacos as we could at our favorite spot, Mission Taco. It really only took a couple months for us to both realize we enjoyed each other’s company, made each other laugh, and wanted to be together forever. We both knew we wanted to get married, and it was a conversation that we’d had several times. 2016 turned out to be an exciting year as Jordan turned 30 in July, he proposed in early December, and I graduated with a Child Psychology degree a couple weeks after. We always say that we are a “fall and winter couple” because we don’t like the heat and humidity in St. Louis, and we like the cozy aspect of fall/winter. We are getting married this December, and while we don’t want weather to hinder anyone coming to the wedding or ruining the day, we are praying for some snow!

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Real Couples // London Jewel Tone Wedding on a Chilly Day: Megan + Sarah

Real Couples // London Jewel Tone Wedding on a Chilly Day: Megan + Sarah

We met in Vegas! (Although not as sensationally as one’s imagination could paint.) We both work for the same company and met at a project Christmas Party nearly five years ago. Needless to say, we hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, it would be another two years before we found ourselves working together again, and our friendship and eventual relationship blossomed from there.

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Real Couples // Llamas and Piñatas in the Woods: Amy + Adam

Real Couples // Llamas and Piñatas in the Woods: Amy + Adam

Amy and Adam had one of the most fun wedding days I've ever been a part of! They held their ceremony and reception in a Redwood tree grove in Redwood Regional Park. They incorporated wooden ducks into their ceremony decor as a nod to their Korean heritage, but opted for vintage wooden duck decoys instead of the traditional version to match Adam's love for antiques. From the food and cake to the decorations and favors, their friends and family were essential to making their day go off without a hitch. Ukulenny provided music for the ceremony and entertainment during the reception. He even went table to table during lunch taking requests and encouraging guests to sing along! 

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Real Couples // Sunflower Sunbath: Lauren + Sean

Real Couples // Sunflower Sunbath: Lauren + Sean

Broom’s Bloom Dairy has fields of crops all over in Maryland, but Lauren and Sean told me about the sunflower field that only blooms for a tiny amount of time (coupled with the temptation of fresh made ice cream), and this is where we found ourselves in an afternoon as the sun began to sat. The flowers were a maze we escaped into, muffling the sounds from the rest of the farm. We were suddenly isolated, surrounded by sunflowers, and showered by sunlight. 

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Real Couples // A Weekend in London: Amelia + Francis

Real Couples // A Weekend in London: Amelia + Francis

This couple wanted some natural, but also special, photos and that's why they chose Sara as the photographer. They live in London, which is a perfect place for a photo session. All of the photos are about a normal weekend in Amelia and Francis life's: how they had breakfast, how they walk around the city...normal moments that Sara photographs from her perspective. The final result is an amazing photo shoot by Sara and a really timeless memory for the couple.

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Real Couples // Firefighters in Love: K + K

Real Couples // Firefighters in Love: K + K

Kim & Katy’s Livermore wedding was a celebration after my very own heart: chock-full of love, funky, and homemade, the most one-of-a-kind event you can imagine. The pair met volunteering at Pride 2008 in the city, and apparently it was magnetic attraction at first sight! Katy did some shady underhanded redistribution of teams to end up working with Kim, while Kim “lost” her truck to give them more time to talk. They were on the phone the very next day, and the rest is a story that’s just begun!

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Real Couples // Old Town Alexandria Summer Engagement: Lauren + Micah

Real Couples // Old Town Alexandria Summer Engagement: Lauren + Micah

We first met at the University of Maryland where we would meet every now and then for lunch with a group of mutual friends. Our relationship grew very naturally. We started as friends and as time went on, our lunch meetings with our friends became lunch dates with just me and Micah. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other. One of our favorite places to spend time together has always been Old Town in Alexandria. We both enjoy being outside and being near water. The day after my birthday (February 19, 2016), Micah had my best friend invite me to get my nails done and go to happy hour. After Kristian and I left the nail salon, she suggested we go to Old Town for dinner and drinks. When we arrived in Old Town, Kristian pulled up next to Founder’s Park (which is right along the water). She handed me a box and told me to look at what was inside. On the outside of the box was a note that said “Open and walk towards the light in Founder’s Park.”

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Real Couples // Spanning A Decade and Thousands of Miles: Soundarya and Anand

Real Couples // Spanning A Decade and Thousands of Miles: Soundarya and Anand

Far too often, we are asked to let go off things. But maybe, it is not always a good idea, not in all cases at least! Ours is one of those stories that proves otherwise. Our story spans a decade—a decade of funny, good, bad, and hard times, plenty of roadblocks, and inconveniences. We met each other 10 years ago back in 2007, in college in India, thanks to our friends who set us up. I was a freshman, and Anand was already in his junior year, and we had the most beautiful time in college, holding hands and taking long walks in the valleys, motorbike rides in the woods, watching sunrises on the beaches, sharing memories with friends and going to parties. Two years just flew by, and Anand graduated from college and decided to do his Master’s in the U.S. Living on two different sides of the globe didn’t make it easy, but we became the experts and ‘know-alls’ of video conferencing apps and international calling cards. After three long years, I moved to the U.S. in 2012 to New York to get my Master’s, and I fell in love all over again. However, this time it was with New York City, which I now call my second love. Anand was living in Boston by then. Living in the same country made things a lot easier for our relationship. We had our shares of fights and break-ups, but in the end, we "always found our way back to each other." I recently moved to Philly for a job, so we are still in a long-distance, although a shorter distance, relationship, and we are still counting up those air miles/burning up the highway, and we are happy.

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Real Couples // Foodie DC Wedding: Jess + Amanda

Real Couples // Foodie DC Wedding: Jess + Amanda

We are Jess and Amanda. After meeting in Istanbul in 2013, we fell for each other over a shared love of cooking and exploring the world. We have settled in D.C. until our work at the State Department takes us overseas. 

Amanda proposed in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was a misty night in September after we dined at an awesome restaurant in the city, Pineapple and Pearls.

We married on a similarly misty day in January. It was so chilly outside as we took our photos in front of the Capitol, but our awesome photographer Shawnee Custalow of A Lovely Photo warmed us with her enthusiasm about our special day.

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Real Couples // A Bavarian Elopement: Melanie + Farhang

Real Couples // A Bavarian Elopement: Melanie + Farhang

"After spending a couple years embroiled in the process of wedding planning for a larger affair, we have decided to throw the big event out the window and take off to Bavaria to elope. We are flexible with the specific day, but we are shooting for sometime during the two weeks of folk festivals that take place around mid-August in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to maximize the braids/lederhosen/dirndl/beer swilling good times! Do you have any availability to be flown out to capture the day and drink some german brews with us?”

That’s how it all started. My reply was almost instantaneous with a “Yes, please! I will gladly document your wedding and drink some German brews with you!” Over the next few months, Melanie and I talked back and forth to discuss logistics to make it happen. Serena was brought on as the official photographer, as I concentrated on making a memorable film of the day. Serena and I both adore intimate elopements and what could be more romantic than eloping in Bavaria, the land of Grimms’ fairy tales? 

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