Opposites attract in this modern, DC wedding filled with love & laughter…
Christine & Alec originally spotted my work in the Washingtonian and loved my eclectic mix of photography– from details, to classic portraiture, to candid moments, to photos with artistic flare.
They shared, “We chose you based on your amazing photography as well as your rave reviews. Ideally we’d like your photos to capture the details and overall “vibe” of our day. We really liked working with you and Kris: you are both extremely professional, detail oriented, and truly fun to work with!”
The overall feeling of their day was playful, fun and romantic (which you can already start to see in the first image). Their overall aesthetic was contemporary and chic with soft elegant touches. Here are a few details from the morning…
Christine & Alec chose Le Meridien Arlington because it is a boutique hotel with a modern look and open feel.
As make-up artist, Christina Suh of Suhreal Artistry put on her finishing touches, I silhouetted Christine, revealing the high-rise out the window the contemporary decor, to give a feel for the space…
I love incorporating creative elements like reflections to add visual interest to an image…
Christine shared, “My mom helping me dress is a perfect representation of our relationship. She’s always there to help me in anything and everything… it certainly helps that she’s a wizard when it comes to fashion!! She not only helped me pick out my wedding dress, but she also personally made my veil, in addition to sewing-in our wedding date into my dress with blue thread for my “something blue” and to commemorate our big day!”
Christine wore an ivory A-line gown with a simple organza skirt and embellished tulle bodice with illusion straps and deep V-neckline from Nordstrom’s Wedding Suite. Here her mother delicately finishes buttoning the gown.
Christine’s shoes were simple, patent nude Christian Louboutin pumps.
Christine’s friends were definitely fans of her chic attire…
Alec shared, in his charming, charismatic way, “What made me fall for my wife? Tiny hands, big heart. It didn’t hurt that she was the most attractive woman I had ever met.” 😉
He continued in a more serious tone, “Christine is nothing short of amazing. She is beautiful, caring, attentive and a wonderful (albeit spoiling) caretaker of our black lab, Marley.”
He went on, “Her smile is contagious and even after all these years it never ceases to melt my heart.”
Alec shared, “While I’m the extrovert who wants to keep everyone laughing and entertained, Christine is the introvert who shows attentive care to everyone around her. She keeps us grounded.”
I love to play with reflections, shape and shadow and really liked this one as it almost shows a bit of Christine’s more thoughtful, quiet persona.
Christine shared, “My father kissing me on the cheek was SO out of character! No father adores his daughter more than my father does me, yet he is not someone who displays emotion in public, EVER!!” I think her smile and her mother’s gaze say it all.
The bridesmaids wore long, beaded, blush gowns from BHLDN with nude sandals and held bouquets of white peonies.
Now we turn our spotlight to Alec…
Christine explained, “I fell for Alec because of his huge heart and his charming, outgoing, fun personality.
I think just this first candid photo of him fits him so perfectly…
He and Christine loved the views from Le Meridien Arlington— here you are able to see some of the scenic landscape showing the Potomac River and Georgetown in the distance and Alec’s groomsmen helps him adjust his bowtie.
Christine Shared, “Alec is caring, fun, empathetic to all things and, I should add, extremely good looking! He’s always attuned to my needs and knows when I’ve had a bad day and he’ll stop at nothing to make me feel better & to cheer me up.”
I love the guys shoe & sock combos! Alec stated, “No doubt about it, the socks were dope! Christine and I picked them all out at J-Crew and assigned them specifically based on our relationship with each of the groomsmen. Needless to say, each of the groomsmen caught our messages or understood our reference as soon as the socks were delivered during rehearsal dinner.”
I love photographing this modern look, so many lines and shapes for me to play with!!!!
Looking dapper, gentlemen…
Christine shared, “The Holy Trinity Church was less grand than your typical D.C. Catholic church; however, it combined traditional ambiance with historical significance–it’s the oldest Catholic Church in continuous operation in the District of Columbia–it was also the church that John F. Kennedy and his family regularly attended.”
Here Christine quietly slips in the church before anyone sees her, I love the dramatic contrast in this photo– it is simple, classic and just fits her so well. Wow, that train!
She began walking down the aisle escorted by her father…
Alec shared, “Seeing her walk down the aisle on our wedding day was one of the single most moving experiences of my life. Never had I seen anything as beautiful as the angel walking towards me, and I’m not too proud a man to admit that it was enough to bring me to tears. ”
Christine added, “I had butterflies in my stomach… seeing him down the aisle was one of the most nerve-racking and joyous moments of my life… I had that same excited-nervous feeling when I first met him 11 years before. Mostly, I was thinking, WOW, he looks great!!!
Christine shared, “Alec bowed to my father before accepting me as his bride. This small gesture, while not expected, had a profound impact on both my father, as well as all of our Korean guests.”
Kris caught this amazing aerial shot of the moment…
I think Alec’s face says it all, Christine, you are adored…
Holy Trinity in Georgetown is such a pretty church…
Man and wife…
I wanted to show off the beautiful architecture of the church, the chandeliers and stained glass, the lovely detailing, so I climbed up to the choir loft. The photo is slightly off center as the organist was located at the center and needed an unobstructed view for his music, but I think it really captures the moment well.
Guest applauding, even the pianist looks over joyed. Kiss the bride!
On their way out of the church they kissed beneath the stained glass window with colorful buildings peeking in from the background. The guests had left and it was just them…
Georgetown is lovely and I like that you can see the row houses in the background, so bright and cheery.
The limo awaited (complete with red carpet) and took the happy couple to the Georgetown Waterfront.
The Driver from Diamond Limousine was so great to work with! He would always ask me where to park for the best photos and where to pick them up and when. He even gave me his cell phone number so we wouldn’t have to trouble the couple to call for them.
Christine and Alec hopped out and walked along the Georgetown Waterfront. I liked the mix of natural elements and city skyline. It fit their modern, romantic look so well!
Christine shared, “The views of the Potomac, Key Bridge, and the greenery were fantastic!”
I knew Christine really liked the Key Bridge and wanted to include it in a shot for her. I found the perfect spot where if I used the perfect lens I could literally frame them in it!
Alec explained, “I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my days with my best friend and love of my life.”
He continued, “Someone who knows me as well as I know myself; someone who, no matter where we are, will always take the parking validation ticket from me without either of us saying a word; and someone who will love me as wholly and unconditionally as I love them in return for the rest of our lives.”
A quick portrait…
Christine’s bridesmaids joined us for a few photos as well– you can really tell that this is a tight knit group!
The bridesmaids *loved* Alec, and he totally hammed it up with them.
He shared, “For starters, there’s no way I would have ever ended up with the love of my life without Bri and Jen convincing Christine that even though it was 2006, I was not a time traveling grunge-fan, just an out of place gentle soul who wore flannel and adored her. I cannot thank them enough for convincing her to give me a shot at “wooing” her. And Courtnie, I am her ‘brother from another mother’.”
He continued, “Christine has been blessed with easily the most remarkable, entertaining, and fun-loving bridesmaids (and friends) anyone could ask for!!!
We totally lucked out with our drive over– no traffic and such kind pedestrians who kindly walked around us as best as they could. It was awesome!
A more traditional shot with the whole gang. Again I wanted to capture the city softly in the background and all of the greenery.
I framed them in the bow of a large tree which added some depth to the photo.
Wow, what an entrance! I love all of the interesting lines and architecture of Le Meridian. It offers such a clean, bright modern look…
Christine shared, “Alec is so much fun to be around! He knows how to light up a room instantly with his charm!”
Here he is doing his Alec thing…
Christine and Alec really liked the editorial-inspired Vogue shots that they had seen blogged in my other weddings and were eager try it out with their bridal party. I incorporated greenery and modern architecture again to really solidify that look…
Sweet, elegant succulents greeted each guest and doubled as a place card and their gift.
Christine explained, “The succulents were shipped from California and they arrived in perfect condition!”
She continued, “Alec and I potted the succulents in square glass votive. The printing was done by Minted.”
Christine shared, “We loved the open feel of the reception area in Le Meridien Arlington and the fact that it was not a typical ballroom.”
A few of the sweet party details, including a tasty cake by Happy Eatery.
The florals AND wedding planning was expertly completed by Cedar and Lime Company by owner, Haley Tobias.
Christine added, “We were going for a modern/romantic look and feel for our wedding, which our soft colors and hints of gold help support. Our floral arrangements included white peonies, blush Juliet roses, cream ranunculus, white anemones. ”
They shared, “The reception venue also included a terrace with an amazing view of the Potomac River and Georgetown. We were most excited about the terrace, not only for the amazing view, but also for the additional space it provided–our guests absolutely loved mingling on the terrace as the sun set!”
Christine explained, “Our reception entrance song was, oddly enough, my idea (oddly, because if you ask anyone who knows us, it would have been markedly out of character for either of us, me in particular)!!
She continued, “Once I’d chosen a song, (We entered the room to “Turn Down for What” by DJ Snake & Lil Jon.) Alec was quick to choreograph an entrance dance for us that would “get the crowd going”!!”
The first dance…
The speeches were all amazing! I chose this one because it was the most visually interesting for me. As the sun began to sink low in the sky I was able to silhouette the key players and capture the color of the champagne while diving the room with the lines of the window and balloon. I just think it looks cool :).
DJ Brennan Sullivan of Bialek’s Music was fantastic! Everyone was dancing and the selection was perfect. He was friendly, experienced and professional.
I used some crazy lighting techniques to pull this shot off, radio transmitters and the like, I wanted to show the dance floor and city all at once.
Alec shared, “Once the cake was cut and we could finally spend a little precious time with one another on our special day.”
Christine and Alec spent the rest of the evening enjoying their time alone together.
Christine & Alec, thank you for choosing me to capture your wedding day! I hope that the images provide you with the eclectic mix of photos that you were hoping for and help you to remember all the details, people and places that came together to make your day so unique! I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors!