Rachel and Chris were married on a blustering winter day in Northern Virginia and it was absolutely beautiful from beginning to end. I loved getting to know these two and their families and it was an honor to capture their day.

Two of my favorite moments of the morning were when Rachel took a quiet moment to read her letter from Chris, and her first look with her sweet father who broke down completely when he saw his daughter in her wedding dress.

After a peaceful and joyful morning with zero hiccups, it was time to go to the church. I left right before the party bus left with the wedding party and a few minutes later I was at the church. Rachel and Chris wanted to pray together before Mass so I decided to wait outside for the bus to arrive. The minutes started to drag by and the bus still wasn’t showing up. Catherine, their amazing wedding planner, started to get concerned and so she called the bus driver and thank heavens she did. It turns out the drivers (for the bus and the car with Rachel and her dad) had entered into their GPS a St. John’s Church over an hour away in an entirely different city. But thanks to Catherine’s call, they made it to the right church on time – even with a few minutes to spare for Rachel and Chris to still share their prayers together. And this my friends is just one of the many reasons why a wedding planner can be an actual lifesaver on your wedding day.

Once everyone was at the church it was time to get these two married! St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Warrenton, VA where Rachel and Chris were married, is actually the church my dad went to when he was growing up. I had never been there before so it was extra special to photograph their wedding knowing the personal family history I have with this church.

After Mass, we had a tight window before the sun was going to set so we headed to their venue pretty quickly. Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery is situated upon a hill with gorgeous views of the Shenandoah Mountains and such a fun wedding venue! With the overcast skies, gusts of wind, winter landscape, and near dusk setting, Rachel & Chris got some serious Jane Eyre vibes for the portraits and I love how they turned out. Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate Rachel’s beauty and the dress she chose? Um wow. Talk about an absolutely stunning bride.

Following portrait time, it was time to enjoy the reception and it was a blast. You could see how much their family and friends supported and loved the two of them. And let me tell you, their people can dance! They had a hopping dance floor pretty much the whole time (minus the two minutes the power went out due to the high winds haha).

Rachel and Chris, thank you so much for asking me to be a part of your day!

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A huge thank you to all the other vendors who came together to make this day possible!

CHURCH // St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

RECEPTION VENUE // Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery

WEDDING PLANNER // Catherine Boizelle Weddings & Other Affaires

FLORIST // Everlasting Flowers

SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER // Caroline Fischer

DJ // Pulse Entertainment

CAKE // Cakebee

CATERER // The Chef’s Table

DRESS // Ava Laurene Bride,  Designer:  Dana

HAIR & MUA // Arrow Bella Beauty — April Rowe

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES // Azazie

GROOMSMEN ATTIRE // Men’s Wearhouse