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Welcome to the blog, a place for RECENT weddings,  inspirING portraitS, BranD SHOOTS, tips, and MORe.

hi, I'm EMILY

find me elsewhere:

hi, I'm EMILY

With COVID still looming overhead, any reason to celebrate is a good one. So it’s no surprise that now, more than ever, folks are choosing to hire professional photographers to capture their proposal stories. Let me tell you, friends, I’m a fan! In fact, proposals have quickly become one of my favorite events to photograph. There’s just something so thoughtful about the forethought it requires to hire a photographer to capture this momentous occasion. So when Mike contacted me about capturing his and Jordan’s proposal story, I jumped at the chance.

Mike & Jordan: A Proposal Story

We all know that couple – the ones who can’t stop smiling when they’re together. They’re the couple who walk into a room and unwittingly fill the space with laughter. Somehow when they’re together, an ordinary day running errands turns into a grand adventure. That’s what Annie and Patrick have together, and it made photographing their engagement session a delight!

Annie and Patrick’s Adventurous Engagement Session

Their eyes lock across the room. She reaches up and caresses his face. He reaches for her hand in the car. Whatever the gesture, grand or small, every once in awhile I photograph a couple and I’m immediately filled with a sense of their chemistry. That’s what it was like when I met Sweta and […]

An Engagement Session with Sweta and Pareen

One of the things that I love about weddings in this day and age is that there are so many opportunities to make them unique. And yet, it often feels like the same old trends are published online and in magazines. So when Meghan Butcher, owner of The Dirty Blond Stylist, presented me with the opportunity to photograph a spooky Halloween styled shoot, I jumped at the chance!

Til Death Do Us Part: A Halloween Styled Shoot

Is there anything more romantic than a picnic proposal to your sweetheart? When Carsen contacted me at the beginning of August and told me about his plan to propose to his boyfriend Uly with a cozy, over the top picnic, I was thrilled. A little rain dampened our original plans, which forced us to reschedule and change locations. But I think the end result was a morning full of blue skies, delicious food, and an abundance of love.

A Cozy Picnic Proposal

A lot goes into planning your dream wedding. From the venue to the flowers, the menu to the dress, the details matter! But perhaps few things matter more than the work your dream wedding photographer does to memorialize your special day. After all, those images last forever. Choosing a wedding photographer whose style you love and who goes out of her way to get to know you and your love story will make the difference between photos that stay tucked away in a dusty attic and photos that will become cherished heirlooms.

How to Book Your Dream Wedding Photographer

Styled shoots can be a bit of a crapshoot in terms of how they develop. Sometimes one vendor has a vision for the shoot and they execute that vision to a tee. Other times, that original vision morphs into something entirely different thanks to collaboration with talented vendors with style and design visions of their own. And sometimes, there is no overall concept for a styled shoot, just the knowledge that you want to work with specific vendors who you trust to create a beautiful concept and execute it flawlessly. And, yes, sometimes styled shoots are a combination of all three – a vision, a collaboration, and a desire to work with specific industry professionals. The latter was much the case for Tatiana Sizemore, owner of Simply Charmed Weddings and Events, for her most recent styled shoot at Avonlea Farms.

A Styled Shoot at Avonlea Farms

Popping the question is one of the biggest moments in a person’s life, and one most couples don’t ever want to forget. While I’m a fan of proposals in any form – spontaneous, semi-planned, meticulously planned surprises – I LOVE when I’m brought in to capture that moment! Luke reached out to me this April because he was planning to propose to his lovely girlfriend (now fiancée), Ashley. Ashley’s only request for the proposal was that a professional photographer be there. I’ve got to give Ashley props on communicating that desire to Luke. While proposal photography has become popular in recent years, hiring a photographer may not immediately come to mind, especially with so many other details to consider and plan!

A Proposal Story

I love celebrating love. As a Richmond wedding photographer, there is no greater joy for me than getting to participate in one of the happiest days of your life. From prep to send-off, the unique energy of each individual wedding I attend is infectious! While every wedding is special, Brian & Patrick’s was particularly joyous! […]

Unique Covid Wedding // Brian & Patrick // The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Breathtaking. I’m not one to use this word lightly, but when Meredith used it to describe her elegant, traditional black-tie wedding at The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, I couldn’t think of a better choice! Overcoming all of the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, these two celebrated their love in an intimate and heart-stirring […]

Traditional Black-Tie Cathedral Wedding // Meredith & Philip // The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

You’re getting married? Congratulations! Planning a wedding can be extremely overwhelming, and endless Pinterest scrolling, while sometimes fun, can also be exhausting. As a wedding photographer, I appreciate fun, unique, and quirky photos that show the personality of the couple. But, there are a few classic images that you may not realize you want to […]

8 Wedding Photos You Don’t Want To Miss On Your Big Day

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite shoots of the last few months: Peyton and Aaron’s rustic and elegant fall Virginia wedding at the Mayhurst Estate Inn. The one word that Peyton used to describe her wedding was “dreamy” and I could not agree more. The personality and love of this couple […]

Peyton & Aaron // Intimate Fall Virginia Wedding // Mayhurst Estate Inn