Sarah and Hunter were married in an atrium wedding ceremony on a temperate summer day in Charlottesville, VA. 

On a beautiful spring day and May, Juli and Tony wed in a whimsical barn wedding at Great Marsh Estate in Faugquier County, VA. Rain drizzled over the couple, but that didn’t stop them from having the time of their lives!

On a beautiful spring day and May, Rakeshia and Greg tied the knot in an elegant museum wedding in Richmond, VA. Rakeshia & Greg’s Love Story How they Met Rakeshia and Greg met on Match.com but quickly discovered some things they had in common. They share a love of The Lion King and Jay-Z. Most […]

Victoria and Jacob had a fairytale CNU wedding at their alma mater in Newport News, VA. Surrounded by family and friends, the couple exchanged vows on a lovely October day at the Pope Chapel, on the very same campus where the pair met more than four years prior. A Fairytale Meeting at CNU Victoria and […]

With COVID still looming large and worldwide travel restrictions in place, engaged couples are still having to make big sacrifices when it comes to their wedding celebrations. For Keya and Adith, continued COVID restrictions meant that their families would not be able to travel stateside from India. The end result? Foregoing a large wedding in favor of a Charlottesville Elopement at Holy Comforter Church, followed by an intimate gathering of friends at a favorite local restaurant nearby.

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!

Recently, many couples have shifted their focus to the most important aspect of their weddings: getting married. That’s why Cheryl and Toni’s wedding is so dear to my heart – they invited me to be part of their intimate courthouse wedding. I may not be family, but it was an honor to be invited to bear witness to the most special day of their lives.

You’re wedding day is quite possibly the most important day of your life. It’s no wonder that there’s so much stress leading up to the big day. If you have a million questions rolling around in your head, that stress can often intensify. If you’re not a wedding professional or photographer, odds are you have A LOT of questions about your wedding photography. Never fear, EmmiClaire Photography is here to help! Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions I receive from my wedding clients:

Wedding planning is stressful, and never more so than when you’re discussing budget. According to theknot.com, in 2020 photographers accounted for the fourth most expensive wedding vendors for an average sized wedding of 131 guests. Only venues, catering, and live music ranked above photography in terms of expense. And yet, there are few details as important as photographing the cherished moments you’ll want to remember for the rest of your life. That’s why I advise my couples to consider hiring a second shooter for their wedding day…

While I love a big party, I can’t help but feel that COVID has brought many of us back to where we belong, shifting our focus from extravagant celebrations to intimate occasions full of meaning, and most importantly, the people we love. Few weddings have reminded me of that shift more than Mackenzie and Micah’s intimate coastal cottage wedding…

While I am a firm believer that the people who participate in your wedding day matter more than the stuff you choose to include, I understand that many couples today work diligently to curate special details to set their weddings apart. Whether it’s an heirloom ring box passed down through generations or a handkerchief you’ve had specially made for your mother to dry her tears during your ceremony, those details matter! And one of the things that sets EmmiClaire Photography apart is my ability to capture those heartfelt heirlooms so you can cherish them for years to come!

When Christina and Preston described their wedding as “rustic,” I knew it was going to be full of fun, but I had NO idea how beautifully they’d infuse southern, romantic charm into every single detail. From the stunning rustic backdrop of the open air chapel and event barn at Alturia Farm to the wood flowers handmade by the bride and her sister, every detail of this southern wedding was dripping with personality!

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.

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.

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! […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]