It was a special celebration on familiar grounds for Denis and Charlie as they made their way back to alma mater Washington and Lee University from their home in Richmond after a trip to Connecticut to get married. We had such a good time hanging out with them before the ceremony and exploring the beautiful W&L campus. They both have a great sense of humor and love hanging out with people, so that made our job easy from the beginning. Plus, they had picked Col Alto, a beautiful place on the edge of historic downtown Lexington, Virginia for the ceremony and reception. Everything was perfect.

But, I must say it was particularly nice being surrounded for the day by such loving and supportive family and friends. As a couple, this was a very important time as they gathered those closest to them to witness the strengthening of  their relationship with a commitment only marriage can bring. It was clear that this was a celebration for everyone. Everyone was included. That’s the way it should be.

Best wishes to you both, Denis and Charlie. Here’s to a long and happy life together and thanks for letting us be a part of your day. Cheers!

Gay and LGBT Friendly Wedding Photographer from Virginia

Gay and LGBT Friendly Wedding Photographer from Virginia

Gay and LGBT Friendly Wedding Photographer from Virginia

What a ROCKIN’ wedding this was! I was just so glad to be a part it. There was a great couple, Emory and Craig, who were so much fun and so happy to be getting married. Emory was stunningly gorgeous and a gracious bundle of fun. The venue was beautiful, as Chateau Morrisette always is. But, the reception was a total party-down with The Band of Oz who never fail to put on a fantastic show. EVERYONE had a great time and there be lots of shaggin’ up on the mountain this night. Here’s some pix! Be sure to hit the “more” button after the first four to see the whole post!

Venue and Catering- Chateau Morrisette

Flowers – Radford City Florist

Wedding Planner – Elegant Weddings

I got this idea back in the winter that I wanted to do a fashion shoot at The Taubman Museum. I have loved The Taubman and its contribution to Roanoke since its very inception and have been a big cheerleader, even when it seemed that no one had a nice thing to say about it. Now that it is here, I think everyone can see that this incredible structure is truly one of Roanoke’s most treasured buildings. And what a fantastic place to have a wedding and/or reception!

I had great plans to shoot from the exterior of the building as well as the inside, but May wasn’t exactly noted for cooperative outdoor weather. Sure enough, on the day I had scheduled the shoot we had sketchy weather forecasted. I thought we might have a window of opportunity during the time the shoot was planned, but as it turned out….nope. So, I was pretty much contained to the interior of the museum but that is a pretty wonderful place to shoot on its own.

Thanks to Wayne Spencer and Jane Godfrey at Amrhein’s Brides and Formals for helping me put this together. They have some of the most beautiful wedding dresses you will find and you cannot beat their service. My brides love them!

Also, many thanks to the folks at The Taubman for making this possible and putting up with us for a couple of hours one Thursday night. If you are planning a wedding, you must check out what they have available for an authentic and inspiring Downtown Roanoke event.

This was the wedding of Ashlea and Jesper, a wedding full of color and fun that I loved photographing for many reasons. These two were both so excited about their day and their photography, and it was taking place at what is certainly one of my favorite venues in the New River Valley. The beautiful Rockwood Manor is located in the rolling hills of Dublin, VA and is really one of the finest pieces of historic home architecture in the area.  One of the things I love about stately rural venues are the built in settings that make for beautiful portrait locations, and there is plenty to explore at Rockwood. So the day went off beautifully, and despite the threat of rain here and there, I had a great time with these two and we got some fantastic images.

Venue: Rockwood Manor

Florals: Radford City Florists

Perhaps a more dramatic pose……

Here’s one from yesterday’s wedding at the beautiful Rockwood Manor in Dublin. Amazingly, there was really no rain even though it threatened rain most of the early part of the day. As is usual, when you have threatening weather,there is a bonus in there somewhere. The skies can be beautiful. It’s like nature’s little gift for all the trouble it causes.

If there is one question I get asked time and time again, it’s how do I get the colors I do in my photographs. Until now, I have kept that a closely guarded secret, but today I have decided to tell the world how I do it.

It’s a button.

It’s actually button #54 on my Xkeys, and I have named button #54 quite appropriately. So, whenever I see an image that has great potential, it might look pretty darned good right out of the camera, but when it gets button #54 the magic really happens.

So, that’s it….. button #54.

WOW.

Winter eSessions can be a challenge with the unpredictable weather, cold, lack of vegetation, etc. But, I kind of dig the colors that winter offers. I did an eSession with Jenna and Robbie today and I’m not ready to blog it but I really liked this shot when I was downloading.

There were so many nice things about this wedding, and I think they are all obvious so there is no need to detail them here. It was truly a family celebration right in the bride’s parent’s front yard with a spectacular view.

This is one of my favorite kids shots of the year. This little fellow was a happy spirit if there was ever one and clearly adored by all, yet he he was required to sit out the ceremony inside the house. I was heading to the back to take the shot above when I looked over and saw him standing in the sidelight windows of the front door looking out to the ceremony. Despite his somewhat pitiful look, he really did have a bird’s eye view down the center aisle.

 Of all the products I offer, the PhotoBooth is without question the biggest hit with the guests. They love it, and the clients love it. What a better way to record who was at you wedding? In fact, I think Becky and Kris used it instead of a signing book.

 As usual, folks are creative. I provide a few props, but creativity always demands that guests strike out on their own in search of the perfect get-up. I thought this was the winner. Click the image to play!