Lara + Dan: Alexandria Seminary Wedding

Right here, on the Virginia Theological Seminary campus, is where Lara & Dan first laid eyes on each other. So it was such a special joy to meet there for their engagement photos & then also come back to VTS for their beautiful fall ceremony. These two are a blast! And their commitment to one another is in-cred-i-ble. After they began dating long distance in 2012, they would take turns flying to visit every month.

Except when they were both serving the Lord on missions trips. That month, the couple filled a journal with their thoughts, memories & love, later exchanging them after they were back together again. And Lara's gorgeous ring (seen in the photos below) is one Dan actually had made from a stone he got in Miramar, Southeast Asia, where they had both served before. SO sweet!

The ring didn't come in the mail until the very DAY that Dan was set to propose to Lara. Lara, sensing his upcoming proposal, made sure to get her nails painted (smart girl!) before she flew to visit. She was actually in the mailroom when the ring package was delivered but the mail woman was sneaky enough to get it to Dan without her noticing. After a wonderful dinner out in Old Town, they headed back to Aspinwall Hall Bell Tower, the tallest overlook on campus. They had always wanted to check out the view from the top but it wasn't until that night that Dan proposed with the beautiful ring that they got to check out the view of DC together :)

Hanging out with Lara & Dan is the best! Every time we met it was as if we'd been friends for years - they are such a friendly, kind & hilariously funny duo! And although the weather was looking to bring a big thunderstorm right before their wedding, tons of friends & family helped to set up the gorgeous traditional liturgy ceremony inside. Enter lots of photographer shimmies right here - the rain held off on us after that we knocked out family portraits, bridal party & couple portraits without getting drenched! Is God good or is He GOOD?!

How gorgeous are those pearls?? They are her something borrowed (from her mother, passed on from her grandmother) & the love note is from her parents many years ago. Love the heirlooms shared through the generations!

Absolutely, hands DOWN one my favorites of these two!!

Lara & Dan,

You both bring so much life into any room. Your devotion to each other & the Lord are a wonderful testimony of what true love looks like. And you throw one killer party! Thank you for letting me capture these special moments of your day!

Vendors:

Ceremony: Virginia Theological Seminary

Reception: Virginia Theological Seminary Refectory and Scott Lounge

Bride's dress: David's Bridal

Groomsmen attire: Henderson's & Jos A. Banks

Catering: Meriwether-Godsey

Wedding cake: The Happy Tart

Invitations: Vistaprint

{January Goals}

It may be the middle of the month but it's never too late to write out your goals :) After several afternoons of reflecting on & writing all over Lara Casey's #PowerSheets, I've named my fears, written down what I want to be filling my mental mason jar (such a great visual, right?) & the vision I have for these next days, weeks & months. I had 14 goals for December. 11 done! Still would like to bake goodies to share with our neighbors, finish our thank you cards & marshmallow roasting in our fireplace yet. 

January Goals

>> Continue reading through the Bible in a year with Dean. (We chose this plan by Nav Press, available for the You Bible app, too.)
>> Continue serving my spring bride well
>> Wrap up all our wedding thank you cards
>> Fill & drink my water bottle 3x daily
>> Review Scripture memory verses from the past few months & meditate on them
>> Brainstorm a design for a family prayer board in our home
>> Leave encouraging words & love notes to Dean throughout the week
>> Update the LMP website to reflect my heart & mission for this business
>> Sign up for a photography class/conference &research investment for future conference/mentor session
>> Faithfully serve my SG ladies & invest in them

"Your playing small does not serve the world." Marianne Williamson, via Lara Casey

Remembering your wedding day, part 2

Hello, brides-to-be! As you plan your wedding, a crucial question to ask is: What do I want to look back at & remember about my day? Is it the killer DJ you hired & all the great dance moves your dad broke out? Or maybe the catering by the yummiest local restaurant where you had your first date.

Two weeks ago, I shared about tips for remembering your special day. Being able to look back through beautiful images of your wedding is such a sweet way to hold on to heart-jerking memories & funny moments that took place. Today I'd like to share Part 2 of Remembering your wedding day: Behind the Scenes. (P.S. All images were taken by The Pinwheel Collective!)

Brides-to-be, here's the thing: you will spend months (maybe longer!!) planning out every intricate detail of your wedding - color patterns, appetizers, programs, flower girl outfits, ceremony music and more! And on the day of your wedding, there is bound to be a few things you don't even get to see or experience!

Why is that, you may be thinking. Because here's the deal: you can only be in one place at a time. I know, crazy, right? As much as we'd like to be Super Bride & fly from room to rooom during everything that happens on your wedding day, it's really not possible.

Meaning while you're getting your family photos taken, your cocktail hour (or cider hour, like we did) is taking place & there are conversations, laughter & stories between old friends & college roommates that you won't be there for. And while you're getting ready to walk down the aisle, you probably won't get to see the seating of your parents & grandparents. Or see your ring bears, as we like to call them, carry your handmade sign down the aisle toward your soon-to-be-hubby. And so much more!

And that's more than OK. You are at your wedding to get married & celebrate with your closest friends & family. That doesn't mean you can or should taste every passed hors d'oeuvre or dance to every song at the reception or see the reception set up before the guests do. And if you somehow do, rock on!

But that's why having photographers there to capture those snapshots is huge! So without further ado, here are some behind-the-scenes shots from our wedding. Or as I like to call it: There Was a Dance Train & Grandma Was On It?!

Getting Ready: Not only did Dean not know what my dress looked like before our First Look (duh) but he didn't see how our bridesmaids' suite was decorated or any of the funniness going on with Casey opening champagne. And I didn't see any of the cute/sad faces my adorable nephew made while the guys were getting ready or them exchanging gifts or Dean's somewhat nervousness before we saw each other for the first time.

Before the Ceremony: After our First Look and Bridal Party photos, the bridesmaids went into the barn while the guys hung out on the bottom level of the barn til it was time to start the ceremony. In the time, Dean had the She's Mine stickers on the soles of his dress shoes & the girls had a huddle party at the heater while our wedding planner's husband fixed our musical dilemma (read: iPod not working). And our guests started to arrive!

The Ceremony: Because I was stashed in the barn during the processional, I didn't see any of it. So grateful for these beautiful images that depict what took place throughout!

Flower girl, out!!!

Cider hour/Reception: We decided to have hot apple cider, soft pretzels, Cincinnati specialty cookies & spiced donut holes in lieu of a traditional cocktail hour, which I never saw! We were taking family photos & although I did manage to snag a few cookies before the ceremony, we didn't get to mingle with our guests until the reception. Our wedding planner Sami & her team did a BEAUTIFUL job on setting everything up. From the napkins & drink stirrers to allll the bottles & flowers in Cloverdale Barn, we loved it!

And one of my favorite photos from the day - my Southern belle Grandma Betty hopping on the dance train!!

A December dream come true

Have y'all ever cut down your very own Christmas tree?? Back in December, I had listed it as one of my goals to accomplish during the holiday/birthday season.

I was born & raised in the Sunshine State, meaning we had mostly palm trees, orange trees & yes, some pine trees, too. But not your choice of farms with the big, beautifully perky evergreens that so perfectly hold out their branches as if to say, "I'm here for you. Please, do put your ornaments on my needles." Since moving to Northern Virginia (or, if you're not from around here, DC :) ), I've wanted to bundle up on a cold winter day & head out to a Christmas tree farm for a tree picking extravaganza. And this past December, that's exactly what Hubby & I got to do!

We drove over to Evergreen Acres in Nokesville. Such a great farm! It's a family-run business & even though we went in the middle of December, they still had a ton of trees left to choose from. Bonus? They gave out steaming cups of hot cider. YUM!

This guy :) :) :)

Here's the hilarious part of it all: although the wintery white flakes were melting/on their way out of town when we were at the farm, it was still preeeeetty cold. Meaning I was pretty cold & Dean was not :) I was SO excited to go frolicking through the rows of Fraser fur & pine trees that I didn't even consider that the boots I was wearing were not exactly weather appropriate. 

My comfy brown boots! Oh how I thought they would never do me wrong. But after the wear & tear of a few winters, they have slowly started to fall apart. Which leads us to the middle of our tree-cutting adventure & I have cold, dripping wet feet. With every step, the melting snow & ice sloshed more into my boots & socks. And y'all, there were puddles ALL over! Since Hubby couldn't cut down the tree & carry me, it became one of the fastest rounds of find-your-Christmas-tree that farm has ever seen!

There it is! And down she went! So fast. I was telling Dean to let me know when it would fall & then it was already cut down haha. He works so fast!

Such a welcome to the cold day! If only my soaking wet toes could have had a cider bath...

We successfully attached our voluptuous tree (she was pretty curvy!) to the roof of our car & brought her back home. I must admit I've never before attempted carrying a tree up 3 flights of stairs! Luckily for me, Hubby & his gun show could get it upstairs with very little assistance from me. And our FSU Just Married ornament was a wedding gift from my sweet friend Lauren Elizabeth & her boyfriend :) Go NOLES!!!

We brought back this angel from our honeymoon in St. Lucia :)

Slipper time :) Feet finally started defrosting! Next year, I'm definitely wearing rain boots! Or any pair of boots without holes in them! And if you want to have your own Christmas tree experience, we highly recommend Evergreen Acres! Everyone was really helpful & the prices are great! P.S. if you wait til closer to Christmas time to snag your tree, they go on sale! $25 for any of the pines, same as picking one up at Home Depot. Sold!

Bekah + Steve: Luray Barn Wedding

This couple. Bekah + Steve, such amazing people (or peeps, as Bekah would say) that God has already used in tremendous ways together as a couple. I had the awesome privilege to work with B before we both switched jobs. We had many morning coffee chats, date discussions (she waited up to hear the results of my very first date with Mr. D!!) & Jesus talks.

Getting to know Steve through times he popped into the office & a lunchtime photo shoot, it was so fun to see their l-o-v-e continue to grow through daily interactions, even ordinary, quiet times spent together. They were wed at the beautiful Stonewall Crossing, the cutest vacation rental home nestled in Luray. 

Their sweet, intimate ceremony was almost, *almost* moved inside because of the rain. Instead, the Lord held off the thunderstorm until we had just about wrapped up the ceremony & all the portraits!!! While we scurried off to the most beautiful, rustic barn before the storm came, guests enjoyed appetizers on the main house front porch and lawn games in the front lawn.

Bekah's father gave a beautiful toast for the newlyweds & blessing for the meal, & then it was time for a delicious buffet - yummy Southern delicacies like deviled eggs, homemade pies and more! Beautiful touches of blue & pops of yellow sunflowers looked stunning throughout the ceremony & reception. Bekah's sister worked hard to sew together the most adorable burlap utensil holders! After dinner, Bekah & Steve had their first dance to Honey Bee, which included line dancing, of course! The rest of the night was full of laughter, sweet tea & dancing. The bride's parents even surprised the special duo with his & hers fishing poles. TOO cute! Which then led to ring shots on one of the fishing hooks. The couple used little bells as their send-off, dashing away in the rain to their getaway car :)

Bekah & Steve,

Mr. D & I were so touched to have been able to capture these special moments from your wedding day :) :)  You two rock! Keep loving the Lord first, each other second as you grow in your love for one another in the days ahead. We love y'all!

Vendors:

Ceremony: Stonewall Crossing

Reception: Stonewall Crossing

Bride's dress: David's Bridal

Groom's suit: Men's Warehouse

Florist: Sheri of Lavender Fields Florist

Catering: West Main Market

Invitations: Michael's