Sarah + Michael: Ronald Reagan Building // Washington, DC Wedding Photographer

I'm SO excited to share this wedding with all of you. Sarah and Michael got married in May at the Ronald Reagan Building in DC. This photo was taken right after they said "I Do" and their adorable pup, Cady, came for a few portraits. You may remember Sarah and Michael from their Capitol Hill engagement session last fall. Sarah is one of my oldest friends and today happens to be a big milestone birthday for her (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!), so I thought it was fitting to share her wedding today. 

I can't say enough good things about these two amazing people. I kind of spilled my heart out about them already in their engagement session post, so I'll talk more about their wedding now. It was AWESOME. There were so many special moments, but my favorites were their first look and the choreographed first dances at the reception (Katy Perry's left shark made an appearance!). All the details were stunning: Sarah's dress, the florals, the wedding party ... everything was flawless. I can say a lot more about how wonderful it was and how wonderfully emotional this wedding left me, but I'll move on to the photos. : )

Bride's dress: Justin Alexander
Bride's shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaids dresses: J.Crew
Groom & groomsmen attire: M. Stein & Co.
Makeup & hair: Alison Taylor
Florals: Amaryllis, Inc.
Ceremony music: Sage String Quartet
Cake: Cupcake Novelties
Band: Nightsong
Caterer: Ronald Reagan Building
Programs: Minted.com

And I have to give special thanks to Lindsey Farrell of Kelley Cannon Events, who made everything run SO seamlessly, and my second shooter, Jennifer Smutek, who killed it as well.

MAILE + TOM - Figure Eight Island Yacht Club Wedding

Maile and Tom's wedding was major. I have so many fond memories of their day and this quiet moment between them during their "married portrait session" is definitely in my top five!

Maile & Tom got married in early September in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina at St. Therese Catholic Church. The weather was pristine! After the ceremony, their AMAZING party was held at Figure Eight Island Yacht Club, which is such a beautiful place. I loved how the whole day felt so natural and low-key, yet the details and setting were just beyond gorgeous.

Wedding dress: Legends by Romona Keveza, purchased from Traditions by Anna Bride's dress: Something Bleu from BHLDN Bridesmaids' dresses: LulaKate Groom's attire: Hugo Boss Groomsmen attire: JoS. A Bank Hair and makeup: Adrianne Lugo Florals: Bella Florals by Theresa Coordinator: Jennifer Mitchell Ceremony music: Angela Daughtry Cake and cupcakes: Creative Cake Design by Tammy Hodge Cocktail music: Bonnie Brooksbank Band: The Rubber Band Videographer: Cassie Brooksbank Caterer: Figure Eight Island Yacht Club Invitations: Bethany Poteat (design) & Mindy & Angie's (printer) Programs: Erin Lesica

Back to my favorite parts of the day... #1 would have to be... the whole ceremony. : ) Maile's uncle married them -- he also married Maile's parents and baptized Maile -- so it was just super personal and touching to hear all the stories he told. Another favorite moment was the "digging up of the bourbon," which is later explained in the post.  : ) And one more that comes to mind is just getting to spend time with their genuinely nice friends and families (see goofy family pictures below). Congrats to this amazing couple -- I wish y'all all the best!

Thanks to Jeff Janowski Photography for helping me shoot their wedding! Enjoy, y'all. (And coming up soon: a major announcement, which is why I've been so MIA recently here on the blog!)

Maile's mom got emotional while she was getting into her dress. So sweet.

The first time the couple saw each other during the ceremony = priceless.

A little explanation needed here. Maile's uncle gave Erin, Maile's sister-in-law, a Clark candy bar on her wedding day (because Clark was her maiden name) and said to Maile's brother that she was just as sweet as one. So, Maile's uncle searched high and low for a Holman  (Tom's last name) candy bar and found one just in time! ; ) Everyone in the ceremony got a good laugh. I was cracking up!

"Panda " and "penguin" are nicknames that Maile and Tom have for each other. How adorable!

Following the ceremony, we took a trolley ride to the beach for some portraits. As I was setting up the first wedding party shot, I noticed Maile and Tom sharing a kiss. SO SWEET.

Gorgeous flowers!

Tom and his brothers. Jeff got some really great shots on the beach!

I thought this was so neat -- as a way to honor grandparents who passed away, Tom wore one cufflink from each grandfather.

This wedding party was SO fun and SO full of energy! Loved working with them!We got back to the yacht club for some family portraits and these are some goofy ones during that time. Hysterical!

Their cocktail hour was amazing! So many fun lawn games!

Here is the digging up of the bourbon. Figure Eight Island Yacht Club has this tradition where one month prior to the wedding, the family buries a bottle of bourbon upside-down in the ground. The tradition was started several years ago as a way to ward off bad weather. On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom unbury the bottle and drink from it. The families and guests are encouraged to drink from it as well. After the unburying, Dr. Lesica (Maile's dad) explained to the guests that he chose to bury the "Rare Breed" brand because Tom is a rare breed. : )

A few more portraits at sunset. : )

This little dude got into the photo booth accessories a little early into the night. HILARIOUS.

The Rubber Band had EVERYONE singing!