Happy Sunday everyone! On the 25th of June Kaity and I photographed the wedding of one of my high school friends at a beautiful winery in Charlottesville. Victoria and Thomas had such a beautiful evening wedding, followed by a fun reception with their friends and family. The location provided us with so many different gorgeous spots for portraits, and even though we may have been a bit hot on this summer day, we captured amazing photos to document their love for one another!
We began our day with Victoria and Thomas in the afternoon in the beautiful upstairs bride and groom suites at Trump Winery. The
was full of areas perfect for photographing. From the full-length mirrors to the staircases to the big, open window overlooking the courtyard, we were able to utilize this space for every small detail of the bride and groom getting ready before their ceremony. When we arrived, Victoria provided us with a details box that gave us plenty of elements to work with for photos. Her jewelry, bouquet, perfume, and their invitations and even wax seal were all incorporated into photos that document the small things that come together to create such a big day. We also took this time for Victoria to do a first look with her father, her bridesmates and Thomas' groomsmen!
The Trump Winery offers multiple areas for couples to hold their ceremony at, and each option has its own unique characteristics and opportunities for ceremony set up. When I did a venue walk through with Victoria and Thomas back in March, I knew that they had chosen the perfect spot for their ceremony. The Grand Hall Terrace looks over the entire winery with the Blue Ridge Mountains lining the horizon behind where the couple will say "I do." On a perfect summer day such as their wedding day, I couldn't have imagined a better area for them to have been married at. Their officiant gave them the opportunity during their ceremony for them to take the time to take in the views and the moment and following that they shared their personal vows to each other before being announced as Mr. & Mrs. Hall for the very first time.
As I've mentioned before, the venue offers many different areas for portraits to be taken before or after the ceremony. Thomas and Victoria allotted time during their cocktail hour for us to go to one of the most popular and beautiful spots at the Trump Winery - the chapel. Since the area is so big, we actually had a shuttle bus available to take us from the ceremony location to the chapel, complete with some great music and refreshments. Inside the chapel is a view straight out of a fairy tale wedding, and the newlyweds chose to do their family portraits inside before heading outside to finish up photos. I was in love with the greenery covered arches and stone pathway that led up to the chapel, and for good reason because it proved to be a perfect location for their outdoor portraits!
As a primarily portrait photographer, the wedding party and couple's photos are easily my favorite part of any wedding day. Kaity, on the other hand, prefers small details and candid photos. I believe this is just one of many reasons we work so well together, and once I have had my time taking portraits, we get to go have fun at the reception where Kaity's candid photography shines through! After the wedding party made their entrances into the reception, they filled the champagne tower to lead into Victoria's father's toast, then they had their first dance. Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal, the best man and maid of honor gave speeches, and then the dance floor opened up! We were able to get so many great dancing photos with this crowd before guests wrapped the night up with some hand rolled cigars straight from Miami, followed by the couple's sparkler exit.
Working with Victoria and Thomas for the past year was such a great experience for me! Their Amaze Photography experience didn't just include their wedding day, it started with their consultation and led into their engagement photos, venue walkthrough, collaborations for all of their photos, and finally their big day. I want to say thank you again to the Hall's for having us during this big milestone in your life. We hope you all love your photos just as much as we loved capturing them!
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