I shoot most of my weddings in Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill, so it was really great to get the chance for a change of scenery and head up to Richmond for Mary Catherine and Peter’s Monumental Church & VMFA Richmond wedding a few weeks ago.
You’ll see from the photos that there was quite a variety to the look and feel of each of the settings throughout the day. From the getting ready at the salon and the hotel, through to the ceremony at the Monumental Church (built in 1814) and the reception in the Marble Hall of the VMFA, it really was a photographer’s dream.
As always, I took a very photojournalistic approach to photographing this wedding; no direction or staging, just letting the day itself flow naturally. The only time I stepped in was for the portraits of the couple, their friends and their families. Mary Catherine and I had been in touch a lot in the run-up to the event and I knew that portraiture was an important part of her vision for her day, so she had done a great job of allocating time for us to get those photos, both before and after the ceremony.
During the reception too, we were able to head out into the grounds of the VMFA just after dinner for some photos as the sun set. I had travelled up to Richmond earlier in the week to scout out the location, so I knew exactly where to go to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. It’s all about getting the highest quality variety of photos in the time I am allocated. In this case, we weren’t outside for more than 15 minutes or so. At the church earlier, too, we took about 30 minutes or so after the group photos to make some cool images incorporating the unique Greek-Inspired architecture of the Monumental Church.
On top of that, we were able to do a lot of ad hoc group portraits in the VMFA using the artwork as a backdrop. Each group requesting a photo was asked to select a different piece of art and it was a lot of fun to do. Kind of a mobile photobooth with artwork instead of funny hats!
Congratulations to the happy couple and big thanks to the team of pros behind the scenes, who were:
Ceremony: Monumental Church, Richmond, VA | Reception & Catering: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA | Florist: Vogue Flower Market, Richmond, VA | Hair & Makeup: Lou Stevens Glam Squad, Richmond, VA | Band: Mr. Potato Head, Raleigh, NC | Bride’s Dress: Carine’s Aisle, Washington, DC | Veil: Carine’s Atelier, Washington DC | Groom’s Tuxedo: Nordstrom, Washington DC | Invitations: KP & Co. Calligraphy & Design, Westchester, NY | Assistant Photographer: Erin Henderson, Wilmington, NC
Here are my picks of the pics from this gorgeous day. Enjoy!
