It was an amazing day for Brian and Katie to get married. They arrived, relaxed and ready, at Strong Mansion (one of my favorite places to photograph!) in Dickerson, Maryland, for what would prove to be an eventful evening.

Later on, I asked Katie about what made the day special for her, and the first thing she mentioned was that her friend Melanie ("an amazing friend I've had since high school" and "newly-minted social worker") was the officiant as well as her bridesmaid. I caught Melanie rehearsing a "personal, beautifully written ceremony" in the upper rooms of the mansion. It made quite the impression, too! "I had lots of guests asking me if she was a professional celebrant," said Katie.

Katie's preparation was simple and elegant; her long brown hair swept up and decorated with flowers, and heirloom family jewelry to add a special touch and presence to the day. Check out those gold shoes!

Brian arrived later on, and my wonderful second photographer Leah Stern took charge of photographing the groomsmen down in the gardens. Katie and Brian didn't want to see each other before the wedding, so we played a little cat-and-mouse in the mansion house as a result. No surprises were lost, though!

Guests filtered in and the ceremony began. A Shakespeare poem was read, a kiss of peace exchanged, and Brian borrowed from Jewish tradition and smashed a glass at the end of the ceremony.

Afterwards, Leah and I snuck away with the family and the bridal party to catch shots of the girls all together, in addition to a few private moments for Brian and Katie.

The best of the action was yet to come, though. "Our crazy cousins and relatives were the life of the party," said Katie. "Brian's aunt Mimi gave a scarf dance to one of the groomsman," she remembered, "and Brian's father's cousin Trevor, who came from Northern Ireland to attend our wedding and gave a rollicking toast in Irish brogue that ended in an Irish blessing."

More than one sweet moment was in store, too. Taylor, Katie's maid of honor, gave a beautiful toast. "[It] had me sobbing," Katie said, "and the one by Brian's dad ended in a song from the Baillie men to me."

Needless to say, it was such fun to be a part of such a beautiful, uproarious, and joyous day. Congratulations to Brian and Katie!

Benjamin & Kim had a wedding in the Bahamas. I didn't get to go (boooooo), and neither did some of their beloved family members (boooooo), but these two wonderful lovebirds threw their family a wicked killer reception at Centennial Park in Columbia, renting out an entire pavilion, and decking it out with amazing elegance.

Everything was so scrumptious-looking, I wanted to eat it! The afternoon was heavy with humidity and the grass was wet from rain all week, but the sun stayed out and shone happily upon everyone that day.

Ben and Kim had a second cake to cut and celebrate (made by a neighbor), their dog had a little too much fun romping in the mud, and they created orange-flavored candy table full of old-fashioned goodness for favors for everyone! Too sweet!

Being the adventurous people they are, Kim and Ben were up for a little walk around the slightly muddy field; I took some quick portraits before we walked over to the gaming area for some horseshoes.

I'm no good at horseshoes, but it's fun to photograph!

Lastly, Ben and Kim danced their "first" dance again together, complete with choreography! Man, these guys were good. And their family all watched with love as they embraced tenderly.

Thanks for making me a part of your celebration guys! Many years of bliss to you.

If any of you are familiar with my work, you've seen these two before, but probably not together! I've photographed Stephanie wicked cute daughter Julia while in-utero and out, and Meghan totally humored me a few years ago when I wanted to discard my old bridesmaid's dresses in an unusual way.

This excursion took us to an alleyway in Fells Point. Stephanie and I had scoped out a few promising locations, but we ended up spending most of our time using the variety of textures within a 200 foot radius!

Part of what inspired me was that I found Meghan's at a thrift store for a grand total of $15 (not kidding). Being pregnant at the time, I knew I couldn't wear it, but had to take pictures of it, so I asked Meghan to model it for me. But that, of course, wasn't until after I purchased a parasol to match on eBay for $10 (with shipping). The result: total hotness!

Not to be outdone, Stephanie had found a gorgeous jewel-green dress at Target on the cheap, and cranked the sexy up with a lovely white floppy hat that framed her face so well. "I never thought that old air conditioner units would make for a pretty picture," Steph told me, "You proved me wrong!" Hah! I triumph!

Meghan's shots came out a little more serious, and I thought with a hint of dangerous glamour. I loved it when she fixed her hair...

I asked my pals afterward how they felt about the shot. "I felt awkward," said Steph, "but I always make up for that by being silly." A good policy, in my opinion, and she pulled it off well. She also had this to say: "It is incredibly difficult to make an attractive face when throwing confetti. Period."

Afterward, we got some ice cream as a reward for all our hard work. I especially want to thank my two models, who not only did such a fabulous job, but who also shot video for me. (It makes me self-conscious; I keep getting more and more pregnant, gak!) You can see how the alley we were in had all different colors and neat things in it; it was perfect!

Not bad for around $50 eh? (And that includes the ice cream afterwards!)