To help show off the seniors (and hopefully increase my search engine ranking), I'm starting a new special deal. For every 10 comments on a senior's post, they earn a free 8x10" print. Leave Payton a message below the photos and help her score some free pix! If you are a senior who I photographed back in June, don't worry... the deal will apply to you, too, as soon as I get your pictures up here (probably after wedding season ends).

I'm finding that being a photographer also entails being a stylist.  I get asked for opinions on outfits, shoes, and hair A LOT.  (So much that I kind of want to take a class in styling and cosmetology.)  I think Payton did a great job picking out her last outfit, in particular.  She chose a black tank that had colored beading all around the collar.  The shape and the detailing were interesting but still kind of low-key, and the collar framed her face really nicely.  It's sophisticated, but still casual.  She also took the time to put on some jewelry, which adds a nice touch.

Remember, for every 10 comments, Payton gets a free 8x10" print!  Leave her some love!  (Limit one comment per commenter, 50 comments total.)

Lauren Hayley came to Meredith's house and did a beautiful job the girls' makeup.  They looked really classic and polished without looking overdone.

The ceremony and reception were held at the Hahn Horticulture Gardens on the Virginia Tech campus.  It's a beautiful spot, and despite the heat (they say it was the hottest day in Blacksburg "ever"), we had great weather and beautiful light.

One advantage to shooting a wedding for two architects is that the entire event is sure to be beautifully designed.  This was probably the most styled wedding I have ever attended, and it was GORGEOUS.  Meredith and Patrick made their own chandelier (you'll see it lit up later in the post) and had tiny, modern details everywhere: letter pressing, punched numbers, wooden model figurines, hydrangeas, glass jars... Everything was very hip and minimalist, but still light and pretty.

Instead of a guest book, they had two instant cameras set out for people to take self-portraits.  The guests would post their portrait along with a little note on a these metal boards, with tiny magnets.  Very cool.

Dinner was catered by The Bank restaurant in Pearisburg, Virginia.  They cooked the food fresh on site and used a lot of local ingredients.  There were several courses, and I didn't try them all, but I believe the dish you see below was a gazpacho served in wine glasses.

I can't resist a cute kid.

Time for toasts:

Maybe the most interesting cake cutting shot I've ever gotten:

Now for my favorite part: the party!

To close, here's a series of black and white dance shots, in the "artsy" vein.  I dig 'em, especially the last.

Congratulations, Meredith and Patrick!

You might remember the lovely Nicole from her headshot session back in February. Well, this spring her mom contacted me about taking some photos of the whole family together: Nicole, her sister Janna, mom Shari, and even their grandparents. We got together on a warm day early in April and had a blast shooting, even though poor Nicole was sick with no voice (no fun for a vocal major whose recital had to be postponed!).

These photos were shot at the Hahn Horticultural Gardens at Virginia Tech.

I love this next shot because you can really see how similar the girls all are, with their hands, posture, and profile.

These next two were fun to shoot. I usually try to place people so that the sun doesn't hit them directly, but in this case, I wanted to emphasize the SUMMER-ness of the photos, so I let it hit them full force and concentrated on keeping those gorgeous bold colors in the background.