First, congratulations! Nadine, I met you the day of, and you were wonderful every second of the day. Jeff, you're quite lucky, because Nadine was wonderful every second of the day! No, Jeff was great too. Actually, they are extraordinarily kind people who ensured everyone had a blast. Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your day. Now, Nadine and Jeff did several things different from the pack, and I want to show how it fit them and made their day better.
What I was truly grateful for is the nearly 3 hours of blocked out time in between to drive from Arlington to Old Town Alexandria, spend two hours having fun, and then driving back. For those not around the DC area, we figured 30-45 minutes one-way for the drive alone. Surprisingly, we hit no traffic, and it only took us about 20-25 minutes each way. So this left more time to relax and take great pictures around the area at different locations.
Here are a few:
The Car ride over
Along the Potomac
Using the Car
And using the carNow I know not everyone can do this. But when you have time, your chances for a real gem dramatically improve. (That and trust in your photographer.) This painter graciously agreed to let Nadine and Jeff be her subjects for a few minutes! This is also one of those rare, but perfect spots where color and black/white are acceptable.
I'm going to cherish this moment. I love it! And it captured their feeling too right after the wedding.
This post isn't meant to convince couples to change their schedule. But, take note that in the 15 minutes some couples allocate, you can't experiment or take many risks. We took LOTS of risks. Not all worked. But so many did! I recommend couples think of a spot away from the church or reception spot for another location. I recommend couples block off time for special shots. Maybe this means doing more things early. Maybe this means pushing the reception back a little or not making any of the cocktail hour. But each couple should think about what they want, and how important these fun/post-ceremony shots are.
Here's two more from the day:
