Laura and Martin: A Virginia Wedding

"May my heart be your shelter, and my arms be your home."  ~Marianne Williamson

I have been thinking about this particular blog post for months, stewing over how to describe the experience, express the feelings, and showcase the photographs of what I think (and hope) was the most perfect wedding Laura and Martin could have dreamt for themselves and their loved ones.

When they called me a year ago to talk about their wedding and what they were envisioning, I could tell immediately that they were entering marriage bonded by love, their family, and their friends.  They wanted the weekend to be an intimate affair, a time for all the people closest to them to come together in a beautiful place so dear to Martin's heart and simply have fun and celebrate together.  They wanted a photographer who could blend in, capture the realness of the celebration without interrupting it, turn their natural moments into beautiful photographic memories, and celebrate with them too.  I decided I could fit that bill.  I had to fit that bill.

I have known Martin since he was 11 years old.  He was an energetic, inquisitive, friendly kid in my neighborhood, and his older sister was (and still is) such a close friend to me that I call her my sister.  So even though I am not a wedding photographer, I decided I had to become one... for them.

And I'm so glad I stepped out of my box, both because the weekend inspired me artistically in new ways and because they made me feel like a member of the family and part of the celebration, not just their "wedding photographer."

I flew into Washington, D.C. the Thursday before the wedding and stayed through Sunday, so my camera and I got a workout that weekend.  I was at every event starting with a casual BBQ at the groom's parents' house Thursday night all the way through brunch on Sunday morning.  I took so many photos, probably TOO many photos, and I caught some moments I didn't even realize had happened until I started looking at the photos when I got home.

Their wedding weekend was fairy-tale-esque.  The backdrop was gorgeous with rolling hills and red-brick streets of an old Virginia town named Staunton, mountains in the background, and low-70s, sunshiney weather with a perfect, soft breeze the entire three days.

Add the family and friends who traveled from near and far and brought with them bountiful energy, fun and a deeply rooted love for the couple, it was impossible for it not to be a perfect weekend.

So, I am not only thrilled to have the honor of capturing and sharing the memories they created during their wedding weekend, but I am also touched and forever grateful that I was embraced as a valued part of their family and the celebration.

Without further ado, I bring to you my portrayal of Laura and Martin's union:

 

 

 

 

Congratulations, Laura and Martin!  May your life together be as happy and filled with as much love as the day you said, "I do."

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY MANSUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Blog: ashleymansur.blogspot.com

Facebook: facebook.com/Ashley.Mansur.Photography

Please click the links above to visit Ashley Mansur Photography on the web.