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My first wedding of 2017 went off without a hitch with a Fincastle wedding at the Kyle House. It was absolutely beautiful. I knew it would be. Mandy and Ryan are just that. When I first got to hang out with them at their engagement session, it was so laid back and I loved getting to know them. Mandy constantly exudes a gratitude that is hard to describe. She is vibrant and loving, and Ryan is her perfect compliment with his genuine care about people.

I love my job, I love getting to know my couples. I also love when they realize I am a person too with a family and I think that is part of what I bring to the table in my business. Having lost my mom last month has really given me perspective on why I do what I do. When she passed, there were so many photos we spent time looking through. Such a beautiful documentation of the amazing life she lived and her story – and this post is not about my mom, but about what I realized in her final days – life passes, but we have this amazing opportunity to capture small moments in time. I want to bring that to every wedding I photograph. I want to bring my couples memories, stories and documentation that they have lived a full life.

A wedding day is one of the most magnificent and beautiful times in a family’s story. It deserves all the attention to detail, all the candid moments and all the realness that it is. I want my couples to be able to look back at when they started their lives together (officially). I photographed Mandy and Ryan’s wedding the day after we said our final goodbyes to mom, and for me that was amazing thing. To lose something and then realize all that I will gain in 2017 creating memories for people who are absolutely wonderful and deserving of these moments in their lives.

Mandy and Ryan – thank you. Thank you for being real. Thank you for being a blessing to me as the start of my 2017 wedding season.

 

A Fincastle Wedding at The Kyle House

If you are recently engaged and planning a Virginia wedding contact me for more information on wedding photography and open dates for 2017 and 2018. I love meeting new couples and getting to know your story so we can create beautiful, authentic images of YOU!

Elizabeth Seidel, Virginia wedding photographer,  located in Lynchburg, VA serving the greater Virginia area including Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke.

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It’s Friday! Just to start your weekend off in a great way, I am sharing Mandy & Ryan’s beautiful winter engagement with you all. I had so much fun with them hanging out. I can’t wait for their wedding which is just a few weeks away! I feel like 2017 is just chugging along with perfect people that are coming into my life. I am so happy that Mandy & Ryan chose me to be their photographer. I have loved even the small beginning of getting to know them. We shared some a-ha, Beyonce, and an “it’s such a small world” moments. They were all equally amazing.

I first arrived at the session to be greeted by Mandy and two of her (and Ryan’s) friends. We went down to her room and we talked about what outfit options she had. I think she picked perfect outfits, one casual and everyday and just a little more formal one for her second option.

I particularly love when my couples have locations in mind that are special to them. It really creates a storyline that is unique to you. Of course, there are so many amazing places to do sessions in Virginia, but one that has meaning to you, and a real story, well that is just icing on the cake. We started their session in the exact same place when they first met. Hearing them talk about each other as we struck up conversation was awesome. It was real and authentic and there was just a ton of gratitude. It’s one of the things I always love seeing in my couples. As a wife to my truest best friend, I know what this feels like, and to see other people be able to share that makes my days.

We also hopped over to Randolph College and walked around campus a bit. It is truly a gorgeous campus. I loved that we were able to walk around two different locations to make such a variety of images for their gallery. No shortage of love and happiness here. Mandy & Ryan – you two are awesome people. I can’t wait for March!

Lynchburg Virginia Wedding PhotographerLynchburg Engagement Session

If you are recently engaged and planning a Virginia wedding contact me for more information on wedding photography and open dates for 2017 and 2018. I love meeting new couples and getting to know your story so we can create beautiful, authentic images of YOU!

Elizabeth Seidel, Virginia wedding photographer,  located in Lynchburg, VA serving the greater Virginia area including Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke.

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Another blog post this week! Look at me! After an extremely busy December, I’ve finally found the down time in January to get so many beautiful images out that have been sitting on my computer for some time. This Virginia Beach engagement session is no exception and truly deserves to be shared with you all!

I have so many amazing weddings to look forward to this year and this is one of them! Alex and Blair were so much fun to hang out with. When Blair first inquired with me, they were amidst a transition themselves. Having been on the West Coast for some time and a long distance relationship, Blair was looking to get back to his love on the East Coast. I’m happy to tell you, he did. He made it back to the East Coast and it worked out perfectly that I was able to meet up with them over Thanksgiving weekend to do this session. We first met at First Landing State Park and followed that up by some beautiful images on the beach.

Their wedding will be this October. It can’t come soon enough! Getting to know them a bit at their engagement session was such a joy. I even got Alex’s wonderful mom to help me hold a camera here and there. Thank you, Dolores! It is always so great to see two people interact and start to understand what makes them work. They are both so upbeat and happy and were making each other laugh the entire time. There is nothing better than having a couple do their own thing with minimal direction and get down to the authenticity of who they are together.

Alex and Blair – I cannot wait to be with you again in October, celebrating the best day of your lives!

lynchburg va wedding photographers

love on the east coast

first landing state park engagementvirginia beach engagement session

If you are recently engaged and planning a Virginia wedding contact me for more information on wedding photography and open dates for 2017 and 2018. I love meeting new couples and getting to know your story so we can create beautiful, authentic images of YOU!

Elizabeth Seidel, Virginia wedding photographer,  located in Lynchburg, VA serving the greater Virginia area including Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke.

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I’m trying my best to catch up on some sessions from 2016 that haven’t been blogged yet and this Charlottesville Sunrise Engagement session is one of them. Blogging more was one of my goals for 2016, and while I did a MUCH better job than in previous years, it’s still something I’m working on.

In October, I got a chance to do a sunrise engagement session with the beautiful Grace and her fiance Robert. It was so much fun! Yes, getting up super early in the dark to get out to the session was a little rough, but I knew it would be worth it.

When I first met Grace, we had an instant connection. We shared some pizza at Mellow Mushroom and we chatted about life and wedding planning. Grace had an awesome idea to do part of their engagement session at the a Farmer’s Market. It was just brilliant. Since Farmer’s Market’s tend to be held earlier in the day, I tossed out the idea of a sunrise session. It was gold. Literally, it was the most perfect golden sunrise followed up by such fun at the market. Grace and Robert are so easy going and a joy to be around. I cannot wait for their May wedding at Wolftrap Farm.

And just in case you were wondering – yes, I will take ALL the sunrise engagement sessions!

When the sunrise meets with love

Charlottesville Wedding Photographersunrise engagement session

If you are recently engaged and planning a Virginia wedding contact me for more information on wedding photography and open dates for 2017 and 2018. I love meeting new couples and getting to know your story so we can create beautiful, authentic images of YOU!

Elizabeth Seidel, Virginia wedding photographer,  located in Lynchburg, VA serving the greater Virginia area including Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke.

 

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  • jenny grimm - Ohmygoodness… my friend you are SO. STINKING. TALENTED!!!! LOVE every single image, and I love that you combined a little farmer’s market lifestyle mixed with those amazing light-filled sunrise images! (Also pretty equally impressed that you were able to leave the house at the butt crack o’ dawn ready to spit out these KILLER shots…) XOXOReplyCancel

    • admin - ahhh jenny! thank you for making my night! These two definitely made it easy!ReplyCancel

I am so excited to share Jenny and Nick’s Christmas inspired wedding with you all! It was a beautiful, chilly day just a week before Christmas. Lucky for us the rain held out and it was just gorgeous. Jenny was a very hands on bride, working closely with her florist for the perfect florals. She looked just breathtaking and classy in her wedding gown that she got from her friends bridal shop. Nick looked sharp in a classic suit and tie.

Jenny and Nick share a love for a lot of things including music, Harry Potter and their dear friends. When we first got to the Church, it was a bit misty and I was hoping it would clear up in time for some outdoor portraits – which it did. They had a beautiful church ceremony followed by a reception at Celebrations at the Resevoir in Moseley, VA. Celebrations was lit up with Christmas trees and light that gave off this glowing, intimate feeling. I can’t say enough about how gracious everyone was, not for me, but to be a part of this amazing celebration of these two people. It was such a wonderful way to wrap up my 2016 weddings. I am so thankful to have spent another year documenting the most important days of people’s lives.

Jenny and Nick, thank you so much for having me join in your day. I wish you so much happiness and joy for your future together. 

Christmas Inspired WeddingChristmas Wedding Cakecelebrations at the reservoir

If you are recently engaged and planning a Virginia wedding contact me for more information on wedding photography and open dates for 2017 and 2018. I love meeting new couples and getting to know your story so we can create beautiful, authentic images of YOU!

Elizabeth Seidel, Virginia wedding photographer,  located in Lynchburg, VA serving the greater Virginia area including Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke.

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