Add these things up:

1 bride who does karaoke and wears her sunglasses at night

1 groom who does “the raptor” like none other

1 sister who can also compete for the title “Best Raptor”

1 mom’s giant floppy hat

1 wedding group that ended up in the pool

1 group of kickass friends and family who danced, drank, and partied the night away

1 awesome Mexican resort

… and what do you have?

Morgan and Steve’s wedding, duh

Seriously - there are no words to describe how awesome this couple is. And we got to be there. It’s ok, you can be jealous now

Congrats guys!!!

Jenna and Kyle A) Rock, B) Rock and C) Did I mention that they ROCK?

Their wedding was just as cool as these two - and I don’t know what more I could say about it! Despite the fact that it poured on and off all day (woo hoo - more good luck for my couples! :)) these two were cool, calm, collected and totally PSYCHED to be married - love love love it

Oh, and they were just as excited as I was to shoot in Cross Street Market. Yeah Baltimore! Jenna and Kyle = officially awesome

I know there are lots of people in blog-land waiting for these (ahem…. stalking )… so while I don’t have a whole lot of time to write about how absolutely beautiful and fantastic this wedding was, I figured I wouldn’t make you wait any longer for the pictures

The quick rundown: Amanda and Steven got married in St. Lucia, in a gooooorgeous and completely romantic private ceremony. I’ve never been to a wedding like this before, and it was as beautiful and unique as they are as a couple Congrats guys - I hope you’re still enjoying yourselves on those beaches!

I knew Dani and Matt would have a beautiful wedding (I expect nothing less than awesomeness from my knotties! :)) - but knowing nothing about their resort ahead of time, I had no idea that the RIU Las Americas was the PERFECT place to have an all white wedding. It was absolutely gorgeous, and the perfect backdrop for their white/khaki/tropical colors theme. Theirs was my second of the two weddings I was in Mexico for, and it was a great ending to my trip - their guests were fun and sweet… and Dani and Matt rock! I, along with everyone in attendance, was definitely aware of the love these two share, it was evident all throughout the day. I’m so happy for you two!

(PS Check out the flaming dessert at the end… how cool is that?? :))

Well, you may have noticed that I was gone for a reeeeeeally long time I was in MEXICO! Shooting Amy and Chad’s beautiful wedding (and Dani and Matt’s too - but that’s still to come :)).

Amy and Chad got married at the way awesome El Dorado Royale Resort in the Riviera Maya. I’ve been hearing about EDR for years, and about what a gorgeous property it is and about how it’s just a fantastic place to vacation… and I couldn’t wait to experience it firsthand!

I was SOOO not disappointed, everything I’ve heard was right! EDR is not only gorgeous and has an incredible staff, but MAN do they know how to throw a wedding. Everything was beautiful and executed so well… big props to the resort, but also I hear that Chad’s mom Sherry had a lot to do with it as well So to whoever was in charge - WELL DONE!

The wedding was absolutely beautiful - right on the beach in a private corner of the resort… and Amy and Chad (and their friends and family!) were so much fun to work with. I could go on and on about what friendly people they seem to have in Texas but I won’t bore you… because you all know that stuff, and what you REALLY want is to see their pictures right?

One last quick thing… CONGRATS Amy and Chad!! Phil and I had such a blast with you guys, and we hope if you’re ever in MD you look us up!

Emma and Trevor’s BEAUTIFUL wedding was on June 14 at the Rust Manor House in Leesburg, Virginia - yet another place that I didn’t know existed and now am very glad I do… it’s gorgeous! I knew these two would throw an awesome party and they definitely did not disappoint Down to the last detail, everything was beautiful and flawless - including the newlyweds themselves Emma’s dress was soooo cool, and I’ve never met a bride who could pull it off quite like her!

Beau and Pearl DID make an appearance as the Best Dog and the Dog of Honor, and it wouldn’t have been right without them there - they’re family, afterall! Mom and Dad got some cuddle time in with their babies during cocktail hour and then spent the rest of the evening partying with their guests, enjoying some heartfelt speeches, some great Southern cooking and lively music (including a heartfelt Princeton fight song, led by none other than the bride :-D).

Congratulations to my favorite New Yorker/Bermudians (right? Is that what you call someone from Bermuda?) - I’m so happy for you guys

Carrie and Rob didn’t have a destination wedding, but you could have fooled me! The setting of their wedding, Rob’s parents backyard overlooking the Chesapeake, complete with the Hawaiian-themed reception was all very destination wedding-like (and gorgeous gorgeous!). It doesn’t surprise me at all that Carrie and Rob wanted a vacation-y feeling for their wedding, these two love the beach and even got engaged while on vacation in Mexico

It was an absolutely beautiful day, from the weather to the guests (Carrie and Rob’s family and friends are SO FUN!) and down to the little details - everything was perfect.

Anyway, I know I’m waaaay late with these (sorry friends, got behind in my blog duties!) so I hope to make amends with a few extra sneak peeks

Carrie and Rob - congratulations! Thank you SO MUCH for inviting me to be a part of your day

Robyn and Michael tied the knot on Sunday at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Merrill Center, one of the coolest local wedding locations CBF is a green building set on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, and it’s a gorgeous gorgeous spot. It was a rainy day, but you all know how I feel about rain (it’s good luck! Really, it is!) - and it didn’t do a thing to diminish the beautiful event

Robyn and Michael were also very laid back about their day (I’m liking this trend of laid back brides and grooms!) and saw each other before the ceremony - partially to sign their Ketubah (which was a really cool piece of artwork that Robyn tells me she got from Ketubah.com!), and partially to have a moment together before all the craziness started. The Ketubah singing was really sweet to watch - and the first one I’d ever seen.

The couple was determined to throw a great party for their guests, and they absolutely did. From the hand-picked menu (OMG the food was sooooooo good!) to the carefully selected playlists (I heard more than one guest comment that the music was the best they’d heard at a wedding!) no detail was left out. The bride and groom danced with their guests right up until the end of the evening - and the sun even peeked out long enough to allow us to sneak in some beach pictures. Fun!

Robyn and Michael, congratulations to a truly awesome couple I hope you two are having a great time in Italy!

Christine and Alan had the MOST. ROMANTIC. WEDDING. EVER.

Seriously. A secluded beach, with only their parents and closest friends, waves crashing in the background, saying their heartfelt vows against the backdrop of a perfect sunset… does it GET any more romantic than that? I really don’t think so. And I got to see it!

Upon arriving at the resort in Costa Rica, I knew it was a special kind of couple who could have asked me to come there for their wedding - and I was definitely right! Christine and Alan are cool and fun and goofy and sweet and so very laid back - a remote beach set beside the Costa Rican jungle was just the perfect spot for them to tie the knot. I must have remarked to Phil about a thousand times what an amazing location they had chosen. Their ceremony was so intimate and personal, not only did I feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of their day - but blessed to have gotten a chance to get to know them.

After the ceremony we had a few minutes to play around on the beach, and these two got to show off their supermodel skills. I mean seriously, LOOK at them. Hot hot hot! I winced when Christine’s gorgeous dress met with a wave (we were doing a Trash the Dress session the next day with a different dress, but I knew she’d planned to try to keep her actual wedding dress clean) but in her post-wedding glow she just shrugged it off - and said “oh well!” I think that “oh well” was WELL worth it - as we got some absolutely amazing pictures of the two of them in the surf.

I honestly don’t think this awesome couple could have asked for a better day. The bumps in the road (yeah… there was a little rain, talk of moving the ceremony - all water under the bridge now!) made their day that much sweeter in the end, when everything came together just perfectly.

Guys - CONGRATULATIONS! I hope you’re having a blast trekking around Costa Rica

Christine and Alan’s wedding in Costa Rica yesterday was A.MA.ZING. I have a thousand things more I could say about it, but for now I will just leave you with some sneak peeks - two from yesterday, and one from their Day After shoot today…

I always give one piece of advice to all my brides and grooms - if you have fun, your guests will too (especially on the dance floor - the best way to get everyone up and dancing is if the bride starts it off!). Well, Kendra and Theo absolutely did not need my advice at all - not only did they have fun (seriously - they are smiling or laughing in 99.9% of the pictures I have - love love love it!) but their guests had a blast too. The dance floor was a’roooockin’ all night - thanks in large part to Kendra’s amazingly talented dancer-phenom cousins (OMG - those kids need to teach me a move or two… and now I know you’re laughing because you soooo know I can’t dance ;-)) and their gigantic bridal party (9 on one side and 8 on the other - now that’s an instant party!). Their wedding was so romantic and fun - from Theo carrying his new bride down the aisle to the Soul Train-style dance line, every second was memorable.

I honestly couldn’t wait to come home and blog about this wedding, because I had such a great time. Kendra and Theo’s guests were all so incredibly sweet, and everyone was just overjoyed to be at their wedding. The love for these two was palpable. And besides, look at these two - how could I not have fun shooting such a beautiful couple??

Kendra and Theo, from the bottom of my heart - congratulations!! I am so happy for you two as you start your new life together (and woohooooo have a blast in Antigua!).

And a special shout out to my super awesome second shooter Carmen - she really rocked this one

When Robin emailed me to ask if I was available to shoot a wedding at Compass Point in The Bahamas, I immediately crossed my fingers, checked my calendar and prayed to all the gods out there that I was. You see, Compass Point is my most favorite place in the whole world (and where my husband and I got married last year!) and I jump at any chance to go there. Plus, ANY couple who chooses to get married at Compass Point is automatically a friend of mine, and I knew I’d have a great time working with Robin and Scott.

Well, the stars were aligned and I was available - and Robin and Scott were amazing to work with! I have never met a more laid back couple in my life (Robin spent the day of her wedding shopping in town and hanging out by the pool with her mom and her friends - she didn’t even start getting ready for her 6:30 ceremony until after 4 pm!). Their attitude was shared by all of their guests, who clearly enjoyed the touching ceremony, and the reception dinner under the stars - all wonderful, fun people who were simply a blast to be around.

Scott also wins the award for being the groom most enamored with his bride. He commented many times over how beautiful Robin was, how great she looked that day, and what a lucky man he was to have her as his wife. So so so sweet

I actually think they’re both pretty lucky - Robin and Scott are both awesome people, who care deeply for each other and for their loved ones. I think being surrounded by that love is a great way to start a marriage Congrats you guys!

If you don’t already know Megan and Josh and their family and friends, well - you need to seek them out and meet them. I don’t know if I’ve ever met such sweet and welcoming people in my life! It was an absolute pleasure to be with them on their wedding day, and experience the celebration with their guests.

Meg and Josh picked Moon Palace in Cancun, Mexico as the location for their destination wedding - and what a gorgeous setting! The weather gods were smiling on them, and their wedding day was a perfect sunny day with a slight breeze, just enough to cool people down during the dancing (and ooooh yes there was dancing, Megan and her girls can break it down!). The wedding was gorgeous and filled with personal touches, from the monogrammed aisle runner, to the welcome bags that each guest received, to the handmade place cards.

Really, I could go on and on, but what it comes down to is that it was a perfectly beautiful day for a perfectly beautiful couple. I was overjoyed to be able to be a part of it. Meg and Josh - congratulations! I hope we cross paths again soon

(Ooooh, and stay tuned for their very sexy day after pictures - this is one hoooooot couple!)

Jill and Thad got married on Saturday, and the rain gods decided to bless them with good luck You see, most brides hope for sunshine on their wedding day, but really rain is good luck. Jill got the best of both worlds - it rained on and off throughout the day, but the timing was great for the most part. It didn’t interfere with the ceremony, the formal pictures, or any of the rockin’ party later that night.

I have also had some great luck this year, and have had the opportunity to work with some really awesome couples - Jill and Thad not being an exception. After dating for five years, they decided it was time to tie the knot - which they definitely did in style! Their morning ceremony was in the small chapel on the campus of the US Naval Academy, and their reception in the evening was at Jill’s parents house - which overlooks Annapolis, the Bay and the Naval Academy (and is absolutely gorgeous!).

One of the standout elements of this wedding was the killer band the couple hired. Doc Marshalls came down all the way from New York, and entertained the guests with New Orleans style jazz all night. I’m telling you what, if you want your guests to dance - these are the guys to hire. They kept the party rocking all night.

The other standout element to me was Jill and Thad’s amazing family and friends. This couple is so loved they had people travel from all over the globe, from China and Switzerland and all over the States (including a whole delegation from Mississippi!). Carmen (my second shooter) and I absolutely loved having an opportunity to capture all the love and joy that was in the air that night.

Congratulations again Jill and Thad