Holland Photo Arts Blog – Charlottesville Wedding Photographers

Recently Bill and I became Aunt Annie and Uncle Bill again! Bobby Lyle, first child of my brother Andy and his wife, Jennifer, joins Sophia, daughter of Bill’s sister, April and her husband, Rodrigo, as cousin’s, once-removed, or something like that. ;-D He’s named after our late Dad, Lyle and Jennifer’s Dad, Robert.

We, of course, couldn’t resist taking a few pics on his first full day on earth. He’s an incredibly chill baby and hardly cries! We’re already totally in love with the little Rock Star and wanted to share some quick pics with you. Congratulations, Andy & Jen! We are so thrilled for you!!

Congratulations to Alina & Justin, who married one year ago today at Justin’s mom’s house near Richmond. It was a beautiful affair to be sure, but the best part for Bill and I was seeing and feeling the love Alina and Justin have for each other. Their personally written vows are some we won’t soon forget. We wanted to celebrate their first anniversary with a few words from them about their favorite images from their wedding day. Congrats on your first anniversary as Mr. & Mrs. you two!

Alina’s:  The father-daughter dance was one of my favorite moments.  My father and I have not always had the easiest relationship, but during the wedding festivities we were both very open and tender with one another.

Justin’s:  I loved how after the ceremony, Alina switched to her Uggs and ran around with those under her big poofy wedding dress. It was so her.

Together favorite:

Justin: “This is so Alina”

Alina: “I was very nervous for the ceremony and have always found comfort in animals. Little Luna helped calm me down before one of the biggest moments of my life.”

We’ve always found it fun and interesting to learn what our clients’ favorite images are, not necessarily because of the content of the image, but because of the emotional connection they have with that moment in time. We are so honored to be a part of that connection.

One of the reasons we love shooting at Keswick is the gorgeous views and  as it turns out, is one of the reasons Monica & Glenn chose this lovely locale here in Charlottesville for their recent wedding celebration. They’ve had a habit of choosing picturesque locations for important moments in their lives, as Glenn had proposed to Monica at nearby Barboursville Vineyards, the two wine enthusiasts’ favorite C’ville vineyard. This fun, spunky, and very effusive couple were up for anything following their ceremony, which had elements of humor as the slight afternoon breeze was sufficient to extinguish repeated attempts by their respective moms to light individual candles prior to the unity candle lighting, followed by their own attempts. Everyone laughed and clapped heartily when they at long last succeeded.

Monica had arranged for a beautiful monogrammed runner spread along the length of the ceremony site on the patio facing toward the gardens, infinity pool and the nearby woods, which offered amazing views to all. Monica’s mom also had a reading for the couple, and it was wonderful witnessing the endearing glances they gave each other throughout the ceremony.

Once we finished with their portraits, they were announced to their reception to an energetic series of high- and low-fives with their wedding party in Keswick’s ballroom. The ballroom looked stunning with some gorgeous table settings put together by the talented team at Floral Images. Monica and Glenn put on a great show for their guests with a first dance whose energy matched the mood of the day. It was so much fun! After some incredibly funny and heartfelt toasts by not just Monica’s maid-of-honor and Glenn’s best man, but his entire cadre of groomsmen, everyone got up and dancing, staying that way through the end of the evening. They and their guests were enjoying themselves so much, they redefined dancing as a contact sport! It was a blast for all involved, including us, and we were thrilled to be a part of the day. Thanks, Monica and Glenn, for having us out, and congratulations to you both!

Man, does time fly when you’re having fun. After some summer trips and a whole bunch of weddings, we made it up to Arlington for the second Watch Me Grow session with Julia, delightful little girl of Katy & Robert. We converged at their lovely Queen Anne home just outside the normal hustle & bustle of the area, where Julia could play with her toys in the lawn while their family dog joined in. We had some amazing late-afternoon sun and if it weren’t for all the insects taking a sudden interest in us, I think we’d have spent the rest of the evening out there. As it was, Julia had an appointment with a bowl of Cheerios back in their screened-in porch, so we headed inside for a spell to watch her have her way with the whole wheat goodness. It was great seeing you guys again, and look forward to your third session!

Something’s definitely in the water. We got a call recently from one of our fun-loving 2004 wedding clients, Allison & Tim, excitedly telling us about the new addition to their family, their daughter Natalie. We were thrilled, of course, when they wanted to have us come out and do a Watch Me Grow series of portraits with them, and of course Natalie was pretty darn excited to have some new toys (read: my camera) to play with. We spent some time on a recent fall afternoon with them taking advantage of some beautiful light in her nursery before heading outside to take in the cool fall air. She’s such a cutie, and we can’t wait to see them all again soon when she’s a little bit older. Stay tuned!