Holland Photo Arts Blog – Charlottesville Wedding Photographers

A big and hearty congratulations go out to Kate and Andrew, who recently celebrated their fantastic wedding with a cheering crowd of family and friends in Richmond. They had decided to share their vows at the ever-gorgeous Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. It had been 2003 since we had been there to witness a client’s wedding and were delighted to return for their Catholic mass, said by a close family friend who served as a deacon. Kate looked stunning in her Amsale gown, walking down the long aisle with her dad, as her mom was sweetly overcome with emotion. Deacon Brian offered up a humorous yet touching homily for the couple, and Andrew’s parents also served as Eucharistic ministers which added a nice personal touch to the mass.

We had wondered earlier in the day whether the weather would hold out–would it rain or would we have sunshine or at least precipitation-free clouds? After a brief shower during the hour-long ceremony, Andrew and Kate enjoyed a sun- and bubble-filled send-off after the ceremony onto their awaiting trolley. We soon made a quick exit down to Richmond’s canal walk for what was to be an extended portrait session with them and their wedding party while waiting for the cocktail hour to begin. But the clouds were rolling in and we no sooner had everyone set up for a cool across-the-water shot than it started to rain, so the entire wedding party high-tailed it back onto the trolley for plan B with portraits on the trolley car itself as well as back at the historic Jefferson Hotel. We still had plenty of time before cocktails started in the spacious grand atrium, so we planted ourselves in one of the more intimate ballrooms with these gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown. The staff at the hotel, plus the ever-talented Flower Girls, did an amazing job of setting up the reception ballroom with tall and colorful, not to mention quite aromatic, centerpieces. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the hotel’s event coordinator Trish, and it had been way too long since working with Dee from Occasions. Together they made sure every “t” was crossed and “i” dotted, and the evening’s festivities went off without a hitch. We truly had the dream team going on!

Andrew’s identical twin brother Steve (thank goodness their boutonnieres were different!), as well as Kate’s attending bridesmaids Michelle and Krista offered up unusually funny toasts for everyone enjoyment, followed by the cake cutting. One of our favorite Richmond bakers is Cakes by Graham and we were excited to see his creation top off the delicious dinner for everyone. There was of course dancing–and lots of it–as the party went on into the wee hours. No one wanted to leave and we last got word folks were heading closer to downtown to continue the celebrations there as the band wound down for the evening. It was so much fun spending the day with the two of you, Kate and Andrew, and we were excited to witness and document your celebration. Thank you so much for having us out and wish you a lifetime of pure bliss together!

Andrew’s handing out his groomsmen gifts before hopping on the trolley for the ceremony.

The girls enjoy a glass of bubbly to start the celebration off.

Just before the start of the ceremony with her dad.

Along Richmond’s canal walk, moments before the rain began to fall with gusto.

The grand atrium at the Jefferson Hotel, where their cocktail hour was held.

Everyone checking out the cakes. The Notre Dame football helmet on the left is Andrew’s groom’s cake, a nod to his alma mater.

Peace out, little dude.

Cutting off a big slice of cake. We loved the gorgeous light hitting their faces from the cake’s pinlight.

Fun with mom.

We went outside for a few portraits later that evening, just for fun.

And of course, some kickin’ details.

We know Kate and Andrew’s sneak peek wasn’t quite enough, so here’s another for you that first appeared yesterday on our Facebook fan page. We’ll soon be blogging fully about both of these great weddings shortly, but here for now is a few that caught our eye from Sally-Anne and Michael’s wedding at Woodend Sanctuary. Enjoy!

Oh, we know it’s tough waiting! But don’t worry, we’re going to be posting many more images from Kate and Andrew’s incredible Richmond wedding, but in the meantime, here are just a few that caught our eye. And if you’re on Facebook, become a fan of Holland Photo Arts or follow us on Twitter and you’ll see these first there. Enjoy, and keep an eye out at this space for more from our latest weddings!

Congratulations to Sara & Nadim, who are celebrating their one-year anniversary today following their wedding at Woodend Sanctuary. We recently asked them to share with us their favorite images from the day, and these are the fantastic moments they picked. It’s always so much fun to find out what they love, and we’re thrilled they’re having a blast in their lives together!

Sara’s favorites:

Nadim’s favorites:

Their joint favorites:

Happy Friday everyone! Hope everyone is planning a fun Memorial Day weekend celebration to kick off the un-official start of Summer. We have two FAB and fun weddings this weekend, so with no time to waste…the latest installment of FAB Finds!

Invitations We Love – Diana & Rob

Diana & Rob are getting married and we absolutely adore their invitations! Their rehearsal dinner invite is so fun and sets the perfect mood for a low-key, down-home BBQ, while the letterpressed wedding invite suite lets guests know that they’re in for quite the elegant party on the wedding day.

Places We Love – Hope & Glory Inn

In honor of Memorial Day, we wanted to highlight one of our absolute favorite getaways. If you’ve never been to the quaint little town of Irvington on Virginia’s Northern Neck, the exquisite Hope & Glory is the main reason to go. The inn, owned and lovingly run by Peggy & Dudley, is a old converted school house and is the perfect place when you’re in need of some relaxation. All of the rooms and cottages are simply chic, adorable and wonderfully unique – we’ve never seen another Inn or B&B like it. Their outdoor bath, under a massive canopy of leaves, is truly divine. Take one of the shiny, chrome bikes for a spin over to the Tides Inn for lunch on the water and if you stay on a Friday during the Summer, you’ll definitely want to reserve a space on their boat, Faded Glory, for a yummy, sunset all-you-can-eat crab cruise!

We’ve also been lucky enough to photograph a few weddings there over the years. Here are a few of our favorites…

People We Love – Petal’s Edge

We’ve gotta to know Gerry & Rebecca at the FAB Petal’s Edge over the years and are always excited to work with them. In fact, we are thrilled and honored when Rebecca commissioned us to photograph her intimate wedding ceremony with her husband Chris last year! The happy couple has just welcomed their first child into the world, a healthy boy, and we couldn’t be happier for them. If you’re looking for the perfect florist for your DC-area wedding, be sure to give Gerry & Rebecca a call!

Links We Love – Weddings Unveiled

Regular blog readers will definitely recognize this lovely wedding blog since we’ve been honored to have a few of our favorite weddings featured on it, as well as in their gorgeous magazine! You’ll want to add this fashionable blog to your RSS reader for sure! Not only do they show stunning real weddings with beautiful images, exquisite details and great ideas, they also have amazing giveaways.  Seriously, one lucky blog follower had the chance to win a Vera Wang gown! That is pretty darn sweet. Head over now for you daily dose of inspiration!

And here are a few of our FAB couples who love gotten some Completely Unveiled love!

Happy holiday weekend, everyone! If you’re traveling we hope you have a wonderful time and and a safe journey. What with the holiday on Monday, we’ll have a short week next week so Friday’s Fab Finds will return on June 5. We’ll see you then!