Washington DC Photographer - Azaleas - National Arboretum

Have I mentioned how much I love spring? In the DC area one thing after another blooms, it's such a beautiful time of year! Coming a little early this year are the azaleas. Being from the south, I have a fondness for azaleas which are often accompany my favorite tree, the live oak (those trees that are usually "decorated" with Spanish moss). The main difference is that in the south you almost always see the largest of the azalea flowers and they are color coordinated much better - you don't see reds and pinks and oranges planted next to each other like you do here!
The azalea collection at the National Arboretum is just stunning with colors and sizes not found anywhere else. Here are a few pictures from last week in case you haven't been able to go visit them in person. Enjoy!

Cherry Blossoms

Spring! It almost makes all that snow worth it. :) We've had the most glorious, warm spring so far, I think God knew we needed it to remind us that life does return after a long cold winter. The cherry blossoms had a quick bloom of only a couple of days, with all the warm weather, but they were magnificent! Enjoy these pictures of God's handiwork as we celebrate that He is risen on this glorious Easter morning!

Oxon Hill Manor Wedding Photography ~ Congratulations Tara and Brian!

As a wedding photographer I have the privilege of being a part of many happy days. But Tara and Brian's wedding was an especially love and joy-filled day, with numerous thoughtful details and surprises to make the day meaningful and memorable.
The wedding and reception were held at the historic Oxon Hill Manor in Maryland. It's a lovely wedding venue with so many great possibilities for wedding photography, I hardly knew where to start!
Tara was such an elegant bride, isn't she stunning?! They had gifts for each other to start the day, but she also surprised her groom with a band who played a rendition of his favorite Hawaiian song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for the recessional. You can tell by the smiles that he loved it. Just before the get away, Tara and Brian released a box full of butterflies! They were so pretty!
The timeline at Oxon Hill is a little tight, especially for a day packed with sentimental and sweet moments, but that left us with a little extra time to go downtown Washington, DC for a few more wedding portraits. We were able to incorporate Tara's love of bridges with a stop at Memorial Bridge. It's so nice to have time for portraits when the couple knows that no one is waiting on them and they can relax and have fun. And the evening light is beautiful! A lovely end to an amazing day!
Thanks, Tara and Brian, for allowing me the honor of being your wedding photographer!




























Florist: Suzann Stotlemyer
Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Cakes
Dress: Carine's Bridal Atelier
Lunch: New Course Catering
Chauffeur: Carey
Wedding Photography: jan michele photography - click then choose the contact tab to book Jan for your wedding.