I’m Stephanie, a wedding + lifestyle photographer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Warrenton, Virginia. Whether I’m by the mountains of Colorado or Virginia, my soul feels at home, surrounded by rural living and the raw beauty of nature. I genuinely love what I do, and feel so passionate to share the enthusiasm and joy of these celebrations with you!

DOCUMENTING LOVE'S UNSCRIPTED CHAPTERS FROM COUPLES & FAMILIES IN COLORADO + VIRGINIA

@stephaniemessickphoto

find inspiration

Gallery images

April 23, 2014

Brock & Caroline | Maymont Park + State Capitol Building, Richmond, Virginia Wedding Photographer

I LOVE these sessions! In my higher packages, I offer a “bridal session” that can be basically used for more wedding portraits if they were to wait until after the wedding day to use their session. I love this because there is no stress of guests around. We go around at our own pace and really focus on this time together. 🙂 You may remember Brock and Caroline’s wedding from December. Remember their wedding with the cute fur stoles? Now that it is MUCH warmer and not raining, this was the perfect time to get together for portraits in their wedding attire!

Because of the dreaded traffic I was anticipating from last Friday, I decided to leave at 1 p.m. to ensure that I wouldn’t run into miserable traffic before our session at 6 p.m. Of course it wouldn’t take me 4 hours to get from northern Virginia to Richmond, but with Easter + spring break + Friday, I wanted to be assured I was going to be there in time to scope out Maymont for pretty photos. I ended up getting down there two hours early, so I decided to make a “quick stop” into Target … never a good thing!!! So of course having a Target shopping trip + portrait session made for an awesome ending to the week! Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to traffic like I-95!!!

These two LOVE photos! I’m glad they do because we had the best time together running around Maymont Park and the State Capitol Building! Chatting about after wedding stuff and seeing the difference from the Maymont Park we once knew just in December from their wedding day to THIS Maymont park you see below. The waterfalls, greenery, flowers, fountains … I think all of us have been craving for this spring air! The way these two smile at each other, I can tell you that this will be a long everlasting marriage. 🙂 Even just their statuses on Facebook that I’ll see pop up on my newsfeed make my heart so happy to see! This is exactly what I want to capture! Pure and genuine love. Love photographing these two. <3

Thank you both for an amazing time in Richmond!!! So glad we were able to play around in the flowers last week together! Enjoy the preview!!! xoxo

maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-6_webIsn’t the waterfall behind them just a great backdrop?!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-4_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-13_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-7_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-1_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-18_webHer shoes! I give her so much credit walking around in them!!!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-19_webOne of my FAVORITES!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-20_webI LOVE THIS.
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-22_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-27_webGorgeousssss!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-29_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-34_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-36_webCaroline, you’re stunning!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-37_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-40_webLOVE this black and white on the right!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-42_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-43_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-46_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-50_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-53_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-55_webSuper cute!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-57_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-62_webBeautiful!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-64_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-69_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-73_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-74_webYES!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-77_webAH! Caroline, you know how to work the camera!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-78_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-82_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-85_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-87_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-99_webStunning.
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-104_web
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-89_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-91_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-92_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-96_webmaymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-97_webGorgeous flowers by Vogue Flowers
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-98_webI LOVE this!
maymont_capitol_richmond_virginia_wedding_photographer_-105_web

Thank you both for yet another amazing time with you both!!!! Love our time together! Wishing you two every bit of happiness through your marriage. <3

Hair/Makeup: Blush n Bronze
Flowers: Vogue Flowers

  1. McCall Doyle says:

    Seriously…how is no one commenting on this?!? Perfection, Stephanie. This is my favorite session of yours thus far for so many reasons. Love the editing, the colors, the TULIPS, but most of all the bold choices you made with framing & composition. Well done! 🙂

  2. Caroline says:

    You are the BEST and I love every single one of these. Thanks again for an amazing photo journey!! <3

  3. […] trying to figure out what would be the most ideal space for these two. I was at Maymont Park for Brock & Caroline’s “After Wedding Session” last month when I was scoping out locations beforehand … I knew it right then and there that I […]