Thinking back to Alex and Lu’s foggy Washington DC engagement session, I cannot believe the contrast in terms of weather! Although, as beautiful as our time was together, this pink-orange-yellow color scheme seemed so fitting for this bright, sunshine-filled wedding day!!! ๐ Alex and Lu’s love is soft and gentle, but this wedding brought an entire new level of energy! And reliving this celebration through pictures makes me want to relive this day all over again. ๐ It was so fun watching Alex and Lu truly enjoy their day as it played out!!!
The weekend I photographed Alex and Lu, I thought, “this is a LU kind of weekend!” Coincidentally, I had a wedding the night prior with an “Erin and Lu.” And then this wedding with Alex and Lu… BUT it gets better! Lu married Alex with the LAST NAME LU! Which officially makes her Lu Lu! ๐ I LOVE IT! Isn’t is darling? I got a kick from this since our first meeting together. ๐
Check out their beautiful day through my lens!!!
A BRIGHT, SUNSHINE COLORED WEDDING AT MORAIS VINEYARD, VIRGINIA.
Prepping for the Ceremony.
It was a very hot June day at Morais Vineyards & Winery. But fortunately, Alex and Lu didn’t have to worry too much about the heat while they enjoyed the prepping time inside with their family and friends. ๐ I watched everything unfold as LeRoy French Flowers arrived with the bouquets and hair/makeup finalized by the talented Best Face Forward team! Lu got more and more excited as the time approached to slip on her beautiful dress from The Bridal Room. ๐ I’m biased, but all of The Bridal Room‘s dresses are swoon-worthy! And after Lu was all dressed, she looked like a princess in her STUNNING wedding gown and her darling Bella Belle shoes โ The perfect dainty touch. ๐ Aren’t the bows are so sweet?!
Just around the corner, Alex and the guys were hanging out in the groom quarters. He couldn’t wait to see Lu, even though he had seen her in the dress before. A little untraditional, but it was special for Lu to have him a part of the wedding planning experience!! ๐ And despite the heat, Alex wore his tux and looked sharp for the part! After a few final touches, it was time to see his bride!!
The First Look.
Alex and Lu met under a shady tree for their first look โ Sweet Lu was excited and after they spent a couple of minutes admiring how great they looked, we spent some time photographing around the venue. ๐ Fortunately, there are so many photogenic spots, but we focused on the “cooler” parts of the property while it was sunny/hot!
I loved the colorful bouquet LeRoy French Flowers made for Lu! The colors are so playful and showcased beautifully in their portraits. ๐ And the way Lu played with her veil during the photos made my photographer heart so happy looking back through these pictures!!!
Their Best Friends.
Alex and Lu’s friends came outside to join them for wedding party photos โ I loved that the flowers complimented the girl’s pink dresses! While the girls brought on the fun colors in these photos, the men kept it classy with their tuxes. It was a fun time together just moments before the ceremony!!
The Ceremony.
Lu made her way down the aisle to where Alex and family/friends awaited her arrival. She was beaming with a smile noticeable from afar! In the meantime, Alex was trying to keep his cool โ Literally! Haha! It was so hot being in the direct sun, but he did a great job keeping his composure!!! And their guests were so excited for Alex and Lu that they pulled the trigger and released some bubbles early. HA! But you had to give it to them for being enthusiastic. ๐ Wedding Ceremonies by Jeff Maszal performed a beautiful ceremony for Alex and Lu to never forget. While trying to keep it short and sweet, he managed to make it personal and funny โ While giving Alex “sweat wiping breaks.” HA! And before we knew it, they were pronounced husband and wife!!! ๐
Mr. & Mrs.!!!
We had so much fun photographing during the first look that we decided to do more!!! ๐ Although, we spent the majority of the portrait time during the golden hour. I mean, look at that LIGHT!!!! It was a beautiful evening, and many of my FAVORITE portraits from the day happened during this time. ๐ I think it helped that it was much cooler outside and that Alex and Lu were able to relax since the ceremony was done. ๐
The Details.
Pink, orange, and yellow flowers from LeRoy French Flowers were scattered throughout the reception room at Morais Vineyards & Winery. Wedding Muse and the vendor team classically decorated the space with soft candlelit and beautiful gold-rimmed plate settings. Gold was also featured through the Chiavari-style chairs and candle holders. The menus designed by STACCATO brought more floral prints to the table design while the bow-tied napkins reminded me of Lu’s darling heels! Fluffy Thoughts designed a simple cake with beautiful lace detailing on the bottom tier. ๐ The desserts didn’t stop with the cake, though! They had an assortment of little goodies for their guests to enjoy throughout the night, provided by the wonderful Serendipity Catering and Design! Their food is so good!!!
The Reception.
I remembered during their engagement session, I asked Alex and Lu to slow dance together. During that time, they casually mentioned that they were really nervous about their first dance on their wedding day. I told them they could make it a super short and sweet dance if they didn’t feel comfortable with it (always a good option for those who don’t want a long time on the dance floor) โ Fast forward to their final meetingโฆ They told me they were going to take a last-minute dance class. At this point, I could hardly wait to see their new moves! Well, on their wedding day, I was amazed!!! They looked confident on the dance floor and made it look easy! And confident enough to be up there for an entire song too!!! Kudos, Alex and Lu! ๐
After a DELICIOUS dinner and toasts to the bride and groom, Jake from Dream Day DJs was ready to crowd the dance floor!!! It didn’t take long for EVERYONE to jump in! I was actually impressed by how quickly this happened. One guy I swore was a professional dancer… HA! It was so fun documenting the dancing portion of the evening, but quickly, the night started to dwindle down. Before Alex and Lu were sent off, they got to enjoy a little playful cake tasting time together. It was darling!!! Everyone then grabbed a glow stick and cheered for them as they were celebrated one last time for the day. ๐ What a great ending to the night!!!
Thank You!!
THANK YOU, Alex and Lu, for having me document this VERY special day!!! I’m SOOOO glad you were able to have your celebration with family and friends after all of the unknowns caused by the pandemic. <3 It was perfect!!! I’m so happy for you both and wish you the best in the future!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Thanks to the vendors who made this happen!!
Venue: Morais Vineyards & Winery
Planner/Coordinator: Wedding Muse
Hair/Makeup: Best Face Forward
Caterer: Serendipity Catering and Design
Florist: LeRoy French Flowers
Baker: Fluffy Thoughts
DJ: Dream Day DJs
Videographer: Quixotic Worx Films
Stationery: STACCATO
Dress Boutique: The Bridal Room
Officiant: Wedding Ceremonies by Jeff Maszal
Transportation: Reston Limousine
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