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With over a decade of experience, I’ll gently guide you through a relaxed, meaningful photography experience — allowing real connection, emotion, and in-between moments to unfold naturally. So when you look back, you’ll remember how it felt, not just how it looked.

Timeless photography for couples and families who want to remember how it felt.

@stephaniemessickphoto

Stories of love, connection, and the moments in between

Gallery images

Best of 2025 Series | Colorado Springs + Northern Virginia Engagement Photographer

Engagement sessions are honestly some of my favorite moments to photograph!! Whether it’s an early sunrise session or a cold afternoon, my couples always bring the energy! The excitement, the way couples can’t stop smiling at each other, and the season of life that feels both surreal and incredibly meaningful. I’m so excited to share […]

Old Town Alexandria Engagement Spring Flower Trees

It’s Erica and Ian’s WEDDING week! And what better way to kick off the celebrations than by sharing their beautiful Old Town Alexandria engagement session?! We really rolled the dice with this session. Rain was on the radar just hours before we were supposed to meet. But Erica and Ian were all in, and I’m […]

Washington DC Engagement Photographer | Maggie & Jake

Spring is here, and I’m so excited to kick off the season with Maggie and Jake’s spring engagement session in Washington, DC! These two are absolutely adorable! 😊 When they hired me as their wedding photographer, they mentioned wanting their engagement portraits to coincide with cherry blossom season—and while the peak bloom had just passed […]

A Skyline Drive Fall Virginia Mountain Engagement

What a romantic evening! The sky showed off for Olivia and Marshall’s Skyline Drive Virginia mountain engagement session! And their sweet laughs/smiles lit up the photos more. <3 I appreciated them driving from the DC metro area for these portraits in the mountains. Shenandoah Mountain photos are some of my favorite sessions in Virginia! Talk […]

Miles, Elizabeth, and I met one morning in Washington DC to document this sweet engagement season that seems to fly by. They were excited to have their portraits taken in a meaningful place to them! I love it when couples incorporate their favorite sports team too (as you’ll see at the end of this blog […]

David & Michelle | Skyline Drive, Virginia Engagement

While Michelle and David are waiting for their big day next fall, we celebrated their engagement by taking photos on Skyline Drive in Virginia! It was a beautiful evening on top of the mountains! And it was my first time meeting them in person — They were just as sweet as on the phone! Michelle […]

Nick & Julianne | Bears Den Bluemont, Virginia Engagement

When I spoke to Nick and Julianne about a meaningful location for their portraits, the Reston Towncenter came up. After all, they live in Reston, and Nick proposed there. 🙂 So we planned to take photos around the town and their home with their pup! But about a month before their portraits, Julianne reached out […]

Ryan and Paige woke up early to make this session happen — But they made it look like a piece of cake! Months ago, we talked about a backdrop for their engagement session, and the Washington DC monument “row” came up. I like to call it a “row” because there are so many iconic landmarks in […]

Ryan & Kelsey | Old Town Alexandria, Virginia Engagement Photos

Oh, the way these two look at each other. <3 I love looking through these photos from Ryan and Kelsey’s Old Town Alexandria engagement portraits! It seemed suitable to have their portraits taken here since they live in this charming town. Old Town Alexandria is known for its cobblestone streets, brickwork, history, waterfront area, southern […]

Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding Photos

Just hours before their flight back to the east coast, James and Claire woke up early to take some photos in the sunshine! If you saw their dreamy Dream Lake wedding photos from the day before, we didn’t even have the chance to change into Claire’s traditional attire because of the frigid temps! By the […]

With over a decade of experience, I’ll gently guide you through a relaxed, meaningful photography experience — allowing real connection, emotion, and in-between moments to unfold naturally. So when you look back, you’ll remember how it felt, not just how it looked.

Timeless photography for couples and families who want to remember how it felt.

@stephaniemessickphoto

Stories of love, connection, and the moments in between

Gallery images