R+J | Married

Rachelle and Jaryd were married on March 12, 2016 at the Solomon's Island Yacht Club. And let me tell you, it was a stunner! 

Rachelle wore a stunning piece of lace-turned-hair accessory from her mother's wedding dress. What a way to incorporate something old. 

She and Jaryd had their first look and actually shared their vows with one another prior to the ceremony, at her aunt's house. The view was breath-taking, but the look on Jaryd's face when he first saw Rachelle was even better. The first look is one of my most favorite moments! 

Their first dance? Well during it Jaryd finally told Rachelle where they were leaving (in a few very short hours) to go on their honeymoon! He kept it a secret this whole time! I never did find out where they went, but I think it was somewhere warm! 

 Congratulations Rachelle and Jaryd, wishing you both a lifetime and longer of love and happiness! 

R+J | Married [Sneak Peak]

A peak into the gorgeous wedding day of Rachelle + Jaryd! Stay tuned on Thursday for the full post! 

The Selby Stories | 2nd Edition

Daylight savings got you down? This morning I was NOT happy to be getting up while it was dark outside. However, I'm thrilled it will still be light out tonight at 6:30! 

Last week (I don't remember which day) was international women's day. I love nothing more to empower my ladies! I found this quote and it spoke to me: 

"She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city." 

Go and get Monday. Make it yours. 

P.S. How gorgeous is this ring from Saturday?! I just couldn't not share!

D+A | Engaged

"I crave you in the most innocent form. I crave to say goodnight and give you forehead kisses and to say that I adore you when you feel your worst. I crave you in ways where I just want to be next to you and nothing more or less." 

Dana and Anthony's engagement session was in White Clay Creek Park, DE. Dana sent me a picture of the area she was thinking of, and it looked nice. But when we got to the clearing, I was practically jumping for joy. 

On our ride to DE, it was sunny, then cloudy, then sunny again and finally cloudy. But we got to the clearing and for our entire shoot we were bathed in the most gorgeous light. I wish I could just bottle it up for rainy days. 

Dana and Anthony have an ease about them. With one another but with us too. In this field you can come across many different personalities and sometimes you might not always mesh totally. But wow after working with Dana and Anthony, I need to steal a line from Stepbrothers, "Did we just become best friends?"

The conversation rolled along through our hike, the shoot and we even grabbed dinner after. 

We feel so lucky because somehow, we keep ending up with the sweetest couples that want us to document their wedding day. All I can say, is that it is always an honor to be part of a wedding day in any capacity. And we are very much looking forward to D+A's wedding in June. I have a feeling its going to be stunning. 

Love, Your Photographer | Advice

This is my first "Love, Your Photographer" post. The purpose behind these posts is to share with my clients things that might be helpful, for their wedding day or engagement session.  

Today we are talking about light! And why it should be important to you! 
 

Hands down I look for amazing light over the background. I can shoot with a tight crop, and a wide open aperture and make even a parking lot look soft and romantic. But bad light is bad light, and its hard to change that. 

Instead, I plan my sessions around the time of the day that will give me the best light, so I don't have to compromise on location or light. 

The best time of day tends to be an hour before sunrise and 1-2 hours before sunset. 

Why does this matter to you? I'm a natural light photographer. I adore soft, glowy, romantic light. It wraps around you in the most magical way. 

When we are picking the time to start our shoot, this is my biggest focus! If a day doesn't work for you to get there to allow maximum golden light shooting, I recommend we pick a better day. I  have yet to have a client say they don't want to shoot during golden hour! Its just so perfect! 

When planning your wedding timeline, consult with your photographer. That way we can help you maximize the best photos, at the right time and flow with the rest of your day. 

But my wedding is mid-day and not a cloud in the sky! 
Fear not! There are many ways to combat the harshness of direct sunlight during the day. I often look for open shade. Maybe from buildings, or trees (not right under them or you will look very green), or position you in such a way that the sun is behind you and I'm exposing for shadows. 

Of course this does depend on the time of year, and if it's cloudy out! Fear not, cloudy its a good thing too! It acts like a soft box. Gentle diffuse light. No bad angles, or shadows! I still get gorgeous photos on a cloudy day, in a totally different way. 

The most important thing to remember is its about you two. Your love for one another. That will come through regardless of the light situation! (But pretty light never hurt anyone!) 

Below are some of my favorite light soaked photos! 

Love, 
Your Photographer