Greg Gibson Photography – Washington, DC’s Top Rated Wedding Photojournalist »

Claudette & Devon
July 8, 2006
St. Leo the Great Catholic Church
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Claudette and Devon had a beautiful July wedding that extended from Fairfax, Va for the ceremony to Washington, DC for the reception. The reception was at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), which is one of my favorite venues in Washington.

I have photographed more events there this past May, June and July than I photographed in my first 3 years as a wedding photographer! The ceremony was early in the afternoon so Claudette and Devon wanted to spend some quiet time doing couple pictures during the time between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception. Since Senate Park is reasonably close to the NMWA we went there. It seems like with most of my spring weddings we ended up at Senate Park for some part of the day. I like this park because it’s beautiful, has a great view of the capitol, is reasonably quiet and is outside of the National Park Service boundaries and does not require a permit. It can be quit busy sometimes as it is popular with wedding photographers. I have seen as many as 5 other wedding parties on the grounds at once, but there is plenty of space for everyone. The challenge with shooting at Senate Park so often is coming up with different images for each client. I don’t like to do the same things over and over again and I think with Claudette and Devon we got a very unique set of images overall.

The room Claudette got dressed in was very dark. I was a little nervous about it at first but there was a light on a ceiling fan in the middle of the room with a very narrow beam of light. Almost like a spotlight. Since Claudette’s dress was a “dive-in” head first dress it worked well as she came through as the bride!

Claudette was stunning!

Even the flower girls were passionate!

Can’t beat this light.

Happy bridesmaid.

Let’s hope Devon isn’t looking for the rings!

Quiet moment afterwards.

Senate Park

The cloudy sky made some funky images. This one is near the WWII Memorial.

Making the grand entrance at the NMWA.

Tender moment with her dad.

Getting away from the crowd briefly at NMWA.

There is a reason some people stay behind the camera.
Yes, I’m the ugly one in the middle.

Maureen & Paul
February 11, 2006
Lake George, NY

Remember the big blizzard scare this past February? We were supposed to get like two feet of snow in the DC area??? Well, that’s the weekend Maureen and Paul got married at Lake George, NY, about an hour north of Albany. For whatever reason, they didn’t get much snow up there. It was definitely cold, but they enjoyed a beautiful, sunny Saturday. Not the snow and slush we left behind in DC. Sunday was a different story as it took me about 5 hours to get home with airport delays and all, but the wedding day was just gorgeous.

I know posting this wedding is going backwards a bit, but we recently completed their album prints and I thought we should share a few images.

A cape over the dress was a good idea for a cold weather day.

Trying on the rings.

Maureen on the way to see Paul before the wedding.

Paul waiting for his bride.

First meeting.

Warm embrace.

Maureen with her cape hood.

Ceremony about to begin.

Ringbearer.

After the wedding.

A little excitment!

A brisk walk before the reception.

It was cold!

Winter moon over the hotel.

Maureen dancing with her funky bride glasses.

A bridezilla imatation!

Starting early…

Last dance.

Tired feet.

Laurie + Scott
June 11, 2006
Lauxmont Farms
Wrightsville, PA

After a great wedding near Charlottesville in the Virginia countryside on June 10, I traveled up to Wrightsville, Pa (near York) for a wonderful wedding overlooking the Susquehanna River with Laurie and Scott on June 11. It’s been a busy, fun spring season for me and this was the end of a stretch of 3 weekends of weddings on both Saturday and Sunday. At first I looked at this schedule and thought I was nuts for doing it, but actually I enjoy shooting frequently and made some really nice images during this time. I often think I am at my best when I stay busy shooting frequently.

Laurie and Scott’s wedding was at a horsefarm about 20 miles east of York named Lauxmont Farms. Lauxmont is situated up on a hillside with a spectacular view of the Susquehanna River. It’s one of the nicest, most scenic settings I have photographed a wedding in. The folks up at Lauxmont are as nice as can be and tremendously easy to work with. I can’t recommend this location enough if you’re looking for an outdoor venue in the country.

From the first time I met Laurie she stressed how important pictures were to them. Laurie did her homework in researching photographers and I was honored to be chosen alongside my good friends at Blue Sky Films, who did the video work. Laurie did most of the planning by herself and she did a fantastic job bringing together all the details. She and Scott even brewed up their own home-made beer complete with custom labels commemorating their event.

Associate photographer Ned Bonzi assisted on this wedding.

Take a look!

Custom brewed beer complete with custom labels:

Gettting ready:

Shoe details:

This is one way not to forget the ring:

Laurie had all the bridesmaids sign her shoe:

One advantage of having a wedding on a horse farm is that Laurie and her dad arrived for the ceremony in a horse drawn carriage.

Was I right about this scenery?

Sometimes ya gotta get dirty to get the picture:

It was worth it!

Rosepetal shower during the recessional.

Couple also gets a carriage ride after the wedding!

The horse is thinking they should get a room!

Not a bad place for a stroll!

See, it’s not just the river that is beautiful. It just kept betting better into the evening.

Still beautiful even into the night.

Dramatic first dance.

Can you tell I liked the roof of the rotunda?

You know I can’t let a good full moon go to waste, especially when it rises over a river!

Intimate dance.

Sparkler departure.

Amy + James
June 10, 2006
Barboursville Winery
Barboursville, Va.

Amy & James had a great wedding on a beautiful June Saturday in the historic Virginia Countryside. Barboursville Winery, near Charlottesville, is a fantastic venue with interesting historic ruins as a backdrop as well as sweeping vineyards in the foothills of Virginia.

Amy, a high school teacher, had a wonderful, fun personality that is clearly evident in the pictures. I didn’t get the opportunity to meet James until the wedding day. Guys are often a little ambivalent about pictures, particularly when they are unfamiliar with my style, but James warmed up quickly once he saw that the photography would not be overbearing. Both were extremely easy to work with. Their passion and love for one another is obvious.

This wedding was nicely coordinated by Laura Weatherly, of Engaging Affairs in Alexandria. This was my first opportunity to work with Laura and you have to love her quiet, understated but completely thorough approach to wedding planning. Laura is the author of a wedding planning book aptly named “Stop! Don’t Plan a Wedding Without This Book!”.

Amy’s mom and sister kept her at ease during the hair & makeup

I had never seen anyone do makeup outside before but it made for nice images!

Flower Girl

Passionate first meeting before the wedding!

The wedding took place in front of the ruins of the former home of  James Barbour, Governor of Virginia from 1812-1814. Legend has it that the home burned on Christmas day in 1884 and rather than interrupt dinner, the family moved the tables outside and finished dinner while the house burned. The home was originally designed by Thomas Jefferson and the large columns make an interesting backdrop.

Amy was so excited about getting married:

I loved these columns:

Post-ceremony embrace:

The reception overlooked the vineyard.

Intimate first dance.

Toasts

The Hora!

Can’t let a full moon go to waste.