The Barn at Willow Brook Summer Wedding

Amanda & Andrew’s wedding last August at The Barn of Willow Brook is engrained in my mind. These two were just plain adorable together. I am so glad that Rebecca of Rebecca Dotson Photography had me along as her second photographer for their day! As with any wedding I second shoot, I always start my day with the guys. It is just as important to me to capture photos of the guys spending time together, cutting up, and preparing for the wedding. They make up the other half of the wedding and most often the groom is why we are all gathered together anyways.

As the only girl in the family with three brothers, spending time with the guys at a wedding isn’t awkward for me. I always tell the guys that they can speak freely as I have probably heard it all and I am not sensitive to their conversations. They are obviously still respectful but I want them to be comfortable and continue to interact for genuine photos! Andrew and his groomsman were no exception, however I was able to contribute to the conversation which always helps.

Andrew is a Jiu Jitsu instructor at a school in Sterling, Virginia. Similarly, my husband, TJ practices Jiu Jitsu and has attended seminars at the school Andrew works at. They didn’t recall one another but it was fun having a bit of knowledge on the topic. To my surprise, Andrew’s best man is the head instructor at the Jiu Jitsu school and taught the seminars TJ attended. So in a way, you could say I was fangirling via TJ. He couldn’t believe me when I told him who was at the wedding.

Amanda and Andrew are two of the most genuine people. The care and compassion they had for us on their wedding day is what makes their photos amazing. They treated us as guests, were up for fields with tall grass, and celebrated the night away! Above all, the true reason that I love photographing weddings. A gorgeous couple, beautiful venue, and LOVE!