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Proud pup mom, type A creative, lover of the outdoors, Top Chef fan girl, and wedding and portrait photographer. Welcome to the blog!
HI, I'M RACHEL!
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micro WEDDINGS
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It’s Wednesday and it’s October. What that means around here is it’s Wedding Wednesday! I’m so excited share some of my fav images from Jena and Michael’s autumn Maryland Greek wedding!
Jena and Michael said ‘I do’ this past weekend at their autumn Maryland Greek wedding… Actually, wait. They didn’t technically say ‘I do’! Jena and Michael were married at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Pikesville, Maryland. And as I learned this weekend, in traditional Greek Orthodox wedding ceremonies, the couple doesn’t actually say, well, anything! It was a beautiful service full of tradition, and it was simply a privilege to witness and capture.
I met up with Jena at her parents’ home in Ellicott City. I was a bit nervous because it called for rain pretty much all day at all three of our locations. All the nerves were for not, because everything worked out with the weather pretty darn well! Jena’s parents had a beautiful home with great natural light and plenty of indoor space for our photos. They hosted all six of Jena’s bridesmaids and her mom made sure everyone had plenty to snack on while they got ready. I even got to meet their two pups! So you know I was having a good start to my day!
It’s impossible for me to choose a favorite part of Jena and Michael’s autumn Maryland Greek wedding ceremony. That’s because it was all so special and meaningful, and just fun to watch! One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to see how new-to-me cultures and religions celebrate marriage. I had never attended or photographed a Greek Orthodox wedding before, so everything that was happening was new to me (other than the info Jena provided me with beforehand). If I have to choose a favorite moment it was Michael seeing Jena for the first time as she walked down the aisle. I caught this one photo of him totally checking her out – haha! I think he was definitely impressed with how beautiful she looked.
After the ceremony, we had just enough daylight to do some outdoor portraits under the covered porch of the church. Thank goodness for that covered porch! It was drizzling/misting the entire time but we managed to stay dry and get some super sweet photos. Everyone were such good sports because we were moving lightning fast to get everything done before we lost all the light. Despite the rush, it was evident that Jena and Michael were able to stay in the moment with each other. Just look at their smiles in those photos! That says it all about how excited they were to be married!
My absolute favorite part of the day happened at Jena and Michael’s autumn Maryland Greek wedding reception. It was the very end of the night for me, just when I was supposed to leave. But I wanted to capture some of the special Syrtos dance Jena told me about. Once the dance began I realized there was no way I was going to leave! It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen at a wedding and I was so excited to capture it! That was the moment during the day when I was most present to how I have the best job in the world.
Best wishes and congratulations to Jena and Michael! And much appreciation to Sarah and Nate for introducing me to your friends and such a wonderful, happy couple.
Shout out to Jena and Michael’s vendor team for doing a great job on Saturday:
Martin’s Valley Mansion
Photography: Rachel E.H. Photography
Second Photographer: Aisha Jackson
Rev. Fr. Louis Noplos
Fordham Films
Scentsational Florals
Betsy Robinsons
Meritage Jewelers
Minted
Revelry
Jos. A Banks
Valley Mansion by Martin’s
Floradis
Just Limos
Did this post get you excited to book your own wedding, micro-wedding, elopement, or engagement session?! If yes, send me a note and we can chat about what you have in mind: contact me
Hi – I’m Rachel! A wedding, engagements, and headshots photographer in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia. I love taking photos of elegant people who love to laugh, as well as of much in-love couples. If you’re a dog owner, that’s a plus! I’m currently booking 2022 portrait sessions, as well as 2022 elopements and 2023 weddings.
HELLO@RACHELEHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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Rachel is a wedding and portrait photographer
Serving brilliant, elegant couples in Washington D.C. + Beyond
Copyright 2022 Rachel E.H. Photography | Website by Alex Collier Design
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