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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
elopements
I’m so excited to share photos from Saki & Ryan’s sunrise and sunset DC wedding! This was a unique wedding and therefore a unique blog post. And I can’t wait to break it all down for you!
Saki & Ryan wanted to have an intimate and easy-going wedding day. So they planned the their sunrise and sunset DC wedding day in such a way where they were able to create that atmosphere for themselves as well as their guests. (And their photographer – their chill vibe definitely rubbed off on me too!)
Saki and Ryan were hosting close family and friends for their evening wedding ceremony at 2941 Restaurant in Fairfax, VA. But they love D.C. and wanted to include portraits of the two of them plus their two toy poodles. I let them know I typically only shoot on the National Mall at sunrise so we can avoid tourists. Plus, their ceremony would be taking place during the evening magic hour. If we were to do their portraits in the city right before their ceremony, the light wouldn’t be great.
So here’s what we did: we decided to schedule their D.C. portraits at sunrise. That way we would be utilizing the best light while also avoiding tourists. Then they would have the day to relax before their big evening with friends and family. Brilliant!
The morning of their D.C. portraits, it was raining and grey. Luckily it wasn’t raingin too hard. And we were at the Lincoln Memorial, so we were covered and protected from the rain. When it let up for a few minutes, we ventured out to get photos along the reflecting pool, just in time for it to start drizzling again! haha
Saki’s father was kind enough to join us so he could be in charge of watching Saki and Ryan’s toy poodles, who are so adorable! After the Lincoln, we decided to go the Kennedy Center, to be protected from the rain. (Originally we were going to go to Capitol Hill.) These two embraced the weather and even danced in the rain!
I met up with them again that evening at 2941 Restaurant, for the second half of their sunrise and sunset DC wedding. This setting is so beautiful and so serene! They had beautiful floral arrangements set up for the ceremony on the patio. (The rain had cleared out by then, thankfully!) And I was surprised and excited to see Saki in a different wedding gown!
They had a beautiful ceremony performed by a friend, and afterwards we took portraits for all of their family. Including a large group photo of all their guests. Complete with a pose from their favorite anime! It was super humid and hot that evening, so we grabbed a few newlywed portraits and bridal portraits, and then called it a day!
I was there to capture the details of their dinner in the private room (with its own private bar and bartenders!), as well as a few toasts. After that I left Saki and Ryan to enjoy their guests and their dinner!
Congratulations and best wishes to the newlywed love birds!
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 helping individuals and couples feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. If you’re a dog owner, that’s a plus! I’m currently booking 2022-2023 portrait sessions and elopements, as well as 2023-2024 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
she / her