A.E.LANDES PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG.

Oh yeah, Becky and Doug! These two tracked me down from way back in my hometown, and I am so glad that they did. Their fun attitudes and approach to their wedding gave us a lot of leeway to do whatever we wanted to with the photos. The Columbia Station in Phoenixville, PA was shining in the setting sunlight, and it was not hard at all to get these two (and the wedding party for that matter) relaxed in front of the camera. We made use of the renovated trolley and little vistas overlooking the town to frame the shots, and the reception party was certainly just that – a big party. Lots of familiar faces were all over, and I hope that the photos properly capture the colorful beginnings of Becky and Doug’s fun life ahead.

Here is the link to the Full Gallery and Print Order Site for Becky and Doug’s Wedding.

I crossed paths with Nathalie and Dan several times before the Big Day, most notably photographing Nathalie on the podium at a few MTB races and Dan out in Louisville for the Cyclocross World Championships… So I knew we would get along just fine! They couldn’t have picked a better spring day to get married in Philadelphia at the unique Fliesher Art Memorial. A BIG and BRIGHT mural was the perfect backdrop to photograph their wedding, and the crowds of standing guests let them know their love for the couple. Nathalie and Dan were so accommodating and did every suggestion I had for the formal shots, and the surprise was the reception hall – it really felt like a 13th century forgotten Italian church had been suddenly opened for their party. What a great time for this photographer.

Here is the link to Nathalie and Dan’s Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.

I really do love working in all four seasons, as winter weddings just seem to have an intrinsic formal and crisp look to them. And Kate and Tony chose an excellent weekend to get married – temperatures were warm enough in Old Town Alexandria that we could do the First Look and formal photos outside without catching a chill. The sunlight and trees worked out great in the backgrounds, and I definitely felt like I disappeared as Tony and Kate just had fun together out in the park and at the ceremony and reception. Big kudos to Tony for surprising Kate with music at the historic battlegrounds for the their first dance… WOW. And with the reception at Gadsby’s Tavern, we enjoyed a cozy space with everyone enjoying themselves around the table. And frankly, who could resist the cupcakes (not this photographer!)?

And here is the link to Kate and Tony’s Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.

When Francis and I first met, I didn’t realize he was interviewing wedding photographers on the side of a mountain at the Bear Creek Mountain Bike Race (I thought he was just there to watch his fiance Renee blast through the rocks). However, tall guys stick together, and after we were done trudging up and down the trails together, he casually mentions that they are looking for a wedding photographer… and I am so glad he did!

Renee and Francis had a late Fall wedding, which means plenty of golden directional sunlight to work with, and weather that *could* turn at any moment. Thankfully, it was decently warm for November, and finding all of these hidden spots for photos was really a lot of fun. Yes, I did make the whole wedding party walk down to the far bridge across the countryside, and yes, I admit we should have taken the golf carts for extra shenanigans. Between their simple and delightful ceremony, a birthday cake for Renee’s dad, Francis rocking the ‘Rock Lobster’, and the party-people at Table Number Seven, it was a great picture taking time. Can’t wait to see them out on the trails again!

Here is a link to Renee and Francis’ Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.

One of my favorite things that happened at Jess and Ken’s wedding is that when I would pose them for their couple’s photos,  Jess would just stare Ken down very intently, then start giggling and laughing… It was very contagious and entertaining to watch these two enjoy their wedding day! We had lots of time for spots around DC – the Jefferson, the Tidal Basin, Georgetown Waterfront, and finally over to the Westin in Clarendon, VA. Each spot had beautiful color still on the trees and the bright sun was fun to work with. The ceremony had laughter and many smiles (sensing a theme here?), and the reception couldn’t have been more energetic and exciting with the band laying it down for the dance floor. Many congratulations to the couple!

For the complete collection of Jess and Ken’s Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site, click here.

I’ve known Chris and Allison for years (and we even spent a decent amount of time together ‘directly above the center of the earth‘ back in the glory days), so having the chance to photograph their wedding was something I wouldn’t miss! The spectacular location at the Aldie Mansion in Doylestown, PA, had so many nooks-and-crannies for photography, I needed to come up with a strict game-plan. And with the leaves in full-color and twilight ceremony, it made for a very unique atmosphere that I rarely get to work within. I think my favorites is them lighting the unity candle, with them only lit by candlelight. Their reception had a beautiful setting and energetic vibe from the band, and who could forget the amazing rounds of speeches made by the guests of honor? Finding out the details of Chris’ day-to-day living from Best Man Josh was… entertaining to say the least. Much dancing and home-brew swigging ensued.

Here is a link to Allison and Chris Morgan’s Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.

I couldn’t have guessed that Alison (from my hometown in PA) would have found me, but I am so glad she did! Even at our initial meeting, I knew we were going to have some amazing photos from their wedding. With Jacks as my second-shooter, we covered the ladies and gents separately, and we ended up with some of my favorite ‘getting-ready’ shots of all time (it might have something to do with Chris knicking himself – whoops!). Of course, Alison looked amazing and was all smiles the entire day, and photographing in the dramatically lighted St Sophia’s Church and gorgeous reception site was a treat. Much dancing and celebrating ensued, and I thoroughly enjoyed Chris throwing it down on the mic late in the night.

Check out Alison and Chris’ Wedding Gallery and Print Order Website here!

Christina and Matt sure ordered up some gorgeous weather for their wedding day! And they made some really unique decisions for venues – the Wakefield Chapel felt like we were out for church on a mid-west prairie, and then we were transported to Middle Earth to slay some dragons at their reception at Bilbo Baggins in Alexandria, VA. We had enormous amounts of light pouring through the historic windows, and shooting in this very simple church with strong graphic-design make the guests really stand out and housed their ceremony perfectly. There were so many places to photograph in and around this place, I just really enjoyed being behind the camera! And the reception had the same intimate feel, as everyone got in nice-and-close for their reception to share some brews, stories, and cake.  I just wish their pup would have made an appearance!

Here is the link to the complete Christina and Matt’s Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.

With the first breath of fall’s arrival, Barbara and Kris couldn’t have picked a better time/place/date for their wedding at Lost Creek Wineries in Leesburg, VA. Golden sunlight filtered through the autumn leaves, and we didn’t have much to worry about with the lighting or the backdrop. The ‘First Look’ went great, with Kris patiently waiting under the arbor for Barbara to show off her gown, and we ended up playing in the rows of grapevines for the family and couple’s shots. An outdoor ceremony ended with the afternoon’s light, and soon everyone was crowded into the winery’s tasting room and reception hall to sample the ‘fruit of the land’. And heck, Kris even made some very fine micro-brews to celebrate, and with the everyone (young and old) out on the dance floor, I could find more than enough smiles and action for the camera to handle. And yes, those cupcakes were as delicious as they look.

Check out the link to Barbara and Kris’ Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.

Aniyia and Marco’s Wedding… Wow. In Washington, DC’s own Franciscan Monastery, Aniyia and Marco decided to have a beautiful garden ceremony and bangin’ reception up in the St. Francis Hall – BUT! Let me start at the beginning… I know Aniyia from wayyy way back to the great days at Penn State, and it was so great knowing that her and Marco would be together (I hadn’t met the gentleman before, but I knew Aniyia would pick out a good one!). Simply posing them in the garden and in the Monastery’s outer cloister led to so many wonderful images of them both, and it wasn’t hard to capture their joy and personalities. After the formal session, the reception was rocked by a band and dance-floor-ragin’ guests, which gave us lots of photo opp’s with everyone having a great time. And the icing-on-the-cake personally was seeing many old PSU friends that I hadn’t seen in more than a few years! It was tough calling it a night, but I was already excited to show Aniyia and Marco the photographs from their amazing day.

Here is a link to Aniyia and Marco’s Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.