DC and Baltimore Photographer - Weddings and Corporate

November 11, 2014

Mayo Beach Park DIY Wedding: Kim and John

While the weather outside is frightful, why not relive a beautiful beach wedding?

I love beach weddings, and Kim and John were simply wonderful to work with. I’ve been in the area of Mayo Beach in Edgewater, MD many times but have never actually been to the park itself. Let me tell you firsthand that this place is a hidden gem! Who would have believed that this beach pavillion could have been customized and transformed into a little piece of beach heaven. This affordable venue on the water gives you the freedom to make your your reception dream a reality.

Kim and John had picture perfect weather, and I have to give kudos to my brave bride and bridal party who climbed on the rocks for me, allowing me to capture some beautiful formal photos! If you’re looking for an affordable waterfront location, Mayo Beach park is not to be overlooked!

Planning a wedding is truly an adventure – Kim was kind enough to share some of her experiences while planning her wedding beautiful beach wedding at Mayo Beach Park:

What will you remember most about your wedding day?
“I will always remember the point where my husband and I eyes met as I was walking down the aisle.”

What was the most stressful thing about planning your wedding?
“I was a DIY bride, so for me it was just finding time to get everything done.”

And the most enjoyable part of planning?
“The most enjoyable thing was the quality time I got to spend with my bridesmaids during our many DIY sessions.”

If you were able to do it all over again, would you do anything differently?
“I went with a place that was pretty bare bones, thinking that I would save money. However, I had to bring in every element myself including tablecloths, caterer, chairs, centerpieces, etc. Although I absolutely loved my venue, if I had to do it again, I would have considered paying a little more to go to to a place that provided more.

In addition, I was completely thrilled will how everything turned out on the wedding day. However, if I had to do it again, I would have done less DIY and instead hired a wedding planner. What I saved in money from not hiring a planner, was not worth the time and lose of sanity that I experienced trying to do the numerous projects on my own.”

Any words of wisdom for brides who are currently planning their day?
“People always say it, but remember that it is just one day. What I found that people remember most about the wedding is the music and the food. Focus on those items”

Wedding Location: Mayo Beach Park, Edgewater, MD
Wedding day theme: Casual and Fun
Bridal Shop: Occasions House of Bridal
Dress Designer: Blu by Mori Lee
Bride’s Shoes: Nina Keegan Ivory Crystal Satin Sandal
Hair Stylist: I did my own hair.
Makeup Artist: Stephanie McKenzie-Davis, CEO, The Pampering Junkies
Jewelry/Accessories: Earrings – Macy’s
Necklace – JC Penney’s
Bracelet – Charming Charlies
Groom & Groomsmen’s suit / tux: Steel Grey Allure by Allure Men, Hyatt & Co
Wedding favours: Photobooth pictures, pinwheels, noisemakers, and candy buffet.
Invitations & Stationery: Vistaprint
Flowers: Costco
Officiant: Shauna St. Clair Flemming – Cousin
Cake: Cakes Plus
Music – ceremony, reception, cocktail hour, etc. DJ Aaron “Ron J” Jones
Caterer: KS Catering
Honeymoon: Turks and caicos

August 22, 2014

Chalkboard Therapy

A dear friend recently bought me a counter-top chalkboard for my kitchen. Last week I decided to use it for something other than a distraction for the kids while I was cooking, and I actually wrote down our dinner “Menu” for the week to display for all to see. It sat on the counter throughout the week as a constant reminder of what I had planned for meals, and I found that it helped tremendously to keep me on-schedule and get everyone fed with something besides hastily reheated mac & cheese and some frozen peas. With a new school year just around the corner and, because I love this chalkboard so much, I decided that, in my never-ending quest to keep this house organized, I needed more chalkboards. MORE CHALKBOARDS!!! And thus my project for today was inspired.

Between wedding edits this week, I bought a roll of removable chalkboard sticky stuff for the walls and traced out a cool shape that I like. I made 2 chalkboards for the refrigerator – one with our weekly schedule of extra-curricular kid activities and the other with our endless shopping lists. The weekly schedule also has a place for sticky notes to designate whether or not it’s our week to drive carpool and what time the soccer games on Saturday mornings are taking place. (Prior to this point, sticky notes were the main thing that held my life together, so it seemed appropriate that I find some way to incorporate them into my chalkboard organizer.)

This year is full-time school with required uniforms that vary depending on the day of the week. (I swear the point of this whole uniform exercise is simply to make parent’s heads explode.) So I also made some for the kid’s rooms. My oldest has 2 on her wall – one to remind her of the routine things she needs to do each morning, and the other to remind us parents what clothes to set out for her the night before. Even the baby gets a chalkboard reminder for her wall so that regardless of who gets her up or puts her to bed, we’re all doing it consistently.

The supplies ran me about $25 on Amazon. And really, that’s just because I sprang for the awesome neon liquid chalk markers. (I’m an art supply junky, so I couldn’t resist!) The best part is that when the schedule changes – which it inevitably will in 6 weeks – all I have to do is wipe them off and start again.

Now… if I can just find my car keys…

August 12, 2014

Playing in the Rain

Every once in awhile (ok… quite often, actually) I and my work-from-home mom friends lament the fact that we don’t have an office or someplace to go to everyday. Not only can it can be lonely, but home is now my work and work now is my home – I really don’t find home to be that peaceful sanctuary that it once was. As much as I miss the comaraderie that can come from working in an office with other people, it’s days like this that make me grateful that I work from home – especially while my kids are little.

I went upstairs to take a break and saw the littles outside in their swimsuits and crocs, playing in the rain. So I decided to join them. And it was awesome. We found some little leaves and put them into the river of water flowing in the storm gutter and followed them all the way to the storm drain. I had the opportunity to teach them about how the water goes into the Chesapeake Bay and then eventually into the ocean. We splashed in the puddles. We stopped to say hello to Allie, the neighbor’s dog. We found a cool black rock. We came home so they could get their own umbrellas and go splash some more. And all of this would have been missed had I been working in an office.

I guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, as the saying goes. But today – I’m enjoying the shade of green that’s under my feet.

March 12, 2014

Welcome Home Lindy Hop!

This series is one of my favorites from an Operation Welcome Home military homecoming event. A sailor and his wife spontaneously broke into a Lindy Hop right there in the middle of the international terminal – it was fantastic!! Everyone who was present cheered and applauded! “We haven’t gotten to dance with each other in awhile,” explained his wife. Her husband had just returned from a 10-month deployment in Afghanistan.

February 18, 2014

Baltimore Corporate Photography – CEO Paul Palmieri – Millennial Media

One of my portraits was featured on the cover of the UK’s Mobile Marketing Magazine – Baltimore-based Millennial Media CEO Paul Palmieri from September of 2013.