washington dc

Gallery O on H Styled Shoot | Washington, DC Wedding Photographer | GroupWedDC

Gallery O on H Styled Shoot | Washington, DC Wedding Photographer | GroupWedDC

The power of working with a great team can never be overstated. I am personally creative in photography, but I lack further skills when it comes to styling or the overall vision – hence why I am not a wedding planner, makeup artist, or anything else! Through the years, I’ve watched my friend Jackie start with a wedding planning company (Jacquelyne Millender Events), transform it into a helpful resource for brides in Hampton Roads (The DIY Bridal Network), and now she sits on the cusp of launching one of the most innovative wedding industry businesses I have ever seen – GroupWedDC.

Even though she moved to Washington, DC, last year, I have the absolute honor of working with her again this spring. Jackie pushes me creatively in so many ways. As my New York City travel buddy, she pushed me to try new things and open my mind to a different world. In the wedding industry, she is a purple cow while so many others do the same old thing. On this last styled shoot, she brought people together from all over to create magic as she gets ready to launch a brand new venture for adventurous couples...

Washington, DC Indian Wedding | Multicultural Wedding Photographer | Tejen + Vashruti

Washington, DC Indian Wedding | Multicultural Wedding Photographer | Tejen + Vashruti

Back in the summer, one of my goals for the year ahead was to photograph an Indian wedding. I had no idea how this would even happen, since I didn't have any in my portfolio at the time and no leads on the way. Just one month later I was on my way to Washington, D.C., to photograph not just one but TWO Indian weddings in one weekend with Photographick Studios. It's crazy how things happen so quickly!

The first day was both beautiful and a shock to my system all at once. I was on my feet for about 20 hours starting at 5am and it was almost nonstop. Everything about an Indian wedding ceremony seemed different - it lasts for hours, people come in and out and are even talking during each event because it lasts so long. The bride switches outfits for the reception, and there are so many cultural differences between a 'normal' American wedding and one from a different culture.

By the end of the first long day, though, I was hooked...

LDS Temple Winter Wedding | Washington DC Mormon Wedding Photographer | Ian + Autumn

LDS Temple Winter Wedding | Washington DC Mormon Wedding Photographer | Ian + Autumn

It's only been a few months since photographing my first wedding at the LDS Temple in Washington, DC, but I can officially say I'm hooked! This year the wedding fell a few days after Christmas, and the surrounding lights made the building all the more beautiful. I loved the burgundy, red, and blush color tones that were perfect for a winter wedding ceremony.

Autumn is one of those people who makes you smile every time you open an email from her. Throughout the process of getting to know her better, she was excited and happy every step of the way. When her wedding day finally arrived, the joy on her face was so obvious and evident - she could be married to the love of her life, at last...