Eric and Laura- DC Wedding Photographer

From the moment Eric opened the door, the calm, excited smile on his face told me instantly that it was going to be a great day. He and Laura had planned the perfect wedding day for their family and friends to celebrate their relationship at the gorgeous Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria (a location I had been DYING to shoot at!) Eric and Laura live in Chicago, so I didn’t have an opportunity to meet them before the wedding, which typically makes me just a little nervous, but not with Laura and Eric. They are two of the most genuine, welcoming people and I remember walking around with them before the ceremony and thinking how incredibly lucky I was to know them and be the one to photograph their day. I had the unique opportunity to be the only one with Laura as she was getting ready, and I felt like we were just old friends as I helped her zip up her dress. Best job ever? Most definitely.

I got to hang out with the guys for a while before Laura arrived at the hotel, and I love these first two of Eric hanging out with his guys getting ready:
img_11071img_11471Laura’s gown suited her perfectly! img_12641Eric and Laura knew they wanted to really take advantage of the the amazing backdrop that Old Town Alexandria provides and prioritize their portraits so from the very first time she and I talked on the phone she knew they wanted to do a first look. For those of you that have never heard of a first look, Laura and Eric opted to see each other before the ceremony, which allowed them to have a solid hour for portraits of the two of them, take advantage of the great light, they had 20 minutes to just hang out before the ceremony, and they were able to join their guests for the cocktail hour! These next few pictures really show off why a first look can be such a sweet moment for the couple: img_1370moments like this are exactly why i love when a couple opt to do a first look! this is definitely a favorite from the day :0) i LOVE the joy you can see in their faces! img_1373and he got to tell her right away just how stunning she looked :0) img_1409img_1420I could have taken pictures of just the two of them allllll day :0)
img_1500img_1507img_1571img_1593these next ones are definitely some of my favorite portraits- i loved this gorgeous blue door and the texture of the stone.. add a gorgeous couple and i’m a happy girl :0) img_1610img_1617img_1683img_1787img_1807img_1822img_1863one of my favorite things about Alexandria are all the fun doors painted bright colors! Eric really wanted to include a couple different ones since thats such a trademark of the area, and this was probably my favorite one we found :0) img_2084isn’t she one of the classiest brides you’ve ever seen? laura, you are GORGEOUS! img_2096another favorite! img_21361img_2149they had SUCH a fun bridal party :0) img_2556img_2645fun fact: Eric and Laura were actually legally married, so this was just the big celebration for all their family and friends! they had such a sweet, intimate ceremony where they exchanged vows and promises to one another, swapped rings as a symbol of those promises, and sealed it with a kiss! img_2799LOVE this one of them coming back down the aisle!
img_2857can’t handle all this cuteness…
img_3427goodness gracious i love EVERYTHING about this! look at his little belly button! :0) you can tell Laura has such a special relationship with her nephew :0)  img_3469first dance sweetness: img_3558love this one during the toasts:
img_3709They had the BEST 80’s band play during the reception! and Eric’s dad was a dancing machine! ;0) img_3985img_4183Hope you had a fabulous honeymoon! Thank you so much for letting me celebrate with you! Here’s your slideshow :0)

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  1. Gail says:

    These are beautiful pictures of a beautiful couple on their special day!

  2. Gail Alden says:

    Beautiful pictures of a beautiful couple on their special day!

  3. Rose says:

    that was such a beautiful wedding, Eric and Laura are so perfect for each outher! :D

  4. Andi & Dennis Mastro says:

    Simply breathtaking. Eric,you are a very lucky man. Laura Marie welcome to the family.
    Love,
    Andi & Dennis

  5. Jamie says:

    Beautiful memories of a lovely day. Thank you Jessie!

  6. Trish says:

    What beautiful photos and, of course, people!!! :-) Amazing!

  7. Laura Ann says:

    Such amazing pictures! Really captured the feel of the whole wedding and how awesome it was! :)

  8. Cathy Cayer says:

    These pictures are absolutely gorgeous!! You are a gifted photographer. I was not able to attend Eric and Laura’s wedding and you captured the emotion and happiness of the day.

  9. Jerry says:

    These photos are stunning. Not only are they technically good, they capture the moments, love, and playfulness of the couple. Great work!

  10. Carolyn says:

    What GORGEOUS images! I can’t get over how beautiful Laura looked and what a perfect match these two are. Every picture brings me back to the FABULOUS wedding all over again. :)

  11. Cindy Hayduk says:

    Jessie! I love the pictures :) You really know how to capture a wedding!!

  12. Sue says:

    soo beautiful!!

  13. Carolyn says:

    Such a beautiful bride….such a beautiful day!!!

  14. Mike says:

    Everyone looked great! There are definitely some good shots here.

  15. Erin says:

    Beautiful people, beautiful day, beautiful photos:)

  16. Megan says:

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE that dress!! Cute couple!

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