June Wedding, Happy Anniversary Kelsey & Jeremy

Sometimes life has a way of taking it’s own course and this year has proven that very clearly. When 2020 dawned, no one could’ve predicted what we are currently living through. I have so many thoughts and find myself swirling in them. Instead of making you swirl with me, I decided to finally share this wedding in a blog post that I am very proud of. It’s the one year anniversary for this couple today and I wanted to celebrate by looking at their beautiful wedding again! Wishing you the happiest first anniversary Kelsey & Jeremy!

This rustic-chic early June wedding was set in the Connecticut hills of Easton on the idyllic Maple Row Tree Farm. The ceremony took place in the very historic Jesse Lee Methodist church, which has been a congregation in Connecticut since the 1700’s and the grooms family attended there over his youth. The bride’s uncle, Forrust Miller, officiated the ceremony with personal touches and humor. It was a simple and sweet ceremony, reminding the couple that marriage is a marathon and not sprint. A surprise to the bride and groom was an impeccable antique Bentley, complete with a uniformed driver that escorted them from ceremony exit to the reception at Maple Row Farm. 

Jeremy Edwards, groom, grew up in Connecticut at Maple Row Farm, which has been in his family for generations. The beautiful country setting of the farm went well with the rustic style details from ceramic pots for the flowers, antique shutters holding the table arrangements to the simply decorated cake. The reception under the tent was complete with a sit down dinner, catered by Catering by Christine. The gorgeous florals in the center of each table included the wedding’s signature dusty rose color blooms and were crafted by Carrie Wilcox floral design. After dinner, guests hit the dance floor with a variety of catchy music from B-Entertained DJs. Friends of the bride and groom gave toasts, recalling their unlikely meeting on a cruise somewhere over the Caribbean. The bride, Kelsey Owesnby, grew up in Middletown, Delaware. It just goes to show you never know when you’re forever love will show up in life. It was a dream wedding day, complete with perfect early-June weather and floating puffy, white clouds in the sky as guests departed with their home harvested honey in jars.

Thanks to Matt Troutman, my second shooter for this great shot right before the bride & her father walked into the church

Beautiful Summer Bride

It’s August over here and I am hanging on for the ride with a busy wedding month, the kids still trying to savor the rest of summer and me trying to find a balance! Here’s a sneak peak of the gorgeous bride from the wedding I am working on editing today. I am now booking for family fall photo sessions, emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com for pricing and availability for fall!

Cassandra and Alex Engaged, Wilmington, DE

On a family trip to San Francisco and California wine country, Alex popped the question! Cassandra said yes and they’re excitedly planning a November 2019 wedding! Cass also just happens to be my younger cousin, so I couldn’t have been more honored when they asked me to capture their engagement photos. The drizzle started to fall and the clouds had rolled in before we started our session but thankfully the rain passed through and we made the most of the gorgeous Brandywine Valley views.

You can see the drizzle falling here but it didn’t dampen their love!

July Bride, Summer Delaware Wedding

When we met in the coffee shop in the middle of winter, and I just knew Jen would make a beautiful bride! Her bubbly and sweet personality is genuine, which was made apparent by all the wedding guests young and old who adore Jen! It was easy to see why she and David made a good match. I loved hearing their plans for a small wedding party with a simple, sweet church reception. We had no idea when we discussed their July wedding, that we would wake up to such a gorgeous day of weather after a heat wave! We were all so thankful for the mild weather, allowing us to capture outdoor portraits without feeling entirely melted. Here's just a small selection for you to enjoy from their wedding day! 

I am still booking for select 2018 wedding dates, with custom packages available for closer dates! Reach out to me today for pricing and availability, emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com

Beautiful Bride, Styled Shoot

"To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man's life. " - T. S. Eliot

These cold and dreary winter days have me dreaming of warmer temps, and contemplating the beautiful.  I thought I would take a few minutes today to share a beautiful bride from a styled shoot I was a part of, the beautiful Camille! 

styled shoot vendors:
|| planning, design, teaching @mandaweaver || workshop @seasidebride || vintage rentals @alittlerustyshop || florals @flourishfloralartistry || ribbon @tornandtied || HMUA @tanglesandknots || models @camilleeonair & Sutton || calligraphy/signage @calligraphetteco || champs @onehope || gown @lulus

Late Summer Bridal Shower

    If you're looking for some inspiration for a late summer bridal shower, look no further! I got to be a part of a beautiful bridal shower honoring the fiancé of my husband's younger brother. It was a perfect weather afternoon with an outdoor setting and all the sweetest details. The blush pinks and golds were a perfect color combination for the brunch. All the creativity, planning and executing credit goes to my mother-in-law! We had all the food setup inside (it's September and the flies are crazy) and then hosted the brunch out in the tent. It was fun to all be together and the countdown to the November wedding is on! 

These huge beautiful flowers are made of paper! 

Cookies for favors!

All the gorgeous flower arrangements are credited to my mother-in-law's best friend! 

The beautiful bride with her cake! It was a delicious vanilla cake with raspberry filling.

Greg & Anna, Summer Outdoor Wedding, Chadds Ford, PA

     Do you knot the old saying that goes something like you like a man even more when you meet his wife? Well this story goes a little something like that for me. Greg was actually the first one I got to chat with on the phone because he and Anna were planning their wedding long distance. They are now Texas residents but their families are still living in Pennsylvania, which is where the wedding was going to be held. I enjoyed chatting about wedding details and made arrangements through Greg first, but then I got the pleasure of meeting Anna. She was so easy to like and I obviously could see why Greg fell for her! She is warm and can light up a room with her smile. She's an elementary school teacher, which makes a good fit with her bubbly personality. Greg is a little more reserved but as soon as he's with Anna, it all just makes sense. Their friends teased them during toasts about their differing personalities, but I can see that opposites attracted here but in the best possible way!

  All the details came together beautifully for this warm, July outdoor wedding at the Gables at Chadds Ford. The rustic details and textures paired beautifully with the simple elegance of the rest of the wedding. Greg & Anna had also planned our photo session at Longwood Gardens, which was of course beautiful! It was quite busy on a summer Saturday afternoon but it was the perfect backdrop for their first look and all those formal group shots. Somehow we made it all work and didn't melt! Warning: cuteness overload coming from their flower girl, she loved the camera and it loved her right back! Here's to Anna and Greg's beautiful wedding day! Congrats! 

Can't you just eat her cuteness up?!

Great shot by @MatthewTroutman

Another shot by @MatthewTroutman

The fountain restoration at Longwood Gardens is fantastic

Vendors:
Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Gables at Chadds Ford
Florist: Jennifer Lawn, JL Original Designs
DJ: East Coast Event Group
Cake Artist:  Kim Withers at Liberty Lane Bake Shoppe
Bridal Gown Shop: Bijou Bridal in Ardmore, PA,in house designer
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridal Jewelry: Kendra Scott
Bridesmaids Gown Shop:  Azazie
Groom’s and Groomsmen Suits: Jos.A.Bank
Wedding Stationery Designer: Britni Willis from Paperpeonies on etsy.com
 

Wedding Season Tip: How to prepare your "getting ready" area

Are you engaged or going to be a part of a wedding this summer? I've been photographing weddings for over a decade and in those years, I've learned a few things about what works. A special time of day is the bride getting ready. It's a sweet combination of joy, nerves, excitement and preparations! Generally the bride is surrounded by close friends and family, getting ready to walk down the aisle.  In my experience as the photographer, I wanted to share some ways that you can make the space great for both the bride and the photographs. 

1. Have at least one window available for natural light: Natural light is usually the most flattering and is a great option for helping to light the portraits of the bride getting ready. As you choose the space for the bride to get dressed in, make sure it has at least one window! 

2. Clear the clutter: I know getting ready time is hectic. Usually there are bridesmaids and moms and everyone else all prepping in the same space but when it's time to get the bride dressed, you don't want large amounts of stuff strewn across the room. It's hard for a photographer that has to both clean up the room and style/photograph the bride. 

3. Make sure details are close by: Everything from flowers to rings to invitations need to be ready to go in the prep room. The reason for this is that the details are a huge part of the story of the wedding day and every photographer wants to make sure they're a part of the photographs. If all of these things are close by and ready to go, it makes the photography go smoothly, as well as the mood for the bride. There's nothing like realizing 5 minutes before bridal portraits that the shoes are missing or on one grabbed the bride's bouquet yet. These are important things to be ready with! (True story: 20 minutes before a wedding a bride realized her specific underwear for the dress was not in the dress bag like she thought it was. Talk about frantic and embarrassing to try to get someone to go retrieve that for you!)

4. Temperature: This is pretty self explanatory but especially on hot wedding days with lots of people in the room, everyone is going to feel better if it's not smoking hot in the room. If you can get there early and crank down the AC a few points, even better! 

5. Great attitudes: Every wedding day has its drama whether it be personal or situational. The best way to keep the environment drama-free and a good vibe to leave that stuff at the door the best you can. It can be tricky with so many emotions at play, but it's important to surround the bride with positivity as she prepares for one of the biggest days of her life! 

A beautiful naturally lit room, free of clutter was the perfect spot to slip the bride into her dress with her bridesmaids help!

Autumn Wedding, Milton, Delaware

   I know Monday's are usually for my confessions, but remember last week how I confessed I was a bit stuck in the comparison trap? Well today I am totally stuck in the overwhelmed trap! Every year around this time I swear to myself that I am going to keep my cool, but for a lot of photographers we are heading into the holiday season pretty spent from a busy autumn.

Fall weddings have been on the rise for years now and it's honestly a great thing! I have been wanting to share this beautiful outdoor wedding with you for a bit now! Here's to the other Matt & Emily Troutman (yes there are now two of us :). Although the rain came down a bit over their ceremony, it let up for later and the sun even tried to peak out! The Lavender Fields made the perfect back drop for this wedding!

Beautiful June Wedding, White Clay Creek Country Club

     You truly never know what life will throw at you and being a wedding photographer, my life (especially my summers) can be planned a year in advance due to wedding season. Imagine my surprise last fall when I found out I was expecting a baby in mid-summer and had to think through how I could work my weddings! Thankfully the dates have worked out and I have had amazing couples to work with. This early June wedding was an absolutely beautiful day! Although the wedding took place exactly one mile from the Beau Biden funeral services, there were none of the snags we anticipated!

    Ashley & Ryan have such a fun and natural chemistry together. I enjoyed capturing their day and being with their family and guests! Enjoy these selected images from their big day!

Ceremony: St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Wilmington, DE

Reception: White Clay Creek Country Club, Newark, DE

Judge Morris Estate Wedding

 A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of photographing Jes & Mike's wedding day. The day started off pouring rain so we all held out hope for the rain to clear and thankfully it did! It stayed a little gray and chilly, but nothing could put a damper on this couple's day! I adored all the touches of fall Jes added to the wedding. As always, it was an emotional but beautiful day! Congrats to Jes & Mike! Enjoy the photos!

Jes's dad is putting on her grandmothers pearls for her wedding day….just beautiful

Emotion can be so beautiful….

Isn't she beautiful?!

Southport, NC Wedding

When Danny and Nikki won my "Love is in the air" contest a couple years back, I had no idea all the fun we would eventually have together! They had such a great engagement shoot that we knew we were all a good fit for their wedding day. Their story is so sweet and much more true to life than others. They dated and then broke up. As the seasons changed and they saw other people, they were eventually led back together! They dreamed of a wedding in Southport, NC, the hometown of Nikki's parents and the epitome of Southern beauty and hospitality! I absolutely fell in love with this town! It was the perfect setting for Nikki and Danny to say "I do." There were a lot of moments at this wedding that I was reminded of why I do what I do in capturing memories through the camera! 

(If you've seen the movie Safe Haven based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, this was the setting for the movie back in 2009! I admit I watched it again when we got back from our trip so I could see all the places in town in the movie.) 

This is a bit of a long post..enjoy!

The flower girl trying on the bride's shoes...

Grandma pinned in some Carolina blue for that "something blue"...

 

A special dance with the bride's grandfather...

Southport Wedding Sneak Peek!

As a little girl she loved this tree…it was always a vision of hers to have bridal portraits under this tree in Southport, NC and last weekend her dream came true! Working on these beautiful images! 

Delaware Bride

  If you are planning a local Delaware wedding or know someone who is, make sure to grab the Fall/Winter issue of Delaware Bride!  The issue out now features a bridal shoot at the gorgeous Buena Vista Farms here in Delaware. This issue is full of current trends, vendors, and articles like "Should you hire a wedding planner?"

I was fortunate enough to both shoot a wedding there this summer and have Delaware Bride publish an image from that wedding. Here's to Carmen and Rebecca's beautiful June 2013 wedding! 

Chesapeake City Engagement

If you know anything about this time of year, it's gorgeous on the Maryland bay and canals! This past weekend was no exception, although it was still a bit of a hotter day, we made the most of it! Will and Taylor plan on being married next summer in this same location so we wanted to grab a little bit of the Chesapeake City spirit to capture their engagement. Hope you enjoy the images and have a great weekend friends!

Lets start with the bling!

Although lighting was a little bright, we wanted to grab an image or two with the marina!

This will be part of the setting for the wedding...

Wardrobe change and some fun images with their wedding date!

Sneak Peek

Hey friends, hope your week is going well! I have been busy over here working on a wedding and heading off to another shoot today. Thought I would share some of the pretty from last weekend's wedding with you!

Tea Barn Wedding Fair Hill, MD

While I am still processing a bit about my week, I wanted to share this beautiful spring wedding with you on the blog today! There are so many DIY elements to this wedding, I loved all the simplicty and beauty of it. The setting was a beautiful spring day with an outdoor ceremony at the Tea Barn. Brian and Kristin had a beautiful day to celebrate their love with family and friends! Enjoy!

Beautiful Bellevue Wedding

They have known each other most of their lives but their slight age difference left them in different circles in high school and beyond. They thankfully reconnected through mutual friends and had lots in common. They are a great couple and have been planning this beautiful day at the Bellevue Mansion for over a year. Although there was one mishap of a missing wedding cake, everything else was fairy tale perfect!

It has been fun for me to have excuses to hang out with them again because Erin was a high school friend of mine. I always love getting to be a part of a couple's wedding day and this was no exception, in fact I enjoyed myself tons! This type of wedding is great for me as a photographer because I am already familiar with the people. You then throw in the fact that it was one of the most gorgeous days this whole month along with the beautiful setting and details, it was fun for me all the way around. Prepare yourselves for this epic blog post! I trust that your eyes won't get tired :)

Groom getting prepped...

Bride's jewelry...

Pretty bride and her pretty mom...

This wedding day had a great timeline, allowing for pictures before the ceremony. We were able to do a "first look" with the bride and groom seeing each other for the first time. I caught a few of the beautiful bride on our way....


Groom waiting...

Here comes the pretty bride...

I will neither confirm nor deny that our tough military groom shed a few tears...

I love both of these so I will include them both, but usually I prefer an image to live permanently in either color or black and white. These are so similar but both wonderful in my opinion!

A personal favorite from the day...

Another fav of mine...

Bride waiting for the ceremony and peeking as guests came..

The bride and her daddy...love it

Ceremony time!

 

first dance as Mr. & Mrs. 

Happy weekend friends! Eat some Halloween Oreos and get in the spirit...October is almost here!

Featured in Rustic Wedding Chic

So thankful for wonderful clients who put their heart and soul into their weddings! Alexis and Mike got married this past May at the Elkton Tea Barn and it was choc full of wonderful details. Today it was freatured on Rustic Wedding Chic blog, "the wedding blog of choice for brides planning a rustic or country wedding." Head over to Rustic Wedding Chic to check out full post!

Nikki & Danny, Engagement contest winners!

Remember their story from our Love Is In the Air Contest earlier this year? They met when they were 15, but it wasn't happily ever after. Nikki wasn't officially allowed to date yet but they snuck in a friendly double-movie "date" at her house. Nikki's mom, clad in her flannel duck PJ's caught them smooching on the porch and according to Nikki, "my mom first and middle named me while Danny took off running into the snow." Fast forward lots of time, up and downs, and here we are today with them happily engaged and looking forward to a 2014 wedding date! 

Thanks to all of you, the readers of the blog who chose this couple for me to capture. We literally had to reschedule 3 different times due to the crazy summer/stormy weather we have had this year. It was either 110 degrees or thunder and lightning. It was fine with me though because the Sunday evening we finally met up for the shoot, it was nice and breezy (or at least felt that way without the intense heat!) Danny apparently was joking that every time we rescheduled that he had more time to practice his "America's next top model eyes," but it ain't no joke....he definitely had the eyes down! I really genuinely enjoyed being around these two and capturing their love! Enjoy the epic post friends and start thinking of who you want to see enter the contest next February?!

 

There's those Top Model eyes..