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

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

Groom Details are important too!

   As we roll into a new year and we are in the middle of the biggest engagement season of the year,  I thought I would share some ways to capture the grooms details that are important. Obviously brides get much deserved attention on the wedding day, but the groom has some things he will want to remember as well! As you prepare for your or a friends' wedding day, think through if the groom has special cufflinks, gifts for his groomsmen, a gift or letter from the bride, etc. These are the things we don't want to forget because chances are, they were thought about and planned for just as much as the rest of the wedding day!

Tips for fellow photographers:  Try to keep with the color story of the wedding for cohesiveness in the imagery (helps with prints and albums later) and also look around for masculine feeling textures or surfaces. These will help bring the details to life but be a contrast to the usually feminine and light bride's details. 

These really unique, personalized "beer growlers" were the grooms gift to his groomsmen. The snazzy bowties were a nice touch for everyone!

Sleeks groom's shoes on a whiskey barrel 

The groom getting ready is just as important as the bride! Although admittedly way less stressful usually ;) 

Groom tying his dad's bowtie with a smile. A sweet and memorable moment for both of them I am sure!

All the groomsmen together looking dapper!

   For the record today I am on my third cup of coffee, my kids have only been in school 2 of the last 21 days and it feels like a negative temperature outside. It's Friday and I feel the need to have some sign of productivity and sharing in my life. I feel a little warmer just thinking about wedding season! Images in this post shot by Emily while second shooting for @TracyFleckPhotography in 2017.  If you are recently engaged or might be getting a ring soon, check with me about available wedding dates for 2018. 

Fairwind Farm & Stables, Northeast, Maryland Wedding

   Hannah had a friend that said, "you should meet my brother" and that is where it all began! Hannah met Caleb and their love story began. As the drizzle came and went on the last Sunday in May, nothing could dampen the excitement Hannah and Caleb had for their wedding day. The beautiful details like peonies and rustic farm charm had this wedding feeling like a dream. Their sense of fun and humor was in each detail, even things like the groom's cake topper that read, "I love you like a fat kid loves cake!" We had to duck in and our of rain showers to do some outdoor portraits but I think we were successful! 

Hannah's dear friend Brenda grew and created all the florals! They were just gorgeous!

Such a sweet moment as his bride comes down the aisle...

Cakes by "I have a Confection to Make" - www.ihaveaconfectiontomake.com

Congratulations you two! 

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!

Fall Wedding Sneak Peek

    Just a quick sneak peek from the beautiful fall wedding I photographed over the weekend here in Delaware. It was held the the lovely Montchanin Inn & Spa. We were battling winds and rain, but the time we had for photos went just perfectly!  Congrats to Amanda & Andy who are flying off to their honeymoon today!  (If you need a good restaurant suggestion in the area, Krazy Kats did all the food and it was amazing! When I tell you I never loved a brussell sprout in my life...they changed my opinion on them! Delish!)

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