we’d been anticipating christina and mike’s big day for a long time. these two are so much fun to work with! (you may remember them from their engagement session back in the fall.) they chose a great day in late march to say their vows at the villa in beltsville. we were so happy to be able to spend the day following these two around, capturing all their smiles and all the lovely details of their special day!

we loved christina’s dress! and so did her dad!

mike looked none too shabby in his tux.

the guys kinda loved having their pictures taken, including our resident “photo bomber.”

here’s another look at the sneak peek (one of our favorite images)!

happy, happy, happy!

all smiles during their first dance!

we were so excited to see betsy and jim again (that’s them, holding hands in the image above)! we spent their wedding day with them back in 2009, and they told christina and mike about us. thanks again, guys!

christina and mike, thank you for inviting us to share your wedding day. (and mike, we’re still working on some ideas on how we can follow you around and photograph you on more occasions! ha!)

you know what really gets a party going? well, a good dj or band certainly helps. but we’d also suggest something that comes with a bucket full of crazy hats, mock mustaches, tiaras, boas, chalkboard thought bubbles, and even a darth vader mask. that’s right, we’re talking about our silly station! for those of you who aren’t familiar, the silly station is a standalone photo booth created and constructed by us to offer hours of hilarious fun at wedding receptions, birthday parties, and various other soirees! guests step inside, choose a prop (or not) and snap as many pictures as they want. it’s seriously fun. but actually, there’s nothing serious about it. just check out some of the choice pics below. we grabbed them from recent events the silly station attended. and we realized something in the process. the best part of the silly station? afterward you have documented proof that everyone from your toddler cousin to your elderly aunt has a wacky side. few people can resist the urge to get silly in the silly station! (interested in having the silly station at your next event? fill out our contact form.

at most weddings, all eyes are on the bride (as they should be!). but we’ve seen lots of eye-catching style coming from the guys’ side of the aisle as well. forget basic black tuxedos! lots of guys are figuring out how to add color (pocket squares! cool vests! awesome ties!) to help their style shine through on their big day. we love when groomsmen get in on the act, too. check out some great examples of cool guy style we’ve noticed at some recent weddings, below…

“always put your best foot forward.” it’s good advice! but we’d like to add a little twist to that advice, especially for brides and grooms. how about “always put your best shoes forward!” many of our couples have gotten creative with footwear over the years, and we just love it! it’s an unexpected, sometimes secret, always interesting way to show off just a little bit of your personality. brides and grooms can get in on the act, too. check out a few really awesome examples we dug up from the spence photo archives…

from super-glam heels (jimmy choo! woo!) to embroidered chuck taylors, to a splash of red and dancing skeleton socks! what a variety. but one look at these shoes and you know a lot about the people who are wearing them! we love to photograph special details like this! so, go ahead, get creative with your feet. and don’t forget to let us in on your fancy footwear secret!

rain, rain go away?! actually, no! most people think rainy days (like today, for instance) mean a rain-out for good picture-taking opportunities. but that’s not true at all! when rain is in the forecast we just grab our nicest umbrellas and go for it! we’ve been fortunate to work with some great couples and families who were eager to get out in the rain and the results have been fantastic. you know, they say that rain is good luck on a wedding day! and we believe it! check out some of our favorite rainy day photo ops…

these cuties were guests at a wedding and weren’t afraid of a few raindrops!

we think the umbrella makes a sweet (and necessary!) prop in this pic!

jessi and steven were ready for the rain – she brought some cute rain boots with her to their engagement session. and the misty atmosphere made for some really romantic shots!

steven and liana were the definition of good sports when an unexpected rainstorm drenched them (and me!) towards the end of their engagement shoot! love it!

today we begin a special weekly blog post we’d like to call … the friday feature! that’s right, every friday, we’ll be featuring some great pictures right here on our blog. to kick off this series, we’ve created a fun, little slideshow of some of our favorite images from weddings we were fortunate enough to photograph in 2011. we had so many lovely, wonderful, happy brides and grooms in 2011 that we ended up with an amazing array of images to share. we hope you enjoy them!
 

a long time ago, erica liked to check out our blog every week to get her “wedding fix.” well, erica, now it’s time to get your “fix” from your own wedding pictures! you may remember erica and matt from the baltimore engagement session we shot with them more than a year ago. we absolutely love these two, and couldn’t wait for their wedding weekend at the amazing tremont grand in baltimore!

from the moment we walked into erica’s hotel room, we knew we were in for some fun. erica was all smiles while her hair and makeup were getting done (awesome job by up do’s for i do’s!). and then we spotted this note from matt posted inconspicuously on the wall: “dear erica, I marry you now. – matt” too sweet.

erica chose such lovely, rich details for the day. and that dress!

these two are nothing if not expressive. we love the look that erica gave herself in the mirror when she finally put on her gorgeous dress. that’s right, girl, you look awesome. and then, there’s matt…

… matt, you are the most fun.

the guys … so cool, so fun.

the tremont grand is an outstanding venue. so many old-style details, marble, columns … amazing!

you go, girls!

helping to make the venue even more gorgeous was jj cummings floral company of baltimore.

remember what we said about these two being expressive? well, it continued during the ceremony. matt was so emotional as the ceremony got started. frankly, we were a little worried about him. and then erica walked in, and his face lit up with a smile.

the ceremony was pure love. lots of laughter, then a smash of the glass and a jump of the broom, and boom. husband and wife.

so many people surrounded matt and erica with their love that night.

one of our favorites.

love!

wow! the reception was stunning. one of the best moments was when erica welcomed her guests by exclaiming, “marriage is great, but how about those kick-ass centerpieces?!”

it kinda looks like these two are happy. and that they like each other. a little.

erica’s sister and matt’s brother gave some great toasts! so. much. love.

and then the crazy, awesome dance party, courtesy of our good friend, evan, from my deejay, could begin! horah, anyone?!

that’s the way to party, people! we were glad to have our friends from blue sky films with us that night to capture all the awesomeness!

 speaking of partying, how about that silly station? so many fun pics!

look up “love” in the dictionary. this picture is there.

what a way to end the night – a midnight surprise sundae bar! woo hoo! awesome party, awesome people. erica and matt, we are so very happy for you both, and were truly honored to be part of the start of your lives together. much love to you both!

raiquel has a passion for fashion. a few years ago, while a student at howard university in dc, raiquel used that passion to produce an elaborate fashion show, with dozens of models. one of those models was dwayne. the two of them formed a bond, and years later, we were fortunate enough to be with raiquel and dwayne as they began their journey as husband and wife. the day began at the gaylord resort at the national harbor, continued with a meaningful ceremony at unity church of washington, and ended with a lovely reception at the sunset room back at the national harbor.

the gaylord resort hotel is enormous and beautiful. how about that view from raiquel’s room?!

it’s all about the details…

dawn newsome of pro’s @ artistry (third from left, above) helped the lovely ladies look even lovelier!

the ceremony featured the professional trumpeter randy dunn, who came in all the way from houston, and the vocal talents of soloist janet dokes(below left), who brought the congregation to their feet.

raiquel found her amazing gown by pnina tornai at kleinfeld in new york, the bridal boutique made famous on the television series “say yes to the dress”.

the wedding party surrounded raiquel and dwayne with love all day.

the sunset room was stunning, with its views of the national harbor. flowers and lighting by da vinci’s florist made the space look amazing.

fancy cakes by leslie created the show-stopper cake!

one thing’s for sure – this crowd knew how to party! and they did it all night long.

folks lined up immediately to get a spot at the specialty candy bar and chocolate fountain set up by capitol chocolate fountains. yum!

a stunning end to a stunning day. congratulations, raiquel and dwayne, and best wishes for many years of happiness!

the love that surrounded nikki and mike on their wedding day was palpable. you could see it in their families’ and friends’ eyes. but most of all, you could see it in their hands. you see, most of the guests, and most of the wedding party, and most of both nikki’s and mike’s family members speak american sign language. and everyone in attendance, whether they use ASL or not, could see the excitement, exuberance, and joy with every smiling face, and every gesture and sign.

brenda dalton of rose brooke studio made all the ladies look their best, and was a delight to work with!

after nikki sent a heartfelt note to mike just before the ceremony, mike’s groomsmen teased him relentlessly as he tried to write one back!

nikki, you make such a gorgeous bride!

stone manor country club was a wonderful setting for the ceremony and reception.

our friends at the organized bride took care of all the lovely little details! well done!

nikki and mike performed a great choreographed first dance, to lots of cheers from their guests!

at weddings with lots of ASL speakers, claps are replaced by hands waving in the air. and when the guests want the bride and groom to kiss, no glasses get clinked. instead, napkins are waved wildly in the air! fun!

super fun idea – a make-your-own photo stand!

this crowd knows how to do the horah! that really kicked off the party for the night!

shew-sical entertainment kept the crowd dancing in stone manor country club’s great tent!

congratulations to you both! we had a wonderful time and wish you the best!

come on, irene! not exactly the lyrics to the dexy’s midnight runners hit, but that’s how we all felt leading up to the weekend of ashley and justin’s wedding. hurricane irene was bearing down on the atlantic coast and looking like it would slam right into the dc area. oh boy, right where the bolger center is located. not what a wedding photographer wants to hear with a planned outdoor ceremony and lots and lots of outdoor photo hopes! needless to say, my assistant, maryn, and i rolled with it and had a wonderful time! everyone, from the wedding party to the guests to the bride and groom, were just happy to be in the same place together, celebrating ashley and justin.

the skies that day were full of dark clouds and loads of rain. so, we retreated inside and made magic!

the details that ashley and justin worked on were awesome! from the thumbprint tree guestbook poster to the super flowers from en masse, everything was so lovely!

ashley’s dress was stunning! and all the little details she chose were perfect, most found courtesy of her self-proclaimed obsession, etsy.com.

the girls had such a great time getting ready, at one point they even broke into song!

lookin’ good, justin!

we loved the flower in ashley’s hair, just perfect! and her makeup, by aaren king of made makeup, was gorgeous!

the bolger center‘s stained glass hall is amazing!

this group knew how to party! and some were big goofs! can you guess who? haha! love it! thanks for being good sports!

with a hurricane rearing its ugly head outside, we did our best to use the locations that were still dry and nicely lit, and we love the results!

what a room! just amazing!

the buttercream shoppe made this super original cake to mimic the stained glass at the bolger center!

the dance floor was packed all night long, thanks to the talents of chris murray of mix of sound.

thank you for sharing your amazing day with us, ashley and justin! you are such a great couple, and we wish you the best!