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!

we are proud to announce the opening of spence photographics’ very own studio! we’ve officially opened our doors in downtown frederick, in the cultural arts center, at 15 west patrick street, just across from the weinberg center for the arts! we’re thrilled to be neighbors with some fantastic, artsy people, including the frederick arts council and maryland shakespeare festival! come on in and take a tour of our new digs …

having this space allows us to show off some of the absolutely gorgeous couples and families with whom we have had the pleasure to work during the last several years, as well as all the awesome products we have available for your own home!

we created this cozy little space with some help from our good friend, ikea! it’s a great place to chat and hang out for a while, with no distractions! eager to see it in person? give us a shout by clicking here! we look forward to it!

if we can describe erin and matt in two words, they would be sweet and sporty! erin has to be one of the nicest people we’ve ever met. so, there’s the sweet part. how about the sporty? well, she coaches the notre dame of maryland gators soccer team. matt comes in a close second on the nicest-person-we’ve-met scale. as for matt’s sporty? he’s the editor over at lacrosse magazine. this sweet-and-sporty duo chose a beautiful blue-sky day for their wedding in baltimore city. it all started with an amazing view from the hotel room where erin and her bridesmaids primped for the big day.

the group inside erin’s hotel room was a super fun bunch. especially the kids. this little dude, with his mini-whale-covered tie, made us smile all morning.

erin wanted to keep everything simple, and she looked so elegant and lovely, with her flowing dress and baby’s breath headpiece.

the flowers knocked us out. they were the bluest blue and stayed vibrant all day and night.

simply stunning.

a bridal party trolley? yes! easy transportation for all, and fun to boot.

erin and matt’s wedding ceremony at st. ignatius was very touching. and the setting was amazing. a truly gorgeous parish!

such a fun group of people. and they’re mighty good-looking too!

one of molly’s favorite shots. it really captures the mood, colors, and loveliness of the day

erin and matt built lots of time into the day’s schedule, which allowed us to stroll through the streets of baltimore between the church and the reception site. we had a blast exploring the city with them as they literally stopped traffic, with drivers eager to say “congratulations!”

and then we made it to the belvedere. we thought the church was fantastic. the reception site was equally cool.

stunning details made the belvedere’s banquet room pop even more. the centerpieces on each table were unique and awesome.

there were so many awesome moments to capture, we were glad that our good friend shelly of blue sky films was there with us!

but nothing was better than seeing these two smiling and laughing all night. erin, you are so adorable!

the party, provided by the great expectations band, was nonstop! everyone got in on it.

sugarbakers cakes provided a truly beautiful creation.

we were sad to say goodbye at the end of the night, we had such a super time. and we’re pretty sure that erin and matt did, too!

high school sweethearts who stayed sweet on each other, jessi and steven radiate love for each other. you can see it in their eyes when they smile. (you may remember their smiles from their engagement session, posted a few months ago.) they’re smitten. and they’ll always be that way. they made it official on a hot summer day at the lovely comus inn, with sugarloaf mountain in the distance. beautiful, bright yellow and white flowers and handmade details by jessi made the day so unique. and the loving family and friends who surrounded jessi and steven made the day so special.

jessi was simply stunning, a gorgeous bride!

one of the best-looking wedding parties around! but even better, they were also some of the funniest, kindest people around, too!

steven was proud to show off his gift from his bride. super cool cufflinks!

the outdoor ceremony was beautiful. the comus inn really is a lovely setting!

steven’s grandfather officiated the ceremony, which made for a wonderful, personal experience.

seriously? these two are so gorgeous together!

some of jessi’s handmade handiwork. and yes, those are hand-stitched place cards for each guest. awesome!

what a party! from jessi’s mom’s friends to steven’s parents to all the funny, energetic kids — these folks know how to dance!

and the garter toss? priceless! jessi’s brother makes the best expressions. his girlfriend was a good sport about catching the bouquet, too!

perfect crowd for our silly station to make an appearance! so. many. fun. pictures!!!!!

 and the great sendoff! jessi and steven, you two are so beautiful together. thank you for allowing us to spend this spectacular day with you! best wishes for many happy years as husband and wife!

cute. bubbly. all smiles, all the time. yep, that’s holly.

handsome devil. a serious face, but totally lovable. yep, that’s steve.

these two are perfect for each other.

you may remember holly and steve from their super fun engagement session in gettysburg, pennsylvania last year. a few weeks ago, these two tied the knot at the amazing musket ridge golf club. what a day! from the very beginning, we felt right at home. everyone was so easygoing and happy for the cutest wedding couple on the east coast!

thank you, holly and steve! you two were incredible and a joy to photograph! we wish you all the best in your marriage!

holly’s dress was amazing! so many lovely details!

all the bridesmaids looked gorgeous! we love all the details that holly put into the look! flowers by ory custom florals in new market!

thanks so much to my second shooter, mayrn! she rocked the shots with the boys!

holly and steve planned out time before the ceremony to take portraits together. we call this their “first look.” that look on holly’s face when she realizes steve is there — love it! she had no idea he was coming!

that’s one good-lookin’ wedding party!

the beach has a special place in holly and steve’s life together, so all the sand, shells and other beachy details were a nice touch!

we loved all the time holly and steve committed for pictures! it wasn’t hard photographing these two! love, love, love these!

the party was awesome, thanks to the great bruce pike from dynomite djs! so many fun pics!

with liana & steve, it was all about the details. so many beautiful, thoughtful handmade details made their wedding day super special. you may remember this charming pair from their engagement session earlier this spring. after that session, we understood what a special pair they are – ready to have fun, and inspiring with their love for each other. the ceremony and reception all took place on the grounds of matapeake beach and clubhouse in stevensville’s matapeake state park. what a gorgeous setting!

one of the amazing things about liana and steve were the caring, creative friends and family who surrounded them the entire day. from the impromptu drawing on the chalkboard…

…to the hundreds of homemade and decorated cupcakes that liana’s girlfriends created for the day, it was obvious that this couple is loved.

liana’s sisters served as her bridesmaids, but she had a lot of other sister love in the form of her hilarious friends, dubbed “the hootenanny”! these ladies know how to have a good time, and make each other laugh!

steve’s three brothers served as his groomsmen and kept him comfortable as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

liana and steve’s friends participated in the ceremony, reading letters from the couple to each other. it was an inspired touch!

liana wanted to make sure we knew that family photos weren’t complete without this shot: big smooches for grandma!

here’s that wacky hootenanny again! jumping for joy in unison? yep, they can do that! nice job, girls!

here’s another one of those really special touches that liana and steve included in their day. each guest was asked to make a fingerprint on a large tree and sign their name below it. what an awesome, unique “guest book”!

liana and steve, you both were glowing all day long. so happy, so in love!

liana and steve were so excited for the cake-cutting, because they had a little trick up their sleeves. we were in on the joke, getting steve’s brother and liana’s sister to stay close by “for a picture,” when in reality, their siblings just wanted to smash some cake in their faces! it worked brilliantly, and icing was everywhere!

this was one of the craziest, wildest bouquet and garter toss moments we’ve ever witnessed. enough said.

wow! what a beautiful day, what a beautiful couple! thank you so much, liana and steve, for including us in your amazing celebration of love. congratulations!