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!
 

amanda and carl are most definitely in love. you can see it in the way they look at each other. you can see it in the way they hold hands. you can hear it in their voices.

so it was only natural that during our entire shoot on a recent fall afternoon, they had no problem giving each other lots of “smooches” for the camera. yep, they also like to kiss.

we met up on a gorgeous sunday at catoctin mountain orchard in thurmont. what a place! loads and loads of wonderful spots to shoot, especially with an amazing sunset to light it all!

the apples were in full bloom on the trees, good enough to eat straight off the branch!

congratulations on the engagement, amanda and carl! super excited for your big day next summer at stone manor country club!

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!

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!

you can really tell when two people are perfect for each other. amanda and chris are two such people. they make each other laugh. a lot. they both have a love for life, family, and each other. they both are the life of the party, and make themselves at home no matter where they are. perfect for each other.

so, when documenting their wedding recently at the gorgeous stone manor country club, we were thrust right into the middle of that love and laughter, and it was everywhere, all day long!

when i first arrived, the girls were busy, busy, busy putting the finishing touches on the delicious take-away treats!

everyone was having such a great time! lots of smiles and laughs all day long!

while we were getting some portraits of amanda, bridesmaid suzanne made herself right at home! she’s too funny!

what a fun group!

all day it was threatening rain, but we went ahead with an outdoor ceremony, and it was so worth it! gorgeous location!

chris and his groomsmen cutom built three sets of cornhole boards and bags, even making a midnight trip the day before to walmart to get more paint! love it!

chris has a love of heinz ketchup, so much so (according to his grandmother) that he uses it all the time. so it was only natural that they had custom bottles of the stuff for everyone to take home. perfect!

chris’ best friend, anthony, and amanda’s sister, lindsay, provided many good stories and laughs, plus some embarrassing tidbits for the toasts. all around good fun!

love was in the air all night long, and folks were loving the dance floor!

amanda and the girls were having fun all night long!

congrats, amanda and chris! we loved being a part of your big day!

we are thrilled to announce that our latest venture, silly station, has been featured in find it frederick, a great magazine that talks about all the wonderful places, people, and activities around our favorite city! check us out on page 28 of the winter 2011 edition! you can pick up your own copy at a number of locations in and around frederick county or read it online. thanks again to melissa and all the other great folks at find it frederick!

let us know when you’d like to book the silly station to make your own crazy, fun memories! contact us by clicking here!