The Shape of Life | Strong Mansion Portraits

January 28, 2013

"he was trying to show me the shape of his life,
and what might become the shape of it."
wendell berry

"He was seeing the time to come as a possibility, and as a life that he loved. And though maybe neither of us fully understood it, he made me love it. It wasn't as though I was being swept away by some irresistible emotion.
It was just... the thought of resistance never entered my mind. When I imagined him entering the life he saw, I imagined myself entering it too. It was a possibility that belonged to both of us.
It is entirely clear to me now. We were coming together into the presence of something good that was possible in this world. And it just seemed that, as we waited together for the coming of this life, it had become wrong to sit apart." Wendell Berry, from Hannah Coulter

Happy Monday!

Enjoy Weddings | Ryan + Clairisse | Strong Mansion on Sugarloaf Mountain

August 04, 2012

so i took my time
oh what a thing to've done
yellow - coldplay

My last wedding before my own couldn't have been better.

Hot wedding. Hot people. The sweat could not be helped. But neither could the joy. In a small little mansion room, over fifteen ladies made their way in and out. There was no walk of life excluded - 70 year old grandmothers and five year old little girls.

Some people are just cut out for pressure cooker situations. They can handle them with grace and chill like most society can not. Clairisse, in her shorts and tank-top, fanned herself and anticipated her day. It's a beautiful thing to watch kindness when complaining could be so convenient. Clairisse is, therefore, a beautiful woman.

Her friends ran to her side and aided the Kindness Cause. Not a word of fuss or distaste among them. They simply looked on the bright side, kept creative and complimented everything they could.

With temperatures well over 100 and a broken AC unit, we had great fun running around with tissues in our arm-pits and fans galore. I adore this series:

Bridesmaid for the win!

You may recognize these flower girls from my 100th wedding last September. When Clairisse was in middle school one of her teachers was pregnant. When the babu girl, Maggie, was born Clair started to baby-sit. Over the years Maggie happily welcome two sisters into her life, and Clairisse was there for all of it. Their relationship is quite meaningful and I couldn't help but be moved by the little girls watching their favorite baby-sitter prepare for her wedding.

But nothing - not even the adorable flower girls - could top the following moment. With the wedding gown hung in the window, everyone in the room rushed about. You know: fans, sweating, dressing, hair, make-up, you get it. All of a sudden Clairisse's mom freezes in the middle of the room, staring at the dress.

"I've seen these pictures! And I was with her when she bought this dress! And, oh, it's just so beautiful. And it's here and, oh, my. Wow."

Praise God for the little ones to lighten the mood and keep the make-up in tact! She had us in stitches.

She is pulchritudinous. (There's a vocab word of the week!)

She just got to do what we all wished we could. Lucky little tot.

I don't know what the feeling is like for someone who isn't a photographer. I suppose I have a similar feeling when I realize I made the perfect coaching decision, and that my team was prepared and able to execute. Or when I make a meal that just, gah, every part of it comes together perfect and right on time and beautiful and delicious. It's that satisfying, earned "Yeeeehhhhs. YEHHHSSS!" but you can't vocalize it at all. You just continue coaching, or serving your meal, or taking pictures. But the moment I saw Clarisse's dress, I had a vision in my head of what I wanted to create while she put it on. And it worked. All the elements came together: her hair was flawless, the light was fantastic, the window sill was wide enough for me to stand on, the 1.2 lens focused abnormally well. And I've never seen Clair look better.

The boys kept their cool outside on the flawless property.

One of my favorite wedding photographs ever, and I didn't take it! My impressive fiance' second shot with me during this wedding. And boy oh boy did he nail it.

Beautiful ceremony to begin a beautiful marriage.

This could almost come across wrong, and I hope it doesn't, but this wedding was surprisingly grown-up and elegant. Ryan and Clairisse met in highschool at prom, and have been young loves. They are fanatical about music (Ryan is the DJ for area proms) and the beach (they even got engaged there!) I would consider them cool - much cooler than I am - and very, very fun. I expected them to have great taste. I expected them to look fiiiine. I expected them to be welcoming and happy. But they were so much more. They carried themselves with classic maturity and graceful depth. I met Clair in middle school, and, well, I don't know... it just seems like we are still so little. And even though I know that most of my graduating class is either engaged or married, and I know that I'm about to be a wife myself, it still catches me off guard that we are really starting our families. And Ryan and Clairisse were just impressively beautiful all day long.

I'm not even *sure* that this was real life.

This wedding was just begging for a black and white series. Begging. And bribing me. I'm a weak woman.

I love it when cool people are cutesy.

But then when cool people dance, I get all self-concious again. ;)

Well ain't that romantic! Owww-eee!

Ryan and Clairisse, I thoroughly enjoyed and even felt honored to be a part of your wedding. I think you two are a remarkable couple. Ryan, Clairisse absolutely bubbles over when you say something funny, and her nose is nearly always scrunched. She watches you in a crowd and relaxes next to you. Clairisse, Ryan is so tender and genuine with you. I love seeing his lack of "ego" or need to show-off. He beams with you by his side. You two impress me. Your patience, your love of people, your joy. It's beautiful.

The tables were named of their favorite albums. For the win!

In over 100 weddings, this was easily top three dance parties ever (I would not expect any less from our local DJ!)

I wish you two an irresistibly fun, continually happy and very, very cool marriage :)

Enjoy Project | Oops! | Strong Mansion Wedding

July 12, 2012

For 10 days I was unexpectedly living in two homes that were internet-less. I'm happy to be "back." Watch for a handful of weddings and part 9 of Oh My My My.

“I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.” pablo neruda

Enjoy Weddings | Josh + Samantha | Strong Mansion

February 22, 2012

“happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness;
it has no taste.”
charlotte brontë

Rain barged into Maryland last September. Day in, day out, the rain sang on our rooftops and waltzed through our streets. It was the wettest September I can recall. September 17, however, was quite still. Moody, but still.

In an old house in Paris covered in vines, er, in Dickerson covered in moss, were twelve (or so) girls getting primped and glossed. (Well done?)

The wedding festivities began at the front gate of Strong Mansion - lovely mossed initials of the bride and groom.

Inside the stately chateau are the ever tasteful and clean rooms. Room after room after room. It doesn't matter how often I shoot at Strong Mansion, I never tire of the rooms.

In a sparked minute, the stillness was gone as my sweet Samantha echoed from the doorway up to the third floor. She is an animated, excitable, loud, dear little miss.

As soon as she arrived their was a different feel to the muggy and quite grey day.

"AH! I have to write Josh's letter! Am I the worst bride in the world? Other people do this, right?" I laughed and nodded. "Ohhhhh-fshoooo! Hahaha! Ah! Okay! I need to focus!" Samantha scribbled away.

I can hear her saying that:

After her letter was all finished and sealed with love, Pretty Miss eagerly donned her favorite dress. "I love my dress. It's my favorite dress. Oh I can't wait to put it on!"

As happy as Sam was to wear that gown, the next minutes only grew happier. She read Joshua's letter for her.

She high-fived and loved seeing her father.

She fiddled and adorned, in all her animated goodness ;)

Now, all that fun and happiness nearly overwhelmed Pretty Miss. In a moment of a planner-girls heart sink, Samantha realized she forget to bring the video tutorial on tying her sash for the bridesmaids to follow. Samantha is, again, very opposite of me in gifting (it's a trend. I'm serious.) as she is extremely detailed-oriented, efficient, on the ball and planned. After two or three attempts at tying the sash it wasn't working right, time was ticking down for the ceremony to start, "How could I forget to bring the video!", I stepped out of the room so that the constant clicking and extra body wouldn't raise the stress. I peered back in to find Samantha taking deep breaths into the mirror repeating "It is oooookay! Alright! It is ooookay!" It made me laugh so much inside. I love this big personality of a woman.

Within seconds she was back to her carefree, thrilled and riotous self.

With no time to spare we glided down the stunning wooden staircase and readied ourselves for the joyous ceremony.

I've mentioned it time and again, but Strong Mansion's grounds will forever be my favorite. Not only did I shoot my very first wedding here (which spoiled me!) but I also went on my first date with MisterMister here ;) I don't think you are technically supposed to do that, but, hey, who isn't drawn to a man who sneaks you onto the grounds of your favorite mountainside mansion for a sunset picnic! There is a whole funny story that goes along with that first date that includes Park Police and beef. Maybe I'll tell it sometime ;) Also, my house-mates, Dre and Becca, had their wedding reception here! It's just THE most special place!

Samantha unshockingly had plans up her sleeve for the ceremony. Strong Mansion does not have a center aisle because there is a beautiful lilly pond in the way ;) Guests sit on either side of the pond. Most brides I've seen have walked on the outskirts of the guests and made their way to the middle at the altar. Wellllll, Samantha decided to have some wow-factor by coming behind the altar and emerging through the woods!

After some deep breaths and reassuring thoughts from her father, she was ready to become a wife.

(Can you see up there ^ the ceremony site? The groom and the pastor have their back to Samantha and her dad. They are facing the lily pond and the mansion. I hope you can visualize that haha!)

When Samantha's musical que arrived, in typical wedding magic fashion, the sun burst out from the clouds. Colorful guests rose, Joshua waited happily.

Dad held his emotions together (just wait to see when he lost it, however. Good luck not crying yourself!)

Thanks to the beautiful lily pond I also can't shoot in the middle of an aisle like I'm used to. It makes for a fun challenge - I hike through stone walls and mossy trees, and tip-toe along waterside, I pull out new lenses, it's great fun!

Instead of having a unity candle or sand ceremony, Josh and Same had a tree-planting ceremony! They poured dirt into a potted evergreen and the mothers watered it. I love the originality!

Mmmmmyea.

After the ceremony (which, I know there weren't many pictures of BUT did you notice anything different about this post? I decided to post only horizontal images! If I didn't shoot the image horizontal, I'm not posting it. Sometimes you have to mix-it up with a wedding post!) the guests enjoyed a classy cocktail hour and reception.

My favorite piece of advice:

At every wedding the Strong Mansion staff sets up a table for the late Mr. and Mrs. Strong. It's very honorable and ethereal at the same time and I love it.

My favorite part of this photo? The little lady with her fairy wand and crown of flowers. Adorable.

It always seems appropriate to rave about the newlyweds during their portrait session.

Joshua, in five words: Young at heart, sincere, loyal
Samantha in five words: Contagiously happy, goofy, organized, vivacious

They're constantly affirming each other: to each other's face, behind their backs, in their writing and e-mails and phone calls. I use the word "constant" very carefully, but I do mean it. In maybe 12-15 hours spent in person with them, and another dozens or so e-mails and phone calls, they literally don't go ten minutes without speaking highly of each other.

They are romantic. Which, I need to pause here for a moment, and comment on. "Romance" to every girl and guy is going to be different. Some truly find an expensive dinner and roses deliciously romantic. Others, however, would find that a complete waste and awfully cheesy. Some would find a handmade card or gift dear and precious, while others might find it lame and half-hearted. One thing I've learned is that outward, consistent, distracting (almost), blatant, and public displays of romance are met with strong opinions from those observing. Folks either love it or HATE it. "Ew. Get a room. Are they seriously doing that here?" or "That is adorable, and true love. How refreshing to see a couple unashamedly affectionate!" Most people would expect and even desire to see affection and goofy touchiness and smirky giggles at a wedding. We clink our glasses and jeer and want more! We just don't want it in normal life, please. I'm proud to say of Samantha and Joshua: who they were on their wedding day, close, silly, smiley, "cheesy", alive, tender, attentive, together and smitten is who they are in real life. And I love it. I love that they are unashamed of each other.

They make a scene wherever they go: they are truly a riot. I saw a good ol' Pinterest pin that describes them well: "I'm probably going to fall in love with you if:
- you don't realize how good looking you are,
- you employ old fashioned terms of endearment,
- you do not bat an eye when I spontaneously launch into a different voice or accent in the middle of a sentence,
- you smell like something incredible from my childhood,
- you have enormous dreams,
- you distract me from my 'real' life,
- you know how to listen,
- you are self-deprecating but it comes across as funny, not uncomfortable,
- we can't stop laughing around each other
- and you fall in love with me a little."

I love incredible them. They are quite dreamy.

We just flash-forwarded a bit, but remember how I warned about Dad "losing it"? Settle down with your pretzals and water bottle for this one (or am I the only one that has a "blog-reading" snack?) It's toast time in the wonderful world of Josh and Sam's wedding day! Toasts are great, right? See? The bride and groom are happy and great.