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Sylvia & Tim — The Peabody Library — Baltimore wedding photography

I met Sylvia & Tim through my client Lynn, whose stunning wedding to her tall and dashing Frenchman I photographed last year. Sylvia picked her wedding date to correspond with peak blooming time of the cherry blossoms, so I knew it would be a lovely event. We totally lucked out on the weather, too, which was warm and breezy and gorgeous. And through another serendipitous turn of events, the ceremony started a wee bit late, which pushed the time for outdoor portraits of the bride and groom into the golden hour. That’s what some photographers call the window before sunset and just after sunrise when the light is all warm and glowy.

But let’s start at the beginning…

Sylvia getting ready — and sufficiently hair-sprayed!

Taking a moment to write a little note to her husband-to-be…

The bride’s niece, a junior bridesmaid, gets her turn in the hair-styling seat.

Not long before the ceremony was scheduled to start, Sylvia’s girlfriends started arriving. It made for a very fun, festive girl party in the getting-ready room.

A few quick portraits of the stunning bride.

A winding walk down the long staircase in the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church.

Shawn Nocher, of the Floral Studio, created some gorgeous flowers for Sylvia & Tim. The wreath on the front doors of the church — packed with lush hydrangea and roses — was the prettiest I’ve seen. And wait ’til you see the cherry blossom centerpieces she created for the reception!

Then, it was finally time to get married…

My friend Leo Ryan helped me out as a second shooter and assistant at this wedding. He captured this next image from the back of the church as Sylvia and her dad went down the aisle. Whenever I have second shooters, I always ask them to try for this shot. The bride’s dress and veil always look so grand from down low.

The light streaming in the huge windows of the church was just beautiful.

One last blessing and then they’re married!

I loved how the breeze caught Sylvia’s veil as she and Tim left the church.

The new wife looking lovely.

A few husband details.

And then we were off for our portrait session in the parks of Mount Vernon Place in some of the most glorious post-wedding light I’ve ever gotten to work with.

Leo snapped this one.

And since I’m considerably shorter than he is, this is what I caught!

We simply had to find some cherry blossoms to include in the pictures, since the short-lived, fragile little blooms inspired the wedding theme. Happily, we found some along North Charles Street.

I loved how Sylvia walked through the cobblestone square — so grandly and gracefully. When I mentioned this to Tim, he said, “It’s one of her best features.”

A great moment caught by Leo.

And then we were off to the reception at the beautiful George Peabody Library.

Inspired by the cherry blossoms, Sylvia had a beautiful vision for the already-breathtaking space in the Stacks Room of the library. The florists at the Floral Studio, the lighting designers at Perkins Productions and the always-fabulous staff at Classic Catering made it come to life. Making sure everything went smoothly was Kate Beck of Kate Beck Events, who did a simply fantastic job coordinating the whole production and solving every little crisis that arose. (No fancy pen for the guest book? No problem. Kate simply wrapped a regular pen in the same ribbon that was used in Sylvia’s bouquet and tied it all off to look lovely and 100 percent planned.)

The cake — decorated with peony and rose petals — came from Sugarbakers. It was simple and beautiful.

I couldn’t resist including this darling series of my clients, Lynn & Benoit. They’re so sweet!

I always love shooting down low in the Peabody to show off the grandeur of that room, its glass ceiling and the floors and floors full of books. And who can resist a shot of Baltimore’s Washington Monument in the bluey light of civil twilight?

Congratulations Sylvia & Tim. It was a joy photographing your wedding day!