A Tudor Place + Four Seasons Hotel Georgetown wedding: Paula + David - Jennifer McMenamin Photography

A Tudor Place + Four Seasons Hotel Georgetown wedding: Paula + David
The Tudor Place | Four Seasons Hotel Georgetown | DC wedding photographer | DC wedding photography

As a former writer and unabashed emotional sap, I make no secret of how much I love personal wedding ceremonies and especially vows. But even by my very high standards after shooting hundreds of weddings over 11 years in business, Paula + David’s vows were among the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing and the privilege of photographing. They talked about how different they were from each other when they first met — she liked dressing up and going out while he preferred to be outdoors and getting dirty — and how much the other’s interests and priorities have brought to their own lives as they’ve become intertwined. It was incredibly sweet to hear about her going scuba diving and about him proposing when they were all dolled up for a concert, because he knew she would like that. But one of my most favorite moments was when David flat-out promised to learn Russian. He did so nonchalantly and Paula — and her entire family, for that matter — was so obviously shocked and delighted. It was a joy to capture that entire series of moments for them. They exchanged vows and rings in a tiny ceremony with fewer than three dozen of their closest friends and family members in attendance at the gorgeous Tudor Place in DC’s Georgetown neighborhood. After the ceremony in the shadow of the 201-year-old National Historic Landmark home, the newlyweds took pictures with *everyone* in attendance, in both a couple of large group photos as well as smaller clusters that reflected their family ties and their close groups of friends from school and work. It was so lovely! After some casual portraits of the couple around the Tudor Place’s beautiful and lushly green gardens, the entire group took a meandering walk together through Georgetown to the Four Seasons Hotel, where they enjoyed cocktails and hors d’œuvre on the patio before heading inside to the Bourbon Steak restaurant for an intimate little dinner party. It was nothing but fun to photograph their entire afternoon. Here are many, many of my favorites:

The bride, looking absolutely lovely.

The couple’s friend who officiated the wedding lent his watch to the ring bearer. Here, he explains where the hands of the watch need to be for it to be “wedding time.”

And then it was time to get married.

Paula is so expressive that she was a particular joy to photograph.

And here it is: That I-promise-to-learn-Russian moment.

Married!

Weddings are so full of wonderful, meaningful moments. But even the most perceptive and feeling person is bound to forget countless wonderful moments in the whirlwind of the wedding day. That’s what I love so much about my job and about photography in general. It freezes time. It captures emotion and helps us remember those moments later on. I love, for instance, how David is looking at Paula in this next image on the left. It is an absolute honor to document that kind of joy and love for my clients.

With only a few dozen people in attendance, we had plenty of time to make some fun, efficient photographs with the whole group as well as smaller groups of friends and family members. I enjoy shooting not only the formal photographs of everyone ready and looking at the camera but also the fun moments that happen just before and after that when everyone is just being themselves and enjoying their time together.

Paula + David were experts at following my direction to ignore me and just enjoy each other’s company for a few moments.

I loved the juxtaposition in this next image of the older couple just ahead of the newlyweds on the historic streets of Georgetown during their stroll to dinner.