We almost completely missed getting portraits with their rented 1953 Bentley... Everything about John and Theresa's Branch Museum wedding was going perfectly. Except we had a SUPER tight timeline to work with because the sun was going down FAST. Their ceremony took place at the typical time I usually pull couples for golden hour portraits. And it was almost 45 minutes delayed because someone forgot the rings! (Absolutely no shame on anyone, because the same thing literally happened to me on my wedding day). But if I learned anything while photographing this wedding, it's that having a couple that trusts me is truly key to making magic happen for their wedding photos! 

A Picture Perfect Branch Museum Wedding

The day started as cool and casual as most wedding days. I arrived super early, knowing I wanted to grab some grand shots of the Branch Museum to help John and Theresa commemorate it’s every beautiful detail from their wedding day. When I finished, I went to meet Theresa and get a feel for how she was doing. She was so calm and kind, basically handing the day over to me to run however I thought best. That kind of trust from a bride is so special to me, because it means I can stretch myself to serve the couple more creatively and professionally! And that same trust would come in handy later that day, when we faced a significant delay in the timeline.

My second shooter, Stephanie (who I LOVE working with because she always takes such good care of me and the couple) arrived while I was taking photos of the dress and details. I was struggling to get a dress shot that I loved, but Stephanie instantly found a place to hang the dress that made for a stunning shot of Theresa’s champagne pink, tulle wedding dress. All kudos to her!

Meeting the Groom

When I met John at the First Look, he seemed equally as cool and collected as his bride. But the closer Theresa stepped, the nerves seemed to heighten, then melt all away all at once. As soon as he turned to see her, they embraced one another. It’s that very moment that makes me fall in love with my couples — the moment I see them melt into one another as if they are already one. It’s what tells me they are true soulmates and their best selves when they’re together.

They had a beautiful ceremony, too. It was filled with beautiful love and words and talent from their loved ones to bless their marriage. But one of my all-time favorite moments of the entire day happened after they were pronounced husband and wife. John and Theresa walked down the aisle, hand-in-hand, then fell into one another in happy tears in the back room. You could feel the joy and relief and surreal emotion all around them. Just look at John’s face when you scroll to those photos! So precious!!!

A Timeline Tweak Saves the Day

After the ceremony ended, I sprang into action. We were losing the sun, FAST. And I knew that they had a pale blue 1953 Bentley rented to transport them to their venue. This was our only shot to get photos with the car before it took them to the venue, and we also had family members waiting inside for formal portraits! But as I peeked outside, I already saw the sun setting behind the horizon line. But Theresa and John trusted me so much that they let me convince their family to wait while we took portraits first while we still had natural light in the sky.

Thank goodness for their trust, and their families’ patience! The sky was dusk blue already. But you would think we were in the middle of golden hour by the way the photos came out! It’s probably the fastest, most amount of poses I’ve ever put a couple through. And I am in love with the results. John and Theresa were the absolute best, most patient models, and that car looked like it was made for them.

Afterward, we flew threw family formals and even had a few minutes leftover! So we grabbed some portraits inside the church before heading back to the Branch Museum for their wedding reception. There’s so much more I’d love to share about, but I think the photos speak even louder than words. Everything was so beautiful and they had such a fun reception!

Here’s the TL;DR version…

A few things I’d love you not to miss as you scroll through:

1. Theresa’s sweet mom! She was bursting into tears when her daughter got in the dress and as she walked her down the aisle. SO sweet!!!
2. Theresa’s stunning bouquet. Who said winter weddings can’t be pink and colorful!? Just gorgeous!
3. Their Croquembouche!! I’ve never tasted this dessert before, but I’m a huge fan now. It was adorable, like a pyramid of polka dotted doughnuts… and yet also elegant looking and frickin’ delicious! Great alternative to wedding cake.
4. Their night portraits! I’m going to do a whole new blog post soon about night portraits. I’ve come to fall in love with them this past year. Theresa and John let me steal them away for just 3 more shots and it was SO WORTH IT!! Absolute magic!

I photographed this Branch Museum wedding as a second shooter under the Willow Britt Studios brand. In addition to serving my ENP Couples, I am an associate team member at Willow Britt Studios. Willow Britt Studios is a studio of professional Virginia wedding photographers who’ve been hand-picked for their talent and client experience to provide beautiful, film-inspired wedding photos. The photos I shared here are shown with my editing style, and not the final edit that was provided to the couple.

If you love my work or want to see more, check out these other blog posts next:

• The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Chaos-Free, Memory-Rich Wedding Day Timeline (+ FREE Template Download!)
• Anthony & Ali’s Colorful Fall Wedding at Plantation at Sunnybrook | Roanoke Wedding Photographer
• John & Lindsey’s Modern Main Street Wedding | Richmond Wedding Photographer
• Ian & Sarah’s Traditional Catholic Wedding in Georgetown | Washington, D.C. Wedding Photographer