Wedding & Engagement Photography

Classic DC Engagement Session | San Diego Wedding Photographer

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Whoa. This is my first post since 2013 as a San Diego Wedding Photographer! It’s good to be back on the West Coast! I am over the moon being back in Southern California, and can’t wait to get my wedding season started in the San Diego area, however, I’m no longer allowing geography to slow me down. This year, I actually have weddings all over the country, and I hope the trend continues for years to come! I love traveling, and of course I love photography, so I hope to combine the two as much as possible.

It’s actually quite fitting that I start my summer off by sharing this couple’s engagement session. We may have captured their engagement portraits in Washington, D.C., but their coastal North Carolina wedding is going to be even more amazing! I’m at a bit of a loss as to where to start with the story of Becca and Brennan’s engagement session, so how about I start with how Becca and I came to know one another.

Some of you may know that I am active with an organization called TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors – check out the website to see the awesome work they do!) I first met Becca several years ago at a TAPS event for survivors. Our survivor community has a saying that basically boils down to: “You’re the best family I never wanted to have.” Becca is my family, and I am blessed to have her in my life. She’s strong, smart, incredibly kind, and totally gorgeous.

A few years after Becca and I first met, along came this totally great guy named Brennan. I also remember the first time I met him – Becca actually wasn’t able to attend an event sponsored by Team RWB, though I was, and Brennan was organizing. Not long after that, I was able to see the two of them together and I knew it was going to be something amazing. These two are so incredibly in love – they support one another and chase after their dreams together. It was a sad day when they told me they were moving to North Carolina, but oh, what a great opportunity it was for them!

Ok, ok, back to their engagement session. Yes, they drove up to DC from NC just for this session. We had several “must have” locations on our list, and a short amount of time. Additionally, we ended up battling the weather as some surprise thunderstorms appeared. That’s summer in DC for you! But all ended perfectly. We were able to take some amazing photographs at the Lincoln Monument – the location they first met! – and on the mall before the rain chased us back to the car. From there, we moved on to Becca’s old neighborhood in Old Town Alexandria, and one very special alley. (They also treated me to ice cream, which was probably the highlight of my week!) Finally, we wrapped up the evening with some snuggle time at Green Spring Gardens.

It was so difficult to narrow down my favorites, and this isn’t anywhere near all of them. The love and connection these two share is so completely evident in these photographs. I hope they will always cherish these images, and the time we were able to spend together that night! Can’t wait to see you in North Carolina in a few months!

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A Cozy National Harbor Engagement Session

Sunday, April 2, 2017

We had an unusually warm winter this year in Washington, D.C. Relatively mild temperatures in the 40s and 50s, with lots of sunshine, made for a fantastic week in early February – perfect for an engagement session in National Harbor!

Darlene and Marlon’s Engagement Session

Our goal for D + M’s engagement portraits was to get a lot of variety and make it fun. National Harbor is full of great shops and restaurants, as well as the gorgeous waterfront views, which is why they chose to hold their wedding there later this year. It just made sense to take advantage of our warmer winter days and the scenic views for their engagement session!

We started out with a “sweet” series outside a candy shop. I loved the bright colors, especially when winter can be a bit drab in urban environments. From there, we made our way around the area, chatting and stopping to shoot here and there. About midway through, we decided it was time to warm up for a bit in Starbucks (my personal addiction!) Once we could feel our fingers and toes again, it was back out to the waterfront. Two of the musts on our list: shots with the ferris wheel and a silhouette with the sunset. I decided to combine the two! Lots of cozy snuggles kept D + M warm the rest of the session, and despite the chill in the air, I captured some of my favorite engagement portraits of the winter!

Thanks for hanging out with me that day, D + M! I really loved getting to know you both better, and I had a lot of fun! I hope the rest of your wedding planning is smooth sailing, and your wedding day has a perfect sunset just as we did that day.

Here’s a handful of my favorites from Darlene and Marlon’s engagement session:

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A Cherry Blossom Wedding

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Last spring, I had the honor of participating in a small event for photographers, hosted by Meghan Rose Photography. Meghan put together a beautifully styled wedding shoot and vendor mixer. As you may know, the Washington DC area gets a little crazy about the cherry blossom bloom, so this was an amazing opportunity to photograph without the distractions and interruptions that typically occur during peak bloom inside the District.

Our venue was Historic Londontown, one of my favorite Annapolis landmarks. The cherry blossom blooms were perfectly delicate, pink, and plentiful. Our models for the day were beautiful, but more importantly, FUN to work with! For our couple, who are really married, it was their first time doing something like this. I think they knocked it out of the park!! It was so difficult to narrow down my favorites from this event!

Not only did we have gorgeous subjects to photograph, but the details….Oh, the details! The jewelry, the cake, the macarons, the cookies, the tablescape….oh my! It was easy to get lost in just capturing the small accoutrements for this event! The soft hues of pinks and greens complemented the theme and rounded out the shoot. As a bonus, I was able to network with fellow creatives from the Annapolis, Baltimore and Washington DC areas and make some new friends! I love when creatives come together to teach and learn from one another!

I am now booking a very limited number of Cherry Blossom Couples sessions for Spring 2017. Perfect for engagements, anniversaries, or just because, but these will fill quickly! Please contact me directly for more details, dates, and to reserve your session: info@powellwoulfe.com

Cherry Blossom Wedding Event Vendors

Hair and Makeup by Vintage Veils

Event Planning by Charming Grace Events

Cake by Whipped Cakes

Glassware and Sandblasting Design by Eikoh Design

Stationery by Lattice Tree Studio

Florals by Flowers by Tedi

Formalwear by Annapolis Formal

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A Charming Old South Country Club Wedding

Friday, February 3, 2017

Elisabetta and Ty Celebrate their Old South Country Club Wedding Day

A love story many years in the making, this chapter was literally storybook perfect! Old South Country Club was an ideal venue for E + T to tie the knot surrounded by their family and friends. With a Southern elegance and charm, I loved the romantic portraits we were able to capture! Elisabetta looked flawlessly perfect in her wedding gown, and her bridesmaids completed the gorgeous vision with their pale pink gowns. The gentlemen stunned in their light suits. The wedding party was a perfect vision of Southern charm and elegance! Even the hot and humid air couldn’t interfere with the joy of the day. Their forever after was sealed in a brief, but personal, ceremony outside in the courtyard overlooking the golf course and hills beyond.

After the sun went down, and the temperatures cooled, it was time to dance the night away in the beautifully decorated tent. No detail was overlooked! Several heartfelt speeches and even performances to celebrate the newlyweds kept everyone smiling and laughing throughout the evening. It was easy to see that both E + T were deeply loved by everyone they knew. Work friends, school friends, old friends and new friends – all coming together to rejoice with the bride and groom!

Towards the end of the evening, several of the groomsmen “decorated” the getaway car, and filled it with packing peanuts, but the couple took it all in good humour. We also had the opportunity to step outside the country club for some nighttime portraits, which are always my favorite. Then we capped off the evening with a sparkler exit and one final farewell to E+T!

These are a few of my favorites from their Old South Country Club wedding day!