Robert Holley Photography

I photographed the wedding of Amy and Andrew Pernick at the Westfield Marriot this past May.  It was the first time that I had been to this particular venue and I was pleasantly surprised to find an elegant space very well suited for the celebration that took place. The day started in the bridal suite where I found Amy, her mother and a group of excited bridesmaids diligently preparing. It was here that I also learned of Amy’s upcoming appearance on “Say Yes to the Dress” which added a fun twist to the day as she was being filmed for the show. I was exceptionally moved when I photographed the staged “first glance” where Andrew revealed his emotion with tears of joy when he saw his bride for the first time. The ceremony was a beautifully personalized event; it held true to the Jewish tradition of union but also conveyed the unique meaning and individuality behind this couples’ chosen devotion to one another. After the ceremony, dinner and a few drinks (of course) the newlyweds along with their guests hit the dance floor. The evening was filled with energized celebration as everyone danced to a combination of contemporary music and traditional Jewish wedding songs such as the Hora. It was an event filled with fun and laughter throughout, along with the photographs to remember it by.

Daphane and Ben were married this Spring at The Westin Annapolis with a blend of American and traditional Asian culture.  Following an American based ceremony the couple and their closest relatives  moved to a private room for a traditional Tea Ceremony.  Both Daphane Ben have a playful and loving spirit and they made sure this came across the entire day.  One of the nicest couples I have ever had the pleasure of shooting.

Kotrina and Murat booked me to shoot their wedding more than a year and 1/2 in advance.  After spending an afternoon in Georgetown for their engagement shoot, I have been looking forward to the wedding ever since.  They are such a loving couple with a bond that is built on a mutual joy of life.  Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Newton White Mansion, which instantly became one of my favorite locations for a wedding in the DC area.  The facility is magnificent and the grounds amazing.   It would be difficult to find a better spot for a wedding.  I arrived at Kotrina’s house to find her and her bridesmaids in pink towels.  These ladies made sure the fun and laughter never stopped!  One of my favorite shots of the day is the joy of their faces as they sneak a peek at the Bride and Groom seeing each other in a set up “first sight” moment.  The entire day was full of joy, laughter and fun from start to finish.

Michelle and Doug were married this Spring at St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland, a church dating to 1841.  This was the first church I have seen with a graveyard completely surrounding it.  After the ceremony the happy couple departed the church to one of my favorite traditions, bubbles!  The reception was held at the Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville.  The club is gorgeous and they allowed us to roam the course a little to get some great shots of Michelle and Doug.

Heidi and Michael were married earlier this Spring in Washington D.C.

I started the day with Heidi at the beautiful Hotel Monaco in Alexandria.  She was the picture of calm as she got ready with her bridesmaids.

We then moved to the Long View Gallery for the ceremony.  Not only was this the first ever wedding at the Gallery, but we needed special permission from the secret service to have the event.  The entire street was closed off and giant barricades erected along the sidewalk for the international nuclear summit being held down the street.  You have to love DC!  The gallery is actually an art gallery as you can see some of the paintings on the walls.  Amy from Engaging Affairs helped everything run smoothly and she created a great post on her fabulous blog, bridal bubbly.

The highlight of the cocktail hour was the National Championship winning oyster shuckers from Martooni’s.

The same space where the ceremony was held was magically transformed into a wonderful reception area and the fun was on!  Michael’s uncle is a professional magician and he put on a great show.  Heidi’s dad and her brothers could be found on the back patio most of the night enjoying cigars and then at midnight the staff served slider burgers, and mini milk shakes.

A walk down the sparkler tunnel ended the evening for Heidi and Michael.

Mary and John were married last month in one of the most playful and interesting weddings I have ever shot.  Not only did the event clearly match the personalities of the bride and groom, but it also paid tribute to their shared love of the theater.  Elaborate flowing blue cloth contributed to both the ceremony and reception having a feeling of being on stage.  Centerpiece cards at each table detailed all of the productions Mary and John have been associated with.  The Best Man speech had everyone laughing so hard they were nearly crying.  A truly enjoyable event!

Kara and Tom were married at the St. Regis hotel in downtown D.C..  The St. Regis is one of Washington’s most elegant and well respected hotels, and they upheld this reputation very well.  This is the year of the snowstorm as we have had a record 72 inches so far,  so of course we had some snow.  This made for some fun and romantic photographs.  The ceremony and main ballroom were spectacular thanks to the fabulous Claudia Lutman.

Lauren and Matt were married at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown.  This is the church that President Kennedy attended while in office.  It was a gorgeous Fall day and this made for some amazing backgrounds.  After the ceremony we walked the streets of Georgetown and got some great shots.  The reception was held at Washington Golf and Country Club in Arlington.  This is one of the oldest clubs in the area and can count many past presidents as members.  A wonderful day.

Sarah and Omar were married at the Thomas Birkby House in historic Leesburg, Virginia.  The Birkby House is one of my favorite spots in the area and I shot there earlier in the summer.  Its hard to beat the classic old Virginia charm of the facility and surrounding area.  Sarah and Omar are a fantastic couple to shoot because they simply forgot that I am with them and got lost in each other.  I tried some creative photography techniques and I am very pleased with the results.

Beth and Jon were married at Bristow Manor in a daring outdoor ceremony.  I say daring because the chances of it being too cold and dark were very high, but everything turned out great!  It was the day after our President won the Nobel Peace Prize so I thought that would make a great back drop for the rings.  The atmosphere was crazy from the start (watch what you do in front of the camera bridesmaids!) and the party never stopped.  We also had the most spectacular sunset I have seen since leaving California.