There could never be enough words for the pictures or pictures for the stories, but here’s an attempt.

From opening a studio to moving my home, to finding home in another – 2011 was a year for stretching and hope and excitement like none other. Hard decisions and lessons learned and long talks at our tree by the river with thanks and goodness in it all.

I left Virginia 15 times for trips around the world and still can’t believe I’m this fortunate. Mexico, Scotland, England, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Tennessee, Florida, California, and a few states in between.

This is the work I’d hoped to do, and now it’s somehow real.

Narrowing down a year of stories for this post was so much more difficult than I expected, like being forced to choose a favorite child. I tried to see it less as favorites and more as a focused collection. Focused on what I’m most proud of, and what I hope to do more of.

I’m forever grateful to the dear-hearts who trusted my work and opened their beautiful lives with kindness, and I hope you enjoy!

Look slowly, share if you like, and know that I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you.

Much love.

They were one of Those couples.

the No-We’re-Not-Dating, We-Just-Go-On-Dates-All-The-Time-And-Have-DTR’s-Every-Two-Weeks kind. Aaron liked her, Lauren didn’t like him, but they got on so well as friends so that’s how they stayed.

I’m sure 50 years from now he’ll still be giving her a hard time for how long she made him wait, but then again you can’t rush this sort of thing. His patience paid off when she realized some friendships have a way of never wanting to end, and now I’d say they’re pretty dedicated to their togetherness.

I met Lauren when we worked at Anthropologie together, (so of course their outfits would be this excellent) and she’s one of the most fun, laid-back dears you’ll ever get to hang out with. Aaron’s finishing up at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, so we had this party of a shoot all around there.

Enjoy!

Ozzy and Phil are one of the sweetest couples you’ll ever get to meet.

He clearly goes out of his way to take such sweet care of her, she’ll voice her genuine appreciation and say something in her Ozzy way, (which always makes him laugh) they’ll call each other dear and darling with a tone of devoted love and respect, and continue on with their life of adorableness.

They both have more formal taste than who I usually photograph, so I had loved the challenge of fulfilling that vision. I wanted to still invest some of my style so after enough brainstorming we came up with the inspiration of a formal armchair portrait in a forest, playing up the best of both worlds.

…and then they found The Throne, and the appropriateness reached an all-time high.

Enjoy!

After that we went to Dumbarton Oaks Park in Georgetown, one of my favorite spots in the area aaaand where he proposed!

ADORE this shot with the parasol

]]> http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/magic/feed/ 3 http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/a-bachelor-and-bachelorette-and-their-happily-ever-after/ http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/a-bachelor-and-bachelorette-and-their-happily-ever-after/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:40:04 +0000 Rebekah http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/?p=1057

Ohh happy : )

I’m sometimes accused of playing favorites with clients, but life isn’t fair and not everyone’s a winner and Tori + Aaron are pretty much awesome.

She’s actually a darling friend of mine, and is the loveliness behind Marvelous Things Photography in Indiana. We first met online through our friend Micah, (hi!) who actually, we’d both met online as well. Can’t imagine a sketchier way to start a friendship but we met last year when we photographed Micah’s wedding together, and we’ve been kindreds to the nth ever since.

(Who else could put up with my driving?)

Last time she was visiting Aaron in Richmond I drove down for this shoot, and the three of us met for lunch to discuss the all-official details. (Like whether baby carrots or paper airplanes would be more suitable for guests to chuck as they left the reception.) It was a happy little surreal moment when we realized we were at the same place (and almost exactly a year to the date) that she and I had gone to after a wedding, where she’d first mentioned This Guyyyy who was a good friend and fun and cool and basically perfect, but she just didn’t know how he felt.

A couple days later he asked her out, and their years of friendship turned into something marvelous.

Hanging out with them is hilarious. Sarcasm is their love language and they couldn’t be more adorable together even if a rose ceremony depended on it. (…or at least it looks that way after I was able to photoshop the happiness in.)

It was so fun to do their engagement shoot and of course I’m thrillled for their wedding, but I mostly can’t wait till she moves to my state already : )

Enjoy!

<3 <3 <3

so i know i’m months behind on blogging, but i just had to share this from today’s engagement shoot.

you’d have to know these amazing folks to appreciate how perfectly THEM the day was, but at least know they spent weeks scouring antique shops for the perfect chair to bring along.

…and then they found the Throne.

More fun people!

Ashley and Wike are one of those awesomely Chill couples who (truly madly deeply) love being with each other and having a good time. They’re ridiculous comfortable together, in fact it’s like they wouldn’t be themselves without the other. When they first met it was hardly love at first sight, but thankfully time and circumstances have a way of changing even the most resolute of hearts : )

We went to Dumbarton Oaks, which is a jaw-droppingly-elegant gem of a park in the middle of Georgetown. There’s an historic mansion and acres of gorgeous Old English-esque gardens and paths and forests and pools and mosaics and iron gates chock-full of character.

It’s a shame they hate photographers so much but we explored for a while and (score!) didn’t get caught.

they have this habit of laughing…

no really, it’s like all they do. I love it!

we walked through Georgetown and found a hill with a stellar view of the city…

…and all the while they just kept laughing.

Thanks for being so awesome, and I can’t wait for August!

FUN PEOPLE FTW!

mike and danielle are one of the most exciting and genuine couples I’ve ever worked with….they’re like the epitome of unpretentious goodness that everyone wants to have around. I think our every “client meeting” includes enough laughter to result in odd stares from every neighboring table.

they’re both recent Tech graduates but have been dating since high school. last winter mike took her on a Choose Your Own Adventure trip around DC, where at each place she had to blindly choose where they went next. (but mike, being clever, made all the choices the same) for the shoot we kinda followed their explorations, starting at the Theodore Roosevelt Park, went on to Georgetown and ended where he proposed – on the roof of the Kennedy Center.

(hahah and I think my all time favorite shooting style compliment would be mike noticing I’m “easy to kiss in front of.” excuse me while I update my resume…)

enjoy!

mike works in construction so first off we had a Build Your Own Playground challenge, -and what a sweet location eh?

our tribute to awkwardfamilyphotos.com

told you they’re fun.

gosh i love these so much then Georgetown, and “buildings…with the bricks…”

ahhh favorites!

and just in case we didn’t have enough favorites, a gorgeous sunset met us at their corner of the Kennedy Center’s rooftop where he proposed, and life was beautiful.

thanks guys for being so undeniably awesome, and I’m stoked for all the good times we have left : )

]]> http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/chincoteague-wedding-preview-stewart-natalie/feed/ 7 http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/naval-academy-wedding-preview-claire-patrick/ http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/naval-academy-wedding-preview-claire-patrick/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:55:12 +0000 Rebekah http://www.rebekahjmurrayblog.com/?p=718

<3 <3 <3