Congratulations to Carrie and Tom!  They were married on a beautiful Fall day in October of 2019. You may remember their Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Engagement Session from earlier this year.  But let me back up a little bit!  These two met on the dating app “Coffee meets Bagel”!  Carrie made the first move when she reached out to Tom and asked him, “why don’t you have an ice breaker question?” He made one up on the spot and asked, “How much does a Polar Bear weigh?”  Carrie sassed back the actual answer, “994lbs” and the rest is history!

Tom proposed at a Restaurant overlooking the bay on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, after they dated for 3 years.  Carrie said all the pieces were in place, she just didn’t put it together that he was actually proposing until it happened.  There was a photographer nearby that captured it as Tom got down on one knee.  They could see the dolphins splashing around, as if celebrating with them, as the sunset.  Tom wishes he could take credit for planning that part.

Carrie and Tom booked their wedding at a brand new, up-and-coming venue to Loudoun County, The Barn at Willow Brook, before it was finished being built!  Which is totally crazy, but totally awesome at the same time!  They were gracious enough to include me on one of their early site visits.  At that time the finishing touches were still being added, but I could tell already how special this place was.  Betsy Madden and her husband Daryl spent time thinking about the details of the Barn.  How is the space going to be used? Where will the dance floor be? How big should the bathroom be?  This venue was designed to be a venue, so those nice details (like 3 stalls in the Ladies’ Bathroom) could be prepared for in advance.

The Wedding Coordinator, Kelly Prince, was incredible to work with as well!   She answered my questions and then would always ask whether that worked for me.  If it didn’t, we came up with a compromise that we were both happy with.  Kelly was flexible and could problem solve on her feet, when sometime unexpected came up.

 

 

Carrie is wearing Tom’s Grandmother’s earrings and her sister’s veil for her “something borrowed.”  The Bridal Suite at The Barn at Willow Brook is a farmhouse dream!  There are 2 bedrooms, a bedroom full of cute bunkbeds, and 2 full bathrooms for the bridal party to use in the main house.  The room she dressed in has a large, beautiful window that allowed soft light to stream in while she got ready.  The day was slightly overcast which made the light even softer.

Look at those flowers in Carrie’s Bouquet!  Would you believe that they’re made out of wood! Yes, I said wood!  She will be able to enjoy her bouquet for many years to come!  Check out Grit & Grace, LLC for more information!

Accompanying Grit & Grace’s sustainable bouquet are the traditional bouquets by TD Backyard Florist, and they compliment each other beautifully.

I love it when my couples include their furbabies in their weddings!  Meet Sparky!  He’s an Australian shepherd, border collie mix and just wanted to stop and smell the flowers. He was such a good boy and made sure to spend equal time with his Mom and Dad.  Poor guy was in a small cast on his back leg after an injury the week of the wedding.

Tom and his Groomsmen were celebrating in the basement level of the main house at The Barn at Willow Brook.  This walkout basement has a full size kitchen, with a giant island, bedroom and full bath plus extra space for family to wait.  It walks out into the patio that features several tables and a firepit.  These guys chose a local favorite whiskey, from Catoctin Creek Distillery, to celebrate with!

Everyone was all smiles as they walked down the aisle to the altar.  These sweet little sisters loved their moment in the spotlight!

And, of course, Tom was smiling as soon as he saw Carrie walking towards him.  I love the genuine joy that his Groomsmen have for him too!

The Barn at Willow Brook held all of their guests, some who were seated upstairs in the loft had a unique view of Carrie and Tom’s First Dance.  Look at all that light, natural wood!  I kept telling Betsy what a dream it is to shoot here.

Tom’s Grandfather has a passion for dancing and is famous for dancing in his white tube socks! They surprised him by passing out socks and playing his favorite dance song, Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and this made him grin from ear to ear.  He’s been on Little Big Shots: Forever Young!  Watch here! The crowd  went wild watching him go!  Absolute joy to watch!  Definitely a memorable moment for Carrie and Tom’s wedding!

Toasts by the Matron of Honor and Best Man had everyone laughing like crazy and crying from the stories and moments shared.  The Groomsmen had made up a Peach schnapps based drink nicknamed “the Sparky” after their furry Ring Bearer. Everyone was starting to have a really great time!

 

Venue and Vendors List

Venue: The Barn at Willow Brook – betsy@thebarnatwillowbrook.com

Coordinator: Kelly Prince – kelly@thebarnatwillowbrook.com

Florals: TD Backyard Florist,  703-435-5787

Bridal Bouquet: Grit & Grace, LLC, Hello@GritandgraceLLC.com

Caterer: Helga’s Catering,

DJ: Repeatable DJ, info@repeatabledj.com, djrepeatable@gmail.com

Videographer: Chris Does Video, chrisdoesvideo@gmail.com

Officiant: Sean Devolites

Ring Designer: Tacori

Bride’s Dress: Couture Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal

Groom and Groomsmen Suits: Jos. A Bank

 

Also a special “Thank you” to my second shooter, Marcy, for being a great support shooter.  Your documentary perspective always adds to the story of the day.