In today’s blog post, I’m thrilled to share the highlights of a stunning styled wedding that took place in Occoquan, VA, celebrating LGBTQ+ love and inclusivity. As an LGBTQ+ affirming wedding photographer based in Baltimore, MD this beautiful day held immense personal and professional significance for me!
Throughout my career as a wedding photographer, I’ve had the privilege of capturing countless love stories.
If I’m being honest, for lack of a better way of saying it, it has driven me nuts that my portfolio lacked representation of LGBTQ+ couples. This absolutely does not align with my values as business owner and a queer individual myself. It became incredibly important to me to prioritize creating a space where LGBTQ+ couples could see themselves reflected in my work while feeling safe and celebrated throughout their entire photography experience. After all, queer couples still often face discrimination and bigotry in their wedding planning process.
One day, while scrolling through Instagram, an ad on stories caught my attention. It was an invitation to participate in a styled wedding with Styled in Pride, a platform that brings together LGBTQ+ affirming wedding vendors to collaborate on styled wedding days featuring real queer couples!
As excited as I was about the idea, I must admit that I have always had reservations about styled weddings.
I had always been hesitant to venture into this realm, fearing that the curated nature of styled wedding days might misrepresent the true essence of a real wedding day. However, I realized that this was an opportunity to exercise control over the elements that are often outside of my reach during actual weddings while spotlighting beautiful queer couples in my portfolio (Without tokenizing clients).
Styled in Pride, founded by the talented Nick Hanyok, offers a safe and inclusive space for queer-affirming wedding vendors to come together and create beautifully curated styled wedding days. Photographers are able to purchase tickets to participate in the event, and truly, I cannot recommend the experience enough! Not only was it a blast to meet and work with like-minded photographers, but it was super affirming to photograph the kind of happily ever that I hope to see for myself one day.
It was an honor to be a part of this collaborative effort, working alongside like-minded vendors and photographers who share my passion for capturing the beauty of LGBTQ+ love!
I was lucky enough to photograph not one, but TWO Styled in Pride weddings over the course of the week! (I’ll be recapping wedding number 2 soon!)
On the first day of the styled wedding, I had the pleasure of photographing a gorgeous couple—a WLW (Woman-Loving-Woman) duo— Erika and Jessie! As I made my way to the venue, I was surprised to discover that one of the models was actually a fellow photographer friend of mine! This added an extra layer of joy to the day, capturing her and her fiancé as beautiful brides (even if this wedding day was just practice for their REAL day!).
Now, let’s dive into some of the details that made this styled wedding day extra special!
Every element was thoughtfully curated to showcase inclusivity and to celebrate the diversity of love.
- Venue: The Riverview at Occoquan served as the picturesque backdrop for this styled wedding, providing the perfect setting to bring the vision of inclusivity to life in some stunning early fall light.
- Décor: The décor was a masterpiece of curated elegance, with white and blush florals, delicate floral arrangements (And the first floral wreath I’ve had the joy of photographing!), stunning paper products, and tasteful details creating a romantic atmosphere that perfectly complemented the love that filled the air.
- Intentionality: Every detail, even down to the names and titles selected to display on guest place cards, was intentionally done to tell a story of diversity and inclusivity. I love that so much time and thought went in to making this day representative of many communities.
Participating in this styled wedding allowed me to capture love stories that resonated with my own experiences and values as a LGBTQ+ affirming wedding photographer in Baltimore, MD!
It is so important to me that queer couples see themselves represented in my work, knowing that they can trust me to honor their love and capture their unique stories authentically.
Being a part of this styled wedding was such an affirming experience for me as a photographer and as an individual. It re-inspired me just before my busiest fall season of last year and reminded me of the power of representation in the world of wedding photography. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Styled in Pride and the talented vendors involved, as together, we created a space where love knows no bounds! Now… enjoy scrolling through this pretty recap! I’ll pop in from time to time throughout your scroll to provide context to certain elements that may differ from a real wedding day!
A special shoutout to the amazing team that made this beautiful styled wedding a reality! If you are looking for a talented, queer affirming wedding vendor in the VA/DMV area, here is a GREAT list to get your search started:
Host and Coordination: Styled in Pride | Photography in this post: Cait Kramer Photography | Venue: The Riverview at Occoquan | Florals: Rita’s Roses VA | Planning: Grace and Virtue Events | Rentals: Curated Events DC | Invitation Suite and Menus: CharmCat | Cake: Delicate Creations | Makeup and Hair: Creative Hair and Makeup Design by Perry Warren | Styling Mats: Olive and Oak Mats | Favors: Grace + Love Candle Co.
Riverview at Occoquan was generous enough to host us for the day! This light-filled venue positioned with the most stunning views of the Occoquan River offers couples tying the knot here SO much versatility.
I got to photograph not one, but TWO beautiful stationery suites! I LOVE the gold tones paired with a little bit of shimmer in this set!
I mean… how stunning is this set? I love that these suites each incorporate the same color palette in a completely different way!
Erika and Jessie were getting pampered in hair and makeup, and once this was completed, we separated them to prep by themselves, so they could be surprised by their partner’s look during the first look!
Once everyone was ready, we headed outside for Erika and Jessie’s first look before diving into some portraits.
After portraits, it was time to get these two “hitched!” We staged a quick ceremony-inspired vignette where these two exchanged “vows,” kisses, and celebrations!
After the “ceremony,” it was time for some more portraits! We got some of THE most gorgeous early-fall light this afternoon!
As stunning as the portraits were (I mean… Erika and Jessie are just the most gorgeous couple!), the reception decor and details were absolutely incredible too. You’ll see a mixture of the two different setups that I got to photograph below— including two different paper suites! I love how black and white anchors this setup while the pops of gold and greenery add a bit of softness. Every detail was so thoughtfully curated from the guest names on place cards to the flatware, guest favors, and more!
We staged some reception vibes as a group before heading outside for some more sunset portraits… this time, taking our gorgeous couple down to the docks overlooking the river!
Just OOOOONE more pretty vignette before I sign off: the sparklers! Typically, sparkler exits make me sweat… but this one made me SO happy! Erika and Jessie kicked off their heels (Well deserved after a long day of modeling!) and we headed outside for these two to dance and twirl and kiss with sparklers as their light! It was the sweetest, most intimate spin on a sparkler exit.
If you’ve made it this far, you are a champ! I hope you enjoyed this beautiful styled wedding recap and are excited to see the second day of this wonderful experience soon!
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[…] share this styled wedding day that I had the privilege of photographing back in October! I shared part one of my amazing week with Styled in Pride a few days back. In this post, I share a little more about […]