Nicole and Doug booked me to photograph their wedding before the word “pandemic” was ever spoken. We had the most perfect plan laid out for their engagement session. You see, their first date was at the FDR Memorial near the Tidal Basin in Washington DC. Doug planned a romantic walk around the monuments with a hidden bottle of wine. And after Nicole turned him down several times, this one date night seemed to do the trick. They shared their first kiss there, too! But if you ask them where that happened, you may end up getting two separate answers.
As cherry blossom time came around, we started looking at dates for their engagement portraits. Our plan was to go back to the location of their first date and since there are cherry trees winding in and out of the FDR Memorial, it was going to be the perfect time of year for us. Unfortunately, DC quickly started reacting to the pandemic by closing down access to every place a tourist is likely to go. Including their beloved FDR Memorial.
Our postponement turned into a cancellation. And then their wedding plans were affected.
Thankfully, we were still able to meet for their intimate wedding celebration that fall when some restrictions began lifting. Their wedding will always be one that I will remember fondly. Their ceremony was filled with personal vows, story sharing, beautiful quotes from people they admire, and of course – lots of laughter.
One year later Nicole reached out to me and asked if we could meet at the monuments in DC to try their portrait session again. This time, instead of celebrating their engagement we celebrated their anniversary. And of course, I was going to be there without hesitation!
Enjoy a peek into the morning we spent exploring the city – including the filming of an HBO series at the Lincoln Memorial that prevented us from going any further than the front steps.
What’s an anniversary celebration without a bottle of champagne?
