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Thanks to Naomi and Will for a great day. Couldn't have ask for a better couple weather and the lighting this afternoon was on point!! #richmondweddingphotographer #rva

9/30/2017

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Thanks to Naomi and Will for a great day. Couldn't have ask for a better couple, weather and the lighting this afternoon was on point!! #richmondweddingphotographer #rva
September 30, 2017 at 09:38PM
via Instagram http://ift.tt/2x5OdcP
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Beautiful day spent in downtown #RVA at #brownsisland. Did a #classof2018 senior session and checked out #vapride festival. #picoftheday #pridefestival #cityscape #richmond

9/23/2017

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Beautiful day spent in downtown #RVA at #brownsisland. Did a #classof2018 senior session and checked out #vapride festival. #picoftheday #pridefestival #cityscape #richmond
September 23, 2017 at 08:02PM
via Instagram http://ift.tt/2wJOFgE
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Sheriff Dallas is on duty. . . . . #bichonfrise #dogs #picoftheday #dogsofinstagram #photography #cutenessoverload

9/18/2017

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Sheriff Dallas is on duty. ? . . . . #bichonfrise #dogs #picoftheday #dogsofinstagram #photography #cutenessoverload
September 18, 2017 at 05:39PM
via Instagram http://ift.tt/2xc8aeX
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Note to Brides and Grooms: Don't Forget to Buy Each Other a Present

9/15/2017

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Note to Brides and Grooms: Don't Forget to Buy Each Other a Present (436)

(NewsUSA) - If you're reading this story, you're probably one of the approximately 825,000 couples who've just gotten engaged since Thanksgiving and are now planning your wedding. So here's perhaps the single most important reminder -- and grooms do seem to need more reminding than brides -- anyone will offer: Tradition holds that you both exchange wedding presents.

(Yes, grooms, even though you just bought her an engagement ring.)

But what to get?

"Gifts should come from the heart," says WeddingChannel.com.

Well, yeah. But that still leaves a lot of room for error. So here's some tips to keep in mind whether you two opt for some type of jewelry -- the traditional and most popular choice -- or something else.

* Practicality can wait. Etiquette dictates that gifts be exchanged at one of three times: the night before the wedding, the morning of the ceremony, or right before you leave on your honeymoon. So you could see where this has the potential for becoming a bigger disaster than Chernobyl if the groom's idea of "practical" is, say, a toaster.

* Being uniquely personal is appreciated. One of the best examples we've heard of is a guy who had a photographer secretly capture the moment he proposed in New York's Central Park, and then presented the results to his bride on the day of their wedding.

"So cute!" read a typical blog post.

The downside, of course, is that pulling it off requires imagination and -- in this instance -- a lot of advance planning.

* Jewelry can be "traditional" without being boring. Case in point: the very hot Argyle diamonds trend (www.diamondswithastory.com), which fulfills the quest of even the most eco-minded couples for diamond fashion jewelry since the stones are produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way from the Argyle mine in Australia. And the diamonds, themselves, come in gorgeous neutral shades like champagne, cognac, silver and gray.

"If your bride likes something different from what all her friends have," says jewelry and style expert Michael O'Connor, "then the Argyle diamond bracelets, necklaces and earrings are perfect and available at many retailers across the country -- I've even spotted women at gyms wearing the diamond pendants. And the cufflinks for men are truly elegant."

Perhaps because prices start at as little as a few hundred dollars for some pieces, O'Connor calls them "the ideal gateway gift." Meaning, you can use other occasions -- think birthdays and anniversaries -- to add to your collection through the years.

Yes, brides and grooms, you'll soon have to start planning your next milestone together.

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There is no instinct like that of the heart. . . . . . . #Virginiawedding #virginiaweddingphotographer #virginiaisforlovers #theknotvirginia #marthastewartweddings #luxurywedding #instawedding #weddingideas #bridalfashion #instabride #weddingfashion #

9/13/2017

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There is no instinct like that of the heart. .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #Virginiawedding #virginiaweddingphotographer #virginiaisforlovers #theknotvirginia #marthastewartweddings #luxurywedding #instawedding #weddingideas #bridalfashion #instabride #weddingfashion #marriage #bridesmagazine #weddingphotography #futuremrs #marryme #tyingtheknot #wifetobe #thatsdarling #heputaringonit #soloverly #brideandgroom #bridesmaid #ohwowyes #flashesofdelight #realwedding #aisleperfect #theknot
September 13, 2017 at 05:37PM
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Life is brief but #love is long - Alfred Lord Tennyson . . . . . . #Virginiawedding #virginiaweddingphotographer #virginiaisforlovers #theknotvirginia #marthastewartweddings #luxurywedding #instawedding #weddingideas #bridalfashion #instabride #wedding

9/12/2017

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Life is brief but #love is long - Alfred Lord Tennyson⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #Virginiawedding #virginiaweddingphotographer #virginiaisforlovers #theknotvirginia #marthastewartweddings #luxurywedding #instawedding #weddingideas #bridalfashion #instabride #weddingfashion #marriage #bridesmagazine #weddingphotography #futuremrs #marryme #tyingtheknot #wifetobe #thatsdarling #heputaringonit #soloverly #brideandgroom #bridesmaid #ohwowyes #flashesofdelight #realwedding #aisleperfect #theknot
September 12, 2017 at 05:05PM
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Saint Gabriel Catholic Church Richmond VA Wedding

9/12/2017

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​The beautiful wedding ceremony of Cheryl and  Matt took place in the Saint Gabriel Catholic Church in Chesterfield. Both Cheryl and Matthew wanted to go the traditional way and not see each other before the wedding.

This gorgeous venue gave me plenty of opportunities to click memorable pictures of the ceremony and the family in attendance.

The reception party was later hosted at the Brandermill Country Club in Midlothian. 

The bride and groom party was a fun lot of people comprising two bridesmaids, two matrons of honor (Cheryl wanted her sister Vickie and best friend, Julie, to be her matrons of honor), three groomsmen and one bestman. And of course, I cannot forget the cute little flower girls and ring bearer who made the ceremony even more beautiful.

​

Both Cheryl and Matthew had their parents present at the wedding. The couple had a very unique theme for their wedding-navy blue and silver with sunflowers. The idea was to have a sober background color scheme and add a dash of brightness with the yellow sunflowers! I loved this concept and it worked extremely well for the pictures too.

The floral arrangement for the wedding was done by florist Jan Daniel. Jan also made and delivered the wedding cake for Cheryl and Matthew (​TAA-DAA Cakery).

Following the ceremony at the church, the entire wedding party gathered at the reception venue at around 4pm. The celebrations started off with the guests dancing to some amazing music played by Joe Bowman from ​Dynamite DJ’s. Of course, I really enjoyed clicking the family and friends having so much fun! 
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May we #neverforget #911

9/11/2017

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May we #neverforget #911
September 11, 2017 at 04:54PM
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#chocolateworld with @caseyvandegrift

9/10/2017

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#chocolateworld with @caseyvandegrift
September 10, 2017 at 05:21PM
via Instagram http://ift.tt/2xUqzvV
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8 Steps to Crafting Your Wedding Hashtag

9/7/2017

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8 Steps to Crafting Your Wedding Hashtag​Consider yourself officially enrolled in Wedding Hashtags 101.
by www.theknot.comThe Knot

Unless you're having an unplugged wedding, we're betting that shortly after getting engaged, you started thinking of the perfect wedding hashtag. We don't blame you—it's one of the first fun things to start planning! Read on for the top tips from wedding planner Jesi Haack and social wedding concierge Sophie Pyle of Tweet the Bride for the scoop on how to create a successful hashtag.

Step 1: Start with your names.This may be a bit obvious, but let's start with the basics. Use your first, last and nicknames as your starting point. Remember that cutesy mash-up name your friends gave you guys in college that stuck for some reason? Well, this may be the time you actually want to embrace it. "It makes it easier for the guests to remember, which means more people will actually use it," Haack says.

Step 2: Use numbers for a simple way to set your hashtag apart.If you don't have any standout monikers or can't come up with anything quirky, using the year or date of your wedding is an easy way to make it your own. There might be a lot of #JackandJill in the world, but you'll probably be the only #JackandJill111717.

Step 3: Get punny.This is one part of your wedding you can really have fun with, especially when it comes to word play. Look for alliterations, rhymes, synonyms and puns for a hashtag that's both clever and memorable.

Step 4: Avoid easy misspellings.Read over your hashtag for any obvious ways it could be misspelled by your guests (especially when the drinks start flowing). For example, you may want to shorten longer last names or move words around if there are two of the same letters in different words next to each other. It could be as simple as flipping #saraanddave to be #daveandsara.

Step 5: Capitalize the first letter of each word.Capitalizing the first letter of each word can help with readability if guests can see where each word starts and ends. Doing this will also make it more likely that everyone will get your joke or pun. With or without the capitalization, your hashtag will work the same either way.

Step 6: Check the hashtag.Before you print those save-the-dates, do a quick check of the hashtag to see if there's already been something tagged to it and, if so, how many photos. If there's only a handful of other photos that don't seem wedding related, go ahead and use it, but if there's an entire other wedding with the same exact hashtag, you may want to switch a letter to a number or pick a different rhyme to avoid getting the photos mixed up. "Hijacking someone else's hashtag is no bueno," Haack says.

Step 7: Spread the word.After you've decided on a hashtag, it's time to get the word out. Start early by telling your wedding party and putting it on your save-the-date and wedding website. At the wedding, you should also have reminders in case they forget. Pyle suggests using a cute sign that matches your décor. "Putting it on the menu is nice too," she says.
​
Step 8: Don't overthink it.Will you remember your wedding hashtag forever? Maybe. Will you love the photos everyone took forever? Definitely. So if it turns out your couple nickname happens to be the word for a delicacy in another language and you start seeing food photos that aren't on your catering menu, just roll with it. "Turn it into a light joke," Pyle says. At the end of the day, it's the photos you'll really care about having, and that everyone had fun with it.


Find your perfect wedding hashtag template here.
Looking for ways to creatively display your wedding hashtag? Right here.
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    About Crystal

    Crystal Vandegrift is a wedding photographer covering Virginia, D.C. NC and Maryland.

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What Our Clients Are Saying

Pictures were one of my top priorities for my wedding. I spent a lot of time reading through photographers and even contacting some. I was also pretty nervous, I had never been professionally photographed before. Crystal and her team were SO easy to work with and immediately took away the nerves. I trusted her completely and I am so happy I did. Cannot recommend enough!  Ellen - Yorktown VA

If you're looking for an amazing photographer who is relaxed, has experience, and knowledge look no further. Crystal took our engagement and wedding photos. Not only were her photos amazing, but she is extremely responsive to messages and will even help you when planning your big day. It was important to us to work with a photographer who has experience with same sex couples, and Crystal and Casey did a great job capturing everything for my wife and I. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. - Emily - Nellysford, VA

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  • Home
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