top rated Maryland engagement photographer

Virginia Mountain Love - Virginia Wedding Photography

It’s Wedding Wednesday and recently I met this great young couple and they had their wedding in the Shenandoah Valley. The setting was chilly but so picturesque. The couple was high school sweetheart and had a small church family wedding in the hills of Shenandoah. The church was their local church that the bride had been brought up in since she was younger.

The wedding party consisted of all their high school friends and they had a great time. Oh and the food was home cooked southern food complete with sweet tea and lemonade! I was in heaven and tried to take a container home. The most unique part of this wedding was the Unity Cross…it was a different take on the candle or sand concept and was more Christ focused. I really enjoyed this family and all the emotion of the day and I wish them all the best.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

When Two Best Friends Marry - Maryland Wedding Photographer

It was a very chilly day in Ellicott City and the setting was the amazing Mainstreet Ballroom location. The bride was doing her own makeup and the groomsmen along with the groom were in their suite joking and laughing as we walked in to see the progress being made. Both were very calm and the families were having a great time as the bar was already open and flowing. As the guest arrived the bride began to get dressed and was ready to make her entrance. Everyone in this party was just there to support the love between these lovebirds that had be together for seven years.

The wedding was gorgeous along with the bride and her details were simple and elegant. The family members came from all over to include the west coast. Cookies were made by family members as a tradition for the guests to eat at the reception and to take home. The Mainstreet Ballroom team was simply stunning and the meal was catered by Eleven Courses Catering out of Owings Mills, Maryland. The most touching part of the evening were the toasts that were made by the brides sister, the grooms brother and father; not a dry eye was around once they were finished. I wish them all the best as they start their new journey together!

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

Friendship turned into Marriage - Maryland Wedding Photography

Importance of a Day of Wedding Coordinator

After the joy and excitement of the engagement, couples begin the awesome task of planning their wedding. Though many couples can easily agree on their ideal wedding, planning the details of that special day can be a challenge. Choosing a wedding coordinator can relieve the stress and help provide smooth sailing as you move from your engagement towards creating the wedding day of your dreams.

Who is a wedding coordinator?

One of the decisions in planning your wedding is to determine if you are going to use a wedding coordinator. A wedding coordinator is a person that organizes your entire wedding. Though they are not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination, they are very helpful and even necessary to a peaceful day for the Bride and Groom. Here are some of the Importance of a Day of Wedding Coordinator on your big day.

The day itself is the biggest reason that one should have a wedding coordinator. On the big day, they organize everything from the catering, to the music, to the decorations, and everything in between, including party preparation. They also make sure that everyone is where they are supposed to be, and when they are supposed to be there. The coordinator in effect makes it so that the Bride and Groom can relax on their day and simply have fun.

Not confined to only the day, the coordinator is also the one that secures all of the pertinent equipment, services, and places to hold the wedding and the reception as well as wedding party favors and vendor lists. They handle every aspect of the during the time leading up to it and keep the Bride and Groom informed of everything on a regular basis. A large number of contacts that are handled by a wedding coordinator is quite stunning, particularly for a larger wedding.

Another key function of the coordinator is to advise the Bride and Groom about themes and decorations. They help to create the perfect event and make sure that the visions of the Bride and Groom are brought to fruition. This is no simple task, but the coordinator is usually in charge of a team of people that can help to ensure success.

When you secure a wedding coordinator, it is crucial that you ask some important questions. Ask for references and check them thoroughly. This is vital as the coordinator is the single most critical link to the wedding for the Bride and Groom. Any expectations that you will have of the coordinator should be in writing and clearly defined. This is to protect you and the coordinator if something should not go as planned.

Having a fantastic wedding day is very difficult if you do not have someone planning and placing everyone where they need to be. This important function among many others is the primary focus and reason behind paying someone to do so. The coordinator is the maestro of the wedding and orchestrates every detail so that the event is about exactly what it should be.

 

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176


A Princess and Her True Love - Bowie Maryland Wedding Photographer

Do you ever know why so many of your wedding vendors are still stressing the importance of a detailed wedding timeline? Well this amazing couple did and they did it very well. The afternoon and evening was great. It started on time and ended on time with a horse drawn carriage exit. Love was definitely in the air and felt throughout the day in this family. We enjoyed working with them immensely.

A wedding day timeline is hour by hour written description that represents how your wedding is supposed to take place. It provides a roadmap of how the event is going to go from start to finish. 

Wedding timelines are essential to the vendors and service workers who are in charge of the event from start to finish. When complete details are not included in the timeline, it could be very hard to keep an event on track. In addition, most times guests need a little direction on where they are supposed to be and what exactly they are supposed to do. 

Keeping a fixed wedding timeline helps the people you hire to guide your guests during the event and to know what to pay attention to during the event. Not only is an excellent opportunity to understand exactly what your guest imagine for the event, but also a fantastic way to solve some time issues while visualizing the event. Many things can go wrong with your event. That is why is necessary to have an actionable plan and also an intelligent event coordinator that will make your plan comes in the form of a timeline.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

A Wedding Unplugged - Maryland Wedding Photographer

In this world of technology, sharing details of one daily life through social networks has become the norm. The modern generation is obsessed with cameras on their phones, especially selfies that like to share with everyone. People will use their smartphones and cameras to take pictures of the wedding ceremony.  My recent couple Veronica and Jason decided to have an unplugged wedding and it made the day even more intimate and filled with love.

However, the use of personal cameras and phones at the weddings can be distracting at times, it takes the guests away from the moment and steals the importance of the day. But not all the photographer can go far as to be taken away from the skills of the professional wedding photographer by literally standing in front of them and hijacking the shot. Being present in the moment is becoming a lost pleasure. It seems to be a catalyst for many couples to opt for unplugged marriage. 

What is an Unplugged Wedding?

By definitions, Unplugged wedding can be referring to a kind of wedding ceremony where the bride and groom inform the guests to put off their electronic devices, such as their smartphones, tablets, camcorders, etc., and be fully present their mind at the moment of the ceremony. 

Here are some of the benefits of an unplugged wedding.

1. Marriage is a unique event in life, and any disturbance can affect the importance of it. An unplugged wedding will have less disruption and the guests will be fully present right now and will not be busy taking pictures, talking and responding to social networking posts.

2. It will be difficult to control the distribution of your wedding photos when your guests are busy photographing of this personal moment and share it on social networks. You do not always want your wedding photo published on Facebook 2 minutes after the "I do’s".

 3. Guests who are trying to snap pictures during special moment such as during rings exchange, vows and first kiss moments may end up spoiling the photographer's photo. Although this does not happen often, they can negatively affect the background and sometimes erase the picture with fast flash.

 4. Another point to consider is the distraction of sounds that multiple cameras make, again, this is not a big problem, but with this hearing loss on the phone becoming a tune which has the potential to overtake the moment. 

You can notify your wedding guests about the unplugged wedding in advance by choosing a very polite message from your invitation card or an announcement before your wedding ceremony. By doing this, you are inviting them to be with you on the most important day of your life and at the same time ensures you to protect your investment in photography.

 

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

Eighteen Only Comes Once - Maryland Bangin Birthday Sessions

Milestone birthdays and the photo sessions that go along with them are a thing and I love them! Kamari came through Catherine Rae Photography for her 18th birthday session complete with a make up session. When I say this young lady was born to be in front of the camera I cannot express it enough. Her family surprised her with this event and then made a day, no a weekend out of this momentous occasion.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

Fashionable Couple in DC - Washington DC Engagement Session

Another fun loving amazing military couple is about to tie the knot!!!   I had the pleasure of photographing this couple in Washington DC one EARLY morning.  I love when a couple comes with outfits and has an idea in mind of what they want to do.  Michelle had coordinated the outfits and Dennis went right along with what needed to be done.  We had a great time walking around and getting these fun shots.  

Best wishes to them in their future! 

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLES NEEDED - FREE ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Hello and Congrats on your new engagement!! 

Catherine Rae Photography is looking for 5 couples in the DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia area that just got engaged over the recent holiday season.

WHO SHOULD APPLY? 
Couples that are not afraid to be affectionate in front of the camera
Couples that love to get dressed up
Couples that have a sense of style
Couples that can think outside the box  
Couples that love to laugh and have fun!!!

YOU WILL RECEIVE:
1 hour outdoor photography session
1 digital/print image
watermarked gallery
(option to purchase more images)
preferred booking for wedding photography
$200 discount for wedding photography if booked by 2/14/18

Click here to apply for a FREE session!

Engagement_DC_RockCreekPark_CRP-14.jpg

Click here to apply for a FREE session!

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176