D. Bryant Photography's Blog

Spring weather on a January wedding day!

dbryantphoto — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:24:24 +0000

The weather was unusually warm Saturday for Anya and Evan’s wedding day – and very welcome! Last year this time we were freezing if I recall correctly … and shoveling some snow. If I’m outside in January without a coat that is just awesome. First wedding of the new year at none other than my favorite location, the United States Naval Academy. Awesome group of folks too! Anya looked amazing and if I could, I’d give a shout out to their hair and makeup artists… whoever it was “insert name here”… they did a fabulous job. Anya’s bouquet was entirely handmade by her new mother in law using a combination of family heirloom and gift brooches from her girls. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen – amazing! Special thanks and shout out to Holly Greve at the Loews Annapolis Hotel. The ballroom was jaw dropping awesome! Completely transformed four walls and a ceiling into a winter wonderland with white draped walls, blue lights everywhere, and a white dance floor. There were various flower centerpieces on each table some as high as 12 ft tall and a floral piece over-hanging the head table which was so impressive. Still need to find out about all the amazing people who designed the reception room; it was spectacular. The band Millennium rocked and performed like mad. I tried to include pics below to show you guys how awesome an event this was. Great to be working in January and looking forward to some downtime. Time for a winter vacation! (holy cow it’s snowing now. .. )

*Brooch wedding bouquet designed by Phyllis Beard

Link to the slide show from the wedding.

Link to register on Pictage to see all the wedding pics.

New Years Eve Wedding – KC and Eric

dbryantphoto — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:08:05 +0000

What a shebang! HOLY MOLY! Wrapping up 2011 with a New Years Eve celebration with KC and Eric at the Annapolis Marriott Waterfront hotel in downtown Annapolis. We started off the day at a beautiful historic home – 112 Duke of Gloucester Street where KC and her girls prepared for the big day with hair and makeup by Kate and Michelle from About Faces Salon and Spa and donning a beautiful wedding gown. Accessories… red-hot shoes and Ray Ban sunglasses and beautiful bouquets by Contessa Flowers. I knew this was going to be a cool crowd when I saw the shades! The bridal party all met up at Mahan Hall on the grounds of an unusually quiet Naval Academy for a quick first site and fun shots at the sea wall.

Fireworks Annapolis Bride and Groom

The ceremony was to be held in the foyer at the Marriott outside the ballroom (I couldn’t get it out of my head all day that we weren’t shooting in the chapel). I kept thinking.. how are they going to transform this foyer into a wedding aisle? I was shocked! It looked amazing! Then on far side of the ballroom guests could see a sign that read “The Hangar Club” with a cool airplane logo on a huge red curtain. This was the entrance to an evening of magic, color, sound, and excitement. Staged Right Productions literally transformed the back deck of the Marriott into a hip club adorned with colored lights, white carpet, leather furniture… Oh my Gaw! It was really amazing. HUGE shout out and credit to Raquel Shutt of Wedding Savvy for having put on one of the most amazing weddings I’ve ever seen… truly! The night ended with the 10-9-8-7…. countdown to 2012 and colorful fireworks show overlooking the Annapolis harbor. We had the best seats in the house! I was like.. hey! Look at all those people standing around waiting for the new year. Ha! This was the party of parties downtown for sure. What a fantastic way to close out the year. Congrats to KC and Eric on their wedding and much luck as they continue on with their military careers. Happy New Year!

Link to slide show

Link to Pictage

Naval Academy Wedding – One week till Christmas!!!

dbryantphoto — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:10:57 +0000

One week to go before Christmas and we find ourselves celebrating Brenna and Brett’s pre-holiday wedding at the Naval Academy. Absolutely great bride and groom! Brenna and her girls looked f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s… partly due to the expertise and impeccable makeup and up do’s from none other than UpDo’sForIDo’s. The weather was sunny, blue skies… but chilly! A small breeze that really cut the cold right through whatever we were wearing but everyone was a champ during our afternoon shoot on the grounds of the yard. The Officer’s Club was transformed into a wedding wonderland thanks to the coordinated efforts of Michele Adamo from Michele Damon Events and Maggie Rogers, Catering Executive at the Naval Academy. From a photographers viewpoint, the real-time image of the room was astounding! Every detail that was painstakingly crafted was perfectly lit using strategically placed pinlights. The linens, floral arrangements, cake table, the head table… everything looked as if it came right out of high-end wedding magazine. This was a real treat for my eyes and lenses. All I can say is Bravo-Zulu to everyone involved! And to top everything off.. Brian Robey from Beat2Beat Dj’s was on hand with awesome sounds all syncopated to colorful lighting on the dance floor. And.. I didn’t get to see them until I left for the night… but on the way out the door parked right out front of the O’Club was none other than my favorite trolley company from Discover Annapolis Tours. One more wedding to go for the year.. New Year’s Eve… but I can’t think of a better way to close out a great year doing what we absolutely love to do; I am very thankful! Merry Christmas everyone and much love.

Click to view Jill’s amazing slide show.

Click to register on Pictage to see all wedding images.

Christine and Jeff’s Naval Academy Wedding

dbryantphoto — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:14 +0000

Awesome fall wedding day! Saturday we found ourselves at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland with Christine and Jeff. Christine and her girls were all dolled up at the Annapolis Waterfront Marriott by Angela and her assistant from Behind the Veil before heading to the yard. We had the first ceremony of the day in the chapel which was nice; didn’t have to navigate a mass of people in transition. A few family portraits and a brief stop by the sea wall overlooking the Severn and Bay and we were off.. back to the Marriott for a banging reception with DJ Frank Young at the microphone. Sarah Campbell-Angers from Intrigue Design and Décor transformed the room with a unique assortment of cobalt blue and yellow flowers, bottles and linens. Jason Canaan from Quality Entertainment supplied some great up-lights which tied everything together visually. Christine and Jeff were a fabulous couple to work with and Jill and I wish them the very best. Off to Paris! I’m so jealous.

Link to slide show

Link to register on Pictage

An Annapolis Fall Wedding – Eileen and Chris

dbryantphoto — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:01:25 +0000

Saturday was gorgeous! Jill and I got to the Governor Calvert House nice and early and dropped off our equipment (thanks Michelle!).. grabbed a cub of java on Maryland Avenue and continued on to 238 King George Street to photograph our bride Eileen and her girls. 238 is an awesome rental property and I give them 5 stars! Love this house. Great location inside and out for magnificent photography. Matt Grubbs from Discover Annapolis Tours showed up (early as usual… good man) to pickup up the gang. Jill and I jumped on board; final destination – St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church on Duke of Gloucester Street for the ceremony and formals. Chris, his best man, and the gents were waiting anxiously for the main event. We jumped outside to grab a few shots of the entourage all decked out in dashing wedding attire. Then the moment came… there she was, at the end of aisle, ready to take the first step toward the rest of her life… dad in arm. Gorgeous ceremony followed by a perfectly lit Mary Garden for the formals. Then off to the trolley once again for a quick ride around town to some scenic locations on Spa Creek overlooking the historic and iconic Annapolis evening skyline. What a great group of folks to work with too! Afterward Matt dropped us off one last time for a quick walk and photos up to the Governor Calvert House where Michelle Vellon (what a great gal) already had the cocktail hour rolling; family and friends were well into the beginnings of what promised to be a fantastic evening of celebration. I was excited to see my favorite band of all time…. Second Nature.. a Washington Talent band, gearing up to play some amazing music. This band is the best; no question. Impeccable musicianship, creativity, vocals…. it doesn’t end. I could talk about them for the rest of this blog. Trust me, they are one of the best in my ears. I was seriously thinking of asking for autographs after the reception! Overall, this was a great wedding day, great bride and groom and great venue. I love my job! No… it’s not a job… I love my profession.

Link to Jill’s amazing slide show

Link to register on Pictage

Lindsay and Mark – The Oaks Waterfront Wedding

dbryantphoto — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:04:53 +0000

Great wedding Saturday at the scenic “The Oaks” in Royal Oak, MD along with Up Do’s for I Do’s, Jason Canaan from Quality Entertainment, and hair stylist Jeffrey Huskins 443-801-5402. Lindsay and her girls were rocking some of the best wedding hair styles I’ve ever seen… hands down. The weather couldn’t have been any better and this gang sure did know how to party. Congrats to Lindsay and Mark on a wonderful wedding day and a great future together.

Link to slide show

Link to Pictage

Jenny and Joe’s wedding day.

dbryantphoto — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:18:39 +0000

Fabulous wedding day Saturday. The most cooperative group of bridal party folks I’ve worked with in a long time! Lots of energy and very attentive to our bride and groom Jenny and Joe. Wedding ceremony was at the St. Martin Lutheran Church on Spa Road in Annapolis, Maryland. Many years ago this was one of the first churches I ever photographed a wedding. Memories! Reception was set at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville, Maryland… The Beach House. My assistant Karen Ames and I arrived on Kent Island just in time for the sun to pop out over the horizon for some dramatic red glowing sun-lit shots our newly weds. The Beach House was decorated just spectacularly, floral centerpieces by Great Expectations Flowers by Inka. They even had a photo booth! And my favorite part of all was the band… HERO! The best (period). I love this band so much that they have my exclusive recommendation. Very talented musicians. I mean c’mon! They played Billy Joel and Kinks? They are hot!

Link to the slideshow of images

Link to register on Pictage to view all wedding images.

Free Shipping through Oct 31!

dbryantphoto — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:40:50 +0000

Free Shipping through Oct 31!

FREE SHIPPING* through Pictage starts Mon 10/24 and ends Mon 10/31. Create holiday gifts out of your favorite images and give them to the extra-special people in your life — parents, grandparents, spouses, kids, best friends and of course YOU yourself.

*On orders over $25, delivered within the U.S. and Canada.

Paradise weather in Annapolis

dbryantphoto — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:52:31 +0000

It was like a slice of paradise this afternoon in Annapolis. Absolutely perfect weather for a banging engagement shoot with one of my new clients. I just have to say that I am so thankful for each and every client I have. I am so blessed to be able to do what I love to do. Thank you Luke and Leigh for bringing me on board the beginning of your amazing journey and allowing me to capture your first memories as husband and wife!

Chesapeake Bay Beach Club Windy Wedding

dbryantphoto — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:47:41 +0000

It was windy! I was thinking to myself… “please let this bride embrace the wind… please… “… and sure enough when I saw Amy step off the limo bus with a huge smile I heaved a sigh of relief. Amy was a glorious looking bride! Her smile and eyes spoke volumes.. she was in love and this was the day she would be wed to the love of her life… David. So, the weather was perfect; well, almost perfect.. just a little gusty. Very gusty! And the venue was perfect… overlooking the Tavern lawn at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville, MD, the waves were full onshore… non stop. No umbrellas on the flash today that’s for sure. The wind made for some very interesting shots with the veil especially during the ceremony with the wind at Amy’s back. Dave got a mouth full of veil every so often! After the ceremony we were graced with a magnificent sunset for some fun, creative photos on the wind and wave swept beach. I was excited to find Mr. John Paul Berry from Absolute Entertainment and his assistant Chevy at the helm of the MacPro and huge sub ready to rock the house. The guests danced their butts off! Thanks to Teresa, Sharon, Brandy and a bunch of other great people over at the Beach Club for helping to make this another great wedding memory. Oh, and I can’t forget Carolyn Bruckner from Cache’ Fleur for providing some beautiful floral arrangements and bouquets. Carolyn Rocks!

Link to slide show

Link to register on Pictage to view all wedding images