Graham & Emily | Ashland Engagement Photographer

Internet, meet Graham & Emily. Emily has been a dear friend of mine for years. We met in college our freshman year at Longwood University (did you know I went to Longwood? Oh yes. And a very influential year of my life, it was!) and have been friends since. When she got engaged this year I was SO excited for her! And of course, extremely honored when she asked me to be her photographer. It was awesome to finally meet Graham when we met up for their engagement session. They were adorably sweet together and made my job a cinch! I love engagement sessions so much because it helps show my clients that having your picture taken "isn't so bad." In fact, it's kind of fun and relaxing. Plus, you get to spend the entire session cuddling and loving on each other! Score! :) Here are a few of my favorites from their session:

Isn't Emily as cute as a button?! And Graham, you're not so bad yourself! :) :)

I'm so excited about their wedding this fall!!

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Equipment used for these pictures:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200mm f/2.8l lens  // canon 16-35mm f/2.8 lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer behind sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

Matt & Emily | Richmond Engagement Photographer

Happy Monday! Wedding season is in full swing and I still have some couples I have yet to introduce you to!! Today I am introducing Emily & Matt, high school sweethearts that have been together for over ten years! As soon as we started their engagement session I immediately picked up on how comfortable they were in one another's presence. They felt at home with one another, which I personally find super romantic! We walked around Maymont Park in Richmond just chatting and getting to know each other. Matt makes Emily laugh and her quiet demeanor compliments his relaxed personality perfectly. They were adorable cuddling up to one another during our time together. I am so excited to see these two share their vows in just a few weeks and capture the celebration that follows!

Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200mm f/2.8l lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer behind sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

Alan & Courtney, pt. 2

Courtney & Al know how to have a good time and anyone from my hometown can tell you that Courtney's parents definitely know how to throw a good party! Check out all the fun we had at their reception at Fredericksburg Square that followed their sweet marriage ceremony at the Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church. If you missed part one, go back and check out the first half of their day! (Thanks again to Aaron Spicer for helping out in a major way during this wedding!!)

Right before the cake cutting, Courtney toasted to her younger brother, Terry, who had recently gotten married. Except his wedding was in Japan without a lot of his family and friends present. It was an especially sweet toast and the most memorable line was when Courtney told her new sister in law that she "brought my brother to life again." So deep, so complimentary, and so true. <3

Such fantastic dancing all night long!

Be sure to check out Part 1 of their wedding in case you missed it!

Ceremony: fredericksburg presbyterian church Reception: fredericksburg square Florist: jane guerin Cake designer: the icing DJ: la dee jay Make-up artist: Victoria Miller (bridesmaid) Hair stylist: bella hair (Sandy) Dress: priscilla of boston

Equipment used for this wedding:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 7d // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens // canon 35mm f/1.4 lens // canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens // canon 85mm f/1.8 lens

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Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

Alan & Courtney, pt. 1 | Wedding Photographer

Exactly one year ago  I was shooting Alan & Courtney's wedding while Tommy walked around wearing a 3 week old Sunday in a wrap, bringing her to me to eat every 3 hours. Needless to say, it was a challenging day for my family (and my body! yikes!) but with the help of my incredible assistant, Jacqulyn, and the generosity of Aaron Spicer who gave up a prime wedding weekend to shoot with us, it was absolutely perfect. I love the opportunity to shoot a Christmas wedding! There is nothing like the magic of Christmas on top of the magic of a wedding day... pure bliss!! Plus I was NOT going to miss this wedding, as the bride was someone I have known almost my whole life! But, afterwards I was spending my time recovering and focusing on customer service while adjusting to having a newborn around instead of blogging. So of course Alan & Courtney's first wedding anniversary is as good a time as any to relive their wedding!

As I was planning to blog Courtney and Al's wedding pictures, I thought it would be fun to get a fresh perspective from a bride! I asked Courtney if she would share with me what her favorite picture was from her wedding day. Here is what she shared:

When I read Liz's email asking if I would like share something about my wedding photography experience my first impulse was OF COURSE. Had I truly realized how difficult the task of choosing my favorite wedding picture would be I don't know if my reply would have been so automatic. What a pleasant predicament to find yourself in... too many favorite wedding pictures to narrow it down to one. Heck, I think I'd have an equally difficult time narrowing my selection down to ten!

Our wedding photography experience could not have been any more perfect. As so many soon-to-be brides and recently married brides know, stress levels are a major concern when your big day finally arrives. There was not a single instance throughout my wedding day photography when I doubted the entire experience was being fully captured. Liz and her staff were incredible and completely in sync with my entire bridal party, family and guests... so much so we almost forgot they were there! Liz's talent coupled with her confidence completely afforded me the opportunity to enjoy my wedding day. Yes, I just used one of the most annoying lines people "offer" as advice while planning a wedding.

After careful consideration I decided on my favorite picture from my wedding. Oddly enough the main reason I chose this picture also explains how my family and Liz‘s family know each other. A strong theme of our wedding was the military. I come from a long line of military family members and grew up in the Navy. My husband is now a retired Green Beret Officer and proudly served for twenty five years.

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We encouraged all of our active duty, retired and veteran guests to wear their uniforms and as you can tell from this photograph many did. It was such a special memory for me to have my father walk me down the aisle in his uniform. I am so proud of our service members and to be surrounded by so many loved ones who are currently serving or have served our great nation was a fantastic feeling. A girl can’t help but feel lucky when posing in a picture surrounded by Green Berets and Navy SEALs. :)

Many years ago our family and Liz's family met on a small Navy base. It is very neat to think we have kept the tradition going strong (even if Liz and I married Army men!) This picture is also special to me because we were married on an Army Navy game day and this picture perfectly captures the Army Navy rivalry within our family now.

Thank you Liz for all of our beautiful wedding pictures and for allowing me to relive the happiest day of my life every time I look through our gorgeous pictures.

Thank you, Courtney, for trusting us with your wedding day photography and for sharing your experience with my blog readers! Without further ado, please check out the first part of Courtney and Al's big day. Part 2 will be up on Wednesday!

Alan and Courtney and their entire bridal party were led by bagpipe players through the strees of downtown Fredericksburg from the church to the reception. The crowds LOVED it... they were a beautiful sight (and sound!) to be hold!

Happy, happy anniversary, Al & Courtney!!

Part 2 will be blogged on Wednesday, so come back for that!

Ceremony: Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church Reception: Fredericksburg Square Florist: Jane Guerin Cake designer: The Icing DJ: LA Dee Jay Make-up artist: Victoria Miller (bridesmaid) Hair stylist: Bella Hair (Sandy) Dress: Priscilla of Boston

Equipment used for this wedding:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 7d // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens // canon 35mm f/1.4 lens // canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens // canon 85mm f/1.8

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Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

Chris & Katie, Part II | Warsaw Virginia Wedding Photographer

As my regular blog readers know, I don't typically narrate a wedding day. But the second half of Chris & Katie's wedding requires a few bits of explaination. So without further ado...

These are their awesome siblings that were keeping a HUGE secret from Katie at this point during the day...

Funny thing... when we were taking pictures in the field I suggested we make our next location "by the tractor equipment." Katie pointed to the machine I was talking about and said "Oh, that? That's not a tractor it's a _____!" (She's gonna kill me for forgetting what it even is called!) But the fun part is that Katie is soooo stinking passionate about the work that she does, she wants everyone to know about it! When I went to the farm for her bridal portrait session, she gave me a tour of the place and explained to me the step-by-step process they go through to farm corn and soybeans! Seriously love this girl's zest for life!

They asked for some pictures that included the name of the farm....

And pictures in "the soybean fields," too! Well break my arm why don't cha!! :) (These are seriously some of my FAVORITE pictures I've ever taken!)

So... right here. After the best man and maid of honor toasts, Katie's brothers each came up to say a few words. They wrapped up the toasts by handing her a card and saying "We know you have to be at work bright and early on Monday so we thought we'd give you something to do with your time..."

Inside was an all-expenses paid HONEYMOON!!! Put together by family members who LOVE them SO MUCH! These are the sweet, sweet reactions... (Oh and Chris totally knew it was coming!!)

After the toasts were done and the cake had been cut, Katie kicked off the dancing portion of the evening by starting The Wobble all on her own. That girl has got MOVES!

Each bridesmaid jumped in on a new set and eventually the dance floor was full! The rest of the night was a BLAST...!

SO much love.... SO much fun!! Weddings like this are so surreal to me... I can't believe it is my JOB to have fun and capture such happy emotions and activities! :) Love love love....!

If you missed it, be sure to check out the first part of this wedding! Chris & Katie, Part I | Warsaw Wedding Photographer

Ceremony: Laurel Springs Farm Reception: Laurel Springs Farm Florist: Bridget’s Bouquets DJ: Len Archer Photography: Sincerely, Liz: Photography Catering: A family friend Dress: Kleinfeld NYC 

Equipment used for this wedding:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 7d // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens // canon 35mm f/1.4 lens // canon 85mm f/1.8 lens // canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens

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Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.