Sarah Lehman and Brian Sugarman tied the knot on July 20th, 2019 in Georgetown DC. They held a traditional church wedding but incorporated a first look and wedding photos at the nearby Tudor Place Historic Mansion. I was fortunate to meet the couple through The Knot and shot their engagement session in DC. You can find the link to the session here –

We worked very closely on the timeline for this summer wedding. With sweltering temps, the couple opted for an indoor traditional church wedding but they also wanted epic outdoor images. Working together, we crafted the day with a special courtyard first look and also post-ceremony wedding photos at the Tudor Place Historic Mansion.

Insider Tip: The best decision that a couple can make is to front-load photography coverage. This allows for plenty of time during the early part of the day when there is good light, to get great images! If you must conserve, consider partial coverage of the reception with the events at the front of the reception or consider a “staged exit.”

The Wedding Venue

The wedding took place at Georgetown Presbyterian Church. I enjoyed shooting in the bridal getting ready space where there was a lovely antique mirror and chandelier. This made the perfect backdrop for pictures of the bride with her mom. The bride wore an elegant dress and a veil which was the perfect complement. I loved her hair and lovely earrings!

What people may not know is there was a circular staircase inside this historic church which was simply amazing! And there was also a lovely organist’s loft in the sanctuary which allowed us to capture wonderful moments from above. The feeling of the service was sweet and sacred. I loved that the couple chose to include the famous hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. After the “I DO’s,” I headed over to the Tudor Place for more wedding photos of Brian and Sarah.

The Wedding Images at Tudor Place Historic House

Shooting in the gardens of the Tudor Place was glorious, sweet, romantic – EPIC! I can’t wait to go back with future couples! We braved the 112F temps (yes, it was smokin’ hot!), but it was so worth it! Tudor Place provided the best backdrop I could have asked for! We took advantage of the garden and also used the historic buildings to frame this couple’s love story. As an added bonus, we also shot the highlights of the day on video on my Canon 5D Mark IV. (To view Sarah and Brian’s montage – montage link here).

Insider’s Tip for photographers: Ice packs taped to the back of your neck can help regulate your body temperatures! Carrying extra handkerchiefs is also helpful when everyone is sweating bullets.

Styling Details of the Reception

The Reception

The reception was held at the historic Mayflower in Georgetown DC. If you have never visited Georgetown, you have to make a trip or a date of it! It is a deeply romantic area of DC with uniquely preserved buildings. When you walk into the Mayflower you feel like you walked into a 1920’s black and white classic film. The bride’s vision came to life in all the details and styling! Romantic glowing candles and tall pink rosy centerpieces donned the tables. In fact, when Sarah saw the reception hall in all of its glory, she almost cried (literally, almost cried)! It was that exquisite!

The reception was light-hearted and fun! Thanks to Black Tie Entertainment for getting the party started and effortless keeping it going! Everyone had a great time- great music, great food, great wine, great cake, and great toasts. Sarah’s sister shared a special toast, and I learned that Sarah is quite adventurous (having gone off to study in Egypt!), is decisive, a leader, and a romantic idealist. Sarah’s sister knew that there was something different about Sarah and Brian and that they were in love. Brian’s groomsman Brenden shared how selfless, serving, hospitable, caring in nature Brian is. But we were reminded not to overlook Brian’s streak of spontaneousness. Brenden charged the groom to continue to move heaven and earth for his bride.

Bridal Vision Comes to Life

What I love about shooting weddings – in addition to getting to know my couples, is getting to see their ideas come to life! Brides often share personal pictures and Pinterest boards with me. When I see the couples on their wedding day – with all the details finally in place, and all the joy and splendor of their day… Honestly, there is nothing quite like that! And after the wedding is over, I will often gather some details and florals and continue to shoot the wedding details at home the next day. These are great “bonus” images for the gallery. And then getting the film scans back from Richard’s Photo Lab is another fun surprise that I get to share with my couples.

Sarah and Brian,

What a wonderful wedding day that spoke to your lovely connection! I hope that your next chapters for Michigan, in graduate school, with new jobs, new friends and many unknowns will work out beautifully for you. As you both learn the ins and outs of marriage, the give and the take, the leading and following, may grace abound to you both. Marriage is a wonderful journey, an adventure of two becoming one and charting your own way. Please don’t be strangers! All the best to you and your families!

Yours,

Michelle