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DC Wedding Photographers: Allie & Max at Kingman Island

Two yogis, in a forested island in the heart of Washington DC, with vibrant colors and the sweetest pup…
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Allie shared, “I’m typically very indecisive, but from the moment we saw your photo album at Silverbrook Farm, we were hooked!  We love how the setting really came through in the photos as well as the emotion captured in every photo.”
She shared, “In fact, apart from choosing Silverbrook as our venue, choosing you was our very first and easiest decision in wedding planning. The softness, romanticism of your photos is exactly how my heart feels when I think about Max.”
I asked her what she was hoping for in her engagement session, she said, “I hope the joy I experience when we are together and the intensity of our love comes through in the photos. I love the drama in your photography and I love how a candid shot can capture such a split and fleeting second.”
Just a walk in the woods…
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They shared about the location explaining, “Kingman & Heritage Islands are our favorite local place to walk and jog with our puppy (now dog) Piper. We love spending time outdoors, and despite being in the middle of the city where you can hear cars and the metro, underneath the trees it feels remote.  We live on the edge of Capitol Hill near the Kingman Park neighborhood, only a mile from Kingman Island.”
Haaa the timing of this one was perfect!  Awww Piper!!!
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They went on, “Piper is a sweet and wild little thing and the best decision we have ever made, apart from being together.”
Max shared, “Allie is my best friend and partner in everything–  good, bad and ridiculous.  She truly brightens everyone around her!”
This lady is overflowing with sunshine, charisma and good vibes…
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Allie shared, “We fit, there’s no better way to say it. He’s the closest thing I know to destiny. Max is my world and I am so thankful for him every day.”
I like the soft, romantic feel of this photo…
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Max shared, “One of our first dates started with a yoga class (Max’s first at the studio where Allie was a member) and then concluded with an outdoor movie at  DuPont Circle. Allie may not know this but I was certainly a little intimidated to be in the class, having to balance being on a date with a girl I was crazy about but still in the “trying to impress” phase, haha!”
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He continued, “I didn’t want to unveil my uneasiness about doing yoga in such an official setting and was obviously terrified that she would somehow identify me as a fraud. It didn’t take but two seconds into the class that all of those feelings washed away with one glance and smile from Allie- I immediately felt an immense comfort envelop me.”
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Allie smiled, “I also remember this date well. I call it our perfect date. Those months were a dream. A balmy  summer night began with a good flow and ended with an outdoor movie at Dupont Circle. The gourmet picnic tickled our love of good food, I was falling madly in love and the feeling of being in his arms was (and still is) the best imaginable.”
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Max concluded, “It was that time at the initial studio that I discovered how special sharing a practice with Allie by my side could and did become. I had found the person that can make me feel calm with her mere near presence or a simple glance.  Now we have attended hundreds of yoga classes together before moving to our current studio where Allie now teaches!”
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Allie shared, “Max is constantly trying to be helpful and make me happy. This is just who he is and it doesn’t go unnoticed by me and everyone he meets. I’m touched by his recount of our yoga journey. He has been a huge part of mine. From practicing together, being open to  the yogi community, driving and picking me up from yoga teacher training every Saturday and Sunday for 3 months, encouraging me to get outside my comfort zone and start teaching when I hesitated.”
For me, this photo shows Max’s encouragement.  He almost seems to give her wings…
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Allie went on, “I am so thankful to Max for being my relentless guinea pig until I became more comfortable with my teaching, cleaning the house before my private client comes over for a session, picking up the slack when having multiple jobs becomes overwhelming.  To say Max is supportive is a huge understatement.”
Here Allie trusts Max as she leans forward and he balances her out, these two just fit!
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I asked Allie about the look she wanted for the session/  She shared, “Organic, authentic , unmanicured definitely. Passionate, romantic, emotional– that’s how I feel often so it’s awesome to have  someone who can capture it! We love getting lost in the woods together.”
I love the passionate, authentic vibe of this photo.  You can see how naturally these two fit, and I love how her fingers wrap around his wrist and her engagement ring peeks out a little:
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I complimented Allie’s outfit choice for being so flowy, fun and sunny.  I said with the wild, forested background, she reminded me a bit of snow white with the flowy yellow dress and dark short-sleeved top!
She said, “To be honest, our attire was a complete game time decision. I’m usually in something a bit more boho. Max wore his go-to green pants and I frantically raided a friend’s closet the night before. Despite being an organized person and having my hair appointment set months before, picking out an outfit completely slipped my mind. In fact, once I realized what I was wearing I had to laugh because it was very similar to my initial vision for my bridesmaids. Oh well, I guess I know what I like!”
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Kingman Island was such an awesome locale.  The woods was alive and growing, yet many of the trees were quite young.  It allowed me to still see the sky from most angles and really bring in that sunlight!
Ah the sun, so there is a special little tool on my camera lens to make this sort of thing not happen, but I actually love it!  To me, it captures the way love feels…
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Max shared, “Allie is  kind, compassionate and caring.  Her energy is  warm and she goes out of her way to make those around her comfortable. She elevates me and challenges me to be a better version of myself every single day.  She gives me purpose and brightens everything around her.”
For me, this photo catches all of those sentiments in a visual way:
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Allie explained, “Max is open-minded, fun and easy to connect with, confident. His moral compass is strong. He is one of the most accommodating friends you could ever have.  He’s also the most handsome man I’ve ever known and gives me butterflies day in and day out.”
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The sun set and created interesting combinations of pastel and bold colors and fun, periwinkle wispy clouds.  I silhouetted them against the sky along with the tree branches and leading lines of the fence.  For me this image shows symmetry, balance and a very healthy, thriving, growing relationship.
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Allie, Max & Piper, thank you for introducing me to this new corner of Washington DC, I literally did not know that it existed!  Thank you for sharing your story and inviting me to be there with you on your wedding day as well– see you at Silverbrook Farm!

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