A near hurricane turned into an *outdoor* sunny ceremony and a party to last the lifetime… I hope you enjoy these authentic, vibrant images as much as I enjoyed capturing them:
Allie shared, “We chose to work with Rhinehart Photography because we saw a wedding album of yours at Silverbrook Farm and fell in love with your work. We could tell that you would be able to capture the place and people so well!”
She continued, “When we see our photos, we want to relive the day. We want to see the emotions in our faces and bodies and have it take us back to that moment. The day was a total whirlwind, emotionally jam packed! I also can’t wait to see our guests having a good time and all the other things we may have missed out on!”
I captured sooo many photos of their big day, but wanted to focus on the ones that show the emotions and things they may have missed. The opening image is or the two of them sitting a rug as the sun set, and this one shows the hand calligraphy on their invitations and the details of their rings…
The setting of Silverbrook Farm is nothing short of magical. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a large maple tree, an arch of clematis framed in topiary– grazing cattle… I wanted to bring all of that into a single frame and did it here. I also have a shot without her bridesmaid in it, but thought this was super cute!
Everything about their day seemed so perfectly suited to them and when I saw this “uninvited guest” who was the exact color of her invitations, I knew he’d have to make an appearance.
Max shared, “It didn’t take long to fall insanely and deeply in love with Allie. She is open and honest and the most thoughtful person I know. Her presence always brightens any room and I couldn’t imagine a life without her by my side.”
Allie’s bridesmaids were so incredibly happy, supportive, comfortable and fun to be around…
I felt lucky to be at Silverbrook Farm at Max and Allies side all day. The day felt authentic and intimate. I love this photo because it seems to have similar qualities…
Haaa this one too, though I debated if I should include it, I think it really shows those same traits again, you can feel it, almost taste it…
Allie shared, “The flower crown was something that completely took me by surprise on the day of the wedding.”
Allie’s three “baby” cousins were her junior bridesmaids, here they join her in the side garden…
Allie shared, “We found Silverbrook Farm through happenstance, deep in our hearts we knew nothing could match the charm and authenticity at Silverbrook Farm. The proprietor, who was also our officiant, was also a huge factor. We connected quickly with Dot and her warmth and hospitality.
She continued, “Silverbrook reminded Allie of her Aunt Rita’s cabin, who coincidentally created all the bouquets and flower arrangements (which of course were more than perfect.)”
Wow Allie, just wow…
Max shared, “I loved the experience of exchanging love letters with Allie prior to the ceremony.”
He continued, “Her letter drove home how special I am to her and how great it is that we were getting married and how lucky I am to find that person.”
I love the feel of this photo, that it is both intimate (the hand writing, the texture of the paper, the shadowy hands) and private with the overlapping letters from the other side.
I just love the colors and reflections in this show of Max getting ready! This beautiful shot was captured by my second photographer, Katie.
I’m very particular with my seconds and I need to say, man, she killed this…
Max smiled, “I was mostly just excited to find out that my groomsmen showed up to the venue on time, dressed and ready to go and not insanely hungover, although I learned quickly enough that their hangovers were severely reduced thanks to PediaLyte, haha. ”
He continued, “Our morning was extra special with Euchre, a card game unique to the Midwest but something my family (and Allie’s family) played growing up and still obviously love to play to this day. We put on some music, mostly songs about sunshine (Hear Comes the Sun by The Beatles) which was my one superstitious activity and clearly it paid dividends as we avoided afternoon rain!”
Another killer shot by Katie, the green vines and blue suit, perfect!
Allies bridesmaids prepare her for her first look…
“You ready Max???” His reaction…
Here comes the bride…
His reaction…
Priceless…
I love the symmetry and intensity of this shot– the layers of topiary, field, mountains, and stormy sky… how the sun is hitting them: 
The same layers, but so much softer, united:
Allie smiled, “Max is *the best.* That is honestly an objective description.”
Max shared, “Allie and I work well together because we complement each other. Whether its tag teaming a delicious meal in the kitchen or pushing the pace on a run through woods with Piper in tow, we come together to make something greater than the sum of our individual parts.”
Allie shared, “Max is always thinking of others and goes out of his way to help or put others at ease. I must admit, it is an incredibly attractive quality to have in my husband!”
Max elaborated, “Together we are the silliest and most vibrant possible expressions of ourselves. Knowing that I have her encouragement and support in my corner gives me all the strength I need. With Allie by my side I can do anything.”
Just then Piper showed up on the scene!
Allie laughed, “What I need to know is how do people NOT include their dog in their wedding?!?”
Allie continued, “We take Piper almost anyplace we can. She is our welcome third wheel, our fur baby, our toughest competitor for bed space, haha.”
I loved their style! Allie shared, “We wanted feel to be comfortable and casual and the look to be natural, charming and a bit rustic.”
She went on, “Aspects that got me most excited were my dress, my bridesmaids’ coordinated but mismatched dresses…”
Looking dapper, gentlemen…
Vogue called, they want their models back…
Max shared, “Writing my love letter was such a treat as it caused me to really reflect on how much of an impact Allie has had on my life. She has changed my entire perspective on life and it was my intention to make sure she knew just that before we committed ourselves to each other officially, in front of our friends and family.”
Allie sat in the window reading her letter from Max, I caught a bridesmaids thoughtful expression in the mirror…
Time for the ceremony, which was *outdoors*!!!! I say this with so much enthusiasm b/c on Monday it looked like a hurricane would hit Virginia!
Aww Piper– poised and ready….
Allie shared, “I knew that my parents were always going to walk me down the aisle together. That it was important to me, as was keeping my last name (at least for now). It was a really nice moment for all three of us.” Here Allie’s mom hugs Max…
Allie shared about the Hurricane, “As our wedding day approached and Hurricane Florence was scheduled to hit Virginia with heavy rains and high winds, and I was kicking myself for the outdoor farm wedding idea! We had a rain plan, but a hurricane plan?! In Purcellville, Virginia?!?”
She continued, “But we literally dodged a hurricane that day, and that certainly heightened the stress and excitement of it all. The Weather app was our most frequently used that week and there was a lot of pressure to throw in the towel on the outdoor ceremony. But I held on to the dream and would you believe me if I told you that the sun came out as I walked down the aisle?”
I think they will now…
The lighting and sky was so incredibly intense during their ceremony, I just loved working with it.
Here the sunshine skims the ladies hair and gowns as the dramatic clouds roll in…
Intense sunlight beats on wedding guests as Allie’s dad appears to wipe a tear.
I love playing with perspective and found myself all the way in the back of the ceremony completely horizontal for this one, haha!
The vibrant green and soft textures make me think of hope and growth and all things good…
One thing I enjoy about Silverbrook is the organic feel of everything there. There is this gorgeous maple tree, it must be at least 200 years old. There is a wooden bench built around it with floral pillows. A little girl and her grandmother sat on it to view the ceremony…
Allie shared, “I can’t help but smile thinking about saying those words as I looked into Max’s eyes. Everyone else disappeared.”
Again, that sunshine!
Hugs all around…
The walk from the ceremony to the reception… I think part of why I appreciate this so much is the organic feel of this transition, it is just so incredibly beautiful!!!
As someone who photographs a wedding every weekend 9 months a year, I see a lot of awkward transitions in ballroom hallways and the like, so to organically stroll, winding on these beautiful grounds just feels right.
For me the balance of this image is how it felt to be there, the guests walking, winding, framed in tree branches…
Allie and Max walked too, again, that dramatic sky, their intensity, he’s just beaming…
Allie shared, “Max and I put each other first. We are honest with each other. We trust each other completely. But also he goes along with me being the master planner and allegedly appreciates that I remind him of all the errands around the house. Yet he gets things done faster, so you could say that together we are both timely and efficient, haha!!”
I like to play with reflections and loved how the rust colored scrolls on the mirror seemed to mimic Allie’s ringlets and the blooming white and green hydrangeas mirrored her floral crown. The dark tones of the barn really made it pop!
Allie shared, “I was blown away by the group effort that made our dinner tent look like a magical terrarium!”
The Indiana/Virginia matchbooks were another real highlight, and to see how everything come together on dot’s china!”
Another kind of behind the scenes moment that I thought Max and Allie would enjoy… the colors the long strides– free…
The sun sank in the sky as Allie and Max enjoyed their cocktail hour– an orb of light hovered near Allie in this shot, which was pretty cool…
Smiles all around…
Tasty treats…
haaaaa….
The toasts and speeches were so lovely! It was hard to pick just one so I went for this one, a guest raising their glass to the happy couple…
Smiles, candle light, I wanted to warm to be reflected physically here and played with my white balance for this shot…
Allie shared, “Timber Pizza was another personal aspect of the wedding. Not only has Timber Pizza completely blown up the DC food scene but Andrew and Chris also happen to be basketball buddies of my Dad! (And years before that, my bridesmaid shared kitchen space with the developing pizza company). It’s crazy how it all comes back around!”
OMG, right???
Allie shared, “We owe our first dance success to our friend’s Brynn and Chris, who are not only excellent dancers, but exceptional instructors. We learned some moves, strung them together and practiced everywhere from the living room to the empty yoga studio.”
She went on, “We loved Sly 45 (our band) so much! And aren’t we glad that Andrew performed our first song live because he must have noticed that we weren’t finished dancing yet and seamlessly kept it going for us.”
The Band was just incredible!!! Here I wanted to capture the balance of it all, the yellow string lights, blue band lights, charming chandelier, it is all in thirds and balances warm and cool visually…
Now you’d think the next moment Allie would be on the floor, but no, this girl can DIP!!! I love how you can see all of the guests watching and surrounding them!
The mother son dance– this stunning mother of the groom beams as her son smiles and all the lights twinkle. I like how you can see the guests’ expressions and even Allie’s parents watching on…
Max shared, “Allie is the silliest and most fun person I know. She is vibrant and awesome! I can’t wait to take on the world together and laugh all the way through!”
Lol!!! The cake!!!!
I am big on capturing atmosphere– here you can see the way the dance floor is packed, the warmth and intimacy of the space yet the high ceilings that make it feel so fresh and open, I may have climbed up in the loft for this one ;).
Max shared, “The reception was blur for the best reasons! We had so much freaking fun at every single second that It was just one quick snapshot of utter happiness and delight after the next.”
Yes! I totally agree and here are a few of them… This game kept the dance floor hopping, sweet moves, Max!
Max continued, “Seeing everyone else equally happy and having such an insanely good time just made it all the more special.”
I love trying to capture the mood and emotion playing with different techniques. Here as Allie’s cousins spun I used a slow shutter speed to capture the emotion and fun– I like how the image makes you feel a bit tipsy ;).
Allie laughed, “Finding out two of your guests that you know from completely different ways are…first cousins?! It was much more to be than just two families blending together.”
And these two, so freaking adorable all day long– I totally call dibs on their wedding, haha 😉
Most couples only hire me for an hour of dancing photos. I say it’s really the minimum amount of time needed just to cover it. I must say staying until the very end of the night was so much fun and resulted in very unique images…
A little shout out to Max and the Kilbeggan crew here:
Dancing queen…
All the hair!!!! Love it!!!
Dance floor Yogis 😉
Max shared, “From the moment we walked down the aisle to the moment we said goodbye and drove off in the convertible we couldn’t stop smiling, laughing and having the time of our lives.”
He went on, “From the amazing pizza to our crazy friend Dillon climbing into the rafters we couldn’t have scripted the event any better if we had tried.”
Allie wanted to know what type of exit would show best, I told her undoubtedly, white flower petals– bang, explosion…
And they are off… love the color and motion blur here:
Speaking of color, one last shot!!! Allie shared, “It was amazing to see the whole day finally come together– friends and family, old and new, all in one place at the same time!”
She went on, “There were so many things we planned for our wedding day and so many others that caught me by surprise, like the way the barn sparkled when it was filled with all our friends and family, and the taste of vintage champagne that Max and I shared.”
Allie and Max, I hope these photos take you back to the day. That they bring back all of the sights and smells and tastes and “feels” of this extraordinary moment in your life!
If you want to see more photos of Allie and Max (and Piper!) check out their engagement photos here. If you’d like to find out more about their incredible team of vendors, check them out here:
Venue: Silverbrook Farm
Day of Event Coordinator: Finer Points
Photographer: Rhinehart Photography
Caterer: Timber Pizza
Band: Sly 45
Cellist: William “Wytold” Lebing
Dress: Ellie’s Bridal Boutique