Ryan Zook Photography » weddings

Tandy & Chakris’ Sneak Peek – Northern Virginia Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:36:00 +0000

I spent the afternoon and evening of October 8th with Tandy and Chakris for their big day at Oatlands Plantation. The weather was absolutely perfect and Tandy looked like a million dollars. Here’s a sneak peek of a few of my favorites.

Getting ready shots at Lansdowne Resort.

Ring and shoes photos… both sparkling! I have no idea how women walk in heels like that!

The Oatlands manor house was a great venue for photos.

The dress!

Gorgeous.

Looking sharp Chak!

The beautiful ladies… Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael. Our little inside joke.

All smiles.

The fellas.

Tandy’s bodyguards.

The ceremony took place in the Oatlands botanical gardens.

A few ceremonial pictures.

The reception took place inside the tent and the décor was nothing short of spectacular.

The first dance.

The desserts and wedding cake.

A few couples shots.

Congrats Tandy and Chak!

James & Kelli’s Sneak Peek – Northern Virginia Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:39:00 +0000

I had the opportunity to photograph James and Kelli’s Irish wedding in Middleburg, VA on a gorgeous Friday afternoon. I had a great time meeting their family (most of James’ family was in town from Ireland) and capturing moments from their special day. Here’s one of my favorites.

Kelli’s day started with hair and make-up at the HF Middleburg Salon in downtown Middleburg.

James’ day kicked off at the Fox’s Den Tavern drinking pints of Guinness… Sounds Irish to me!

Pictures of the dress. It was stunning on Kelli.

And the shoes!

The ceremony took place at the Middleburg United Methodist Church across the street from the pub and salon.

A few shots of the ceremony.

The bagpiper greeted everyone outside the church after the ceremony.

The reception took place at the Blackthorne Inn in Upperville, VA. I’ve honestly gotta say this is a hidden gem.

Here are some shots of the couple before the reception started… (the photographer’s favorite time of the day). The lens flare is real!

Kelli’s green eyes make this picture!

The girls. I like the picture with Kelli’s two sisters giving her a kiss on the cheek! And the one where the girls are mauling James!

The fellas. Everyone calls the young man on the left, Bieber… The young lad on the right is the tough guy!

The wedding party.

The bride and groom each had their own cake. Those who attended the wedding will understand the keys on the table!

The night was filled with good toasts, dancing, and lots of laughter. Here are a few of my favorites.

What a great night! Congrats James and Kelli.

James & Kelli’s Rehearsal – Northern Virginia Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:43:00 +0000

I met James & Kelli for the first time at Clyde’s Willow Creek in Ashburn, VA for their rehearsal dinner. We spent about 15 minutes taking a few pictures around the grounds. I’m looking forward to their wedding on Friday!

Here are a few shots of the soon-to-be-married couple!

Shannon & Ryan’s Sneak Peek – Northern Virginia Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 18:05:00 +0000

I usually put my wedding blog posts in chronological order for the day of, but decided to put some of my favorites shots of the bride and groom first. Fortunately, they blocked off ample time to get some great shots together. Shannon looked like a million dollars and Ryan was quite dapper. Despite a very rainy day, they were all smiles. (You can see the raindrops in the picture below).

Here are a few of the individual shots of bride and groom… I loved the birdcage veil.

One of my all-time favorites.

Some “married couple” shots.

They rented this awesome old school Rolls Royce… Did I mention it was awesome?

A few with the Rolls.

I started the day meeting with Shannon at the Red Door Spa in Reston, VA for make-up. She had already been down to the Four Seasons in Georgetown for hair with her mom.

Detail shots of the dress and shoes. Fancy!

The rings and flowers.

A few ceremony pictures at St. Catherine of Siena… I liked them in black and white!

A few details of the reception site, Coomber Hall in Herndon, VA.

A few family pictures!

The first dance to Alicia Keys “New York.”

Cupcakes made by Catie Kuhman… this series of photos was too good to not post.

While I have tons of funny dancing photos I could have used, these two summed up the night. The groom with the father-of-the-bride and his father stage diving! Shannon & Ryan, congrats. Many more pictures to come…

Erin & Mike’s Sneak Peek – Northern Virginia Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:47:00 +0000

This blog post is unique in the fact that I wasn’t able to share the wedding day with Erin & Mike after being hospitalized the night before. Fortunately, my wife, Kelly, was able to assemble a team to shoot with her on their big day. It’s a photographer’s worst nightmare, but thanks to the help of Kelly, Lisa Sinclair of Lisa Sinclair Photography, and Katie Norwood of Love Struck Images, I had some great material to work with. Photographs were taken by Kelly, Lisa, and Katie and post-processed/edited by Ryan Zook. Thank you so so much ladies!

Erin and Mike, here are some of my favorite shots throughout the day. I am very happy for you and hope you enjoy your sneak peek. Here are some shots of the rings, shoes, and the wedding dress!

Make-up and hair.

Putting on the finishing touches…

The ceremony took place at St. Leo’s church, which is a 2-minute walk from where I grew up!

And the ceremony begins.

Some shots of the “I Do’s” sealed with a kiss.

My favorite couple shots!

Some group shots… it was 100+ degrees and as sunny as can be!

The reception took place at Sequoia by the waterfront in Washington, D.C.

A couple reception detail shots.

The reception opened with a first dance by Erin and Mike.

Followed by lots of dinner and lots of dancing…

Cutting of the absolutely beautiful wedding cake.

Congratulations Erin and Mike!

Tracy & Frank’s Sneak Peek – Northern Virginia Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:26:00 +0000

Tracy and Frank celebrated their wedding on a sunny day on the last day of April. Tracy was a gorgeous bride and Frank looked GQ with his purple tie. The festivities began with a tea ceremony at the Hyatt in Rosslyn followed by a reception at the China Garden a few blocks away. Here are a few pictures throughout the day.

A few more shots of the couple before the ceremony.

Getting ready… you’ll also notice the daily newspaper featuring the royal wedding! I passed on shooting that wedding.

The dress… I love the new “grain” effect in LR.

Me Too. No, Me Too. I’ll be the first to admit I have no idea what “me too” shoes are, but they sound fancy!

Pictures of the rings…

A few tea ceremony pictures.

The flowers and beautiful bride.

The fellas.

The ladies.

Lucky number 8.

The cake.

A few highlights of the reception…

Congrats Tracy & Frank!

Tracy & Frank’s Civil Ceremony – Maryland Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:24:00 +0000

I met with Tracy & Frank to take a few pictures of their civil ceremony before the big wedding reception on Saturday. Here a few pictures we took outside the courthouse. The wedding day sneak peek to follow!

Halissa & JD’s Big Day – Virginia Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:23:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of shooting Halissa & JD’s wedding at the Fairview Marriott in Falls Church, VA. It was a chilly day so most of our time was spent indoors, but it was still a beautiful wedding and awesome party! Thank you to Sabina who helped shoot with me. Here are a bunch of my favorite pictures throughout the day.

Getting ready… Halissa’s friend did an awesome job on her make-up! Hair was done at Hair Magic in Alexandria, VA.

Some details shots of the dress, shoes, and rings. Another friend helped engrave the rings.

The girls…

JD and the boys… We definitely got some really funny groomsmen shots, too.

The ceremony, the Ketubah, and the bride and groom!

The reception…

Dancing pictures… including the Hora dance.

Flashing lights and a few dance moves… including some flashy dance moves by the father of the bride!

A special bottle of whiskey from bris to bar mitzvah to the wedding day. I have some great expressions of people who took shots from this bottle!

Congratulations Halissa & JD. I’m very excited for you two.

Booking Portrait Sessions & Weddings…

ryanzook — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Are you considering booking a portrait session in 2011? If so, contact me for availability and to lock in my 2010 pricing. The session fee includes all of the digital files & personal use rights to all photos! Portrait sessions include engagement, senior/graduates, maternity, newborn, family, trash the dress, bridal, boudoir, or just because. To lock in 2010 pricing, portrait sessions must be paid for by the end of January 2011, but can be redeemed anytime.

Group sessions are great for high school senior or “just because” portraits. By booking with a couple friends, you can have a great time together while receiving a discount! Ask me about portrait party and multiple session discounts.

Based on demand, my 2010 wedding pricing is good for weddings booked (contract and deposit received) by the end of January 2011, too.

A Pirate’s Fate / Haunted House – Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer

ryanzook — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:51:00 +0000

A life sentence of marriage or the death penalty, pirate-themed costumes and reception, an AWESOME haunted house tour, and a fireworks display by technicians featured on the TV Show “Dirty Jobs.” The word “traditional” was not used for this wedding, but I can say it was an absolute blast. Thank you Meredith and JT for a great time and a shout out to The Hayloft staff in Rockwood, PA for helping organize the festivities. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

** A special thank you to photographer, Courtney Vogel, for shooting with me.

A few pictures of JT and Meredith…

A few more black and white “smooching” pictures of the couple.

The wedding party pictures.

The “costume” lady… she designed and handmade the wedding party’s costumes. It’s no surprise her outfit was amazing!

A Pirate’s Fate: Handcuffed and escorted by the British Royal Navy, the town crier read off a list of JT’s indictments… and the list was quite long! The penalty was death or a life sentence of marriage. Unsure what to do, JT turned to the angel and devil (flower girls) for guidance. While the townspeople (AKA wedding guests) jokingly encouraged the death penalty, JT decided on a life of marriage. After choosing his wife from a group of ladies, they were married… The rest of the story is yet to be written.

The bridesmaid’s flowers.

The wedding cupcakes! Honestly, this was the best cupcake I’ve ever had. No joke.

If you didn’t know about J.K.’s Scrumpy Cider by the end of the wedding, you weren’t there!

A few more fun pictures of the family and guests…

I hope that a few of these pictures (taken with the lights on) captured the true scariness of the haunted house. If not, imagine walking around in the pitch black with no idea where you’re going!

These two pictures were taken with the lights off during the haunted house tour!

The fireworks display was incredible. Here is a compilation of a few fireworks.

My favorite firework…

A cool picture of the fireworks over the cornfields.

Last but not least, a fun picture of the bus heading back to the hotel at the end of the night.