I hope you enjoy this sneak peek from Kerri and Matty’s oceanfront wedding!

I am very proud of the fact that I recently celebrated the first anniversary of Oak Moon Photography. Yea me! Although I have more than 20 years experience as an amateur photographer, it was just over a year ago that I chose to leave my position in the corporate world to follow my personal dream of becoming a professional photographer.

Without a doubt, my first year in business exceeded my wildest expectations. I was honored to work with so many amazing couples and to photograph so many incredible weddings. However, it is only now that I realize how much I learned. In retrospect, I wish there had been someone to answer questions or offer advice during my first year in business as a professional wedding photographer.

Well, good news, photographers. FormSpring.me is a website where anyone can ask questions. The best part is that the answers are public so that everyone can share the knowledge. And because I know there are photographers who have some of the same questions I had, I am inviting you to ask questions about my first year in business as a professional wedding photographer.

On a personal note, let me share a little insight about me as both a professional photographer and a business owner. You should know that I believe in ‘paying it forward’. I believe that the Karma train always comes back around. I also believe that there are enough brides to keep every wedding photographer busy. My goal is simply to help other photographers realize their dream of becoming a professional photographer just like I did.

So, if you have a question, use the FormSpring.me box below to ask me about my first year in business as a professional wedding photographer.

I hope you enjoy this sneak peek from Ashley and Michael’s outdoor spring wedding!

As an engagement photographer, I encourage all my couples to be intimately involved in planning their engagement portrait session. While most rely solely on me to identify unique locations and to create flattering setups, some have a very clear vision for their engagement photographs…and that was Staci and Christopher. My experience has taught me to simply follow the instincts of those couples and then be prepared to capture lots of really amazing images.

Staci and Christopher were excited about photographing their engagement portrait at Red Wing Park in Virginia Beach and the weather was perfect. From the beautiful Japanese Garden to the peaceful wooded trails, the park turned out to be the perfect backdrop for an engagement portrait.

I always invite my couples to include items with a personal or special meaning during their engagement portrait session. Staci and Christopher took that opportunity to send a message to their family and friends in a special photograph and then used that photograph on their ‘Thank You’ cards.

 Click the thumbnails below to view some of my favorite images from Staci and Christopher’s engagement portrait session…

I am finally taking time to get caught up online! You would never know by following my blog posts that it was actually a very busy winter season for Oak Moon Photography.

I participated in two exquisite bridal shows where I had the pleasure of personally meeting with countless beautiful brides to be. As a wedding photographer, it was so much fun to share my portrait and wedding album samples with so many future brides and to learn more about the special memories each of them were excited about capturing on their wedding day.

Bridal and engagement portrait sessions also kept me very busy as well. We originally scheduled Ashley and Michael’s engagement portrait session for The Town Center of Virginia Beach but snow fell throughout the entire day that Saturday. As most anyone in Virginia Beach will tell you, it is next to impossible to predict the winter weather here. So when the skies unexpectedly cleared the following day, we quickly decided to take advantage of the crystal clear, but very cold, weather and photograph them in the beautiful late afternoon light.

Ashley and Michael are getting married in a just few weeks and I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to photographing their wedding. But until then, you can click the thumbnails below to see a few of my favorite images from their engagement portrait session…

There are two unstoppable forces in the universe that march exclusively to the beat of their own drummer…one is true love between a man and a woman and the other is the military. Destinee and David were obviously in love with each other and it was destined to be only a matter of time before they would be married. However, when it became clear that Destinee would be reporting for duty in southern California in January, these two unstoppable forces quickly combined to produce an absolutely beautiful wedding celebration.

After working with Destinee initially to reserve the date for the wedding, she asked me to coordinate the remaining details directly with her mother. What a pleasant surprise it was when I talked with her mother on the phone and heard that familiar Texas accent. You see, Destinee and her family are from Waco, Texas, and I am from the Dallas area. What great fun to make a Texas connection in Virginia!

Destinee and David’s wedding and reception were held at Grand Affairs in Virginia Beach with both family and friends in attendance.

Click on the image below to view a sample of the Slideshow from Destinee and David’s wedding or click the thumbnails to view some of my favorite images…

The Christmas trees in the Dominion Christian Center in Virginia Beach provided a seasonal backdrop for Jenna and Ralph’s December wedding. It was exciting to photograph a beautiful winter wedding combined with a taste of holiday tradition.

It has been my experience as a wedding photographer that almost anything can happen on the day of the wedding. Whether something truly silly or something a little more serious, the wedding day will be just that much more special if the bride and groom are able to keep these kinds of distractions in perspective. Yes, Jenna and Ralph’s wedding ceremony started a few minutes late, but they were determined that nothing would detract from the celebration of their marriage and it was a wonderful day!

 Click the thumbnails below to see a few of my favorite images from Jenna and Ralph’s holiday wedding…

I am thrilled that Jenna is now married so I can share some of the photographs from her bridal session with you. We chose The Town Center of Virginia Beach as the location for the photo shoot and Jenna was so excited.

As a wedding photographer, it was so much fun to work with Jenna. She was also a real trooper when the temperature decided to make a run toward the lower end of the thermometer on the day of her bridal session. Needless to say, Jenna showed up right on schedule looking absolutely stunning. You would never know by looking at these pictures that she spent more than an hour braving the chilly autumn air in her wedding gown!

Click on the image below to view a sample of the Slideshow from Jenna’s bridal session or click the thumbnails to view some of my favorite images…

One of the extraordinary benefits of being a wedding photographer is that I have the privilege of working intimately with so many genuinely great couples, and all this begins with the engagement portrait session. It is during the engagement portrait session that the bride and groom first learn they can truly trust me to capture the most important day in their new lives. It is also during this time that I begin to learn more about the essence of both the bride and the groom and how best to photograph that special day for each of them.

I am reminded of this because that is the relationship I enjoy with Leah and Brandon. What a wonderful couple to work with!

Click the thumbnails below to see a few of my favorite images from Leah and Brandon’s wedding…

What should you expect from a wedding portrait booth?

If you have ever attended a wedding featuring the Oak Moon Photography Portrait Booth, you already know the answer…casual, fun and tasteful portraits of all your guests! Watch as they come out of their shells to make funny faces, kiss, smile, and have an amazing time laughing in front of the camera.

Contact Oak Moon Photography for details on how you and your wedding guests can enjoy The Portrait Booth at your reception!