Category Archives: engagements

Williamsburg Virginia  Engagement Photographers | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographers | Virginia Wedding Photographers

We’re such big fans of these two.

Asya and Brandon came all the way down from Philadelphia for their engagement session. They couldn’t have picked a more perfect time of year.

Brandon asked Asya, (who, in case you didn’t notice, has SUCH an amazingly beautiful name), to marry him on Christmas Day at her parents house in Newport News a year ago.
What better Christmas present than that, a present everyone can enjoy?

(By the way, even though we’re blogging their session  now, guess what day they received their photos?;))

For their engagement session, we met up in Williamsburg and walked around the quaint little Christmas market set up in Market Square. A perfect spot for photos, without a doubt.

They live in Philadelphia but they’re getting married at Christopher Newport University next year.
We are just way too excited to photograph their wedding. There are going to be guests there from around the world (Asya has quite an international family).
It’s going to be lovely… but mainly because of their love for one another.

Asya and Brandon, see you guys soon! We can hardly wait for the big day!

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2953.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2954.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2956.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2957.jpg


virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2959.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2958.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2960.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2961.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2963.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2964.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2965.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2969.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2968.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2945.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2970.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2955.jpg

virginia wedding and engagement photographers michael and carina photography
virginia wedding and engagement photographers michael and carina photography

virginia wedding and engagement photographers michael and carina photography

Richard Photo Lab developed our film!
Virginia Wedding Photographers | Destination Wedding Photographers

Virginia Wedding Photographers | Williamsburg Wedding Photographers | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographers

Hampton Roads, Virginia + Destination Wedding Photographers

Michael and Carina Photography - Virginia + Destination Wedding Photographers
We love telling love stories through images.

A lot of people just took a big step in their own love stories this month and are getting ready to start a whole new chapter by getting married in 2014 & 2015.

The couples we work with trust us to tell their story because at the center of everything we do is love.

We just spent the past few days planning one wedding with a bride, meeting with another, taking part in a rehearsal and photographed Lindsay and Dylan’s lovely Williamsburg wedding!

After scheduling quite a few appointments today, we are looking forward to spending the first weeks of 2013 meeting with newly engaged couples and hearing new love stories.

We are so excited about what this next year holds, as couples have asked us to be their wedding photographers for several destination weddings (fun!) and of course across VA, from Hampton Roads to Charlottesville and Roanoke (we LOVE Virginia!).

The best part about it is? For all of this, we get to do it together.

Our couple become friends, our engagement sessions become double dates. . . by the time of the wedding, you know if there’s one thing you don’t have to worry about, it’s your photos!

What could be better?

If you are newly engaged and are planning your wedding, or if you know someone who is, please take a moment to check out our story and website.

We’d love to get to know you and tell your love story. <3

Hampton Roads Engagement Photographers

 

The past year has flown by. It was our first year of being full-time wedding photographers and we love it.

We love meeting all the sweet couples, hearing all their love stories and capturing their special days.

We are also big fans of engagement sessions.

It gives our couples a chance to feel  amaaazing in front of our cameras and it gives us all a chance to get to know each other without all the hustle and bustle of the big day.

We like to call them “double dates” – where we bring cameras.:)

We got to know so many new couples this year and got the chance to get to know them at an engagement session.

E-sessions are so important to us that we include them for FREE in any wedding collection you book with us.

It helps our clients get to know what to expect on their wedding day. Also, it’s a great excuse to have some casual, fun photos as a couple without any of the stress of the wedding day.

This is what we usually take on engagement sessions: 2 Contax 645 medium format cameras, some film, 2 Canon DSLRs and our MP3 Player to play some romantic music.

You know, a little something to set the mood.:)

We have started to shoot more and more film because we just love the romantic and pure quality of it (which is also why it is super important for couples to be there in time as we depend on light).

So after an engagement session, we send off the film to a film lab for development. We love the guys over at Richard Photo Lab in California and Indie Film Lab!

When we get the film scans back, all digital images (if we shot any on digital) will already be ready so we can turn over all the images asap:)

Usually the next day, we will share a blog post with our favorites from the shoot. Couples receive their photos in a PASS gallery, which is a lovely online gallery from which they can download all their images super fast and even share them with their friends and family – for free. We’re big fans of “shooting and sharing“!

That’s the technical stuff.:)

Here is what it is really all about: Your engagement photos are super important. They are different from your wedding photos because you are actually wearing what you would normally wear. You don’t have any stress about people running late, finding the venue, etc… you are just yourself. And that makes it so special.

When you are older… you will love to remember those moments.  It is about capturing your love. And that is what we get so excited about.

Looking back on the past year, we wanted to share some of our favorite pictures from 2013 engagement sessions with you. Not to show you how awesome we are, but to remember how awesome our clients are.

…I guess I got a bit emotional there:)xoxo, Carina

 

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2797.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2798.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2799.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2794.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2793.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2792.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2786.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2785.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2787.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2795.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2796.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2788.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2789.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2790.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2791.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2780.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2781.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2770.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2771.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2772.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2773.jpg

 

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2774.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2775.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2776.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2777.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2778.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2779.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2768.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2769.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2784.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2783.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2738.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2746.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2747.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2748.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2749.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2750.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2751.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2741.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2753.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2752.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2764.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2765.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2767.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2755.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2756.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2802.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2803.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2801.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2800.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2760.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2761.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2762.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2763.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2757.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2758.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2759.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2735.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2736.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2742.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2743.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2744.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2745.jpg

Virginia Wedding Photographers | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographers | Williamsburg Wedding Photographers

Hampton Roads Engagement Photographers Michael and Carina Photography

Anna and David were originally supposed to have their engagement session a few months back. The weather was supposed to have been just right, with like a 30% chance of rain.

Sometimes that 30% wins out. 

They were on their way to meet us when it started pouring.

Needless to say, we had to cancel.

Anna was living in Florida at that time so we were just hoping we’d be able to reschedule…

A few months later, Anna moved to Norfolk, Virginia and we were meeting up again – this time with no rain – to shoot her engagement session!

David’s a sailor and Anna is a dedicated teacher.

At their mid-November engagement session in Newport News Park, we could tell Anna was still getting used to Virginia temperatures.

It was cloudy and cool – typical November in Hampton Roads. But it made for beautiful engagement photos – and perfect cuddling weather.

After their session we went out for a little double date… by the end of it, they’d decided…

… they’ve invited us to Florida to shoot their wedding next year!!!

Anna and David, thank you so much for your patience despite the bad weather and for inviting us to document your big day! We can hardly wait!!!

Technical info: we used Kodak Portra 400 film for this session, developed by Richard Photo Lab

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2684.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2663.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2669.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2670.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2672.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2673.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2693.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2685.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2694.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2677.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2678.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2692.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2687.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2674.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2665.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2667.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2686.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2688.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2689.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2690.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2691.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2683.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2681.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2679.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2682.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2680.jpg

 Virginia Wedding Photographers | Destination Wedding Photographers | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographers

Michael and Carina Photography | Virginia Wedding Photographers

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2613.jpg

 

Virginia Wedding Photographers | Destination Wedding Photographers
Richmond | Hampton Roads | Williamsburg | Virginia Beach | Destinations

 

Michael and Carina Photography | Virginia Wedding Photographers 

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2612.jpg

Virginia Wedding Photographers | Destination Wedding Photographers
Richmond | Hampton Roads | Williamsburg | Virginia Beach | Destinations

Last week, we met up with Mackinsey and Kyle at one of the newest Virginia wedding venues.

Fairview Farm is a LOVELY location for a wedding located in Powhatan, Virginia. 

We absolutely ADORED the rolling hills and fields, the bales of hay, the “hitching post,” and the antique truck.

The farmhouse is just adorable and can be rented out.

But wow… we fell in LOVE with the inside of the barn. It is absolutely gorgeous!!

It’s decorated with antique chairs and everything has a lovely vintage feel, fitting for the farm which has been owned by the same family since the early 20th century.

There’s a lovely balcony, bathrooms, a kitchen, a fireplace, and a bar in the barn as well.

It’s been converted into the perfect place to hold a “country” wedding.

It’s also great for us as photographers. The way it’s built allows for TONS of natural light to pour in.

We can hardly wait to shoot Kyle & Mackinsey’s wedding at Fairview Farm next year, even though we’ll have to wait until October 2014 to do it!

We’d love to shoot another wedding there though! Be sure to contact us if you’re planning your Fairview Farm wedding!

Below are some shots we took on our digital camera, all with natural light. We shared mainly photos of the interior; more photos of the venue can be seen on their website.

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2598.jpg
 
virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2599.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2596.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2595.jpg

Gah!! We can just imagine the bridal portraits we could take with this truck…

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2594.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2589.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2591.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2592.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2593.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2586.jpg

When you think of having a country reception in a barn, you probably don’t imagine it as having tons of natural light.

At least, we didn’t.

We were wrong! And we’re in love!:)

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2588.jpg

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2597.jpg

 

Last but not least, here’s a preview of Kyle and Mackinsey’s engagement session… one of the only shots we took on our digital camera (the rest was on film).

virginia_wedding_photographers_michael_and_carina_photography_2600.jpg

… more coming soon!! xoxo Michael & Carina

Virginia wedding venues

Virginia Wedding Photographers | Destination Wedding Photographers