This Saturday afternoon in August was our first cool weekend in two weeks (it barely broke 80F after being nearer 95 and humid two days before) and what a break it was for Christie and Mark and their families, as they celebrated their wedding day on the lawn at Christie’s grandparent’s beautiful home.  Everything was as perfect as one could ask.

Apples, candies, color, fun and love seemed to be the theme for the day.  Lots and lots of love!

Autumn Weddings. Fall is now as special as May and June to brides.

Perhaps it's just me, and if it is, that's OK.   It just seems that, despite the undeniable beauty of spring and early summer, there is something about autumn that makes it my favorite season.  Colored leaves of the hardwoods, cooling days and cooler evenings, pumpkins, bonfires?  All of that and so much more.  And when you get lucky and hit it right, an October wedding can just be extraordinary.  Here are a few from Allison and Jon's beautiful October wedding.

Busy people!  Lisa and Michael are doctors, married and parents;  it must seem as if it was all in one mighty rush!!!  Living in California and as busy as one could imagine, we're so pleased they made time when visiting over this past spring to sit down with us and start their album order.  Designing the album to their approval was recently completed so we could go into production of their beautiful Tuscany album, which was delivered last week.  A few of their images follow:

This is one of those treats one receives every once in a while: a special acquaintance asks you to take part in their wedding.
 

Kelin has been one of my favorite models for years, leading to our working together several times.  In fact, if you fly as you travel, she's the "Post Up Stands" girl in the Air Mall and magazines, a campaign we did a couple of years ago  She's also the R.E.Whittaker model, among others.
 

She and her fiance, Jon, were up from where they now live in Georgia.  We arranged for them to come to the studio, where we had the opportunity to create their engagement session.
 

These engagement sessions are incredibly helpful to everybody; so helpful they’re included in most of our wedding packages.  Kelin and Jon get the opportunity to work together in front of the camera in a preparatory session for their big day later in the year.  

As the photographers, we get a chance to work with them as a couple for the first time. Obviously, I’ve photographed Kelin often enough that I know what she’s capable of, but I was meeting Jon for the first time, and had never seen how the two of them interact in front of the camera.

I’d say the results speak for themselves.  This is a loving couple, completely at ease with each other, a fact that shows.

OK.  If a little braggin’ offends, please let me apologize right now, because I think I’m going to do...well, a little.
 

Scots Wedding

I just discovered the attached online magazine coverage of a wedding I photographed in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Yes, Scotland - north of England, across the Atlantic, home of Braveheart and William Wallace.  I’m very proud of this, and didn’t know the article was available, although the images were requested by the editorial staff a bit ago.  I enjoyed every minute of the six days spent in beautiful, historic Edinburgh; truly one of the most vibrant, cosmopolitan cities it has been my pleasure to visit.
 

To be sure, if you read the description of Melissa and Kjartan’s wedding at Surgeon’s Hall with it’s 500+ year history, perhaps the awe inspired by working in such a wonderful location will come through, too.  After all, it’s where Arthur Conan Doyle attended medical school and met the head master who became his inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.  In fact, once upon a time, 80% of all the surgeons in the British Empire were graduates of the Royal College of Surgeons, centered here.  That’s a lot of Docs.
 

Anyway, wedding photography for a happy couple is what took me there, just as it has taken me to Houston, TX.,  Stamford, CT.,  as well as Cleveland, Pittsburgh and many dozens of other cities in the US.
 

It might seem unusual to think of a photographer from a small town traveling to shoot weddings so far from home, but as the world becomes more linked on a global scale, finding someone with whom you click might be just a little easier.  (Visit our gallery of wedding photos)

Whether your wedding will be somewhere in the bWashington, Baltimore, Frederick Triangle, or somewhere between Shanghai and Paris, look us over, send an email or give us a call.  We love our brides, and want to talk with you.
 

We are professional photographers, creating beautiful images for brides everywhere.

Perhaps you recall Kelin and Jon’s black and white engagement portrait earlier this year in ‘The Model and the GI”.  In addition to being a radio and TV personality, Kelin has also been one of my favorite and most consistent advertising models until she met Jon and moved to Georgia.

You may also recall from that earlier post, that Jon was on active duty overseas, and we are all grateful for his safe return.

This past weekend was their wedding, and what a wedding it was!  It may have been hot and humid, it may even have rained just as we were ready to go to a local park for portraits, but everyone remained cool, calm and comfortable all day long. 

We were made to feel so welcomed, we were like family.  Everywhere we looked, people were just plain having a wonderful time!
 

First things first, our heartfelt congratulations!  Other than our own birth and the  birth of our own children, this is arguably the most important day in any of our lives. If you’re not nervous, and are completely confident, wonderful!  It’s the best of all places emotionally.

But if you're nervous or anxious going forward, who can blame you?  It’s huge, and you’ve agreed to take part!  You can be forgiven for having moments when you wonder, “What was I thinking?”

No matter which of those best describes you, we want you to know that at Jeff Behm Photography, we understand.  We've been around long enough to know what's happening, and with over 500 weddings photographed - from the United Kingdom to Houston, TX. and from Connecticut to Cleveland.  So, while our business is to create the ultimate in beautiful photographic interpretations of your wedding day, we are also firmly grounded in the concerns and realities of weddings, and want to be as helpful as we can be.

Centered in historic Gaithersburg, MD we are perfectly situated to serve the Frederick, Washington, Baltimore region.  We love what we do, and it shows in our photographs of brides, couples and the events of your big day.

So how can we best help you?  By drawing upon what we’ve learned in over 500 weddings and passing it on to you so you can make your decisions based on the real life experience of someone who will be there with you throughout the day.

Here’s a very simple idea from our planning literature that goes a long way:

It is very important that your Bridal Party and families on both sides know what is expected of them on this day.  This day will be exhausting for all concerned and people who do not understand what you are doing will be less helpful than those who do understand.  Remember, this is probably the most important day in your life. 

The members of your Bridal Party are there to help you.  It is an honor to be included.   It is also important to consider things like bachelor/bachelorette parties.  Since this is an exhausting day, a hangover will not make it better.  Since it is probable that you are spending a great deal of money this day, do your best to let everyone in your group know that the things you have planned are exactly how you want them, and you are counting on their enthusiasm and cooperation.  It will show in your portraits.
 

It’s a fact of human behavior that our expectations of an event are based upon our past experience.  Now, what happens if the people in our wedding have different expectations of what is happening and when?  Will they, like many people, dig in their heels at the sudden change from their expectations?  Will that affect their cooperation?  While people are different, we have seen it have a negative impact and want to give you the opportunity to avoid this problem.

The beautiful, almost porcelain doll complexion with which Ashley is blessed is a pure joy for a photographer, especially in my favorite medium, black and white photography.  You'll see what I mean, below.  We had such a wonderful time at their wedding, and now that their album is ready for them, we look forward to seeing them again soon.