Allie Strouse
- Aug 7, 2015
- 3 min read

Kate + Brendan | Richmond Marriott West Wedding

Kate and Brendan were such a delight to shoot! Wedding days are sometimes stressful and always fast paced for the bride and groom, but Kate and Brendan were the picture of calm. They handled everything from the weather to learning how to tie a bow-tie without breaking a sweat (figuratively of course, the humidity was definitely on the rise in late June!)

As luck would have it, Kate was given our names during a venue visit and we got a chance to meet her and Brendan for coffee last October. We immediately bonded over a love for running and several common RVA friends. It wasn’t long before we were shooting her BRIDAL PORTRAITS AT WALKERTON TAVERN and counting down the days till their wedding.

We arrived at the Ferguson household in the early afternoon and were immediately greeted with hugs. Their wedding day joy was contagious! Kate and her bridesmaids were laughing and joking as they got their hair and makeup done in her parents’ beautiful sunroom. The lighting was unbelievable and the girls looked even that more beautiful!

Brendan and his groomsmen made Brad feel like part of the group right away...by trading jokes and gently ribbing him right alongside their best friend Brendan. They really got a chance to show off their unique personalities through their suits. Each groomsmen was given a different bow tie and a pair of socks along with a few other great great gifts (check out our blog on GROOMSMEN GIFT IDEAS here). Brendan learned to tie a bow-tie on the fly and the guys lined up for some help. GQ for days!

It was easy to tell the bridal party were good friends and their love for Kate and Brendan was obvious. The guys were constantly cracking jokes to get a sincere smile out of Brendan and the girls did their best to keep Kate hydrated and cool in the warm, pre-storm humidity of late June.

St. Michael Catholic church was the ceremony location and not only was it beautiful on the inside, but was also set up in the round allowing a 360 degree view for photos! The full Catholic mass was a great mix of church and family tradition. There was room in the ceremony for Kate and Brendan to greet their family/guests and a special place set aside for Kate and her father’s baptism candles to be displayed side by side. It was so rich with tradition and love!

After the ceremony, we headed back to the Marriott on the bridal party shuttle with the entire cast of characters. What a great way to keep your bridal party together between locations and it always ends up being a fun time for the newly married couple to spend their first moments of marriage with their closest friends and family. The reception ballroom was so elegant! The soft lighting, easy listening playlist, and multi-course meal were all high end touches to an already exquisite day.

-Our Favorite Moment-

Kate and Brendan’s guests had a fever that only dancing could cure! The dance floor was so packed the entire the night that we spent a lot of our time on top of chairs shooting this happy crowd. Everyone was laughing, dancing, and singing so loud that I bet many guests woke up the next morning without a voice. Many songs became epic singalongs and Kate and Brendan were the center of several great, full group song performances! They obviously share the bride and groom’s great taste in music!

Thanks to Kate and Brendan for making us feel like part of the family! We wish them many years of happiness surrounded by great family and friends.

Here are a few of our favorites from their day!

Kate and Brendan went to VT so they had HOKIE TRAKS on their cake! HOW COOL! Plus, their cake was Key Lime and heavenly!

Each table was named after a place Kate & Brendan hung out at VT! SO COOL!

We always ask our couples what is their one MUST HAVE shot. Kate and Brendan wanted a picture of them in the elevator! Funny story about this, we did the shot 3 times so they got to ride up and down the elevator like we ALL used to do as kids. :-D

Thanks for letting us celebrate with you guys!

| CREATIVE TEAM |

GETTING READY LOCATION | Kate's Parent's House

CEREMONY | St. Michael Catholic Church

WEDDING OFFICIANT | Fr. Dan Brady

HAIR & MAKEUP | Lou Stevens Glam Squad - Britny

FLORIST | Petals & Twigs

RECEPTION VENUE | The Richmond Marriott West

RECEPTION COORDINATOR | Heather

BAKERY | Buttercream Bee - Laura Reynolds

INVITATIONS | One Ten Stationary

DJ | RVA DJ - Wes Suitt