Hermitage Hill Farm and Stables was one of those venues that was on my mental list of “super cool venues I must shoot at.” I had heard of its beauty and uniqueness from friends in Virginia, and finally, this past October, I was invited to photograph a wedding there.

Katie and Ross invited me to their wedding at the stables. A wedding at the stables? Like horse stables? Yep! But don’t worry, they were clean, it wasn’t smelly and the horses were friendly! They farm and stables have been taken care of and presented for venue purposes and they make a beautiful backdrop! The combination of rustic details, hay bales stored above, light pouring in from various angles and the wooden architecture throughout was refreshingly new and different for me as a photographer. Hermitage certainly lived up to the positive things I had been hearing about it and I would highly recommend it to future couples. 🙂

The last weekend in October was beautiful! It’s a risky weekend to wed since there’s a good chance it’ll be cold and possibly rainy or snowy, at least for us here in the northeast…and Virginia sometimes, too! But Katie and Ross got lucky! The temperatures were mild and the sun shined brightly all day long! It was a beautiful wedding to photograph and I’m excited to share these pictures with you today! It’s a long post, but there were so many good moments, laughs and snuggles between the bride and groom, and beautiful details that I couldn’t share just a few. ENJOY!

Beautiful, right!? The stable area presented itself so well! And as you’ll see, it made an awesome area for pictures…

I love this flower shot. 🙂

The rooms where the girls got ready weren’t well-lit, so I asked them to step out into the stable area and I’m so glad I did! Look at all that lovely light!

Katie has such a beautiful smile. 🙂

The guys arrived ready to go!

Katie and Ross decided to share a first look together. It was the middle of the afternoon and sunny, so being outdoors presented the challenge of dealing with harsh light. So we made things happen inside the stable area where we covered from the harsh light, but still had plenty of natural light to work with…

I had my zoom lens out of the next few…

I love these next few portraits of Katie and Ross at the end of the beautiful stable space together. The light, the wooden structure, the romance!!

I took a picture of the scene on my iPhone, and it turned out darker than I’d usually prefer. But after I looked at for a while, I realized it was really pretty and something artistically different! So I made the same thing happen with my camera.

Because Katie and Ross did a first look, we were able to take bride-groom and wedding party portraits before the ceremony. And in turn, we weren’t rushed and they attended their cocktail hour before the reception.

A favorite for me!

Another favorite! 🙂

Beautiful Katie!

My second shooter Danielle took this lovely portrait! It was our first time working together and we rocked it! I think she “got me” almost immediately and eventually figured out exactly how to help, even if it wasn’t with her camera. Thanks for being there that day, Danielle!

I love this picture of the girls! Their smiles, their jewelry and dresses, and those flowers! 🙂

The ceremony space!

While waiting for the ceremony to start, I like to play “paparazzi”… 🙂

And how about this moment?? Mamas and grandmas before Katie walked down the aisle. 🙂

Another special moment that I’m so thankful I captured! Katie placing her hand in Ross’s just before they officially become husband and wife!

Katie and her mama sharing some smiles. 🙂

And Katie and her grandma doing the same! Have I ever mentioned how much I love a good grandma shot!?! 🙂

The reception room sat opposite the getting ready area of the stables and it was stunning! Look at that chandelier!!

Katie is an elementary school teacher and she had her kids help out with the decor. 🙂

Sequin table runner! Hhoollleerrr!!!

The videographer and my second shooter Danielle photographing the rings during cocktail hour. 🙂

So many awesome “in between moments” at this wedding, and I’m so glad I was able to capture them! The mamas sharing a touch of the hand during Katie and Ross’s first dance. 🙂

After Katie and Ross finished their dinner, we headed outside for MORE pictures! Yep, Katie had requested this and I’m so glad she did! The sun was setting and the light was perfect for some glowy images of the new Mr. and Mrs. 🙂

A HUGE favorite on the right!!!

Another behind the scenes shot! Two photographers, a videographer and a bride and groom in an overlook that’s smaller than a bedroom! It was fun. 🙂

Then we went to see the horses…

And headed out back for some final portraits before the sun ducked behind the horizon…

Party time!

And time for some speeches and tears…

It was Katie’s maid of honor’s birthday so she surprised her with a beautiful cake!

The shoe game! I love this! Questions were asked about Katie and Ross as a couple and they had to answer by holding their shoes in the air! Questions like “Who’s the better driver?” and “Who said I love you first?” were asked. If the answer was Katie, they put up her shoe. If it was Ross, his shoe was in the air. They sat back-to-back so they wouldn’t see each other’s answers, but the crowd’s reaction was enough to let them know what was going on. 🙂

Ah, what a fun and BEAUTIFUL wedding! Thank you for such an awesome time, Katie and Ross! And for making so much time for your pictures! I’m so glad I finally got to visit Hermitage Farm and I’m glad it was for your wedding. 🙂