MARRIED: A Grand Cathedral and a Cozy Restaurant in Northern Virginia
A super dope (but also very beautiful)
wedding in Northern Virginia
You would not have known, by the way they carried on, that Callie and Sam hadn’t worked with us until the moment we walked through the door, that they changed their reception venue about two weeks prior to their wedding, or that before that they’d rescheduled their wedding day from November to February. You wouldn’t have even known that the two of them were about to say “I do” in a gigantic, architecturally splendid church by the way they shared secrets and smiles with one another during their ceremony. These two said Pandemic? Who is she? Haven’t met her.
Early on a chilly Saturday in February, we arrived at Callie’s parents’ house, where we were immediately greeted by two very small friends (pictured).
None of the bridal party was at all affected by the 8:30am arrival of two paparazzi bursting through the basement door; nor were they at all phased by our flitting across the room, grabbing rings, dresses, photographing family knick-knacks that lay about, and lurking in their mirror reflections while they attempted to finish their makeup.
Well, no one but Rebel. Rebel was very affected. He pranced about suspiciously, leading a thorough investigation, and ultimately allowing us clearance to continue our documentary duties.
Under Rebel’s watchful eye, hair was curled, lipstick applied, and the dress slipped on and buttoned in a brisk congregation of helpful hands.
When asked if she’d like to go outside for a few photos, Callie happily and dutifully slid on her rain boots and trudged out into the snow. She calmly participated as we photographed her with every camera in our arsenal, including an antique Graflex that came along with the warning of “this is an experiment; we have no idea if this camera works.” While we oohed and ahhed over the Snow White Energy being served, she proudly admitted that she’d been finding her angles with her iPhone (much to Casey’s delight).
We carried on to location two: St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church: the towering, contemporary sister to the original historic chapel. The high ceilings, white walls, and wooden pews were bathed in natural winter light, and contrasted by small nods to traditional religious art and architecture. The socially distanced attendance seemed particularly intimate in the massive space.
Each bridesmaid processed down the long center aisle, clad in a beautiful deep green. Sam stood proudly in his crackerjack dress blues as Callie and her father made their way to join the gathering of onlookers.
Though the service was traditional in structure, the couple of the hour made the formalities feel far from routine. While loved ones read scripture, the two remained touching affectionately, whispering and laughing amongst themselves. There was such ease and sweetness as they stood hand-in-hand, and head-to-head, to exchange vows and rings.
After penciling in some kissing, cheering, and aisle-walking, we photographed the newlyweds with the VIPs, then stole them away for some shots alone.
Not going to lie, we didn’t have to do much work except click the button while the two casually existed in love with each other at the altar, in a pew, by a window; it was all very ideal. We quickly ushered the pair to our favorite spot: the stairwell, which Casey discovered earlier in her scramble to the balcony. At this point one can draw the conclusion, successfully, that Callie and Sam continued to be comfortably smitten in the stairwell. There was also the piano, about which their playing skills are not relevant when you see them simply sitting at it.
After nailing being first time married people, the story’s heroes escaped the quiet church in their luxury getaway vehicle, where we regrouped in Old Town Manassas for dinner.
Nestled in old town Manassas, with exposed brick walls and full length windows, was Carmello’s, the charming locale of the dinner reception. The gathering, seemingly tiny before, now fit perfectly in the little restaurant, filling it with the warm chatter of close family and friends sharing drinks and calling loved ones who weren’t able to be present.
Part of the dining area was cleared to form a dance floor lit by the large windows, which Callie and Sam navigated via twirls and embraces to the sounds of Tyler Childers (only after the most endearing Spotify ad debacle). These were followed by darling parent promenades and a swift march to the dinner table.
After more chatter, some more Graflex experiments, and a delicious meal, the party wrapped up the reception with a couple of toasts given by the best man and maid of honor. Phones were out to document for far away guests, jokes were cackled at, and tearful hugs were exchanged.
Our time here had ended, but we left a group of party goers who were only beginning to embark on their evening barhopping journey in Old Town. We packed the car and spent the drive home happily reliving the first intimate, joy-filled, snow-kissed wedding of 2021.
W + C
Hold me close my dear
Sing your whispering song
Softly in my ear
And I will sing along
Honey, tell me how your love runs true
And how I can always count on you
To be there when the bullets fly
I'd run across a river just to hold you tonight
Are you now also obsessed with Callie and Sam? If you’re looking for photography coverage for a similar day of matrimony, schedule a consultation with us! We’d love to meet you.
FROM CALLIE:
I hired these amazing ladies to be my wedding photographers (before I knew I would be having a COVID wedding) and they absolutely killed it! They were responsive to my messages and were so nice about the constant changes to when/where the wedding was happening. When I hired them, we had a meeting where they discussed with my husband and I what kind of vibe we are looking for and even help with ideas for photos. They showed up on time day of and even brought a film camera to take some pictures. Whitney and Casey felt like part of the family throughout the day! My guest all though it was super cool. Sometimes getting pictures can feel awkward but not with the Cole sisters! They had a plan and it made getting all the pictures I wanted really effortless. A day or two after the wedding, a couple preview pictures were sent to us and I DIED!! They were exactly what I talked about when I discussed with them what I wanted out of wedding photos. The turn around time to receive the rest of the pictures was about a month and it was absolutely worth the wait. There wasn’t a bad picture to be found, They truly captured the day. Even after all that, Whitney and Casey sent a really sweet letter with some prints of our photos. Can not recommend enough!
