Maria and Daavi welcomed an adorable baby boy into the world in September. I was so excited to spend some time with this little heart breaker at their home in Rockville, Maryland.

Meet Weston:

Maria shares, “Weston Thomas Zain was born on September 19, 2013, at Shady Grove Hospital. He was a little early but still a healthy 6 lbs, 7 oz.  I remember thinking from the moment I saw him how he already looked like a little cute boy, especially after his first bath when his rock-n-roll hair was revealed!

The name Weston came from many discussions between my husband and me.  We really wanted a name that sounded distinguished but also laid back, which turned out not to be an easy task.  And we thought it was important to give him a unique name, to help him stand out. The middle name Thomas was a name I always liked and we felt it would balance out his unique first name.  It just rolled off the tongue.

When we brought Weston home from the hospital, both our families couldn’t get over what a “good baby” he was.  He has been really great from day one with eating, sleeping and now playing.  It is pretty clear that he has an independent streak in him.  He doesn’t care to be held for very long and prefers to be out and about looking around at the world, He especially likes to study people’s faces and does this with great intensity and seriousness.

Weston changes a little bit every day and we are always excited to see new developments.”

So serious.

And so sleepy!

Congratulations to the happy family!

Amanda and Eric were married on an unseasonably warm December day at the Annapolis, Maryland, Courthouse. They planned an elopement-style wedding in just two weeks!

The Annapolis Courthouse is so charming and lovely. Amanda told me she looked into civil ceremonies at courthouses in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, but neither of them had the pretty chapel atmosphere. The courthouse in Annapolis is the perfect place for an elopement because the area is beautiful and historic and the ceremony is in a private room that can seat around 20-30 guests. It also seems less rushed. Amanda and Eric had time to say their own personal vows and really enjoy the ceremony.

After the ceremony, we walked around the area.  The weather was so incredibly nice that we were able to walk all around historic Annapolis to take photos and Amanda didn’t even need her coat!

Amanda shares a wonderful proposal story, “While I was working in Africa this summer, we decided to meet in Tanzania and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was an amazing experience. Eric carried the ring to the summit, but with the dizzying feeling at almost 20,000 feet, and with crowds of people around, he decided to wait for a more private moment. We flew from Arusha to Zanzibar the day after reaching the summit. After spending three days scuba diving, as the sun began to set we headed back to the room to relax. Eric had champagne waiting and rose petals in the shape of a heart on the bed and he popped the question. We celebrated sipping our champagne and watching the sunset in the beautiful Matemwe Beach area of Zanzibar. In similar fashion, we wanted something small and intimate for the wedding, and Annapolis could not have worked out more perfectly.”

After taking portraits by the water, we walked back up to the enchanting Reynold’s Tavern for a reception with the couple’s family and friends.

Congratulations Amanda and Eric!

2013 was a great year! Thank you to all the wonderful couples I worked with these past 12 months. It was an honor to be part of so many beautiful weddings.

This year I reached a lot of goals. I photographed my 100th wedding. I was honored to be published on Style Me Pretty, Wedding Chicks, and many other lovely wedding blogs. I hit 1,000 fans on Facebook. I photographed weddings at some beautiful locations including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The W Union Square, and The Manhattan Penthouse. I photographed my first Orthodox Jewish wedding and my first Cambodian wedding. I was honored to receive the Best of Weddings 2014 award from the Knot for the fourth consecutive year.

Personally, this year has been full of happiness, bringing my puppy Josie home in February and celebrating my 30th birthday. It has also been a scary one as I watched my husband, Eric, break his leg in a boating accident that required emergency surgery over the summer. He had a titanium rod installed in his femur and we now call him Superman, the Man of Steel. He is still going to physical therapy, but he is doing great! We just celebrated Christmas with our families in Maryland and Virginia and are looking forward to no broken bones in 2014.

2014 looks exciting! I have 14 weddings booked so far, including weddings at some locations I have been so excited to capture: The Foundry in Long Island City, 501 Union, the Green Building, and a yacht circling Manhattan, and I will be traveling for a wedding in North Carolina.

Lauren and Christian came all the way from Germany to get married in NYC at City Hall.

Lauren began getting ready for the day at the beautiful Warwick Hotel.

Everyone got into a limo and made their way down to City Hall for the ceremony.

Married! Congratulations to the happy couple!

The celebration kept on going at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Columbus Circle for a wedding toast and brunch.

Congratulations Lauren and Christian!

It’s only ONE WEEK until Christmas!

I’ve been busy wrapping gifts, sending out wedding albums, and building fires to stay warm this snowy December.

We took photos for our family holiday card early in the season. I am so excited to share some of the photos with you!

Last Christmas, Eric surprised with me with an amazing gift: POOP BAGS! And told me we would finally be getting the puppy I have been wanting for years. I am so excited to have this snuggly, sweet little puppy to celebrate Christmas with this year.

Josie started off our holiday shoot thinking the Santa hat was a toy…

But then Eric helped her get the style just right. I think she wears it well!

Sending you lots of love this holiday season!

Stay tuned for two elopements still coming before 2014!

Looking for some great holiday music? Check out my Christmas Spotify Station featuring songs by The Bird and the Bee, Fun., She & Him, Kelly Clarkson, James Taylor, Colbie Caillat, and Bing Crosby.

Photos of the three of us are by my wonderful friend, Jennie. Thanks, Jennie!