We could say so many things about Julia and Mason that it's difficult to narrow it down to one little blog post. Andy and Julia have known each other since middle school and when Julia contacted us to photograph her wedding we were thrilled. This couple is quiet strong; life has been particularly hard on them both and through it all they've had one another to help guide them through. The strength of their bond is hard to put into words, but that's what images are for. In photographing Julia and Mason for their engagement shoot at the Cylburn Arboretum and meeting up for beers to talk about their wedding as it approached we became fast friends, and instantly bonded over our love for our cats, pizza, all things sci-fi, art, and some shared difficult life experiences.

On a hot summer day in Maryland Julia and Mason invited their friends, family, and favorite pizza truck to a quiet section in Patapsco State Park, flanked by a babbling brook on one side and forest covered hills on the other. Despite the heat, they both maintained grace and composure throughout the day and hosted a beautifully intimate and completely home-made wedding. Mason's aunt baked their three tier cake and some amazing cookies for the dessert table, and his uncle hand crafted the metal arch that they were married under. Friends and family provided the music for their ceremony, and Julia's hair and make up was done by one of her bridesmaid's and best friends at Julia's and Mason's home - allowing us to get some photos with Julia and her skeptical kitty Eisley. Julia is a grade school art teacher and hand made the photo-booth, decor, and kid's art activity table. Julia also hand painted both shoes and matching earrings for all of her girls, who wore dresses representing all of the primary colors. To us, this is what weddings should be about. Simple and homemade with your favorite things. Friends, family, and community coming together to create a day filled with the things that matter most: good food, good music, a place to dance, with love behind it all.

Both Julia and Mason were so open to dealing with heat to explore the park and surrounding woods with us during their portrait session part of the day, and after the party had died down we decided to explore a bit more with them and found some very special light that resulted in some stunning photographs. It was the kind of light that made all four of us stop in our tracks when we saw it and felt magically magnetic. This was the kind of wedding that makes us realize how much we love what we do. We felt truly honored to be part of their day, and are so excited to share it with you.

Julia & Mason's Patapsco State Park Wedding