When I got married, almost 6 years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my wedding, other than have it outdoors. I had no idea where to begin. Now being in the wedding industry for the past few years, I’ve seen some absolutely incredible wedding vendors work their magic and have been blessed with becoming great friends with one in particular.

Hana (Weddings by Hana) came over one day and as we were sitting on my couch, we talked about the styled shoot we wanted to plan. Initially, we were thinking of a totally different style when we realized that style was overdone, you see it all the time, and nothing different or inspiring from what you always see. That’s when we got the idea to incorporate fruit! When was the last time you went to a wedding and part of the decor was fruit? Probably never, right? We went with the idea and brainstormed for the next hour. We wanted a citrus styled shoot at Great Marsh, the most gorgeous, elegant, upscale venue I know of in the DC area.

She left, I created a mood board, and for the next few weeks we planned, found vendors willing to participate and next thing I know it’s the day of the styled shoot! This is my 3 styled shoot ever and everything went so smoothly. There were no hiccups, no detail went without thought, all the vendors went above and beyond, and our models really took things to the next level. Aren’t they beautiful people? They were so easy and fun to work with!

I loved photographing this styled shoot along with Hana. It was nice having another photographer being able to brainstorm along with you. She shot this styled shoot on film while I shot digital. I had the honor of seeing her film scans as soon as they came in at midnight while we were together at a conference in Georgia!

Special thank you to the incredible team of vendors who made this dream styled shoot a reality.

Planner // May June Weddings
Jewelry // Adora by Simona
Dress // Vivid Bridal Boutique
Groom Attire //  Generation Tux
Hair and Makeup // Bridal by Sarah Khan Artistry
Cake // Liberty Baking Co /
Florals // Spring Bouquet Flowers
Digital Photographer // Sarah Botta Photography
Film Photographer // Weddings by Hana
Rentals // Main Street Rentals and Beggars Banquet Rentals 
Stationary // Peach and Paperie 
Venue // Great Marsh
Modeling Agency // The Artist Agency
Models // Chris Wessels and Lacey Tanner

Click here to view more recent weddings.

Sarah Botta is a Northern Virginia based wedding photographer whose work can be described as organic, natural, and timeless. Sarah specializes in capturing people’s stories and building connections with each client to help tell their story. Sarah has photographed over 55 weddings across Virginia and Maryland from rustic outdoor ceremonies to elaborate estate mansion receptions. Her natural timeless style shines brightest with outdoor locations. Sarah is available for travel and is passport ready.