Before we get to the next wedding coming up this weekend, a quick word or two about some nuptials that have yet to take place.

I shoot a lot of engagement portraits for my brides and grooms. And I like them to be cool, not simply a bride in front of the Lincoln Memorial. This past week I traveled up to Baltimore, down towards Charlottesville and up and down the GW Washington Parkway, searching for the perfect Redbud tree.

Elizabeth and Felipe are getting married in Baltimore, at the gorgeous Peabody Library (where my sister Jennifer was married a few years back).  The first thing you notice about Elizabeth is her smile, which runs roughly from Inner Harbor to Mt. Vernon Place. After that comes the laughter, which she and Felipe seem to share every few seconds. I can't wait to meet his family, who are traveling from Colombia for the wedding. That should be a blast.

One of things I love about Baltimore is that you don't have to walk more than a couple of feet to find some great old building. That's exactly what happened when I met Elizabeth and Felipe near the Baltimore Washington Monument. We just walked a few blocks and found a beautiful archway and a welcoming stoop. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

And speaking of uncomplicated, I have to laugh when I think of how simple it was to shoot a beautiful photo for my July couple, Meghan and Felix. They'll be getting married at a Virginia Winery, Hillsborough Vineyards. One of the great things about a wedding at a vineyard is how unstuffy it is. Guests wander about drinking champagne, the air is crystal clear and music wafts through the rolling hills.

With this in mind, Meghan and Felix took a leisurely drive down the GW Parkway a few days back , looking to see what might be in bloom. As it was a laid back Sunday morning, we had no real agenda, though I admit Iwas angling for a redbud. Here in the nation's capital, the plant progression goes something like this: First come the forsythia, followed by the wildly popular cherry blossoms. But if you ask me, the magnolia and pear blossoms give them a good run for their money. Something about those huge blooms on the pink magnolias. And right after they're all done, the redbuds appear, their deep purple foliage clinging tightly to branches. (Redbuds often look as though they've been wrapped tightly in color, whereas cherry blossoms hang lazily.) And just as the redbuds start to fade, and you think there's no more magic to come, cue the dogwoods.

Anyway, I knew we would find a redbud somewhere and sure enough, on our drive up from the Mount Vernon vicinity, we found one. When we scheduled this session, I didn't tell Felix and Meghan that they'd have to stand along a parkway filled with speeding cars. But if you shoot things at the right angle, all of that disappears.

I look forward to their wedding in July. I know it will be just as beautiful.

 Finally, I took a nice dive down towards Charlottesville this week, where my two of my siblings once went to school, to shoot an engagement portrait for Natasha and Wade. Or perhaps I should say I drove down towards Charlottesville to take some pictures of a playful German Shepherd named Blue, photos that also happened to include Wade and Natasha.

Wade and Natasha are crazy about Blue and the feeling is mutual, believe me. And since you all know how much I love my own Golden, Cooper the Wonder Dog, you won't hear any jokes about crazy people and their dogs from me. You either get it or you don't. And I get it.

It was a perfect day for a long drive down south. Just like with the GW Parkway drive, I got to watch all the trees coming into bloom along Route 29. And as the three of us (four of us, couting Blue) walked around the family farm, the same thought that always pops into my head in these parts showed up: it sure would be nice to have some land and old farmhouse someday. Someday. Natasha's very sweet mom (who made a fantastic lunch for us) kept worrying that the old barn was going to be in photos. The barn I want to tear down! she said. And we all laughed, because who wouldn't want an old barn in their photos?

Well, I'm going to go to bed. The Caps just lost a heartbreaking Game 7 in overtime. It was a thrilling finish to a remarkable comeback season. Would have been nice. Tomorrow it's off to see the Mets (my old team) take on the 6-15 Nats (my new team.) Doesn't look good.

 Take care,

Matt