This Chevy Chase Club wedding took place on a sunny September day in Chevy Chase, Maryland. As Elise and Brian’s Maryland wedding photographer, I captured their day beginning at Elise’s parents’ home, followed by their Catholic ceremony and reception at Chevy Chase Club.

Elise and Brian are both sweet and somewhat quiet, but they have big personalities and know what they like. They also have a large group of close friends, and throughout the day, it was easy to see how much people enjoyed being around them.

Their wedding was traditional in many ways, which suited them perfectly. But within those traditions were details that were very personal to them and their families. I kept that in mind as I photographed the day. I knew they would value traditional photos, but I also wanted to pay attention to the moments that were uniquely theirs.

Getting Ready for Their Chevy Chase Wedding

I started the morning with Elise and her bridesmaids at her parents’ home in Chevy Chase. Her bridesmaids wore floor-length navy satin dresses, while Brian and his groomsmen got ready separately at Chevy Chase Club in dark gray suits with ties.

One detail I made sure to capture was a piece of fabric Elise had incorporated into her wedding dress. The fabric belonged to her mom and had initials embroidered on it. Elise had it sewn inside her dress so she could keep it with her throughout the wedding day. I loved how personal it was, especially because it wasn’t something everyone would necessarily see.

Elise and Brian decided not to have a first look, so we took their portraits separately at their respective getting-ready locations before heading to the church. From talking with them before the wedding, I knew traditional photographs were important to them. Rather than trying to make their wedding look like something it wasn’t, I wanted their photos to reflect who they actually are. We made time for those more traditional portraits while leaving plenty of room for the unscripted parts of the day.

Traditional Catholic Wedding Ceremony in Chevy Chase, Maryland

Elise and Brian saw each other for the first time that day at the church, where they were married in a traditional Catholic ceremony. One of the moments I remember most happened between Elise and her dad. They have a tradition of touching their foreheads together, and they did it again on her wedding day. It was quiet and brief, but it was theirs. Because I knew what that gesture meant to them, it was much more meaningful to capture than anything I could have posed.

The ring bearer was the young son of one of Elise’s bridesmaids. Having him take part in the ceremony was another way Elise included people who were important to her in the wedding itself. He was still a toddler at the time, and his presence made the ceremony feel that much more connected to the close group of friends surrounding Elise that day.

There was a lot of emotion surrounding the ceremony, particularly between Elise and her family. I found myself watching those relationships closely because so much of the story of their wedding was in those small interactions.

Cocktail Hour at Chevy Chase Club

After the ceremony, everyone headed to Chevy Chase Club for cocktail hour and the reception. Chevy Chase Club wasn’t simply a venue Elise and Brian found while wedding planning. Elise’s family are members and regularly spend time there, so there was already a familiarity with the club before the wedding ever took place. I think that personal connection is part of what made it such a natural choice for their reception.

The setting also worked beautifully with the kind of wedding they wanted. The club gave them a traditional backdrop, while the choices they made for the reception brought in more modern elements. Instead of trying to transform the venue into something completely different, their wedding felt at home there. We also had beautiful September weather. It stayed warm and comfortable as everyone moved from the ceremony into cocktail hour and the evening celebration.

Traditional Chevy Chase Club Wedding Reception

Inside, the reception continued the traditional feel of the day but included some more modern details. One that stood out to me was the use of single flowers placed individually in small vases. The simplicity of those arrangements worked especially well against the more traditional setting of the club.

As the evening continued, some of the moments I remember most involved Elise and her dad. At one point, he brought out a very old bottle of root beer that had been saved from when Elise was a little girl. It was connected to a long-running inside joke between the two of them, and when he opened it at the reception, everyone got a big laugh out of it.

Later, Elise surprised her dad with a gift that also connected back to something from her childhood. This time, they both became emotional, and I was able to capture their reactions as the moment unfolded.

I pay close attention to things like this on a wedding day. They aren’t necessarily moments that can be scheduled into a photography timeline. Often, they’re small and happen quickly. But years later, they can become some of the photos that mean the most.

Photographing a Chevy Chase Club Wedding on Film

Elise and Brian originally found me while searching online for wedding photographers who had photographed at Chevy Chase Club. As they looked through my work, my use of film photography was one of the things that drew them to me, and they specifically wanted film incorporated into their wedding photos. It made a lot of sense for this particular wedding.

Elise and Brian wanted something traditional, but they also wanted their wedding to feel like them. I approached their photos in much the same way. I incorporated the traditional images I knew they would value, then captured the interactions and personal details that gave the day its own personality.

The film photos are some of my favorites from their wedding because they have a slightly older quality without making the wedding itself look dated. The navy satin bridesmaids’ dresses and dark gray suits keep the images grounded in the present. Film adds something different. There is a familiarity to it that makes some of the photographs feel as though they could have been pulled from an older family album. That feels particularly fitting for Elise and Brian.

Their wedding respected tradition without following it simply for tradition’s sake. Elise carried a piece of her mom’s fabric inside her wedding dress. She shared the forehead touch with her dad that was already meaningful to the two of them. Later, a decades-old root beer bottle appeared at the reception because of a joke that started when she was a little girl.

Those are the details I want to remember when I photograph a wedding. They are also the details I want my couples to be able to remember through their photos years from now.

Looking for a wedding photographer for your Chevy Chase Club wedding?

If you’re planning a Chevy Chase Club wedding and want photos that reflect the people and relationships that are actually important to you, I would love to hear what you’re planning. You can read more about my approach and what I offer on my Services page, then get in touch through my Contact page to tell me about your wedding.

Elise & Brian’s Chevy Chase Club Wedding Vendors

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