Josh & Anna

Josh & Anna had the Christmas wedding of their dreams on New Year’s Day in the little town of Winchester, Virginia at her family’s church. We started the morning at Anna’s parents’ house, just a few minutes away from the church in a quiet neighborhood. A pile of wet shoes sat by the front door. Their Christmas tree was wrapped in strings of popcorn and fresh cranberries, just like in the books we used to read growing up. Anna and her ladies all gathered around the kitchen table for hair and makeup, while we photographed the invitations (designed by the bride herself!) under the tree.

On the other side of town, Josh and his men were getting ready at his parents’ house. His mom was in the kitchen, making snacks, telling stories, and helping pin the homemade boutonnieres on Josh and his groomsmen. Josh, the more outgoing of the two in their relationship, was bursting with confidence and joy. He couldn’t wait any longer to see his bride.

They had a very small and intimate ceremony at her parents’ church with just a few family and friends, followed by a much larger reception nearby with close to 200 guests. Anna was so excited that the church would still be decorated for Christmas, and I wonder if Father may have added a few extra Christmas trees around the church just for Anna. 😉 After their ceremony, the cold night set in quickly, with fog and rain rolling over the hills, but we had just enough daylight to capture some romantic husband & wife portraits in the fog. Later, as the reception rocked on inside, we stole a few minutes with them for night portraits in the rain (scroll to the bottom!) before they left for their honeymoon.

Josh & Anna, thank you for inviting us into the sacred space of your family home and your intimate ceremony! Enjoy some of these highlights from their day!