Wedding at Laurel Park | Rob and Rachel

One of the things I live about wedding photography, especially in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, is that there is a seemingly endless variety of wedding venues! You could get married in place as traditional as a barn or a hotel, or as nontraditional as a cave! It’s always exciting when a couple chooses a different type of venue.

For Rachel and Rob, that meant something different and fun! They had their wedding at Laurel Park, home to thoroughbred horse racing since 1911. Rachel shared with me that “I had always dreamed of getting married in a church, so I was quite surprised at how quickly I fell in love with Laurel Park and all it has to offer, with real live horse racing in the background of our wedding!”

But more than just the venue, I get excited to photograph a wedding because I know there are going to be special moments to capture. These aren’t just pretty photos, they are timeless stories that will carry meaning for the couple far into the future. Some of my favorites from their day included a touching scene of Rachel seeing her Dad for the first time that day. Following that was Rob’s reaction to seeing Rachel coming down the aisle, as well as their incorporation of a unity cross into their ceremony, signifying the joining together of their families in Christ.

After the ceremony and a few portraits around the venue it was time for the reception with great food, high energy dancing, and a few more unique celebrations. Rob and Rachel commemorated Rachel’s parents 35th wedding anniversary and Rachel and her sister, Rebecca, performed a piece of music together. Later they finished out the night making a getaway to their honeymoon under a downpour of flower petals, which turned out to be some of the best shots of the day.

One of my favorite questions to ask a couple is what excites them most about being married. For Rob and Rachel it was an easy, simple answer, “getting to share in life's ups and downs with a wonderful, God-loving partner by my side.” That beautiful sentiment sums it all up, and I wish Rob and Rachel the best in their life to come. Enjoy their photo story below!