It's not every couple getting married in DC that can arrange to have their ceremony in the DC City Council Chamber Room in the Wilson Building downtown. David was able to make this happen thanks to Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, who he was moving to DC to work for in a few months. After the ceremony in this unusual and photogenic location, it was off to the Willard Hotel for drinks, but not before stopping at Pulaski Park where David borrowed a skateboard as Tracy looked on in mock horror. The reception at Elizabeth's on L was a full-on dance party as guests held tightly onto their drinks just inches from flailing arms and twirling bodies, dancing to the beat.

Serendipity played a welcome role in Caroline and Paul's wedding day. After the ceremony, there was some downtime and I accompanied the wedding party to Paul's house before the reception began. As we watched Arrested Development DVDs (as good of an indicator as any that this was a fun group), it began to rain so hard that the view out the window became a indistinguishable blur and thunder shook the walls. By the time we arrived at the International Country Club in Fairfax for the reception, the sun had some out and we had a fun time with photos on the golf course.

In talking to Amanda and Brian before their wedding, it seemed clear that while they were thrilled about getting married, their more pressing excitement was from the camping/backpacking trip they'd embark on in Arizona and Utah a day or so after the wedding. The day reflected the relaxed comfort the two had with each other, with an outdoor ceremony overlooking the water along the Eastern Shore and a reception that ended with the wedding party roasting marshmallows at Amanda's parent's house.

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I've photographed a few Vietnamese wedding ceremonies recently and one of my favorite parts of the day is the tea ceremony. The event is usually held at the bride's parent's home before the actual wedding ceremony, gathering together the couple's immediate family and friends. The couple serves small cups of tea to each relative and are given a red envelope in return. Afterwards, the family members and friends will speak about the couple and it often is a heartfelt moment that brings tears and emotional speeches. I always look at these wedding days as a story, and Quy and John's beautiful tea ceremony before their wedding served as a wonderful prelude to the fun, laughter-filled day that would follow.

In early March, I received an e-mail from Sam inquiring about shooting his wedding. He was a friend of Will and Shiying's, whose wedding I photographed in Singapore last year. They had some issues with their photographer, and were wondering if I could come out to Sydney, Australia and photograph their wedding happening in two weeks. The timing was perfect as I had no weddings that weekend or the previous weekend and soon was online booking tickets.

This wedding was truly a far-flung gathering of friends, as Sam's brother said in his toast, "Welcome everybody and thank you to Singapore Airlines for sponsoring this wedding." The ceremony was held in a beautiful, old church and the reception took place at a yacht club overlooking the water.

Highlights of the wonderful day included Sam singing a Chinese song to Denise that he had learned and a traditional tea ceremony honoring the couple's parents and relatives.