Downtown Washington DC | Gabrielle & Ryan's Engagement Pictures | A Washington D.C. Wedding Photographer

I was so excited when Gabrielle contacted me about shooting her wedding! She is also a photographer and found me on Facebook through a photographers group! Gabrielle is from my hometown of Annapolis and I could not be more excited to shoot her wedding in November! From the first time we chatted on the phone, I know that I was going to love Gabrielle. She is SO sweet and easy to talk to!

I had so much fun walking around downtown DC with Gabrielle and her fiance Ryan. Gabrielle and Ryan are so sweet together and so easy-going and enjoyable to be around. Originally we had planned to take pictures when the cherry blossoms were in bloom, but the weather decided to be crazy and so unfortunately we missed the blooms by about a week. However, I'm really glad Gabrielle and Ryan still wanted to take their pictures in DC because it's one of my absolute favorite cities of all time! DC really is gorgeous, even without the cherry blossoms! We got some great pictures around the capitol, national mall, and library of congress. Here's a few of my favorites:

Fashion Friday: 7 Essentials to Pack for Traveling

Today I'm sharing with you a few of the essentials I am packing for my trip to London! Over the next few weeks, I'll do more posts on a few specific outfits I wore while in London. For now, here's a few things you should be sure to pack if you're traveling in the next few months:

1) A Comfortable Pair of Shoes
A comfortable pair of shoes is really important, especially when traveling to Europe or places you'll be walking a lot! I wanted to be really comfortable when walking around London but I also didn't want to stand out like an American in tennis shoes. I studied abroad in London several years ago, and one thing I quickly learned is that Europeans only wear tennis shoes and athletic gear when they're working out! To give myself a few options I am bringing a pair of flats, booties, and riding boots.

2) A Good Water Bottle
When you're traveling and walking around a lot, you need to be sure to drink water! I LOVE my new Swell bottle that I purchased at Target! You can use it for hot or cold drinks and it keeps them hot/cold all day. I'm also prone to spilling my drinks easily and this bottle doesn't spill in my bag!

3) A Selfie Stick
A selfie stick is essential when it's just you and your significant other (or friend) traveling together! I learned the hard way during out honeymoon when we'd visit gorgeous sites and there wasn't a person around to get a picture of my husband and I with the view in the background. This one is SO cute!

4) A Good Coat
A good coat is super important, especially when traveling somewhere as rainy as London! I really wanted to purchase a classic trench coat like this one before my trip, but that's not in the budget right now and so I'll be sticking to a military style coat. A great coat like a trench coat is always a great addition to your wardrobe because it is so classy and you know that it will never go out of style!

5) A Good Bag
You'll need a good bag with you when you travel to carry all of these things! I also REALLY wanted to buy this backpack before our trip, but I resisted! I am carrying everything around in a tote bag like this one. 

Sorry about the super low quality of this picture! I just wanted to give you an idea of what the jumpsuit looks like. I'll have a full outfit post on it soon but wanted to go ahead and share it since it's ON SALE FOR $32!!

6) Neutral Clothing
Another thing I learned while studying abroad is that Europeans wear mostly neutrals which is perfectly find by me because most of my closet is neutral! Packing mostly neutrals also works great because then you know that everything will match! I brought a few tops like this striped one, this cami, and this tunic. In addition, I'm really excited to wear this jumpsuit I just purchased ON SALE for $32!!!!!! It's super comfortable and cute! I've been searching everywhere for a jumpsuit that I could wear to shoot weddings, in Europe, etc. I wanted something comfortable but I didn't want it to be made of jersey material because I think that makes it look too casual. I also wanted something with a looser fit but not too loose (because then I just look like I'm drowning in it). I've looked a lot of places, and, in my opinion, this one is one of the best and one of the cheapest!

7) Your Favorite Lipstick
Don't forget your favorite lipstick so you look good in all of your vacation pictures! I recently tried Mac lipstick for the first time and all the hype you hear about them is true. I'm OBSESSED! One of my favorite colors is "Twig" and that's what I brought with me on this trip! I like "Twig" because it's a great mauve, semi-matte lip color that is little darker than my natural lips and so it gives me some great color without being too dramatic. 

Alex and I are having a great time! I can't wait to share more pictures with you soon!

Flats: Old Navy (Similar); Purse: Banana Republic (Similar and similar); Water Bottle: Swell (Same); Selfie Stick: Target (Similar...this one is so cute); Lipstick: Mac (Same...color is "Twig"); Striped Top One: Old Navy (Similar); Striped Top Two: BP (Similar)

DIY Bridal Hair Styles with Plume Events

I had THE best time shooting pictures for Plume Events on DIY bridal hair styles. We worked with some amazing vendors and models and I love the way the pictures turned out! Amy with Plume Events is incredibly talented and did a wonderful job making the florals and doing the hair for this shoot! Amy shared the 4 different DIY hair styles on her blog yesterday with instructions how to do them, so be sure to check her post out.

Vendors Involved:
Styling, Hair, and Florals: Plume Events
Venue: Wagner House
Photographer: DiPrima Photography
Makeup: Wink Hair and Makeup
Jewelry: Gemma Jewels Shop
Dresses: Carolina Bridal World

Here's a few of my favorite pictures of the finished hairstyles (click here to see more):

Clemson University | Bill & Katie's Engagement Pictures | A Clemson, SC Wedding Photographer

Bill and Katie met at Clemson several years ago but never really knew each other well. A few years later, Bill relocated to Atlanta and they re-connected and hit it off and started dating shortly after! They wanted to take their pictures on Clemson's campus since that's where they originally met. I actually knew Katie in college and even lived in a campus apartment across from her! We were both the same year in school and we met through Cru. 

I really enjoyed walking around Clemson's beautiful campus with Bill and Katie and I can't wait to shoot their Greenville, SC wedding in August!!

Fashion Friday: The Perfect Dress

There aways seems to be a lot of graduations, parties, and weddings in the spring! A chambray dress is very on trend this season (and so is embroidered anything!) and I think it's a perfect dress to wear to any occasion! I'm actually planning to wear this to a bridal luncheon this weekend! What I love about a chambray dress is that it can be dressed up or dressed down and worn during all seasons (just add a cardigan and boots for the fall!). My dress is Jessica Simpson and a I bought it a few years ago at TJ Maxx, but there's tons of super similar options out right now (see all the options at the bottom of this post). I also love the pop of color that color/pink shoes add to this outfit. Coral is one of my favorite colors to wear in the spring and summer and I think it's a color that is flattering on just about everyone! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Dress: Jessica Simpson (Old, similar here, here, and here and more listed below), Shoes: J Crew (Old, similar here, here, and here and more listed below), Bracelet: Francesca's (Old, similar here and here), Earrings: BP (Old, similar here). 

*Thank you to Sammi Evans Photography for these pictures