Weddings – Debbie Dean Photography

Noah & Amber: Sandy Bottom Nature Park Wedding, Hampton VA

Covid weddings might make gatherings smaller in size but definitely not in joy, sweetness, fun, and the multitude of memories made! Noah & Amber were a last-minute addition to my 2020 wedding year (as in, they contacted me the day before their wedding!!!), and I adored their intimate gathering at Sandy Bottom Nature Park, last November. Their parents, siblings, and a few friends surrounded them for a sweet celebration at the park, with colorful leaves still blessing us with much bright scenery. Then we headed over to Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery for a fun reception dinner.

Noah & Amber were so kind, flexible, and just excited to be married! They made wandering the park fun, and they were one of my most laid-back couples… just happy to be together!!! I adored getting to capture their wedding day. Enjoy some of my favorites!!!!

The Father-Daughter and Mother-Son dances had us all tearing up!

Then we headed to the Vanguard (brewpub and distillery) in downtown Hampton for an intimate reception!!

Favorite Wedding Moments of 2020

“God creates the beauty. My camera and I are witness.” (Mark Denman)

That is how I feel when I am doing wedding photography. I have yet to get over the immense joy and privilege it is to be so intimately involved in individuals’ wedding celebrations, just seeing how beautifully created they are and the joy that exudes from their togetherness. SO MANY times throughout wedding days, I find myself smiling from ear to ear, watching the perfect light illuminate such stunning people. As I rapid-fire shoot images, I am amazed at what I get to capture. What a privilege to do what I do!

While covid brought many changes and postponed dates to the wedding world last year, I was still able to have the privilege of working with Dani White Photography throughout 2020, and second shooting a handful of weddings for her! Spending those days alongside her was such a joy and help to me as a person and a photographer. I grew in confidence and excitement to be in the industry, and renewed thankfulness of what it means to use our gifts to serve clients with excellence!

Below are a few of my favorite photos I captured on wedding days throughout 2020. I hope the beauty within them makes you smile as it has me!

Eric & Sharon: Gloucester Wedding

Anyone else miss the pre-covid wedding days? Celebrating with friends and family, sans face coverings and social distancing? While I know our current circumstances and the various regulations upon us are limits we all just have to accept as reality for right now, I still peruse weddings I shot in 2019 with such awe and glee, seeing mask-less faces and guests cozied up next to one another! I pray we get to be there again soon. Until then, enjoy some highlights from a wedding I shot back in May of 2019 for a dear couple from my church, Hampton Roads Fellowship! Watching their little blended family (Sharon & MJ, Eric & Cameron) become one surrounded by our HRF family was such a relaxed, joyful celebration!

(Note: I’m still shooting weddings in this season, maneuvering covid restrictions and seeking to bless couples as they deal with these crazy times! Message debbiedeanphotography@gmail.com to get wedding packages and booking details!)

A Swing Through 2019

Hello, friends! Happy 2020! Having time this month to slow down, regroup, and pray & plan for 2020 has been so refreshing. (Aside from the week I spent nursing my sick younger sister (a freshman at CNU) back to health from a virus, only to catch some kind of the bug myself and be out of commission for a week. Ah well, tis the season.)

As I look back over 2019, I am so humbled by the faces that fill folder after folder on my harddrive, from engagements, families, expecting parents, and more. As I posted on Instagram recently, 2019 was a year where love for the camera and really truly learning people, serving people, and enjoying people with photography came back to life for me. Selecting a slew of photos to share in this post was so hard because I wanted to use them all!!!! My smile kept growing as I put this selection together. Y’all have been such a joy to work with. I am beyond thankful!!!! I want this business to be a vehicle where people feel the love of God and know the value they hold as His creatures. While I have dreams and goals for Debbie Dean Photography in 2020, I pray that stays primary in all the work I do. Y’all are beautiful, unique, and emulate joy in your own ways. I love the gift it is to capture y’all. Instead of planning today, I’ll just continue scrolling through highlights of 2019, thankful to God for you all and humbled that I get to work with so many different image bearers of our great God!!!

David & Kala: Kentucky Blue VA Wedding

Despite blog crashes and computer struggles, I’m finally able to post this wedding! Similarly, despite mid-July heat and threatening rain showers on the forecast all day, David & Kala’s Kentucky Blue wedding was probably the most fun wedding I’ve shot to date. David & Kala are a life loving, God loving, people loving couple. They were excited, patient, and energized their whole day (and they had a sweet bridal party that carried similar qualities). It was such a joy to be their photographer and experience them become one family! Congrats, Mr. & Mrs. Herman. Thanks for your patience with these photos! Enjoy some of my favorites.

David and his groomsmen wanted some shots before the ceremony of them in a nearby home-gym. The images we got were priceless….

Sweet shot of Kala by my second shooter, Rachel Hrovat:

Love Kala’s face here….Reception #1 in the church….. Sneaky Kala with the bouquet toss…..

Leaving Reception #1 !
Reception #2: dinner and dancing time.Appropriate shot to end on (sums up the night)…Congrats again, guys! Super stoked for you two.

Williamsburg Wedding: Dani & Ryan

I still quite vividly remember the day Dani asked me to shoot her wedding. It was last semester, fall 2012, and the five-foot tall, double major in English and Theater sat next to me as we furiously composed papers that were soon to be due. We were in Chinese Literature together, and both only had an hour to spare before class. In the midst of paper writing, Dani and I chit chatted, and I let it slip that I was getting into wedding photography. I swear she jumped in her chair and moved herself a foot closer to me, then stretched her fingers and said, “Ooohhhh you do wedding photography do you….????” She proceeded to explain how she and her darling Ryan were to be wed in February, and they had yet to solidify a photographer. That conversation led to another, and within a month or so, they had booked me for their early 2013 Williamsburg Inn wedding.

Their late February wedding started out a bit rainy and chilly, but by the time the ceremony was over and we were doing portraits, the rain had stopped and it was a photographer’s paradise of an overcast sky and a happyhappy bride and groom. Enjoy some of my favorite shots from the day (including a few from my wonderful second shooter Maggie Gore!). Dani and Ryan, thanks for being such a relaxed, FUN couple to work with. It was seriously nothing but a joy to share in your special day with you.

This is what greeted me when I arrived at Dani’s house the morning of the wedding…. So precious.

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Williamsburg Inn! Stunning.

Dani’s centerpieces were incredible… Perfectly blending her love for literature and theater (and Beauty & the Beast!)…

Ryan LOVED this little phone booth near the groom’s prep room….

Gazing at one another’s rings…..

Beautiful reception room!

Maggie’s fantastic shot from their first dance….. LOVE HER DRESS!

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SO so happy for you two!! Thanks for letting me be part of such an incredible day. My best wishes to you two, Mr. & Mrs. Doster!

Throwback Thursday: Billy & Renee

Sorry I’ve been such a slacker in blogging this week! It’s been a long, full week and I’m so excited for the weekend. More free time to figure out my new iPhone, actually do my homework readings, cover some photography events for CNU, and watch the Superbowl with friends?? Yes please.

This week’s Throwback Thursday is from another wedding that I shot last fall but was unable to post due to blog complications. The darling couple is Billy and Renee Herbert. Billy was my brother David’s closest friend at West Point (USMA) and our family pretty much adopted him as a son and brother. Renee and Billy met through David when Dave and a group of his friends (church friends from home + Army buds on leave) went to NYC to watch 2011 become 2012. Renee was one of the said church friends, and let’s just say… Billy was one determined guy. Despite Christmas leave ending and his going back to Germany where he was posted, Billy chased after this little lady. Hours of phone calls, the finishing of his post in Germany, a move to Virginia, and not-so-many months later, our little Billy put a ring on it.

When Renee asked me to shoot their September wedding, I was thrilllllllllled. I hadn’t known Renee all that well before Billy started going after her, but the more we talked and the more I saw them together (Billy got posted to Arlington, Va, with the Old Guard when he finished up with Germany in the spring of 2012), the more I grew excited about his perfect choice of a wife.

I love you two very very VERY much, and I hope I’m around when little Herbert babies start popping out so I can take photos of them too. 😉 Enjoy some shots from your special day!

Back to Renee…. Ceremony time! Here she comes…

Billy’s Mom, Eda, and his nephew, Daniel…. precious!

Love you guys! xoxo

Jenny & Eric – Bumpass Wedding

I don’t even know how to begin this wedding post. How do you summarize a day full of sunshine, rain, a living room ceremony, a rainbow, a gorgeous couple, and a just fun fun crazy time?? Jenny and Eric’s wedding day was insane. But SO wonderful.

When I arrived to the gorgeous Keen home in Bumpass, Va. on the morning of September 8th, the sun was shining and the skies were blue with only a few clouds here and there. The Hager and Keen families were running around making finishing touches on the outdoor ceremony and reception area. You wouldn’t have believed me if I had told you that just a few hours later, the skies would open and winds would come crashing down, drastically changing our plans for the day! Yes, a sudden monsoon came and moved the wedding into the Keens’ living room…. but despite this drastic change to the day, Jenny and Eric were SO calm. Their families and friends pulled everything together to make a beautiful indoor ceremony and salvaged much of the reception decorations to put the reception area back looking stunning! (Of course the rain stopped right after the ceremony ended…. God’s got a great sense of humor.) Jenny and Eric have been dating for over six years, so they were just ready to be husband and wife! Their day didn’t go as they planned but through it all they were so joyful, and just so excited to be with family and friends.

Congrats you two! I had so so much fun with you (crazy-rain-changes included!). Enjoy some photos from your special day!

My amazing second shooter, Halle, took these following few photos of the reception area before the storm hit. So beautiful!

Jenny’s gorgeous bracelet with their rings… SO STUNNING!

The beautiful bride!

Jenny and her adorable niece…. So precious.

OOOhhh goodness, so cute….

Jenny joined Phi Mu while in college, and one tradition of this sorority is to sew several beads – symbolizing things like love, sisterhood, etc. – into the dress of a Phi Mu sister when she gets married. Jenny’s Big Sister Amanda did the sewing…. It was really sweet to watch!

Here comes the bride!

Halle’s view….

Eric’s sisters and Dad played/sang a song during the ceremony… It was emotional!

Halle’s view of the kiss!!!

Married!!!!!!

Rainbow… Seriously???

This bridal party was awesome…. SO fun!

Eric and the ladies!!!

Sisters. 🙂

Siblings!!

The Keen’s barn on their property…. Love itttt!

Love this….. Such a special moment of the Father-Daughter Dance!

Eric and his groomsmen created a band in High School and they played for a bit during the Reception! So fun. Eric was a fantastic drummer….

Jenny’s Phi Mu sisters singing a traditional song around her….

Jenny about to throw the bouquet… Looove her face!

Eric’s brother and sister swing dancing…. Precious.

Heading out as husband and wife!!!!!!

Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day!!!! Loved every moment.

Barefoot Wedding – Frederick, MD

When I first came to visit CNU in 2008 as a senior in High School, I still vividly remember my cousin Maggie bringing me to lunch in one of the dining halls and introducing me to a million people. The very first person I met was a beautiful red-head by the name of Emily Wolven. She was so welcoming and engaging, genuinely reaching out to me and wanting me to be part of the group. I even remember Maggie going off to class while I chilled with Emily and her roommate Carly in the library, feeling totally comfortable and at ease with these two new friends of mine. I honestly think my interactions with these girls are some of the main reasons I decided to come to CNU!

Fast forward a few years… Emily’s living across the street from me at CNU in a cul-de-sac of houses, and this guy named Sean Barefoot lives in the same circle of houses with a bunch of guys. I get to know Sean that year (he was a great neighbor…. especially when he and his roommates hit tennis balls across the street onto my house, making me and my roommates feel like we were living in a bomb shelter), and it was easy to see what good friends he and Emily were. When Sean graduated in May 2011, people began to wonder if something was up between this crazy, caring, people-loving, life-of-the-party Emily and quiet but incredibly sweet and hilariously-comical Sean. Not many months later, word on the street had it these already-best-friends were dating…. then engaged…. and then quickly planning a wedding! You can imagine my joy and excitement when Emily approached me at work one day at CNU to ask if I would be her wedding photographer! I was floored and overjoyed and just so so SO honored!! This same amazing girl who welcomed me in to CNU when she didn’t even know me now wanted ME to capture her wedding day. I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Sean & Emily’s wedding took place on August 19th, 2012 in Frederick, MD at the Morningside Inn. Despite rain changing up a few parts of the day, the two were wed with much celebration and praises. Their wedding was so focused on Jesus Christ and their deep love for Him as their Savior, and how they desire to reflect this Christ-like love in their love for each other. I know the Lord will bless their marriage as they seek after Him and daily lay down their lives to serve the Lord and serve each other. I love you two so so much, and I still can’t believe you let me photograph your wedding!! Thanks for letting me be part of your special day, Mr. & Mrs. Barefoot!! XXOO, Debbie

Emily’s gorgeous gown was a gift from many of her dear friends, who all chipped in to buy it for her. So beautiful!

Personalized Toms…. So clever!

Emily always loved to wear jerseys around CNU, and commonly became known as the “jersey girl.” As part of her gifts for her bridesmaids, she bought them all jerseys!

Stunning….

Sean and Emily chose to do a First Look, getting a special time of about 45 minutes for portraits before the ceremony. While the rain foiled some of our plans, we were able to get a few shots before it poured. I love this one of Emily and her best friend Lauren praying, while Sean stands out of sight waiting for his bride-to-be….