Connor Studios Blog

The hardest part of writing about Sonya and Vivek’s wedding is just trying to do it justice.  It was very much like a normal wedding if by normal you mean 600 guests, the Willard, the Mellon Auditorium, a 10-foot wedding cake, 2 dance troupes and a horse.  You know, normal!  :-)

You should check out the story that The Washington Post did on the wedding.  The wedding was unbelievable!  I have been to shows in Las Vegas that weren’t half as beautiful or entertaining.

We were asked to cover the rehearsal dinner on Friday and then started with them at 7am on Saturday until 1am on Sunday.  It was a long two (three??) days but it was certainly never boring!  The colors, the grandeur, the guests and our awesome bride and groom made for such a beautiful weekend.

Sonya and Vivek were both so much fun to work with.  Vivek was always doing something to make us, himself or others laugh — like his three takes at a first look (made me laugh!).  When we first met, Sonya was so concerned about the photography and how she would look.  I couldn’t believe it — look at her – she is gorgeous and was constantly smiling!!  In the end, I think it was just an unforgettable evening for both of them, their guests and our team of photographers.

Like I said, I am at a loss for words to describe the wedding so let me describe it in the best way I know how:

Wedding 411:
Event Coordinator: Events by Design | Vinnu Kudva | 703.579.1496
Ceremony and Rehearsal Dinner: Willard InterContinental Hotel | 202.628.9100
Caterer: Ridgewells | Blythe Swift | 301.907.3737
Cake: Patty Cakes | Patricia Collette | 571.338.2469
Designer: Nivanjoli | Prabha Bhambri | 703.759.0068
Bhangra Dancers: GMU Bhangra
Dancers: Rhythmology
Reception Location: Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
Photography: Connor Studios | Michael Connor along with Andrew Harnik and Jonathan Newton | 202.527.9768

For even more, check out the slideshow:

We are finishing up the editing from 2 days of photographing Sonya and Vivek’s wedding with 3 photographers.  The photographs will be up this week and they are crazy-insane!!

The Washington Post just featured their wedding in yesterday’s On Love section.  I knew a lot about how they met but it was a great read.  Click here for the story.

Met with a great couple last night who is getting married next year.  I always love finding out how people met and their story ranks up as one of the best.

They let me know they already shared the same last name (wonder if they will hyphenate??).  They met in 6th grade.  Since they had the same last name, the alphabetical seating chart put them right next to each other.  They went separate ways in college and then reconnected through another friend’s wedding.

I just love the idea that their names brought them together.

Katrina and Isaac’s wedding was that perfect balance of casual and elegance. The Meridian House is a spectacular location full of old-world elegance in NW D.C. Katrina and Isaac, and their guests, brought a fun and easy-going attitude that made for the perfect evening.

Originally, they wanted to hold there ceremony outside but due to a sub-par Fall, they held it inside instead. It’s one of the few locations where holding it inside is just about as beautiful as outside.  Of course everyone still got to enjoy the back courtyard with over 40 gorgeous Linden trees.  You just don’t see many settings like it anywhere.

One of the special touches was their cake made by Charm City Cakes (Ace of Cakes) to show their home state of Arizona and their new home in Washington.  It was stacked on a set of law books since both Katrina and Isaac are lawyers.  It was a beautiful cake.

Wedding planner Terri Eaves and her crew from Bash pulled off a flawless event and by the look of the dance floor, everyone seemed to have a great time.

Outside of Katrina and Isaac, Isaac’s grandmother was probably my favorite person of the evening.  Perfect combination of sweet and sass.  She was a cool lady and so sweet to Katrina.  One of my favorite photographs is her giving Katrina a kiss before heading off to the ceremony.

Wedding 411:
Wedding Planner: Bash | Terri Eaves | info@bashdc.com | 703.553.4412
Ceremony and Reception Location: Meridian House | Maria Canellis | mcanellis@meridian.org | 202.939.5592
Caterer: Main Event Caterer | Alison Fisher | alison@maineventcaterers.com | 703.220.2028
Cake: Charm City Cakes | Mary Alice | malice@charmcitycakes.com | 410.235.9229
Florist: Philippa Tarrant Floral Design | Philippa Tarrant | flowers@philippatarrant.com | 202.413.8562
Film: Paper Tape Films | Trevor Dauten | info@papertapefilms.com | 480.203.4409
PhotoBooth: Poshbooth | Neil McKinnon | poshbooth@gmail.com | 407.319.2649
DJ: Jan Davis Entertainment | Mike Blaufeld | jdedjmike@aol.com | 703.461.7253
Photography: Connor Studios | Michael Connor and Andrew Harnik | weddings@connorstudios.com | 202.321.1496

After viewing our favorites here, be sure to check out all of their photographs by clicking here.  The password is Katrina’s maiden name (all lower-case).

We are at about 1 week exactly until the birth of our son.  We still have to settle on a name.  Everyone is asking us if we have a name picked out.  The answer is yes.  I have a name picked out and Nicole has a name picked out.  They just aren’t the same name — yet!  :-)

Had a great and busy Saturday.  A group of area photojournalists came over for a seminar on wedding photography.  I felt like we only scratched the surface but probably completely overloaded them with information.  The good news for brides is that there are some amazing wedding photographers starting out around here.

From there, I had to run to meet with a bride that was down from New York.  I love hearing brides talk about their wedding plans.  Her wedding sounds awesome — laid back and fun plus a very pretty bride equals amazing photographs and a great day in my book!

Sunday was spent getting the room ready for the soon-to-be-named son.  I got to pull out the tools and put together his crib so it finally looks like we are ready for him.