Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center Irish Wedding - Norfolk Photographer

Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center Norfolk

Irish Themed Wedding

Maggie and Sean got married, and it was amazing!! I have lots of images to share with you from their gorgeous Irish themed wedding at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk . These two beautiful humans stole my heart when I shot their engagement session photos in downtown Norfolk, and I knew their wedding would be a fantastic celebration of love and life.

The day started off gloomy and rainy, but that didn’t put a damper on anyone’s spirit. These two belong together, no matter the weather. (And I love a good dramatic sky, so you won’t hear me complaining!)

Maggie and Sean chose an Irish theme to celebrate Sean’s family heritage. I love those deep greens! The greens mixed with classic gray and sparkly champagne tones were the perfect touch of elegance for the lovely Half Moone venue.

Even though it was gray and drizzly out, we popped outside as often as we could to take some group shots. The boys were buttoned up and ready to go in style!

These beauties are besties. Together through thick and thin - and wind and rain! I think they look like super models.

A final prayer and embrace, and it was time to head down the aisle.

Between the gorgeous bride, handsome groom, and lovely light reflecting all over the Grand Rotunda, I was swooning all over the place.

Their ceremony was absolutely stunning, but also heartfelt, intimate, and so full of joy.

Soon the announcement was made, and they were officially Mr. & Mrs. Sweeney!

After the I do’s, we headed back outside for some group photos with the bride and groom.

Once the groups were done, I took Maggie and Sean down the the Armed Forces Memorial on the Norfolk waterfront for some bride and groom portraits. Sean is a Navy helicopter pilot, so the memorial was a meaningful spot for some photos of this military couple.

After only a few minutes, the wind and rain picked up and chased us back inside. Look at that storm cloud!

The couple was announced to a roaring crowd at the reception, and the dancing began.

Omar’s Carriage House, local to Norfolk, put on a delicious spread for all of the guests.

And the Tidewater Drive Band were amazing entertainers!! They kept the party rocking all night long and the crowd loved every minute!

Between the tearful toasts and cake cutting, complete with a sword and delicious donuts from the Sugar Shack, we snuck back out to the waterfront for some more bride and groom portraits. This time with umbrellas, just in case!

Then it was back to the party to dance the night away with family and friends! It was an epic night of love and shennanigans!

Congratulations Maggie & Sean! I wish you a life filled with love and sweet memories. XOXOX- Melissa

Stellar Vendor list for this fabulous event: 
Venue: Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center, Lisa Fisher
Brides Hair & Make Up: AOC Salon, Norfolk, Audrey Lane
Bride's Dress: Here & Now Bridal
Groom's Attire: Macy's, Calvin Klein
Event Coordinator: Sarah Hough
Officiant: Pat Sweeney, Uncle
Florals: Norfolk Wholesale Floral
Dessert: Sugar Shack
Custom Rings: Lorak Jewelry, Selden Arcade
Photography: Melissa Bliss Photography
Special thanks to Debbie Lawrence, FocusArtStudio, for shooting with me.

And amazing entertainment by the one an only Tidewater Drive Band!

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If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule your unique portrait experience, contact us today: melissablissphotography@gmail.com

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Norfolk Botanial Garden Wedding Portraits - Norfolk Wedding Photographer

Norfolk Botanial Garden Wedding Portraits - Norfolk Wedding Photographer

Norfolk Botanical Garden Wedding Portraits, Bride & Groom

A few weeks ago I shared some images from Hyosik and Rahee’s sunset beach session. Today, I’m sharing part two of their wedding photos, which were taken during a separate session at the always lovely Norfolk Botanical Garden.

Norfolk Botanical Garden, Renaissance Court Wedding Photography

Norfolk Botanical Garden is beautiful year round, but these portraits were taken in early October. It was actually unseasonably warm and in the 90s that day. You wouldn’t know it from their photos, but we were all melting during our shoot!

We started our bride and groom portraits in the Renaissance Court, which is a beautiful formal garden where many wedding ceremonies are held. Our sunset beach shoot was playful and informal, and the couple wanted something a bit more traditional from our photo session at the garden.

After spending time at Renaissance Court, we made our way to the romantic rose garden as the sun began to set.

Rahee & Hyosik were an absolute joy to photograph. They are truly lovely people inside and out. Having had a very private and intimate wedding ceremony, without photos, they wanted an opportunity to capture some wedding portraits they could use for an album, and share with family and friends, many of whom reside in Korea.

Norfolk Botanical Garden, Rose Garden Bride and Groom Wedding Portraits

The Rose Garden at NBG is absolutely stunning, and I love that it is still so full of color in the fall months! It is a perfect location for wedding portraits.

Following our time in the rose garden, Kyosik and Rahee changed into their traditional Korean wedding hanbok for some final portraits near Baker Hall. I really love these beautiful portraits that celebrate their Korean heritage.

Thank you for visiting! If you would like to see more photography from Norfolk Botanical Garden, pop over to this post. If you enjoyed this post, please share it.

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To find out more about my wedding photography services, contact me today! Serving VA & NC. Also available for travel destinations worldwide.

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Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art Wedding - Ali & Alex Part 2

Virginia Beach Museum of Contemporary Art Wedding - Ali & Alex Part 2

When last I blogged, we were in the midst of Alex and Ali’s beautiful Virginia MOCA wedding, at the Museum of Contemporary Art near the Virginia Beach oceanfront. If you missed Part 1 of this series, you can check that out here.

I left off after the bride and groom portraits in that pretty late afternoon light, so we’ll begin here with the ceremony. Alex and Ali were married in the Rodriguez Pavilion at the museum, which features walls of windows and a stunning 16 foot Dale Chihuly Chandelier. I loved how they personalized their ceremony with vows they wrote themselves. There were laughs and tears all the way through. Before long, it was official. They were Mr. & Mrs. Miller!

Post ceremony, we headed back outside for formal portraits of the wedding party, and the families of the bride and groom.

Then, the reception kicked off with a bang, as the wedding party danced their way into the Atrium and the bride and groom had their first dance.

Next, there were parent dances, which always kick me in the feels.

Followed by dinner, and several hilarious toasts.

And lots more dancing, photo booth fun, and all out partying before the cake was cut.

This wedding was SO full of life and love and fun! It was an amazing celebration of two very cool people, and the love they share. Congrats Ali & Alex! I hope you continue to celebrate many happy years together!

- XOXO, Melissa

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach is a beautiful venue for weddings and events. Check it out, plus all of these other great vendors too!

Wedding coordinator: Beth Couillard, Richmond, VA

Officiant: Lisa Chisholm (friend)

DJ/Entertainment: Riza Aleemi (friend)

Wedding florals: Flowers at Hilltop

Wedding cake: Incredible Edibles

Invitations: Minted.com

Catering: Creative Catering of VA

Bride’s Make Up Artist: Vanessa Underwood (friend)

Bride’s Hair: Dana Ange, Gary Allen Salon

Videographers: Live Oak Films

Wedding Photography: Melissa Bliss Photography

Second Shooter: Rita Hsu, Perspective Photography

Melissa Bliss Photography is a Creative Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer serving Hampton Roads, VA & Travel Destinations World Wide

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MOCA - Virginia Beach Wedding - Virginia Wedding Photographer

MOCA - Virginia Beach Wedding - Virginia Wedding Photographer

In my last post I promised I’d be sharing Alex & Ali’s MOCA Virginia Beach wedding and here it is! I knew it would take me a while to put this post together. Alex and Ali actually decided to upgrade their wedding package a week before the ceremony to add more time for photography. I’m so glad they did because we captured a ton of amazing photos for them! So bear with me, I’ve tried to narrow them down for a blog post, but it was tough…

First off, I fell in love with their rich jewel-toned wedding colors of teal, purple and slate gray. They really pop so beautifully, and were a perfect compliment to this art museum venue! And then there’s the fact that this wedding was so full of fun moments and big emotion. It was tons of fun to photograph!

As with most weddings, the day started off with detail shots and wedding prep for the guys and girls. And, as with most weddings, things didn’t work out exactly as planned. The night before the wedding, a big storm had come through and knocked out power to parts of Virginia Beach, including the venue site! When I arrived, many of the vendors were scrambling to make due with setting up for an event without power. The bridal prep room was completely dark, with no windows, and the wedding party had to make a plan B, and get ready elsewhere. Fortunately, I don’t need any external power to shoot, so I was able to work around everyone else’s needs. And even more fortunate, the power was back on in full before guests arrived!

The guys got ready at an AirBNB they had rented. They were relaxed and ready to go with no worries about flat irons, or make up lights, or course.

Alex knew Ali might be worried about everything coming together on time, so he did the sweetest thing to calm her nerves. He took time out to write her a letter, and had it delivered to her before their first look.

Before the bride and groom’s first look, Ali had a first look with her Dad. There were tears all around.

Next we took a few quick bridal portraits, and then headed off to meet her groom!

It was such a magical moment!

From the first look, we headed back toward the venue for some bride and groom portraits before the ceremony. We had only a few minutes to spare, but the light was gorgeous and we had to take advantage of it!

I love how much fun these two have together! So many giggles!!

Ok, since this post is turning out to be suuuuuuper long, (I don’t want your scrolling finger to wear out!), I think I’ll leave it here for now, and post Part II tomorrow. Next up, the ceremony, formal (and informal) portraits, and lots of reception shenanigans. More good stuff, I promise. You don’t want to miss it!

UPDATE: Part 2 is here!

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach is a beautiful venue for weddings and events. Check it out, plus all of these other great vendors too!

Wedding coordinator: Beth Couillard, Richmond, VA

Officiant: Lisa Chisholm (friend)

DJ/Entertainment: Riza Aleemi (friend)

Wedding florals: Flowers at Hilltop

Wedding cake: Incredible Edibles

Invitations: Minted.com

Catering: Creative Catering of VA

Bride’s Make Up Artist: Vanessa Underwood (friend)

Bride’s Hair: Dana Ange, Gary Allen Salon

Videographers: Live Oak Films

Wedding Photography: Melissa Bliss Photography

Second Shooter: Rita Hsu, Perspective Photography

Creative Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer, Hampton Roads, VA

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Sandbridge Beach Cottage Wedding Photos - VA Wedding Photographer

Sandbridge Beach Cottage Wedding Photos - VA Wedding Photographer

I am finally sharing some images from Bree & Keith’s beautiful Sandbridge Beach wedding today! This was a destination beach wedding, and all of their loved ones gathered from near and far to celebrate this lovely couple.

Bree and Keith are hard working New Yorkers. He’s a firefighter and she is a news reporter. A beach wedding was the perfect getaway for them to relax and take advantage of some laid back summertime vibes.

I arrived just before Bree put on her wedding gown, which was absolutely gorgeous, and we captured a few sweet quiet moments of her with her mom. She was such a stunning bride. I LOVE that dress!

Afterwards, I spent a few minutes gathering some detail shots and candids of the guests before I headed down to the pier with the bride and groom for pre-wedding portraits.

It was a blazing hot summer day, and the beach was very crowded with visitors over the Labor Day weekend. I did my best to keep it short and sweet so we could get out of the heat, while also making sure Bree & Keith could enjoy a few intimate moments together.

After our wedding portrait session, it was back to the beach house for the seaside ceremony.

Bree and Keith have a super adorable son, who made a brief cameo at the end of the ceremony.

We took a few causal family portraits, and then took advantage of the sunset light for some more bride and groom photos.

The reception was intimate and casual, and they only asked me to stay for a quick dance, the cake cutting, and then a few sparkler shots.

I truly enjoyed getting to know this couple and their beautiful family. Congrats Bree & Keith! I wish you a lifetime of happy memories together. - XOXO, Melissa

Many thanks to the vendor team for all their hard work:

Venue: Oceanic Serenade, Sandbridge Realty

Event Coordinator: Vanessa Watts

Bride’s Hair: Stephanie Michelle

Bride’s Make Up: Melissa at Dhalia Edwards

Florist: Kate Flore

Catering: Mobile pig-nic

Entertainment: Astro DJs

Cake: Carolina Cupcakery

Wedding Photographer: Melissa Bliss Photography

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Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Moments in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

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Virginia Wedding Photographer, Tina & Chris's Beach Wedding

Virginia Wedding Photographer, Tina & Chris' Beach Wedding

Today I am sharing some sneak peeks from Tina and Chris’ gorgeous, but wild and windy, oceanfront wedding! I was fortunate to get to know Tina and Chris last spring when we shot their engagement portraits. They are such a kind and lovely couple. I was super excited for their early fall wedding celebration. September is usually a beautiful month on the beach, and we had planned to spend time taking full advantage of it. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.

The Tuesday before their wedding, Tina and Chris received the crushing news that both their rehearsal dinner AND their reception were cancelled due to the venues being located in the mandatory evacuation Zone A prior to the arrival of Hurricane Florence. They were devastated, as you can imagine. Just days before the wedding they had spent months planning, and their whole event was turned upside down. They had family and friends coming in from out of town, the weather was still a huge question mark at that point, and they had no where to hold their rehearsal dinner or reception. But, these two handled it with amazing grace, after a few tears of course. They decided to go ahead with their plans and find a way to work it out.

Fortunately, the church was not in an evacuation zone, and Chris, a talented local chef, had some connections in the hospitality industry. Amazingly, they were able to pull together a new plan to accommodate their celebration and guests! And it turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day! The weather was a little wild and windy, but that mattered little as they were able to tie the knot and celebrate with the people that mattered most to them.

The Hyatt House Hotel at the Virginia Beach oceanfront did an amazing job of pulling together this event in only a few days! The entire vendor team, friends and family, all pulled together to make this wonderful day a success. I know Tina and Chris put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to revamp the entire event just days before it happened. I was amazed at all they accomplished! No one would have known it wasn’t planned that way all along.

Fortunately, the weather wasn’t nearly as bad as predicted. It was very windy, and we had some sprinkles throughout the day, but this couple and their awesome wedding party braved the beach nonetheless. We had a blast and ended up with some of my favorite images from the day!

I am so thrilled that, despite the challenges they faced, Tina and Chris were able to have the stunning wedding they deserved. It was an honor to be part of their amazing day. Stay tuned for updates with more photos of this charming wedding!

Congratulations Tina and Chris! May your love and faith carry you through all of life’s trials with grace and resilience. I wish you many happy years together! - XOXO, Melissa

Special thanks to the fantastic vendor team who made this wedding a success!

Church: Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Virginia Beach
Reception/Catering: Hyatt House Hotel, Virginia Beach
Hair & MUA: Jenna Kathleen Miller 
Bride's Gown: Allure Bridals, Studio I Do
Groom's Attire: Jos A. Bank
Florist: Gather Floral, Mariah Breitenberg
Cake: Sugar Plum Bakery
DJ/Entertainment: Mario Espinosa
Photography: Melissa Bliss Photography 
Second Shooter: Rita Hsu, Perspective Photography

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Norfolk Engagement Photographer - Waterside District Intimate Photo Session

Norfolk Engagement Photographer

Waterside District Intimate Photo Session

Madison and Zack's Norfolk Waterside District Photo Session was last weekend. I had a blast shooting downtown with these two. They were so laid back and they looked amazing! Not to mention that they are clearly mad about each other. And what's more beautiful than love??

 Here are some sneak peeks from our session on the Norfolk waterfront. Enjoy!

These two totally rocked their session and I am loving how their gallery is shaping up.

And guess what? After we shot around the Waterside District for a bit, Madison and Zack eloped right on the lawn downtown! It was amazing!

Congratulations Madison and Zack! I wish you many happy years together. - XOXO, Melissa

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Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Moments in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

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