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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Virginia Beach Engagement Photographer - First Landing State Park Photos

Virginia Beach Engagement Photographer - First Landing State Park Photos

I know I’ve been promising for weeks to catch up on blogging, and I have tried, really I have. The past month or so has been the perfect storm of stress and chaos. Since November, I have lost a beloved pet to cancer, and been mostly unwell after first coming down with a virus, and then fighting a sinus infection and severe fatigue for several weeks. All of this came about during the peak of my busiest wedding and portrait season to date. So, it has been a struggle to say the least.

I have managed to keep up with client commitments, appointments, and galleries, but unfortunately, blogging and social media have fallen off my radar for the past couple of months. I do apologize, but sometimes life throws you a few curve balls, you know? I am sincerely grateful for the support of my wonderful family and my kick-ass clients, who have helped me to see all the good that I am blessed with, even on very bad days.

Now on to happier news! I have Alex & Ali’s beautiful Virginia Beach engagement session portraits to share today - yay!! This adorable couple has been a ray of sunshine in my schedule this season. They are so full of life and love. They really know how to focus on and celebrate what matters most.

We shot their engagement session only days before their destination Virginia Beach wedding. The forecast was looking gloomy all week, but we ended up with a warm fall evening, and an amazing colorful sunset at First Landing State Park.

I always recommend that couples schedule an engagement session with their wedding photographer before the wedding, if at all possible. It really helps to quell any nerves, and get comfortable with each other, so that the wedding day photos are relaxed and natural. Alex and Ali were a little concerned about posing after a less than stellar experience with their proposal photographer, but we really hit a rhythm together right away. I think maybe I put them at east with my natural clumsiness, ha ha!

We had a great time together, and by the time we finished up, I knew their wedding day would be spectacular! Stay tuned because I have their MOCA Virginia Beach wedding to share too!

I absolutely love how happy and content they look together.

And I love that amazing sky!!

Thank you Alex & Ali for choosing me to capture your engagement photos! I loved getting to know you both, and I am SO excited for all your future happiness together. - XOXO, Melissa

If you would like to find out more about our engagement & wedding photography services, contact us today!  Serving VA & NC. Available for travel destinations worldwide.

Contact Melissa Bliss Photography to schedule your lifestyle photo session today!

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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

If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to find out more about our wedding photography services, contact us today!

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Hampton Roads Lifestyle Photographer - Holiday Gift Certificate Sale!

Hampton Roads Lifestyle Photographer - Holiday Gift Certificate Sale!

Give the gift of beautiful memories this year! It is a thoughtful and lasting gift for family and friends. Or, you could even reward yourself! Purchase a gift certificate of $250 or more, and receive an additional $50 credit FREE. But hurry! Sale ends at midnight on 12/01/18!

GRAB YOURS NOW!

 Gift Certificates may be used toward session packages, digital files, prints and products. They may be purchased in increments of $25. 

Forget the shopping traffic and long lines. Simply make your purchase online today. Gift certificates will be sent as a digital file, or can be mailed to your recipient upon request.

Please spread the word and share this post if you know someone who might be interested in this deal! 

Wishing you and yours the Happiest of Holidays!! 🎁

 Creative Lifestyle Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Moments in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

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Downtown Norfolk Engagement Session - Hampton Roads Wedding Photographer

Downtown Norfolk Engagement Session - Hampton Roads Wedding Photographer

Today I’m sharing Maggie and Sean’s downtown Norfolk engagement session! Yep, I’m still waaaaaay behind on sharing sessions. This session was shot in September. Maggie and Sean booked me for their Spring wedding at the Decker Half Moone Cruise Center in Norfolk, and that was plenty exciting. But, when I met them for their engagement session, I was absolutely over the moon excited because they are SO freaking awesome! Fun, silly, totally comfortable with each other, and totally in love. I had the best time with them!

They even brought their adorable puppy to star in a few photos!

And they brought bikes! They are avid bikers and frequently explore downtown on their bikes, so it was a perfect way to celebrate their relationship. They are so sweet together!

We explored all along the Norfolk waterfront to get some creative shots for them. They were really relaxed and up for anything, so I was having a blast shooting with them!

After walking along the Waterside district, we headed toward Main Street and the downtown area to take advantage of the city lights at sunset.

This has to be one of my all time favorite engagement sessions. I love shooting in the city, and these two - they are simply perfect together. I can’t wait for their wedding day!

Congratulations Maggie and Sean! Thank you for trusting me with your engagement portraits, and for just being you! - XOXO, Melissa

If you would like to find out more about our wedding photography services, contact us today!  Serving VA & NC. Available for travel destinations worldwide.

Contact Melissa Bliss Photography to schedule your lifestyle photo session today!

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Hampton Roads Photographer, Lifestyle Mini Sessions

Hampton Roads Photographer, Lifestyle Mini Sessions

Freemason District, Norfolk Waterfront Family Mini Session

So I am up to my eyeballs in wedding season, which now coincides with the fall family portrait madness - I love it! It’s like a mad burst of creative energy each fall. But, it does make keeping up with blogging quite a challenge.

Sandbridge Beach, VA Family Lifestyle Photos

Sleepy Hole Park, Suffolk, Family Mini Session

I am SO behind on sharing sessions and I apologize. Since I simply don’t have the bandwidth to share them all at the moment, I thought I would compile a few recent sessions into one post so you could see a peek of some of the lovely families I have been photographing.

Virginia Beach Oceanfront Family Mini Session

There are many more to come, so hang tight if your peeks aren’t here, I promise to get them up soon. I have a couple of weddings, an elopement, two engagement sessions and several more families in queue!

Downtown Norfolk Child Portrait Session

If you are in the coastal, VA or NC area and would like to schedule your lifestyle photography session, contact me today! melissablissphotography@gmail.com

Hampton Roads Lifestyle Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Stories in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

Norfolk Photographers, Virginia Beach Photographers, Suffolk Photographers, Chesapeake Photographers, Lifestyle Photographers, Sandbridge Photographers, Williamsburg Photographers

Newborn Lifestyle Photo Session, Virginia Beach

Newborn Lifestyle Photo Session, Virginia Beach

I fell in love with this adorable crew as soon as I met them! They welcomed me into their home to document their family’s growth with the addition of their sweet baby girl. Their boys immediately showed me to the toys, and had me giggling along with their shenanigans within 5 minutes. ,

Like most boys under 5, they were wild and silly, but when they snuggled up next to their baby sister, they were so gentle and sweet. They melted my heart into a puddle.

And this beautiful little lady was absolute perfection - so dainty and peaceful and brand new. <3

When the whole family snuggled up on the bed together, the room was so full of love and light and joy. I can’t really even put into words how beautiful and heartwarming it was. The photos tell the story better than I can, so I think I’ll just leave it at that.

Thank you O’Quinn family for welcoming me into your home to capture this amazing time in your lives. I look forward to seeing you all again soon! - XOXO, Melissa

If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule a session, contact me today! melissablissphotography@gmail.com

Lifestyle and Wedding Photographer serving Hampton Roads, VA. Available for travel.

Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Stories in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

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