Hey everyone! Happy New Year! 

Last year I was very bad at blogging. But, I honestly cannot blame myself because 2020 was a year to remember. I wanted to do a little year in review post. There is a lot of work that needs to be shared on here and our portfolio desperately needs updating. But, one step at a time!

We met so many great people this past year. Andrew and I had to be super creative to fill up our schedule. We had a few successful mini sessions we held: Mothers day front porch sessions in Richmond & Virginia Beach, Oceanfront mini sessions in Virginia Beach, Front Porch Session Fundraiser for the Angel House, Fall mini sessions in Washington DC, Virginia Beach, and Richmond, last but not least our Christmas mini sessions. We are so thankful that our business survived this past year and its all thanks to you who invested your time & money into our business! 

We have big hopes for this year! It is looking that 2022 will be a very popular wedding year. It feels so good to feel *hope* for the years to come! 
​- Chelsea 

Nothing is more wonderful than seeing your friend find her soulmate. It was my joy and honor to capture Sam and Chelsea's rainy September wedding. Their wedding was full of bright beautiful hues, and 70's inspired fonts. Chelsea and Sam put their creative touch on every detail, including the stunning floral piece that Chelsea put together on the day of their wedding. I am so thankful for the stunning Souther Provisions space that allowed us to do a bulk of the images inside due to the weather. Congrats again C+S, I can't wait to see what the future holds for you guys!
for the privacy of those at the wedding, we will not be sharing the full ceremony and reception photos. 

a big thanks to the team of vendors that helped made this event happen:
venue/event planning & design- southern provisions 
flower source: Irvington Spring Farms 
floral designs: the bride: Chelsea Hanson
dress: BHLDN

We had been so excited to capture Morgan and Zach's wedding since the morning we met them last winter. Their wedding was supposed to be in May, but it was moved to September because of COVID-19. I was hoping and praying the sun would come out on their wedding day, when the forecast was nothing but grim. But, the sun came out over the clouds as soon as Morgan stepped out to meet her groom at the end of the aisle. It really felt meant to be that moment. All the heartache of moving and replanning their wedding day. The sun shone bright for Morgan and Zach. I am hoping their future is bright and full of rainbows. Congrats you two!

We could not have captured this day without the help of our friends: Jackie Wallace of Jackie Tara Studios and Sara Maslyn of Sara Masyln Photography 

A big thanks to the team that made Morgan & Zach's wedding unforgettable: 
The Happy Hour Hostess                              Distinctive Rentals
Gather.Floral                                                   Waterford Rentals 
Blue Steel Lighting                                          Paisley & Jade
Yummy Goodness Catering                          The Collection by Courtney Inghram 
Wads Worth Style                                            Kustom Made Band 

We met Morgan & Zach on a rainy morning at a local French cafe here in Richmond. They were freshly new to Richmond, just had moved here from New York City. They were planning an early May wedding and we could not believe that they wanted us to be their wedding photographers! They are both so laid back and genuine. They have an eye for style and their wedding will be unforgettable. With Covid they had to make the hard decision of moving their wedding to this September. It was a heartbreaking move. But we are so glad they are getting married, even though its different then they imagined. We cannot wait to celebrate these two because they deserve all the celebrating. We had so much fun running around Richmond, capturing their love in their new home. We can't wait for next weekend! 

Can you believe that this is their first photoshoot as a family? When our friends Amber and Basil told us that they had never done a family shoot since Story was born, I stopped them and said, "we are doing a session!" We had so much fun doing their session. It was one of our first session after a few months of not working because of the pandemic. It made me really remember how much I loved photographing families. We can't wait to capture more family love this fall!

Remember at the beginning of the year when we were giving away an engagement session? Maggie and Orie were the winners! We are so excited to capture their wedding celebration in the spring. When we did their engagement photos, it was one of the first really hot days of the summer. I love the warm bright hues that they chose for their summer engagement session. Church hill over look never gets old.

Hi, Chelsea here! I will be sharing some of my personal film images that we recently got scanned. Andrew is a talented film photographer and he has been patiently teaching me how to use our 35mm camera the past few years. I am hoping soon he would pop on here and share some of his personal work. But, if you are interested in seeing his, check out his personal instagram: instagram.com/andrewmichaelmontgomery
I have so enjoyed carrying a camera around for fun.  Since high school, I have loved photography. I dipped my toes into photography in the tenth grade, found myself on photo adventures with friends, and then in college in turned into an unexpected career. I have missed carrying my camera around, snapping photos of friends, and unexpected beauty around. You wouldn't think a professional photographer wouldn't be doing that, but with any job, we find ourselves busy, and not having much room for creativity. That is one of the many take aways I have from this time of COVID-19. Finding beauty in the ashes. Finding joy in the morning. Picking up a paint brush, grabbing my camera and going for a walk, putting my fingers in the dirt and watching beauty unfold. 
I hope and pray you are all well, thank you for coming to this little site that so desperately needs updating.. but we will get there soon enough.
Much love,
​Chelsea 

photo walk series: winter 2o2o // Richmond, va 

home : winter 2o2o
​our dog bonnie and her sister piper 

places: winter 2o2o

people: winter 2o2o

lynchburg winter 2o2o

stylized session with @caitcreative 

eloise's due date get away: crozet, va 

the weather reflected how we felt on the inside. in turmoil. total pain. without our girl. but, even though our arms are and were empty.. she was there with us. and she met us in nature and we felt her love. she has helped us get out of bed every morning. we miss you, eloise.

outer banks trip late autumn 2o17 or 2o18

more winter 2o2o

alec & jenna's wedding march 2o2o

Once upon a time before the pandemic...
This past winter we got an email basically saying that these two above were getting married the following wedding and wondering if we were available. We met for coffee right away. We always ask our clients how they met and how the proposal went. Erika started describing the evening they got engaged and said, ".. and I asked Quincy to marry me." I remember the smile I had when those words came out of her mouth, because I knew, this lady was awesome. Quincy is a smily guy, but the smile he gives Erika is something special. These two are twin flames. When you are with them, you can feel the love they have for each other, it feels so rare and special. We felt so lucky to capture their freezing cold sunny wedding. And I cannot believe it's taken me this long to share these images with you all!
Many congrats to these two!
Chelsea & Andrew 

here are some 35 mm shots I took from their day: 

Since April 2019, we have been through a lot. It is hard to really put into words all that we've been through. We are still here. Still standing. Still fighting. Making our marriage and mental health number one priority. Though this season is nothing what we pictured last summer when I was newly pregnant with Eloise. I'm holding onto home that the biggest, brightest rainbow is awaiting us.

Photos by Rachel Gierlach @rachelgierlach

 Like many late spring and early summer weddings, Jhasmine & Patrick's wedding got pushed to the fall. But, they weren't going to let the pandemic stop them from getting married on their promised day. On a warm, bright, May evening, Jhasmine and Patrick said their vows in front of their families, and friends in person & with the magic of the internet. They said their vows over the city that brought them together. 
We cannot wait to capture their love again this fall. Oh, what a celebration that will be. They deserve every ounce of celebrating and happiness. Thank you for having us on your special day!
​
Also, Andrew and I had the opportunity to shoot film and digital for their elopement! So you may notice a difference in texture and color. You will be able to tell which ones are the magical film photographs! We absolutely love shooting film. This is something we don't offer all the time because it is expensive to buy the film, process, and develop, but when we get to it's such a treat!