Last night, I had the pleasure of photographing Heidi + Andrew’s self-officiated elopement at the beautiful Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. We had the perfect evening with hardly a cloud in the sky, the golden setting sun, and one of those perfectly cool evenings that is so rare in this area.

For the first time, I had never actually spoke to the bride and groom prior to their big day (their friends and witnesses gifted them my services), so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect! As you can probably tell from the photos, it was even more lovely and special than I could have imagined. When Heidi, Andrew, Emily, and Peter walked up to the monument looking like a million bucks with huge smiles on their faces I could tell it was going to be really fun. As it turns out, Heidi’s birthday was on Thursday, and Andrew’s is today (Saturday), so to make a most exciting weekend out of it, they decided to get married in between! Not a soul except the five of us knew it was happening which added an extra element of buzz to the whole experience.

As they exchanged their beautifully written vows on the steps of the memorial, tearing up and laughing throughout, it was clear that their six years together has created a friendship, partnership, and romance that is meant to be. There is just a feeling you get when you’re in the presence of two people who have a special relationship. It’s not something you can quite put your finger on, but whatever that special “thing” is, these two have it.

After the vows, exchanging of the rings, first kiss as husband and wife, and signing of the papers as a few tourists passed by unaware, we strolled a few steps to a slightly secluded spot along the Tidal Basin. Peter popped the champagne with the Washington Monument in the distance and everyone cheered! I couldn’t help but snap tons of photos. Here are a few of my favorites that I hope you enjoy. Congratulations, Heidi + Andrew! And a special thank you to Emily and Peter for including me.