Historic Polegreen Church | Richmond, Virginia Wedding Photographer

You have to be brave to have your wedding in August in Virginia, or anywhere else at 37 degrees latitude.  But I suppose that when you're as in love with one another as Karina and Melvin are, being brave comes quite naturally.

They ignored the heat, the humidity, and the hazy sun - and pushed through their tears and laughter to say their vows that they wrote to one another.  In the pocket of light between the trees, in the open air that Polegreen Church affords, with almost 2 dozen close friends and family standing proudly by their side, they promised and jumped the broom into their future.

Karina is one of those women you wish you were.  She has this fierceness - this love of being alive.  She's herself, unapologetically, and you know that Melvin just gets all of that.  And gets her.  Because Melvin, himself, is kind of amazing.  Funny, kind, selfless - his father-in-law spoke of what a wonderful man he is and how lucky they are to have him as family.  There aren't many moments where people publicly sing your praises and that's some of the magic of weddings.  When everyone realizes that it's more than a tradition, more than two people coming together.  It's families blending, parents sharing their adult children with one another.  It's a new chapter for everyone.  So you take a moment and reflect on the fond memories and look towards a new future made possible by this union.  And you do that by eating tacos, pinning money to your clothes, and dancing until you fall over.

Shout out to Andrea for sweating the day away with me.  Really sorry about the headlight mix-up.  That was scary.

Karina - thank you for shoving that Peruvian cookie in my mouth.  It was amazing.