Giulia + Jeb, a Riverside on the Potomac Wedding in Leesburg, VA

Brooke Tyson Photography

I am so excited to share Giulia and Jeb’s beautiful wedding today!! Giulia and Jeb were married on Saturday, September 7, 2019 at Riverside on the Potomac in beautiful Leesburg, Virginia.

Giulia and Jeb met quite a long time ago; in fact, these two have known each other their entire lives! Giulia and Jeb met as babies in a playgroup in Georgetown, DC, that their parents organized, and they have been friends for many years, staying in touch through middle school, high school, and college. But four years ago, in August 2015, Jeb came to visit Giulia in DC. They went to a Nationals game, and afterward, they sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, talking late into the night underneath the stars. They started dating soon after, but unfortunately Jeb began a job in New York City, which meant that these two spent the next two and a half years commuting between New York City and DC nearly every weekend. They were both thrilled when Jeb got a job in DC in the spring of 2018, and soon after, Jeb surprised Giulia with a proposal in the same place as their first date – on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial! And now, four years after these two starting dating, they are married!

It is always such an incredible honor to be part of a couple’s special day; I love and care for my couples so, so much, and I feel like we share something so special forever. And it is also such a huge honor to photograph a wedding for a wedding planner. It means so much to work with a wedding planner bride – and Kelsey and I were so honored to celebrate with Giulia! Giulia co-owns G&N Events, a DC-based wedding planning company, that she shares with her mother, Nora. These two are so organized, detail-oriented, and, most of, so sweet!! And Giulia thought of everything for her and Jeb’s wedding day; it was so organized, and executed perfectly by her wonderful planner, Vanna of All In Events, DC.

Giulia and Jeb began the day at Landsdowne Resort and Spa where they got ready with their wedding parties (and worked out, too! I am always so impressed when couples have the time – and energy – to work out on their wedding day!). Then, Giulia and her bridal party headed for her and Jeb’s wedding venue, Riverside on the Potomac, where she finished getting ready at the historic home on the property (and we got some gorgeous detail pictures! Kelsey took Giulia’s beautiful gown down to her and Jeb’s wedding altar and those pictures make me wish we could ALWAYS photograph the wedding gown on the altar! STUNNING!). Meanwhile, Jeb and his groomsmen finished getting ready in the converted stable attached to the reception barn at their venue.

I haven’t wanted to say it out loud for fear of jinxing it, but the weather this wedding season has been INCREDIBLE. We have been so lucky. After seven years of photographing weddings, I honestly can’t think of another year where we have had so many weddings without rain. And last year was especially tough; not only were there so many rainy wedding days, but there were so many days where it poured all day. So as the hurricane moved up the coast this past week, I was very worried that this great weather streak had come to an end. Thankfully, and rather miraculously, Giulia and Jeb’s wedding day was BEAUTIFUL. We had the most perfect weather! It was warm, sunny, and we got the prettiest golden hour light for portraits!

And because of the perfect weather, Giulia and Jeb were able to have their wedding ceremony outside alongside the water! It was perfect!! Jeb’s stepfather, Peter, officiated their ceremony, and Giulia and Jeb shared personal vows that they each wrote with one another. (Giulia’s were especially well-organized and divided into four parts – one part for each year that they had been dating!). Giulia and Jeb even wore the wedding crowns that Giulia’s parents wore at their own wedding! After their ceremony, we headed over to a pretty shaded space for portraits with family, the wonderful wedding party, and then, with just Giulia and Jeb. And like I said, we had the perfect light! In fact, as we ended portraits, we got a few quick ones in the field behind the barn just as the sun set. It was gorgeous! These two are super photogenic, but they are also SO in love – and they love and thought for each other shines through in their pictures. They are so sweet, and their kindness to each other – and everyone around them – is such a big part of who these two are. Just wait until you see their BEAUTIFUL portraits! Kelsey and I were SO excited to look through them – and we had way, way too many favorites!

And then it was party time – with Giulia and Jeb’s 200+ wedding guests! What a party!! During speeches, Giulia’s sweet maid of honor, Zara, talked about their long friendship together, and how excited she is for Giulia and Jeb, and Jeb’s best man, Phil, joked that he really knew that Jeb loved Giulia when Jeb, who has been highly allergic to cats his entire life, donned a sock on his hand in order to pet Giulia’s sweet cat, Holly. Phil added that it was not because Jeb really wanted to see what it felt like to pet a cat, but because he loved Giulia that much! So sweet! And Holly the cat made an appearance not just in the beautiful photos Giulia and Jeb had around their venue, but also on Giulia and Jeb’s wedding cake topper!!

Giulia and Jeb had both a live band and a DJ, which was so much fun; guests alternated dancing to fun and upbeat Greek music by The Pegasus Band and some of the bride and groom’s favorites by Capital Deejays. Everyone was dancing and celebrating late into the night – when it was time for the grand exit – complete with beautiful flower petals!!

Giulia and Jeb, Kelsey, Justin, and I have loved getting to know you two, and it was so wonderful celebrating your best day ever with the two of you. We are SO happy for you two!! You two are so sweet, thoughtful, and caring, and we are so excited to see what the future holds for #Giub!! We love you both! Have a wonderful time on your honeymoon in South Africa!! I can’t wait to see pictures!! Congratulations! Enjoy some favorites from your best day ever!I LOVE this photo of Giulia’s dress – where she would say “I do” to Jeb just a few hours later – that Kelsey got! She is so creative!

Giulia’s mother, Nora, surprised Giulia with the sweetest ‘something blue’ – a stunning sapphire ring that had been a gift to Nora from Giulia’s father!
Giulia’s new mother-in-law put a special necklace on Giulia :)
Giulia, you are an absolutely stunning bride!!
Kelsey and I both gasped when we were going through photos and saw the one on the left. Giulia, you are SO BEAUTIFUL!

I adore both of these so much!!