Carie & Zachary's Wedding

It was the one of those summer days that was simply made for a wedding. The blue skies over Walkersville were speckled with clouds and a soft breeze rustled through the fields. It was clear that God had his hand in bringing these two incredible people together. The unconditional love and genuine care that they shared for one another was astounding. Here are a few pictures from the day:

Right before the ceremony - all of the groomsmen & the pastor placed their hands on Zach and began to pray.

Carie & her bridesmaids snuck off to a small barn right before the ceremony to have their own moment of peace.

Surrounded by friends and family, beneath the canopy of trees, they said "I do".

Every table was decorated with gorgeous flowers.

My favorite part about the entire day, was when Carie threw on her apron & Zach rolled up his sleeves to serve all of the guests dinner. They fed everyone else before themselves & were so happy to share this time with all of their loved ones. The food was amazing too! :)

Midway through their first dance, the music stopped. Zach grabbed a microphone and sang the rest of the song to Carie. It was planned & way too cute!

And not long after, they were busting their moves on the dance floor.

The night came to a close as the two love birds shared a sparkler send off! :)

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Zachary Ritz! :) I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to photograph your wedding. It was absolutely beautiful and I hope you have an amazing time on your honeymoon!

All the best,

Natalie Franke

Sarah & Steven's Engagement Session

Sarah & Steven are a fun & absolutely wonderful couple! After a long day of Trash the Dress sessions, they met me at Chesapeake Beach for their engagement shoot. It's easy to see why Steven absolutely adores Sarah - her laugh could light up a room and she is absolutely beautiful! Steven also has a fun sense of humor & informed me that he (& his groomsmen) are going to be rocking Chuck Taylors at the wedding! Love it!

The gorgeous ring!

Sarah & Steven - I had an amazing time at your engagement session & can't wait to photograph your beautiful wedding in October! I'm looking forward to all of the details - from the Chucks to your flowers - and every moment in between! Thank you for keeping me so enthusiastic after a long day in the sun! :)

All the best,

Natalie Franke

Amy & Ryan's Engagement Session

Amy and Ryan are an absolutely wonderful couple getting married next April! We spent the morning shooting their engagement session in Baltimore & had a lot of fun! It was a little muggy, but we found ways to beat the heat and have a fantastic session! They'll be joining me for round two tomorrow at the beach! :) I can't wait! Here's a sneak peek from what we shot today!

Loved her ring!

Right when they went to jump, a dozen pigeons took off behind them.

It's Baltimore city at its best! :) Haha!

I mentioned to Amy & Ryan how it would be fun to find a newspaper that said Baltimore on it for a unique ring shot that captured the essence of their lives in the city. We never imagined that we would find one with an entire front page dedicated to love! :)

A huge thank you to Amy & Ryan for introducing me to Baltimore from a local's eyes. :) I had an amazing time & can't wait to shoot your wedding next spring!

All the best,

Natalie Franke

Three Years Together!

It was 3 years ago that my incredible boyfriend, Huey, and I started our journey together! We met doing crew at the Annapolis Rowing Club and we've been inseparable ever since! If I had to list all the things that I love about him, it would take me months. When we started dating, we couldn't drive - so we would walk to the beach from my house, carry a blanket, and spend hours staring up at the stars. It was through these hours of sharing our joys, fears, and insecurities that I found my soul mate. 

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, 

that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, 

and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever."  

- The Notebook

I love these pictures! Taken just a few weeks ago after a photo shoot, the sun was setting & my friend Krystal offered to take a few pictures of us. It wasn't until I got home that I noticed the cross blurred in the background amidst the colors of the sky.

To celebrate three years together, I had a picture of us from this winter printed on canvas.

The thing I love about this picture is that it was one of those candid moments.

My hair is a mess, we're dressed in sweats - it's just who we are.

I'm really excited to start offering canvas prints like this to my clients as well! =) They have such an incredible quality about them - so true to the original image too! Yay!

Yours Truly,

Natalie Franke

Shelby and Brian

Yesterday turned out to be the warmest day so far this year and all photographers know that beautiful weather means that its time to head outside for portraits! I met up with Armin DeFiesta in downtown Annapolis to photograph the fun & fabulous Shelby Leigh and her boyfriend Brian as we ventured around town! Enjoy!

I caught Armin taking a picture of me, so I snapped one back!

My boyfriend Hugh filmed the shoot on Armin's Flip HD Camera.

Armin in action!

It was such a fun day & I had fun working with Armin and photographing Shelby and Brian! I'm sure that you'll see more of them as the portrait and wedding season continues! =)

Yours Truly,

Natalie Franke