Sand Ceremonies at Weddings, Richmond, VA

A newer tradition at weddings is becoming very popular. The sand ceremony is slowly rivaling the unity candle lighting tradition. The origin of this ceremony is widely disputed, but all origins see it as a way of uniting the couple and their families at a wedding ceremony.

Some say that the tradition started in Hawaii, where couples would get married on the beach. Both the bride and groom would scoop up some sand from the beach and put it in a container. Native Americans also claim their part in this tradition by doing something similiar as those in Hawaii did. Probably the most Americans learned about this tradition from the popular television show, "The Bachorlette," when Trista and Ryan Sutter performed the ceremony live at the conclusion of the television show and at the end of their real wedding.

No matter where the tradition began, more and more couples at taking advantage of this newer tradition where outside weather conditions don't allow for lit candles, inside locations don't want lit candles, and the couple would like a keepsake of their "joining" together. There is a wide variety of colors of sand and containers that can have the couples' names and wedding dates engraved on the outside of the containers.



If you need a wedding photographer, check out our work at www.Miller-Photo.com or www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

James River Winery, Virginia Wedding

We recently had the privilege of photographing a wedding at James River Winery just outside the city limits of Ashland, Virginia. The location was a perfect place for recording the special memories of two people committing their lives together. If you are looking for a intimate location for your special day, consider giving the people at James River Winery a call.

If you are searching for a wedding photographer, take a look at our images at www.Miller-Photo.com or www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc  We have 17 years of photography experience and have covered nearly 800 weddings.

Virginia Family Portraits

My husband and I recently did a family portrait for a family who we had had the honor of photographing their family many times, as well as, their children's milestones. For some reason this particular session made me think about our family portraits. It hit me like a ton of bricks, because I realized that we had family portraits with our two older children, but our son, who is 14 now, was never part of a family portrait. I don't know if the reason was that we got so busy with life that we never thought about it or not, but these are years that we can never get back or redo. These are portraits that the next generation cannot treasure.

Take time out of your busy life to think about when was the last time you had a family portrait. It is never to late to capture that time in your lives.

www.Miller-Photo.com or www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

Tradition of Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

Have you ever wondered why bridesmaids and groomsmen dress the same? The tradition began when Roman law required that the couple have 10 witnesses to make the wedding legal. Many of these witnesses dressed up the same to confuse the evil forces that might show up uninvited to the wedding. People during this time were very superstitious. Soon Europeans followed this same tradition. In many cases bridesmaids and groomsmen did have to defend the bride and groom from warriors and real-life criminals.

I think this wedding party looks like it could defend our recent June 11, 2011, wedding couple. We had the honor of capturing the memories of Angela and Skip's wedding day at The Virginia Cliffe Inn in Glen Allen, VA.

2012 Senior Portraits Are in Full Swing! Schedule your Appointment

It's not too late to schedule your 2012 Senior Portrait session. We offer indoor/outdoor options. Don't forget to bring a friend!

NOTE: We have been contacted by many seniors in the Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana area seeking another Miller Photography. We are located in the Richmond, VA area and do not have any association with this photography organization. Please check your local directories or Google keywords that include your locality and state.

Senior Portraits at Maymont, Richmond, VA

We always enjoy our on-location senior portraits. We have traveled to river homes, horse stables, football fields, college campuses, and the list goes on. We always like it when our seniors incorporate a little bit of their past and their dreams for their future in their session.

We got to go recently with a senior from Caroline High School to Maymont. Even though the day was really hot, we were able to capture this senior's beauty in several changes of clothing and at various locations throughout Maymont. Since we have been photographing at Maymont for over 15 years, we have found special spots that most first-time tourist don't notice.

For more information on our senior portraits, please visit our website at http://www.miller-photo.com/. Other sample senior portraits and pricing information are included on our website. Also, we are on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

Clover Forest Plantation, Goochland, VA Wedding

Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day!

Even though our May 22, 2010, wedding experienced a lot of rain showers, there was plenty of sunshine in the smiles and laugher of our couple, Kristin and Brandon. Clover Forest staff worked their "magic," kept their cools, and made this couple, their family and friends feel like royalty! I know if you asked Kristin and Brandon what they thought of their wedding day, they would say, "It was perfect!"

To view other wedding photos, visit our website at http://www.miller-photo.com/. We are also on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc  Call or email us for additional information.

Children Portraits, Richmond, VA

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had the privilege of photographing many little ones. Their smiles light up the room and they don't have a care in the world, as long as their favorite people (Mom and Dad) are nearby. Every little thing is something new for them to explore. When you watch these little ones, you realize how much, we as adults, make life so complicated.

Wedding Photography, Richmond, VA - May 1, 2010

It was a great way to begin the month of May! We had the honor of photographing Melissa and Sean's wedding at Willow Oaks Country Club. They and their family and friends were a joy to be with. Both the ceremony and reception took place at this reception location. It was a perfect weather day! This couple's engagement photos were featured in a previous blog.

To see this whole wedding, email us at Millerphoto@cs.com for the information. Check out some of our other wedding and portrait photography at http://www.miller-photo.com/. We are, also, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

Richmond, VA Wedding Photography in April!

Earlier in our Blog posts we featured Julia and Scott's engagement session that we had the privilege of traveling to Radford University to photograph. It was hard to believe when April 24 came that it had been almost a year since we had met this couple. Just like the beauty of this couple both inside and outside, their wedding day was nothing less than wonderful and beautiful.

If you would like to see the whole wedding and get more information on our wedding packages, please contact us through our website, http://www.miller-photo.com/. We are, also, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

High School Senior Portraits, Virginia

It's not too early to book your 2011 High School Senior Portrait session. Since the summer before your senior year is when most rising seniors have their portraits done, appointment times fill up quickly. We photograph senior portraits at both our studio and at your favorite locations. If you want a combination of studio and outdoor portraits, and don't have a special outdoor location, we have 5.5 acres of beautiful forest and garden settings.

The session featured on this BLOG was done at our studio and on our property. Yes, we do have a Corvette if you would like to use it as a prop!! Bring a senior friend and have double the fun!

To view other senior portraits and whole sessions, go to our website, http://www.miller-photo.com/. Click "Portraits." Other images may be viewed on our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

Virginia Engagement Portraits

Over the last week, we have photographed three of our 2010 couples' engagement portraits. One portrait session took place at our studio and we used our studio window to do some window light portraits. Since the window is located on the northside of our studio, we always have some wonderful light coming though. Another one, also done at our studio, used our porch swing. The other portrait was done at a local park. In both cases, it was such a pleasure to share with these couples this special time in their lives.

To view more of our engagement portraits, visit our website at http://www.miller-photo.com/. Click on "Portraits" and then " Engagement." Other images are posted on our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

We presently only have a few 2010 wedding dates available and are booking into 2011. Email or call us to see if we still have your date available.

Children's, High School Senior's, and Sweet 16 Parties Photography

Over the last few years we have had the privilege of capturing the laughter and happiness at children's birthday parties, as well as the celebrations of High School seniors and sweet 16 parties. We then take the images and create a 10x10-in album that tells the story of the day. The albums are coffee table style so parents and celebrators can leave them out to enjoy for many years to come!

If you would like for us to cover your child's party, let us know. You can view our pricing information on our website at http://www.miller-photo.com/. Click on the button "Info" and "Children and Senior Party."

Virginia Wedding Photography in April

Ginny and Zach had a beautiful day on April 17. Their family came from the West, North and South to see them say their "I do's." They got married in a church in Bumpass, Va where her grandparents and parents we wed. The church was moved to a family piece of property when the original church family outgrew its small, but beautiful building. The reception, held at the Montpelier Center for the Arts, was very simple, but elegant, giving guests time to catch up on the latest gossip and to wish the happy couple many well wishes.

To view the whole wedding, go to http://www.collages.net/. At the View an Event box, type in Penn-Kilgore for the username and 8720 for the password. This wedding will be available for viewing until July 14, 2010.






For samples of our work, visit our website at http://www.miller-photo.com/, or our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MillerPhotographyInc

Engagement Portraits, Richmond, VA

We had the pleasure of photographing Lauren and Justin at the Virginia Power Boat Association. Even though it was chilly and windy, the background along the water made a beautiful portrait backdrop. There was even time for some play on the swings and a log.

Lauren and Justin met each other in college. After four years of college and dating, they both went in opposite directions.

After two years of being apart, Justin was transferred to the same area as Lauren lived. He didn't hesitate to give her a call and ask her for a date. It was as if they had never been away from each other.

A year later he popped the question. We look forward to photographing their wedding story in August 2010.