MOCA - Virginia Beach Wedding - Virginia Wedding Photographer

In my last post I promised I’d be sharing Alex & Ali’s MOCA Virginia Beach wedding and here it is! I knew it would take me a while to put this post together. Alex and Ali actually decided to upgrade their wedding package a week before the ceremony to add more time for photography. I’m so glad they did because we captured a ton of amazing photos for them! So bear with me, I’ve tried to narrow them down for a blog post, but it was tough…

First off, I fell in love with their rich jewel-toned wedding colors of teal, purple and slate gray. They really pop so beautifully, and were a perfect compliment to this art museum venue! And then there’s the fact that this wedding was so full of fun moments and big emotion. It was tons of fun to photograph!

As with most weddings, the day started off with detail shots and wedding prep for the guys and girls. And, as with most weddings, things didn’t work out exactly as planned. The night before the wedding, a big storm had come through and knocked out power to parts of Virginia Beach, including the venue site! When I arrived, many of the vendors were scrambling to make due with setting up for an event without power. The bridal prep room was completely dark, with no windows, and the wedding party had to make a plan B, and get ready elsewhere. Fortunately, I don’t need any external power to shoot, so I was able to work around everyone else’s needs. And even more fortunate, the power was back on in full before guests arrived!

The guys got ready at an AirBNB they had rented. They were relaxed and ready to go with no worries about flat irons, or make up lights, or course.

Alex knew Ali might be worried about everything coming together on time, so he did the sweetest thing to calm her nerves. He took time out to write her a letter, and had it delivered to her before their first look.

Before the bride and groom’s first look, Ali had a first look with her Dad. There were tears all around.

Next we took a few quick bridal portraits, and then headed off to meet her groom!

It was such a magical moment!

From the first look, we headed back toward the venue for some bride and groom portraits before the ceremony. We had only a few minutes to spare, but the light was gorgeous and we had to take advantage of it!

I love how much fun these two have together! So many giggles!!

Ok, since this post is turning out to be suuuuuuper long, (I don’t want your scrolling finger to wear out!), I think I’ll leave it here for now, and post Part II tomorrow. Next up, the ceremony, formal (and informal) portraits, and lots of reception shenanigans. More good stuff, I promise. You don’t want to miss it!

UPDATE: Part 2 is here!

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach is a beautiful venue for weddings and events. Check it out, plus all of these other great vendors too!

Wedding coordinator: Beth Couillard, Richmond, VA

Officiant: Lisa Chisholm (friend)

DJ/Entertainment: Riza Aleemi (friend)

Wedding florals: Flowers at Hilltop

Wedding cake: Incredible Edibles

Invitations: Minted.com

Catering: Creative Catering of VA

Bride’s Make Up Artist: Vanessa Underwood (friend)

Bride’s Hair: Dana Ange, Gary Allen Salon

Videographers: Live Oak Films

Wedding Photography: Melissa Bliss Photography

Second Shooter: Rita Hsu, Perspective Photography

Creative Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer, Hampton Roads, VA

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Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Moments in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

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