It was a beautiful fall day at the end of October when Evelyn and Alvin tied the knot at their micro wedding at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing weddings at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens a couple of times before and they’ve been in all different seasons – a winter wedding back in 2021, as well as a summer wedding earlier this year. Each wedding has been so different, with Evelyn and Alvin’s wedding day starting with a sweet first look followed by a ceremony in the gazebo on the pond on the property.

We had such pleasant weather for a late October wedding, starting with some cloudy skies but with sun peeking through by the time we did their portraits at the end of our time together. The fall foliage was still hanging on, and I especially loved the vibrant red tree behind them for their first look. I will admit though, I was surprised when I arrived at the park to find that they were already almost finished putting up the Winter Walk of Lights decorations all around the property – not exactly the romantic fall decor I had been expecting for the background of our images! Alvin and I actually scouted around the property together before Evelyn arrived so we could find the perfect spot for their first look, as their original preferred spot had lost all its foliage. Thankfully, the pair wasn’t too concerned about the Winter Walk of Lights decor being out during their wedding day, as Alvin had actually proposed to Evelyn during the Winter Walk of Lights the previous year. (If you look closely in their First Look photos, you can see the string lights wrapped around the trees in the background!)

Surrounded by only their closest family members, Evelyn and Alvin had a short but sweet wedding ceremony inside the gazebo on the pond. Their personally-written vows were adorable and perfectly suited to their unique relationship, and it was clear how happy their family members were to be present to celebrate with them. After their ceremony and some family portraits in the gazebo, we headed out for a few last portrait photos of the bride and groom before our time at Meadowlark was up; the sun popped out just in time and I am absolutely obsessed with the perfect dreamy fall vibes of those last few portraits! Once we were finished, the wedding party headed out to enjoy lunch together at 2941 Restaurant (and I was quite jealous, as this is one of the best restaurants in Northern Virginia). It was a short but sweet celebration and I’m so grateful I was able to take part in it!