About Alisandra Photography
Hey friends! My name is Ali, and welcome to my blog!
I am a Wedding Photographer based in Richmond, Virginia. I try to keep this baby as up to date as I can with recent shoots, personal thoughts, and the random, fun little things life brings. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to visit. I really appreciate it. Please make yourself at home and enjoy your time here!
Questions or Comments? ali@alisandraphoto.com
Across the lonely beach we flit,
One little sandpiper and I,
And fast I gather, but by bit,
The scattered drift-wood, bleached and dry.
The wild waves reach their hands for it,
The wild wind raves, the tide runs high,
As up and down the beach we flit,
One little sandpiper and I.
~ “The Sandpiper” by Celia Thaxter [verse 1]
I drove north to Harper’s Ferry to meet Claudia and TR for engagement photos. I think I might have been to Harper’s Ferry a long long time ago? Maybe? I definitely don’t remember it being this stinking cute! Everywhere you turn there is something to take a photo of. Thanks for suggesting the location, Claudia! We spent some time wandering around, shooting here, shooting there. It was a very relaxing time with the two of them. Their October wedding is sure to be a blast!
The definition of blue eyes. Yep. Gorgeous.
They walked up to the Washington Monument early in the evening. David happened to know the guard at the gate through work, and the guard said, “Hey! Do you want to go up?” Who could refuse a private tour of THAT big guy? So up they went. As they got to the top, Adrienne noticed some flowers and watched as David pulled out a ring. After 6 years of dating, YES was the first and final answer.
Adrienne, David, and Avery are my new best friends. I loved Adrienne the moment I heard her voice on my voicemail. She has the sweetest southern accent you’ve ever heard, and the way she says “Miss-ippi,” is so authentic. I loved how care free and mellow this couple is. [The same canNOT be said about Miss Avery, Adrienne's two year old Weimaraner.] They are planning their destination wedding [New Orleans, y'all!] but wanted to have engagement photos taken in the city where they work, live, and love. So off the the Capitol we go…
Adrienne. Your eyes are SO beautiful. Seriously.
Fisheye lens saves the day! How beautiful is the Capitol building?! I felt so American being there!!
EEE! I can’t wait to see photos of this girl as a bride!! 3.3.12!!
A little team spirit at the “smells so good” TruOrleans.
Sometimes I wonder if God tickles us.
Before you click away, just hear me out. Have you ever been so joy filled that you laugh? Out loud? You’re heart starts to pound, you smile, you’re wiggly, and you know that there is a higher power at work. Not because you can prove it, but because you know it and you feel it. I fell in love with Charity and her wedding. And was absolutely tickled. I don’t have much else to say about these two. They reek of mature spirituality, passion for Jesus, and love for each other and others. I don’t know them very well, but these are truths displayed and spoken about at their wedding. It’s serious storybook stuff, y’all. Anyway, LOVE to you, Charity and Chris. So excited for you!
Chad and I loved our family vacation last week. It was so amazing to have no responsibility and hang out by the pool, in the sand, in the water. But one thing we both seemed to feel was the lack of rest. We both felt more exhausted at the end of the week that we had anticipated. And we were slightly disappointed about it. Chad needs time away from the office, and I need time away from my computer, and we got that, so why didn’t we feel fulfilled?
Chad came to this wise conclusion. The beach cannot give you rest. Nor can regular time away from work. Or time with family. All of those things are so nice and such blessings! But lets be serious… and go to Hebrews 4. God talks about entering HIS rest. Do you remember when God said, “and God rested on the seventh day from all of His works?” God asks us to enter into that same rest.
There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God.
For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from his.
~ Hebrews 4:9-10
The only way we can truly stop and REST is to commune with God. The crazy part is that we can do this WHILE we work. Of course there are times we are asked to be still, but we are to always be at peace, resting with our God.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
~ Matthew 11:28
Last week came upon me in a sort of “all of a sudden” way. Do you feel the need to leave a clean house? I sure do. I had a list of chores I needed to accomplish before I went to the beach. Things like vacuum, wash the kitchen floor, finish the laundry…but come Friday, I still had quite a few. One of my chores was to write a blog post explaining that I’d be absent: FAIL. But, now you know. I WAS AT THE BEACH!
The Zangas’s took over Virginia Beach. My grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends all together for the first time ever [besides my wedding and Christmas's eons ago]. We had a blast, even though it was one of the hottest weeks in the history of Virginia. The down time was awesome, and the lack of responsibility was savored!
While down there, my beautiful cousin Shannon asked me to do her Senior Portraits. We skipped Pizza Night and drove around Sandbridge, chasing the wonderful light that all beaches have to offer. More to come, but I wanted to give you a taste at the beginning of the week!
I know that my beautiful citrus delectables are “in season” in the winter. Whateves. No one sits down to a chilled cutting board of freshly picked citrus to escort their hot chocolate in front of the Christmas tree. Ok. Sometimes my mom cut me an orange or two. But what better beach snack than a juicy GRAPEFUIT. Or how fun is it to split open a PUMMELO on the front porch where it doesn’t matter where you get the little peelings all over the place! Anyway, I’ve been craving citrus lately, and here are some photos to supplement my obsession.
I love waking up and having the sun shining on my face. I’m dreading spring forward. When is it, by the way? Oh yes [google reminded me]. March 13. On March 13, I will wake up to dawn. Ew. Anyway, this post is not about my disdain for things that take away sun, but more about that which I am excited for. You saw my post [just scroll down a little] welcoming spring. This is just a continuation of it, I suppose. I took these last fall right after I arrived in Winston Salem after getting married. This was the remanence of summer. The last exhale. But I am more than excited to welcome back the wonderful heat waves. To all of you who are lovers of fall, pumpkin spice lattes, fuzzy sweaters, school supplies… this might not be your cup of tea. This post might be for those of us who are lovers of tanks, flip-flops, cold sweet tea, sand, and the smell of sunscreen.
Bathabara is a location worth googling. Home to rich history, and a beautiful community garden, this settlement was started in the 1700′s by a group of German Christians. Enjoy these warm images. Take them as promises of what is to come.
This is not the name you want when you are in elementary school. But, it was true. Every school has one. And I was the girl who wore my chaps to school in 4th grade trying to make a fashion statement. I had the *Equestrian: have you got what it takes?* tee. Ok. Lets be honest. I had TONS of horse t-shirts. And Breyers. I spend my summers as a Barn Rat, learning the ropes of what it takes to run a barn, catching rides, exploring fields, climbing manure piles [not sure if I should mention that on the internet...]. I rode competitively from the age of 6 until I graduated from college. 6-22. That is a long time.
But, despite being horse girl, the *horse world* has had the biggest impact on my life next to the Lord. Discipline, respect, how to loose, how to win, how to take care of a 1000 lb animal…
Let’s face it. I am still a horse girl. They will always have my heart.
Thanks, Facebook, for the photos…I’m on the brown pony in the first one.
