It’s been a while since I’ve taken the metro to a photography gig, in Saturday rush hour no less, so when I got on the metro I had at least 5 people ask me “Are you a musician?” I looked down at my long gear bag thinking, “Well, yes, but that’s not what this is…”
Ben and Linda had the fair luck of a wedding date on the same weekend as the Washington D.C. Cherry Blosson Festival, so the crowds were thick, all pouring into downtown. I took mental note to tell them our beloved metro wedding pictures weren’t going to pan out, and that we would probably stay above ground.
Arriving at the O Mansion I got down to work right away with Ben and Linda’s prep pictures. I still got lost several times going back and forth between their rooms as the Mansion is full of hidden doorways, dis-jointed hallways, stairs that only go to one floor, etc. Once I memorized the specific path between the two I was all right 
I really loved finding a mirror or bookcase that opened onto another room!
Once prepped, we jetted in DC cab style to the National Building Museum, a gorgeous hall full of thick marble columns and archways galore. Apparently out of at least 300 some days of the year it is empty without a soul, but today was not one of those days. Remember the Cherry Blossom Festival part? But on the third floor we found some peace and I got THE most gorgeous pictures of the two, bathed in this deep sunlight with glowing marble all around them. Yowzer -
Back to the O Mansion, the ceremony was one of the most moving and original I’ve ever seen, written entirely by the bride and groom with help from some friends. To say it was completely genuine would be understating it. My favorite line from their vows was “I, Ben/Linda, promise to nurture your dreams…”
The rest of the night I spent eating delicious desserts, photographing the quirky antiques of the mansion of which there are an infinite amount, and taking pictures of guests. The antiques include: a signed guitar from Bob Dylan; fat ladies in tiger costumes; a human-sized rabbit dressed as a fool with a hat and cane sitting in a chair; a wall-sized frosted-angel mirror in the elevator; a viking chair with tusks as arm rests, etc, etc.
The theme of things being hidden and secret crept into my photography. So once you see the album design, I challenge you all to find at least three pictures where there is actually more than one thing being shown…
Overall, I can safely say Ben and Linda’s pretty alternative wedding absolutely rocked, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself morning to night, and it was totally awesome getting to know such an amazing couple. Hey Ben and Linda… can you help me plan my wedding? 
Enjoy the collage!
Isabelle
***Update*** Here is the album!
http://www.izaca.com/albums/Ben-Linda/
