Boudoir Photography, Pinup, Robin Owen, New York Boudoir, Washington DC Boudoir, Maryland Boudoir, Virginia Boudoir, Sexy Glamour shots, Couples boudoir.

This past Memorial Day weekend I had the honor of photographing the wedding of Brandy and Daniel Hardester at Mary’s Hope in St. Inigoes Maryland. This fit right in with my plans to blog about the various wedding venues in the Southern Maryland area. My hope is that these blog posts will be help brides discover some of the unique banquet facilities available for weddings in the Charles, St. Mary’s, and Calvert County areas.  Every week or two I hope to highlight a new venue.

When I arrived at Mary’s Hope I was excited about the improvements that had been made to the house and the grounds since the last time I visited. The new beach area, complete with pure white sand and large rocks, made a wonderful backdrop for photos, and the red barns out in the field also provided an interesting  area for shooting.  The house has been freshly painted and the grounds are beautifully manicured. Mary’s Hope is surrounded on three sides by water and no matter which direction you point your camera in the views are breathtaking. A little gazebo near the water’s edge is where many of the weddings take place and tents can be set up on the back lawn to accommodate large groups.  The indoor area includes several good size rooms which work nicely for smaller parties.

One of the first things I look for as a photographer is the quality of light. Direct midday sun is the worst light a photographer can deal with during weddings; it’s harsh and ugly and there really isn’t much you can do to improve the look of the images when forced to shoot under those conditions. At Mary’s Hope ancient  trees create a canopy over the front lawn, blocking out the harsh summer sun and throwing the front of the house into beautiful open shade. Exactly what a photographer loves to see! The interior of the house is flooded with soft natural light from the  huge floor to ceiling windows. These are ideal for natural light portraits of the bride. You can tell the owners have spent a lot of time and money  in restoring this old home.  As a photographer out to create striking images, Mary’s Hope is at the top of my list of best places in St. Mary’s County to photograph a wedding!

A side note to other photographers: I was told by the owners that they rent the house out by the hour for portrait shoots.

To see more photos of the property and find out more information about rentals, visit their website at Mary’s Hope