Wedding Planning

the newest work, featured weddings & engagements, helpful posts for the couple planning a joyful wedding & see more about the heart behind the lens

Here’s my favorite wedding venues in Virginia for the most incredible portraits, coming from a Richmond VA wedding photographer who knows that not only should your venue be a spectacular place for hosting a wedding but should also have equally spectacular features for your wedding day photography.

Modern & Classic VMFA Wedding

It was an incredible day filled to the brim with stunning details. Luisa & Matt decided on March 19 for their wedding date and we were blessed with one of the most beautiful Virginia spring days I’ve ever seen for a wedding. Luisa’s eye for a classy and modern wedding came to life and I was blown away by the details and how her vision came together for their VMFA wedding in Richmond, Virginia.

They waited 441 days for this day. It was so evident on their wedding day just how loved they are by the people who know them and knowing them, you just can’t help it. I loved every minute of working with these two and it never even felt like work because it was just so much fun! It was truly my honor being their photographer and friend. Enjoy scrolling through my favorites from this gorgeous whimsical and colorful summer Old Silk Mill wedding!

Last Friday I got to meet Matt & Luisa at Libby Hill Park in Richmond VA for their engagement session and I have to say it was definitely one of the most fun engagement sessions I’ve ever done! The weather was perfect and it was a sunny day which made for gorgeous golden hour portraits! Luisa and Matt were so fun to talk with and getting to hear more about them and their sweet pets! Especially since their 5 month old puppy, Max, joined us for photos and I was over the moon!

Engagements

Weddings

Wedding photographer, Dunkin' enthusiast, and lover of all things romance and weddings.

MEET MONICA

boudoir

For Brides

Here’s my favorite wedding venues in Virginia for the most incredible portraits, coming from a Richmond VA wedding photographer who knows that not only should your venue be a spectacular place for hosting a wedding but should also have equally spectacular features for your wedding day photography.

5 ways to elevate your engagement session for a more luxurious & genuine engagement experience that feels like you.

Recapping and showing my favorite images from 2021’s engagement sessions. I had 10 engagement sessions last year and I loved getting to photograph each couple at some of my favorite engagement session locations in Richmond Virginia!

My favorite blog post of the year! It’s the Best of Weddings 2020 and oh boy what a year for weddings it was. None of us could ever have expected that we’d be wearing masks, social distancing, that live streaming weddings via zoom would be a thing.

But with all the craziness and the whole roller coaster of emotions, I look back on these weddings and I am so so thankful for the chance to even have been at all these weddings celebrating and capturing a momentous occasion in my couples’ lives.

As I reflect on 2020, I realize truly how wild of a year it really was. I was pregnant for a good half of 2020 and on maternity leave and there was, of course, a global pandemic. BUT I was still able to spend some time with some couples as we captured and celebrated their engagement!

© MJ MENDOZA PHOTOGRAPHY 2022

Close