“With some people, the minute you start talking, it feels like you’ve known them for years. It only means that you were supposed to meet sooner. You’re feeling all the time you should have known each other, but didn’t. That time still counts. You can definitely feel it.”

A few weeks ago I got to meet up with Katherine & Emily as they eloped at the Lincoln Memorial. Katherine’s sister joined us at the memorial to perform the ceremony. Even with just the 4 of us you could see how nervous Katherine & Emily were. They wrote their own vows for each other and put a ring on it. With a kiss they were officially married and we began our adventurous day together. We hit up some of my favorite DC spots, the Tidal Basin, Constitution Gardens, Union Market, and the Arboretum before we headed to Great Falls National Park for a picnic lunch and photos with the falls. Katherine and Emily love the outdoors and wanted to incorporate their love for DC with their love for hiking and camping into their wedding day. They even put together their rooftop tent (super jelly) so we could capture some photos in the park. A few weeks after their wedding I got to meet up with the two of them again for a photoshoot on Emily’s family farm. We got to spend some quality time with a few adorable cows!

As we are coming to an end of Pride Month and the disgusting decision that was made by the Supreme Court today I wanted to add a personal disclaimer.

As a person and a business owner I will always support and fight for the rights of woman and the LGBTQI+ community. I strongly believe that the government has no say in who a person is allowed to love. The only person who can determine that is you and the person you are in a relationship with. I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who are able to be their true selves.

On June 26, 2015, (7 years ago in just a few days) the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalized it in all fifty states! We need to fight to make sure that everyone maintains their right to be married. We need expand the right so that when a same sex couple has a baby they are both automatically able to be parents, one parent should never need to adopt their own child. Love is each person’s fundamental right. The government should never have any say on who you are allowed to love, who you are allowed to marry, and who you are allowed to start a family with. It is so important in November to pay attention to who you vote for. Vote for Pro Choice Candidates, Vote for Candidates that support LGBTQI+ rights. Local races are as important as Senate and House races. We need to move forward not move backward-Vote Save America.

Photography by Washington DC Elopement Photographer - Kathleen Ricker - Love and Adventure Photography