When working a wedding day with a second shooter, often times the lead and second will split up during getting ready or bridal party portraits — the lead goes with the bride and her bridesmaids and the second goes with the groom and his groomsmen. It’s just a way to make the day flow smoother and cover two things at once… just one of the many great things about working as a duo on wedding days!

All this to say, as I’ve been second shooting a lot this summer, I have had an opportunity to work with quite a few groups of groomsmen. A few weeks ago I headed out to Bowling Green Country Club outside Washington, DC to for the sole purpose of hanging out with (and being the photographer for!) Aaron and his groomsmen for the first part of his wedding day. They wanted someone there to capture all their festivities before the ceremony took place and since the lead photographer, Jacqueline Binkley, was going to be with the girls, I was hired to come out for the guys. I had no idea what a treat I was in for — I have never had so much fun with a group of groomsmen before! A little tip from me to you: I always make a promise to them that for every “serious” picture we take, we can also do a “silly” one… seems like it makes it less painful for them and gives them something to look forward to :) And while all of them said they weren’t very excited for portraits, I think these pictures tell a very different story…