You would think that after twelve years and 500 weddings, I'd pretty much be familiar with every venue Washington has to offer.

The Museum of Women in the Arts? Check. Meridian House? Check. The Willard? Check, check. I've been to  all of them, so many times over that I always try to look for new vantage points. Every venue has something special about it, from the funky corridors at the Monaco to the regal columns of the Mellon Auditorium, and from the Potomac views of River Farm to the platinum record-lined walls of the Recording Industry Association of America. But there's one thing that none of them can boast, a view so special that even I found myself marveling at it again and again.

Ryan Cheney and Alicia Frank-Meltzer were married on a windy day in June atop the Newseum, Washington's monument to the First Amendment located just a stone's throw from the Capitol of the United States. (And I'm not exaggerating by much, depending on your arm.) Nestled snuggly next to the Canadian embassy, the Newseum's roof deck doesn't just give you a feeling of being close to the Capitol. It gives you the feeling of being on top of it.

In fact, as Ryan and Alicia stooped under a chuppa that was flapping heartily in the gale force winds that day, I kept laughing to myself about the view. There are all sorts of places to get nice pictures of a bride and groom with the Capitol in it--the nearby Senate Park comes to mind, with its huge fountain--but there's just nothing like the sensation of looking down on the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. It was awesome. Truly.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's get back to Alicia and Ryan. People make weddings great, not buildings, and these guys really made their day special with a non-stop stream of laughter. (Weird moment: As I typed that last sentence, Paul Simon, on iTunes, just sang this: "It was a sunny day. Not a cloud was in the sky. Not a negative word was heard from the people passing by." That pretty much sums it up.)

I go to a lot of weddings where there are slideshows playing of the bride and groom from their childhoods and dating. You can learn a lot by watching these shows. Here's what I learned about Alicia and Ryan: They go hiking. They go canoeing. They go running, cycling and swimming. They watch every sport known to man. They have fun skiing, skydiving and swimming with sharks. (Well, that last one is an exaggeration, but not by much.) I honestly think I saw every outdoor activity known to man represented by at least one photograph in that slideshow. In an era where too many people spend too many hours playing Wii in front of a TV set, it's safe to say that Alicia and Ryan are not those people.

The day started off for all of us at the fabulous Hotel Monaco. I'm starting to think they should just give me a room, I've had so many weddings begin or end there recently. With all that color, there's certainly no shortage of places to shoot. Alicia was getting ready with her two sisters, mom, and bridesmaids up in one room while Ryan was down the hall with his groomsmen. I smiled as I spied the bride's mother doing some last minute sewing on her beautiful dress, under the watchful eye of Thomas Jefferson. Ten minutes later, Alicia was in the same spot, looking absolutely radiant. (I'm a guy, so I don't know much about fashion. But her dress, with those cascading ridges, was way, way cool.)

We took some pictures around the Monaco and then hopped a cab over to the Newseum. I have to say, I love a bride and groom who don't require a fancy limo. It speaks volumes. (Which reminds me of the time, many years ago, when I was following the vintage Bentley carrying newlyweds Julie Newell and Nathan Leslie. The Bentley broke down and we all crammed into my messy Audi, filled with camera equipment, and had a great time driving home.)

After that, on to the Newseum, where we first got a little tour by a kindly security guard. Past the cool newspaper headlines ("Murder of President Lincoln!"), past the funny gift shop ("Not tonight, dear, I'm on deadline"), and up to the windy roof for the ceremony. The Canadian flag was flapping so loudly I thought a hockey game might break out at any moment. And then Alicia and her father Ron came out, with the sun glowing behind, and eveything else went away. (I should note for the record that later on, Ron gave one of the most moving toasts I've heard, one that left both bride and groom in tears.)

As usual, I'm going on a bit. A big thanks to wedding planner (and friend!) Alex Kovach, as well as to my assistant, Cliff Owen. I could write another ten inches alone on the couple's two friends who stole the show late in the evening with a "Proud Mary" rendition for the ages. But for now, I'll wrap this up and let you look at some pictures. 

For a quickie "mini" gallery of some images from Ryan and Alicia's wedding, click here.

Hope you're all having a great summer thus far. 

Matt