The Hampton Roads region of Virginia is brimming with talented wedding vendors. So, we thought we’d create a space where they can shine each month of this new year. Enter our monthly Hampton Roads wedding vendor spotlights!

Below you’ll meet four incredible Hampton Roads wedding vendors: Morgan Renee Photography, Courtney Inghram, MLC Bakery, and Lauren Perry Studio. We’ve had the honor of working with all of them and can attest to their professionalism and skill set. Plus, they are all lovely humans at their core. We hope this spotlight helps you to know them better!

Morgan

Morgan Renee Photography

First, we’ve got Morgan Renee Photography! A talented fine art photographer, Morgan knows how to capture your wedding day story from the grandest moments to the smallest details. Plus, you’ll have gained a new best friend by your reception exit. She’s personable, funny, and brilliant – a winning combination to have on your side. We’ve known Morgan for decades, so we can vouch for her personally and professionally!

Check out her answers to our series of questions below!

• How long she’s been in the industry: est. 2015 (7 years)
• Where she’s from: Chesapeake, VA
• Her favorite part about her work: Gaining new friends and family every time I meet someone and capture their day! 

• An emerging trend in her field that she loves: Film. Film has been around for a while, so it’s not really new, but bringing back the old and making it new again makes me so excited! 
• Her favorite spot in Hampton Roads: I have a ton of favorites, but if I had to pick one it would be First Landing State Park at 64th Street. So many different spots for portraits. I am a little biased because that is where my husband proposed!

• Her perfect non-wedding Saturday: Breakfast as soon as I open my eyes (breakfast in bed haha, French toast, fruit, bacon, sausage, eggs English muffin and juice), snuggling on the couch with my little one, and if it’s a beautiful day there must be a pool party at my parent’s house with lots of yummy appetizers! 
• One tip she has for couples: If you want it, go for it. As long as it fits in your budget and your fiancé approves, then GO FOR IT! Even if someone close to you says no, if it’s in your heart, then you get the final say!

Courtney

Courtney Inghram

Second, let’s meet Courtney Inghram! Courtney holds multiple hats in the wedding industry and is well respected on a national scale. She started with her boutique floral design company, Courtney Inghram Floral Design, and expanded to include The Collection by Courtney Inghram, a bespoke tableware rentals company, as well as educational guides and workshops for industry creatives. Her next workshop is in April, so follow her on Instagram for all the details!

Read more about this floral artist with an eye for design below!

• How long she’s been in the industry: 7 years
• Where she’s from: Virginia Beach, born and raised!
• Her favorite part about her work: Giving the bride her bouquet on her wedding day! It’s so fun to see the reaction to what we have planned and talked about in detail for months/years finally come to life! Oftentimes there are happy tears, which is just the best! I love flowers obviously, but my amazing clients are my passion and the reason I love to go to work every day! 🙂

• An emerging trend in her field that she loves: (Besides all the fun trends with flowers of course…) The focus on tablescape details and having multiple tablescape “looks” for your reception!! Think coordinating, but different chargers, flatware, luxe linens, and more! It adds so much interest and depth to a reception space. Obsessed with the attention to detail on the tables, because guests really pay attention and interact with the items right there in front of them.
• Her favorite spot in Hampton Roads: (Is this a wedding venue spot?) If so, the Cavalier Hotel! (If just my normal fav spot) East Beach to sit on the bay for a relaxing summer day! 🙂

• Her perfect non-wedding Saturday: Beach day in the summer or a firepit with my friends and family in the backyard in the winter!
• One tip she has for couples: Decide on the basics for your wedding design (your color palette, elements you really love, and any other important details) and communicate those to your vendor team. Then, give your wedding professionals a little bit of creative freedom to present ideas to you that enhance your look! With their experience, I guarantee they will think of ways to elevate your design and the vibe of your day that you hadn’t even considered. Trusting your professionals is key!

Monika

MLC Bakery

Next, we’ve got Navy veteran Monika with MLC Bakery! She has taken the local baking scene by storm with her stunning made-from-scratch cakes. With rapt attention to detail and the ability to transform a blank buttercream canvas into art, MLC Bakery is an up-and-coming favorite in the Hampton Roads community. As a one-woman shop, Monika likes to provide her couples with an intimate, full experience from consultation to delivery day.

Take a peek below at some of her recent cakes as well as her responses to our questions!

• How long she’s been in the industry: I officially started MLC Bakery in 2019, but my love affair with baking started decades ago! I was yearning for the drama and larger canvas of tiered cakes, so I launched into wedding cakes in 2021.
• Where she’s from: I grew up in southwest Florida, but my journey with the Navy as both the servicemember and then as a Navy Wife took us to Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Washington, and now we’ve put down roots in Virginia Beach!
• Her favorite part about her work: I approach each cake as an unique art project! I love flexing my creative muscles, learning new cake design techniques, and bringing the couple’s vision to life! I also love when I get to eat a slice of my own cake. Workplace benefits!

• An emerging trend in her field that she loves: I love florals on a tiered cake! A wedding cake with buttercream painted florals, pressed flowers, or sugar flowers are all beautiful, show-stopping designs!
• Her favorite spot in Hampton Roads: I lived in Ghent during my bachelorette years and look back so fondly on that season! The historic homes, dinners with the girls at Press 626, brunch at The Green Onion, walking everywhere to eat and shop! My hubby and I still do date nights in Ghent and pretend like we are 20-somethings! Ha!

• Her perfect non-wedding Saturday: A beach day with my hubby and four kids in quaint Cape Charles (our fave spot!), followed by Brown Dog Ice Cream, then a solo trip to TJ Maxx/HomeGoods!
• One tip she has for couples: The cake should be a statement piece at your wedding! MLC Bakery pulls inspiration from all your wedding elements (florals, invitation suite, linens, etc.) and designs cakes that will complement its surroundings. Don’t forget to thoughtfully design your cake table–a few accessories like taper candles and champagne glasses can elevate the look! To me, a wedding cake is like a woman in couture, the cake stand as her shoes, and the table accessories as her jewelry!

Lauren

Lauren Perry Studio

Our final January Hampton Roads wedding vendor is Lauren of Lauren Perry Studio! Amber had the honor of working with Lauren for Amber’s 2017 wedding. It was a truly personalized and easy experience, so Amber has been singing Lauren’s praises ever since her wedding day! She’s a Lilly Pulitzer wearing, southern sweetheart with a knack for design. Her invitation suites are carefully curated and adorned with her signature calligraphy. We’re big Lauren fans and ready to have you join our fan club!

To learn more about Lauren, read below!

• How long she’s been in the industry: Almost 6 years – since Fall of 2015!
• Where she’s from: I grew up in Smithfield, Virginia, but have called Norfolk home since 2017!
• Her favorite part about her work: By far the relationships I’m able to build with my couples! I’m part of their wedding planning process from early on with Save the Dates, until the very end with Day of Details. Through the custom invitation design process I really get to know them and the history of their relationship as we’re getting inspiration for unique illustrations to include in their suite. By the end of the process they feel like close friends, and it’s a little bittersweet when the wedding day is finally here!

• An emerging trend in her field that she loves: I am seeing more and more couples get creative with their day of details, which gives them another way to make their wedding day even more personal! Gone are the days of the same old, same old plain table numbers on paper. Nowadays, I’m calligraphing on leaves, acrylic, you name it! These little opportunities are great ways to make your wedding look different than others!
• Her favorite spot in Hampton Roads: Ooh, easily Gringo’s Taqueria in VB – I will move mountains for queso and margaritas – and they have the best around!

• Her perfect non-wedding Saturday: My perfect Saturday is always a beach day – we pick up Taste sandwiches, chill out listening to music, and soak up the sun! Then the absolute icing on the cake is after you get home, take a shower and you’re all cozy and sun-kissed (my fellow beach lovers KNOW this feeling haha) we get one of those crazy summer rain storms! I have a July birthday, so it’s what I hope for every year on my birthday!
• One tip she has for couples: There are a LOT of opinions thrown at you in the wedding planning process. Your own, your family’s opinions, your friends’, Pinterest, even a nosy cashier. Often, these opinions conflict and knowing this is a one-time thing makes it all the more paralyzing to decide what is best. My advice – listen to others within reason, but at the end of the day what you like best or what best represents you as a couple is what you should go with.

Check out our blog every month for new spotlights on Hampton Roads wedding vendors!