Every once in a while, we shoot a wedding where the dance floor never actually clears out, and Kelly and Dustin's was exactly that kind of day.
Kelly grew up in Woodbridge, with family roots in Warrenton, and after college and PT school, she moved to Arlington, which is where she met Dustin. He's from Sydney, Australia, and was living in DC at the time on a diplomatic posting. When he moved back to Australia, the two of them did long-distance for a while, and these days Kelly is the one who lives in Sydney. Their engagement session happened back in DC, in the city where it all started for them, before the wedding brought everyone together in Charlottesville instead.
Kelly and Dustin got married at the Wool Factory in Charlottesville, in forest green and sage with pops of dark and light yellow worked through the design. It's one of our favorite venues in the area, and it was the perfect fit for two people who told us straight up that they weren't interested in trends or a fussy, overly staged wedding. What they wanted was a party, and a party is exactly what they got.
Charlottesville gave them exactly the kind of timeless, good-looking backdrop to throw one. Kelly and Dustin told us from the start that the whole point of their day was mixing their two lives together and having the best possible time doing it, and their guests showed up ready to match that energy. After the ceremony, we ran what Kelly called a "photo race," calling out group after group to keep things moving fast so everyone could get straight to celebrating. It worked. We've shot a lot of weddings, and we can honestly say we've never met a happier, more fun-loving group of guests. Kelly's family brought big, loud, infectious energy all night, and the dance floor stayed full from the first song to the last.
When Kelly and Dustin were looking for a photographer, what mattered most to them was finding someone who could actually capture a party, not just stage a few pretty portraits. In Kelly's own words: "We are hoping to have a low-stress, low-frills wedding where the focus is on throwing the best party, and I feel like your photos capture that well."
That's exactly what we do. We would always rather catch the real moment on the dance floor than ask anyone to pose for one. Usually, Chayil is on there too, giving Electric Slide tutorials just so she can get that shot.
Chayil is the best! She is incredibly creative, fun, and very talented. My husband and I do not usually like photoshoots and feel uncomfortable in front of the camera, but Chayil's energy made it feel natural and the pictures turned out beautiful. She fits right in to any wedding and brings a creative vision so you don't have to. We highly recommend Chayil!
Kelly + Dustin, May 2026
Planning a Charlottesville wedding of your own? We'd love to be there.
Vendor Team
Venue: The Wool Factory, Charlottesville, VA (@the_wool_factory)
Day-of Coordination: Natalie Hitt
Photography: Black Pepper Photography (@blackpepperphoto)
