Xiaoqi Li Photography

05.22 + 05.28: stepping into my 8th year of business and 28th year of life. Here's a look at the team that's been growing with me. From Virginia and New York to Mexico, Italy and beyond - we're ready to celebrate wherever and whenever you are 🎉

I have so much admiration for all the couples who take on hosting a multicultural wedding, as well as their family, friends, and vendors. It really takes a village to pull off this kind of celebration. I wouldn't trade it for anything though - it's always worth the extra long hours involved (over 14 hrs on site for me, which was nothing compared to Anne's 20+ hrs).
I thought it was especially sweet that Tiffany was a self-declared not really a wedding kind of person, but she was all in for Mayand. I loved their banter and honesty with each other and everyone around them.
Swipe for a peek at the beautiful Hindu ceremony executed by Anne Michelle Forbes The Hive Wedding Collective Olivera Floral Design
Vendor Team:
Planning + Design | Anne Michelle Forbes The Hive Wedding Collective
Venue | The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design
Photography | Xiaoqi Li Photography
Florals | Olivera Floral Design
HMUA | Radiant Reflection by Kelsea Dayberry
Bridal Henna Artist | Sheikh Artistry
Bridal Gown: Kalki Fashion
Baraat Horse | Harmon's Carriages and Training
Baraat DJ | DjGeeta
Rentals | Rent-E-Quip inc. Paisley & Jade
Catering | A & E Services LLC

Honored to be part of the conversation about Asian wedding ceremonies during APPI Heritage month. Thank you ❤️
"Just as there is no one way to identify as AAPI, there is no one-size-fits-all format to an Asian wedding ceremony. We tapped a slate of esteemed AAPI wedding professionals to illuminate a variety of Asian wedding traditions and how we can all honor these exceptional events. Head to the link in bio for more.

Illustrations:
Featuring: // // // // "

From 2019 to 2023 - this wedding last fall was my fourth within this friend group and family 🥰
Each of these weddings has been such a fun reunion, and ofc I had to get a photo with my couples + officiant in attendance. Forever incredibly grateful for everyone that has continued to send couples my way, from past couples and vendors to the people I grew up with and continue to meet ❤️
Photography:
Venue: Private Residence
Wedding planner:
Florals:
HMUA:
DJ:
Catering:
Rentals:
Transportation: Reston Limo

Beneath the trees and a curious sun ☀️🌳
Did you watch the solar eclipse on Monday? I watched alongside Emily and David during their amazing ceremony timed uniquely to the peak of the eclipse. If you look closely, that little crescent in the corner is the eclipse viewed through glasses, at its peak in Virginia.
Eclipse aside - I was also blown away I was by the talent involved with this wedding. The ceremony took place at their family home and flower farm, . They grew all the florals and made all the floral pieces themselves. Emily handmade each invitation suite, even making the paper from scratch. And with the help of her Mom, the two of them designed and sewed her wedding gown by hand 👏
Swipe to see more from this sweet couple and beautiful wedding! Congratulations again to E+D! ❤️
P.S. Shoutout to for teaming up with me and creating the eclipse images 🙌
Vendor Team
Photography:
Florals:
Invitation suite: DIY by Bride
Dress: Designed + created by Bride + her Mom
Ceremony Venue:
Brunch Venue + Catering:
Rentals:

From moment to heirloom ✨ Here's a peek at the photograph vs the spread from D+R's gorgeous wedding ❤️
Did you know I provide a custom designed album for each of my wedding couples? As a full-service photographer, it's one of my favorite parts of the whole process!
Forget the overwhelm of tagging images from scratch in your gallery. I make it easy by curating the images into pre-design spreads. So all you have to do is choose your favorite spreads and make small tweaks, and I'm your guide through the whole process 🙌

When the Groom goes up in the air vs the Bride... 😂
Thinking back to this fun wedding at the Wool Factory earlier this year. Can't wait to be back in April with to celebrate Rebecca and Ben! In the meantime, swipe to see more moments on the dance floor 🎶
Planning:
Venue & Catering:
Photography:
Florals:
Beauty:
DJ:
Cake Bar: .cakebar
Rentals:
Dance Floor Monogram:
Bridal attire:
Groom and groomsmen attire:
Bridesmaids attire
wedding

The rain didn't stop us from enjoying an incredible wedding week with Amy & Collin! We documented their adventurous spirit with an engagement session in the cenotes. Then we celebrated with family and friends at the beautiful .
Both our coordinator Gaby and the decor export Gabi at made the rain plan pivot so beautiful and seamless. What a great way to end our 2023 season! Congrats again to our sweet couple ❤️
Photography:
Resort:
Decor:
HMUA: .makeupandhair

Exciting news while I'm down in Mexico - thanks so much to The Knot for the feature! Always so thrilled to see multicultural content shared, and I'm so grateful Fatimah and Matthew were so willing to do that with us. Click to see more from their beautiful Nigerian-American wedding:

This Couple Honored Their Blended Heritage With a Vibrant Two-Day Nigerian-American Wedding in Richmond, Virginia When Matthew Rickert first matched with Fatimah Ogungbade on Bumble, he jumped at the opportunity to meet her for dinner--even though he had been in the middle of his own. "Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to meet such a cute lady, I quickly said yes and stashed my leftovers," Matthew recalls....

10 weddings later, we made it! Cheers to the end of my fall wedding season 🥂 I'm grateful for all the wonderful couples and vendor teams I've gotten to work with these past 2 months. Now to the part of the season where we celebrate getting galleries out 🙌
✨ Upcoming out of office notice ✨
I'm heading down to Costa Rica Nov 12-20 to create some epic wedding portraits in the rainforests. If you have any upcoming to-dos, let's chat soon!
Vendor Team
Planning and Design:
Venue & Catering:
Photography:
Videography:
Floral Designer:
Bakery:
Hair:
Makeup:
DJ:
Wedding Dress Boutique:
Dress Designer:
Groom's Fashion:
Stationery:
Officiant: Art Pyster

Congratulations again to Allie & Michael!
I'm honored to be returning to this friend group for a 4th time 🎉 It was so fun seeing my past couples again! I love how much intentionality there has been at every gathering to celebrating the people that have been brought together just as much as the couple. Cheers to all the relationships today and to come ❤️
Photography:
Venue: Private Residence
Wedding planner:
Florals:
HMUA:
DJ:
Catering:
Rentals:
Transportation: Reston Limo
Alcohol:

Meet me in Positano 🇮🇹
After getting married at home in TN, C+C wanted to wait until their honeymoon to exchange their personal vows. To keep it private, we planned their session for sunrise, aka the secret to having any place to yourself in the summer in Italy, and it was perfect! Congrats again to this sweet couple ❤️

Italy update - 5 weeks down, 3 to go!
It's my last day in Sicily, which means I'm returning to limited office hours again tomorrow to focus on my upcoming sessions in Amalfi and Santorini.
You can always check my current travel schedule on my website and office hours IG highlight. If we've got any overlapping plans, let me know!
Photography:
Florist:
HMUA:

Thank you so much for the beautiful feature, Tidewater and Tulle! ❤️

San Marino + Florence ❤️
If you're thinking of visiting San Marino, it's worth it! I easily could've spent a week enjoying the ease and quiet of this beautiful mountain town. The food and wine have been my favorite hidden gems so far in Italy.
Locals told me SM is a popular elopement destination. Couples from around the world visit to tie the knot with the backdrop of their incredible mountain views and historic towers.
Florence ended up being more of a rest stop due to the heat wave - I'll have to revisit another time when I can also explore the Tuscany countryside. But the sunrise I caught the one free morning I had was gorgeous.
Head over to my San Marino highlight to see more!

Cinque Terre ❤️
I think Manarola, Vernazza, and Riomaggiore could easily become the next iconic Italy elopement locations. These little towns are perfect for Amalfi vibes without the intense crowds and prices (yet).
As much as I loved Rome, it was so refreshing to take a break from the bustle of the city and just relax by the ocean every day. I recommend La Spezia for home base to visit these towns.
Towns featured:
1, 4, 8. Manarola
2. Vernazza
3, 5. Riomaggiore
7. Monterosso
(Corniglia's steps had me ☠️ so no photos from Corniglia 🙃)

Little moments from Rome ❤️
5 cities later, turns out the pigeons aren't unique at all to Rome, but I still find them to be very endearing 😂

Hello from Italy! 👋 I've made it safe and sound to Rome and am here until Tuesday.

To avoid melting in the summer heat, I've temporarily become a morning person 🥲 I'm out the door around 6a, back for a midday break + nap after lunch, and then venturing out again in the evening. Since I'm 6 hrs ahead here, my east coast meeting times are going to be skewed either a bit early in the day or very late for the next 2 months.

If you're dreaming of a session in Italy with me this summer, please reach out! Here's my upcoming itinerary:

✨ 7/04 - 7/11: Rome
✨ 7/11 - 7/16: Cinque Terre
✨ 7/16 - 7/19: Florence
✨ And more: San Marino, Venice, Sicily, Amalfi Coast, Santorini, Rome again 🎉

🎉 We've been featured!! Thank you so much to Linda and the editorial team at Munaluchi Bridal Magazine as well as our sweet couple for sharing the story of their romanic, rainy Montalto wedding ❤️
"Raindrops at this multi-cultural wedding made the day even sweeter for Garry and Merriam’s romantic outdoor nuptials at Montalto in Virginia. You might be wondering how that could even be possible but for this couple who tied the knot under a tent, a little drizzle couldn’t put a damper on their romantic outdoor wedding."
Here's the link to see more: https://www.munaluchibridal.com/a-rainy-day-was-a-ok-at-this-outdoor-wedding-in-virginia/
Photography:
Wedding Planner & Designer:
Groom's Fashion:
Groomsmen Fashion:
Dress:
Florist:
Venue:
Makeup:
Hair:
Invites:
Cake:
Cake Pops & Flights: .cakebar
Band:
Ceremony Music:
Lights:
Tent:
Catering:
Live Streaming:
Getaway Tesla:
Transportation:
Rentals:

Had a whirlwind of a weekend in NYC followed by a few days in Boston - these little trips always leave me wishing I had an extra dozen hours in the day. Here's a throwback to a Central Park anniversary session from last summer. Until next time, NYC!

A few favs from my LGBTQ+ weddings over the past year. Love is love year round here, but happy pride month! 🏳️‍🌈

Congratulations again to Fatimah & Matthew! Their 2 day celebration kept the energy high from start to finish. I loved seeing how eager both families were to welcome everyone into their lives - it really felt like a celebration of not just the couple but their families and their culture.
We began on Friday with a traditional Yoruba ceremony where the couple formally got engaged. The next day, we had a more Western-style, Nigerian-American wedding at the Jefferson.
Swipe for a peek some of my favorite moments from each day!
Photography:
Makeup Artist:
Hair Stylist:
Desserts:
Videography:
Planner Day 1: Tope
Alaga:
DJ Day 1:
Venue Day 1: Hilton Richmond Short Pump
Planner Day 2: Autumn & Darla at Grace and Lace RVA
Venue Day 2:
Florals:
Band:
Invitation Suite:
Bridal Gown: from
Bridal Shoes:
Bridal Rings:
Bridal Jewelry:
Groom Attire:
Groomsmen Attire:

If I hadn't told you...would you have guessed that none of the flowers you see are real
They're all crafted from sugar! I'm forever in awe of talented cake artists like . Cakes like these are such beautiful pieces of art and great statement detail for your reception ❤️
Photography:
Concept:
Coordination & Design:
Venue: The Atrium
HMUA:
Florals: .flr
Cake:
Rentals:
Attire: .us
Jewelry:
Henna Artists:
Macarons:
Garland: Vivek Flowers
Stationary:
Models:

A modern boho take on South Asian wedding design & decor 😍
Thank you so much to the incredible vendor team who made this vision come to life, and most of all to for dreaming up this concept and making it happen. More sneaks to come soon!
Vendor Team:
Photography:
Concept & Lead Photographer:  
Coordination & Design:   
Venue: The Atrium
HMUA:
Florals: .flr
Cake:
Rentals:
Attire: .us
Jewelry:   
Henna Artists:
Macarons:
Garland: Vivek Flowers
Models:
Stationary:

Congratulations again to Tori & Ken! We had a chilly but gorgeous day celebrating at , and their crew had no problem keeping the energy throughout it all. Swipe to see more! ❤️

Featured in the 'What Love Looks Like' contest collection by 🥰
What does love look like to you lately? Click to see all the beautifully captured winning images: https://www.worldsbestweddingphotos.com/photography-contests-valentines-day-2023

Congratulations again to Sam & Oren! ❤️
Their friends and family had so many kind words to say about both Grooms - one of my favorite snippets was when Eric described Sam in DC terms as someone with a 100% approval rating 😂
As always, the design and florals teams of and did such an incredible job transforming the Torpedo Factory into the perfect space for our stylish couple. Swipe to see more from our winter Old Town Alexandria wedding!
✨Vendor Team ✨
Photography:
Planning and Design:
Venue:
Floral Designer:
Caterer:
Bakery:
Event Lighting:
DJ: Joel of .party
Hair:

Throwback to (slightly) warmer days ✨
Congratulations again to Emilia & Andrew! ❤️
Vendor Team:
Photography: Xiaoqi Li Photography
Event Coordination & Venue: Keswick Vineyards
HMUA: Ave 42 Salon
Catering: Letoile Catering
Cake: Cake Bloom
Florals: Foothills Flowers
DJ: Frank at PT Event Group
Harpist: Virginia Schweninger
Donuts: Carpe Donut
Pies: Quality Pie
Getaway car: Albemarle Limousine
Rentals: MS Events
Live Streaming: Stephen James Films