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▣ Emily & Brian | Happy First Anniversary!
Catching up on back logged blogging from last week! Please forgive my lateness - I've been swamped lately and trying to stay above the water and keep time with the waves of shooting and editing. We shot 9 weddings in June! Emily and Brian's anniversary was actually on June 25th and so I wanted to share their photos with you to celebrate their first year! I was lucky enough to get to see Emily, Brian, and their family a few weeks ago for family photos with their cute new nephew!
Their wedding day started as many others do with the girls hanging around the church having lunch, getting their make up done and telling stories. St. Richard's church was beautiful!
Emily's grandpa came to see her in her wedding dress before the ceremony to bless the rosary she would carry with her bouquet.
Brian and Emily exchanged personal letters to each other before they walked down the aisle.
Too cute! Emily and her bridesmaids anxiously sneaking a peek a the musicians before the ceremony.
Even though they didn't wan to SEE each other before the ceremony - they decided to share their own moment and hold hands around the corner.
Emily's brother's stood next to Brian in the wedding party as Emily's Dad walked his little girl down the aisle.
A few quick photos in the church garden.
We found a few spots after dinner for photos outside.
The whole room came out onto the dance floor for Rocky Top by John Denver !
One year later and it was still one of the best parties of the year! Congrats on your first anniversary and here's to 50 more!
Ceremony: St. Richard Catholic Church
Make Up: Pittsburgh MakeUp
Enterainment: DJ Mark Tishko
Comments added to this post ▣ Madelyn + JR | Penn Scenic View Wedding
Madelyn was worried when the sky opened up and poured rain on the parking lot of the salon in somerset where the girls were having their hair done. A quick call out to the guys setting up at Penn Scenic View put our fears to rest that over the mountain it was sunny and beautiful. The rain didn't sit still though. When we made it out to the lake lodge, it followed us and washed the dust from edges of the dirt road.
The girl's got dressed in the Hemlock cabin. It was almost time for Madelyn and JR to see each other for the first time. They had agreed to meet at the top of the hill at the look out, but the rain threatened to keep everyone inside.
If you saw their engagement session, you'd know that they are an adventurous couple. So they said - heck with the rain and headed for the lookout. JR waited as the girls took Madelyn to the edge of the hill and then he turned to see her for the first time in her wedding dress. Top left and middle right image by Dana.
Guests sat at the edge of the lake to watch their ceremony by the water.
Even though they had already seen each other, JR was still speechless when his bride walked down the aisle. Bottom left photo by Dana.
Each of their grandfathers did a special reading specific to each one of them.
We did a huge group photo of everyone at the wedding just after the ceremony before the guests walked up for cocktail hour. Dana caught this great angle as I was shooting from overhead.
Everyone at this wedding from the guests to the wedding party were SO MUCH FUN! We had a fantastic time ! Middle left and right images by Dana.
Love this top image of Madelyn, we were shooting some portraits with the wedding party and Madelyn realized that she'd gotten ready and left the cabin so quickly that she never stopped to look in the mirror and so had no idea what she looked like in her dress all done up ! I was happy to provide some instant proof!
Their reception was a laid back party with a roasted pig provided by Pittsburgh BBQ Company and the BEST cornbread I've ever tasted!! They decorated with burlap and wildflowers. Their favors were drinking glasses that had mustache's painted on them for guests to use throughout the evening and then take home. They even decorated a mailbox to use as their cardbox that they can put up in front of their new house!!
First dance.
Got a wet squishy foot and nearly lost my sandal for this one jumping the creek to get to the other side of the lake. (The ground on the other side was not nearly as solid as I'd hoped when jumped off the bank.) But it was totally worth it ;)
Congrats Madelyn & JR on a perfect wedding, moving in to your new house, and finding a partner in crime to share your adventures with :D
Hair & Make Up: Tanglz Salon Ceremony & Reception Venue: Penn Scenic View Catering: Pittsburgh BBQ Company
Comments added to this post ▣ Derek & Kaley | After the wedding
It rained the day Derek and Kaley were married last October, but they didn't care :) I remember squishing our way across the greens at Three Lakes Golf Course to get some photos before they were announced into their reception. We found a weeping cherry tree that had branches that hung down to the ground and we used it for an umbrella.
Now that winter has turned to summer again, they wanted to get together and take some additional photos so Kaley could get some extra wear out of her wedding gown, and we could get some fun photos! It's becoming more and more popular for brides to wear their dresses again :) Whether you choose to refashion it into a party dress, wear it for additional photos or do something more daring is up to your own creativity!
Derek and Kaley got permission from Hartwood Acres for us to shoot at the mansion and on the grounds. As fate would have it, it also rained that day as well but we didn't let it slow us down!
Photo sessions after the wedding day has passed are a great time to explore other locations, use props, be adventurous and take your time getting images you will love without having to keep to a schedule! Left image by Ashley.
One of their favorite locations was the big tree and they brought along paper lanterns to decorate it! Top right and bottom left images by Ashley.
Photos of each of their parents on their wedding days.
Top left and bottom images by Ashley.
We dodged the rain all morning - you can just see it falling lightly in the background - but since her gown had already made it's trip down the aisle, Kaley didn't mind a little wet grass.
At the end of their session, her dress was no dirtier than it was at the end of their wedding day and they had fantastic photos to show for it! (You don't have to actually 'trash' a wedding dress to have fun with it!) After a simple trip to the drycleaners it will be good as new and ready to be preserved for the next generation!
If you'd like to embrace your spirit of adventure and get some additional photos in your wedding dress - it's never too late!!
Comments added to this post ▣ Bethany + Ben | Happy Anniversary!
It's time to celebrate another anniversary! Bethany and Ben were married last year on June 4th and monday marked their first year together! (It seems like it was yesterday, a year goes by so fast!) When I first met both of their families at their rehearsal dinner, I was touched by how warm and welcoming all of their relatives are :) I can't think of a nicer group of folks I'd want to share a meal with.
Bethany and Ben wrote their own messages to one another which they read aloud at the ceremony. Top left image by Anna.
A short while later, all of the girls converged on the church to get ready! (There were 17 bridesmaids in all plus their moms, grandmothers, the most adorable little flower girl and Bethany herself!) Bethany's mom laced her into her wedding gown amidst a crowded room of hugs and smiles. Center images by Anna.
Ben bit his lip and held back tears when he caught his first glimpse of Bethany in her wedding dress.
Just married !!! (backstage while they waited for the guests to file out so they could make their exit out of the church) 
The whole wedding party rocking it out for the church photos!! What a group! I think there were 37 in all...
The reception was held at the historic George Washington Hotel in Washington, PA.
The ballroom was decorated with white linens and dramatic uplighting. Image by Anna.
Their centerpieces were wine bottles decorated with sunflowers, tea lights, and blue delphiniums.
Bethany and Ben enjoyed their first dance and Bethany serenaded her new husband by singing Etta James' song "At last".
Right images by Anna.
I love it when a couple chooses to dance with their parents :) So many emotions in just one song!
Happy One Year anniversary!! I hope you and your families enjoy many more beautiful celebrations!
Ceremony: Pleasant Hills Presbyterian Church Reception: George Washington Hotel
Comments added to this post ▣ Deanna & Wayne | 1 year anniversary
One year ago this weekend Deanna and Wayne stood on the back porch of Valley Country Club in Towson, Maryland, exchanged rings, and promised to love each other through good times and bad. I remember the weather was a lot like it is today, hot and sunny with the chance of sudden storms. We arrived before the wedding party and could to scope out the grounds and the unique interior of this beautiful venue!
Right image by Anna.
Deanna and the girls arrived shortly and her mom and sister helped her into her dress.
Image by Anna.
Smiling summer bride :)
The ceremony was to take place on the steps of the huge southern style porch with the guests watching from the lawn. Just as they were about to start, dark grey clouds rolled in and everyone got out their umbrellas. Sadly, Deanna's Dad had passed away and was not able to walk her down the aisle. To honor his memory, and as a way of keeping him close to her heart, Deanna chose to wear her father's shoes as her brother took her arm and escorted her to the ceremony. It was a beautiful gesture, and in a way her Dad did walk with her that day. Her own silver glittering wedding shoes waited for her at the end of the aisle, and when her brother gave her away, Wayne knelt down and placed her heels on her feet before leading her up the stairs.
At one point during the ceremony, it began to rain BIG drops and we took cover under a patio umbrella and a pine tree at the back of the aisle. The officiant jokingly asked the audience if everyone was ok and then continued :D
The rain cleared up as quickly as it began and we got some shots of the new husband and wife in the roses.
Image by Anna.
The staircase at Valley Country Club was gorgeous!
Their reception was a mix of southern charm and playful brightly colored details.
Things got crowded when they cut the cake!
Deanna tossed her bouquet over the railing from the landing of the stairs!
Right image by Anna.
A year goes by so fast! Here's to many more happy celebrations!
Ceremony & Reception Location: Valley Country Club
Comments added to this post ▣ Heather & Nick 4.28.12
Heather and Nick are the cutest couple! If you need more proof, check out their engagement session by clicking here . From engagement photos on a train, to the vintage details and family photo collection at their reception, there was so much thought and love put into every aspect of their wedding. At the end of the ceremony when they were pronounced husband and wife, they turned and grinned at each other walking up the church aisle to "Our Song" by Taylor Swift. If you think that's adorable - it was :) But that was later in the day, so let's start this story at the beginning.
It was actually snowing when we arrived at the salon to meet up with the girls. They were almost finished with hair and make up and one of the flower girls, Heather's niece, Kadence, was having a fantastic time with all of the ladies at Fashions A Head in Leechburg. (They are a great bunch of gals there!) After hair, everyone got their make up done and it was time to get to the church!
Heather's big sister, Connie went to high school with me and now is Mom to two of the most precious little girls you could ever meet. Lyric woke up from her nap just in time to get dressed up and be the littlest flower girl for her Aunt Heather's big day. Such an important milestone for someone only 7 weeks old :D
The snow changed to rain that ran down the window while the girls stayed tucked away in the bride's room at the church getting ready. Heather brought this mirror from home for this photo - both her sister and her mom have the same photo with this mirror on their own wedding days.
Nick and the groomsmen arrived on the motorcoach between raindrops. They modeled their socks for us.
Right image by Ashley.
Their ceremony was simple, sweet, and full of joy.
Married !!
Heather was more than beautiful this day - on her wedding day, she shined :)
We totally lucked out! After the ceremony, the rain let up enough that we were able to get some outdoor photos with the wedding party who braved the cold and the squishy grass! Big shout out to Amber from aroseproductions.com for her mad video skills and for being so fantastic to work with. (She promised not to film me when at one point I was almost flat on the ground in the muddy grass reaching for just the right angle! She also promised to dub music over top of all of my bad jokes!) Center right image by Ashley.
Love this shot Heather picked out from Pinterest. Pinterest is such a great place for wedding planning.
I love the image on the left that Ashley caught when Nick raised his hand to salute Heather while I was switching memory cards. That's Nick's brother, Joe, "stealing a kiss" from Heather through the picture frame.
Image by Ashley.
Once we got the bus turned around, it was off to Futules Harmar House in Cheswick for their vintage chic yellow and grey reception. The tables were decorated with blue mason jar centerpieces made with spider mums courtesy of Leechburg Floral. Guests enjoyed smores cupcakes and everyone received a plastic drinking cup with Nick and Heather's monogram which came in handy throughout the evening ;-) I also loved that they used their engagement photos to make a photo guestbook!
First dance :)
Cookie tables are a tradition in western Pennsylvania (I seriously feel bad for all the underprivileged out-of-staters out there). This was a cookie table of legend. The ladies at Leechburg Floral really outdid themselves this time by bringing in antique suitcases, cigar boxes, trays, tins, baskets, and mason jars to bring together Heather's vision for her themed cookie display. **Vicki - I have no idea how you're ever going to top this but I CAN'T WAIT to see you try!!**
For the wedding, I really wanted to tie in their engagement photos and scouted a spot for us to get some shots on the railroad tracks. Heather and Nick got 1,000 bonus points for hopping in the cars and heading down the street mid-reception for some romantic photos in the rain.
Left image by Ashley.
When we returned to the reception, Heather shared an emotional dance with her Dad to Edwin McCain's "Walk With You." The rest of us said silent thank you prayers for auto focus as we blubbered behind our cameras.
The party really kicked off later on - and I can sum it all up in one word:
THUNDERSTRUCK !!
Congratulations Nick and Heather on your wedding, your new house, and all the wonderful memories that are still to come! Thank you for a fantastic start to the wedding season, I could not have asked for a more perfect day!
Ceremony location: Apollo Free Methodist Church Reception Location: Futules Harmar House Hair and MakeUp: Fashions A Head Floral Design: Leechburg Floral Videography: A Rose Productions Entertainment: Greg McAtee
Comments added to this post ▣ Erica + Alex | Mansion at Maple Heights Wedding
Today I have the pleasure of sharing Erica and Alex's wedding with you in celebration of their one year anniversary this past monday! They were married in Pittsburgh at the Mansion at Maple Heights, a unique venue for intimate weddings tucked away in the neighborhood of Shadyside. The weather that day was a celebration of April showers which put a damper on their plans for an outdoor ceremony. Luckily there was a back up plan and everyone was relaxed when we arrived :)
The bridal suite at the mansion is not to be missed! The bathroom is more like a small day spa and was the perfect place for Erica and several bridesmaids to prep with hair and make up. Top right image by Anna.
Erica's dress and accessories were gorgeous, from her corset gown made of light buttery silk, to the floral pins in her hair.
Erica with her sister and soon to be sisters-in-law. Clearly going to be a FUN family :)
There is a walk in closet at the mansion that's the size of a living room!
Top right image by Anna.
Erica was radiant like the sun on that rainy day.
What were the guys doing while all the ladies were getting ready? Taking advantage of the home theatre room at the mansion to play video games! I heard there was going to be classic mario and duck hunt but they couldn't find the gun game controllers.
Eventually, all the guys did get ready after all. They clean up good! :D
Months before the wedding, Erica and Alex had planned to do a First Look before their ceremony. Originally they wanted to meet outside, but due to the rain they decided to see each other for the first time on the balcony outside the bridal suite overlooking the hallway where their guests were filing in. Alex waited outside the door, and when she was ready Erica took a deep breath and stepped out onto the landing. The moment was perfect :)
I think spending a few moments alone with your groom before the ceremony to chat and calm your nerves is a great idea!
Then it was showtime! The wedding party lined the mahogany staircase overlooking Erica and Alex as they said their vows. They also asked their parents to participate in a sand ceremony.
After the I do's we ventured outside for some fresh air and fun pictures. The guys took shelter under the garage overhang.
Then my photographer prayers were answered and the clouds parted and the rain dried up to a manageabe mist! We were able to take advantage of the front yard. The guys wore striped ties and pink orchid boutonnieres.
I'm pretty sure everyone was laughing over the fact that their high heels were stuck in the mud for this one!
You can tell they really are in love :)
Dinner was served in a bright tent on the back patio.
Did I mention there was a dessert room? A heavenly room of cupcakes and cookies and penn state creamery ice cream!
After dessert, the party kicked off and they danced the night away !
The rain clouds made a for a calm misty evening outside the mansion.
Happy Anniversary to a wonderful couple!!! Here's to many many more!
Comments added to this post ▣ Christa + Zach | Peacock themed wedding
This is a really great wedding that I'm sad to say never got blogged from last year. Sitting here reliving it through the photos has been awesome! I loved the colors of this wedding from the start. Christa and Zach chose a peacock theme, and then followed up that good decision by picking all the best vendors in the area. Result? Grand slam wedding :-D
One of my favorite parts of my job is being there for the moments that make relationships, the emotional ones - happy or sad that bind together the fabric of a family or a friendship. Christa and her girls spent the morning of the wedding getting ready at the salon, her mom and her mother in law darting in and out - giant coffee travel cups in hand and all smiles. This is Zach's mom giving Christa a happy good luck squish as they put the finishing touches on her hair. Linda was thrilled that she was about to gain a new daughter in law.
Mamosas at the salon - wedding morning ritual :-)
One of Christa's bridesmaids checking the skies before they helped her into her dress, the rain was not letting up.
When the moment came, the girls laced Christa up in the fanciest dress she'd ever worn in her life. In a few hours, her new last name would be Beebe. So she wore honey bees on her wedding shoes to celebrate. Top left and right images by Anna.
The guys wore textured grey suits with black and lime green details.
Instead of the outdoor ceremony they had planned, Christa and Zach had to make the best of the bad weather and set up their ceremony indoors under the big chandelier in the middle of the barn. Christa's dad walked her through the open doors of the barn to the sound of a string quartet and falling rain. (The musicians were huddled under the stairs in the now close space among the guests.)
Their ceremony was simple and sweet.
Married among their family and friends in a barn lit softly by white lights while the storm blew outside.
Despite the bad weather, Christa and Zach were determined to take the horse and carriage ride they had planned. Linda (she owns the farm) carried the umbrella and Val (she keeps things running smoothly during weddings) wrapped the couple up in a blanket and they rode away through the rain. When they got back they wanted a photo with the horses - such troopers! - it was really coming down hard!
All of the floral arrangements for the wedding were really fantastic with a wild field picked look and peacock feather details.
We stayed on the porch for family and wedding party photos - they were a FUN group!!
Dj Rockin John getting everyone organized for their announcements into the reception.
Garda's restaurant provided the food including a totally awesome pasta station. Meanwhile Zach waited out the storm in the basement watching football.
At last our patience paid off and the rain stopped just before dark. Christa and Zach were game for anything and happily tromped through the wet grass for some photos in the field. The sky was dark with clouds and the daylight was fading fast. While we were out there, Christa almost walked into a huge grass spider (yellow argiope to be exact) so we took his picture too. Top right and bottom left images by Anna.
Image by Anna.
Some after-dark details of their reception. As a favor, guests received small beehive candles and bear jars of honey with their new married name Beebe on them as well as pillow mints.
This was the scene at the end of the night - everyone on the dancefloor bringing the hammer down to "Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi (also the theme song to Deadliest Catch). I love it when singing breaks out on the dancefloor ;-)
Christa and Zach just celebrated their first anniversary a few weeks back - I hope the first year was just as amazing as the wedding day!
Ceremony & Reception Location: Lingrow Farm Hair and MakeUp: Fashions A Head Floral Design: Leechburg Floral Cake Designer: Debbie Sutara Catering Services: Garda's Restaurant Entertainment: Dj Rockin John
Comments added to this post ▣ Jana + Tyler Sneak Peek !!
Just one shot of Jana & Tyler's fantastic fall wedding at Stonehenge Lodge !
Your gallery will be online tomorrow ! :-) Comments added to this post ▣ Kari + Andrew | Rustic fall wedding at lingrow farm
In celebration of autumn, Thanksgiving next week, (and deer season), I'm posting Kari and Andrew's wedding from last october! Kari's sister, Laurel, and I went to high school together so I knew their family from way back :-) Being avid hunters and outdoorsy folks, their wedding was a mix of fall colors, tasteful camo, and rustic elements. One my favorite details of their day was that they used feathers in all of their floral arrangements which they designed themselves! Right images by Anna.
Kari's dress was ivory satin with small jewels and she wore fall berries in her hair.
Andrew is a fantastic guy! I'm so happy they found each other!
Kari's dad crafted the wooden tables and pedestals they used throughout the wedding for the cake, centerpieces, and to hold their programs at the back of the aisle.
Instead of the traditional unity candle or sand ceremony, they used a vase and containers of colored glass that each other parents help them pour together.
Very much in love :-)
Each of the bridesmaids wore a different fall shade and carried bouquets wrapped in burlap. Images by Anna.
Kari's sister Laurel on the left - she and I go way back to 7th grade ! Top right image by Anna.
I remember when we shot Kari and Andrew's engagement photos we visited Kari's old tree stand !
If you're as impressed as I was by that gorgeous bling - you should know that Kari works for Kay jewelers and if you're in the market for an enagement ring you need to go see her! She has designed many rings and wedding bands including her sister's and can help you choose the best diamond for you :-)
The new Mr. & Mrs. !
Their cake was unlike anything I've ever seen before! Four deconstructed tiers decorated with oak leaves, acorns, and sugar stenciled with pennsylvania wildlife and animal tracks. Moio's Pastry shop really outdid themselves with this one!
Instead of a traditional guest book, every signed cut sections of trees.
A shot by Anna in the outdoor garden at Lingrow Farm.
After dinner, Kari and Andrew showed a slideshow of photo of their relationship and their engagement session!
Her first dance with her Dad - looking handsome in his camo vest.
Another fun part of the evening was the caricature artist that came and sat on the back porch and sketched for everyone.
Out by the bonfire.
I loved this - not something I see at every wedding - at the end of the night guests were milling around outside and sitting at the tables, getting ready to leave, packing up, etc. But Kari and Andrew seemed not to notice, all alone out on the dance floor enjoying the last notes of their perfect day.
And just for good times sake - SECRET FLAME makes a comeback :-D
Kari and Andrew celebrated their first anniversary last month and are expecting their first baby in the new year! I can't wait to meet him and watch their family grow :-)
Comments added to this post ▣ Derek + Kaley - Sneak Peek !
Just a sneak peek for Derek and Kaley as I head out the door to Carina and Dale's wedding today. And SURPRISE - IT SNOWED 2 inches and it's still snowing here ! How about that for a wedding? A surprise winter wonderland on October 29th. One for the record books :-)
Derek and Kaley were married the first weekend of October on a very rainy day - but they are a fantastic couple and didn't let a little rain stop them and we didn't either :-) We trudged off onto the golf course in rain shower and just took pictures anyway. It was a beautiful day even without sunshine :-)
I hope this tides you over - I'll have your gallery online and ready to go Monday morning ! Comments added to this post ▣ Amber + Steve | Fall wedding at lingrow farm
We are in the midst of fall and I'm happy to reach back into the never-blogged files and share some of the fantastic fall weddings we shot last year! (I'd blog this years but we're right in the thick of it !)
Amber and Steve were married in late september at Lingrow Farm. This was just a week after Anna's wedding and so while she was on her honeymoon, my good friend and sometimes photo assistant Dana came along to help with the wedding!
The girls had a great time getting ready in the carriage house while the boys hung out at the barn.
Top right and bottom left images by Dana.
Steve and the groomsmen were handsome in their bow ties. Right image by Dana.
Dana caught this great birds eye view of Amber and her father arriving at the ceremony in a horse drawn carriage while guests look on from across the lake.
The weather was sunny and gorgeous as Amber's dad walked his daughter down the aisle.
The shined overhead members of the wedding party did a few readings. (To be honest, I think Steve wasn't paying attention. Too busy grinning ear to ear at his beautiful bride.)
They had a little trouble with the breeze lighting the unity candle and so the members of the wedding party crowded in a huddle to block the wind!
Love this shot that Dana captured during "formals".
So once the boys had lifted Amber for a picture, the girls wanted to lift Steve - but it didn't go as well ... and then the guys hoisted steve one more time and ran with him to the edge of the water...
They stopped just short and then we took a few shots of them with their arms out with no steve. (It made for a great slideshow. I wanted to use it on the blog as an animated gif but my gif generator is on the fritz.)
Image by Dana.
The details of their reception were elegant with a fall twist. From the pumpkin table card holders, to the gold chair sashes, to the chocolate twirls on top of their cake, everything was perfect.
I really loved their centerpieces and they helped inspire me for centerpieces for my own wedding!
First dance.
Amber shared a dance with her mom as well :-)
To make their fall wedding even more perfect, an orange harvest moon rose over the lake that night.
They capped off the evening with a few fireworks provided by friends.
And danced the night away on the old barn floor.
And here's just one shot of Dana from another photo excursion she helped me with !
Comments added to this post ▣ Haley + Derek | Lingrow Farm Wedding
Another great wedding from the never-blogged files! Last last august - Haley and Derek at Lingrow Farm in Leecburg, Pa.
The girls rented the farmhouse and got ready in the upstairs rooms. Anna captured some candid moments of their flower girl having her hair fussed over, all part of getting all dressed up for a wedding!
Haley's mom lacing her into the dress!
Image by Anna.
The skies were beautiful, but the sun was HOT !
The wedding party came down the aisle dressed in red and carrying bouquets of multi colored flowers.
Haley and her father made a grand entrance in Lingrow's signature white carriage. There was an audible gasp from the guests when they caught sight of her rounding the edge of the lake! Bottom left image by Anna.
Haley's dad walked his little girl down the aisle and gave her away to her new husband and best friend, Derek.
The sun blazed overhead as they said their vows. Top right image by Anna.
After dinner we went out exploring the grounds for more photos after the sun cooled off a little!
Love this image Anna captured while I was shooting from another angle.
Haley's dance with her Dad. In case you haven't noticed yet, we thought he looked a lot like a familiar celebrity. Give up?
SAM ELLIOT !! he has the perfect mustache!
Best man and maid of honor performing their wedding duties - the maid of honor giving a funny heartwarming speech about Haley when she was a kid, and the best man ensuring that the dollar dance is a huge success and there are no shots left behind!
So who catches the bouquet at this wedding? She did! You can tell by the look of pure determination that she's not letting those flowers get past her !! Image by Anna :-)
Ceremony & Reception Location: Lingrow Farm
Florist: Leechburg Floral
Catering: Garda's Restaurant
Entertainment: DJ Rockin John
Ceremony officiant: Reverend Larry Goyda of Meaningful Marriages
Comments added to this post ▣ Stephanie + Ryan | just one shot!
Just a sneak peek !!
Stephanie and Ryan's wedding from September 17th! They were so brave marching out into the sunflower patch through the mud in a ball gown, but it was totally worth it !
More coming soon! Comments added to this post ▣ Ashley + Andrew | vintage summer wedding
A quick post to share some details from a vintage theme wedding from last year :-) Ashley and Andrew were married in August 2010 at lingrow farm among family and friends, the hot summer sun, and a killer delicious dinner buffet :-)
Andrew and the guys got ready at the barn. They wore chocolate brown suits with a paisley tie and a pink rose boutonnierre. Andrew wore ivory.
After a quick trip to the salon, Ashley and girls relaxed in the farmhouse. There was a card from Andrew for Ashley to open - inside was a note with a photo of a house. It turns out that Andrew had been able to secretly purchase the house they had been looking at and surprised her with the news the morning of the wedding!
For their thank you cards, they planned ahead to get some photos with a lettered paper parasol!
Left image by Anna.
Left image by Anna.
Ashley's smile was ear to ear as her father walked her down the aisle.
Image by Anna.
Fun with the wedding party!
Out in the field - image by Anna.
This was a wonderful detail. Ashley collected and displayed lots of old family photos on the wall during cocktail hour.
Placecards displayed on a clothesline, mason jar centerpieces, big jugs of ice tea, and the best dinner buffet I've ever seen at a wedding! There was tavern ham, beef, eggplant parmesan, vegetables, pasta, and more!
After dinner, guests cut loose on the dance floor :-D
Instead of a cookie table, they had a candy buffet displayed in glass containers with metal scoops!
They rode off into the sunset (literally!) in Andrew's truck - decorated by the wedding party :-)
Salon Services: Philip Pelusi Salon at Pittsburgh Mills Mall Ceremony & Reception Location: Lingrow Farm Entertainment: DJ Rockin John Flowers: Leechburg Floral Catering: Garda's Restaurant
Comments added to this post ▣ Anna + James | one year later
Photographers are the modern day historians, the story tellers, the record keepers, the rememberers. From the beginning I've said that I love what I do and am blessed that this is the path that has been put before me. Every day is a time capsule of small moments and old memories and new friends. While I treasure every opportunity to capture images for my wonderful clients, it's a special treat when you can photograph for a friend. Last year on September 18th I was given such a gift when Anna my fellow photog, colleague, shooting partner and friend asked me to photograph her wedding. I attached a widget here so that you can listen to their wedding song while you view her photos.
Happy anniversary, Anna and James :-)
Anna got ready at her Grandma Musser's house overlooking the lake.
Sometimes a shot is too good to pass up, even when it's your wedding day!
It was a warm september day and the house was filled with calm and laughter and light.
She wore red heels with her ivory lace gown and seed pearls in her hair.
James was dashing. (yes you really were!) The guys' boutonnierres were made from antique keys.
I loved Anna's hair, all soft curls.
Their ceremony took place in the backyard of James' family home. Guests crossed the wooden bridge over the creek to sit under the willow trees. A few musical friends greeted them with violins softly playing on the breeze.
And there she was in the aisle, her Dad walking her towards her best friend.
They said their vows under the archway and James' brother, Tom, played a hymn in tribute to their late Father, Ed, who I'm sure was there with us this day.
Many emotional moments of celebration ! Bottom image by Sean.
Image by Sean.
The guys wore red socks to coordinate with the girls that James' mom dyed in a bucket to get the color bright enough. After the wedding, they all enjoyed pink feet for several days!
The best part was sneaking James and Anna off to the park before the reception for their one on one photos.
Image by Sean.
James was helping us out by holding the branches down to make shade for Anna's portraits. Right image by Sean.
Their ceremony was a beautiful mix of antiques, vintage pieces, and handmade crafts. Anna designed each of the centerpieces, a glass dome with a still life inside.
Instead of the traditional glasses clinking and bell ringing, Anna and James instructed their guests that if they wanted to see them kiss, they had to get up and sing a song to them. To their surprise MANY people merrily joined in!
First dance.
Happy first anniversary to a wonderful couple, and two good friends :-)
There are many more to come :-)
Stylists: Lori Lynn Skiwrut Entertainment: Dj the DJ Florals: Leechburg Floral Reception: Schoolhouse Hall, Oklahoma Pa
Comments added to this post ▣ Derek + Kim | Armstrong Farms
Since we are getting down the wire for wedding season, I wanted to share another great story from last year! Derek and Kim were married last August at Fieldstone Barn near Saxonburg, Pa. Derek and Sean have been friends since high school and so I was thrilled when Kim called to say that Derek proposed and they needed a wedding photographer!
Their location was perfect for a summer wedding complete with glowing sunset and string lights (two of my favs!).
After a great rehearsal the night before, they split into two groups. The girls who were getting pampered at The Salon at Saxonburg, and the guys who set up 'man camp' out at the farmhouse. For the girls, it was a relaxing morning of mamosas and laughter while the stylists at the salon prepped everyone's hair. That's Kim on the right :-) (I highly recommend the Salon at Saxonburg. They offer everything from hair and nails to massage and spa services. Excellent, excellent folks.)
Located on main street in Saxonburg, the salon is the perfect spot to get ready!
A quick group photo before I headed out to the farm house to check on the guys.
This is Kim's flower girl and the adorable tutu and pomander she had for the day :-) Left image by Anna.
The scenery out at the farm is a gorgeous backdrop for photos. (The critters are friendly, too!)
When I arrived at the farmhouse I found the guys in the midst of a serious cornhole tournament. For those of you out-of-towners, cornhole is a game we play by tossing bean bags through a hole in a board. Like the old school Toss-Across game. And of course we keep score. And there are usually beverages involved.
Having spent the night, the guys had their tents all set up.
Fieldstone is a newest facility at Armstrong Farms with heat and air conditioning and handicap accessible parking.
Derek just before the ceremony - loved the pink coxcomb flowers in his boutonierre.
Kim slipped into her dress in the upstairs room of the loft. She gave each of her bridesmaids a beautiful pear necklace to wear with their dresses. Bottom right image by Anna.
Kim's dress was really exquisite with embroidered details and a ribbon closure in the back. Right image by Anna.
Derek seeing Kim for the first time as she comes down the aisle. They crafted their own program fans with the pink and black wedding colors.
Their ceremony on the lawn under the big tree.
You can tell at the moment they are announced as Mr. & Mrs. Scalzott - soo happy :-)
A few portraits outside.
I love this one - that's Anna on the left crouching almost hidden in the grass shooting with her resulting image on the right. You have to be willing to get adventurous to get good photos!
One my favorites :-)
The lower level of the barn was set up for dinner. Going along with their music theme, each table was assigned with an artist; Ray Charles, Dean Martin, etc.
Yummy details!
I've been sitting on this shot for a whole year now. It started as a "what would be the wildest ring shot you can think of " conversation with my friend and fellow photog, Sandy Yetter - and just a few weeks after that conversation I was presented with the right set of circumstances in the right environment. I can't tell you how I did this shot (because a rockstar magician never reveals her ways) but I can tell you that #1 no photoshop was used #2 that is a REAL lily pad in a real pond and #3 their rings were never in any danger. I always take the trust my clients place in me very seriously.
After dinner we did one of my favorite things to do at a wedding, sneak the couple out to a nearby location for additonal relaxed photos. This image is a great shot by Anna.
A few romantic black and whites.
Right before we headed back to the barn I was toying with that string of lights and snapped this - one of my favorite shots of last year ! If only we could have found a way to plug in those lights!
Meanwhile back at the barn guests were mingling and ready to kick off the party!
Derek and Kim danced their first dance to Crazy Love by Van Morrison. Kim also had ' Crazy Love' engraved inside Derek's wedding band.
Instead of cake, they had an ice cream bar and made themselves a wedding sundae to share! These two images by Anna.
This is Eric, he'll be the best man at our wedding in 2 weeks!
Everyone had a fabulous time, to me there's nothing better than a barn party out in a field with good people, good food, and good music. Check out the bottom left photo - he's going for the "that guy" award ;-)
Fieldstone barn has a square cut out protected by plexiglass where you can see through to the old barnwood floor before it was refurbished and the dancefloor installed. Such a cool reminder that something old and run down can be brought back to a new life as a space to be filled with so much joy.
Happy one year Derek and Kim! I can't wait to see you guys !
Ceremony & Reception Location: Armstrong Farms - Fieldstone Barn
Stylist Services: Salon at Saxonburg
Comments added to this post ▣ Ashley + Tom | Armstrong Farms Wedding
Get ready for image overload! I've been sitting on this one for a while - loved this wedding last year :-)
Ashley and Tom were married at Armstrong Farms on the rustic Westminster Preserve near Saxonburg, Pa. It's a great tucked away spot with an old post and beam bank barn, a small lake, green fields, a farm house and a cottage to rent overnight, and lots of wide open spaces.
Armstrong is also home to a herd to black angus cattle that graze in the pasture.
The fun started on friday night when Ashley and Tom hosted their rehearsal dinner and welcomed their wedding party with a barbecue at the barn and moved everyone in for the weekend :-)
Saturday morning dawned warm and hazy. The girls spent the night and were getting ready in the farmhouse. Top right and bottom right images by Anna.
Meanwhile the guys were seriously stylin' as well. Their light grey suits were perfect for the summer weather! But this image is out of order.
This is what they were REALLY doing when we got there.
Back to awesome style - I had been planning an image like this is my head forever and it was awesome to finally have all the right conditions to pull it off !
Meet Tom - funny story about Tom - after our intial meeting when I sat down with he and Ashley to talk for the first time and go over ideas for the wedding, Tom added me into the contacts list in his phone so we could talk contract, timeline, etc. And since my name starts with A-M.. I just to happened to be the name at the very top of his list by luck of the alphabet. So for the months leading up to and even several months after the wedding, whenever Tom would carry his phone (or sit on it?) sometimes his phone would accidentally call the first contact at the top of the list at all hours of the day and night - me ! I got to have many funny one sided conversations with Tom's phone. Sometimes I'd call back and leave a voicemail for he and Ashley just to say hey! The best part was that months after the wedding when Tom was buying a new phone, he emailed me just to say that his phone would not be accidentally calling me anymore and to let me know that he and Ashley were expecting ! In fact, as I write this blog post - their first baby should be due in a few weeks!
But I digress.
Back to the wedding and the girls getting ready at the farmhouse. Image by Anna.
Their ceremony was held at the lake and guests were given fans to waft away the July heat.
Love this image by Anna.
Tom is clearly blinded by her beauty and the afternoon sun. ;-)
There are so many poignant moments during a ceremony; the moment the bride and groom see each other, the emotion of the vows, the first kiss, the joy when they are announced as a new married couple, but I always watch for this moment. When a Dad walks a daughter down the aisle and has to let go of her hand.
With their ceremony and reception all in one place, we had lots of time for some relaxed photos.
Another great shot of the girls by Anna.
This is their "Sopranos" photo ;-)
Dinner was served under a big white tent while the cake and cupcakes waited in the barn for later when the dancing started.
I suppose now is a good time to introduce you to Stella :-D
Stella is a long time resident of the lake at westminster preserve. Her favorite pastimes include following small children around accepting hand outs of any kind and walking up the bank and down the aisle right in the middle of the ceremony!
One of my favorite shots of me working, ever !! Anna grabbed this one while Stella and I were talking things over.
It was a beautiful evening for photos.
After dinner we took Tom and Ashley in the golf cart to a more secluded field. Image by Anna.
No room on the golf cart for Anna and I and all of our gear! We hoofed it back on foot, but it was worth it for all these great shots in the flowers.
Still another favorite image by Anna.
FYI brides, if you put cameras on the reception tables for your guests to take photos, this is usually what happens to them. For some reason kids get a big kick out of chasing and photographing the photographer ! I feel bad knowing that they will develope the photos after the honeymoon and it will be hundreds of bad photos of me!!
Night scene at the barn at Westminster Preserve.
Now for some action - their wedding was a stunning display of athleticism! Ashley launched the bouquet and the girl in the light green dress made the leap and caught it. But then her Dad stood up and announced she was WAY to young to participate with this crowd ;-) (I think she was like 13?) So Ashley did a re-throw and in the bottom photo you can see two of her bridesmaids actively lean out of the way as the bouquet falls between them in a deliberate dodge! Left two images by Anna.
More athletic skills at work - Tom flings the garter through the rafters over his head and the gentlemen in the top photo snatches it from the air without ever spilling his drink ! Top right image by Anna.
The barn at Westminster is not sealed so you get to see the night sky through the cracks :-)
What an awesome wedding !! Happy one year anniversary Schuetz's !
Ceremony & Reception Location: Armstrong Farms
Catering: Have Smoke Will Travel
Comments added to this post ▣ Renee + Adrian | Kennywood Park Wedding
Another fun wedding from the never-blogged files! Renee and Adrian were married last year on September 19th at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. Since Anna was on her honeymoon at the time, I had the pleasure of shooting this wedding with Jenny Karlsson a former bride now owner of Jenny Karlsson Photography !
It was very hot this day even though it was mid September, which totally proves that just because you have a wedding after labor day doesn't mean it has to be a 'fall wedding' ! Their color scheme was bright and energetic just like their day! They wanted a relaxed, family friendly, FUN wedding that was unique. Adrian used to work at Kennywood park as a ride operator and they knew it would be the perfect spot!
Right image by Jenny.
Since their ceremony would take place on the arched bridge in the Lost Kennywood section of the park (near the Pittsburgh Plunge for those of you hometowners), they had their guests meet up at their reception pavilion and collect a pink balloon for each person. Then instead of Renee and her bridesmaids doing a traditional 'walk down the aisle' - Renee and Adrian stood together waiting on the bridge while their guests made their way as a group across the park to them! You could see their balloons from a long way off!
Everyone was in great spirits!
They welcomed everyone and exchanged their vows on the bridge in front of the big fountain,
while their guests stood and sat scattered all around them on the steps.
Everyone was cheering and enjoying the moment when suddenly, it happened.....
....one guest bit the string attaching his balloon to it's weight and let it go into the sky.
After seeing the one pink balloon drifting lazily up into the blue, all at once all of the guests were releasing their balloons ! It was truly a spontaneous moment and I found out later that Kennywood specifically forbades balloon releases. As hundreds of bright pink balloons floated peacefully upward like happy wishes on the breeze, I can honestly say the hairs stood up on my neck and it was one of the greatest moments I've had the privilege to be a part of at a wedding.
Pink balloons disappearing over the Pitfall.
While we stuck around for some pictures, the guests made their way back through the park to the pavilion for lunch and cake! Renee and Adrian provided maps and signs were scattered on the trees throughout the park.
Right image by Jenny.
Renee and Adrian with their beautiful baby girl, Bella :-)
Happy family !! (just look at those toes.... ;-)
Bella was the unofficial star of the show and was giggly all day :-)
Eventhough it was very hot and humid out, we were adventurous enough to get a few shots on the rides. Kennywood's staff was very gracious in clearing rides for us to use solely for photos.
Reception details, the food was delicious - hamburgers and BBQ chicken and other picnic fare. They also covered the picnic tables with butcher paper and let the kids (and many grown ups) decorate for hours.
Finally, no trip Kennywood would be complete without a visit from Kennywood's mascot, Kenny Kangaroo, who stopped by for photo ops with the guests. Everyone had a fantastic time! After lunch they changed into play clothes tospend the rest of the day enjoying the park. Top left and bottom two images by Jenny.
Ceremony & Reception Location: Kennywood Park Catering: Stratwood Catering Cake: Oakmont Bakery Officiant: Rev. Dina McGee of Soulful Commitment
Comments added to this post ▣ Lindsey + Chachi | Heinz Chapel
Another favorite wedding from 2010 that never made it to the blog ! Lindsey and Chachi were married last July 24th at Heinz Chapel in Oakland. I love to shoot weddings at the chapel - my grandparents were married there in 1947 so it holds a little historical significance for me. I like to think about what it would have been like on their wedding day.
On this particular wedding day - it was hot. In fact, it was the hottest day of the year last year. While Heinz Chapel is gorgeous, it is completely without air conditioning and so I was curious what the indoor temperature would be at the time of their afternoon ceremony. I took the thermometer off the wall at my house and tucked it in my camera bag. When we arrived at the church later that day I put the thermometer in the slot in the back of a church pew next to the bible and left it there till we were ready to start pictures. (More on this later...)
The girls got ready at the Philip Pelusi salon near their hotel. We think Lindsey looks just like Taylor Swift ! The salon staff took great care of everybody and the girls were ready in no time.
Image by Anna.
Back at the hotel, Chachi had a bottle of margarita mix and a whole platter of cheeseburgers delivered to Lindsey's room to remind her of a really hilarious date they went on once. Her bridesmaids helped her into her dress and it was time to head to the church!
Down the hall, Chachi and the guys were running a little late ;-)
Tux and CHUCKS ! ! ! ! Left image by Anna.
Loved their shoes :-)
The girls hid out in the utility room (the only one with AC) until it was time to go down the aisle. Anna was at the back of the church as Lindsey waited with anticipation. Right image by Anna.
When the doors opened and Chachi saw his soon to be wife for the first time - he was overcome with emotion.
Heinz Chapel like most churches has guidelines that photographers are asked to follow and remain at a respectful distance during the ceremony. We were set up behind the last guest in the back of the aisle. However, the videographer opted to make his own rules. He blocked most of the guests' view during the key moments of the ceremony and at times stood directly in between our cameras and the couple.
It's always so much nicer when everyone can work as a team. 
make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif
When the ceremony was over, we checked the thermometer I had left in the pew. It was 102 degrees inside the church !! We quickly did a few shots inside the church and then retreated to the breezy cathedral lawn.
A little hot out - but it was a gorgeous day.
Top image by Anna.
While the wedding party cooled off in the party bus, we revisted a few of their favorite spots on the pitt campus.
The reception was held at the Holiday Inn in RIDC park.
Lindsey surprised Chachi with her own pair of purple Chucks to match !
Happy one year anniversary!!
Salon services: Philip Pelusi
Reception & Lodging: Holiday Inn at RIDC park
Ceremony location: Heinz Chapel
Comments added to this post ▣ Terri & Mark | Hidden Valley Ski Resort
Another flash back to 2010 ! Last August Terri and Mark invited Anna and I up to Hidden Valley Ski Resort to photograph their summer wedding in the mountains. I remember the day started off warm and hazy - nice light for photos - and we fit everything in that day before the heavy rain moved in at the end of the reception.
Terri and her ladies got ready while Mark waited patiently for his bride.
The outdoor ceremony space was a beautiful stone wall covered in flowering vines.
Afterwards we took the shuttle to explore the grounds. Left image by Anna.
Anna rocked this shot with the 70-200mm lens!
Terri's daughters were bridesmaids along with many friends :-)
Their reception was held inside the clock tower at the main lodge.
Comments added to this post ▣ Morgan + Josh | Aug. 2010
Last August we were a part of the best little small town love story. Or at least that's how I felt about it :-)
Small town church, lots of family and friends, handmade details, a barn, a beautiful evening, and a simple love story that's as powerful as it is sweet. I dare you to make it through this post without a smile on your face :-)
On a quiet street in Blairsville, PA we waited for their guests to arrive in the afternoon sunshine. Love this wide angle from the street.
Morgan and her girls were in the church classroom getting ready. Morgan's wedding dress was a work of art handmade by her grandmother - "grandma jojo". It was a fit and flare design made of whispery tissue taffeta with delicate embroidery, fabric flowers, a gorgeous corset closure, and a detachable train.
Josh looked pretty handsome as well - all smiles with the groomsmen. They hung out in the back of the church with a mix CD of their favorite country songs playing.
Their ceremony was sentimental and sweet.
The church was standing room only - which is unusual these days when a lot of guests skip the ceremony and just go to the reception ( a bad trend ). Eventhough the church was full to the brim, it was completely silent as the guests looked on. Also those glittery candles - that's a star filter. Old School baby - OLD SCHOOL.
Left birdseye view by Anna.
After their first kiss as newlyweds - :-)
When we left the church, we stopped at the town square in Ligonier for some photos before the reception.
Love this photo by Anna.
Can you believe Grandma Jojo made that dress by hand for her? It was perfect. Truly a family heirloom.
Their reception was held at The Barn at Millcreek, a relatively new facility in Ligonier, PA. It's a barn converted to a banquet space with a dancefloor at one end.
After dinner we went outside for more photos on the property. A huge maple tree was the perfect spot.
One of my favorite shots of the year in the evening light.
Great black and white of the same moment by Anna. It's really a benefit to have two photographers shooting from two different angles. You get twice the amount of photos with twice the variety in half the time!
Another favorite, almost the same but I loved it too much not to share!
The party kicked off with an amazing DJ - there was even an appearance by "that guy". If you're a frequent blog reader, you know what I mean ;-)
Their DJ provided glow sticks and the Penn State fight song. No other explanation required.
The party went late into the night - it was a fantastic day!!
Comments added to this post ▣ Deanna & Dean | Happy 1 year anniversary!
June 12th marks a special day ! Last year on June 12th, Deanna and Dean were married at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland ! They are celebrating their one year anniversary today!
We met Dean and his groomsmen that day at Grandview Golf Course where they were having lunch and for some quick shots out on the green in between rainstorms.
They were a great group of handsome guys ! Top left image by Anna.
Not wanting to waste a good stormy sky we shot an attack scene - this would be hilarious as an animated gif !
We met up with Deanna and the girls over at St. Nick's. Deanna was so beautiful in her intricately embroidered gown and carried a photo of her grandfather in her bouquet.
Before long, the guests had filed in and it was time for the ceremony to start. We loved the deep purple color Deanna chose for the wedding. Left and bottom right images by Anna.
Dean's face lit up as he saw his bride for the first time being escorted down the aisle by her proud father.
Birds eye view by Anna. St. Nicholas is a stunning cathedral to behold.
It was wonderful to shoot a greek wedding again with all of the ceremony customs such as the crowning and ceremonial walk. For more info on greek wedding ceremonies and traditions, click HERE.
As an honored edition to their wedding day, His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh was there to preside over their marriage ceremony.
During formals Dean kept Deanna cool with one of the handheld fans we bring along for summer weddings. Always an important job for new grooms - to keep his new bride from melting in the June humidity!
We made the most of our quick time outside because it was VERY warm out that day. The girls were a blast to work with :-) Bottom images by Anna.
Love this shot of them on the steps of the cathedral.
Another favorite shot by Anna.
St. Nicholas has a great space for receptions called the Cathedral room.
Their first slow dance as husband and wife.
Then the REAL dancing starts - and at a greek wedding everybody dances. Everybody! Traditional upbeat ethnic music plays and everyone joins in. OPA !!!
You might be wondering how all the money got on the floor. Many western PA weddings enjoy a custom at the reception called the 'dollar dance' or the 'money dance'. Guests form a line and pay a dollar (or more) to do a shot, the maid of honor collects your dollar in a pillow case or sack, and then you dance with the bride or groom. We like polka music for that here in western PA. At a greek wedding the bride and groom start a line and everyone takes their turns running up to them and showering them with money - then they take their place on the end of the line and the line gets longer and longer and can go on for several songs. When the dance is over - everyone is on their feet joined together and there are dollars all over the floor! But don't worry - the kind staff at the hall gets it all gathered up for you ;-)
Some of the men's dances were spectacular ! They each hold the end of a cloth napkin (don't try it with paper please) and take turns doing flips and other acrobatics while their fellow dancers support their body weight with their end of the napkin.
Near the end of the night they did the traditional "Ouzo dance". I'm not sure what the technical name for it is but it seemed to be a test of skill and the ability to hold your liquor while dancing. If you know the real names for these dances, please let me know in the comments, I want to learn more!
It was an awesome wedding !
Happy Anniversary!
Comments added to this post ▣ Kelley + Nathan | wedding at Chestnut Ridge Resort
Back for part two of Kelley and Nathan's wedding day !
After the formal portraits at the church we spent some time in front of this gorgeous window, Kelley looked like a fairytale princess. It was a great ten minute break from the hustle and bustle of the wedding day, we were done with photos of the wedding party and they were hanging out in the limo. It was cool and quiet in the church and Nathan just stood by smiling at his best friend who had just become his wife. He just kept saying how beautiful she was.
When we arrived at Chestnut Ridge, the kind folks in the pro shop loaned us a fleet of golf carts and led us to this shady spot on the course. The ladies were hot in red !
Kelley's bouquet was stunning !
It was great to have some time for photos before dinner - we love to capture all of the details. Left and bottom images by Anna.
One sharp lookin' wedding party!
Image by Anna.
Back to the reception room, the tables were set with red rose centerpieces.
Appetizers served by the Chestnut Ridge staff, delicious!!
Kelley got a hair and make up touch up from the fantastic ladies in the salon and then everyone took 5 minutes to relax before being announced into the reception. The staff at Chestnut Ridge really took care of them!
From the live white doves nuzzling each other on the gift table, to the crystal chandeliers, the longest cookie/candy table EVER, and their custom table number cards featuring their engagement photos - their reception was OFF THE HOOK !
There were laughs and tears during the toasts.
A traditional, elegant, cake.
In PhotosbyAW style - we snuck the couple out after dinner trying to beat the rainstorm that was blowing in for some alone time on the golf course. Love this image by Anna. Especially when you're in a situation like this when the sun is fading and the rain is blowing in, it makes a HUGE difference to have two photographers shooting at the same time.
Having two shooters allows you to get twice as many photos from two different angles with twice as much variety in HALF the amount of time. Image by Anna.
Usually a couple's favorite photos of the day happen during that extra time we sneak outside. It's the best part of the day because all of the nerves are at ease and everyone feels better after they've had something to eat and drink!
Image by Anna.
Such a happy stylin' couple ;-)
Stay tuned tomorrow for the dancing, the slideshow that made everyone cry, the GIANT family photo, and the big rainstorm!!
Hair & Makeup: Salon at Chestnut Ridge Resort
Ceremony: St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Reception: Chestnut Ridge Resort
Transportation: Mariah Limo Service
Comments added to this post ▣ Kelley + Nathan | june wedding at Chestnut Ridge Resort
I've been meaning to blog this wedding forever and it just keeps getting pushed back by projects ! Remember Kelley and Nathan from their IUP campus engagement session ?
Well just a few weeks afterward they were married at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church in Indiana, Pa. The girls chatted and hung out with Kelley in the salon at Chestnut Ridge Resort where they were getting ready and where the reception would be later that day! Kelley wore custom jewelry and a stunning gown and cathedral length veil from The Exquisite Bride .
The staff at the salon was fantastic and even brought Kelley back in for a quick touch up on her girls later in the day before we went out for photos after the ceremony. (Now that's service!)
Kelley's mom, Lila, was the mother of the bride that every bride hopes for on her wedding day. She was so excited for the day to have finally arrived, she could not stop smiling !
We convoyed over to the church so that everyone could get ready in the little room in the church basement. We grabbed a few photos in front of the ficus since the guests were already pouring in upstairs.
Their red theme carried through the whole day as a vibrant accent.
Nathan and the groomsmen found some shade outside, I loved the english ivy they incorporated into the boutonnieres.
The moment that Nathan saw his bride for the first time, and Daddy who proudly walked his little girl down the aisle.
The lighting was beautiful at St. Bernard Clairvaux thanks to a bright skylight just above the altar.
The new Mr. & Mrs. Sloyer ran out of the church through a cloud of bubbles - stay tuned for the romance, the reception, and even more luscious red details !
Comments added to this post ▣ Judi + Josiah | music themed winter wedding
Ice storm scheduled for the eastern seaboard ! Ok - so it's not that exciting. But it does remind me of a day two christmases ago when I met my colleague and friend Sandy Yetter to shoot a wedding at Lingrow Farm. It was a day that was the stuff of legend - eight inches of snow fell in less than 24 hours ! (Incidentally, Snowmageddon 2010 blew this legend out of the water). Judi and Josiah had flown into western Pennsylvania from sunny California and they boarded the hotel shuttle buses for their winter wedding at the farm.
The landscape was quieted under a heavy blanket of snow which made driving difficult, but made for a beautiful and intimate wedding day for everyone who made the trip.
Judi watched the snow falling through the window, her satin wedding gown was stunning !
Her handsome fiance, Josiah, fought back wedding day jitters. (and shivers !)
Before the ceremony, Judi peeked out from the stairwell with anticipation.
Her father snapped a quick memory of his daughter - breathless on her wedding day - before walking her down the aisle. The photo on the right is the indoor ceremony space at Lingrow set up before the guests arrive. In warm weather, the deck is open to the air. Once the nights get cooler, the staff closes up the deck with clear heavy plastic for the winter so that the deck heaters can keep things cozy.
The happy couple stood among their family friends and exchanged their lifelong promises to each other.
During the ceremony they presented gifts to their parents. Their flowers were by Leechburg Floral and I loved the pink heather in her boquet!
After the ceremony, we all braved the FREEZING weather to get a few outside photos in the storm.
We took advantage of the christmas lights - winter weddings really make for unique and excellent photos!
This might be one of my favorite photos from the whole wedding ! The reception aglow inside the barn while we stood in the swirling snow just outside. I love the chance to get creative with the environment.
Here you can see Sandy moving as a blur with her ninja photographer skills !
Warming up by the christmas tree .. !
Their whole wedding had a music theme since they met and did their engagement session in a record store. They used vinyl albums as their centerpieces and guests each recieved their own 45 in a brown paper sleeve as their favor. Judi and Josiah were happy to autograph them for the occaision!
I love photos like this. LOVE. THEM.
Just a parting shot on the stairs, I was at the bottom while Sandy was shooting from the top. To see her angle, make sure you click HERE to see the post on her blog !
Snow is a good thing ;-)
Ceremony & Reception Location: Lingrow Farm
Catering: Addison House
Entertainment: DJ Rockin John
Florals: Leechburg Floral
Comments added to this post ▣ Aimee + Scot | Wedding at Penn Scenic View
Wedding rewind!! I got a request this week to see photos from a very unique venue the Penn Scenic View which I had the privilege to visit back in July to shoot Aimee and Scot's wedding ! I decided it was high time I blogged all of this goodness!
The Penn Scenic View is a special place, it reminds you of what summer camp was like as a kid. There's a lake, lots of fish, tons of pine trees, a lodge, small cabins to rent, and a lookout tower on top of acres and acres of fields and forest. When Aimee and Scot saw it, they knew it was the perfect location for their wedding ! And on a sunny afternoon in July, we all met in the foothills of the laurel mountains to witness them tie the knot.
The girls were finishing up hair and make up in the chalet when Anna and I arrived on the scene. Aimee's dress was light, classic, and comfortable for the outdoor ceremony. Left image by Anna.
Aimee's mom and sister helped her plan out all of the DIY details of the event from the decorations to the music. Bottom right image by Anna.
They quickly slipped Aimee into her dress since she didn't want to be late !
Aimee and Scot planned something special for each other on their wedding day, a first look. Instead of sticking to rigid tradition, they opted to set aside some time for themselves and agreed to meet half an hour before the ceremony to see each other for the first time. Scot was to wait for her at the top of the hill by the lookout tower.
No wonder Aimee was nervous about running late - she had a handsome groom anxiously waiting for her.
When she arrived, it was like a scene from a movie. She crossed the field and crept up behind Scot. He waited facing the view for her to reach him. They had the whole field to themselves. Just the two of them and the grass and the sky on their wedding day. (Anna and I hid in the pines ;-)
When he turned to see his bride for the first time, I've said it before - it was like magic. Elation and pride and surprise and joy. They had all the time in the world to enjoy the moment without a hundred pairs of eyes watching them. It was perfect. Whenever a couple is comfortable with the idea, I always recommend that they agree to see eachother before the ceremony. When they do, they always agree it was one of the best decisions they made during the whole wedding. It's an opportunity to make a memory that will be etched on your heart forever. And it makes for amazing pictures!
Since we were all together, it was a great time to get photos of the whole bridal party and free up time later in the day. Love this image by Anna.
It's like the opening scene of the The Sound of Music with the helicopter circling over Julie Andrews..... "The hills are aliiiive !!!!....." Ok - so I might have done some singing while we were shooting...
After seeing Scot and having some fun time with the wedding party, Aimee was totally relaxed and all smiles :-)
Once Scot and the wedding party had left the lookout tower, we stayed with Aimee while she waited for her Dad. It's tradition in their family for the Dad to transport his daughters to their wedding. Except that 15 minutes after the ceremony was set to start - it was still just Aimee, Anna and I alone on top of the hill ! Apparently communications had gotten crossed and Aimee's Dad had mistakenly received a message that she was riding to the wedding with Scot. We waited on the hill and the three of us giggled that they couldn't possibly start the wedding without Aimee ! Just a few minutes later, her Dad rounded the bend in his Jeep. And after having the opportunity to photograph Aimee and Scot seeing eachother for the first time already that day, we were right there for the first moment that Aimee's Dad saw his little girl in her wedding dress.
Then we totally booked it to the ceremony.
This was a shot taken of the ceremony area earlier in the day before the guests arrived. Aimee and Scot took advantage of the lodge's deck which held all of their guests, the musicians and provided and elevated view over the lake.
They crafted a lot of their own wedding details. They printed the programs themselves and made small drawstring bags of dried lavendar for guests to throw like rice. One of my favorite details of the day was the ceremony music and how it set the scene. They hired three folk musicians who played a mixture of relaxed blue grass and soft waltz. When Aimee's Dad brought his daughter down the aisle, there was not a dry eye on the deck. Even Scot fought back tears seeing her for the second time that day.
Their vows were honest and sweet :-)
After the recession, the guests lined up and Aimee and Scot ran through tunnel as they were showered with lavendar buds. The smell was heavenly ! Anna and I each brought a sachet home and store them in the camera bag so every time we unzip the top to get the cameras out, we recall that perfect sunny afternoon.
Their cocktail hour was a blast with lawn games and an ice cream station where you could make your own sundae!
A few family photos in the shade by the lake.
The sweet beginings of a long happy marriage.
Bling on ice ;-)
*swoon* Having a great time at their wedding and hamming it up a little for the camera.
Since the weather was nice, their reception was held under the outdoor pavilion complete with plaid table runners, lots of mason jars and milk glass vases, and homemade fabric penants.
The usual suspects were in attendance ;-)
Dinner was grilled on site and smelled delicious!
Later on the pavilion was lit by strings of white lights through the rafters as they cleared the tables from the dance floor.
One of my favorites from the day.
It was a great party that went long into the night!
This is a repost for this image, but when I did Aimee & Scot's engagement photos we all talked about how cool it would be to get photos with fireflies. Thanks to chilly nights leading up to the wedding, there was not a lightning bug to be found. So before we left, Anna and I drove to the top of the hill to the lookout tower once more to do some painting with light. It's not a field of fireflies, but a night with that many stars was worth the shot!
It was a long drive home from Rockwood that night, but looking back it was one of our favorite weddings of the summer!
Rehearsal Dinner: Oakhurst Tea Room (the food was sooo good) Ceremony & Reception Venue: Penn Scenic View - Rockwood, PA
Comments added to this post ▣ Rebecca + Chan | 5.22.10
I decided today was a great day to post this wildly awesome wedding from last May. You may remember Rebecca and Chan from their rainy engagement session on the front porch. As the weather man would have it, it rained just the same on their wedding day, but they didn't let it spoil the fun. They are such a fun couple, you can't help but have a fantastic time when they're around :-D
Rebecca got ready at her family's home in Latrobe. I met her through her sister Laura when we worked together for the Westmoreland Museum Gala in 2009! While Laura helped Rebecca get ready, their furry family members (Buddy, Kitty, and Mr. Sniffy), kept watch always nearby.
So much care went into planning every detail of their wedding.
Rebecca's dress actually made Anna and I gasp with glee when we opened the closet doors! It was made of whispery taffeta with fabric flower details on the bust and at the waistline.
Rebecca wore a jeweled headband and completed her look with an intricate Malis Henderson veil.
Rebecca :-)
Since it was raining when we wanted to go out for photos, we hid under the same porch overhang where we took cover for their engagement session. Each side of Rebecca and Chan's wedding party had guys and girl attendants. Rebecca was psyched to get on the road to the ceremony in spite of the rain.
When we got to the church, Chan was waiting with his half of the wedding party.
The kind driver from Vogue Limousine helped the bridesmaids through the rain and into the church, then it was time for Rebecca's Dad to bring her inside and take her down the aisle. Images by Anna.
While the rain tapped on the roof, Rebecca and Chan exchanged vows inside. Rebecca's dad sang "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban, and it was so moving that the hairs on the back of our necks stood up.
Together at last!
Luckily, after the ceremony the clouds parted and we had no rain for photos!
If you think this giant group of friends looks like the cast of a musical, just wait till you see what happened next!
Their reception was held at the stately Arnold Palmer Country Club in Latrobe, PA. Their theme was birds and guests enjoyed cupcakes and a candy buffet!
Arnold Palmer Country Club was designed by the famous golf pro and contains tons of history on its grounds.
Ringbearer sweetness by Anna.
Trying to beat the rain, we stole as much time as we could to finish all the photos on the course.
Such a glamorous couple :-) Left image by Anna.
Loved this location just by the clubhouse with the ridge in the background.
Since we did this shot for their engagement session, we couldn't resist recreating it for the wedding!
Love this image by Anna.
Late spring and the rodedendrons were in bloom.
And then it happened - Rebecca did a quick outfit change into a simple second dress with a beaded halter and she and Chan shocked the crowd by breaking into a coreographed first dance! Image by Anna.
ANNA AND I MADE IT ON YOU TUBE !!! You can see me shooting in the first video in the bottom left of the screen and I block the camera with my silly face at 00:33 seconds! Then my big head bobs in and out of the right side of the frame for the rest of the video. Make sure you have your sound on!
Rebecca's sister leading the ladies in their portion of the dance. Watch the video below to see it again from a different angle. You can watch Anna working in the doorway on the far left!
Just when you thought the crowd couldn't get any louder and the party couldn't get any better - they did KARAOKE. And this group could SING ! The bride's father and his twin brother performed a Blues Brothers number!
The guy in the top left performed " Fat Bottom Girls " while the guys in the other photos serenaded the couple with "Kiss by a Rose" . It was totally intense. The crowd went wild with applause!
One of the coolest weddings we've had the privilege to shoot! Everything was awesome from the florals to the video crew. (Anna and I were totally jealous of their headsets...)
Hair Design: Ten Foxx Salon
Ceremony: United Presbyterian Church
Reception: Arnold Palmer Country Club
Transportation: Vogue Limousines
Comments added to this post ▣ Just one shot - Tiffany and Andy !
Since I am almost done with their photos, I wanted to post just one shot of Tiffany and Andy's wedding on the one month anniversary of their wedding! SPARKLERS for the last wedding of the year :-)
I just need a couple more days and I'll be all finished :-D
See how good you look ?? That's why the editing is so painstaking ! You look fantastic and happy in every shot! Narrowing them down to the best takes serious determination - we shot SO MANY pictures!
I can't wait to show you guys! Comments added to this post ▣ Ann + Bill | 5.21.10
Ann and Bill held one of the nicest spring weddings that I've had the honor to be a part of back in May of this year. From the beginning, I knew they were a couple with a very special bond. There were a lot of emotional moments, but I think if there was an overall feeling - it was joy. And it all started with Ann. She is someone who when you meet her, just radiates joy! She's bubbly and sincere and full of energy - you can't help but be excited with her!
They chose a soft pastel color palette that complimented Ann's breezey Galina wedding gown.
Ann's mom and her sister helped to fasten the back of her dress, while she fought back the jitters. Image by Anna
Ann wore a wreath of flowers in her hair designed by Vicki at Leechburg Floral.
I want to introduce you to Ann's son - he was thrilled to be a part of the wedding and couldn't wait to be part of a new family!
I love this image that Anna caught of the flower girl before the ceremony.
When it was time to venture down the aisle, Ann arrived in a white horse-drawn carriage where she was met by her father. Her Dad walked her halfway down the aisle, then they met up with Ann's son who took her other arm to help walk her the rest of the way.
With a big smile, Ann was escorted by the two most important men in her life towards the man of her dreams.
I have to admit - I held it together until Bill cried. When men cry, I just go to pieces. Bill met them at the end of the aisle with tears in his eyes as Ann's father and her son gave her away. They exchanged emotional vows between fits of laughter.
Three bottles of sand waited on a table, white sand for Ann's son, and yellow and lavendar sand for Ann and Bill to represent their lives blending together as a new family.
Such romance :-) Image by Anna
They ran up the aisle and we whisked away in the carriage for a short ride together around the lake. Image by Anna
This is Geronimo :-) He's such a good horse! Ann even brought him carrots!
Inside the barn, the tables were decorated in soft pastels with a three tier cake covered in flowers. Middle right image by Anna.
This was hilarious, more of Ann and Bill's great sense of humor. When DJ Rockin John announced the new Mr. & Mrs. Long to a thunderous round of applause - nothing happened. He called for them again - no one came up the stairs. Finally, on the third time Ann and Bill playing a funny prank stumbled up the stairs with their clothes in disarray ;-) The crowd roared with laughter and they played it up :-)
When everyone had sat down and the best man and maid of honor had given their toasts, Ann's son stood up and asked for the microphone because he had something to say. Everyone was surprised and sat in silence with tissues in hand as Chris welcomed Bill to their family and told him how much he appreciated Bill taking him camping and teaching him about horses and spending time with him and how he was so happy that they could all be a family now.
I was not the only one who cried that time. Anna got teary, John got a little misty, and most of the guests were wiping away the tears with me. During dinner, Anna and I pulled Ann and Bill outside for some additional photos and some time to relax. They are so in love, they needed no suggestion from me - we just stood back and let me them be themselves.
A happy husband and wife.
I loved the back of Ann's dress with it's delicate embroidered lace.
Looking at these photos from May, I can't believe how green everything was outside. The word that comes to mind is " lush " what a great time of year for a wedding when all of the plants are fresh and new.
A sweet image by Anna, it's very representative of a Lingrow wedding. Guests always enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.
Later on, Bill kicked it up a notch for their first dance together. Image by Anna
Ann and her new husband on the left, and then later in the evening with her Dad.
At the end of the night, Bill hoisted Ann over his shoulder and proudly carried her out of the reception to more applause and cheers!
Mr. and Mrs. Long have LEFT THE BUILDING :-D
I hope you two are having a great time looking forward to your first christmas as a married couple!
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Lingrow Farm
Floral Design: Leechburg Floral
Entertainment: DJ Rockin John
Catering: Garda's Restaurant Comments added to this post ▣ Jess + Jaison | Nov. 2009
Sean called me from work yesterday (he was in Ohio) and told me that it was snowing! SNOWING !!
I can't believe another year come and gone so fast! Since I'm headed to Lenape today for Jayme and Dave's wedding, I thought I'd share Jessica and Jaison's wedding from Lenape last year. And it has a snowflake theme :-)
We started the morning at Jess's parents house where everyone was getting ready. Jessica's dress had the most beautiful beading that picked up all the light in the room and made little rainbows.
Jess with her Dad :-)
The ladies wore a striking shade of irredescent blue. MAMOSAS! It's a wedding morning tradition.
You can't tell from the photos, but Jess woke up with the worst head cold the day of her wedding. She took some medicine and tried to relax as much as possible before the ceremony. It was one of those chilly November saturdays where if you had nothing to do you might stay in your PJs all day. But it was a wedding day!! She was a real trooper and looked beautiful :-)
Now there are several things I have to tell you about Jaison and the groomsmen. #1 They are a seriously handsome bunch.
#2 - Jaison bears a striking resemblence to a certain hardcore celebrity.
#3 - Jaison's last name is Norris.
CHUCK NORRIS
Look closely.....distant relative perhaps??
Their ceremony was held at Jessica's family church, Holy Martyrs. They decorated with snowflakes and tulle! Top right and bottom left images by Anna.
Afterwards a cozy limo ride to Lenape Heights Golf Course for the reception.
Lenape has the greatest tree out back at the top of the course. It's like a Lion King tree.
The new Mr. & Mrs. Norris
I love shooting with Anna, while I was catching the image on the left, she was standing by with the spy lens to get the image on the right !
Another favorite by Anna.
Inside, the room was decorated in the irredescent blue like the girls' dresses and every table had snowflakes and ice cubes! They used images from their engagement session to decorate their chocolate bar favors - they even had an ice sculpture in the shape of a snowflake which I used for the ring shot!
Image by Anna.
First dance :-) See that bridesmaid in the right hand photo? That's Jessica's sister - she just had her first baby a beautiful little girl, and I get to meet her in a few weeks !!
Super bouquet toss just missing the chandelier!
We busted out our case of sparklers for some romantic after dark shots :-)
It won't be long now and you'll be celebrating your one year anniversary!! Congrats !
Ceremony: Holy Martyrs Catholic Church, Tarentum PA
Reception: Lenape Heights Golf Course, Ford City PA
Comments added to this post ▣ Christa & Zach - just one shot!
Christa & Zach were married on October 3rd on that very very rainy sunday! They didn't let the rain dampen their spirits though and when it stopped and the clouds parted for just a while, you can bet were out in the field! :-)
Just one shot to tide you over until I have your gallery finished this week :-) It's been crazy busy with weddings this month but I'm steadily getting caught up!
I can't wait to show off their wedding - here's a clue to the fabulousness - if you look carefully you can see there are peacock feathers in her bouquet! Comments added to this post ▣ Donna & Mike | Oct 2009 | married in the rain
It was very cold and rainy last October 17th when Donna and Mike tied the knot at Lingrow Farm. With the weather being seasonably chilly and light drizzle falling, everyone had already rehearsed the indoor plan the night before. The upper deck of the barn at Lingrow is closed in with clear vinyl in the winter months and they have large space heaters that keep guests toasty whether they are there just for dinner or if you choose to host your ceremony on the porch! I had a triple threat dream team with me that day including Anna Laero (now Salyers!) and Sandy Yetter - we were sooo covering the whole day from every possible angle. We found Donna and the ladies in the carriage house and Donna was so excited that she had already put her dress on even before we arrived! She was multitasking with a cell phone in each hand!
We took advantage of a rare moment of no rain to get the girls outside before the ceremony for a few quick shots - they were doing a pretty good job of pretending they weren't cold!
All too soon, the guests had all arrived and it was time to start! Donna's Dad walked her up the stairs and through the double doors while Mike waited for her with a big smile at the end of the aisle.
There was a hysterical moment during the ceremony - everything was going smoothly - guests were snuggled together in their seats, the lighting was soft and warm, the couple recited beautiful vows and made lifelong promises to each other. Everything was going smoothly - and then when Donna and Mike went to present their mother's each with a rose, one of Donna's totally haute high heels got wedged in a crack betweek the floorboards of the barn. And she was stuck. She tried to keep her composure and wiggle it loose, but it wouldn't budge. Mike's Dad, being an excellent new father-in-law, knelt down to help her. Now everyone was watching. After a few minutes of strained effort, even he couldn't get her shoe to come loose. Then Donna broke down into giggles and everyone in the audience joined in with laughter. Mike's Dad unbuckled her shoe so she could step out of it and then he proceeded to pull on the shoe with all of his might. And it still wouldn't move. By now everyone was in hysterics. Finally with a great heave the shoe came loose, and off balance he toppled over nearly backwards. That was it, the tension in the room was totally broken and when everyone finally composed themselves they were all wearing a huge grin. Mr. Ward replaced Donna's shoe on her foot and they finished the ceremony. It made for a great memory and a great laugh :-D
They went on to exchange rings and light a unity candle. Top right image by Anna. Left top and left bottom images by Sandy.
Ring shot on a maple leaf.
The families and wedding party braved the freezing temperature to duck out for some photos by the lake. Anna caught some great candid moments while I ran through the list of family formals. We loved their acorn boutonnieres.
Group shots on the deck - the smiles are bigger when they are standing next to the heaters!
The barn sparkled and glowed with pumpkin colored silk napkins and silver jack-o-lantern centerpieces.
Now I have to talk about the food. You all know my deep deep love of food :-) Donna and Mike asked The SpringHouse market to cater their wedding dinner and it was so.perfect. They had Thanksgiving dinner. Roasted turkey and sweet ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, vegetables, and all different kinds of pies. But the best part that really sent me off the food-love deep end was that SpringHouse market is not only a caterer and a farmers market, but also a dairy. They make and bottle their own chocolate milk! They had big metal washtubs filled with ice, sweet chocolate milk in resealable bottles, and straws. HEAVEN :-) Everyone has cookies at their wedding but no one ever remembered the milk until now! Please look closely at their cake topper, it will set the tone and prepare for things to come later in this post.
After dinner it was time for a classy first dance :-) Donna and Mike also decided to put a little spin on the hold "everyone keep clinking your glasses until they kiss" routine. At each place setting was a card explaining that all the glass clinking in the world would do no good, that if you wanted to see a good newlywed kiss - you and your table had to all stand up and sing a song together that contained the word 'love'. This worked so well and was so fun that Anna used the same concept for her wedding last month! Center image by Anna.
They cut the cake and answered the age old question, to smash or not to smash? They chose to smash in front of a cheering crowd. Top right image by Anna.
**** WARNING **** THE FOLLOWING IMAGES MAY BE TOO HOT TO HANDLE !
Ok, you were warned. I just hope you can handle the passion. Since it was still raining and there's only so much you can do for photos under an umbrella, we explored the front porch of the farmhouse where Donna and Mike were brave enough to work the camera resulting in this shot that I LOVE.
Meanwhile Sandy was capturing this KILLER detail shot!
Hiding out under the overhang on the carriage house. The leaves were so pretty, they were just so far away!! Top right image by Sandy.
The light was growing dim so we headed back to the barn for dancing. Doesn't it look like the perfect evening to snuggle inside and eat turkey dinner? It was.
*** WARNING AGAIN ***
Remember when I said to look closely at the cake topper? Well before the night was over Donna and Mike wanted to attempt to reenact the cake topper scene as well as have it in the photo. It came out perfect, no photoshop necessary!
All the seriousness aside and back to outrageous fun - Donna's single lady friends showed off a stunning display of grace and athleticism during the throwing of the bouquet! Image by Anna.
It was all dancing from there. Don't you just love it when "that guy" comes to a wedding? He's a different guy everytime, but he's "that guy". I love that guy :-)
Congratulations on your one year anniversary!!! Hope you're loving every minute :-D
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Lingrow Farm Catering Services: The SpringHouse Catering, Eighty-Four, PA
Comments added to this post ▣ Fall colors
It's here! This is it! The beginning of the peak of the fall colors here in western PA! This shot is from Kelley and David's wedding LAST october in Freeport. How great are those leaves?
There's actually a hilarious story behind this photo. Kelley's parents live near here and so while the wedding party took cover from a chilly rain shower at their house, Anna and I scouted the area for a perfect photo spot. We followed a narrow fisherman's trail down over the muddy river bank heading towards the waters edge. Unfortunately our standard wedding wear (dress blacks and black flats) is far from LL Bean. I slid on the mud and wet grass in my flat bottom shoes, arms windmilling wildly. At the last minute I made sure the arm holding the camera was pointed towards the sky and I majorly biffed it into the ground and then slid on my left thigh through the mud. Luckily the camera gear never made contact with anything and was fine. Mostly just my pride was injured along with a bruised knee. The worst part was having to wear dried mud all down my left side for the rest of the night. I learned to pack extra clothes in the car after that wedding!! The best part was that when we did make it down to the water, we found a perfectly level mowed grass path just a few feet downstream. That was the way we decided to have Kelley and David get to the creek for this shot. If only I'd seen it first - I would have saved myself the bruises and embarassment!
I wil be out of town and away from email and phone communication this weekend. I apologize for any response delays, I will be back in the office on monday! Also congratulations to Carol and Mark who were married 2 weeks ago and have just returned from their honeymoon in Mt. Zion - Congratulations to Christa and Zach married the next day on the rainy sunday who should be returning from their honeymoon any day now - Congratulations to Kari and Andrew who at the last minute had to cancel their honeymoon to be able to close on their new house 2 days before their wedding I hope you are enjoying your staycation :-) Also Congratulations to Laura and Sam married the next day who are on their honeymoon with their iPad, beware the Irish Mist !!
Hiiiii Everyone!!!
To those of you not on your honeymoons this weekend, get out and hike, take pictures, bake an appple, carve a pumpkin !
Also - big BIG shout out to the state of Colorado !!!!!! Comments added to this post ▣ Kate & Mark | September 2009 | Rainy wedding day
Since it's been a back to back to back quadruple wedding double weekend, I haven't sat down to write my planning post for this week. We just got finished with 5 solid days of rain in PA and now the sun is back out again. That brings up the question, what do you do if it rains on your wedding day? Everyone tells you it's good luck - and maybe it is - but I think that's just what people say because they want to make you feel better. What is lucky though is that if DOES rain on your wedding day - do it anyway! Accept the weather as it is and embrace it. Some of the BEST photos we've taken have been in the WORST weather!
I wanted to share this wedding with you from Sept. 09 out of the never-blogged-files. Kate and Mark were married at Green Gables in Stahlstown, PA. I attended their rehearsal to get a feel for the venue and the weather was gorgeous that day! This is where their outdoor ceremony was supposed to take place on the lawn by the lake under towering pines.
Just to shed a little spotlight on Green Gables, it truly is a one of a kind venue. They specialize in intimate weddings and afternoon gatherings. Kate and Mark's wedding was a mid day event with lunch instead of dinner! The building itself is an old stone and beam structure with the largest room having the roof supported by tree trunks. There is an area along a wall of windows that is built over top of the creek with beautiful views. The grounds feature a stone patio, trees and paths, a lake and more! If you are looking for the perfect spot for an intimate vintage or mountain wedding - this could be it ! They are open during the warm weather months of the year and have tons of great photo spots.
When we arrived at Green Gables the morning of the wedding, it was raining. Steadily. It had already been raining for hours. Kate was upstairs getting ready with her girls. Julie from Pittsburgh Makeup was on hand with her tool chest to help everyone look their best.
Kate specially chose the music for the ceremony - Thomas Newman's Meet Joe Black Soundtrack. Click the widget to listen. You'll see why I told Anna that with the rain and the candles if they kept playing that song I really was going to cry :-)
Kate was stunning, her dress looked like it had been made just for her.
First the steady rain ruled out the ceremony on the lawn since it was saturated so they hoped to be on the stone patio. However, fifteen minutes before the ceremony time - it was still raining steadily. We kept checking the radar on their office computer and it was showing rain for the next few hours. The ceremony was moved indoors into the reception area which turned out to be the best thing that could have happened!
The room was perfect, dimly lit by candles and skylights, it was warm and intimate and made for the perfect ceremony. Image by Anna.
Kate and Mark stood in front of the huge window while the rain tapped on the roof and ran down the glass.
See what I mean??
I know you're thinking, "but how do you get outdoor pictures, amanda?" You get resourceful, you get creative, and somebody gets wet. Usually me! But I don't mind ;-) See these shots in front of the big glass window? There was an overhang at the edge of the building that kep the last 5 inches next to the building dry - you can see it if you look closely at the groomsman's foot in the top right photo. Everyone had to come outside and slide along the wall like they were scaling a ledge on a cliff and then hid inside that 5 inches of dry. Anna and I were huddled under a golf umbrella out in the rain shooting back at them!
When it was time to get shots of the just Kate and Mark, we took the umbrella - it was the only one in my car - and turned out to be the biggest one we had so I gave it to the bride and groom. Unfortunately it was rainbow colored. And it had a broken wing. But it made for some comedy :-) Kate held her dress up and Marked helped her across the lawn to the next building. ** Incidentally, it's a good idea to get some cool matching or coordinating umbrellas if you are passionate about outdoor photos and don't mind the rain. That way they become cool props in the event of inclement weather....or we will just use whatever is in my car. Da da dun !!
This shot was literally the fires of creativity at work - we found a fireplace behind the next building which was the mountain playhouse and decided that a fire would be a perfect backdrop. Luckily there was wood and some cardboard sitting nearby and we were able to get it going. It is my FAVORITE shot from their whole wedding and I can honestly say we would never have ever even thought to attempt it if it had been a nice sunny day. You've heard that necessity is the mother of invention - well inclement weather is the mother of resourcefulness - thinking outside the box and under an overhang - and awesome images. I couldn't believe my luck at finding a fireplace. (THANK YOU DAD for all of those campfire building lessons when I was kid - you're right - it will save my life one day ;-) We stoked up the fire, started shooting, and I. felt. like. a. rockstar.
More cool spots under the overhang using the floodlights for mood lighting.
Kate was so beautiful -
- and she and Mark go together like honey, so sweet :-)
Some of the details of the reception, she carried cala lillies and there were fresh flowers in the centerpiece. The room was glowing with candles and a live band played on the small stage. Their placecard/favors were small boxes of chocolates decorated with a fall leaf, but their cake topper was the best.
Some dancing a bouquet toss action - images by Anna.
While the front of the cake topper was a bride and groom standing innocently on top of three tiers of icing, the back was a whole different story and we couldn't resist spoofing it with a little reenactment.
Even though it rained, the rain only made the day better! Kate and Mark have celebrated their one year anniversary and are now in their new house! Here's to many more years of happiness :-)
Ceremony/Reception/Catering: Green Gables, Stahlstown, PA MakeUp Artist: Pittsburgh Makeup
Comments added to this post ▣ Chrissy & Matt | November wedding at Springwood Manor
I'm feeling very Autumnal with the cooler weather this week. I've already made soup, hot tea, and pumpkin. Actually I'm really hankering for a butternut squash... I thought in honor of the chilly nights I would go back in the archives and dig out Chrissy & Matt's wedding from the never-blogged vault !
Chrissy and Matt were married last November 7th at Springwood Manor in Verona, PA. It was a warm fall afternoon which all too quickly turned to evening due to daylight savings time being moved a few weeks earlier last year. Their late afternoon ceremony was quickly turned into a sunset ceremony with guests walking in for dinner just at dusk. It made for some tricky lighting and we were under the gun for photos after their I Do's, but the atmosphere was perfect!
Anna and I arrived at Springwood in the late afternoon sun - I remember you could smell the leaves.
All of the girls arrived soon after us and were getting ready in the room above the atrium.
Chrissy's dress was totally classy in all over lace. These two images by Anna.
There is a great wooden staircase that overlooks the ceremony site and it was an awesome vantage point to sneak a peak at the guests below as they waited for things to get started.
As they said their vows the sun hit the perfect golden angle. It doesn't get any better than that!
It was a gorgeous outdoor ceremony. The guests snuggled in their jackets and the whole scene was very cozy.
Rockin' the fall theme on the ring shot!
Luckily Chrissy and Matt had left time before the ceremony for photos which helped out a lot since after the ceremony darkness set in a little too quickly. We were able to snap some photos of the guys together. Love. the. shoes.
Their ringbearer was severely stylin!
Before the ceremony, we were able to get the girls together as well above the crowd on the wooden balcony.
Married at last !!
Springwood was a fantastic venue. There were tons of great photo spots everywhere you looked, the atrium was lit by the sun and guests were able to watch the sky fade with colors and see the stars appear during dinner.
I wish I could remember the name of their caterer because they were SOOO GOOD. They had an amazing spread of cheeses for cocktail hour (one of them was sage flavored and tasted exactly like thanksgiving stuffing). The wedding soup was delicious and warmed us up a lot! The wedding cake featured a boy and girl Snoopy cake topper under the moon. One of my favorite details was their wedding favors; heavy ceramic coffee mugs with their names and a neat little bride and groom cartoon on the side packed with coffee beans. It still sits with me on my desk every morning while I edit photos!
After dinner and cake, it was time for a very sweet first dance :-)
Even Anna and I got in on the fun - there was a large mirror next to the dance floor and we had a ball trying to take our own picture. (It's harder than you think!)
If you're looking for an east of Pittsburgh venue that offers fantastic outdoor ceremony options and will be a truly unique experience for your guests, check out Springwood Manor ! Their event coordinator is named Layla and she's wonderful ! If you see her, tell her I said hello :-)
Comments added to this post ▣ Meghan & Billy | Oct. 2009 Wedding
We're delving back into the archives from last fall for some of our favorite weddings that sadly went un-blogged ! Meghan and Billy were married October 10th of last year on a cool and sunny saturday afternoon. It was the perfect hometown gathering for two high school sweethearts to say I do. I knew at the rehearsal that it would be a great wedding when Billy was fighting back tears as Meghan practiced walking down the aisle.
You might remember Billy & Meghan (and their four legged kids Yogi & Dexter) from their engagement session last summer. Well on the morning of the wedding, Yogi & Dexter met Anna and I at the front door with tails wagging while we waited for the girls to arrive back from the salon. We found Meghan's dress hanging in th spare bedroom behind a big sign on the door that said "No!" to remind Billy not to accidentally open it. :-)
The girls had a great time doing their make up and laughing in front of the big bathroom mirror. Meghan's dress was an outstanding Casablanca creation!
Meanwhile, the guys were getting things set at the church. Billy with his Dad before the ceremony.
Everyone was full of emotion when Meghan walked down the aisle. Each pew was decorated with draping gold florals that Billy's mom created herself.
Top right image by Anna.
I also love this image by Anna. I took some liberties with the post processing to try some different effects. Meghan's veil in the breeze was positively ethereal.
Their reception was held at Ferrante's Lakeview in Greensburg, PA and we spent some time on the grounds getting photos before they were announced.
The bridal party in the big gazebo. Top image by Anna. The girls wore deep lapis (purple) which looked great with greens as well as fall colors.
Duties of a new husband ;-)
The ballroom was decorated with gold and ivory, accented with purple. At each place setting was one of their engagement photos on a printed card. The back of the card let guests know that in lieu of traditional favors and in honor of their deep love for their dogs they had made a donation to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I love it when couples take the opportunity to do some good in the world :-)
Their first dance was romantic and sweet surrounded by a few hundred of their closest friends and family all smiling :-)
This is Natalie - ! Hi Nat !! :-D If you are a sharp blog reader you will recognize her as she is a frequent PhotosbyAW wedding guest. She's a great dancer, she knows everybody, and is pretty much just plain awesome. In fact, we did her wedding in 2007 - then we did her sister's wedding in 2008 - and we've seen her at almost 4 weddings since then!! I love my job, I get to hang out with the best people :-)
Many bittersweet tears as Meghan danced with her Dad. The father-daughter dance is one that always gets me because I think of my Dad.
Probably the sweetest moment of the evening - they had a great live band providing music for the reception and towards the end of the night Billy (who has a beautiful voice) asked for the mic and sang "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton to his new bride.
Just a little more than a month shy of your one year anniversary - here's to at least 50 more years of happily ever after.
Ceremony: Hebron Lutheran Church, Leechburg, PA Reception: Ferrante's Lakeview Flowers: Leechburg Floral Bride's Attire: Casablanca Bridal from The Exquisite Bride, Murrsyville
Comments added to this post ▣ Just one shot - Derek & Kim
While I'm editing, I promised Kim I'd post a teaser photo on the blog tuesday (11:30pm still counts as tuesday, right?). I had no idea it would be SO HARD to pick just one picture to put online as a teaser! They just got back from their honeymoon following their wedding about a week and a half ago. I am loving editing their photos, I'm just as anxious as they are to see every last one of them. The weather was perfect, the setting was amazing - just you wait!
I hope this tides you over for a next couple of days! :-) :-) I can't wait to show you when I'm finished! Comments added to this post ▣ Why we do weddings
After our 13th wedding of 2010 - we were reflecting on WHY we do this and why we are so blessed to be in this line of work. Every weekend we meet amazing couples that host the most spectacular events full of love, laughter, tears, and memories. Just in the past 6 months we've been thrilled to photograph a snowbound ski lodge ceremony, a wedding party under a spring snow shower, a bride and groom among the ocean waves, a first look on top of a mountain, groomsmen in a cow pasture, bridesmaids on a beach, and a newly married couple in a fountain - at night - in the rain. Cool, huh?
Here's a little video from Elysium Productions (a fantastic wedding cinematography company that I discovered online) packed full of wedding moments from their travels - when I watch it, it illustrates perfectly WHY I/we do weddings. Because we love the details of the bride's dress, the look on the groom's face when no one else is around and he's alone for a quiet moment with her, the way the bride's father holds her during their dance. This is a ten minute video, but it's worth it. Make sure you have the sound ON and it might take a minute to load - so go get yourself a cup of coffee while you wait and enjoy your sunday or monday morning :-)
Your life's memories are MY life's work.
There are 18 more weddings on the books so far for the rest of 2010 and we're booking for 2011 and 2012! Hope to see you at a wedding in the future! Comments added to this post ▣ Rachele + Curt | 9.18.09
Wedding Blog-a-thon Day 2 !
Rachele and Curt's wedding from last September was one of the most beautiful church ceremonies I've witnessed and you'll see why in a minute. The day started at Rachele's mom's house in Delmont with the girls getting their hair and make up on. Rachele's mom put out a fantastic spread of mini sandwiches, fruit, and breakfast stuff for everyone to munch on. It really helped everyone feel relaxed and excited as they sat around the dining room table recalling the good old days.
Rachele was all smiles as they placed her headpiece and veil :-)
I can't leave out of the story that the limo bus that picked everyone up at the house to drive them to the church got everyone to the church on time and safely - BUT - with a terrific clunk it broke down just as they pulled into the church parking lot. During the ceremony, the limo company sent another limo bus and towed the broken bus away and when it was time to leave for the reception - it was like the whole thing never happened! Now that's good service! And definitely a little good luck that it waited all the way till they got the to church to break down in the first place.
The inside of the church was one of those wow moments. The ceiling was inlaid with layers of stained glass that were bathing the sanctuary in rainbows and warmth.
The girls helped Rachel get her dress on in the chapel area and her grandmother laced up the back.
Before long, it was Go time. While I was waiting at the end of the aisle, Anna stood 'backstage' to catch this great shot of Rachele and her father walking down the aisle and into the light.
Rachele and Curt's reactions, seeing eachother for the first time before her father gave her away.
I loved this part of the ceremony where the wedding party joined hands and the guests raised their arms in prayer.
After a traditional Catholic ceremony and the lighting of the unity candle, Rachele and Curt greeted their guests as husband and wife with a receiving line on the front terrace of the church.
Top left and bottom left images by Anna.
This was the view of the back of the church, the last sight guests had as they were leaving. It was incredibly serene - I could have sat there all day watching the light change totally at peace.
After family photos at the altar, we headed outside to do some photos of the wedding party.
Enter - the guuys ! Love the last photo here :-)
Rachele was so beautiful and that smile never left her face all day - she truly had fun at her wedding !
The ladies - we really liked their bridesmaid dresses. A simple black chiffon with a royal purple sash.
Sometimes the best pictures are the ones that happend IN BETWEEN the 'real' photos !
After photos, we traveled to The Chadwick for the reception. I've been there many times and the service is always excellent.
The room was decorated with black and deep purple linens. The Chadwick has a separate room for the wedding party when they arrive with some comfy couches, mirrors, a private restroom, and always a champagne toast and a great selection of appetizers. It gives the bridal party a chance to regroup and hang out before they are announced into the reception.
DJ Mark Tishko got everyone on their feet and the bridal party entrances brought down the house!
Left image by Anna.
The best man and maid of honor gave great toasts.
The father daughter dance was very emotional and sweet.
I turned from the dance floor to see Rachele's mother being comforted by the women of her family.
Later on, it was party time! I loved Rachele's reaction in the bottom left photo to her little brother - who caught the garter - ensuring that they would have SEVERAL years of good luck in their marriage by taking the garter above the knee! Just to be fair, DJ Mark had those two switch and the lovely lady who caught the bouquet put the garter on him !
I know it's only western PA, but I do love a good cookie table :-)
When the evening quieted down, we did a few additional photos of Rachele and Curt around the lobby and outside.
These ones under the lamp were Rachele's favorite!
Congratulations guys on almost the one year mark, and your new house!
Ceremony: St. Sebastian Parish
Reception: The Chadwick
Entertainment: DJ Mark Tishko
Comments added to this post ▣ Allison + Brian | 08.29.09
Blast from the past and the official kick off to the blogging personal challenge - Allison and Brian's wedding from last August. Fresh from the vault of unblogged material! Allison and Brian were married last august at Lingrow farm just a few months after their Pig Roast/Bachelor/Bachelorette/Engagement/Field Party - (which was a blast to photograph !)
Allison arrived from the salon with her mom and the ladies via limousine :-)
She carried with her a photo of her granddad on her bouquet to honor his memory.
Once she was ready, her Dad came to meet her so that they could climb into the horse and carriage and ride to the ceremony site. This was his reaction seeing his daughter for the first time :-)
It was gorgeous day ! I know this shot makes the lake look really far away, but it's just a wide angle lens trick - it's actually quite close to the barn.
Allison and Brian's mom's held hands escorting each other down the aisle to light the candles. The rose bushes were in bloom and almost exactly matched the hot pink wedding colors. Guests fanned themselves with the brightly colored programs.
Everyone gathered round to see Allison arrive in the white horse and carriage and walk down the aisle with her dad by her side. They exchanged rings by the lake and everybody cheered!
The new Mr. & Mrs !
Just married - whooohooo !!
My favorite shot of them all day! You wouldn't know it to meet her, but Allison was two dress bride! She wore a lace gown with a cathedral train for the ceremony and then switched into a halter dress for the reception. I liked both !
They are such a great couple - they have so much fun together !
Great image by Anna.
Another shot I love by Anna !
The night was great, and I have a story about the cake - their florist brought the flowers for the cake and then left and accidentally forgot to decorate the cake! Yikes! Not to fear - we keep superman capes in the back of my car - Allison's event coordinator and I just got in there and did it ourselves. Lucky for us it was an easy one ! I thought we did a pretty good job, afterwards we sat back and admired our work. "We could decorate cakes for a living....!" we said.
For the barm, they chose hot pink chair sashes with white, pink, and green hydrangea centerpieces.
Brian's Dad was his best man and gave a really touching toast about how honored he was that his son had chosen him, everyone teared up a little and it was time for dinner.
DJ Rockin John turned on the bubble machine for their first dance as husband and wife :-) I love how they reflect the light for photos.
Ahh at last the ring shot - on a Terrible Towel - after a surprise celebratory Terrible Towel wave coordinated by the maid of honor who hid terrible towels secretly under the seat cushions!
Ceremony & Reception: www.lingrowfarm.com
Entertainment: Dj Rockin John
Comments added to this post ▣ Russ + Heather | 4.30.10
We went coastal back in April for Russ & Heather's wedding at the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa in Chesapeake Beach, MD! This is a big change for all my Pittsburgh friends to see the ocean on this blog - it was a big treat for us as well to be asked to shoot a destination wedding ! The resort was amazing, right on the bay with the fishing docks.
Every suite had a balcony overlooking the water.
The morning of the wedding, we met up with the girls at the resort's salon where they were getting hair and make-up.
Heather was in the hot seat!
The groom's neice, K, was their flower girl hanging out with all of us in the bridal suite while everyone got ready!
Anna and I were very spoiled on this trip, this was the view from our hotel room.
Heather's mom helped her place her veil and Russ sent down a gift for Heather - a Pandora charm!
Heather looking beautiful - I loved her chandelier earrings :-)
We decided since it was in the mid 80s - very hot for April - (us PA girls are not used it ;-) instead of leaving the hotel and getting photos on the grounds before the ceremony, we squished onto the balcony for a few shots so we could stay near the AC and keep everyone cool. The bright colors were fun and tropical!
Heather looking totally gorgeous !! HOT. :-)
The groom's nephew, A, was the ringbearer and I thought looked like a miniature James Bond - Casino Royale style!
Just before the ceremony we headed downstairs to rendezvous with the guys where Russ was anxiously pacing the sidewalk - he couldn't wait to get the show on the road ;-)
Russ with the guys and with his Dad. His boutonniere was really cool.
This was the backdrop of their ceremony by the sea as they stood on the docks with the gulls swooping over the waves beyond the break.
The ceremony site just before the guests were seated.
With the sun setting, it was time to start and everyone came together in the bright afternoon light to celebrate.
Heather making her way down the aisle with her Dad by her side - the resort placed a heavy carpeted 'runway' on the sand so people didn't sink in!
They exchanged rings and made their promises to each other in front of family and friends.
We didn't have a lot of time for photos before dinner so we had to work fast!
Russ's sister the maid of honor helping remove Heather's veil before the reception.
The room was lined with windows that looked out to the water.
Some details of their reception - they decorated with shells and colorful flowers. The centerpieces were vases of blooms that also held a tropical fish in the bottom. Since we were out of state instead of a cookie table, guests indulged in chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate cups filled with creme. (The cookie table is only a western PA tradition.) Midde right and bottom left images by Anna.
Right after they were announced, Russ & Heather danced their first dance together as husband and wife while Heather's parents looked on proudly at their little girl.
Right after dinner we rushed back out to the dock for some photos as the sun was already set at the edge of the horizon - we had to work fast! Seconds counted!
But we still made time for fun :-)
Something I've learned over the past few years, is that sometimes the best colors at sunset happen after the light is already faded and the sun is down.
Just look at that sky.
Left image by Anna.
One of my favorites from the day.
Just a night shot from around the resort area.
Later on the maid of honor gave a toast that had everyone rolling on the floor laughing including Russ's parents :-)
The best man toast (the best man is the one wearing the white sunglasses) went on and got a lot of laughs as well!
Just one final shot of the pier lit up at night. After a lot of dancing, everyone gathered together for brunch the next morning ( can you say waffle and omelet buffet?? ) then it was time to head back to PA.
Thanks again for having us, we had a great time and wish you all the best!
Comments added to this post ▣ Kristin + Scott | 8.22.09
Back to the archives to catch up on blogging from 2009 - there are so many great weddings and sessions that I haven't even blogged yet! I'm trying to intersperse them with this year's postings. So let's do a flashback!
Kristin and Scott were married at Lingrow Farm in Leechburg, PA. The morning was calm and sunny as Kristin and the girls stayed hidden in the carriage house enjoying the AC. Left image by Anna.
When the coast was clear, we stepped out in the side yard for some photos. Lingrow has beautiful grounds - there's literally a photo behind every corner. I loved the style of their blue bridesmaids gowns and the light chiffon was nice and cool.
Some details of Kristin's attire.
She was classic and elegant in a satin mermaid gown with ivory roses.
Scott was keeping it together over at the stable room - how come it's aways the guys who are anxious??
The ceremony location at Lingrow before the guests arrived.
When it was time, the groomsmen filed down to the lake and the boys handed out cardstock programs that were fixed to a handle so that guests could use them as a fan - clever for a midday august wedding!
Just before the ceremony, I love these two shots that Anna captured of the flower girl experiencing some trepidation about walking down the aisle with the ringbearer.
But like all sweet little romances - they patched things up and were adorable :-)
Kristin arrived on Lingrow's white horse-drawn carriage with her father and they walked among the roses down the aisle.
Kristin and Scott exchanged vows and held a simple sand ceremony - and Ta Da! Married :-)
The wedding party while we take advantage of a passing cloud blocking the sun!
More sweetness - by Anna.
The sun setting on Lingrow's barn where guests were just sitting down to dinner. Lingrow's facilities are heated, air conditioned and are fully handicap accessible.
Details, details. The used white table linens and blue hydrangeas.
Ring shot - the water flower shot again! (I'm patenting that. You saw it here first, folks.)
After delicious Garda's eggplant parmesan - we went out exploring the big field behind the barn which was blooming with queen anne's lace and purple clover in August.
Brave couples (who don't mind getting close to nature) are rewarded with outstanding images! Left and right images by Anna.
Loved the gold evening light as they headed back towards the barn. I love the huge, breezy back porches at Lingrow.
First dance :-)
I love it when you find "that guy" at a wedding - "that guy" can be anyone and can take many forms - but is always the life of the party!
The wedding party decorated the bride and groom's car before their big send off!
Last shot of the night - it was a blast !!!
Ceremony & Reception: Lingrow Farm Entertainment: DJ Rockin John Catering: Garda's Restaurant
Comments added to this post ▣ Adam & Hali - Gateway Clipper Wedding
It was frigid and raining back in April when Adam and Hali flew in from Las Vegas and set sail on the Gateway Clipper to tie the knot! Thankgoodness the snow-melt flood waters had subsided ! Their ceremony was originally to be held on the top deck of the old paddle wheel boat, but due to inclement weather was moved inside. A little bit of rain was no worry for them and everyone was happy and bustling around the hotel getting ready when Anna and I arrived that morning.
After hair and make up - Hali had a little bit of time to relax and gear up for the day. The colors they chose were black and gold for everything pittsburgh! What better way to show off the city than as the backdrop to the whole event cruising along our three rivers!
Totally candid shots like this are my FAVORITE. We were headed down the ramp to the clipper dock past all of the murals - Hali was wearing a white fur hoodie, Lauren was carrying Hali's dress still in the bag, and Shannon was on the phone mid-transport-coordination and I'm like Hey Let's Take a Picture! (I think that's Terry Bradshaw celebrating behind them.)
Meanwhile, in another suite just down the hall - the guys were getting ready as well. This is a rare glimpse at 'guys getting ready'. Guys are very elusive on a wedding day. Girls start getting ready for a 4pm ceremony at 8 o'clock in the morning. It's easy to shoot hours of photos of them in various stages of getting readiness. So while the girls start getting ready at 8a.m. guys usually start getting ready roughly 8 minutes before they are due to arrive at the ceremony location. It never ceases to amaze me how 5 guys can all take turns using one shower - splash on some cologne - assemble the rental tux and be ready to go in less than 15 minutes. The whole 'guys getting ready' part of the day lasts less than 10 minutes and if you happen to be loading the car, or having your parking pass validated - you've missed the whole thing. This was a rare opportunity and we jumped on it!!
Adam lookin sharp :-)
All of Hali's siblings (i believe there are 7 of them!) were part of the wedding party as well as Adam's nephew :-)
Hali's sister and Adam's nephew having a good time before the ceremony starts :-)
When it was time to line up and go down the aisle - the whole bridal party "walked the plank". Image by Anna.
Hali shined as she made her way down the aisle towards Adam who waited with a smile.
Moving the ceremony inside was a great idea - it was warm and cozy and guests could watch from the seating area below or the balconies above. And we answered a logistical photo question - do tripods work on a boat? If you think about it - tripods are meant to hold the camera absolutely steady and still - but what if the floor under the tripod is moving - for instance on a boat? It still works. I'm sure there is a physics principal involved - sadly that was not a lesson I retained from Mr. Springer's class junior year.
Jack decided he wanted to spend the ceremony with Aunt Shannon and little Jillian wanted a front row seat!
After the I Do's, the captain maneuvered us towards Heinz field and we climbed to the top deck for some photos. It was SOOO WINDY on the water. Adam had to pin Hali's veil to her back to keep it from flying off into the river. These guys were real troopers putting up with my antics - ok smile! - ok now serious no smiling - ok now everybody cheer! - face left, turn right - ok we're done - go back inside!
We decided in the interest of not getting frostbite that we would do the family photos inside the boat. Jack jack was not feeling very smiley - so we went with it ;-)
This wasn't our boat (I'm not that skilled to be 2 places at once), but this was the Majestic paddling by us.
On board everything was decked out in black and gold - even their cake topper was a bride tackling a groom with a football! I really liked their centerpieces too - each table had a photo frame with a label and a picture of a pittsburgh landmark such as soldiers and sailors or primanti brothers! So cool for out of town guests!
After dark the city really shined :-)
When the party let loose, we kept it rockin all the way till the end of the pirate game when it was time to steam up the river for - FIREWORKS.
It was Zambelli fireworks night for the pirate game - what a cool coincidence is that?? You can have your wedding with all the spectacular views of pittsburgh and a world class fireworks display!
The last shot during the last song of the evening - it was definitely a wedding for the record books! Thanks for having us !
Ceremony & Reception Site: Gateway Clipper Fleet - Pittsburgh, PA Accomodations: Sheraton Station Square Attire: David's Bridal
Comments added to this post ▣ Mary & Jim April 9, 2010
After the first week of April was so warm - it was back to reality for Mary & Jim's wedding on April 9th. We decided to call it a "traditional" spring wedding ;-) The temperature was in the 30s and 40s with blustery winds, clouds, and even a snow flurry!! I met up with the girls at Mary's grandmother's house in Springdale just a few blocks from the church.
They were inside getting ready and keeping warm! Mary's dress was classically elegant and she had the most amazing veil - it even had it's own bustle - I've never seen one like it in all my weddings!
When everyone was ready, the limo picked the girls up and saved them the cold walk down the block in heels. The guys were already at the church. I love this candid 'backstage' moment with Mary, her sisters and their Dad captured by the talented Sandy Yetter **dynamic duo alert** who was my shooting partner for the day! I'm so lucky to have outstanding clients and amazing friends!
I took the guys aside for a few formals before the ceremony. Jim was a little anxious but happy :-)
Live musicians played while guests filed to their seats and one of their groomsmen performed a vocal piece during the ceremony. Top left and bottom right images by Sandy.
Mary sharing a last moment with her Dad before he walked her down the aisle. Image by Sandy.
Just married!
Instead of bubbles or throwing flower petals for their recessional - guests were given small silver bells to ring when the couple emerged from the church. Image by Sandy.
Tons of little silver bells tinkled cheerfully in the cold air as Mary and Jim stepped out! Middle shot by Sandy from across the street with the spy lens!
After a short limo ride, we arrived at Brackenridge Country Club in the middle of a snow shower!! We took a ten minute break while we waited for the weather to clear. At one point you could not see across the golf course for all the snowflakes.
When we did make it out for photos it was very very cold and very windy! We decided to hurry up with pictures and let the wedding party get back inside where it was warm! Bottom left image by Sandy.
Far left image by Sandy.
I love everything about this image - the mood - the clouds - the veil. Mary, I can't help but smile when I see you! Image by Sandy.
Huddling for warmth!
If you look very closely in the top photo you can actually see the snowflakes! Mary's veil was threatening to become a sail and so we had to have Jim hold it down so she didn't fly away! Top and middle images by Sandy.
Some details of the country club - love this venue! And I loved the tulips they chose for their bouquets and centerpieces. The whole room sparkled with candles and crystal. Middle image by Sandy.
Just before Mary and Jim were announced - we encountered the Great Dress Bustle Debacle! It took several ladies and several minutes to try to decode the green, pink, numbered? threads that looped under the train of Mary's dress and were all meant to knit together just so and create a stylish french bustle. Well - even I was under the dress for about ten minutes and we did the absolute best we could - and then we used a safety pin..... After all - there was dining and dancing to get to!
Out on the floor for their first dance as husband and wife - see even the veil had it's own bustle!
Love the romantic sparkle - image by Sandy.
Mary dancing with her father - top image by sandy.
Jim dancing with his mom - images by Sandy.
I love this picture of the ring bearer dancing with his mom. Tears in my eyes I thought how cool would it be if years from now when this little boy gets married - this photo was displayed or used in a slideshow at his wedding with his mom for their mother/son dance. Truly the power of pictures to make our memories last.
One last shot of the coworkers group!! I hope this is on the office wall!
We survived the snow and wind and it was a beautiful day!!
Definitely a great wedding :-)
Ceremony: St. Alphonsus Church, Springdale Reception: Brackenridge Country Club Entertainment: DJ Rockin John
Comments added to this post ▣ Jack & Carolyn 03.06.10
It was a cold but sunny day in March when Jack and Carolyn tied the knot at Holiday Park United Methodist Church. We were shoveled out from snowmageddon but there was still at least two feet of snow on the ground. Luckily, when the girls were ready for photos, we found a spot inside the building next to a wall of windows and we were able to take advantage of the great natural light without freezing!
Jack arranged to have flowers delivered to Carolyn on the morning of the wedding, I loved the card :-)
The guys were toasty in the pastor's office watching the game on Tv and were happy to spend a couple minutes in the cold air for some photos in front of the church!
Their ceremony began timed perfectly with the setting sun through the stained glass window as her father gave her away. It made for warm magical lighting. Jack and Carolyn really spent time putting together a beautiful ceremony.
It was bright enough in the sanctuary to photograph their rings on the altar with the colored window light.
After the ceremony guests lined the hallway to the reception in the church hall and blew a huge cloud of bubbles - it was great for photos because everyone stayed warm and the bubbles couldn't blow away! Then it was back to the sanctuary for photos - before dinner.
Congratulations on your two month anniversary!
Comments added to this post ▣ Gillian & Mike - Edgewood Country Club Wedding
It was a warm hazy day back in August when Anna and I met up with Gillian and Mike at Edgewood Country Club near Churchill, PA for their wedding. The girls were downstairs in the ladies locker room and the guys were hanging out in the foyer. Gillian and I met in the seventh grade - she's always been fun with a calm and cautious personality. In fact, our seventh grade math teacher gave her a book that was the "worst case scenario survival handbook" which gave detailed instructions on how to escape from a mountain lion, or what to do if you fell out of a plane and landed in a swamp full of crocodiles. (She was always level headed and prepared.) Her wedding day was no exception - all of the last minute preparations were taken care of and the girls were just hanging out in the air conditioning doing make up and getting dressed.
Left two images by Anna.
Image by Anna.
Mike and I went to elementary school together and rode the same school bus for years. I never would have pictured Gillian and Mike together when we were kids, but seeing them at the wedding - they are a perfect match :-)
Because of the hot and humid August weather, (and the ever present threat of a pop up thunderstorm), they decided to hold their ceremony in one of Edgewood's banquet rooms that had a wall of windows that looked out over the greens. Gillian's father walked her down the aisle while a string quartet played softly to the crowd.
They chose a sunny happy mixture of blues and yellows for their color scheme. Right two images by Anna.
The banquet room at Edgewood is not only gorgeous, it has a positively HUGE dancefloor.
They chose bottles of red and white wine as their favors. Top right image by Anna.
After they had heard the toasts and cut the cake, we snuck the bridal party outside while the rest of the guests were still eating for some fun photos on the golf course. (I love the jumping shot...there's nothing like a classic ;-)
While I was setting up some formals, Anna was hanging back in the distance with the spy lens ;-) Image by Anna.
Gillian's engagement ring had not only the diamond center stone, but also two deep blue side stones.
When we were walking from the back of the green around to the side of the club we had to hike up a pretty steep hill - as we crested the hill we realized we had popped up right at the outdoor dining area for the country club's restaurant where regular club patrons were enjoying their dinner. When they saw Mike and Gillian appear over the top of the hill in their wedding attire - all of the customers outside eating dinner stood up and broke into a round of applause for them! Mike and Gillian were touched and Gillian leaned in towards her new husband and whispered " this is the best day ever :-D "
They were very happy :-)
Back inside the reception, it was time for their first dance.
The DJs did a great job of keeping the party kicking. They had props for the YMCA and everyone joined in.
No story of this wedding would be complete without talking about THE OTHER MIKE. Not only was it Mike and Gillian's wedding day, but their best man was also named Mike. This is him. We've known him since high school as well. He was the DJ at all of the seventh and eighth grade dances for years. He was hilarious - all day - he was an excellent best man and new where the groom was at all times. This is just a random group of the OTHER MIKE photos, I could have posted about twenty hysterical faces and crazy stuff - but just suffice it to say there's one in every crowd - and it's usually him ;-)
Congratulations Gillian and Mike!! Hope you're having a great year!
Ceremony & Reception Site: Edgewood Country Club Entertainment: Len and Ed Thomas DJs
Comments added to this post ▣ Lena & Cole - the good stuff
So excited to be bringing more of Lena & Cole's wedding - just because I got behind on blogging over the last few months doesn't mean I won't catch up! After formals at the church, the wedding party caught a ride on their rented limo bus up to Lenape Heights Golf Course where the reception was held. Lenape has recently redone their facility and is a fabulous spot for weddings because the surrounding grounds are very pretty.
I love this tree that stands just behind the club house. What a great crazy group :-D
Inside the ballroom was decorated with orange, yellow and red flower arrangements. Guests were greeted at the front door with a long table that held a bottle of wine that acted as their place card and their favor.
I love it when couples host their reception at a location where there's great photo opportunities right outside the hall!
Long view from the top of the course.
When we were done outside, Lena's mom and the girls set to work bustling her dress. I swear there were like twelve little ties! They blended in so seamlessly with her gown that it was hard to find them!
The best man toasted the couple before dinner -
- and then there was cake!
While the rest of the guests were still finishing their dinners, we snuck outside for some couple photos of just the two of them. This one of my favorite things to do when there's good photo opportunities at the reception venue. By this point at a wedding, the pressure is off, the bride and groom have survived the anxiety of repeating their vows in front of all the guests, they've had something to eat and drink, and from here on out - it's party time. This is also a great time for photos if you're a little self concious in front of the camera because the rest of the guests are happy to stay inside and eat their dinner instead of following along with all of their cameras.
Love this moment - capture by Anna.
We were travelling the grounds in STYLE. Lenape was nice enough to drive us around in a pro-cart to all the good locales.
We had no trouble getting Lena and Cole to just have fun!
Another great shot by Anna.
I want one of these carts for my house!
And just like all perfect days - the universe provided a perfect sunset with fog rising out of the valley.
Back inside - the party was in full swing! Their DJ kept the dance floor rocking with lights, fog, lasers - the works!
One of the best moments of the night - at the end of the reception Lena's mom danced with her to Martina McBride's "In My Daughter's Eyes" and just before the song ended she led Lena to a chair, sat her down and unpinned her veil from her hair. They hugged goodbye and it was Cole's turn to come on the dance floor - swept her off of her feet and carried her out and into their future life together.
Just a last shot for the evening in the lobby before they had to do the quick change out of their wedding clothes into beachwear. They left on the airport shuttle in shorts and sandals just before midnight with their parents and friends waving a tearful goodbye holding lena's gown in their arms.
It was a perfect day. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of it. :-)
Ceremony: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church Flowers: Community Market Reception & Catering: Lenape Heights Golf Course Entertainment: DJ the DJ (his name is actually DJ and then he became a DJ)
Comments added to this post ▣ Lena & Cole ~ part 2
Lena and Cole held their ceremony at St. Margaret Mary church in Lower Burrell. The weather was warm and everyone was in good spirits - the girls said a quick prayer after they stepped off the elevator, Jeff (Lena's Dad) gave the ring bearers a pep talk, and then they all lined up for the procession.
Beautiful 'backstage' images by Anna.
Lena was all smiles - even if the rest of us were emotional.
The church was bright and beautiful - I loved that they asked the wedding party to stand facing the congregation. Normally we only see the sides or backs of everyone's heads - this was great!
They exchanged their vows and left the church through a cloud of bubbles. FYI - if you are doing bubbles for your ceremony exit get the big bottles like these. The little tubes just don't do the trick. These bubbles were AWESOME!
Please indulge me in my attempt at being informative and humorous at the same time.
And now - I wanted to say THANK YOU to all the guests at Lena & Cole's wedding because they were great! And also talk about photo etiquette at other people's weddings. You'll see this is in the form of a football diagram. The green zone is a good place to be while taking pictures as a guest of a wedding ceremony. You can see all the guests here are AWESOME and made my job easier! You will also notice the yellow zone - it is not cool to jump out in the aisle to take pictures during someone else's wedding. I'm all about guests taking photos! But - this is my job - I'm at work here. Church guidelines dictate that the photographer needs to be stationed at the back of the aisle behind the guests. We do this out of respect for the service AND so we can respectfully not block the guests' view. So this is my shot - try to imagine if Uncle Bob or your mailman picked a moment to jump out and get that perfect shot - such as exchanging the rings or worse - the kiss! When this happens, we can't even see the bride and groom up there! I can't tell you how many times I've seen a really beautiful moment pass by and we missed it because instead of seeing the bride's father lean in to give her away - we had a great shot of Uncle Bob's good side while he crouched down to take his picture. During a ceremony, moments happen one time in a fleeting second and they're gone. We're working hard to capture as many as possible because I know how precious a memory can be. Next time you are at a wedding, remember - friends don't let friends whammy other people's photos.
Stay out of the yellow zone ;-)
Comments added to this post ▣ Lena & Cole ~ august 2009
We haven't seen a wedding on this blog recently, have we? Just a short quick post to get the ball rolling again towards getting caught up! (We've had a family medical crisis for the past 2 weeks and have been very busy trying to get everything and everyone taken care of.)
Back to the good stuff - Lena and Cole were married way way back in August last year. I met Lena at her family's house after her hair appointment on the morning of. It was very sweet, her mom helped her with her make up and getting everything ready to go to the church while she sat on her bed in her little girl bedroom surrounded by her childhood memories.
Lena met the bridesmaids at the church where they all got dressed.
Lena's dress was amazing - possibly my favorite of the year. Anna and I were swooning over the delicate applique leaves and vines that trailed down the back of the train.
Lacing up this gown was no small task! Later - when it was time to bustle it was all hands on deck.
When the girls have to start at 8 a.m. get ready with hair and make up and then an hour or so to get dressed - some people wonder - what are the guys doing? The guys have it easy - they just have to shower and put on the rental tux and someone pins their boutonierre. Girl prep = 3-6 hours. Guy prep = 13 - 16 minutes. (Or 3-6 commercial breaks ;-)
Next post - the ceremony and sunset on the golf course! Comments added to this post ▣ Jenny & Bradley - Phipps Conservatory
I'm so excited to finally post these! Back in October my friend Sandy called to say she was shooting a wedding at Phipps Conservatory and wanted to know if I'd like to come along. Of course I said yes - how do you say no to a beautiful couple in a gorgeous setting and spending the day working with (and carrying on high ;-) with a good friend?
Sad to say it was not a pleasant sunny day, instead it was grey, chilly, and raining steadily when I pulled up to Phipps and met Sandy by the front door. Poor Bradley was out in the rain under and umbrella waiting for his bride to arrive. I thought in light of the rain that we'd move photos inside to the beautiful gardens that were under a roof and discovered that when you have your wedding at Phipps you are not allowed to be inside the building for any reason until fifteen minutes before your ceremony. Even if you are standing outside in the pouring rain in your wedding dress, they will not let you in.
I didn't think that was very neighborly. But we resolved to make the best of it.
Sandy stayed with Bradley at the front entrance and I went around the side to meet Jenny. I grabbed just a couple quick shots after she got out of the car. I loved her veil.
Hiding out under the only overhang we could find - luckily makes for good photos!
Once we had regrouped, I walked with Jenny to the top of the stairs where she and Bradley had decided to do a First Look and see eachother before the ceremony. I LOVE IT when couples do this :-) Sean and I plan on doing it too when we get married. I stood at the top shooting Bradley while Sandy stood at the bottom shooting Jenny and then when their umbrellas met Sandy had the better angle ;-) Darn that rain. To see more photos of the big moment check out Sandy's Blog.
We spent some time outside (since Phipps wouldn't let us in) shooting some bride & groom photos in the rain.
Can you see the raindrops? :-)
Since they had planned in lots of photo time before the ceremony and agreed to do a First Look, we had lots of options for photos and decided to explore across the street where the trail goes through Panther Hollow Bridge. I know I say it all the time but they had the magic formula: Lots of time for photos + trust in your photographer(s) = AMAZING images. I didn't even mind the rain.
With the rain picking up again, we hid out underneath the arched bridge and Jenny was working it with the grafitti. I hope with enough time on the ellyptical that one day I can have legs this hot! Her garter was exquisite.
Love this one too.
Since the ceremony time was approaching we were finally going to be allowed inside! We headed back up the path towards Phipps. So romantic.
The Broderie Room was beautiful - a bright and colorful contrast of pinks and bright greens and purples. Very different from the fall colors outside. Live musicians played while guests were seated. That's the ringbearer in the top left. He had the sweetest little grin.
Their ceremony was intimate with about 25 guests in attendance. They exchanged rings at the bottom of the steps. Sandy is out there hiding in the garden - she is like a ninja - you will never spot her. I crouched behind the wishing well and we communicated with silent eyelash signals when to silently duck out of eachother's shots.
Just a few details from Phipps. There was a glass exhibit on display at the time.
Just a simple water color-esque ring shot. It reminds me of the rainy day.
After the ceremony we headed over to Regent Square to Legume. A place of outrageous delight. If you love food - I mean not like it a lot, but LOVE food - you need to get off the computer right now and start looking up this restaurant for dinner this week. I nearly injured myself by overeating their delicious meal.
The tables were decorated with small birdhouses for placecards and favors and they had a wishing tree where guests could answer prompted questions that had been written on the leaves.
Legume was clean and bright and homey and smelled delicious. Everyone was content to eat, drink, and be married.
And now I will tell you about the meal that was nearly the end of me. Food so scrumptious. MMMmm. The way that Legume works: each day the menu is different and is not chosen until that day based upon what fresh organic ingredients are available that morning. It's freshness you see, smell, and taste. Guests could choose one first course, I had celeriac with pears and walnuts. I had never had celeriac before and it was delicious. It made you think of a root vegetable cooked till slightly soft with a cool sweet sauce, pears, and candied walnuts on top for a little crunch.
Then the main course - I picked chicken cooked under a skillet. It came out resting comfortably on a bed of mashed potatoes with no fewer than 7 cloves of delicious garlic scattered around and under it. Even the parsley seemed to be reclining on top saying - you know I look divine. After the fruits and cheeses and breads for appetizer followed by the celeriac I was at my normal level of fullness. But this was the best (and biggest) chicken I'd ever encountered. The thought of leaving any of it behind seemed sacreligous. So I unhinged my jaw like a python and proceeded to eat almost the entire chicken and all of the mashed potatoes and few of the brussel sprouts. Then we circled the room shooting more photos.
Dessert was coming. You got to pick from three options just like the other courses. Molten choc cake, lemon and raspberry panna cotta, or apple crisp. I was on to them by now - they chose exceptional ingredients and took simple recipes and made them profound. I was beyond stuffed. But I chose the apple crisp because I wanted to see what the Legume version of apple crisp would be. O. Lord. You can ask Sandy, when it arrived I actually got a little tear in my eye. Tart, sweet, with crunchy oatmeal cinnamonybrownsugary goodness with real fresh whipped cream on top. I was far past stuffed and took a few bites. By this time feeling good was well on its way to feeling uncomfortable. And I did feel like the python that eats the antelope and then wanders around for a week with that huge bulge in its belly. I ate just over half of it and then my stomach informed me to stop immediately or there would be consequences.
Then the server came by and asked if I would like a box. My eyes went wide. A BOX? YOU CAN GET A BOX? You never get the option to box up and take home food from a reception. That's exactly why I ate so much because I couldn't imagine such special and perfect food going to waste! HAD I KNOWN I COULD GET A BOX - I would not have attempted to eat AN ENTIRE CHICKEN. But ohhhh it was good.
Jenny and Bradley chose a special panna cotta for their wedding "cake" and cut it together.
By the end of the night I was ready to go - (and desperately needed some air since all that food was probably compressing my lungs.) We left them at the restaurant after which they were going out dancing!
Congratulations Jenny & Bradley! I hope you've been enjoying lots of wedded bliss!!
Ceremony: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Reception: Legume Bistro
Comments added to this post ▣ Megan & Jon - Snowy Night
The reception! Even more delicious details :-)
I froze my fingers for this shot! It's always funny when guests wander away from the party and catch me working.
Megan and Jon alone for some one on one time - I loved her Ugg's !
Love this Image by Sean.
With the snow being almost three feet deep, we were a little limited to locations. Getting down to the pine trees or the lake would have required a a snowkat or a trail groomer on tracks. So we hung out under the deck (conveniently near the access door by the furnace ;-)
Night fell early with the overcast skies and the lodge was a snowy haven.
Some group photos in front of the fireplace, Image by Sean.
After a little furniture rearranging, all of the tables were spread out and guests could eat by the fire. I loved the lighting through the windows of dusk on the snow. Right and bottom images by Sean.
Inside it was warm and cozy. A violinist circled the room playing guest's requests.
First dance.
Details to die for! Everything from the mantles and fireplaces lit with candles to the silver tree where guests could fill out their wishes and hang them like icicles.
Close-up of those cupcakes - the snowflake on top was made from edible sugar.
Then, in the middle of this cozy romantic evening - a party broke loose! The grass skirts were for the men's serenade of "Kokomo" to the bride. And Jon grabbed the mic and brought down the house with his rendition of "Build me up Buttercup".
Just a quiet moment outside in the cold. I brought along my case of sparklers as a surprise. Fire and Ice :-)
I can't say it enough, congratulations to you both ! It was a privilege to be a part of this wedding :-)
Ceremony & Reception Site: Stonehenge Lodge, Stahlstown, PA
Accomodations: Foggy Mountain Lodge
Catering: Carson's Catering
Entertainment: DJ Jukebox Johnny Comments added to this post ▣ Megan & Jon - I do
Almost finished digging out from the SNOWPOCALYPSE. I thought I would be able to wrap up Megan and Jon's wedding in one post - but it looks like it will take one more after this. **Note** if anyone feels like I'm posting too many images and would just like me to get on with it already - let me know!
The ceremony & reception venue, the picturesque Stonehenge Lodge in Stahlstown, PA. Image by Sean.
There's a story here - originally before the snow fell - the plan was to have the ceremony in a heated outdoor tent where guests could enjoy the scenery and then make a smooth transition to the reception in the lodge. However - as with many weddings - there's always something. Just a few days before the wedding the tent rental company called Megan to say that they would be unable to bring them a tent. They cited "inclement weather" as their reason. Now if I were a tent company and I had a problem with "inclement weather" - you would think that I would not book a January wedding in a ski resort area if I couldn't handle the snow. (Just my vendor opinion - I hate to see any of my brides disappointed by ANY vendor.)
To add to the challenges - the day before the wedding - the limo company called Megan to tell her that they would be unable to provide the transportation to the wedding due to "inclement weather". Sean said "they make hummer limos - why didn't the limo company just bump them up to one of them pro-bono? It's the least they could have done." I agree.
So with no tent and no transportation - the ceremony was moved indoors which meant all of the reception tables had to be stripped of their chairs and pushed against the walls. The chairs were then lined up for guests to sit in front of the great stone fireplace for the ceremony. Without the limo, Jon's brother shuttled the girls in their gowns back and forth between Foggy Mountain and Stonehenge. (There's something women like about a pick up man ;-)
Like I said before - I thought the deep snow (while it was problematic) also made the whole event a little more magical. Right image by Sean.
Megan was absolutely stunning.
The ladies carried fur muffs with a single red rose and a few crystals attached. They also sported Ugg boots under their gowns which they intended to swap out for heels once we were done with outside pictures - but ultimately they proved warmer and more comfortable and since you couldn't see them under their dresses, they wore them all day! (I sported a pair of hunter green knee-high felt-packs. I needed function more than style that day!) Bottom image by Sean.
Instead of the traditional pocket square, the men wore black chenille scarves with their tuxes.
The guys could not keep a straight face when it was time for photos - probably because we were freezing! Right image by Sean.
I know I'm posting a ton of pictures here, but I wanted you to see what this wedding party was up against just getting from point A to point B for photos! There were paths in places, but the snow was almost up to my waist everywhere else with temperatures in the 20s. Left and bottom images by Sean.
I have never seen a wedding rock a theme the way that this group did - their winter wonderland could not have been more perfect. Since the tent idea got scrapped - they built a fire in the stone fireplace and stood in front of it for their ceremony. Guests were given paper cones of artificial 'snow' to shower the bride and groom.
When the guests had arrived and made it safely inside, it was time for Megan to come down the aisle with her mother and grandfather at her side.
A friend of the couple sang beautifully and brought us all to tears - the whole ceremony was lit by candles and the cool tones of the sun dimming over the snow outside. It might not have been the tent they had hoped for - and things were a little snug - but it made the atmosphere much more intimate and special.
How much do you love the candles on the mantle - can't get enough!
When they were pronounced the new Mr. & Mrs. everyone clapped and cheered and you could see they were SO happy :-)
I promise - only one more post after this then we'll talk about the Snowpocalypse - and then we'll go back to sunny weather pictures. I still have 10 more weddings to blog from 2009!
Comments added to this post ▣ At first sight . . .
First of all, I cannot even begin to tell you how outrageous the snowfall was that we received last night. I had great plans of blogging the play-by-play all Jim Cantore style right here - but alas the heavy snows took out the phone line, TV, and even the internet!! After staying up most of the night listening to the police scanner about downed wires, debri and fallen trees blocking the road, disabled vehicles and accidents - we woke to complete silence before the sun came up. I won't try to hide it, I kind of love bad weather. And the only person who loves it more than me is Sean. He wakes up to check the snowfall total like it's christmas morning and there's a mountain of presents to be unwrapped. Both eager to turn on the news and see photos of the carnage - that was when we discovered the cable was out. Instead we sat and munched on raisin bran and listened to the radio. It's been a full day of plowing and shovelling all of this heavy snow - but I can say with certainty that we received 25 inches or more because first we were measuring it with a ruler last night. Then the snow got so deep we almost lost the ruler. This morning we found a yard stick and came out around 25 iches of snow depending on where you are standing. I have lots of photos which I will share in a day or so. Until then - the next chapter in Megan and Jon's fairytale: their first look.
Those of you who are not recently married or getting married or have not pored over the pages of The Knot are asking yourselves what on earth a 'first look' is. Here's the shortened answer. Standard traditions dictate that on their wedding day the bride and groom are not to see eachother before the ceremony. The reason for this is that back in the day (back back in the day) arranged marriages were all the rage and couples never even met before the day of their wedding. Marriages were generally arranged by the eldest members of the families like a business deal to gain property or social status. (Imagine your great Aunt Ethel picking out your spouse because she liked his lawn.) Why such secrecy? If neither bride nor groom saw each other until they had already said their vows, there was no opportunity for them to get cold feet and back out.
In this day and age, we pick and choose the superstitions and traditions we want to uphold when it comes to weddings. Keeping the bride and groom apart until the ceremony no longer has anything to do with avoiding cold feet - (we know what we're getting into ladies, right?) - and everything to do with the "wow moment". That moment when the man you want to marry sees you for the very first time in your wedding dress on the best hair/make up day of your life. It's the day we as brides pull out all the stops and do whatever it takes to achieve our own movie start level of beauty. Giving up bread and cookies for six months? Easy. Early morning trips to the gym and tanning salon? No sweat. The longest hair appointment known to man? That's kids play. Because it all comes down to our wow moment.
We want to step into the sunlight for our moment to shine and have the love of our lives look at us with those eyes that say, "I am such a lucky man." Maybe it's a girlish fantasy - but we all dream of being this perfect vision in our wedding gown so that on those early mornings years down the road when we rise and shine to make the coffee wearing sweatpants with bedhead and dark circles under our eyes that our husband will look at us and remember our wedding day and smile and know deep down no matter what that we are the most beautiful woman they have ever known.
Cynics - you can roll your eyes all you want. (I can hear you!!) But I believe every women deserves her Cinderella moment. Every one.
And now - after all that build up - here are Megan and Jon who opted to do a "first look" BEFORE the ceremony. Since their wedding took place late in the day on a January evening - it would be dark out after the ceremony and outdoor photos were very important to them since they were getting married in such a beautiful place! I love it when couples opt to see each other beforehand. It gives them a chance to have their wow moment privately without a hundred eyes watching to see their reaction - and often they react more genuinely because it's not rushed or scheduled. They can really savor it for themselves. It also really frees up the timeline for after the wedding and gives an opportunity for some truly special photos. For their first look - we scoped out a spot at the venue (Stonehenge Lodge) that was out of the way and had great lighting. We asked Jon to stand and the botto of the steps and wait for Megan to arrive.
Megan's sisters helped her carefully down the path and arranged her hair and veil at the last minute so everything would be perfect.
When Megan was in place, I told Jon that he could turn around whenever he was ready. . . .
It was perfect. A moment frozen frame by frame in time. I stood at the bottom of the steps and Sean was just off camera at the top of the steps. Images of Jon by Sean.
They stood for a moment (by now I am shooting like crazy through my own blurry eyes not knowing whether I should laugh or cry because it was just so perfect) then Jon climbed the stairs to his bride.
You could see all of the anxiety and tension just melt away as they laughed and smiled and celebrated.
From that moment on, everything was smooth sailing. No one was nervous, no one was worried. They were just happy in the moment. The whole rest of the day just flowed. I would recommend a first look to anyone who is comfortable bending that particular tradition. Not only does it take a whole lot of pressure off the day and free up your timeline AND give you the opportunity to get photos you will cherish as memories.
Most importantly - it doesn't ruin your wow moment. It gives you the opportunity to really enjoy it for what it's meant to be.
Comments added to this post ▣ Megan & Jon 01.09.10
As we're bracing for the next SNOWPOCALYPSE to hit pennsylvania - I thought I'd do something radical to celebrate. (Yes I said celebrate the 8-12 inches of snow that's bearing down on us at this very moment.) I'm going to blog out of order.
Just because today reminds me a lot of the last time we were scheduled to get 8 inches of snow in one day which was for Megan and Jon's snowed in winter wedding. I remember when we shot their engagement session last summer that we stared dreamily into space imagining light flurries falling like a snow globe as they said their vows and sighing:
"ahhhh i hope we have snow :-) "
Turns out we did - almost 32" of it at their venue!! If you like snow - host your wedding in a ski resort area - it works! You'll notice a lot of landscape photos in this post that we shot both the day of the rehearsal and the day of the wedding - not only was it spectacularly gorgeous - I think it's important to set the scene that there was not just snow. Or a lot of snow. There were literally FEET of snow. The wedding party chose to spend the weekend staying at the Foggy Mountain Lodge in Stahlstown, PA which was just a mile down the road from their ceremony and reception venue. The girls got ready in one suite and the guys got ready in the suite next door. Although just getting up the hill was a challenge - since it was Anna's birthday weekend, she was at home celebrating and I was lucky enough to have Sean with me as my second shooter and hazardous driving expert. We had to pull off in the ditch on the way up the driveway to let the snowplow squeeze by!
The girls were in full swing with hair and make-up when we arrived.
The Foggy Mountain staff had shoveled pathways through the deep drifts for us all to scurry back and forth between locations and to the cars. Megan chose a gorgeous royal blue color for the bridesmaids gowns that looked awesome with all of the ice and snow. Top left and bottom right images by Sean.
This was what the drive looked like on the way up the mountain.
But let's get back inside where it's warm!! This is Megan with her neice and nephew who were also her flower girl and ring bearer for the ceremony.
Then it was time to put on the dress - there is seriously never enough time to get ready for a wedding. I think for my own wedding I may start hair and make up the night before just so we're not late. Megan's sisters helped her put on her dream dress and when she walked out, everyone lit up at how beautiful she looked.
Megan's sister, Emma, placing her veil.
The snow stopped for a brief while and we actually thought the sun would come out - Image by Sean.
Over on the other side of the bathroom wall - the guys were getting ready deciphering the rental tux instructions. (You should see the treasure map the rental shop gives you for folding a pocket square.) Jon was a little anxious. With the weather being extreme - we all hoped the guests would get there safely and on time.
More shots from the drive up - as we gained elevation we encountered a weather phenomenon known as 'freezing fog'. You could see a line where 5 feet below that line there was no snow on the trees and five feet above that line it looked like mother nature had hit the forest with an 80s hair band dose of Aquanet.
Back to the story - the guys all dressed up with nowhere to go - took a very stately cigar break before they loaded into the trucks to four wheel over to the wedding. Bottom and right images by Sean.
Tomorrow's post - SNOWPOCALYPSE HITS PA - AGAIN - and Megan and Jon's ceremony by the fire :-)
Comments added to this post ▣ Megan & Jon - sneak peek!
I can't resist! I have to post a few images from Megan and Jon's snowed-in-winter-wonderland wedding from this past saturday. (HELLO MAUI :-D :-D Hope you guys are having an awesome time!!)
Just a few moments after seeing eachother for the first time.
Late in the evening - fire and ice :-)
That's it! That's all I'm giving away for now!
Congratulations on getting Maui'ed :-D Big hugs ! Comments added to this post ▣ Alison & Jason - Red, White, and True
After photos at the church, the whole wedding party loaded up into a huge RV decorated with " Just Married " signs for the short drive through town to the Indiana Country Club.
Indiana Country Club was a beautiful venue with plenty of space. The guest list was 300+ but still felt like a hometown gathering of friends and relatives. The tables were decorated with red napkins and centerpieces and their cake was surrounded by rose petals. The grooms cakes featured toy soldiers.
Just before dinner was served, there was barely any daylight left. (Friday weddings are later in the day as the norm.) I was dying to get Alison and Jason out onto the golf course for some alone time, but the manager warned us there was no time and that postponing dinner even a few minutes could be disastrous. Lucky for me - Alison and Jason were serious about pictures and firmly stated they would be outside for photos and dinner would wait a few minutes.
** 100 bonus points to a bride on a mission ** :-)
We spent less than 5 minutes outside for just a couple of photos in the flower bed and the result was this. Can you say SO WORTH IT??
Once we were back inside, dinner went on and it was delicious. Afterwards Jason led Alison to the dance floor and presented her with a single red rose for their first dance as husband and wife.
When it was time to cut the cake, we had Alison & Jason's parents stand by for a "photo op" - while the whole crowd was calling for them to smash it on eachother - instead they turned and smashed the cake on their dads! Awesome action shot by Anna.
Things calmed down a little for the father-daughter and mother-son dances. Alison and her dad danced to "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw - it was a tear jerker.
After that, the party really kicked loose. Their DJs were outstanding - almost too good! The dance floor was packed all night long. Jason strapped on his tactical helmet complete with headlamp to retreive Alison's garter and found a Terrible Towel instead!
The money dance went on and on - when Jason tried to get to Alison there was a wall of people blocking him and when he couldn't fight his way through, he got a leg up from his groomsmen who helped him over the top of the pile. When he finally got to her, he scooped her up along with the satin sack of money and carried her out !
If I had to choose 4 more images to represent this awesome reception, it would be these. Alison's hockey team members from college hoisting her for a photo, some guys wearing hats for the YMCA, the men busting a move to "earn a spot" up front to catch the garter, and two little indian chiefs who were having a ball. :-) Anna and I left this party in the wee hours of the morning and drove home with glow sticks around our neck just in time to get up early and start shooting for the next wedding the following day!
In lieu of favors, the families of the couple made a donation to the wounded warriors fund. They gave out flag pins at each place setting so that guests could wear them to show their support.
If you would like to make a donation or find out more information about how you can help wounded soldiers, please click HERE. Also, please keep Jason and his new bride in your thoughts and prayers as he has recently been deployed overseas. It's unimaginable, especially at the holidays, to think of being sent away from your family, but also to be newlyweds who will be separated for a long time after only having a few months together. Please pray for Jason's safe return and for all soldiers who are away from home this season.
Ceremony: Calvary Presbyterian Church, Indiana PA
Reception: Indiana Country Club
Entertainment: Mixmaster DJ Services
Comments added to this post ▣ Alison & Jason 8.07.09
Alison and Jason were married in Indiana, PA back in August of this year. They had a special set of circumstances for their wedding since Jason serves in the Army, they had to work around his leave schedule and plan their wedding in PA from an army base in the southern states. Having both grown up here, they had lots of friends and family to help pull the whole thing together! The weather was hot and sunny - a great day for golf. And boy did the guys golf - they golfed and golfed and golfed at least 18 holes and then realized they had like 9 guys that all needed to shower and get dressed and only one bathroom. (Schematic planning error!) They showed up a little late at the church but just in time to start escorting guests ;-) Alison and the girls had arrived hours earlier for make-up and lunch from the sub shop in town. Each of the girls wore a camoflauge T-shirt that had their names and 'rank' on it :-) For the day, they were Alison's Army. They matched Alison's camo garters.
For their ceremony, they chose Calvary Presbyterian Church in historic downtown Indiana. It was a huge red stone church in the round with a stained glass domed ceiling.
I was able to steal Jason outside for just a few quick portraits before the ceremony.
With eight bridesmaids and eight groomsmen, they were a big happy bunch. The stained glass shined in the afternoon sun as the men lit the candles that lined the long aisle. Alison wore a bracelet with her father's name and rank from his time in the armed forces. Top right image by Anna - gotta love the backstage moment :-)
Alison came down the aisle with her father with a big smile and happy tears. She and Jason said their vows and exchanged rings. The funniest thing happened though during the ceremony - they had left the back doors to the church open since it was a hot day (and gorgeous historic churches were not designed with air conditioning) while all eyes were on the couple - a tiny little kitten that had been hiding in the bushes outside decided to venture into the church and join the wedding! It scurried right past Anna and I who were dumbstruck and ran under the pews almost all the way to the front, circling in and out of people's feet, then looped back and ran to the back of the church. By this time, Anna and I are in hysterics trying to giggle silently and the little girl in the very last pew has turned around loudly proclaiming in the quiet church " Look Dad! Look! LOOK! " All the while no one notices and the ceremony goes on without interruption.
Thanks to Anna being the eye in the sky for the image on the left.
Married at last! They left the church to a huge cheering crowd and a shower of rose petals.
What a handsome and stylish wedding party!!
Finally, all the men together - very sore from playing all that golf.
Ladies in red - we loved their red shoes ;-)
An officer and a gentlemen - with his new bride.
Tomorrow's post - the party!
Comments added to this post ▣ Stacey & Tim .... contd.
See what I mean about the transom window over the door? The girls wore ocean blue gowns and carried small starfish in their bouquets.
I loved their cake! It was blue to match the girls and was decorated with shells and brown sugar to look like sand. How clever? Right image by Anna.
The newly minted Mr. & Mrs. :-)
You might recognize this field from Amy & Ben's wedding. Only this time I made sure not to touch my face or rub my eyes or fall in the grass! Their wedding party was so fun and up for anything tromping out there for photos!
Love this :-)
Sometimes the best moments are the ones in between - Image by Anna - with the spy lens when no one thought she was looking ;-)
Stacey's blue shoes with her starfish tattoo.
Congratulations! :-)
Ceremony: Plum Creek Church, Plum Borough
Reception: Four Points Sheraton, Greensburg
Transportation: Quality Limosine - can take a hit and keep on going!
Comments added to this post ▣ Stacey & Tim 8.01.09
Ta Da! Snowed in and blogging and the whole house smells like cookies! We got about 6+ inches of snow yesterday while I was out shooting the last wedding of 2009 - but that is another story to be told later :-)
Back to sunny August 1st ! Hopefully you will recognize Stacey and Tim from their adventurous engagement session through the urban jungle. After months of planning and waiting - their big day arrived with bright sunny skies and a light breeze. And drama! But what's a wedding without a little drama? The girls were cool and collected getting ready, going over their checklists, packing bags, etc. The drama was not with the wedding party - it was the limo!
Their limo bus was hit by a drunk driver on the way to Stacey's mom's house to pick up the girls! Luckily it was still drive-able and after their chauffeur cleaned up the broken glassware that was knocked off the shelves in the collision he picked up the girls and got them to the church safely and on time. The drunk driver fled the scene but the limo driver called the police and explained the situation - the police met the driver at the church while the ceremony went on and took his statement - and then later called back to say they had caught the drunk driver. Justice ;-) The day went on without incident after that - but back to the beginning.
The girls all got ready at Stacey's mom's house which was just a short drive from the church.
Stacey was stunning :-)
And so was her bling! She had beautiful gifts from JARED to wear down the aisle with her ring.
Plum creek church was very pretty - it kind of struck me as early american colonial with the beamed ceiling, box pews, and the big transom over the front doors.
Some details of their ceremony included a candle lit near the altar in memory of Stacey's father, readings by family and friends, and a vase of sand that was poured by Stacey, Tim, and their pastor which signified their bond together and with God for the rest of their married lives.
Married at last! They left the church with big smiles through a cloud of bubbles and cheers!
Just a sneak peek - I'll post the good good stuff tomorrow. But right now I have to get out and do some shopping. (I'm almost done, but Sean the procrastinator hasn't even started his xmas shopping yet so we have a lot of ground to cover.)
Comments added to this post ▣ Christine & Peter - 7.26.09
Diamonds are forever :-) Christine & Peter tied the knot back in July in a casually elegant black and white wedding. Christine works for JARED (as in - He went to Jared!!) and we looooved her cake topper. Just wait till you see :-D
The day started in the carriage house at Lingrow with all of the girls getting ready. Peter's sisters kept coming in and out bringing along big smiles, delicious homemade cookies, and passing messages back and forth to Pete. It was a celebration!
Their flower girl was a little bit shy and so she carried her favorite lady bug in the bottom of her petal basket.
There were no tears until Peter sent over a little note and a special gift - a bracelet that Christine had heart set on for her to wear on their wedding day. Then there were lots of happy tears as relatives and friends helped Christine put the final touches on her hair and make-up, adjusted her veil and sent her out the door into the next chapter of her life.
Their ringbearer - already a handsome man - getting coached before he marched proudly down the aisle. No fear :-) Image by Anna
Then there she was - like a fairy tale princess coming through the trees in a white carriage. The breeze had kicked up and caught her veil just right. You could see her smile from all the way across the lake! Image by Anna.
Peter saw her for the first time and met her halfway to escort her to the lake himself. They exchanged their vows under the gazebo. There was a brief moment of panic (at least for Anna and I) when the wind came on strong and started throwing down big fat rain drops. We grabbed for the umbrellas and kept on shooting. The show must go on !
Luckily the rain blew over as fast as it had arrived. Christine made sure that Peter's ring was on good and tight ;-)
My buddy was like an assistant in training!!! A natural... he was great!!
Check out that cake topper! Blingalicious :-D The evening was beautiful and the black and white details of the reception really popped.
Whoa. :-*
And as we all know - just because there's rain doesn't mean the day is a wash. Sometimes it's just a way to bring out the rainbow. We were lucky enough to be seeing double for just a split second during dinner.
After dinner it was time for their first dance and the party!!
Their friends surprised them with some wedding gifts ;-)
We stayed late that night until Christine & Pete were ready to depart for their honeymoon.
Thank you so much for having us! I hope your first Christmas as husband and wife is magical :-)
Comments added to this post ▣ Jaclyn & Dennis Under the rainbow
The second half of Jaclyn & Dennis' big day! The weather was just a little cloudy which was enough to keep the July heat down. The humidity wasn't too bad either which is a blessing. We loved the color of the bridesmaid dresses - so bright and summery. They looked fantastic with the green grass and the dark skies.
Pastor John presided over the ceremony as the couple exchanged rings under the gazebo.
The whole ceremony, they could not stop smiling and laughing at eachother :-D
After the kiss and a receiving line of smiles and hugs that went on for miles we decided with the wind picking up and the clouds rolling in that we had better get to the pictures quick! Check out the drama-sky sweeping across the left side of the frame.
I told you there was A LOT of laughing with this group. UKP !!!!!
The room was decorated with coral satin chair sashes and lime and citrus colored centerpieces.
During the cocktail hour guests enjoyed fresh fruit as well as homemade wine that Dennis made himself! There were many different kinds to choose from including a green apple reisling that was YUM-O :)
During dinner Anna and I snuck off to do the ring shot. It had started to rain lightly by then and I was obsessed with doing something with the grape vine (since they make their own wine) and the whiskey barrell and the rain with the rings. I think we spent 30 minutes on this shot while everyone was eating. We drew a small crowd of caterers and staff who were having fun watching us work. So worth it though. I LOVE how this turned out.
So now dinner is coming to a close and I decided to head outside and check out the weather and sky situation to see when it would be a good time to get some establishing shots of the barn. I turned so my back was to the sun now shining brightly and LO - there was a GIANT RAINBOW that stretched from the trees behind the lake and made a huge arc across the sky and touched down in the trees just behind the barn. My jaw fell open. This never ever happens when you have a camera in your hand. I went running back inside, pulled Anna away from her dinner and dragged her to the deck pointing to the sky. Her jaw fell open. Etc. I went to find Jaclyn and Dennis - this was a rare rare opportunity and rainbows fade so fast - we had to get out there now!
I know that they say it's good luck to have rain on your wedding day - but this was icing on the cake with a cherry AND sprinkles on top. The lighting was so cool. The sun was setting with all of its golden tones but there was heavy cloud cover so it made the whole field almost glow. (You may think this is is a product of photoshop but I can assure you - the only 'shop here is that I cloned out a small pile of firewood in the background. All that rainbow goodness is real. And I only WISH I could craft something like that with the computer.)
The sky just got better and better as the rainbow faded and clouds rolled away. The sky turned crazy pink and purple under the clouds but you could still see the blue sky somewhere above them. This has been my desktop wallpaper for months.
The party was wild! Everyone danced and laughed and carried on!
To end a perfect day, they capped off the hot July evening with a small fireworks display.
The festivities carried on long into the night. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.
Congratulations!! Many happy memories!
Ceremony & Reception Location: www.lingrowfarm.com Catering: Garda's Restaurant Entertainment: DJ Rockin John
Comments added to this post ▣ Jaclyn & Dennis 07.18.09
I've decided I'm going to attempt to overcome my disease O.C.B.D (Obsessive Chronological Blog Disorder). I long to no longer be confined by the constraints of posting things in the order they were shot! Sean and I spent the weekend with my family on a road trip through north central PA and we took sooo many photos - and if I stick to my "posting in order" rules - I won't get to share them with you until christmas! I don't think I can wait that long. So while I'm getting that ready to show off - I want to share one of my favorite weddings of the summer! We have a great time at every wedding we are privileged to attend, but this one was extra special because of a weather event that NEVER HAPPENS when I'm holding a camera.
Until now! Here are some moments from the beginning of their day :-)
Jaclyn and her girls spent the morning at her Mom's house doing their hair and make-up and laughing A LOT :-)
Jaclyn's friend, D (who is unbeweaveable!) pinned her curls into place - her hair was GORGEOUS!
Jaclyn was relaxed and happy all morning and so beautiful.
After I left the girls, I headed over to the ceremony location to meet up with Dennis and his groomsmen. Great bunch of guys - they even laughed at my terrible jokes !
As the minutes ticked down to the ceremony, Jaclyn tried to sneak a peak out the door at the guests filing down the aisle. Her sister stayed with her - she had performed a small miracle earlier by racing back to their mom's house to get the flowers that had been forgotten in the rush! She was even pulled over for speeding and made it on time and with her smile intact!
Their wedding was smooth sailing after that! I'll post some more soon! Comments added to this post ▣ Amy & Ben *Part 2*
I hope these were worth the wait!! Here's the rest of Amy & Ben's day :-)
The sun was high overhead as the bridesmaids helped Amy out of the limo and ushered her up the steps into the bride room in the church.
The flower girl was peeking out of the curtains into the sanctuary - very mischievious ;-)
The church was gorgeous with lots of natural light streaming in through the high windows. Musicians played live music as guests were escorted to their seats.
Remember I told you that Ben was feeling a little anxious for this moment - he couldn't wait to see her :-) When she appeared at the back of the aisle with her Dad and made her way to the altar, I turned to see Ben holding back tears. It was one of the best groom reactions I've seen :-) Sometimes you can't hold that much happy in !
After some photos at the church we took the limo to Twin Lakes for a few shots by the lake. The sun was hot and very bright so we tried to be quick!
It never fails, someone always wants to hoist someone! I don't ever bring it up as a suggestion because not every bride or groom really wants to be picked up for fear of falling - but it never fails. Someone in the crowd shouts "You should pick him/her up!!" And there they go again :-D But when it's all in good fun it always makes for hysterical pictures!
After some time at Twin Lakes, we moved on to the reception at the Four Points Sheraton in Greensburg. Some details of the evening - floating candle centerpieces, and a cake that filled the whole room with a delicious sweet smell. Later when they cut this cake it was the most moist sweet delicate - mmmm - I could have eaten 3 pieces.
The rings - I know the flower shot is an old stand by but sometimes I think simple is best. Ben custom designed Amy's engagement ring with light blue accent stones since it was her favorite color.
So there's a story behind this next set of images. Remember how I mentioned I ended up in the doctor's office after this wedding? Well this is why - I had scoped out this field next to the hotel in advance and it looked like a great spot for some sneaky romantic shots during dinner. Amy and Ben were SO AWESOME and earned at least 300 photo bonus points for being willing to tramp out into this field of flowers and grasses just as the sun was setting through the trees.
Then for even more points - they agreed to sit down among the flowers - Ben fell in a hole and ended up feet in the air but they were great sports about it. They were so happy that day and having fun.
I love this image - and that's why it was worth it when just a few moments later my left eye started to feel itchy and painful and raw. But I paid no attention because I was trying to work the sun angle and capture all this romance!
Ben in the field - left image by the talented Anna.
Back inside it was time for the first dance and Amy & Ben were amazing with a choreographed song.
This couple has moves ! Left image by Anna.
The dance floor was packed most of the night. We were having a blast watching everyone out there. My eye however was starting to swell and hurt more and was watering.
This guy right here is what makes this job even better. He was moving to a groove only he could hear and didn't need any dance partner to slow him down.
When Anna and I left it was almost midnight and the party was going strong! I drove home with my left eye closed. The next morning I thought I had pulled an eye muscle - I had a stabbing pain and couldn't wear my contacts. I added up that in the wedding double header I'd taken over 5,000 shots in 48 hours and probably had squinted through the viewfinder twice as much. It was logical that I might have like - broke my eye.
I decided to try the wait-and-see method of treatment. Three days later it was still swelled and killing me and I finally broke down and went to the optometrist. Fearing the worst I sat there kicking the bottom of the chair because I couldn't actually kick myself for injuring my most important tool of all. Luckily it wasn't permanent. In fact - it was an allergy. Apparently while I was out there wading around in that field and commando crawling through the grasses I got into something that I was allergic to (I was previously unaware that I was allergic to anything environmental) and then proceeded to RUB IT DIRECTLY IN MY EYE. Smaaaaarrrtt..... So no contact lenses, and no picture taking for a whole week. A whole bottle of prescription drops later, the swelling finally subsided.
I was so glad when Amy and Ben got back from their honeymoon to hear that they were unaffected by the trip to the field and I hadn't sent them to St. Lucia with temporary blindness. Whew!!
They were SO GREAT :-) I can't wait for their after session!
Reception: Four Points Sheraton, Greensburg PA
Florist: Brides and Butterflies, Adamsburg PA
Entertainment: Flipside DJs (John Wiggins)
Cake: Can-Do Creations (Pam Haines) BEST CAKE I EVER TASTED!!!!
Comments added to this post ▣ Amy & Ben 06.27.09
It was a hot sunny day back in June when Amy & Ben tied the knot. Amy and the girls got ready at the Four Points Sheraton in Greensburg where the reception would be held later that night. The guys were at Ben's brother's house next door to the church. Amy was cool as a cucumber - Ben was a little anxious, he wanted to make sure everything went according to plan. And I think deep down he knew that when the moment came to see her coming down the aisle toward him, it would change his life forever. (And he couldn't wait for it to happen :-)
Amy's dress was amazing - Anna and I were already ahhing over it when the girls got back from the salon.
Ben's idea - Amy wore a bracelet with their wedding date written in beads with her gown.
In the next room, the bridesmaids were getting ready to go as well. Their housekeeper at the Sheraton had left them extra bottles of water for the wedding party and a note that said "Congratulations! Have a great day!! You're hskper, Grace :-) If you need anything call me!" Top right image by Anna.
Then it was time for the dress. (This is why you have bridesmaids :-)
I love this shot by Anna.
When Amy was fully assembled ;-) her Dad came down to see her in her wedding dress and this was his reaction when he walked through the door to his little girl.
Moments like that are what make this job so important to me. So that memories like that can just freeze, just stay, don't pass by fleetingly - just stay perfect just like that.
More photos to come! (Wait till you see the shot that put me in the doctor's office! It was worth it!) Comments added to this post ▣ Heather & Kris - part 2
The rest of Heather & Kris's wedding. Did I mention they were a super-fun carefree couple? No stress here - they came to have fun and get married and celebrate! Here's Heather with her sisters and cousins while the rest of the bridesmaids were getting ready to walk down the aisle.
Remember I said this was a HUGE wedding party - and these are just the guys! Kris, plus the dads, plus the ushers and groomsmen made 16 men in all. Whew! We were challenged to find a piece of shade big enough to cover the whole wedding party!
This reminds me of shooting little league teams :-)
The ceremony site before the guests were seated.
Heather and Kris decided to include a sand ceremony after their vows. It's a great alternative to a unity candle for an outdoor ceremony. After all - if you lit a candle and then a stray gust of wind mysteriously poofed it out, that could be seen as a bad omen ;-) Sand stays put. Not to mention it's easier to keep around the house later !
A looooong receiving line - so much joy to be spread around :-) Image by Anna.
Inside the barn before the guests came in for dinner. Their colors were canary, tan, and light peach. It was light and summery and they used daisies in their boquets and centerpieces.
Heather downstairs in the barn coordinating the entrance with DJ Rockin John - (he's a great dj if you need one!)
When it was time to be announced, they played the Chicago Bulls theme song and the wedding party made up their own entrance complete with wild cheering and tear away pants! Heather and Kris ran through their "teammates" who formed a huddle and rallied and cheered while DJ John kept the smoke and the bubble machine firing!
After dinner we snuck outside for some alone time with Heather and Kris to just relax and be themselves.
They were instantly awarded 100 photo bonus points for being willing to lay on the grass for a few shots :-D I love it when couples are adventurous!
In true pittsburgh style, Kris wore his steeler socks under his tux. They had a great time hanging out with friends and Heather's Dad thanked Kris heartily for the chance to witness a good cake smashing (especially since it was his daughter). We'll talk more about cake smashing at a later date.
Later it was time for the bouquet and garter toss, when Kris threw it over his shoulder - it hit the floor and the guys had to make a dive for it. Right image by Anna.
Congratulations Heather & Kris - I hope everyday is half as fun as your wedding day for the next 50 years :-)
Ceremony/Reception site: Lingrow Farm Entertainment: DJ Rockin John Caterer: Garda's Cake: Debbie Sutara Salon Services: Fashions-A-Head Salon & Day Spa
Comments added to this post ▣ Heather & Kris - June wedding - part 1
Heather and Kris were married in June at Lingrow Farm and I have to say - they might hold my personal record for largest wedding party. Seriously, they were like a coed professional sports team with flowers. It was pretty wild, Anna and I walked into the salon with rows and rows of chairs and realized that every person in the whole place was a member of the wedding party! It was like being backstage at a runway show. There was enough hairspray in the air to freeze frame a flock of geese!
Fashions-a-Head does a fantastic job and are unique from other salons because instead of all your bridesmaids waiting their turn for hair and make-up, the salon brings in a stylist for every bridesmaid so that all the girls can get their hair done at once. Heather, 10 bridesmaids and her mom were there for hair and makeup and it took less than 2 hours start to finish. Now that's salon-tastic.
The whole place was full of giggling and nail polish - we loved it. Because after all, if you can't be a little girly on your wedding day, then when can you?
While the girls were finishing their make-up we headed back to the farm to meet up with the guys. Kris was handling the finer points of boutonier pinning.
I promise to keep blogging since I'm so far behind! Thank you faithful readers!!!
Comments added to this post ▣ Molly & J -Fallingwater
If you are interested in having super heroes at your wedding - read on.
Recently (ok not that recent - but recent for the blogosphere) I had the pleasure of second shooting for a friend and extremely talented colleague for a committment ceremony she had booked for a fabulous couple at Fallingwater. I met Sandy from Red Lotus Photography at a workshop we both attended in Pittsburgh last year and we hit it off right away and have been pals ever since. It's not every day that you find someone that understands your artistic OCD and really "gets it" when you're struggling to describe WHY you do things the way you do. She second shot for me for Kara & Tom's wedding last year and was a lifesaver. So when she called me for a weekend I already had two weddings booked for to see if I wanted to come hang out and lend a hand - all she had to say was "Fallingwater" and I was SO THERE.
I mean, it's not everyday you get the opportunity to shoot in a such a unique and fantastic location. Photographers are weird like that about locations and backgrounds. If you asked us if we wanted to shoot a gorgeous bride in a manicured lawn or in a swamp - we'd pick the swamp every time. It's hard to explain.
I have to tell you that I LOVE to second shoot. Why? Because it's all the fun of shooting a wedding without all the pressure of being in charge. I had a lot more time to see and do and work with different angles that I never have time for when I'm focused on getting all the formals and the family shots done right. For instance - I met up with Sandy and her lovely assistant Amy at the farmhouse next to The Barn at Fallingwater where the guys and girls were getting ready. While Sandy and Amy were concentrating on the girls - I got to spend time with the guys getting ready. Normally there's never time for all that - but with a dynamic duo you can accomplish amazing things.
J and Molly's brother got dressed in a spare room of the farmhouse with the guys. It was screeching hot and incredibly humid that day.
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Molly's brother works with his tie. Molly wore a beautiful light blue gown that swayed through the grasses as she walked, and a fresh orchid in her hair.
The couple decided to see each other before the ceremony for a few photos in front of the farmhouse and to get a jump on family portraits before it got too oppressively hot outside.
Their ceremony site was absolutely stunning located behind the barn in the woods under a cathedral trees. Guests sat on hay bales covered in rustic burlap sacks and the couple stood under an archway made of branches and adorned with more fresh orchids, lilies, and a hummingbird feeder.
Several friends and relatives gave personal testimonials about Molly and J when they were kids; their life, their love, their likes and differences, the night they met, and campfires on the beach. Together they all told the two true stories of two kids who grew up and from this day on would tell their tale on the same pages of the same chapter in the same book.
Truly everything was personal and special. Guests who arrived in dress shoes not expecting the short hike in the woods were greeted at the edge of the trees with colorful flip flops to wear to the ceremony. Molly's close friend is a composer who wrote music that was performed by an instrumental trio of more friends while they made their entrance. Molly and J laughed and cried many times, exhanged vows and rings, and walked up the center aisle towards a long and celebrated journey of their life together.
I should point out that by this time the sky had clouded a little and the wind was picking up. It started sprinkling and fearing a total wash out might be upon us we rushed over to the Frank Loyd Wright house for some photos before dinner.
Now this is the real beauty of being a second shooter. When Sandy and Amy had to get everyone organized for all the formal shots with their family members - I got to go shoot the food for cocktail hour ;-)
The Barn at Fallingwater is an extremely unique and green structure. It's rustic, but also contemporary. The perfect fit for this hip environmentally concious couple.
In case the printing on this top left photo is too small to read on your screen it says, "During the construction process (of the barn), 81% of the construction debris was recycled. The barn floor started life as a maple gymnasium floor at a convent in Pittsburgh." Fields of Heather did an outstanding job adding fresh flowers to all of the decor.
After dinner and before the party really started, Sandy stole the couple away to a field of soft waving grasses behind the farmhouse for a little romance. You can see more of her amazing drool-worthy work by clicking HERE.
When it was time to dance, Molly and J brought out their sequined hats and strutted their stuff to Billy Jean. Once all the guests got out on the dance floor the party stretched a long long time into the night.
To see more photos from both myself and the fabulous Sandy Yetter, check out her blog at Red Lotus Photography. I could seriously get into this teaming up with other professionals as a super hero team. I wish that we both had enough blog space to show you all of the photos. It's been so hard to pick what to share! Congratulations to Molly and J - I wish you many years of sand between your toes. Thanks for taking me along for the ride, Sandy ;-)
Ceremony & Reception Location: The Barn at Fallingwater Fantastic Food & Drink: Bart's Catering Bakery: Vanilla Pastry Studio Photography: Red Lotus Photography & Myself Floral Decor: Fields of Heather Hair & MakeUp: Beth McHenry (Evolve) evolvemodhair@gmail.com Event Coordinator: Mimi York
Comments added to this post ▣ Minda & Brett - Part 2 (image overload!)
I'm getting so far behind on blogging that I had to catch up on all the good stuff that's already happened so I can get to the part where I can show you the good stuff that's going on now ! Yowza - I wish I could give you sneak peaks from Molly & J at Fallingwater, fireworks on the river, french and indian war cannon's in the woods, summer wildlife, lingrow portraits, Olivia's rockin senior session, Jess & Jaison at Hartwood Acres, Zack v.2010, and Ben & Amy - but I'm just not done yet! And it's too good to skip over anything!
Just keep clicking over here - cause just when you think it's good we're taking it to a whole. nother. level.
Oh snap.
Back to Minda and Brett - when we last left this blog entry, Minda was just pulling up to their ceremony in the white horse drawn carriage. Her two ringbearers enjoying the ride with her - one carried the embroidered monogram pillow with the rings tied to a bow, and the other proudly held a banner that read "Here comes the Bride".
I love this venue.
Their ceremony brought me to tears (along with every other person present including the minister). Since Minda works with kids, they used an excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit as a reading. Basic synopsis - the story is told from the point of view of a stuffed rabbit that lives in a child's nursery and covers a lot of topics about love and growing up and growing old. Here's a snippet - (this starts at the point when the Skin Horse and the Rabbit are talking)
Maybe I'm just an old softy - but it was a beautiful reading. And we all needed a tissue after that.
Just married they boogie-ed back up the aisle and into the awaiting carriage for a private ride around the lake.
A few fun pictures with some of the kids that Minda has nannied over the years. Images 2, 3, 5, and 6 courtesy of Anna.
This next group is also courtesy of Anna who had the spy lens while we were doing the formals.
Minda and Brett and their family and friends put so much care into the details of this wedding. Here, they strung a clothesline on the porch of the barn and had blank tags that guests could write messages on and then clothespin to the line. The staff at Lingrow had big glass containers of cold lemonade and ice tea for guests to sip while they visited.
SO FUN! Minda and Brett rented a margarita machine for the wedding! They found these great giant margarita glasses (my mum would call them 'bathtubs' - I have several at home) that they decorated and instead of fruit or umbrellas they floated bride and groom rubber ducks in their drinks as a garnish.
The food was amazing courtesy of Chef and I catering. There was roast turkey and beef, sandwich materials, jumbalaya, steamed vegetables, and a pasta station where you could choose your own noodles, sauce, and toppings and have your own personal combination cooked to perfection right before your eyes. Guests couldn't wait to get to the fancy cupcakes (KeyLime, BananaPeanutButter, Smores, and ChocStrawberry flavor).
Ice Ice Baby :-) Literally - Anna and I were downstairs melting ice cubes to make special effects for this shot!
The Best Man and Maid of Honor each gave heartfelt toasts.
Minda and Brett took dance lessons prior to the wedding and impressed everyone with a very sweet waltz.
When there was a lull in the evening before the serious partying started, I stole the couple away outside for some private photo time. They each had brought a gift for one another and opened them sitting down at the dock. Minda gave Brett a very nice watch and he had a gorgeous bracelet for her.
Love Love Loved the parasol...
When guests arrived that day they found empty jars with their name and table number on them. That way they could carry their jar to the candy buffet and fill it with their favorite sweets to take home.
This couple is brilliant - you've figured that out by now, right? They had a caricature artist come to the reception and draw for the guests as they posed for their portrait. Everybody loved it and tons of people went home with an extra personalized souvenier to remember a crazy fun day!
Just before it got dark that night Minda and Brett stepped outside to do a "Thank You Shot" so they could use it for their thank you cards after the wedding. They had crafted a sign made out of tags strung on a line.
Congratulations and thank you both so much for the privilege of having us shoot your wedding! I can't wait to see pictures from Figi !! (They were honeymooning and swimming with sharks!)
Ceremony & Reception Site: Lingrow Farm Food Services: Chef and I Salon Experts: Planet Chi
Comments added to this post ▣ Minda & Brett 05.23.09
Greetings! Wow - long time no post.. Sorry about that guys. Things to explain: my fantastic printer bit the dust after 3 years of loyal service. I was peeved - it actually counted down like a death clock "parts inside your printer are reaching the end of their service life" followed by "parts inside your printer are near the end of their service life" (I thought it was a clever pressure sales technique by Epson to get me to go out and buy something) and then finally "parts inside your printer have reached the end of their service life" and it stopped printing. Completely. The nice folks at Epson informed me that unless I wanted to drive it to a service center (1+ hour away) and pay for parts and labor, that I was now the proud owner of a 27 lb paperweight and their advice was to just buy a new printer. They even gave me a handy link to where I could buy the new model of that printer for 10% off. And go back to the pure joy of having to special order 8 ink cartridges online wait for them to arrive and then count the months until the new Epson death clock started to count down. No thank you. I've switched to HP. Does it read 15 memory cards? No. Does it print directly onto the surface of a CD? No. Does it have a 5 inch LCD screen which allows me to view photos and correct red eye and print little kitten greeting cards? No. But what it does do is Print. Scan. And Copy. With 2 ink cartridges I can get even at walmart. And it does it all - wirelessly. Finally my laptop and I can venture out into the outdoor world where we were meant to be the whole time!
And now - on to the photos! Minda & Brett were married on May 23rd at Lingrow Farm. This is only part 1 of this celebration because it was too awesome for just one post! I'm trying something different here with the blog collages. I've done them a bunch of different ways, let me know which ones you like the best.
I met up with Minda, her bridesmaids, and the moms at Planet Chi Salon in Lower Burrell. I don't know if it was the hairspray cloud hanging in the air or the fantastic staff, but it was a great start to an amazing day!
I left the girls at the salon and headed out to the farm with Anna to get a sneak peak at all the fabulous details inside the barn.
Minda made all of the centerpieces herself with fresh flowers. And there were tags on everything - cool tags like you'd see on a package. They tied everything together with tags labeling family photos, tags on the candy buffet, larger tags featuring photos of their dog were the table cards.
Some fabulous details from the hand embroidered ring pillow, to the baskets at the back of the aisle which held tissues and programs, the hanging vases that lined the processional with fresh flowers.
This is just a sneak peak of what's to come. After the bridesmaids came down the aisle and Brett stood waiting, everyone had turned waiting and watching. Where was the bride? Where - and then someone spotted her and pointed and everyone turned to see. From across the lake came a horse drawn carriage carrying Minda and her two ring bearers in a sweeping circle around the lake, up the lane, and across the field to her wedding. I can't wait to show you more!
Don't forget, comment and vote on which new blog board you like the best. Comments added to this post ▣ Lauren & Keith 05.15.09
Lauren and Keith were married on May 15th in Mt. Pleasant, PA. Originally their wedding was scheduled for the 20th of June, but do to the innate ability of the military to schedule deployments at THE WORST TIME - their wedding had to be moved up. Luckily I was able to make the date switch with them!
In order to keep our timeline running smoothly - they changed the order of events for the day so that after getting ready, they would do all of their outdoor photos before the ceremony! The girls got ready at the church - the flower girl was so sweet.
Once everyone was put together and the guys finally got themselves into the cars and out of the parking lot, we were able to sneak Lauren out of the building! You'll notice she has immaculate taste in sunglasses and accessories.
Her mom drove the chariot as we went to a nearby friend of the family's home for some outdoor shots by the pond. Unfortunately due to extreme brightness and sunshine, we didn't get too close to the pond and decided the best lighting was in the shade. We had Keith get out of the car and stand under the tree with his eyes closed and then Lauren snuck up on him for a first look. I really encourage couples who are a little more relaxed about traditions to see eachother before the wedding for a few photos, and a few moments to themselves. It makes the walk down the aisle a lot less nerve wracking and allows you to keep that special moment to yourselves.
Although, as you can see - we weren't really alone - everyone else was just hanging out off camera. :-)
The ringbearer who was the flower girl's little brother - what a lucky family to have 2 kids that cute !
I love this one, courtesy of Anna.
This is Lauren's brother with his fiance - they will be tying the knot next year in Erie! Congratulations :-D
Spoiled again with a gorgeous bride. She chose peonies for her boquet and they smelled fantastic!
Lauren sports yet another [even bigger!] pair of sunglasses! So FUN.
Once all the fun shanannigans were done outside, we went back to the church to get ready for the ceremony. Lauren watched out the window of the church hall as the guests arrived. Image by Anna.
Lauren admitted she was getting a little nervous waiting for the bridesmaids to get down the aisle ! Image by Anna.
But when the big moment came, to me she looked happy and relaxed and all smiles.
Their church had no center aisle and huge window behind the altar. It made for some challenging photos and some great lighting variety!
The ring shot - the bridesmaids wore raspberry tea length dresses in a variety of styles and carried boquets of orange and pink gerber daisies. I love a daisy for a ring shot :-)
The reception was held at Bell's Steak and Sea House in Mt. Pleasant. It's an old bank barn converted into a restaurant and event hall. Inside there are outstanding crystal chandeliers, a huge dance floor, a stage, and 2 overhead lofts which offer additonal seating a great place to watch the festivities unfold. Each table was adorned with centerpieces made of pink and white dogwood branches floating in lighted square vases.
The favor at each seat was a giant moist chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips and chunks of raspberries. Their cake was served with a fresh chocolate covered strawberry on each slice. It was a foodie paradise.
Lauren and Keith danced their first dance together which kicked off a great party! Later in the evening during the bridal dance, Keith fought his way through the crowd to scoop Lauren up and carried her away!
We wish you and your families all the best! Stay healthy, happy, and safe for many years to come!
Reception: Bell's Steak and Sea House Mt. Pleasant, PA Entertainment: Exceptional Entertainment
Comments added to this post ▣ Jess & Ed Part 2
As promised, here is part 2 of Jess & Ed's photos. Technically, to do this right there should be a part 3, but I think I just like too many photos and so I have to try and get myself under control.
Jess by herself at the church after the ceremony.
After photos at the church we drove to UPG for some outdoor shots by the fountain. Unfortunately, we had wind gust of up to 50 mph and they had shut the fountain off to keep the water from blowing away. We were bummed but decided to take advantage of the greenspace and the big trees. Jess with the girls - such great colors for spring.
Ed with all the guys.
Outtakes: the wind was blowing so hard that it kept catching Jessica's veil and flipping it up over her face. The guys offered to hold it down for her and forgot that it was attached to her head. LOL! Image by Sean.
A rare moment of no wind - Sean is off camera just to the left holding the reflector as a shield against the gusts. After this shot we decided to call it quits before they were gone with the wind and get some more outdoor shots at the reception.
In case you don't remember from their engagement session, Jess & Ed are HUGE hockey fans. To be more specific - PENS FANS. So it was fitting that they hosted their reception during a Pens play off game. The DJ monitered the score and announced every goal to cheers from the crowd.
Their cake topper was a hockey player with skates and a stick.
Fantastic bling!
Jess's neice was the most adorable flower girl :-)
Their reception was held at Di Salvo's Station restaurant in Latrobe. Gusts parked in the lot next to the railroad tracks and entered through a long lighted tunnel under the tracks and into the old station. It was bright and airy with high ceilings and lots of natural light. There was even an old dining car parked inside and tons of old photos and artifacts from the railroad's glory days.
After dinner we decided to brave the wind and head outside for some more photos. Amtrak still operates a stop at the station and there was an old platform next to the tracks.
I have to explain this shot: while I'm enjoying shooting the weathered green wood and the old bricks Sean was keeping an eye out. Technically, you're not supposed to hang out on the train platform. You'll see the signs in this shot warning about trespassing and loitering. (Something about hidden cameras and silent alarms... yadda yadda.) So Sean says to me "You're not going to believe this, but there's a train coming." A TRAIN. The universe sent me A TRAIN to my photo shoot. **snoopy dance** We only had about 30 seconds to make a decision, get into position and frame this shot. If i had more time I would have changed my shutter speed to really blur the train as it was rushing past.
After the train passed Jess and Ed stood on the tracks for me for a couple shots before we went back inside to start the party!
We had a great time! Congratulations and thanks for having us!!
Ceremony: Greensburg Methodist Church Reception: Di Salvo's Station Restaurant Other photo locations : University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Entertainment: TJ's Music Express
Comments added to this post ▣ Jess & Ed 05.09.09 part 1
You might remember Jess and Ed from their e-session on Mt. Washington a few months ago. They were a great couple for engagement photos so I knew their wedding would be a ton of fun! I always like to know the back story behind a couple when I shoot their wedding because it makes it so much more fun to photograph when you're in on the inside jokes. We caught up with Jess before the ceremony getting ready with her mom and her girls in the church lounge. Her dress was stunning. The train was soooo long! Wait till you see!
Jess with her mom.
Jess was a little bit nervous before her big walk down the aisle, but had a good laugh when one of her bridesmaids pulled out Frank the Rat. I asked about Frank. Frank the Rat was kind of a mascot for her and her college roommates. (Don't worry - he's a stuffed toy rat.) But it was mandatory that he somehow be included in the festivities.
That's Ed on the left and his father and best man on the right. They are both SO TALL. Ed was rocking the white tux.
Adorable kids :-)
Jess and her father "backstage" for one last breath (and one last laugh) before stepping through the doors.
The ceremony was held at the Methodist Church in greensburg. They are very strict about rules for photographers which was a huge bummer since we weren't allowed to do alot of the cool stuff we normally do, but lucky for us it was bright enough for the telephoto lens :-)
This shot is now in the running for Fairytale Kiss of 2009.
Stay tuned for the rest of the shots - they held their reception at an old train station! Comments added to this post ▣ Lori & Michael 05.08.09
Last Friday we traveled to Ellwood City for Lori & Mike's wedding. I met Lori last year when I did her brother's senior pictures. So I've been looking forward to this wedding for a loooooo-ooong time! And it was amazing :-D We met up with the Lori, her mom, and the girls at Lori's house which was just a few blocks away from the church. Their colors were raspberry and pinks and I knew it was going to look awesome with the green grass when we went outside for pictures.
Lori's Aunt who has passed away held a special place during the festivities. Lori's mom even presented her with her Aunt's wedding rings. The passing of a family heirloom is always an emotional moment.
Lori with their dog, Spike. ;-)
All ready, time to head downstairs. Image by Anna.
This is Mike
These guys were great, even though they busted our chops all day ;-)
I loved the careful attention to detail all day long, especially her rosary tied around her boquet.
Coming down the aisle with her Dad.
After photos at the church, we went to the small small town of Homewood Junction for photos in the little town square.
I love this picture, but I'm not sure exactly why.
See? What did I tell you about the pink with the green grass!? AWESOME.
This might be my all time favorite wedding favor. They glowed with flameless tea lights inside. They made them themselves too!
Caketastic. It smelled sooo good! The two images on the right are courtesy of the talented Anna.
The boquet and the garter toss were so much fun! Lori's brother Derek caught the garter, but the photos that followed were too hot for the Blogosphere!
Lori with her mom.
It was an all around perfect wedding, great planning, great details, great people, and it all went off without a hitch. You guys did it with style. Congratulations!! Welcome back from Vegas!! :-D
Ceremony: Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Ellwood City Reception: Holiday Inn, Beaver Falls Photo Locations of Awesomeness: Homewood Junction
Comments added to this post ▣ Crystal & Jason 05.02.09
Feast your eyes friends! The first wedding of the of the summer! I told you the Trifecta of Awesomeness would be descending upon a wedding somewhere! Crystal and Jason were married just over a week ago in Arona, PA. The weather was gorgeous, we were so lucky to have made it through the day with no rain! I loved Crystal's dress - it was perfect for her. Her bridesmaids helped her get ready at the church.
Image by Anna.
Seriously gorgeous bride.
Jason, the handsome groom - both Jason and Crystal's father wore a little dragon with their pocket square because they are Cystal's favorite.
Jason seeing his bride for the first time.
The church was small, bright, and cheery. It made the ceremony extra special to have family and friends gathered close. Image by Sean.
Afterwards, their families surprised the couple with a butterfly release to celebrate their new life together!
Finally, husband and wife.
After photos at the church, Crystal wanted to visit the restaurant where she works to share the big day with some of her co-workers. I fretted about time and schedules - but love this photo of her standing in the busy kitchen with her gown on. The guys took a quick break at the bar to toast the groom.
Back on the schedule, we drove to Twin Lakes for pictures. I am so happy that the leaves are finally coming out!
Crystal and her Dad requested photos with their fishing gear. I LOVED IT.
Crystal's grandmother hand painted on her shawl.
I love willow trees for photos.
After Twin Lakes we arrived at the Days Inn in New Stanton for their blue and yellow reception. I should point out that Crystal is a professional pastry chef AND SHE MADE HER OWN WEDDING CAKE! Not only that, but she made all of the centerpieces for the tables which were small cakes for each table to cut and serve together.
Can you imagine on top of all the stress of normal wedding planning - she also made, decorated, and delivered 30 small cakes and designed THIS !
First dance together.
I think hands might be my new favorite subject.
Bling!
I love these two shots from Anna - Crystal danced with her mother to "Who I Am" by Jessica Andrews while all their female relatives circled around them.
The party really kicked off with a great DJ!
Ceremony: Arona Methodist Church Reception: Days Inn, New Stanton Cake: Wedding Cakes by Crystal Hiles Entertainment: R & R Productions, Mt. Pleasant
Comments added to this post ▣ Emily & Carl - down the aisle and happily ever after
As promised - here is the rest of their story.
Emotions were high as Emily waited at the back of the church. Their ceremony held at Heinz Chapel during the christmas season, was simple, elegant, and sentimental.
Emily and her father walk arm and arm down the aisle as guests smiled and snapped photos. Image by Sean.
The view from the balcony - heinz chapel at christmas time.
Carl placed the ring on her finger.
They were all smiles for the rest of the night!
Just married :-)
Photo times are short at heinz chapel - we stretched a few more minutes out of our time by moving to the front steps. It was so warm outside that we decided to skip the limo ride and instead walk over to the cathedral of learning for photos.
The security guard was nice enough to let us wander freely through the great hall. You could still smell the fires that burned in the huge stone fireplaces. We found a great spot between the christmas trees.
After seeing the photos from Ashley & Allan's wedding, Emily and Carl were so excited to try the sparklers! But we learned an important lesson: 1. Get really long sparklers. These were a little too short. 2. Be careful if it's windy!! It made for a wild three minutes :-D
When we were done lighting up the night we walked across the street to the elegant Pittsburgh Athletic Club for the reception.
Some of the fantastic details at their big bash - a wire tree decorated with lights stood at the entrance covered in silver snowflakes that held photos from their years together. This one is Emily with her mom. On the right was their totally kick ass wedding favor - celebrating the spirit of pittsburgh they had miniature glass heinz ketchup bottles printed with their names and wedding date!
First dance together.
Their wedding cake was beautiful and smelled even better than it looked! Everytime the breeze wafted in through the open windows (it was so warm and they couldn't shut the boiler down that they opened the windows to let in the mild evening air) you caught a whiff of vanilla and sugar and butter and cake. Mmmmm.
Emily and her dad danced to Puff the Magic Dragon.
Emily dancing with her mom and all smiles through dinner!
When it was time to really cut loose and through the bouquet it got stuck in the chandelier! The guys made a pyramid and got it back down for Emily to do the re-throw.
This is why I love weddings. The great, great, people :-)
Carl with his best man.
Before the night was over we did some family photos in front of the giant christmas tree in the foyer. We loved the special steelers dance towards the end of the night! Congratulations Emily and Carl!
Salon: Dawn's Hair Design Accomodations: Holiday Inn at University Center Ceremony: Heinz Chapel Reception: Pittsburgh Athletic Club Cake: Cakes by Debbie Sutara
Comments added to this post ▣ Emily & Carl 12.27.08
This post marks an important event: I'm actually caught up with blog posting to something that happened after christmas! Crazy I know :-) Emily and Carl were married two days after christmas in oakland. Since they live out of state, I didn't get to meet them until the night before at their rehearsal. Emily was wearing a black dress and electric lime green shiny heels.
I liked her instantly.
Some people are just fun like that. I didn't realize it at the time but almost all the guests and relatives were from out of state including the bride and groom! It was something of a destination wedding - we just happened to live in the destination. It was really cool to see Pittsburgh celebrated in other people's eyes! After you've lived here all your life you kinda get used to it. But we are the city of bridges, surrounded by three rivers, home of the world champion pittsburgh steelers, heinz ketchup, sydney crosby, primantis sandwiches, we have a lot to be proud of.
On the morning of the wedding I met all of the girls at the Holiday Inn where everyone was staying in Oakland. They planned the event SO well. The hotel, the church, the reception, and their photo location were all within three blocks of eachother. That really makes the day go so much smoother. I even found a faster way to get to oakland thanks to my new GPS Sean got me for christmas. He was tired of worrying about me getting lost. When I arrived at the hotel, the group was kind enough to give me a ride in their party van over to the salon.
Dawn's Hair Design was a fantastic place! We went in and took over - all the girls got their hair and make up done. Emily's grandmother was nice enough to buy lunch for everyone from the greek place down the street. It was excellent.
Emily with her cousin and maid of honor.
Emily got the finishing touches applied to her make up and then they placed her veil and it was time to go. I have to remind you what day this was if you were in the pittsburgh area this christmas, you'll remember that the saturday right after was warm! In fact it was 57 degrees outside with no snow in the air and no snow on the ground. It was a heatwave!
It was so warm when the limo picked us up that we couldn't resist some fun pictures before we really got underway. We couldn't have been luckier - eventhough it would have been great to have snow for photos and to keep the christmas spirit - it would have been a nightmare getting across town if the roads were bad.
What a great bride :-D
Emily talking with her mom on the way back to the hotel. She was relaxed and happy the whole day!
This was so funny - not the greatest picture but I had to include it. Emily & Carl live out of state, right? Well we pulled up to the red light in front of the hotel and stop, Emily sees someone she knows out the window! Emily called out to them and they yelled back "Hey! It's great to see you! What are you doing here?" (sitting in a giant hummer limo at a red light) "I'm getting married!!!" she called back as the limo pulled away. She had the hugest smile on her face.
Beautiful shoes.
Back in their hotel rooms, Emily helped the girls get into their gowns. She did things a little differently - she chose a tone of red and allowed her bridesmaids to find their own dresses in their own style to coordinate. Down the hall the guys were supposed to be getting ready - hadn't even started yet ;-)
Once all the girls were ready and we'd taken a ton of photos around the hotel, we decided since the guys were taking their sweet time that we'd steal their limo and go to the church early! Guys have it so easy. All they have to do is shower and put on the rental tux. They don't have to start at 7 a.m. with showering and hair straightening, hair curling, hair removal, make up prep, make up application, make up touch-up, nail filing, nail painting, choosing from three different pairs of earrings, undergarments, over garments, things you wear to hold you in, things you wear to fluff your dress out, zipping, buttoning, pinning, bustling, and needing assistance to put your shoes on. Thank goodness for bridesmaids :-) It's a sacred post.
Downstairs in the bride's room at Heinz Chapel just a few minutes before the ceremony, Emily gets one last good luck hug from her brother.
Emily and her mom alone in the bride's room for a quiet moment before she meets her father at the top of the stairs to walk her down the aisle to Carl.
Check back for tomorrow's post when we go down the aisle and then to the party!! Comments added to this post ▣ Ashley & Allan 11.22.08
If you wanted a hot night on the town - then Ashley and Allan's wedding was the place to be! They didn't let a little grey weather bother them when the morning of their wedding turned out to be chilly with light drizzle. After all - it was november and at least it wasn't a snowstorm! Ashley had her heart set on photos with the view of the city from Mt. Washington and we were determined to make it happen! I caught up with Ashley first thing in the morning at her Aunt's boutique in Irwin where she was getting her hair styled and her veil placed for her walk down the aisle. They didn't let a little rain ruin the mood.
Ashley met up with the rest of the bridesmaids at her other Aunt's house to have lunch, get dressed, celebrate and take pictures!
The colors for the wedding were black and light green and the bridesmaids wore white fur wraps around their shoulders. It was the perfect style for their city lights theme! The girls were absolutely gorgeus.
Ashley as she came downstairs to show off her gown for the first time.
Her flower girl wore a handmade white dress. She was a little shy but soo cute!
Ashley with her parents.
Allan looked handsome as he posed for a few photos in front of the church before the ceremony.
Hanging out with the guys.
The ringbearers overcame their shyness and made their way down the aisle - so precious.
Image by Sean.
This church was surprisingly bright especially for the time of year! It was a pleasant surprise and made photos even better!
The pews were decorated with white hydrangeas and tendrils of greenery.
After the ceremony we breezed through formal photos at the church and then hopped on the limo bus for pittsburgh. It was a race against time to get to Mt. Washington before dark - but then we were struck down by an event mishap. Traffic. Yep - we got stuck for almost 45 minutes in the parkway construction traffic. By the time we arrived up on grandview it was completely dark, windy, cold, and raining steadily. In spite of all that, they decided to give pictures a shot anyway. They had brought along extra long sparklers and the effect was awesome! If you look carefully you can tell how hard it was raining!
Out of the five or six shots we grabbed before retreating to the limo - this is my favorite. The city at night was the perfect backdrop.
Their reception was held at the Le Mont which offers one of the best views of the city from its glass walled dining room high atop Mt. Washington. The setting was elegant with black table coverings and lime green accents.
In the center of the room was the cake table with three amazing creations; the center wedding cake which they cut and the chocolate and strawberry groom's cakes on the side.
First dance.
Very sweet father daughter dance.
Apparently at every family function Ashley's Dad and her Aunt's perform a rendition of Free Bird. It's not specifically karaoke. More like Rock Band but with air instruments. Especially when the song kicked into the big instrumental at the end - they brought down the house. It was truly the greatest rendition of free bird I've ever witnessed in my life.
Even family members who've seen it a hundred times at reunions and birthday parties agreed - this was their best performance ever! I wish I could see the wedding video - it would win contests on YouTube!
For years Ashley's Aunt has talked about her red dress. Her red dress is an 80's bridesmaid dress that she always teased Ashley that she wanted to be in her wedding so she could wear the dress again. As the reception was nearing the end, it was almost forgotten until the DJ played "Lady in Red" and the crowd parted. When Ashley turned around this was her reaction:
They danced the whole song together modelling the infamous red dress. Puffy lace sleeves, backless, and with that hot bow on the butt. Wow. :-) Gotta love the 80s.
Congratulations to the new Dr. & Mrs. Allan Brown! It was an unforgettable night!
Salon: Profiles Boutique Ceremony: Church of the Immaculate Conception, Irwin Transportation: Elite Limousine Reception: Le Mont DJ & Video Services: Eventures
Comments added to this post ▣ Denise & Timothy 11.08.08
Denise and Timothy were married back in November in Harrison City, PA. Their wedding was an intimate family affair; Denise asked her sister to be the Maid of Honor and Timothy asked his sister to be the Best Woman. Father O'Malley, a relative of the groom, presided over the ceremony and Denise's close friend was the reader. Timothy's mom helping him get ready before the ceremony.
The ceremony was held at St. Barbara in Harrison City. The sanctuary is newer with a soaring wood beamed ceiling and beautiful stained glass behind the altar.
A quiet moment together during the ceremony - Image by Sean
Since their ceremony was late in the day in November, there was just barely enough daylight left coming through the windows for some shots with the vibrant colors.
It was cold and blowing outside and just getting dark, so we opted to make a dash to the reception instead of going outside for pictures. Looking back, I would gladly take the blustery 50 degree temperatures now.
The rings!
Denise and Tim sat at the head table while smaller round tables were set up around the dance floor for the family.
After dinner and the cutting of the cake, it was time to cut the rug on the dancefloor. Denise's nephew was the life of the party!
Eventhough it was already dark and there was no snow, their reception venue had a lighted outdoor gazebo and I couldn't resist the urge to add a little fairy tale magic with some post-processing effects. Denise looked like a princess!
Congratulations - and here's to a lifetime of happily ever after :-)
Ceremony: St. Barbara Catholic Church Reception: The Lakeview (Imperial Room) Salon: Hairstyling Etc, Apollo
Comments added to this post ▣ Bethany & Chad 10.25.08
Flashbacks are fun - we really had a great year! Bethany and Chad were married the last weekend in October and it was a really classy fall bash. From their personal vows, to the bagpiper, to their glamorous reception, it was a day to remember. I met up with the girls at Bethany's house where they were just getting back from the salon. Chad had a boquet of fresh flowers delivered to the salon with a very sweet note :-)
Bethany doing her make up after putting the final touches on the girls' hair.
Halloween Bachelorette Bash! How cool!!
Bethany with her Mom before leaving for the church.
I loved their fall flowers.
They exchanged rings and then read their personal vows to each other.
When they were pronounced husband and wife, the rear doors of the church were opened and a bagpiper strode down the aisle and then led the procession out of the church.
The flower girls wore wreaths of flowers in their hair, so Josh decided to borrow this one while we hung around at the park for pictures. Image by Sean.
Their reception was absolutely fabulous, classy, personalized, and totally fun. Instead of a cookie table, they had a candy bar. Guests could help themselves to giant jars of candy corn, chocolate kisses, cowtails, taffy, gum balls, lollipops and more and take home their favorites in personalized bags. There were four signature fall-themed cocktails available at the bar, and two ice sculptures. Not to mention their chocolate frosted cake melted in your mouth.
Congratulations Bethany & Chad! We had a great time!
Ceremony: St James Church, Apollo, PA Reception: Royal Gatherings, Pittsburgh Mills Flowers: Leechburg Floral
Comments added to this post ▣ Sami & Josh Part 2
Their outdoor ceremony was held by the lake. Josh waited under the big tree with his groomsmaids before making his way to the dock.
The guys were stylish.
Keeping with their environmentally friendly theme - the guests threw birdseed at the couple instead of rice.
When they reached the back of the aisle, Sami and Josh were picked up and whisked away for a private carriage ride while their guests made their way to the barn for the start of the reception. When they returned, the carriage stuck around for an hour and gave all the guests a ride around the grounds.
The barn was beautifully decorated for the reception with lights, and pumpkins filled with fresh flowers. Their cake topper was Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter.
Self portrait in the big glass tea pitchers out on the butcher block table where guests could get a cold drink while they visited on the lawn. Sean is in the far left of the frame keeping an eye out for the carriage to come back.
The call for a toast!
The whole wedding party, the siblings, the musicians, and the frisbee friends!
Waiting around for the sun to be just right - Image by Sean.
The wedding party - very chic!
When it was time for Sami to toss her bouquet she stood on the balcony and all the single ladies gathered on the lawn!
First dance.
When this group started dancing it shook the barn from the beams to the ceiling! They even re-enacted the scene from Romi & Michelle - "Time after time".
All lit up after dark.
Comments added to this post ▣ Sami & Josh 10.11.08
This wedding was truly one of a kind and so much fun to be a part of. Sami and Josh were married at Armstrong Farms in Saxonburg, PA way back in October. It was warm and sunny for their Green (environmentally friendly) fall wedding. When I arrived for the rehearsal friday night there was a hot air balloon floating over the property and for a minute I thought they were planning a grand entrance. However, the balloonists turned out to be the neighbors instead! Armstrong Farms is rustic charm at its best. Sami and Josh planned and included so many handmade details and special plans, it was the very best of what a wedding is meant to be. Their friends and family came together as the musicians, the readers, the wedding party, the florist, the DJ and more. Truly, all you need is love and the ones who love you to have a wedding better than any fairytale.
Sami and Josh had Jones Soda in two flavors printed with their photo and wedding date. The bottles were displayed on a table and listed as For Sale. Guests could purchase these special bottles for whatever they wanted to spend and all of the proceeds went to Animals Friends or The Saint Bernard Project of New Orleans. At the end of the wedding night the table was empty and the money baskets were filled. We thought it was an awesome way to take a celebration of love and then spread the good vibes around.
Setting things up during the rehearsal for their friends to act as the ceremony musicians the next day.
The next morning I met the girls at The Salon at Saxonburg. The salon was amazing the girls got their hair and nails done, and the bride got a massage and pedicure to relax. The folks at the salon had them come in early for a special breakfast and they put out a fantastic spread. They had quiche, bagels and lox, muffins, fresh berries, hot coffee, tea, and fresh squeezed orange juice in champagne flutes. It was truly a very special treat and the perfect way to start a day of celebration.
While the girls were being pampered, the guys were back at the farm. Since most of the wedding party stayed overnight at the bed and breakfast at the wedding site, they had plenty of time to hang out. They held an Ultimate Frisbee game in the empty cow pasture. I hopped the fence and went in for action shots - I wish I had brought old clothes and could have joined in. They were having a blast and took the competition very seriously.
Josh making a leap for the frisbee!
This game was not without casualties though. Although the pasture was empty, the cows had been there - recently. Making a dive for the frisbee turned nearly fatal when they realized they had not landed in mud.
While the guys were out to pasture, Sami's mom was hard at work. She made all of the arrangements for the centerpieces and then put together all of the girls's bouquets. They turned out perfect!
Josh with all of his groomsmaids who stood beside him at the ceremony.
Sami's mom helped her put flowers in her hair. All of her hair and make up supplies were environmentally friendly and not tested on animals. She wore her hair loose with handmade jewelry and a simple lace gown.
Sami with all of her bridesmaids.
Tomorrow's post - the ceremony, the goose, the horse drawn carriage, and the dance party that almost brought the barn down . . . Comments added to this post ▣ Kara & Tom 10.04.08
I know! October was so long ago! But this is the long awaited return to posting as a reward for all of your patience, this post is packed with pictures! Kara and Tom were married on October 4th and the weather was amazing. The whole day was a blast, from the wedding party to my shooting buddies, to the cake smush at the reception! Not only did I have the privilege of shooting with Sean, but also the talented Sandy Yetter! Check out her work, she is fantastic! There were so many family and friends and great locations that were part of this wedding that I knew I'd need help and Sandy came to my rescue!
I met Kara last year through another couple Stephen & Shelbey who were married in February 2008. She told me all her plans for the perfect fairy tale wedding and I couldn't wait to be a part of her big day. Like I said, the weather was not too warm and not too cold and just the right amount of sunshine. I caught up with Kara on the morning of at her house in Munhall. She was doing make-up and helping everyone get ready.
Kara's daughter Taylor wore a white dress that was just her size and matched Kara's perfectly!
Once everyone was ready they hopped in the limo to ride to the church.
Kara had a grand entrance planned from the back doors of the church, but first her father helped her sneak around the side of the building once the coast was clear. Image by Sean.
When the moment arrived, the back doors opened to the peal of tumpets and a blaze of sunshine as the bride made her way down the aisle. Sandy was the eye in the sky shooting from the balcony!
Image by Sean.
Image by Sandy.
This church allowed us the rare privilege to stand just out of sight behind the altar and get some especially intimate photos of the ceremony. Image by Sandy.
There was not a dry eye in the house when Tom asked Taylor to come up to the altar and presented her with her very own tiny ring and a promise to stand by her and be there for her always.
The wedding party was all smiles processing out. Image by Sandy.
After some formal shots at the church we headed to Grandview Golf Course for a prime photo op. The view was great! You could see the roller coasters across the river at Kennywood! Did I mention how much I LOVE to photograph long veils? Long veil + light breeze = magic :-)
Image by Sandy.
There's a story behind these groomsmen, almost all of them have all been the groomsmen at each other's weddings. In fact, we've taken this picture before when Stephen was the groom back in february! Since they are such professionals at this - they know what to do and never get nervous so they find lots of time to goof off and have a good time. Image by Sean.
I love this shot that Sandy took while I was lining up all the men! There is no substitute for having more than one photographer at your wedding - it makes the day go smoother and you get so many more beautiful photos from different points of view.
Image by Sandy
Image by Sandy
LOOK AT THAT VIEW!!
The view was great the guys were great and Kara was rocking her red shoes!
Like I said - they've all done this 2 or 3 times before together so they have a good time. Image by Sandy
Tom's brother gave a speech at the reception and was so nervous. Little did we know it wasn't the speech - he was planning a proposal to his girlfriend later that night. He asked - and she said yes!! Image by Sean.
Kara & Tom's first dance as husband and wife.
Kara's dad boogie-ing on the dance floor!
Kara's dance with her father was very emotional. The song was "You can let go" by Crystal Shawanda. I can admit that I cried.
Congratulations to Kara & Tom!! Thank you so much for having us with you!
Comments added to this post ▣ Natalie & Zack 09.27.08
Natalie and I go way back to 9th grade gym class - (she's one hell of a floor hockey player - don't let her fool you!) and I was so excited when she called me last spring to say that she was getting married! I wish I could say that she was married on a beautiful sunny day - but that was only true half of the day. That was the saturday that it started to rain in the afternoon and poured till sunday morning. Rain is good luck! And makes for some great skies and deep colors for photos. The day started at Natalie's parent's home where her Dad made a huge breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast for Natalie and the bridesmaids. Natalie's niece and nephew were the flower girl and ring bearer - so cute!
They were married at St. Gertrude Catholic Church in Vandergrift - we snuck outside before the ceremony to get some shots of Natalie as the skies were beginning to darken. She was a beautiful bride :-)
The church was gorgeous and decorated with handmade arrangements of flowers and ribbon at the ends of the pews.
They stepped out of the church to a shower of bubbles - my friend here was determined to make the biggest bubble.
Their reception was held at Lingrow Farm in Leechburg. We were worried about the outdoor photos we had planned but were glad to be in the barn safe from the rain. Their guests were nice and dry as they sat on the porch with their drinks and cookies watching sheets of rain hit the lake. We went from worried about pictures to just plain bummed out.
The barn was decorated with fall leaves and tulle. The families did all of the decorations themselves including the centerpieces which were hurricane vases with clear lights and cattails and grasses wrapped in green ribbon.
The head table equipped with crayons ;-)
The sky was dark and they were calling for rain for the whole night.
However - right after the toasts and just a few minutes in to dinner the rain slowed to a drizzle and then stopped completely for about 20 minutes. Natalie was outstanding - she told everybody to get up and were were going outside and we'd eat when we got back! She and Zack braved the mud to get down to the lake for pictures.
A little rain never hurt anybody!!
I love the reflection on the water. Impossible on a sunny day, but perfect in the rain. She is stunning!
Their cake with the mongram cake topper Natalie made herself.
The rest of your photos are still in the works! It''s been crazy busy with senior pictures 6 nights a week! I blame the leaves! I hope these tide you over a little while longer till I get your proofs online!
Ceremony: St. Getrude Catholic Church Reception: Lingrow Farm Flowers: Community Market, Lower Burrell Cake: Deb Sutara
Comments added to this post ▣ Laura & Matt 09.19.08
Laura and Matt exchanged their vows a few weeks ago surrounded by their family in a small ceremony at the beautiful church in Camp Jo Ann. Laura was beautiful with her grandmother's necklace around her wrist as her something old.
The weather was perfect!!
After a quick outift change it was off to the reception for cake!
Congratulations!!
Comments added to this post ▣ Jennie & Roger 09.05.08
**UPDATED WITH MORE PHOTOS** Jennie and Roger were married a few weeks ago at Lingrow Farm on the most beautiful friday evening of the whole summer. I think the best light out of the whole year is the first 2 weeks of september, all that beautiful gold of the summer with just a little crisp contrast from the fall that's to come. Their wedding was relaxed, classy, unique, sentimental, emotional, and most of all incredibly fun! From the simple wreath of flowers in her hair, to her handcrafted wedding dress, the day was filled with details that made it extra special for everyone who was there. I had the pleasure of shooting with my friend and fellow photog Bill Shirley for this one and we had a great time at the ceremony!
Jennie and her mother getting ready in the carriage house.
Jennie was a seriously SERIOUSLY gorgeous bride. Wow.
Guests at Lingrow can be seated inside the barn, or out here on the huge upper deck. The weather was so nice they turned off the air conditioning and opened all the doors and let the breeze in.
Roger, the flower girl and ring bearer, and the minister wait on the steps of the huge porch while Jennie gets ready. Image by Bill.
They were adorable. Halfway to the end of the aisle the flower girl suddenly remembered her flowers and stopped to dump her whole basket out in one pile. It was priceless! Image by Bill.
Guests were seated quietly just out of the frame as Jennie came down the aisle. Roger stood at the end of the aisle on the dock at the lake. This is my personal ideal wedding, no stress, no pressure, just a beautiful day and beautiful view and the guy you can't wait to marry standing there waiting for you.
Just married - and so much joy!!
After the ceremony they had a cocktail hour and champagne toast. They served wine, cheeses, rustic breads, whole beans and peas in the pod. So of course - I just couldn't help myself. Two peas in a pod.
This may seem like an unusual picture for a wedding, but the food was so amazing I had to investigate. That, ladies and gentlemen, is filet mignon wrapped in bacon on a giant firewood smoker grill. I think the two greatest smells on earth are campfire and steak - so I was in heaven. Mitch's Mobile Barbeque brought in the smoker and cooked filet mignon, steak, and the best grilled chicken I've ever tasted along with all of the fixings.
Jennie and her father out on the dance floor.
Roger with his mom.
No Bad Juju was rocking the house that night and everyone was dancing.
We had a wonderful time! Congratulations and thank you for having us!
Location: Lingrow Farm Entertainment: No Bad Juju Quisine: Mitch's Mobile BBQ
Comments added to this post ▣ Efthalia & Lynn 08.31.08
Efthalia and Lynn were married on August 31st at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Ambridge. (What a long drive for us! Parkway construction was a nightmare. We finally gave up and took the turnpike after nearly chucking the TomTom out the window into the Mon. Yes - it sent us across the Mon river . . . "turn left, turn left, turn left . . . . make a legal U-turn" stuff like that.) Their wedding was beautiful! The Greek Orthodox ceremony is steeped in tradition and held extremely sacred.
Lynn's son's helped him get ready before the ceremony.
Efthalia was a stunning bride coming down the aisle with her eyes on Lynn the whole time.
During the ceremony we were able to take pictures quietly from the hallway behind the sanctuary so as not to disturb the service.
The Greek Orthodox ceremony is very beautiful. The bride and groom hold candles symbolizing how God will light their way and their rings are blessed and placed on their right hands instead of left. The Stephana, or wedding crowns are blessed and placed on their heads joined by a ribbon. They drink wine from a common cup signifying that they will share the joys and sorrows of life together. Then the Priest leads them around the altar table three times reciting prayers reminding them that God will lead their way through their life together. Since the circle has no end, their marriage is meant to be eternal.
After the ceremony we headed out to The Chadwick in Wexford for the formal reception. The wedding party had a non-alcoholic champagne toast in the meeting room before being announced in the ballroom. The staff at the Chadwick was fantastic! Linda was right there keeping things running smoothly.
Lynn and Ethel's very sweet first dance as husband and wife.
Then it was time for the ladies to get the party started with a traditional greek dance! Whirling around the room holding their napkins end to end and the music just got faster and faster.
We had a wonderful time and were honored to be with you ! Thanks for having us!
Ceremony: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Ambridge Reception: The Chadwick, Wexford DJ Services: Mark Tishko
Comments added to this post ▣ Mindy & Mike 08.23.08
Mindy and Mike were married at Puckety Presbyterian Church on August 23rd. After their Steeler themed rehearsal the night before everybody showed up on time and ready to rock at the church. Mindy and her bridesmaids got ready at her parent's house, she needed plenty of help with the train on her dress it was soooo long! Luckily her bridesmaids were fantastic and didn't mind the heat.
One bride, one groom, 7 bridesmaids, 8 groomsmen, 1 usher, 1 ringbearer, 2 train bearers, and 2 flower girls. And NO SHADE anywhere!
Mindy and the girls "backstage" in the crying room before heading down the aisle.
After the ceremony, we stopped off at Memorial Park for a photo op. (Had to leave the comfort of the limo bus and the AC.)
Relaxing in between shots - we were the live entertainment for a family reunion going on under the pavilion that day at the park. Image by Sean.
When I say the limo bus was tricked out - I meant it. There was even a giant flat panel TV behind Mindy & Mike.
We arrived early at the Clarion and they cut the cake when we walked in.
Mindy and her Dad shared an emotional father daughter dance before the party really broke loose.
Maxwell - "THE PEEKER" - sorry guys I just had to post this one.
After the bouquet and garter toss, Maxwell the peeker, the train that rolled all around the room, the cha cha slide, the macarena, the twist, the shout, the twist-and-shout, we ended the night with one big group picture! See if you can spot the guy wearing the chair sash on his head :-)
Congratulations!!
Church: Puckety Presbyterian Church, Lower Burrell, PA Reception: Clarion Hotel Transportation: Tortorice Luxury Limousine
Comments added to this post ▣ Leah & Josh 08.16.08
You probably wouldn't believe it, but once upon a time - a long time ago - I was Leah's camp counselor at Girl Scout camp. I remember that she was very "put together" compared to the other young girls. Her clothes were folded in her overnight bag, her toothbrush was in a case, and she was the only one talking politics around the campfire. You knew from the moment you met her that she was bound for success. She's even been lucky in love :-) I met up with Leah and some of her family and friends at her parent's house before the wedding for some fun 'getting ready' shots. Or as we called them: the Before pictures. Here's a sneak peak preview of her wedding day:
Once the girls were ready I left and headed to Puckety Church to get some shots of Josh and the guys before the ceremony. We all managed to hide in a 4 foot shadow behind a building out of the hot afternoon sun.
Leah carried red roses as her Dad walked her down the aisle and climbed the steps to exchange rings with her new husband. Image by Sean
After some family pictures at the church we sent the bridal party to the reception and headed to Memorial Park for some bride & groom alone-time. The best shots of the day always come from that extra 15 minutes outside away from the group where a new couple can catch their breath and just be themselves. Image by Sean
They cut the cake as soon as they arrived at the reception. I am not exaggerating when I say it was the best cake I've tasted EVER. Each table had it's own smaller version of the wedding cake for guests to cut themselves!
After dinner we snuck outside for some more photo-fantasic alone time.
The DJ got the party started with some "party motivators". He had funny hats, inflatable guitars and banjos, glow sticks, beads and more. I wore a sombrero half the time but it kept bumping into my flash unit!
Josh's Dad was feeling the party vibe!
Riverside Landing was awesome, and you can't beat the view of the Oakmont marina!
We had SO MUCH FUN at this wedding! One of the best this year! You guys ROCK!! :-)
Ceremony: Puckety Presbyterian Church, Lower Burrell Reception: Riverside Landing, Oakmont www.riversidelanding.com Cake: www.oakmontbakery.com
Comments added to this post ▣ Brandi & Frank 08.01.08
Thank goodness for the beautiful weather the day that Brandi & Frank were married on her parent's farm in Avonmore, PA! They had an outdoor ceremony complete with tiki torches that was relaxed, emotional, and full of traditions from Frank's Kenyan heritage. Brandi and I go way back to the first grade! In fact she lived only 4 miles away from me my whole life until college. Everyone went their seperate ways and we hadn't talked in years until she called me to shoot her wedding a few months ago!
The rings tied onto the pillow as everyone gets ready in the farmhouse.
The cake already set up in the barn.
Their flower girl
Just before the ceremony started Brandi's Dad takes one last look at his little girl before he walks her down the aisle. The girls came out of the woods and into the field where the ceremony was held. Image by Rebeccia.
I love this one too - Image by Rebeccia
As Brandi's parents brought her down the aisle, the women of Frank's family sang a traditional Kenyan song full of joy and placed colorful scarves on the ground for the bride to step on symbolizing her journey to the marriage.
Frank's reaction as he sees his bride for the first time.
The couple stood at an altar made of pine boughs that her father contructed for the big day. They exchanged rings in front of their family friend and pastor who had known Brandi since she was a baby.
The groomsmen "makin it look gooood!"
The reception was held in the barn and under the tent decorated with thousands of tiny white lights.
Congratulations Brandi & Frank! Thank you for welcoming us with big smiles and open arms!
Comments added to this post ▣ Jenny & Collin 07.12.08
Jenny and Collin were married on July 12th in Leechburg, PA. Their wedding was a rock-star worthy affair at Lingrow Farm where their outdoor ceremony was held. Hot pink and black were the signature colors with lots of fabulous details from the flowers to the decorations to the music - it was the place to be! I met Jenny last year when I did her sister Natalie's wedding in October. I was so thrilled when she emailed me to ask me to shoot her wedding as well!
Jenny and the girls toasting in the farm house before she slipped into her wedding dress.
I loved this pin she wore in her hair.
Since it was SO HOT out guests could enjoy the breeze on the upper deck of the barn.
Jenny and her Dad just before he walked her down to the lake. Image by Sean.
Jenny and Collin exchanged rings before their family and friends on the platform that extends out into the water,
Also LOVED the flowers. The men wore black on black - black suits, black shirts, black tie.
The whole wedding party braving the hot sun!
During dinner Jenny and Collin snuck outside with me for a few shots in the field. They get an A for adventurous - I was in photo heaven!
The barn just after sunset - I love this venue. It's country and comfortable with a lot of class.
Thanks for having us!
Ceremony & Reception site: Lingrow Farm Florist: Leechburg Floral Catering: Strictly Business
Comments added to this post ▣ Jill & Patrick 07.11.08
One great thing about this job is that I get to meet couples with amazing love stories. Last friday I had the privelege of shooting Jill and Patrick's wedding in Pittsburgh. They were legally married last year in a civil ceremony. At a time when many things seemed uncertain, the one thing they knew for sure was that they wanted to be together. Now, a year and a medical miracle later they are living proof that happily ever after is worth believing in and that love endures all things. This time around they wanted their wedding to be a celebration! They were married at St. Augustine Chapel at the Friary in Lawrenceville. To say that it was impressive, is an understatement. It was the most fantastic church I've ever seen!
We met up with the girls at the Holiday Inn in Oakland after their hair appointments. Jill's bridesmaids were so fun! Molly kept coming up with these great names for my shots like the "sex & the city walk" or the "knitting circle". She was really nervous about giving her speech at the reception, but did a fantastic job and had everyone laughing and smiling.
Jill helping Molly with her hair before they got dressed.
Time to head downstairs and meet up with the guys - I love this shot! Image by Rebeccia
Since Jill & Pat were already married, they weren't superstitious about seeing each other before the ceremony and we spent some time in the afternoon at the Cathedral of Learning under the trees.
I couldn't decide if I liked this shot cropped or full length - I like both. Thanks to Rebeccia for veil wrangling.
This group was a joy to photograph! It was 92 degrees with the heat radiating off the pavement at 2pm and they were brave enough to hike the 3 blocks in high heels over to Carnegie Mellon for some shots at the columns. I was very impressed.
Then it was off to St. Augustine for the ceremony. The old pipe organ in the balcony at the back of the church played during the procession. The aisle was SOOOOOOOO long!
Image by Rebeccia - I love the 70-200 f2.8
Their reception was held at the Twentieth Century Club in Oakland - everyone was in great spirits. On each place setting was a card that instead of favors read "a donation has been made to the National Transplant Assistance Fund of the Starzel Transplant Institute - without which today could not have been possible!"
It's rare to see a couple, so happy, so in love, and so content. They know the value of every moment together and we wish them a long healthy happy life! Thank you Jill & Pat for having us with you!
Ceremony: Chapel at the Friary at St. Augustine Reception: Twentieth Century Club
Comments added to this post ▣ Miranda & Matt 06.21.08
Miranda & Matt were married this past Saturday in Indiana, PA on the IUP campus. Miranda is an Iraqi veteran who came home safely to marry the love of her life, Matt. I have to admit, the first time she contacted me - Miranda was sitting at a computer at her post in Iraq where she was planning her wedding! For all you ladies who are in the process of planning your own wedding and enjoying all of the excitement and stress that goes along with it - try to imagine pulling it off from a tent on the other side of the world!
Miranda's Maid of Honor getting ready with the girls in front of the mirror.
Their ceremony was held at St, Thomas Moore University Parish in Indiana, PA
Matt the handsome groom outside before the ceremony.
Miranda was such a beautiful bride!
Sean caught this great shot of the men during mass.
Their wedding cake was covered in these beautiful lillies - the whole reception was filled with color.
Before we headed out to the reception hall we stopped at the Oak Grove on the IUP campus for some photos on the theater steps.
Another ring shot - I like them both for different reasons.
All the groomsmen celebrated with Matt on the patio with cigars and "guy talk".
Miranda's brother and his wife were so cute and so in love, their son Landen was the ringbearer. Image by Sean.
Thank you Miranda & Matt for letting us be there on your big day!
Ceremony: St. Thomas Moore University Parish, IUP Reception: St. John Ukranian Orthodox Church Hall, Clymer
Comments added to this post ▣ Renee & Mufutau 5.24.08
Renee & Mufu had a beautiful wedding on May 24th 2008. Renee and her mother met me at a bridal expo back in febuary and as luck would have it - we were still available for her date! Since her reception was at Lingrow farm, she decided to spend the night before the wedding at the completely restored farmhouse on the grounds and get ready there the next morning. Since she wasn't back yet from her hair appointment when I arrived, I had the rare and amazing opportunity to scope out the reception hall all decked out and untouched by the throngs of guests who would be there later.
I LOVED her shoes - and with a groom who's almost 7 feet tall you can wear heels all the time!!
They rented a Hummer limousine to transport the whole wedding party - 20+ people!! from the church to the reception!
One very classy junior bridesmaid.
Sean caught this great moment of the flower girls marching around the lake. They were so excited about their 'jobs' that day they were first in line for everything!
Renee's gorgeous diamonds! Wow!
Brother and sisters
Image by Sean
We headed outside after dinner to try and catch the softer evening light by the lake.
I love this shot! So cute - he's carrying her flowers for her because the ground was squishy after a week of rain
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Ceremony: St. James Church - Apollo Reception: Lingrow Farm Transportation: Extreme Limousine
Comments added to this post |
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