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▣ 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 ▣ June 2012
Two chairs at the edge of the Blackfoot River in Greenough, Montana as the sun goes down. In a moment of stress when someone tells you to go to your 'happy place', this is one of mine.
There's something about getting back to the basics of life that seems to untangle all the stuff the world throws at us everyday. A tent where you can hear the wind and wake with the sun, a good fire to keep things warm and bright in the dark, water to cool your heels after a long walk. No phone, no internet, no facebook.
June is my busiest month this year. Hopefully there will still be a few moments to stop and watch the sunset.
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