To Wear a Veil, or to Not Wear a Veil? These Photos Might Help You Decide!

When it comes to veils, as a wedding photographer, they are one of my favorite accessories that a bride can wear! But on my own wedding day, I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted to wear a veil.

Veils have been staple of bridal attire for a long period of time, but within the last decade they’ve become more and more of an optional choice. I love that brides whose aesthetic is not very veil-like can opt for a modern, sleek look without a veil, and to be honest? I LOVE photographing brides with AND without veils. But honestly - there are some wedding photos than can only be created with the magic of a veil! And today, I’m sharing some of my favorite wedding photos featuring my favorite bridal accessory: the veil!

But before we get into the photos, here are a few quick (and random!) things to keep in mind about veils:

1. This blog post is in NO WAY meant to guilt anyone into wearing a veil! If you don’t want to wear a veil - then girl, don’t wear a veil! Go with YOUR style, and stick with what makes you comfortable!

2. But if you are planning on wearing a veil, don’t forget to consider the length. You’ll notice that, throughout these photos, with a longer veil, we can do more things, because there’s more veil to play with! There are a few different ways we can get creative with short veils, too, but long veils give us a lot more to play with!

3. Some veils are heavy, so if you go with a long veil… give it a test run before your wedding day! I once had a bride get a crazy migraine because her veil was too heavy, and I felt so bad!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, too! If you’re married, did you wear a veil for your wedding day? If you hope to be married someday… do you think you’ll wear one? Comment below and let me know!

4 Quick Tips for Avoiding Glasses Glare in Photos

Ever since I started wearing glasses daily a year and a half ago, I became much more conscious of how glasses photograph. The first pair of glasses I purchased had regular old lenses, which meant that they reflected everything around them – and the reflection was especially noticeable in photos (and made it so hard to drive at night!!). Glare on glasses has the ability to block the eyes (aka the windows to the soul ;) ), and when you’re getting your portrait taken… having clear, in focus eyes are definitely one of the most important pieces to the overall photo!

So, when it comes to your senior, engagement, wedding, and family photos, it’s important to be prepared in advance so the glare on your glasses can be reduced!

WHAT CAUSES GLARE ON GLASSES?

The reflection (or glare) that often happens on lenses comes from the light that’s being used to light the subject reflecting off of the lens. It may come from the sun, or a reflective building or sidewalk, or from an artificial reflector (i.e., a big shiny circle disc used to “bounce” light back onto a person’s face!).

Personally, I always use a reflector during my portraits sessions (and sometimes during my engagement sessions and weddings, too!) because it helps 1) light the eyes, 2) make the skin extra creamy, and 3), further illuminate my subject, causing them to “pop” a bit more off of the background. Because of this, I like to try and let my clients know ahead of time what their options are when it comes to reducing the glare on their lenses so that I can use my reflector to achieve the style that my clients have come to know, love, and expect!

If you wear glasses and are hoping to reduce lens glare, below are a few of my top tips and tricks!

WAYS TO AVOID THE GLARE

1.     Opt for non-reflective lenses

If you want to wear glasses in your photos, one of the best things you can do happens when you buy your new frames: opt for non-reflective lenses. Non-reflective lenses greatly diminish the amount of glare in your glasses that can be caught on camera on a bright, sunny day!

2.     Pop out the glass of an old pair of frames

If you have an old pair of frames that you still love and want that glasses-look in your photos, consider popping out a pair of lenses on some old frames. That way, you’ll be able to have the look without the reflection!

3.     Ask your frames provider to borrow a sample pair

This tip came straight from some very smart clients of mine! I once had a groom who wanted to wear his glasses for his wedding photos, but realized that he did not have non-reflective lenses – so he went to the store where he bought his frames and asked if he could borrow a sample pair of glasses for his wedding day (did you know that most sample frames have non-reflective lenses?). They let him, and the photos turned out amazing! Whether you’re having engagement, wedding, senior, or family photos taken, this is a great option if you want the look of your own frames in your photos without a reflection!

4.     Wear contacts

My very last tip that you might want to consider: completely removing your glasses. If glasses aren’t that important to you, opt for wearing contacts instead, or simply take your glasses off!

That’s it for now, friends! If you’d like to hear some additional tips on what to wear for your photo session, feel free to leave a comment below!

5 Things to Remember if it Rains on Your Wedding Day

Just typing the title of this blog post makes me FEEL uncomfortable! 🙈 Almost no one hopes for rain on their wedding day, and sometimes it’s even hard to think about rain being a possibility – but if you live somewhere with crazy weather patterns (like Pittsburgh!) sometimes there will be a chance of rain or inclement weather.

If you’re a bride who has rain in the weather forecast for her wedding day, or a bride who’s afraid of having rain in the forecast for her wedding day, know that this blog post is for you. Know that there’s nothing I hope for more for my own brides than for their day to be beautiful, warm, and sunny.

But also know that what matters more than the rain itself is what you do with it, and the lens through which you choose to view the rain (or potential rain) on your wedding day.

Here are five things to remember if it rains on your wedding day:

 1.     You will still be married at the end of the day, even if it rains.

This might be the most cliché response to rain on a wedding day, but truly – this is the attitude you want to have if it rains on your wedding day. Even if it rains – you still get to marry your best friend. The rain doesn’t automatically nix the significance of that event – don’t let it steal the joy and anticipation that has been building over the months (or years) that you’ve spent waiting for this day to get here! You still have a lifetime of beautifully, sunny days ahead of you. So don’t let on rainy day ruin the significance of what’s taking place!

2.     You have the opportunity to get some really unique photos!

Couples are usually upset about the rain if they: 1) planned an outdoor ceremony and/or reception, and 2) were planning on having their photos taken outside. Which, trust me – I totally understand. I married my husband in an outdoor ceremony, so the thought of rain on our wedding day kind of made me want to cry. But when it came to my photos, I knew that we were in good hands. We hired a professional photographer who I knew could deliver… rain or shine. And I knew that she had tricks up her sleeve – and could deliver unique, beautiful photos, even in the case of rain, which was so important in keeping my peace of mind!

As a sort of side note, another way to have a little bit more peace of mind when it comes to weather on your wedding day is to hire a wedding planner or day of coordinator. That way, your wedding planner or coordinator can execute your rain plan without you having to worry about everything that needs to change!

3.     Umbrellas and rain boots will be your best friend, so make sure you have a ton on hand!

Don’t forget about the umbrellas! Your bridal party, family, and guests will be oh-so thankful if you have a bundle of umbrellas that can be used by everyone on the day of. And for you – don’t forget to bring a pair of rain boots, so you don’t have to worry about ruining your wedding shoes while running between locations!

4. You can always redo (or touch up) your hair and makeup.

Alright, for the ladies in the house, this one could be LIFE CHANGING. One of the main things us ladies worry about when it comes to our wedding day is paying money for hair and makeup, only to have it all wash off/out in the rain - right? Well, if it looks like it might rain on your wedding day.. bring some extra styling supplies with you! You can always touch up your hair or makeup if you’ve been out in the rain. I know it might not be the same as your hair stylist or makeup artist (those people are magicians!) but truly, it’s better than nothing. And chances are, even if you can’t replicate the same hair/makeup look yourself, you’ll have a bridesmaid with a talent for beauty!

5.     Your state of mind and attitude will set the tone for the rest of the wedding day.

This is a tough one to write, because I know that, as a bride, it’s a tough one to hear. You and your fiancé are the center of the celebration, so you set the tone for the wedding day, whether you realize it or not.

I learned this lesson early on in my wedding photography career, noting how the bride’s (and groom’s) words, actions, and reactions can shape the day not only for herself, but for the people around her. If the bride is having a major meltdown over something that went wrong, that reaction ripples throughout her wedding day – unless she can gain control of her emotions and remember what’s important. The same is true in the opposite way. If the bride is focused on what’s important and refuses to let anything diminish the significance of the day, others around her will pick up on her attitude and adopt the same.

One of my favorite examples of this comes from a wedding of mine in 2018. I worked with the sweetest couple who just had the worst luck when it came to weather. It rained for most of their engagement session. Then on the day of their bridal shower. And then, for the couple’s entire wedding day, it rained. There was barely even one moment where it stopped. I felt so terrible! And of course, there were moments of panic and tears – that is sometimes inevitable and unavoidable! But what I admire so much about this bride is how she and her new-husband made the very best out of it. They still had an amazing time, and even took advantage of the rain by going out in it for a few photos! I was totally in awe of their attitudes and unrelenting desire to move past the rain and remember what was really important: their marriage, each other, and their friends and family.

So if you’re thinking that rain might end up being a part of your wedding day… don’t let it dampen what’s truly important. The last thing you’ll want to do is look back on your wedding day and remember having a miserable time. This day is a day that happens once in a lifetime, so enjoy it, rain or shine!

And if you’re looking for more tips on how to deal with rain on your wedding day, check out this additional blog post for tips for how to manage rain when it comes to your photos!

My Favorite Photos of Us From a Decade of Dating

This blog post has been a LONG time in coming. In fact… I meant to get it together for our ten year dating anniversary in August of 2018! 🙈But, nevertheless, today I’d like to take you back a decade to share some of my favorite photos from Nick and I’s relationship throughout the years!

For those of you who might not know our story, Nick and I started dating when he was 16, and when I was 15 (technically, just the day before I turned 16, when I was “officially” allowed to start dating 😂). We were each the first boyfriend/girlfriend that we ever had. After nearly 7 years of dating, in 2015 we tied the knot!

We are both so grateful that we were able to grow with each other mentally, emotionally, physically (i.e., out of bad haircuts and questionable style choices 😉), and spiritually throughout the years. And while I tend to cringe at some of these photos - looking back, I am beyond thankful to have them. And I would love to share a bit of our story - in photo form - with you! And hopefully, some of these photos will remind you (like they did me!) that it’s not about looking “perfect.” It’s about having those moments to hang onto in all of their reality - interesting style choices, weird faces, silly moments, and all.

So, to start, we’ll start at the very beginning. Or, in this case - before the beginning!

For this very first photo, we’re throwing it back to the first photo Nick and I EVER took together! This was actually before we started dating in the summer of 2008. My friends threw me the sweetest surprise birthday party for my 16th birthday, and little did I know (until I got there!) that they had invited Nick! Who, apparently, had gotten really sunburnt that week 😂

Also, note that this photo was taken on the small digital camera that I kept in my purse! Thank the good Lord for modern technology and not having to carry around ten different electronic devices!

On this day quite a few years ago, Nick and I decided to go for a walk in the woods near my neighborhood. Shortly after our adventure began, I tried to pull down a giant tree branch that was in our way and a one of it's tiny branches impaled my arm! While I was freaking out, Nick (like the gentleman he is), offered to carry me back to my parents' house (a two mile walk from there). I (not so kindly) informed him that it was not my FEET or my LEGS that had been impaled, but my arm!

I can safely say that this was one of my LEAST favorite things we've ever done together! Both of our families (who love to hang out together!) decided it would be a wonderful idea for us all to go water tubing - you know, where you hang onto a tube for your LIFE while a boat drags you through deep, churning waters. No big deal! Up until five minutes before this photo was taken, I was insisting that I would never EVER get on one of these tubes just to be thrown off into the depths of the sea. Nick assured me that we would be able to hang on for the whole time if we went together, so VERY reluctantly, I agreed. I should mention that one of my biggest fears in life is drowning, along with large bodies of water (how was I ever a lifeguard for six years?!). So we got on the tube, and literally JUST as the boat started to pull us, our tube submerged under water (I was hanging on too tightly towards the front, apparently) and we were thrown off, as the boat sped away. Meanwhile, I'm FREAKING OUT (screaming, crying, the works) imagining all of the scary darkness and marine life that was swirling below me. Nick (and both of our families) got a GREAT laugh out of that one! Me... not so much! 

Yes, Nick was literally the Chick-fil-A cow on multiple occasions throughout the area where we live! So of course, I had to visit. Once, I was even the "Mrs" Chick-fil-A cow - only I had walking pneumonia (which I found out later) and could NOT control my coughing. Kids kept trying to hug me while I was in the costume (and coughing), then they would start screaming and crying "What's wrong with the cow! The cow is DYING!"

Nick's family was gracious enough to bring me along on a few trips to Florida while Nick and I were only dating! During THIS trip in particular, we decided to rent one of these little two person biking things (yes, that's the official name, in case you were wondering!), and after we initially spoke to the rental guy at one of the rental booths, the rental guy left and Nick says to me: "OH MY GOSH. Did you see it?!" Totally unaware as to what he was talking about, I said, "No - see what?" "THE SQUIRREL SITTING ON HIS SHOULDER!!! Look for it when he comes back!" So we waited, and ten minutes later, the rental guy comes back - without a squirrel on his shoulder. Nick was SO confused, and I BURST out laughing. To this day, Nick still believes there was a squirrel sitting on this man's shoulder. I still don't believe it!

One of the coolest things we've done together is go on a mission trip to Kenya! As you can see from our faces - jet lag is the real deal.

Ahhhhh, Halloween. We've gone through quite a few make shift Halloween costumes throughout the year, only to settle on finally investing in some Hogwarts robes (which I think we've worn for the last four years or so! ;) ). Other mentionables include: Bert Macklin & Janet Snakehole (any Parks & Rec fans out there?!), pirates, and Minnie & Mickey!

When this photo was taken, I had NO idea it would be so important to me so many years later. I was playing "Mrs. Mayor" in my high school's rendition of "Seussical," and Nick came to every single show. Later I found out that at one of the shows, Nick leaned over to his best friend and whispered "I'm going to marry that girl someday." I think it was the yellow suit 😂

Nick and I met through our youth group (read more about how we met here!) on a trip down to Florida to a camp called "Bigstuf." This photo was taken on our third trip together down there - those are some of my favorite memories!

Tenth grade prom. Need I say more?! We went to SO many dances together, and boy, are some of those photos rough, so I’ll leave you with this one that’s not so bad! 😉

Two Disney fans in Universal for the first time together. We decided that it wasn't nearly as interesting as Disney ;) But we did have an amazing time!

THIS was the day Nick asked me to marry him! If you're interested in seeing the video, click here ☺️ And yes - I was completely and utterly surprised!! The weirdest thing that happened that day, though, was seeing a naked man sun tanning in a PUBLIC PARK. Ew!

I always thought Nick had the best redheaded Justin Bieber hair when we were in high school 😍And this was back in the day when it was cool to take photos via the PhotoBooth on your computer.

This is what most of the photos we take together ACTUALLY look like 😂this was on the same day Nick "saw" the squirrel sitting on a man's shoulder!

This photo has been one of my favorites since it was taken by the talented Michael Williams, mainly because I feel like it really captures exactly who we are together! Against allllll of my previous knowledge about engagement sessions before this day, Nick and I showed up in a bit of mid-fight, but by the end of the shoot, we totally forgot what we had been fighting about. We had so much fun!

I bet you can guess what happened on this day! 😉This was by FAR one of my favorite days. To my surprise, I wasn't nervous at ALL, and slept a full nine and a half hours the night before our wedding! We had been dating for so long that we knew this was exactly what we wanted to do and the man I wanted to spend my life with!

I love everything that this photo represents: time together, uninterrupted, in one of our favorite places: Disney’s Boardwalk Resort! This photo was taken during a first year anniversary session by the incredibly talented KT Crabb Photography.

And here is us… just last year, attending my cousin’s wedding in Virginia! This photo reminds me of allllll of the boundaries we had to keep in place and adhere to - together - just to be able to attend this wedding and spend the weekend with my extended family. At the beginning of our marriage, one of the toughest things we had to work through was making time to align our schedules to be together.

When we were first married, Nick was working as a Youth Director at the church we attended, and I was working a part-time Graphic & Web Design job, while trying to build this business. We had no boundaries, and consequently, we never really saw each other or got to spend time with each other. I am SO thankful that we were both given a call out and were able to pursue a healthy work-life balance. 💛

Thanks for reading, friends!

Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh: Favorite Pittsburgh Wedding Venues

Alright friends, it's time for another installment of my favorite Pittsburgh wedding venues! Today, I’m excited to introduce you to another one of my favorites, located right in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh: the Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh! MUCH, much different from my previous favorite wedding venues (Lingrow Farms, Shady Elms Farm), this hotel is a top favorite of mine for so many reasons!

In these venue highlights, I want to share some of my favorite attributes of each venue when it comes specifically to photos – mainly, why I love shooting there, how picturesque the venue is from a photographer’s point of view, and how rain could affect your wedding photos at each venue. My hope is to help viewers see the potential of each wedding venue I highlight specifically from a photography perspective so you can ensure that your photos will be gorgeous!

Picturesque:

My favorite thing about this venue: it used to be a BANK. That's right, a legitimate, functioning BANK. And they left all of the most beautiful parts for guests to enjoy, including a vault (which looks epic in photos) and tons of art deco, black and gold design all throughout the lobby. It's truly classic meets modern, and there are SO many options for bridal party, bride & groom, AND detail photos!

In addition to having a beautiful interior space, the Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh is one walk across the street away from Mellon Park, Strawberry Way, and only a few short blocks from other gorgeous and iconic downtown Pittsburgh locations!

This hotel also has a gorgeous and modern cocktail hour and ballroom space, and if you're feeling adventurous, Mellon Park lights up BEAUTIFULLY at night, making for some truly epic night time portraits!

Rain Plan:

This venue is definitely on your side in the case of rain. With BEAUTIFUL interior decoration, there are more than enough spaces to work with (though you might have a little trouble fitting everyone in if you have a huge bridal party!). I think I could have an entire bride & groom portrait session in the lobby and not even get bored! And don't even get me started on the elevators - most certainly the most gorgeous elevator doors I've ever seen!

Other Mentionables:

I feel like the photos speak for themselves with this one! You HAVE to check them out!!!

If you are a bride who is looking into Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh as a potential wedding venue, I would love to chat with you more! Feel free to email me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com with any questions you might have!

4 Questions to Ask a Potential Wedding Vendor

Talk about a time to be alive and engaged! If you’re a bride in today’s world, you have so many awesome resources to be able to get all of the information you could ever imagine! Vendor lists, checklists, and testimonials are all at the tips of your fingers – and yet, while some of these lists can be super helpful with asking questions that cover the basics of what a vendor will provide for your wedding, sometimes they don’t reach into the heart of the matter.

Here’s how I like to think about it: how are you supposed to know if the vendor you’ve met with for forty-five minutes at a coffee shop once is capable of handling your wedding day, or if they really have the passion to push through all of the grit? There are lots of potential question lists available from places like The Knot, Wedding Wire, Brides, and the like who offer up some decent options, but after being quizzed by a number of brides myself, I’ve found that there are a couple of REALLY important questions that are rarely asked – questions that help you see not just what a person does, but who a person is. Don’t get me wrong – you definitely want to ask what they’ll do if they get sick the day of your wedding, if they have backup gear, and if they have liability insurance, but those questions barely scratch the surface of who a person is, which is just as important.

So if YOU are interested in having vendors at your wedding who aren’t just booking you for the cash, but who genuinely care about making your wedding day the very best it can be, I encourage you to try asking these questions:

1.  How and when did you get into [wedding photography, DJing, catering, event design, etc.]?

This is just an important question to know in general, and surprisingly, one that I rarely get asked as a wedding vendor!

2. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

This question will give you an idea of the “why” behind what they do. If you hire someone to produce a product or service for you, chances are if the person creating the product or performing the service has tons of passion and purpose behind their chosen career path, they’ll put a lot more effort into making whatever they do the very best it can be!

3. What’s the toughest part of your job?

To me, honesty is key. It’s always promising when someone can answer a question like this in a positive light without putting anyone down. There are parts of every job that are tough, but this question specifically will give you a good look into a person’s integrity.

4. Why did you choose [insert service] for your career?

Do they love what they do? Is it a passion, or a just a job? A recent book I read entitled "Creative Confidence" has allowed me to see the work I do as not just a job or a career, but as a calling. And, effectively, why it is so important to find others who are called to their work, not just working a job or pursuing a career.

“For those who pursue a calling, their work is intrinsically rewarding in its own right - not just a means to an end.”

— Tom Kelley & David Kelley, "Creative Confidence"

"Amy Wrzesniewski, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Yale University's School of Management... has found that people have one of three distinct attitudes toward the work they do: they think of it as either a job, a career, or a calling... When work is strictly a job, it may effectively pay the bills, but you're living mostly for the weekend and your hobbies. Those who see work as a career focus on promotions and getting ahead - checking off achievements rather than pursuing deeper meaning... for those who pursue a calling, their work is intrinsically rewarding in its own right - not just a means to an end. So, what you do professionally fulfills you personally as well. And often that work is meaningful because you are contributing to a larger purpose or feel part of a larger community." - Tom Kelley & David Kelley in "Creative Confidence"

The Problem with Wedding Photographers...

A few weeks ago, I had an eye opening conversation with a friend.

We were walking around the mall (that’s what we have to do in Pittsburgh when it’s 6 degrees outside ;) ), and we started talking about business. We moved on to weddings. Then we moved on to our couples and to photographing them on their wedding days, one of the most significant days of their lives.

Then, we started talking about something that got my gears spinning. A question was brought up: am I shooting for my couples, or am I shooting for me?

The weight of this question hit me by surprise. Of COURSE I’m shooting for my couples, I mused. Why else would I be photographing all of these weddings if I wasn’t?

But then, the gears kept turning, and I thought back to a conversation I had with a former coworker. Recently married, I asked him what he would do differently about his wedding day, if he could. He answered “I’d insist that we take less pictures. I love how they turned out, but I missed out on a lot of my wedding day because we kept leaving to take photos. Before the ceremony, after the ceremony, during cocktail hour, and during our reception, we were pulled out multiple times for more photos. They insisted that we keep leaving our friends and family for more photos without taking our opinion into consideration.”

Whoa. As a wedding photographer, this hit me right in the gut. I began to wonder: am I putting too much pressure on my couples for the photos that I want? Or do they really want them, too?

Of course, there’s a balance, like with anything. Good photos take time.  It takes time to get a series of photos that represent who a couple is, to capture their friends and family, and to do it all in less time than an engagement session typically takes.

But, the question still remains: am I unnecessarily putting expectations on my couples to take photos that they don’t really want? Are we missing the boat as wedding photographers and camouflaging our desire to get photos that we love while sacrificing our the desires of our couples on one of the biggest days of their lives?

If wedding photography becomes about anything besides the couple, then we’re doing it wrong. We’ve missed the boat. We might say we’re in it for our couples, but in reality, we’re only in it for ourselves. That’s when wedding photography becomes selfish. And the temptation to make it about ME, the wedding photographer, is a great one. But if we can keep our eyes on what truly matters – on capturing this beautiful, sacred union and these two individuals on the first day of the rest of their lives, our focus will stay where it was always meant to be: on our couples.

One GIANT Tip for Spending More Time with Loved Ones on Your Wedding Day

You might’ve read the title of this post and been a little confused (especially if you haven’t experienced a wedding day as a bride or groom first hand): isn’t it a given that you’ll spend the whole wedding day with your friends and family?

Well… yes and no.

Of course, you’ll be spending your wedding day with your family and friends in the same vicinity as you, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be actually spending time with them. And to be honest, sometimes wedding photography takes up a significant portion of a wedding day. And it’s challenging, because as a wedding photographer, I want to get the BEST images possible for my couples – and of course, getting the BEST images possible takes a little bit of time, between bridal party photos, family photos, and photos of the happy couple.

But what if I told you there was one magic way to spend more time with your family and friends on your big day? ONE thing that you can add into your day that will give you that time that you so desperately want?

That “thing” is a first look.

WAIT. Don’t go. Don’t click out of this post yet! A first look can evoke a lot of different emotions in a lot of different people. But before I go into why a first look might be the best thing you could do on your wedding day, let me explain what a first look is:

A first look is where the bride and groom have a private moment together before the ceremony. Yes, you read that correctly. The bride and groom will see each other before the ceremony even starts, but the beautiful thing is – they will get to have that moment together. They can talk together, laugh together, hug each other, kiss, and cry with just the two of them present.

I understand that a first look isn’t for everyone. Heck, my husband and I didn’t even do a first look at our wedding! But a few weekends ago, Nick and I photographed another wedding with a first look, and on our way home, he looked at me and said “I kind of wish we would’ve done a first look. Those two got to spend so much more time with their family and friends and shared in that moment together. I wish I would’ve been able to tell you how beautiful you looked and hugged you when you came down the aisle!”

Bingo! Though Nick and I decided to opt out of a first look for our wedding, looking back on our day – we realized that it might’ve actually been a better decision for us. We took our wedding photos right after our ceremony during cocktail hour (which is a normal time for photos!), so we didn’t get to spend that time with family and friends who had traveled so far to celebrate with us.

BUT – if we had done a first look before our ceremony, before all of the guests had arrived – we could’ve been a part of cocktail hour and would’ve had much more time to talk to our loved ones.

So the moral of the story is: if you want to spend more time with your guests, a first look might be the best option for you. We’ve heard time and time again how much more relaxed and at ease our couples have felt after having a first look on their wedding day, which is the most important thing.

Have a question about a first look? Feel free to email me at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com with any questions!

Angela + Ajay: LeMont Restaurant Wedding Photographer

Angela and Ajay's elegant romantic blush wedding day was full of love, laughter, and true joy! While Angela and Ajay currently reside in New York, they came back to Pittsburgh to celebrate their love of a lifetime, surrounded by friends and family.

Before the ceremony, Angela and Ajay shared an intimate first look in a little city garden that was bursting with color! After, we joined up with the bridal party and did a couple of "traffic stopping" shots (you'll see what I mean ;) ) and celebrated with a champagne toast. At their ceremony, Angela and Ajay read heartfelt vows that hardly left a dry eye in the crowd (including mine!), with the Pittsburgh city skyline as the perfect backdrop. One of my favorite parts of their wedding day was when the crowd clapped as each family and bridal party member made their way down the aisle. If that doesn't give you an idea of how joy-filled and celebratory their day was, I don't know what will! Later, the two danced the night away (and let me tell you, these two love to dance!), incorporating some Italian songs as a nod to Angela's Italian heritage, closing out the night with a sparkler exit. Need I say more?

Angela and Ajay, you two are a joy to be around, and your love for each other (and for those around you) is infectious! Congratulations on tying the knot - here's to many more years of celebration!

Kim & Darren: Myrtle Beach Couple Photography

Do you ever have one of those days (or... months?) where you just cannot wait to get away? February was one of those for me.

I have to admit, I'm not much of a beach person, but getting some sand between my toes in the off-season is one of my favorite ways to relax. While I'm not a big beach-sitter, I do love to walk on the beach and be reminded of my smallness (oceans will do that to you, I suppose). At any rate, Nick and I were extremely fortunate to be able to travel down to Myrtle with some of his co-workers and their spouses. We relaxed, walked, went the spa, hot tubbed (I think I made that up), and even had the chance to take some photos of Nick's coworker, Darren, and his beautiful wife Kim! You might recognize these two from their Geneva College engagement session last fall.

When Kim asked if I would be willing to snap some photos of her and Darren on our trip, I was THRILLED. If there's anything I know to be true about Kim, it's that she LOVES the beach. I'm not sure I know of anyone who loves the beach more than her, actually (quite a contrast to me!) - and I love the idea of taking photos of her with the person she loves most in one of the places she loves most. That's what it's all about!!!