PITTSBURGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER: WEDDING PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS 2022

What a beautiful year FILLED with amazing couples it has been! These highlight posts are always some of my personal favorite blog posts from the entire year, because I get to see not only all of the beautiful couples I’ve worked with, but also because I get to see highlights from my full body of work throughout the year – that in itself is so rewarding!

It’s hard to believe that I photographed my first wedding 10 years ago this year… so much has changed since 2012! At the time, I never thought that photography was something I would do full time. In fact, I was pursuing two degrees at the time in Graphic Design & Web Design, and was using any photo gigs I booked as a means to pay for them! I am so grateful that God has allowed my business to grow to the point of being able to support my family as my full time job. It is a blessing to get to serve so many people and explore so many beautiful places – and to get to work for myself!

Today, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite photos from my 2022 weddings and engagements. Some might seem like obvious favorites (because they’re of beautiful people or details, or technically beautiful!), but some are my favorites simply because of the emotion they show, and others because of what I had to overcome technically to make the shot happen. Weddings can be quite unpredictable, and often put photographers in situations where they need to make “magic” happen out of less than ideal lighting and timing situations (among other hurdles!). While that part of the job can often be stressful (especially when someone’s memories of the best day of their life are on the line!), that pressure has also given me the opportunity to produce work that I am proud to share with my clients!

So, without further ado – here are some highlights from 2022!

This image was created using a $1.25 mirror from the Dollar Tree… this was the first time I used this little trick to add a bit of visual interest to a detail shot, and I love how it turned out!

This was our first wedding of the year in January - it was like, 6 degrees outside, but our couple still trekked down to the Hot Metal Bridge for photos!

In March, it can be difficult to find good backdrops for photos - I was so excited that the light and backdrop of this venue (the Camelot) lined up and that we were able to use it for bridal party photos! It was honestly a proud moment for me, since there weren’t a ton of backdrops to work with at this particular venue, and we didn’t have enough time to drive to a different spot!

Such a sweet sister moment ❤️

I love the joy, shock, and excitement that comes during proposals. This Phipp’s Conservatory proposal was such a highlight!

We had the whole Broderie room to ourselves!

I love Disney Pixar’s “Up” - Matt & Maria’s “Up” themed wedding day was so much fun to photograph! I got to get a little creative with their details, too!

Possibly one of my favorite bridal party photos of the whole year!

This couple flew in all the way from Seattle for their engagement photos!

Walking around Kennywood with these two was a huge highlight from this year! They met here, so it made the perfect backdrop for their engagement session!

Jackie & Gerald are literary lovers who incorporated so many books into their wedding day. I decided to borrow a few from their reception area to incorporate into their details photos - and I’m so glad I did! I am so excited about how these detail photos turned out!

This backdrop gave me major Lord of the Rings vibes. Which was perfect… considering the fact that Jackie & Gerald incorporated some subtle LOTR details throughout their day!

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, you’ll appreciate this little potato sign! 😉

Firework photos have always been a bit tricky for me. I love how these ones turned out! And that “Love” sign?! Adorable!

Love this photo that Nick got of the groomsmen!

This wedding took place at the White Barn… one of my all time favorite wedding venues! Nick and I got married here back in 2015, too!

One of the sweetest mother-son dances.

No window light and in a small room? Create your own light with a speedlight by bouncing it into the corner of the room (so the light falls back onto your subject) to create soft, flattering, directional light!

This foot washing ceremony was so sweet, and so emotional.

Champagne pop at sunset?! It doesn’t get much better than that!

Maybe I shouldn’t have favorites… but this bouquet was one of my favorites of the entire year! I love a good fall textured bouquet. It was SUPER heavy, but super gorgeous in all of the photos!

This was one of those tougher lighting situations! It was a super bright day, and the first look took place right in the middle of the day (when the sun is highest in the sky). It’s notoriously the toughest time for natural light photography! I was thankful that we were able to find a place in this location to place the couple where we were able to control the light a bit more, to make sure it was flattering on our couple’s faces.

Something I LOVE about this walkway is that it has white cement… which acts as a great natural reflector, effectively “popping” soft light back into my couple’s faces, creating a flattering look for their skin. This wasn’t a location we had originally planned on using, but when we were driving by, I had to stop and take a few portraits of them there because I knew the light would be great!

This couple had a beautiful clear roof tent, which let in SO MUCH LIGHT! It was the best of both worlds - tented in case of rain, but also it sort of felt like you were completely outside because there was so much light!

I can’t get over the lights they have in the tent at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. They are so gorgeous!

Let me tell you about these confetti poppers! The confetti streamers that come out stay attached to the poppers themselves - making for super easy clean up! Which was great, considering that we popped them on a church altar!

It ended up being pretty cold on Jen & Brandon’s wedding day… so we did the majority of their portraits inside Heinz Chapel. And it was AWESOME. They left us enough time in their timeline to create some really special portraits for them… all while staying warm! 10/10 would do again!

This may be one of my favorite wedding portraits of the whole year!

Engagement photos in a (somewhat surprise) snow storm! We knew it was going to snow, but I don’t think any of us knew how heavy that snow would be. Thankfully - these two went for it! And thankfully I had a willing husband to hold an umbrella over my head while I was taking photos!

Jenna & C.G.: Glamorous Fall White Barn Wedding Day

Joy is one of the best words to describe Jenna & C.G.’s attitudes throughout their wedding day! Which was super impressive, considering the fact that it rained on and off throughout their ENTIRE day. But the joy of marriage far surpassed any sort of rainy, inclement weather.

If you’re new around here, you probably don’t know that the White Barn is my favorite wedding venue… because it’s where my husband and I tied the knot back in 2015! So when Jenna and C.G. originally inquired with me, I felt an immediate connection with them for falling in love with the same beautiful place that Nick and I did years ago. After some chatting, Jenna and I came to find out that we share not only the same name and the same wedding venue… but that we both went to Robert Morris University!

One other thing we both seem to share is a love for details and working ahead. Jenna was on the BALL when it came to wedding planning! We talked through so many details of her wedding day months before anything took place, which was so helpful for getting a vision for their wedding day - and for making sure we had enough time for photos! Our solid timeline proved very effective when we had multiple bouts of unexpected rain. But because we had a solid timeline and a back up plan… we were set!

Jenna & C.G., what an honor it was to be a part of your wedding day. Your joy and positivity in the face of adversity is so admirable! Congratulations again my friends!

Vendors: The White Barn, Elise Event Co. (Coordinator), Hitched Creative (Videographer), All About Reclaimed (Florist), Kretchmars Bakery (Cake), DJ Joe Costa, Valarie Panei (Makeup), One Enchanted Evening (Bride’s Dress), The Winner (Bridesmaid Dresses), Zazzle (Invitations), Medure’s Catering

And a huge thanks to Jill from Jill Gearhart Photography for being an amazing second photographer! You rock my friend!

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!

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!

Carly & Nick: White Barn Wedding Photos

I can’t lie to you - I’ve been looking forward to Carly and Nick’s wedding day ever since I first met them! You might remember Carly and Nick from their Christmas Historic Harmony engagement session last year (click here to see it!) - after that session, I knew their wedding was going to be all kinds of fun - and it most certainly was!

You might’ve seen a recent wedding trend where a best man or groomsman dresses up like a bride for a “fake” first look. Well… Carly and the groomsmen staged a fake first look for Nick, too! And he was COMPLETELY surprised! But don’t worry, Carly didn’t use her real dress - just one she found at a consignment shop! And in lieu of a bouquet, the “bride” carried a beer! 😂

So many other beautiful and unique details made Carly and Nick’s day one to remember! From Carly and her dad’s entrance to the ceremony via horse and carriage, to a “lit” reception entrance (you’ll see what I mean 😏), to a larger-than-lifesize cutout of their dog that they danced with for their first song, this beautiful day was certainly one to remember. And it was all the sweeter remembering mine and Nick’s own wedding day at the very same venue nearly three years ago!

Carly and Nick, you both are a JOY to know. I am so thankful to have been a part of your day! Congratulations on your beautiful marriage! 💛

Vendor:

Ceremony & Reception: The White Barn

Event Planner: Em & E Events (Emily Capitano)

Bride’s Dress: Alfred Angelo

Makeup: Wanderlust Beauty Studio

Florist: Lea’s Floral Shop

Caterer: Medure’s Catering

Cake: Tin Man Sweets

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Menswear: Jack’s Tuxedo

Invitations: Minted

Furniture Rental: Vintage Alley

Horse and Carriage: Tim Swickraths Pony Rides

Guest Book: Happy Lil Canvases

Officiant: Pastor Ann

DJ: PowerBomb Productions

Videographer: Just Hitched Wedding Films

White Barn Wedding Photos by Jenna Hidinger Photography

5 Commandments for Mastering Family Formals

Family formals (aka, mom’s favorite pictures from the wedding day [for good reason]) are a necessary component of any wedding day, and are sometimes one part of the day, unfortunately, that stresses brides out the most. From family members making a dash from the ceremony to cocktail hour to your niece (the flower girl) needing to use the restroom, you might be wondering: is there any way to successfully (and quickly) work through the family formals section of a wedding day?

What if I told you, bride-to-be, that family formals don’t have to be so crazy? That all family formals could be done within a short, concise timeframe? By following these five commandments of family formals, you will be sure to make it through your entire list without letting your list take the entirety of cocktail hour:

1. Have a specific list with specific names.

This is the number one most important key to mastering the family formals portion of your wedding day: have a specific list with specific names. Spending five minutes a month before your ceremony writing out exactly who you’d like to have a part of family formals can save lots of time on your wedding day. Don’t forget to touch base with your groom, your mom, and your mother-in-law to make sure their requests are on the list, too!

Our strategy for wedding days is to have a specific list to work from so nothing has to be decided on the fly the day of the wedding (i.e., one less item for the bride to have to coordinate). If we know exactly who needs to be in your formals beforehand, we can start gathering people directly after the ceremony, calling names, and putting people “on deck” for the next photo.

2. Don’t stray from the list.

Commandment number two might be just as important as number one – once you have your list finalized, don’t stray from it! I’ve seen many a list get elongated throughout the family formals timeframe from well-meaning family members who want a specific combination that the bride (and the bride’s family) aren’t interested in having. Allowing friends and family members to elongate the list during this specific timeframe can cut into bridal party portraits, as well as portraits of the bride and groom. Know what shots are important and stick to them!

3. Keep your list simple.

Simplicity is best when it comes to family formals. If you have a limited timeframe to complete formals, keep it short and sweet – keeping the list to immediate family members and grandparents is a great way to save time (less people to gather), and other larger portraits (i.e., your mom’s whole extended side of 30+ people) can be saved for the reception, where the DJ can announce: “we need all of the bride’s mother’s extended family on the dance floor for a photo!” or the like.

4. Let everyone on the list know exactly where they need to be, and when.

What takes up the most time when it comes to family formals? Gathering family members. Alerting family members ahead of time that they will be needed for a photo, whether it’s directly after the ceremony or at an alternative specific time, will save ample amounts of time. Tracking down someone in a 200-300 person crowd can be tough (especially during cocktail hour when there’s food and drink involved!).

5. Bust through your list right after the ceremony.

At your ceremony, everyone will be sitting in the same room – which means everyone is already gathered and ready for formals! After the couple has exited the ceremony, many couples have their pastor make an announcement to have family members remain in their seats so that they’re ready for photos. If no one leaves the ceremony, it’s easier to jump straight into photos!

By following these five commandments of family formals, you’re sure to breeze through your list with ease and efficiency and spend your day celebrating with family members, rather than just taking photos with them – and that’s what is truly important!

Have any tips to add? Drop them in the comments below!

Tips for Making Your Bridal Details Look Amazing in Photos!

You may not realize it, but every wedding photographer has certain parts of the wedding day they favor photographing – and for me, one of my favorite parts of the day is photographing the bridal details! Having time to photograph the bridal details lets me creatively “warm up” for the day, and for me, is just plain fun!

I’m all about meticulously arranging beautiful compositions so brides can remember each and every important detail they incorporated. While it can be easy to lose some of those accessories and trinkets used on the wedding day throughout the years, a photograph (or a few) of your items in your wedding album is sure to remain!

Because I have a passion for creating beautiful imagery from bridal details, I’d love to share three pieces of advice for making your bridal details look amazing:

1. Pre-think and gather what you would like to have photographed.

The bride has a lot of accessories on the wedding day – the dress, veil, shoes, garter, jewelry, wedding rings, perfume, bouquet – just to name a few! I always love to recommend having brides pre-think and gather what they would like to have photographed so nothing is forgotten or unintentionally left out. Pre-thinking what you would like to have photographed means less scrambling on the wedding day looking for misplaced items, and leaves less of a chance that something could be forgotten in the photographs!

Here is a list of what I will typically ask for from brides:

• Dress
• Dress belt (if there is one)
• Veil (if there is one)
• Shoes
• Invitation suite (this adds so much to photographs, plus invitation suites typically cost a decent chunk of change, so getting them photographed is a great way to remember them!)
• Save the date
• Garter(s)
• Wedding rings
• Engagement ring
• Perfume
• Purse
• Headpiece
• Any jewelry (necklace, bracelet, earrings)
• Something old, new, borrowed, and blue

2. Add in personal elements and heartfelt touches.

I love when brides take this piece of advice and run with it! Last summer, I was doing a venue walk through with a bride who was having her wedding on her parent’s property. While we were walking through her parent’s house, I noticed an antique silver tray, which I later learned belonged to her grandmother. I made a point to incorporate the tray into some of the bride’s bridal detail photos, and not only did it make the perfect backdrop for her invitation suite, but was an extra personal element that she will always have photos of to remember! (See below for how the photo turned out!)

Other personal items might include: a photograph of the bride’s mother or grandmother in her wedding dress, a old photo of the bride as a flower girl, an heirloom vase, an antique picture frame or chair, a handwritten love letter from the groom, a handkerchief – but really, the possibilities are endless!

3. Ask your florist to provide some flower petals or a few extra flowers to help set the tone of the photos.

At a recent wedding, one of my brides requested extra flowers from her florist for detail photographs, and I thought it was a GENIUS idea (and can’t believe I hadn’t thought of asking the florists I work with sooner!). Sometimes florists have extra rose petals, flowers, and/or leaves leftover after creating the wedding centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnières – asking them to bring along a few extra items for photos typically is a-okay! Especially if you offer them the opportunity to use your photographs as portfolio pieces in return :)

So there you have it! Whether you're a bride or a photographer, I hope these few little suggestions help get your wheels turning to create some beautiful (and meaningful) photos that will help commemorate bridal details for years to come! 

Why We Need to Support Marriage

I love wedding day toasts. Typically, by the time the wedding day rolls around, I've gotten to know my couple fairly well, but listening in to toasts by the father of the bride, best man, and maid of honor always leave me with an expanded perspective of who a couple really is. 

One of my favorite toasts ever was given by a father of the bride at one of my weddings a few years ago. He talked a lot about the couple, about their relationship together, about his love for his daughter - and then he took a spin on the typical "father of the bride" speech and started talking directly to the people in the room. He challenged them to love on this couple long after the wedding day. To check in on them, and to find ways to support them in their marriage. He noted something in that moment that everyone already knew, but that he said anyways: marriage is tough. And often times, even in marriage, it feels as though we're living in isolation. We unintentionally isolate ourselves from other people and try to fix the broken pieces of ourselves all on our own, but in reality, we need to be supporting and uplifting each other, not just on the wedding day, but years and years after.

So today, I want to put a little challenge out on this little corner of the web: send a married friend a little love today. Write them a note. Or send them a message. Or show up in their lives somehow - today, tomorrow, next week - and show your support of their marriage. We have enough marriage-bashing jokes going around. What if we started to change our perceptions and words towards marriage to reflect the good instead of the bad?