Lauren + Bill: McConnell's Mill Anniversary Photos

Anniversary sessions are quickly becoming a favorite of mine, and Lauren and Bill's anniversary session is no exception! Lauren and Bill came ready to have an amazing time at their session, and we had the BEST time hanging out around McConnell's Mill with them!

As you might be able tell from just the first photo on this blog post, Lauren and Bill are a married couple who genuinely love one another and work amazingly well together as a team! They laughed their way through their entire session, and gave me some solid marriage advice along the way. One of my favorite parts of any anniversary session is asking for the couple's best marriage advice - and Lauren and Bill's was some of my favorite, ever: "Keep God at the center. He's the only thing that can keep you together!" And man, do I believe that, because marriage can be so tough sometimes! But knowing that my spouse isn't the enemy and that God brought us into each others lives for a reason is what gets me through.

So without further ado, here are a few of my favorites from Lauren and Bill's anniversary session! :)

Sam + Matt: Phipp's Conservatory Engagement Photos

When Sam and Matt showed up to Phipp's with two takeout containers of Eat'n Park smiley cookies, I KNEW it was going to be a great session!! Sam and Matt have been together for six years as of TODAY (talk about good timing), and met while working at the Pittsburgh classic, Eat'n Park! One of my favorite stories I heard during their session was about how Matt turned down Sam for her sophomore prom (boo!), but then wised up and said "yes" for her senior prom ;) We had an incredible time walking around Phipp's, Oakland, eating smiley cookies, and letting go of balloons with these two - congratulations on your engagement, Sam and Matt!

Katie + Nate: Westminster College Engagement Photos

Well these two might be the cutest thing Westminster College has ever seen! I had the privilege of photographing Katie and Nate (or "Natie" ;) ) at the place where they first met and fell in love - Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA! I LOVE photographing couples in places that hold special meaning to them. (Struggling to find a unique location for your engagement session? Check out this blog post!). During the session, we went through a sort of relationship tour - the building where they first met, where Katie graduated (Nate is finishing graduate school), and many, many more sweet memories that poured out during our time together. They are even getting married at the chapel on campus later this year! We finished off Katie and Nate's session with a sunset picnic featuring Katie's famous chocolate chip cookies and some sparkling lemonade. Does it get any more adorable than that?! Also, notice the names on the coca-colas - so perfect!

I am so excited to share this session - check out a few of my favorites below!

Sarah + Mike: Hartwood Acres Engagement Photos

It was SO hot and humid the morning we photographed Sarah and Mike's engagement session. I've only ever had my camera and lenses fog up from cold weather (read about our coldest shoot ever, in 5 degree weather here!), never from hot humid weather - but that day, the moment I pulled my equipment out to shoot - my gear immediately fogged up! We fought the humidity the entire session, and Sarah and Mike were such incredible troopers! They had no problem getting close (even in the heat) and were total pros in front of the camera. I love when couples aren't afraid to get close and even improvise - and these two did both things so well!

Check out a few favorites from their Hartwood Acres engagement session below!

Amy + Mike: Phipp's Conservatory Engagement

Everyone knows a couple who seem to be made for each other in every way. The chemistry is undeniable. Their love is contagious - Amy and Mike are one of those couples! I met up with these two at Phipp's Conservatory, where I heard all about Amy and Mike's love for Olive Garden breadsticks, Bravo, Rita's, and minions (ummmm, does it get much better than that?!)! We spent time walking around Phipp's and Schenley Park and caught some beautiful light during golden hour.

While we were walking, we came across a little cafe with tables and chairs - which I knew immediately we had to use, because one of Mike and Amy's favorite things to do together is to go out to eat (no wonder we connected so well! ;) ). I love finding ways to make slight nods to a couple's hobbies, loves, and interests! Without further ado, enjoy a few of my favorite images from Amy and Mike's Pittsburgh summer engagement session!

Abby & Ollie: Mackinac Island Engagement Photos

I am so excited because today I'm sharing a little peek Abby and Ollie's wedding weekend on Mackinac Island in Michigan! I loved having the opportunity to photograph these two the day before their wedding on the shores of Mackinac. We traveled from The Inn at Stonecliffe (about two miles back into the island) by horse and buggy (this island is the coolest!!) to find the perfect spot along the coast. And on top of that - the midday light even cooperated so it wasn't too, too bright! I'm so excited to share more from their beautiful wedding weekend, but for now - here's a little peek into their day-before session!

Sam + Anthony: Moraine State Park Engagement Photos

I met up with these two on one of the most beautiful days in all of May at Moraine State Park! Anthony is a golfer, Sam is a Disney lover (which of course I love!), and they both have a mutual love for Wendy's (which I think is where they went to eat after our session!). These two laughed through their entire session and were absolute pros in front of the camera (though they kept trying to reassure me they were not!). I love seeing couples have a fun time during their engagement session - and I think you can tell from these photos that these two certainly did!

Congratulations on your engagement, Sam and Anthony! We can't wait for the wedding!

Elisabeth + Nazari: Downtown Pittsburgh Anniversary Photographer

Every once in a while, various wedding professionals in the Pittsburgh area hold get togethers for other vendors in the industry. The first industry even I ever went to took place at the Renaissance Pittsburgh and was hosted by local wedding blog Lace & Loyalty. Upon arriving, we (me, my husband, and friend Sara) were introduced to a couple who had THE best ice-breaker story about the husband, Nazari, and his middle name (which is Megatron, BTW - talk about an epic story!). We quickly connected with these two and learned that they were the videographers (and photographers) behind Dorosh Documentaries (which you should go check out RIGHT NOW because their work is AMAZING!).

Now - there is one thing you need to know about these two, and I can't over exaggerate this: they are the kindest, most humble and genuine people you will probably ever meet. Their love for each other and desire for growth, encouragement, and authenticity in their life, their marriage, and work is so prevalent in everything they do. And because of the amazing people they are and the amazing work they do, I was so honored when they asked me to take 6 year anniversary portraits for them!

You might've heard the famous saying "the shoemaker's children go barefoot" - well, the videographer/photographer husband-wife team go without photos of themselves! During their session, Elisabeth told me that they hadn't had a professional photo session in nearly 6 years (since their wedding day!!) - which I can totally relate to! It's so easy to think "I'll wait until I have kids to have photos taken," or "I'll wait until my kids grow up to schedule a photo session." Heck no. Your future kids deserve beautiful photos of their parents - in love! They deserve to see the way you interacted, the way you looked at each other, the way you were goofy and silly with each other. And your future grandkids? They want to see those photos, too, because deep down, we all want to know where we came from and whose legacy we are continuing.

To Nazari and Elisabeth - I hope these photos are a reminder of your love. I hope they encourage you and remind you of all of the ways that Christ has so richly blessed your love, marriage, and faithfulness to him. You guys are inspiring!

4 Tips for Preparing Your Groom for Your Engagement Session

Are you a bride who’s wondering how your groom will react to having his photo taken? You are most certainly not alone! One of the biggest questions I am asked by my brides is how to prepare her groom for the engagement session. So many of my couples who were nervous before their session walk away saying: “Wow! That was actually fun.” And that’s what it’s about – not just getting some great photos, but actually having fun while doing it!

So if you’re a bride who’s a little bit nervous about how your groom might react to the engagement session, here are a few of my top tips:

1.  Sit down and show him a couple of your favorite blog posts or galleries by your photographer.

Sometimes the scariest thing about going into something new is the unknown – the same is true for going into an engagement session! In most (not all) cases, the bride is the one looking for and booking the wedding photographer, which means that she will already be very familiar with the style, look, and posing associated with a particular photographer by the time the engagement session rolls around. However, if a groom hasn’t been involved in picking the wedding photographer (or has only seen a few samples of work), they could be a bit blind-sided going into a session by what to expect. By looking at a few blog posts or galleries the night before your engagement session, a bride will give her groom realistic expectations for how the session will pan out!

2.  Leave early to arrive ahead of schedule!

This tip might not seem like it fits quite as well, but I know from photographing many sessions (and from being in a relationship myself ;) ) that timeliness can sometimes be a point of contention between any two people who love each other! Be sure to leave early enough to arrive on time to your session. Starting off your session in an argumentative manner from tardiness can put a damper on the beginning of the shoot!

3.  Plan to do something fun together afterwards.

So maybe taking photos isn’t necessarily your guy’s favorite thing to do – or maybe he’s nervous because he’s never had his photo taken professionally before! Whatever the case, plan to do something fun before or afterwards that you can both look forward to – whether it’s going out to dinner, seeing a movie, going out for ice-cream – having something fun to plan for after your session will give you both something to look forward to and will make your night for getting engagement photos done more into a date night!

4. Have patience & be an encourager.

Getting your photo taken can be awkward if you've never had it done before, or if it's been a while! Don't forget to have patience and grace with your groom, especially if he's feeling uneasy. It's completely normal to feel nervous before having your photo taken - the best thing you can do is continue to encourage and build up your groom throughout the whole process!

And just to show that it is possible for guys to have fun during the engagement session, here are a few of my favorite photos of grooms genuinely enjoying their session:

Lulu + Ricky: University of Pittsburgh (Oakland) Engagement Session

Lulu and Ricky (or "Lucky" if you were to refer to them by their couple name!) are two of the most successful, yet humble people I have ever had the privilege to photograph! These two met in August of 2011, both as new Economics PhD students at the University of Pittsburgh. Considering Lulu is from a small town in China, and Ricky from Cleveland, their meeting was meant to be (or shall I say - very Lucky! ;) )! After getting to know each other through studying together, in the spring of 2012, Lulu and Ricky officially started dating. Now, they both teach classes at the Pitt and have offices that reside directly beside each other!

There are a few things that stand out to me about this sweet couple, the first of which is their favorite date. To get an idea of who a couple is to photograph them in the most accurate way possible, I sometimes like to email a few questions before our session together. One of my favorite questions to ask is: "What was the BEST date you ever had together?" To which Lulu responded: "There is no one BEST one, but rather a bunch of them. If climbing the Great Wall can be considered as a date, it's definitely one of the great ones." I mean, how cool is that?!

One more thing that stood out about Lulu and Ricky is their love for each other. Another question I love to ask is: "If you could sum up your relationship in three words, what would they be?" To which Lulu replied "Happy, diverse, intellectual. Ricky's answer is 'I love Lulu.'" I mean, seriously?! How sweet is that?

When it comes to photographing these two, they were absolutely amazing and caught on to the whole process so fast! We started off at the Frick Fountain in front of the Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building and then worked our way around to the Cathedral of Learning and finished our session at the Mellon Institute with these two in their PhD caps and gowns. Lulu's mom was even in from China and makes a little guest appearance in one of the last frames of this blog post - she was the sweetest! 

I'm so thankful to have meet you two, Lulu and Ricky! Congratulations again on your engagement - we pray all the best for you two!