Nalinee + Josh: Hartwood Acres Maternity Photos

Nalinee and Josh are having a baby and I was so honored when they asked me to take maternity photos for them at one of my favorite spots - Hartwood Acres! Their session took place on the perfect fall day, and Nalinee wore the most beautiful, flowing, blush dress, complete with a flower crown, while Josh wore a tux. I love the thought these two put into their outfits - they perfectly match Hartwood's classic elegance! Congratulations on your growing family, Nalinee and Josh!

Vendors:

Makeup & Hair: Kaylin Simonic

Michelle, Rob, Beau, & Arya: Pittsburgh In-Home Family Session

It's always such an honor to be welcomed into people's homes for photos, but I felt especially lucky to be hanging out with these four! Michelle and Rob tied the knot almost half a year ago, but decided they needed some photos with their sweet pups, Beau and Arya! In addition, they wanted to highlight the home they purchased a couple of years ago and have been renovating. It is absolutely beautiful! I love when clients turn into friends, and these two certainly feel like friends already! It was such an honor to take these for you, Michelle and Rob!

Kaylee B: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

Kaylee hopped out of her family's car at Hartwood, and before I knew she was the senior I would be photographing, I thought to myself "I love that girl's dress! She's gorgeous!" Hartwood was SUPER busy that day with photo sessions, but much to my joy, the girl in the dress was my senior for the evening!

This history-buff loves old architecture, which made Hartwood Acres Mansion the perfect fit for her senior session! She also loves to read, so she brought a few of her favorite books for us to incorporate into her session. Congratulations on your last year of school, Kaylee!!

Justin T: Oakmont Country Club Senior Photos

Oakmont Country Club was the perfect backdrop for Justin's senior photos - especially being a golfer himself! The club is known as the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the United States," and was established in 1903. With lots of charm and classic decor, Oakmont provided ample opportunity for unique imagery - and Justin was a pro in front of the camera! Congratulations on your last year of school, Justin!

Janelle + Josh: Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh Wedding Photos

There are so many things to love about this couple and about this day! From the moment I first met Janelle and Josh at Panera quite a few months ago, I could tell they were meant to be. Then, last December, I had the same thought as they sipped coffee together and stood (and danced) in freezing temperatures for their engagement session - not one complaint from either one about the weather - they were just happy to be together! And then, last month on their wedding day, after meeting their family and friends, I was truly in awe of these two wonderful, gracious people!

I recently listened to a podcast series titled "What Happy Couples Know" by Andy Stanley, and one of the BIG takeaways was that happy couples "understand that relationships are a race to the back of the line" - they understand the idea of being selfless with one another, and that they "know that they owe each other everything, but are owed nothing in return." Really, it comes down to putting the other person's needs and desires ahead of your own - and I noticed these two putting each other ahead of the other frequently throughout their engagement session and throughout their wedding day. One thing that really stuck out to me was Josh's willing attitude for photos - all day. Sometimes guys aren't as interested in having their photos taken as much as ladies, but Josh was so eager to make sure we were capturing all of the photos that his bride had envisioned, which totally blew us away (along with Janelle's absolutely stunning beauty and joyfulness throughout the day!). As you can imagine, we had SO MUCH FUN working with these two! How could we not?!

I really believe that we were able to capture Josh and Janelle's day in a way that really captures their love and joy for each other, and I am so thankful that we were asked to be a part of their wedding day! Congratulations, you two - here's to a lifelong love!

Vendors:

Bride’s Dress: Fiore Couture, Exquisite Bride (Murrysville)

Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mishka

Bridesmaid Dresses: Kenneth Winston

Hair: Above All Grande Salon

Makeup: Hannah Conard Makeup

Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

Band/DJ: Jeremy Ganss

Flowers: Posies by Patti

Caterer: Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh

Cake: Grandview Bakery

Videographer: Just Hitched Wedding Films

Hannah W: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

I loved having the opportunity to take Hannah's senior portraits at Hartwood Acres just a few short weeks ago! Hannah is a senior at Eden Christian Academy (where I am an alum!) and just has the sweetest personality (and of course, the most beautiful hair!). Congratulations on your last year of high school, Hannah! :)

Leah + Conner: Mellon Park Engagement Photos

Oh my word. I have SO MANY favorites from this session, it's insane! Leah and Conner are one of those couples that made my job so incredibly easy - just by being themselves! I actually attended Robert Morris University with Leah (though we had different majors), so I've known her for quite a few years! We actually went on the same two week study abroad trip to Ireland just a few years back, too - so when she asked me to photograph her engagement and wedding photos, I was stoked!!

Leah and Conner did long distance for the majority of their relationship - both attended different colleges hours apart from each other, then held jobs in different cities post-graduation. The two finally moved back to the burgh a few months ago and now are planning their wedding, which will take place in Pittsburgh!

For their engagement session, Leah and Conner opted for Mellon Park - admittedly, Mellon Park is a popular spot for engagement photos, but I am so glad that that didn't dissuade this pair from using it for theirs! They live only a few blocks away and are frequent visitors of the park (especially on beautiful evenings, like the one we had last night for their engagement session!). We even stopped over at Bakery Square for a few quick photos towards the end of their session! I am SO excited to share these images - congratulations, Leah and Conner!

Beth + Dave: Mingo Creek Park Wedding Photos

Ohhhh I am so excited to share this wedding with you! Beth and Dave are just all around fun people to be around, which made photographing their day a walk in the park (literally ;) ). These two have been dating, as I heard a member of their bridal party say "basically a million years," so their day was well worth the wait and was FULL of joy and love!

Beth started off the day getting ready at Dave's grandma's house, then we moved to Mingo Creek Park for a first look between the bride and groom, and portraits before the ceremony! It was definitely a hot one, but we were thankful for lots of shade from the surrounding forest - which also provided us with the perfect light, even in the middle of the day! One of my favorite parts of the whole day was their dog, Hershey, being featured in the ceremony. She was possibly the most well behaved dog I've ever worked with! (Plus, you can't go wrong with a name like Hershey!)

After a petal-throwing exit from the ceremony, we headed over to the reception venue for one of the most uniquely decorated spaces I've seen this entire year! Beth's forest vision graced all areas of the social hall with the most beautiful details - everywhere I turned, there was another little detail I hadn't noticed before! One of my favorite details was the trail mix bar - complete with pretty much any type of trail mix ingredient you could think of in carved out logs, tin buckets, and lanterns. Literally the cutest thing ever!

Beth and Dave - we loved being a part of your day and are so excited as you start this journey of marriage! Congratulations!

Vendors:

Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography

Ceremony: Mingo Creek Park

Videographer: ShoFilms

Suits: Cavani

Jackie + Mike: Succop Conservancy Wedding Photos

Jackie and Mike's Succop Conservancy wedding was all kinds of gorgeous! Succop Nature Park is home to a 19th century mansion, originally home to an Irish immigrant back in the 1800's. Though the mansion has been through renovations, the beauty and charm of the 19th century design remains and continues to be (in my opinion) one of the best wedding venues around the area! With so many beautiful little nooks and crannies for photos, it was so hard to choose just a few favorites from Jackie and Mike's wedding day.

Jackie and Mike's wedding day started off inside the mansion for getting ready and detail photos, then outside the greenhouse for a first look! We made our way around the property, hitting all of the best scenic spots on the way. One big reason I love Succop is for all of its location variety - there are endless amounts of spots to choose from! After bridal party and family photos, the ceremony was held right outside of the mansion, with the surrounding park serving as a backdrop. The cocktail hour happened throughout the house and grounds, which led straight into a reception full of cookies, candy, and dancing! We absolutely LOVED being a part of your day, Jackie and Mike! Congratulations on your marriage!

Vendors:

Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Succop Nature Park

Makeup: Valarie Panei

DJ: First Class Entertainment

Chance S: Baden Senior Photos

Chance's senior session took place at his family's home in Baden, near Cranberry Township. I loved that we had the opportunity to incorporate some of Chance's hobbies and interests into his photos, including his motorcycle, his love of hunting, and a fire pit (that was a first for me, but I love how the photos turned out!!). We had a great time working with you, Chance!

Check out a few favorites from Chance's session below!