If you are a fan of Christmas time, Historic Harmony is THE place to be! Bakeries, gift shops, local food stores, restaurants, and cafes line the street of this little old German town - and during Christmas, it's even more magical! I was so excited when Carly and Nick opted for a "Christmas" engagement session in Historic Harmony and Lake Forest Gardens (a local tree farm!). What a perfect combination!! I am so excited to share these images and have so much love for this sweet couple!!!
These two epically celebrated their wedding by tying the knot in New York City surrounded by their closest friends and family, then came back to Pittsburgh to celebrate with extended family and even more friends! I was so honored to document part two of their wedding celebration in Pittsburgh at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in McCandless.
There were so many heartfelt details included in their wedding reception! My absolute FAVORITE thing about their reception was Victoria's surprise for her groom, Anthony. Anthony's friend from the Air Force was unable to make it to their NYC wedding, and as far as Anthony knew, unable to make it to their Pittsburgh Reception. But Victoria surprised Anthony by organizing a surprise homecoming - and his reaction was just the best!! It was a complete surprise - there was barely a dry eye in the room!
And of course, there's hardly a wedding that includes a dog in bridal portraits that I don't love!! Stella, Victoria's dog of nine years, made a guest appearance for photos, and she was just the sweetest thing.
Victoria and Anthony, it was an honor to photograph this reception for you! Thank you both for the incredible honor of capturing part two in your wedding story!
Vendors:
Reception Venue: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography
I have to give Morgan MAJOR props. The morning of her session, it was just about 16 degrees outside. To be honest, if it was me, I probably wouldn't have been able to be out in the cold that long, but Morgan was such a trooper!! Not only did she rock her chilly session, but she did so with a smile the entire time! Lucky for us, the restrooms at Hartwood were toasty during her session - so we took a couple of close up headshot style photos in there while Morgan was warming up - haha!! That is definitely one of my all-time favorite senior photo memories! (Also, the last photo in this blog post is from our bathroom break! ;) ) Thank you so much for being such a trooper, Morgan! You are a champ - congratulations on your last year of school!
Where to begin with these two?! I am beyond thankful for the time I was able to spend with Becca and Frank on their wedding day in October! They had one of the most BEAUTIFUL fall days of the entire year, and without a doubt, the bright sun matched their joyful love to a T!
Becca started out the day getting ready at her parents house in Cranberry Township, with Frank and the groomsmen getting ready at a nearby hotel. After, they both headed over to St. Ferdinand's Catholic Church for a ceremony, then we stopped at the Cranberry Township park for some photos with killer light, then headed over to the Camelot Banquet Hall in Warrendale for a reception full of dancing! I love the fact that everything took place within Cranberry Township - I know the area super well because those were my stomping grounds growing up (and let's be real, now too!).
One of my favorite parts of Becca and Frank's wedding day was during the ceremony. The priest mentioned that Becca and Frank's NFL football teams, the Saints and the Lions, were playing each other the very next day, which I thought was too amazing to be a coincidence! I always view those "coincidences" as little confirmations that what's happening is most certainly supposed to be.
Becca and Frank, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your wedding day! It was truly an honor to take these images for you!
Vendors:
Bride’s Dress: Casablanca bought from Mary’s Bridal in Beaver Falls
Bride’s Shoes: Elegant Park (from Amazon)
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff and Christina Wu (maids of honor)
Custom Invitation Suite: Paper by JLee
Hair: Profiles Salon
Makeup: Rachel Dadey (bridesmaid and amazing makeup artist!)
Tuxes: Top Hat Tuxedo in Fox Chapel
Ceremony Venue: St. Ferdinand's Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Camelot Banquet Hall
Band/DJ: Kevin Burkholder from First Class Entertainment
Flowers: All Occasion Silk Creations
Caterer: The Camelot Banquet Hall
Cake/Desserts: Lincoln Bakery
Honeymoon: Disney World
Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography
Second Shooter: Ashley McLaughlin Photography
Sharon was a champ at her senior session in the cold! This girl brought her A-game (and the most beautifully colored outfits) to her session just a few weeks ago! We were even able to catch some gorgeous golden light right near the end of her session. This girl was an absolute blast to work with, and I'm so excited to share some of my favorites from her session with you today!
Sara's senior session took place on one of the most beautiful fall days we had this year! And, lucky for us, the view at the Pittsburgh Field Club highlighted all of those changing fall colors PERFECTLY! I photographed one of Sara's best friends, Conner, earlier this year at Hartwood Acres and was honored when she asked me to take her senior photos, too! We had so much fun checking out all of the beautiful little spots for photos at the Field Club, and let me say - this girl's style is on point! Congratulations on your last year of school, Sara!! :)
I have to be honest. I had an incredibly hard time narrowing down the photos for this blog post from Lyndsay and Justin's wedding day because 1) they are an insanely photogenic couple and 2) their day (literally every detail) was BEYOND stunning!! What is a photographer to do?! Naturally - post as many as I possibly can! ;)
You may remember Lyndsay and Justin from their winter McConnell's Mill engagement session with Lyndsay's iconic red dress in the snow! These two not only make for a beautiful couple from the outside, but from the inside. Their love and joy for one another, along with their deep desire to share their wedding day in a memorable way with their friends and family made photographing their wedding day feel so intimate!
I am beyond thankful to work with people who feel more like friends than clients, and Lyndsay and Justin definitely are two people who make me feel insanely thankful for the career I've been given. So without further ado - here are some of my favorites from Lyndsay and Justin's Shady Elms Farm wedding day! We love you guys!!!
Vendors:
Bride’s Dress: Morilee by Madeline Gardner, purchased at One Enchanted Evening (Zelienople, PA)
Bride’s Shoes: Betsey Johnson
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff, #LEVKOFF Collection, purchased at One Enchanted Evening (Zelienople, PA)
Hair: Mallory Puniak and Marie Puniak, Copacetic Beauty Lounge
Makeup: Beauty by Joy (Joy Lager of JL Makeup Studio)
Tuxes: Generation Tux
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Shady Elms Farm
Band/DJ: Mike Willis, Modern Era Weddings
Flowers: Shady Elms Farm
Caterer: PW Catering
Cake/Desserts: Cake and cupcakes by the groom's sister, Jessica Brown, and Pittsburgh cookie table cookies baked by family & friends
Videographer: Dorosh Documentaries
Honeymoon: Secrets Maroma Riviera Maya (with the help of Sue Kitsemble of Apple Vacations)
Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography
Oh my goodness. These two were so much fun to photograph!! We took their engagement photos on a busy fall day at McConnell's Mill, but they didn't let the crowds faze them!! These two made my job incredibly easy purely because they just have such a joy and happiness being around each other! I am so excited for your wedding day next year, Sarah and John!!!
There are SO many things to love about Carli! I've known Carli for quite a few years through Grace Community Church, and I was so honored when she reached out to see if I would take her senior photos!! As you will be able to see from her photos, Carli is a kind, sweet soul who radiates joy wherever she goes! She truly loves those around her, and is just a joy to be around.
Carli incorporated her violin into her fall session (her favorite season!) to add a little personal touch to her photos. We absolutely LOVED taking these for you, Carli! Thank you so much for the incredible honor!
I feel like we experienced all of the seasons Pittsburgh has to offer during Emily's portrait session at Hartwood Acres Mansion! When we first arrived, it was a little bit gloomy and overcast - about 20 minutes into the session, the gloominess turned into a windstorm, then a rain storm (I swear I saw snow at one point!!), complete with a double rainbow, and then all of a sudden, the sun came out and we had some absolutely gorgeous light for about ten minutes - just enough time to get some killer shots! All of that in less than an hour and a half. Pittsburgh never ceases to amaze me!
Emily is drop dead gorgeous, as you probably can already tell from the banner image for her featured blog post!! She's also a pro in front of the camera and has the sweetest family (her brother and mom came along for her session!). I had so much fun taking these for you, Emily! Congratulations on your last year of school!
