Emily & Dave: Italian Inspired Bella Sera Event Villa Wedding Photos

Emily & Dave had the perfect Italian villa inspired summer wedding day at the most gorgeous Bella Sera!

While it may have been one of the hottest days of the year at that point, it surely did not dampen this epic celebration! Emily & Dave really wanted to enjoy cocktail hour with their friends and family, so they decided to opt for a first look, which allowed us to complete the vast majority of their portraits (bride & groom, bridal party, and family formals) prior to the ceremony. It also allowed us to get some candids of cocktail hour, and gave us a solid chunk of time to photograph all of the gorgeous reception details at Bella Sera!

Right after dinner, we snuck back out into a grassy area for a few extra portraits of just Emily & Dave! I always LOVE this part of the day, when (if) couples decide to sneak out during sunset or golden hour for a few photos. Couples are typically so much more relaxed at this point in the day, and it really lets us get some different types of images!

After their golden hour photos, we headed back into the reception for parent dances and for LOTS more dancing. Emily & Dave had a huge dancing crowd, and we got so many fun photos of Emily & Dave with their guests on the dance floor (don’t worry… you’ll see!)

We absolutely LOVED getting to be a part of Emily & Dave’s day and capture the beginning of this next chapter. A HUGE thank you to Emily, Dave, and their friends & family for braving the heat for photos and for just being amazing to work with!

Congratulations, Emily & Dave! ❤️

In addition to having a wonderful couple, bridal party, and family members to work with, we were able to work with an incredible vendor team, too… check them out below!

Vendors: Bella Sera, AConti Media (Videographer), Fragile Paradise Florist, Bethel Bakery (Cake), Kevin H. Redford (DJ), Dana Burns (hair), Bridal Beginning Pittsburgh (Bride's dress), AZAZIE (bridesmaid dresses)

I love when we are able to get a photo with our couples! ❤️ A big thank you to the guest who took on my “fancy camera” for this sweet shot!

Max G: Butler High School Senior Photos at Succop Nature Park

We had a great summer night for senior photos at Succop Nature Park for Max’s senior photos!

Max is a Butler senior graduating with the class of 2023. He plays football, volleyball, and basketball, and his favorite type of food is breakfast food!

Succop Nature Park is a great senior photo location for those looking for a location North of Pittsburgh. There is lots of variety - tall grass, trees, a fence, a barn, a willow tree, a pond, and a small old greenhouse (and more!)! There’s also a large house on the property that we didn’t use for this particular session, but it still a great spot!

Congratulations on your senior year, Max!

Bridget & Sean: Sheraton Station Square Wedding Photos

Imagine the perfect June summer day - the sun is shining, it's 70°F - not too hot, but oh-so beautiful. Bridget & Sean truly had the most perfect weather (and day!) for their wedding!

Their ceremony took place at Duquesne University, and their reception took place at the iconic Sheraton Station Square Hotel! Their families & bridal party were a BLAST to work with, and it was just an all around amazing day celebrating an amazing, fun couple!

Congratulations, Bridget & Sean! Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your wedding day!

Vendors: Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Something Borrowed Blooms, Bethel Bakery, Fireside Events LLC, Pretty Hair Salon, Bridal Beginning Pittsburgh, AZAZIE

Also, if you’d like to check out their North Shore engagement photos from last year, feel free to click here!

Abby & Austin: Mellon Park Engagement Photos

Abby & Austin currently live in Seattle, but came back to Abby's home town of Pittsburgh for their engagement session just a few weeks ago!

These two are super smart and super fun to be around! It was so easy to tell how much they love, admire, and respect each other just from the 90 minutes we were privileged to spend with them. And that made taking their photos so, so easy!

Mellon Park was looking extra beautiful the night of their session, too, with the most beautiful light! It is always a great go-to at any time of year for a variety of backdrops… it is it’s own little oasis within the city!

Congratulations on your engagement, Abby & Austin! We cannot wait for your wedding day later this year!!!

Summer North Park Family Photos

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet family a few years ago when we had a surprise snow storm at the beginning of November… and this time was much different! Rather than a surprise snow storm, we had a heat wave the day of their session this time, which they muscled through so well! Thankfully, we had some beautiful sunlight and scenery to work with, which made the heat seem not so bad!

Family photo sessions with young ones are so much fun! Of course, I’m always aiming to get some photos of the kids looking at the camera, but often times, it’s important to embrace the more candid-nature of a family session with young kids to get some genuine smiles. We played Simon Says, laughed, yelled, talked about our favorite foods, animals, and colors, and hugged, and ran! And we had a great time. A huge thanks to this family for letting me photograph you all again! ❤️

Courtney & Matt: Antonelli's Event Center Wedding Photos

I have SO many favorite photos from Courtney & Matt’s wedding day... and what a beautiful day it was! Not too hot, but still full of sunshine - Courtney & Matt had the most ideal summer day for their wedding! ❤️ (PS - if you missed their engagement photo session at Succop Nature Park last year, feel free to click here to check it out!)

The day begin at Courtney's parents' home, where the ladies were getting ready! The church where their ceremony was held was the epitome of a quintessential small town church, and after the ceremony, we hopped over to White Oak park for lots of portraits! After, we moved over to Antonelli's for their celebratory reception (they just have the best food!) and LOTS of dancing!

Courtney & Matt, a HUGE congratulations to you both on your wedding day - we are so honored to have been a part of it!

Vendors: Antonelli Event Center, Just Hitched Wedding Films, Lea's Floral Shop, Inc., Prantl's Bakery, DJ Bryan Hoover, Michelle's Bella Boutique & Day Spa, Bridal Beginning Pittsburgh, AZAZIE, Immaculate Conception Church, Irwin PA

Pittsburgh Extended Family Photos

This was a special extended family session, featuring both sides of Malorie & Johan's family! These extended family members have come together in support of their newest and littlest member, so it was only fitting to document this sweet season before some head out of state in the place that brought them all together in this season!

Interested in an immediate or extended family session? Feel free to click this link for more info!

Malorie & Johan, thank you so much for the honor of photographing your sweet families during this special time!

Cranberry Township Graduation Party Photos

The first time I photographed this sweet family was at the VERY beginning of my career - possibly more than a decade ago!

I had the honor of taking Lauren’s senior photos this past fall, and was so honored to be invited back to photograph her grad party this summer! I love photographing grad parties - it’s fun to document the decor, the relationships, and even a few quick portraits of family (and of the senior!). Below are a few of my favorite images from Lauren’s grad party!

Congratulations on your graduation, Lauren! ❤️

Martha & Sam: Sunrise Mellon Park Engagement Photos

An empty Mellon Park can be tough to come by... unless you have your session at 6:30AM on a Saturday!

Martha & Sam are two brave souls who woke up extra early a beautiful summer Saturday for their gorgeous sunrise engagement session! And I know that sounds crazy, but it was SO worth it. We had the most beautiful morning light, and if you’re local to the Pittsburgh area and have ever been to Mellon Park on a week day or weekend evening... you know how crazy this park gets with photo sessions! So it was a treat to get to meander our way through the park without people!

Martha & Sam met a few years ago through their bible study group while they were both in college. Sam proposed at Kennywood (a true Pittsburgh proposal if you ask me!), as a nod towards their mutual love for theme parks. And they were a joy to spend an early morning with!

Congratulations to you both, Martha & Sam! We are so excited to be a part of your wedding day!!!

Summer Moraine State Park Family Photos

Tracie & Mark are celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year, and they wanted to do so with some updated family photos, and some updated photos of the two of them! One of their favorite places as a family of four to spend time at is Moraine State Park, so it was a no-brainer that that would be the perfect location for their photos… and it did not disappoint!

Aside from some of my usual favorite spots, I noticed some gorgeous bushes in bloom all throughout the park… and I knew we had to use them in their photos! So we parked, jumped across a ditch, and walked across the road to our first beautiful spot. Sometimes it takes a little extra work to make the magic happen, but it’s always so worth it!

From there, we drove to two other locations for photos - one spot with a small field and a wooded area, and the last spot right on the lake. While the lake location is beautiful, the light is best later in the day, when the sun isn’t shining to bright against the water. I think we hit our last spot at the perfect time, and got the most beautiful light!

As an added bonus… the kids played in the lake at the end of our session and caught a fish! (Scroll to the bottom to see the very last photo!). If you’ve ever wondered what a family session is like, I feel like that just about sums it up! Kids have limited attention spans during photos, so at some point, we have to steer into that and go for the more fun, candid, and interactive shots (you’ll see lots of fun ones in this post!). And you know what? Those ones always end up being my favorites anyways!

Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary, Tracie & Mark! Thank you so much for the honor of commemorating such a special season for you four!