Bridal Shower & Baby Shower Event Venues Near Cranberry Township (North of Pittsburgh)

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Bridal Shower & Baby Shower Event Venues Near Cranberry Township (North of Pittsburgh)

As a north of Pittsburgh wedding photographer, I have had lots of opportunity to get to know available event venues north of the city, in locations including: Cranberry Township, Mars, Wexford, Zelienople, Harmony, Warrendale, Butler, and Renfrew. A common question I am asked by friends, family, and clients is: what bridal shower or baby shower event spaces are available north of the city?

Thankfully, there are so many great options to chose from with a variety of price ranges and accommodations! Today, I’m going to share a few of my favorites that I’ve come across. This is by no means a completely comprehensive list, but certainly features a variety of different spots. I’ve worked events at some of these locations, and others I have only heard about, but all have their own unique features with their common thread being rentable spaces north of Pittsburgh.

With each venue listed below, I’ve listed approximately how many guests can be accommodated, if the space is indoor or outdoor, and other important notes. Each venue listed is linked to their website with additional information, including points of contact if you would like to learn more.

I hope this list is helpful to you as you plan your special event! And if you’re in need of any event photography coverage, please feel free to reach out to me by clicking here or by emailing me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com. I would love to work with you!

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP

Cranberry Highlands Golf Course

  • Accommodates 24-150 guests indoors, or up to 100 guests on their outdoor patio

  • Ballroom style with natural light

Domenico’s

  • Features an indoor dining space and outdoor patio near their restaurant seating area

Camelot Event Center (Warrendale Location)

  • Three hour space use with a 70 guests minimum

Bravo Italian Kitchen

  • Features indoor dining space in a private room near their restaurant seating area

Pittsburgh Marriott North

  • Accommodates 40 to 600 guests indoors, based on chosen room

  • Hotel ballroom style, but also have smaller private rooms available

DoubleTree by Hilton

  • Accommodates 16 to 900 guests, depending on chosen room

  • Hotel ballroom style, but also have smaller private rooms available

Hilton Garden Inn

  • Accommodates up to 150 guests indoors in their largest ballroom

MARS

Johnston Tea Room

  • Accommodates up to 38 guests in largest room

  • Intimate gathering setting inside the tea house with private rooms

Twelve Oaks Mansion

  • Accommodates up to 250 guests in their ballroom, up to 80 in their library room

  • Features an outdoor patio space

  • Ballroom style with lots of windows for natural light

Springfield Grille

  • Accommodates up to 20 guests in their private dining room near their restaurant seating area

  • Indoor space only

Bloom Cafe at Quality Gardens

  • Garden patio available for rental

ZELIENOPLE/HARMONY

The Center of Harmony & Opera Hall Venue (Located in Harmony, PA)

  • Accommodates up to 150 guests

  • Important note: no kitchen available, but you can bring your own caterer

  • No handicap entrance available (all stairs leading up to the second floor Opera House space)

  • Indoor space only

  • **Note: I had my own baby shower here, so if you have any specific questions for someone who has rented this space before, please feel free to reach out!

Steamfitters (Located in Harmony, PA)

  • Accommodates up to 600 people in their largest ballroom style room

ShuBrew (Located in Zelienople, PA on Main Street)

  • Accommodates 36 to 50 guests comfortably, depending on the event

  • Indoor private room separate from restaurant space

ELLWOOD CITY

Chapel Valley Estate Bed & Breakfast

  • Indoor multipurpose room holds up to 70 guests

  • Outdoor patio space can hold many more guests!

  • Outdoor tented option available

Shakespeare’s Restaurant & Pub

  • Accommodates 25 to 250 people indoors

  • Event space is located on the second floor (restaurant on first floor) but is handicap accessible

  • Also features an outdoor patio space off of the main ballroom area

WEXFORD

Camelot Event Center (Wexford Location)

  • Accommodates up to 250 guests

  • Indoor only

The Chadwick

  • Accommodates groups of 15 to 500

  • Ballroom style

  • Indoor and outdoor spaces available

RENFREW

The Stables at Conoquenessing

  • Rustic two story barn with indoor and outdoor spaces available

  • Accommodates groups of 50 (outdoor patio) to 175 (indoor space)

BUTLER

The Atrium

  • Accommodates groups of up to 300 in their main banquet area

  • Other spaces available include: the greenhouse, the atrium, and the outdoor gardens

Succop Nature Park

  • Indoor mansion/house area and outdoor covered patio area available for event rentals

  • Medure’s Catering is the exclusive caterer

Are there any venues that you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments below! And thanks so much for reading!

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Pittsburgh Senior Photographer: Senior Photo Highlights 2022

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Pittsburgh Senior Photographer: Senior Photo Highlights 2022

This year, I had the privilege of photographing another amazing round of seniors, including some seniors from the class of 2022 and some who will be graduating in the spring of 2023!

I photographed seniors at a variety of beautiful locations, including: McConnell’s Mill State Park, Moraine State Park, Hartwood Acres Mansion, Succop Nature Park, Mellon Park, the Strip District, the North Shore, the Mellon Institute, Phipp’s Conservatory, the Cathedral of Learning, Historic Harmony, and Preston Park! The most popular location choice by far was Hartwood Acres Mansion, which accounted for 38% of location choice, followed up by Mellon Park at 20%. The rest were distributed pretty evenly!

I also photographed seniors from a wide variety of different schools. The full list from greatest number of seniors photographed from that school to the least includes:

  • Seneca Valley High School (23%)

  • North Allegheny High School (20%)

  • Pine Richland High School (12%)

  • Mars Area High School (12%)

  • Franklin Regional High School (8%)

  • North Catholic High School

  • Butler Area High School

  • Upper St. Claire High School

  • Canon McMillan High School

  • Portersville Christian School

  • Homeschool

A few of my favorite things about this year’s senior photo sessions…

  • Hartwood Acres Mansion opened back up after over a year of being under construction, so I was able to hold sessions there again! The only downside was that they were MUCH busier this year, which mean the mansion area was closed many more evenings due to private events. I guess that’s what happens when you’re popular event venue that is closed for a full year!

  • I photographed my first college senior (Erica) – who was the first in her family to graduate from college! College senior photo sessions should totally be more of a thing. They are so much fun!

  • I had a senior who wanted photos in the snow… and they turned out to be some of my favorites from the year! (Thanks for letting me take them for you, Megan!)

  • I photographed two seniors in the same family for two families who had two different seniors graduating (each family had one in 2022, and one in 2023). Also, that sounds really confusing but I hope it makes sense! It was such an honor to be able to take senior photos for each of these families twice!

  • I had my first senior session inside Phipp’s Conservatory – and it was amazing, and so much fun! Did you know that you can rent a room out for an hour there?! This is such a great option for getting some beautiful, colorful plants in the background of your photos during the colder months! It also makes a great rain plan!

  • I photographed a set of triplets for the second time in my career!

It was such a fun year… seniors are my favorite type of session to photograph, so it’s always a blessing to get to work with so many seniors and families!

To all of the seniors who gave me the honor of taking their senior portraits this year - THANK YOU. Truly, I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to be a part of such a sweet season of your life! And Congratulations to the Jenna Hidinger Photography Class of 2022 ✌🏼


If you are a Class of 2023 senior who has yet to schedule their photos, or a Class of 2024 senior who is looking to have their photos taken, feel free to reach out via the contact tab above, or directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com. I’d be more than happy to give you some additional information!

Check out senior photo highlights from past years: 2021 // 2020 // 2019 // 2018 // 2017

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PITTSBURGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER: WEDDING PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS 2022

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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!

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How I Navigated Pregnancy as a Wedding Photographer

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How I Navigated Pregnancy as a Wedding Photographer

2022 was a unique year for me as a wedding photographer and business owner, because I was pregnant for the first time, ever! There were lots of unknowns and some learning curves, but thankfully, I was able to make it through photographing 12 wedding days (and many portrait sessions!) while pregnant. Granted, that may not be as many as other photographers, but it still was enough to make me a little nervous going into wedding season!

Looking back on this season, I would love to share some tips and thoughts as I look back over the past several months that were helpful for me while navigating wedding season while pregnant.

First, I’d love to share some general things I implemented that ended up being helpful throughout my season!

1.     I let my wedding couples know I was pregnant before I announced it publicly.

Sharing about your pregnancy is a very personal thing. I went back and forth on whether or not to share the good news with my couples individually once I was in my second trimester, but looking back, I am SO glad I did. Sharing the news with my couples allowed us to be on the same page and left space for open communication. I didn’t want to announce my pregnancy on social media, then have them wonder how the pregnancy could affect their wedding day. For me, it was important to answer the major questions up front (the biggest being if anything with the pregnancy, like my due date, could affect their day), and then to keep the door open to discuss any questions or concerns they might have. Wedding photography is an investment, and I wanted them to be confident that I would still be able to fulfill my obligations to them just the same!

Another perk of letting my couples know I was pregnant was not having to explain certain things on a wedding day. For example – I had more frequent bathroom trips, which never interrupted the flow of the day, but my couples were understanding when I needed to take a quick detour to the restroom. All of my couples were incredibly kind about letting me sit down to eat dinner during the reception, and there were a few times during longer receptions where I sat down while taking photos of the dance floor action. I never felt like I needed to explain why I was making those choices to my couples, which helped me feel better about photographing their day while pregnant!

2.     I had a strong & consistent assistant/second shooter come with me to every wedding.

My husband photographed about 60-70% of my weddings with me prior to me becoming pregnant, so after we found out I was pregnant, we talked about him committing to helping me with all of my weddings for the 2022 photo season. Thankfully, I had already decided that I was going to take a few less in 2022, so even with his full time job, he was able to help me with all of the weddings I had scheduled. This did a couple of things for me: it helped me know, without a doubt, that I had someone I could rely on to help me with anything and everything. All of the other second photographers I have ever hired to help me with a wedding have been fantastic – wonderful shooters who are incredibly helpful – but there’s something about having your spouse there to help you in any situation that feels different. Nick was able to carry lots of our gear, knew how to set up our lighting for receptions, and knows how to support me emotionally on a wedding day (it’s so fun, but can be stressful at times!), so for me, it was huge to have him there consistently throughout my full wedding season, and took some tasks I was used to doing off of my plate.

If I felt the need, I was also open to bringing along someone towards the end of the wedding season (when I was way more pregnant!) to help and be with me for the entire wedding day (since Nick and I are sometimes doing separate things). But we actually ended up feeling like we were able to work through the last few weddings just the two of us! (For reference, my last wedding was at 32 weeks pregnant – thankfully!).

3.      I ended my season early and took less weddings overall.

This may be a controversial one, and something that will be different from person to person depending on financial situations and prior obligations (weddings can sometimes be scheduled SO far in advance, it can be hard to plan so far ahead!). But for me, when I found out I was pregnant, I stopped taking any additional weddings for that current season. 14 was my number for the year, and I was happy with that at the time – and looking back, I am still happy that I decided to limit what I took, even if it meant a decrease in income. I’m also a senior, family, and portrait photographer, so I decided to supplement my income with more of those types of sessions (which were not nearly as hard on my pregnant body as a wedding day!).

In addition to taking less weddings, I ended my shooting season mid-November (typically I shoot through until mid-December) with my due date being mid-January. I wanted to have a month to finish up editing and administrative tasks before Christmas and New Year’s, with a bit of built in rest towards the end of my pregnancy. I am SO thankful I did decide to do that – after my last wedding in mid-November, my body was ready for a break!

4.     The day after each wedding, I gave my body time to rest.

Most photographers try to rest the day after a wedding anyways, but this was even MORE important to me to try to stick to while pregnant!

We are a part of a church plant that meets on Sundays, so we always have a 4-5 hour standing commitment on Sunday mornings/early afternoons that often involve setting up for service, serving, and tearing down. That commitment is extremely important to us, so even during wedding season, we don’t want to miss. However – I made sure that on the weekends I had weddings, I was able to sit in the service, not serve during it. And boy did my body, mind, and emotions need that time to recoup! Then, after our commitment, we would go home and crash and just relax. That was the best way for me to be able to still have that commitment and serve in a smaller capacity during this season!


I’d also love to share a few items that helped me get through those long wedding days.

 1.     Nutrient dense snacks with high protein

Our bodies need lots of nutrients to properly function on long days, but especially while pregnant. While I was pregnant, I learned that my body will always give my growing baby the nutrients it needs first, then I get what’s left. After I learned this, I started noticing how much what I ate affected how I felt, especially on wedding days when I was on my feet directing people for 10+ hours. I started intentionally trying to bring higher protein, nutrient dense snacks with me (nuts, cheese, vegetables, chicken chips, protein bars, etc.) on those long days and felt SO MUCH BETTER as I went throughout the day, and the day after.

2.     Drinks with extra electrolytes

Obviously, it’s important to drink lots of water when you’re pregnant – especially when you’re pregnant and on your feet! But early on in my wedding season, I started noticing that water wasn’t cutting it. I wasn’t able to drink enough on wedding days without constantly having to use the restroom, so I started drinking no sugar added propel on wedding days. I was able to drink a “normal” amount of beverage, stay a bit more hydrated, and, consequently, have a somewhat easier time recovering the following day.

3.     Belly support band

I ended up not using one of these until after my last wedding while pregnant, but boy was it LIFE CHANGING! That baby gets so heavy in your pelvis in your 8th and 9th months of pregnancy, and can cause all sorts of aches and pains. A belly support band would have been a must for me if I had any weddings or sessions past the 32 week mark. I highly recommend this one from Amazon!

4.     Supportive shoes

Such a simple thing that can make such a difference – make sure you have supportive shoes! Or, if you are really feeling the pain in your feet, bring a pair of tennis shoes to switch into at the reception. If you’re obviously pregnant, I don’t think anyone would fault you for it!

5.     Warm foot bath

One of the best gifts my husband got me (before I was pregnant!) was a portable foot bath. This was truly my saving grace after long wedding days while pregnant – I came home and soaked them every single time, and it helped reduce the extra swelling in my feet.

 

If you are a wedding photographer who is pregnant and will be working through wedding season, please be sure to talk to your doctor to make sure you both are on the same page. All of the tips and items listed here are recommendations from my personal experience, and while they might not be directly applicable to your situation, I do hope they help give you some confidence that you CAN do it!

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Strip District Pittsburgh Professional Headshots

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Strip District Pittsburgh Professional Headshots

Most budding photographers tend to rope their family members into photo shoots to get practice when starting out - and Paul (my younger brother, pictured here) was one of my OG test models!

Thankfully he still trusts me to take photos of him all of these years later 😉 He needed some updated professional headshots, so we headed off to the Strip District to get some architectural and city skyline photos for him to use. I love how they turned out!

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PITTSBURGH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER: FAMILY PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS 2022

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PITTSBURGH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER: FAMILY PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS 2022

One of the best parts about being a Pittsburgh family photographer is getting to work with so many families with so many different dynamics! This year, I had a mix of immediate family sessions, extended family sessions, and some mini sessions! Specifically, I hosted Spring mini sessions at Moraine State Park in April, and Christmas mini sessions at Lake Forest Gardens in November. Both mini session events were so much fun and allowed me to work with so many families who I’ve had the privilege of photographing previously!

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this year’s family photos!

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Behind the Scenes 2022

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Behind the Scenes 2022

Another year, another JHP Behind the Scenes blog post! And while blogging might not be all that popular anymore, it’s a tradition I definitely plan to continue - it’s so fun to see and remember how things have changed from year to year!

This year was a particularly unique year, considering the fact that I was pregnant for the first time throughout the vast majority of my photo season, from April all the way through 2022 (due in January 2023!). And truly, my season couldn’t have ended at a better time. I photographed my last wedding at 32 weeks and a few days, and after that last wedding, I was thankful to be able to let my body rest! Weddings are a little hard on the body to begin with, but growing a human definitely adds to the overall tiredness and fatigue during and after a wedding day!

I had the pleasure of photographing 14 amazing couples wedding days, and photographed 65 senior, engagement, family, and headshot sessions. I am so very thankful for each and every couple, individual, and family who let me be a part of such special seasons in their lives!

I am also immensely thankful for everyone who helped me this year by helping me carry gear (a huge shoutout to Robin, Erica, Raven, and my mom!) and especially my husband, who photographed all 14 weddings with me.

For more Behind the Scenes content: 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021

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Jenna & Nick's Christmas Maternity Photos in Harmony!

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Jenna & Nick's Christmas Maternity Photos in Harmony!

Who does a photographer call when they need photos taken?!

We have so many amazing photographers in the Pittsburgh area - so many of whom I would trust with taking photos for my family! But for this particular occasion, I opted to set my camera up and hand it it off to my sister-in-law to take a few quick photos of Nick and I to commemorate this season of ours!

I knew I wanted some photos around one of my favorite little towns - Historic Harmony - while it was all dressed up for Christmas! The Christmas season is one of our favorites, and it just so happens that I was at the 33 week mark when these were taken, which worked out perfectly! Before this, I didn’t have too much of a bump, so I was glad that we waited until my 8th month before taking these!

I was SO EXCITED to find the dress I had been envisioning for these photos at Madewell. Green is one of my favorite colors to wear, and such a lovely color for Christmas photos!

We had planned the day of our shoot a short while in advance, and sadly, it looked like it was going to be a complete wash out! But we decided to go for it anyways, and even though we had bouts of rain and lots of wind (hence my crazy hair in some of the photos 😂) we made it happen! And I’m so glad we did. I am so excited about how these turned out!

This was also a really great reminder of how my client(s) think and feel leading up to the day of their session(s). Getting your photo taken takes some vulnerability! Even as someone who photographs people for a living, I found myself getting a little nervous about how I would decide what to wear, what the weather would be like, and how the photos would end up turning out (and how I would look in those final photos - there’s a reason I enjoy being behind the camera!). But I was also reminded of how important, precious, and fleeting these seasons are that we choose to have photographed. The moment I saw these photos, they had already become so precious to me - even when I see my windy hair and remember the bouts of rain! It makes them even more memorable for us ❤️

Again, a HUGE thank you to my sister-in-law Alisha, who was willing to press the shutter button for us!

Also, if you’re someone who’s in need of some maternity photos, I would LOVE to take them for you! Please feel free to click here to get in contact, and click here to learn more about the maternity photography package that I offer!

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Jen & Brandon: Heinz Chapel & Grand Hall at the Priory Wedding Photos

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Jen & Brandon: Heinz Chapel & Grand Hall at the Priory Wedding Photos

Jen & Brandon's wedding (or 2 year vow renewal/celebration!) marks our very last Covid wedding reschedule for us. These two have waited SO long to celebrate with their friends and family - over four years from the time they originally got engaged! And boy, have they had quite a few unexpected events come up. First, their original wedding venue shut down, forcing them to change their date and find a new venue. Then - Covid hit, and different rounds of closures forced them to reschedule not only once, but twice.

But they still decided to officially tie the knot back in 2020 in a very small ceremony, which I love. They didn't let all of the reschedules and closures keep them from celebrating what truly matters - a union of two in marriage! But of course, they still wanted to celebrate with their friends and family, so they decided to keep their reception plans and celebrate a two year vow renewal instead.

And there's even more to celebrate this year - they have a baby on the way, and they just closed on their first home. What a joy! It only made their celebration that much sweeter.

Jen & Brandon, thank you for letting us photograph your beautiful wedding celebration. It was an honor to celebrate so many huge milestones with you alongside your friends & family! You two are a joy, and I'm sad that our time of working together has come to a close!

Vendors: Heinz Memorial Chapel, Grand Hall - Priory, Just Hitched Wedding Films, McCandless Floral, Prantl's Bakery, JL Makeup Studio and Beauty Boutique, Bridal Beginning Pittsburgh, Magnet Street (invitations),

Cleveland Keys Dueling Pianos (made their reception SO FUN and unlike any other we've been to!)

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Cara & Johnny: Grove City College Engagement Photos

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Cara & Johnny: Grove City College Engagement Photos

Leading up to the day of their session, we weren’t sure what the weather was going to look like for Cara & Johnny’s Grove City College engagement photos. It looked like a rain out until about 48 hours before - then all of a sudden, the forecast switched from rain to SNOW!

I was SO excited when Cara told me that they were willing (and excited!) to brave the snowy weather for their session. I always love the outcome of photos in the snow… but I know it’s not for everyone! And boy did it snow during their session. It literally snowed the ENTIRE 90 minutes we were together. But it definitely added a fun, unique element to their photos!

Cara & Johnny, it was such an honor to take these photos for you - and I couldn't be more excited for your wedding day!

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