Skyler A: Hartwood Acres Mansion Senior Photos

Senior season is coming I am so excited to have lots of seniors on my books for the next few months - starting with Skyler! 🌸

Skyler is a rising senior at North Allegheny who loves music and dance. She plays the violin and - fun fact - appeared in a Kennywood ad within the last couple of years! So of course, you know she was a pro in front of the camera!

Skyler brought a plethora of flowers for us to use for a few of her photos (Check out my blog post about 4 ideas for incorporating fresh florals into your senior photos!) as well as her violin. both were a great addition to her session!

Congratulations on your upcoming senior year, Skyler!

Deidre & Paul: Cleland Rock & Moraine State Park Engagement Photos

This was such a fun engagement session! Deidre & Paul were a BLAST to photograph (alongside their pups, Navin & Piper!), and made my job so easy!

Deidre & Paul met while in college and are getting married next year at Irons Mills Farmstead! They had their first date at a bounce house (talk about a great first date!) and love spending their time just being together - them and their pups!

Their engagement session took place during one of the recent weeks where there was a lot of extra haze from the wildfires further North (you’ll especially notice in the photos towards the end when they are in front of the lake).

We started off their session at Cleland Rock, then headed over to Moraine State Park for our last chunk of time. It was truly a joy to photograph these two, and I couldn’t be more excited for their wedding next year!

Congratulations again on your engagement, Deidre & Paul! ☺️

Portraits for The Perfect Piece in Zelienople, PA

The Perfect Piece is a used furniture store located in Zelienople, PA. Ownership for the store recently changed hands, and the new owners (Robin & Melinda) invited me to come and take a few portraits of them in their space (along with a few photos of them with the previous owners!).

This was such a sweet time! Robin is a long time friend of mine (who actually has assisted me with quite a few sessions in the past - so you might recognize her if you’ve had a senior session with me!), and it was such a joy to see this new venture come to fruition for her.

The store has lots of beautiful furniture, so we had a lot to work with in terms of portrait spots! As someone who usually photographs seniors, weddings, and families, this was a fun change of pace.

And a someone who lives in Zelienople, it was so much fun to get to work with a local business in this way.

Congratulations on your new venture, Robin & Melinda! And congratulations to the previous owners (Nancy & Kelly) on their successful hand off!

Kathi & John: St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church Wedding Photos

Kathi & John’s wedding day was a BLAST! I photographed these two in the spring of 2022 for their engagement session (click here to see it!) and have been looking forward to working with them on their wedding day ever since.

Their wedding day took place in Monessen, PA - a town that I had never been to prior to! Apart from the getting ready portion of the day, their wedding festivities took place entirely on St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church’s property. Their ceremony took place in the sanctuary, with their reception taking place at the Hellenic Center, just a staircase below!

Kathi got ready with her bridesmaids at her and John’s home, while John got ready at his childhood home. Both houses were very close to the church, which made traveling on the day of for the couple and the bridal party so convenient!

Kathi & John have a beautiful backyard, which made for a great spot for photos of Kathi & her bridesmaids prior to leaving for the ceremony. There was even a gorgeous purple flowering bush that we used for Kathi’s bridal portraits… which turned out SO beautiful!

John’s parents also had a scenic backyard for photos of the groomsmen, with lots of greenery!

The ceremony was traditional Greek Orthodox - I’ve only photographed one Greek Orthodox ceremony before, so it was a treat to be able to photograph one again! I love the tradition and symbolism incorporated throughout the ceremony.

And thankfully, even thought it was supposed to rain for their entire wedding day - it only rained during the ceremony. That was a HUGE answer to prayer! We were able to take all of their bridal party & couple portraits outside, which we were not expecting… what a blessing!

After portraits came the reception - full of giant cookie tables, delicious food, and tons of Greek dancing! I’m not sure I’ve seen a bride & groom on the dance floor as much - ever! They had a ton of fun and we enjoyed every minute of getting to work with them. Congratulations on your wedding day, Kathi & John!!

Vendors: Just Hitched Wedding Films , Fragile Paradise Florist , Barton's Bake Shop, Galiffa Productions, Wanderlust Beauty Studio, The White Orchid, By George Catering

Erin & Colin: 10 Year Anniversary Photos in Mars, PA

Erin and Colin have been married for 10 years, and they decided to celebrate a decade of marriage with a photo session on their own property in Mars, PA!

These two bought a farm last year where they also run their own business, The Berkley Creek Pet Retreat, where they have daycare and boarding for dogs! They also have a few furry friends of their own, who of course needed to be included in a few family photos!

Congrats to you, Erin & Colin, on 10 years, on your farm, and on your successful business! It was a joy to take these photos for you!

Family Legacy Photos at McConnell's Mill

Quite possibly the sweetest way to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary? Photos with your grandchildren. What a wonderful idea!

It was a blessing to get to celebrate alongside this sweet family this evening! Congrats to these Nana & Grampy on 50 years or marriage - what a legacy to leave for your grandchildren!

Karissa & Dave: Saint Alexis Church & The Chadwick Wedding Photos

It was the most perfect summer day for Karissa & Dave's June wedding day!

Karissa got ready at her childhood home that is situated just a short walk from the church. Photos between the ceremony & reception were taken at the North Park Golf Course, where Karissa's family is very well known! And the reception took place at the Chadwick in Wexford - the very last few photos in this blog post feature Karissa’s grandma & grandpa, who have been married for 60+ years! They won the anniversary dance for longest married couple at Karissa & Dave’s reception!

These two met during the lockdown era back in 2020 - it's beautiful to see how God takes difficult times and brings beauty out of them, like with Karissa & Dave's relationship!

Congratulations on your wedding day, you two!

Vendors: The Chadwick, North Park Golf Course, Saint Alexis Church, Hearts and Flowers Floral Design Studio, Pittsburgh DJ Company, Samantha Colton (hair & makeup), Nota Bene Fine Paper Boutique (invitation), Bridal Beginning Pittsburgh

Hartwood Acres Mansion Family Photos

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet couple a few years ago when their first child was on the way at this very same location - and I had the pleasure of photographing them again as their second child is on the way! ❤️

Marie & Stanley are the type of people you meet and instantly love to be around. Besides being parents, they are also phenomenal wedding photographers, which is actually how we met! It is always such a joy to catch up with them and to see their sweet family grow.

Marie & Stanley - thank you both for the immense joy of being a part of this season! We are so thankful to know you guys!

Annelise H: Woodlands High School Senior Photos

Annelise is a graduating senior with the class of 2023! She graduated the week of her senior session from Woodlands High School. I kind of love that she opted to wait for her senior photos until the spring of her senior year! There are definitely benefits to having them done prior to your senior year or during your senior year, but it was such a fun way to celebrate the true end of her high school career with these photos!

Annelise is an accomplished actress at her school - she played Mayzie the Bird in her high school’s rendition of “Suessical” and even had the opportunity to perform in the Gene Kelly Awards (the area’s high school musical award competition).

For her outfits for her session, Annelise chose a pink patterned dress (as her first outfit) and white linen pants with a patterned top (as her second outfit). Both of her outfits complimented the Hartwood flowers and mansion perfectly! We opted to use a more natural/flowery setting for the dress outfit, and chose the mansion backdrop to compliment the visual structure of the second outfit. And with two amazing outfits - we were able to get tons of variety within her photos!

Congratulations on your senior year, Annelise! It was such a pleasure to take these photos for you!

Leah & Nick The Gathering Place at Darlington Lake Wedding Photos

Leah & Nick had the most gorgeous Spring day for their wedding at the Gathering Place at Darlington Lake!

One of the best things about being a Pittsburgh wedding photographer (besides working with the sweetest couples!) is getting to see so many beautiful locations in the area. The Gathering Place at Darlington Lake is a beautiful, tucked away spot in New Galilee, PA. It sits on a lake, surrounded by woods and farmland. And it made the perfect setting for this gorgeous wedding day!

Leah & Nick’s day began with getting ready photos, each separately! The ladies got ready in the new bridal cabin on the Gathering Place’s property. It was my first time in the cabin (though I’ve photographed a few weddings here before!) and I absolutely loved this new space for the ladies! It is always so nice when the bride and groom get ready on the property where they’ll be getting married. Having no commute from the getting ready space to the ceremony space decreases stress for everyone involved!

After some pre-ceremony photos, Leah & Nick met at the altar. Nick’s siblings sang a beautiful song during the ceremony, and then Leah & Nick were married! After the ceremony, we took some family formals, bridal party portraits, and photos of Leah & Nick around the property. Those photos were beautiful.. but I was especially excited to get the two of them back out for photos after dinner! The sun had set a bit more and there was a lovely reflection on the lake that made for the most picturesque backdrop.

We also took these two out on the dock for a few night photos! And they ended their evening with a ribbon send off. It was truly the most beautiful day!

Congratulations on your wedding day, Leah & Nick! It was such a pleasure to be a part of your beautiful day!

Vendors: The Mayflower Florist, Windy Hill Bakehouse, Legacy Films Pittsburgh, DJ Bruce Matteo, Isabella Coimbra (Makeup), The Exquisite Bride, Medure's Catering, Minted Weddings