Muse: Pittsburgh wedding and portrait photography

An extremely belated (but no less important) post – Congratulations to Carisa and Ryan, one of our featured weddings from 2012, for being published in The Knot Weddings magazine!

It is always such a joy to spend one of the happiest days of someone’s life with them… especially when they are artists themselves, when their father cries, when there are beautiful details, and when their love is so sweet.

Stephanie and Josh were married at the Walled Garden at Mellon Park in Pittsburgh, with the reception at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. It was a tranquil day full of laughter and tears.

Here is a glimpse of their wonderful wedding day:

Stephanie opted to make her own bouquet. Her brooch bouquet was so amazingly unique!

Seriously guys, I don’t think you understand how difficult it is to get into a wedding dress. There was a debate about when to put the makeup on so the dress wouldn’t get dirty, and techniques on how to get into the dress. In the end, Stephanie made it out safely.

Stephanie has a smile that lights up the room. She was radiant on her big day.

It seems that little kids are always more interested in the camera than in what’s going on in the ceremony. Image below by Dan.

Thanks Stephanie and Josh for sharing your laughter and tears with Dan and I. We want to wish you a wonderful start on your life together!

Jara and Josh had an incredible day.

Several days before their wedding, there were some crazy storms in the area. On their big day, the rain took a break and the sun even decided to peek through. However, because of the storms, they learned that their reception at the Barn at Fallingwater would be without electricity.

Now, I don’t know how most brides would have handled this news, but all I can say is Jara handled it way better than I would have. She was calm, sweet, patient, and just incredible. Her smile never left her face (one of her friends told me later that night, that they have never seen her without a smile on her face).

Jara and Josh got married that beautiful day. It didn’t matter that things didn’t go exactly as planned. They were together with their friends and family…

and love was all they needed.

Some of Jara’s close friends stopped by to give her a gift before her wedding. I wish I knew what the story was behind the underwear. I might have overheard “sisterhood of the traveling granny panties” or I might be making that up.

Just gorgeous.

This was totally Josh’s idea. He had a fantastic sense of humor.

Josh’s ring was a little tight.

Besides the spectacular ceremony location, another perk of having your wedding at the Barn at Fallingwater was the access to Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater house for a photography session.

Love these.

Remember how there’s no power? Jara decided to move the dancing outdoors into the cooler air. The DJ was able to get a generator so there was music and no one had to hum.

This was one serious chicken dance. Love the expressions.

Jara and Josh, thank you for being an inspiration and for inviting Andrea and I to celebrate with you.

“All you need is Love.” Very fitting.

A wedding is a celebration of love and of family.

When I first met Carisa and Ryan, I asked them to tell me what they wanted their wedding to be like. Carisa, tearing up, tells me that they wanted it to be about family because their families have done so much for them.

And that is exactly what their wedding was like… joy, love, food and family.

Carisa and Ryan were married at the Reed Smith building in downtown Pittsburgh. It was a gorgeous setting, full of clean lines and modern simplicity. Here are just a few of my favorite images from their day:

Love, LOVE these.

Sometimes, I giggle to myself while I take pictures.

Carisa laughed with such ease. They were beautiful together.

Love this one of her veil!

The food at the reception was spectacular! Having a meal as a whole family was important to Carisa (it’s the Italian in her). Mouthwatering goodness by Amy.

The Sensations from Youngstown kicked off a fun evening on the dance floor. This gave the flower girl and her dad a chance to practice their synchronized routine (as captured by Amy).

Some doggie love!

Carisa and Ryan, thank you for inviting Amy and I to share in your joy.

Dress Designer- Angel Sanchez

Bridal Salon- Lewis in Shadyside

Caterer- Parkhurst

Bakery- Vanilla

Florist- Bill Chisnell

Entertainment- The Sensations

The world is a small place after all.

I met a lovely couple last year that had recently moved to Pittsburgh from Washington D.C. We chatted about how they met while playing kickball. We chatted, we connected, we parted ways.

A few days later, they book me to photograph their wedding. While booking, it was noticed that we live 4 houses apart.

Umm, what?

Yup… 4 houses. I can see their car from my window (not that I check often, cause that would be weird and creepy).

Kate and Ryan are not only wonderful and kind (and gorgeous, did I mention that yet?), they are also madly in love. I was extremely honored to document their wedding day at West Overton Village. Here are some of my favorite images:

Image of Ryan by Dana.

Love how choked up Ryan is waiting for his bride to come down the aisle. Image of Kate by Dana.

Their reception was held at the West Overton Barn in Scottsdale, Pennsylvania. Kate did a fantastic job of incorporating lace, burlap, and candles to create a charming, yet rustic feel. (first few images by Dana)

You know it’s going to be a fun night when a game of “spin-the-bottle” starts.

This one gets me all teary just looking at it.

Kate and Ryan, thank you for inviting us to celebrate with you!

The day started off with a frenzy. Dina’s makeup artist cancelled on her by sending her a text message early in the morning.

Seriously?!

I must say, I was so impressed by Dina. She calmly arranged to have her makeup done at the bridal salon where she was getting her hair done. She smiled through it all and looked simply stunning.

The rest of the day was perfect. The ceremony was at the beautiful Smithfield United Church of Christ, followed by an ultra glamorous reception at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. We started off at the Holiday Inn for some getting ready pictures.

Not to be outdone, the guys also cleaned up and got dressed (I think it’s really THAT simple for men). Images below by my ultra fabulous second shooter, Amy.

Because Dina got her makeup done earlier than planned, we ended up with a nice amount of time for some bridal portraits (which I love).

Dina is a natural in front of the camera. She looked AMAZING!

And while the girls were getting their pictures taken, Mark and his groomsmen went to Wiener World.

Yup, you read that right.

Images below by Amy.

The ceremony at Smithfield United Church of Christ was full of emotion. As Dina was walking down the aisle, Mark’s reaction to seeing his bride for the first time led his brother to put his arm around him.

Mark wasn’t the only emotional man there.

After the ceremony, the first thing the newlyweds did when they got into the hallway was kiss. So sweet!

Some portraits around the University of Pittsburgh campus.

I don’t normally post group portraits, but I thought the expressions on the maid of honor and best man here were hilarious. They were such a fun group.

Lots of beautiful personal touches at the reception.

Love how Dina is looking at Mark during their first dance.

While I was getting their reactions, Amy was getting a wider image of the dance.

Always a blast to work with Jeremy of Jeremy Ganss Productions, who kept this entertaining group dancing all night.

Dina and Mark, it was such a delight to photograph your wedding! Thank you for inviting Amy and I to witness such a special day.

Ceremony: Smithfield United Church of Christ
Reception: Pittsburgh Athletic Association
Hair: Capristo
DJ: Jeremy Ganss Productions
Videographer: Open Iris

The love between Ashley and Bill is so evident. The quiet grace with which these two respond to each other is amazing.

I first met Ashley and Bill last year while documenting Larissa and Joe’s wedding. Bill just happens to be Larissa’s brother. I was so excited to see their family again. They are the warmest and most entertaining people you will ever meet.

Ashley and Bill were married at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Oakmont. Their celebration continued with the reception at the lovely Longue Vue Club in Verona. Here are some of my favorite images from their day:

Ashley is what you would call a classic beauty.

I had the pleasure of having Dan as a second shooter again, who captured this image of Bill waiting below.

Ashley had requested we go to Hartwood Acres for some portraits. Gorgeous location + gorgeous couple = happy photographer

I love that the fabric that held Ashley’s bouquet together was made from her mother’s dress.

So I mentioned earlier that their families were fun right?

Ashley and Bill, your love is an inspiration.

I hope you had fun in Belize! It was wonderful to see everyone again. Thank you for inviting Dan and I back into your lives.

Dress: Allure

Transportation: Shamrock Limousine & Pittsburgh Transportation Group

Florist: Bloomers Floral Studio

Bakery: Fenoglietto’s Wedding Cakes

Caterer: Longue Vue Club

Beautiful couples make my job easy.

Meet Martha Stewart.

Okay, so that’s not Ms. Stewart.

Meet Sherry. That was her, 2 hours before her wedding. She did it all; from cutting down tree branches in her backyard for her reception decor, to etching the glass in the lanterns, to designing and arranging her centerpieces, to looking gorgeous as a bride. I’m told (by her bridesmaids, who helped her set up) that she’s very crafty and can make anything look beautiful.

Indeed, her wedding was beautiful!

Sherry and Sam were married at the Duquesne Club in downtown Pittsburgh.

Loved the orchids!

Sam getting a little help from the internet. You’d be surprised how hard it is to tie a bow-tie. They did such a fantastic job that I initially thought it was a clip on. Images below by Dan.

Purple Manolos.

Sherry was radiant…and funny… and so calm!

Such a sweet moment… Sam looked so happy to see Sherry.

The ceremony was followed by an ultra fun cocktail-style reception.

Dan caught this great image on the left as the newlyweds were announced.

You know it’s true love when you lick the frosting off your spouse’s face.

The wedding was at night, which meant we were able to get some fantastic, dramatic portraiture.

Nevermind that this was taken in the ladies room. Come on, those mirrors were too fun to pass up.

A wonderful celebration of a wonderful couple.

Thanks for having Dan and I there to share in your beautiful night. Sherry and Sam, happiness and love to you two! And as Martha would say “It’s a good thing”.

Florist: Blooms Florist

Venue and Coordinator: Duquesne Club

Gorgeousness. Bill, you are a lucky man!