Oakmont

Jun

Riverside Landings Wedding | Samantha & Michael

Weddings / 0 Comments / June 16, 2015

Samantha and Michael had a beautiful, hometown wedding in Oakmont. Their ceremony was at the lovely St. Thomas’s Memorial Church, and the reception followed at Riverside Landings.

Their faith was so evident throughout the day. After the church, they took the time for a private foot-washing ceremony. During the speeches and reception, many friends talked about their dedication and joy in their faith. It is always beautiful to see a ceremony so meaningful, witnessed by many people who are so supportive, and willing to come around them to share in their joy.

Jan

Snowy Oakmont Engagement Session | Samantha & Michael

engagement / 0 Comments / January 24, 2015

I love shooting winter engagement sessions, even though it’s not as popular to schedule your portraits in the cold. It is a little different from the way I shoot during the warmer months. For one, it’s hard to have outfit changes when you’re stuck wearing winter coats. Secondly, I tend to shoot a lot faster, more like I do on a wedding day. For this engagement session with Samantha & Michael, it was all of fourteen degrees and windy so, on days like that, I work as quickly as possible- pink cheeks are fine, but nobody wants to go long enough to get the runny-nosed look. Still, there’s just something wonderful about it. The light is softer and warmer, the rich blue of the hills underneath the bare trees, the brightness of the snow surrounding. Shooting in the winter just has a quality that you don’t see other times of the year. I’m always excited when I get the chance to shoot in the snow.

Samantha & Michael chose to shoot in Oakmont, right near where they will be getting married in just a few short months. Next time we’ll be here, leaves will be on the trees and everything will be green again. It’s going to be beautiful.

Sep

Heinz History Center Wedding | Tara & Tom

Weddings / 0 Comments / September 19, 2014

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start telling about a wedding. It’s such a huge day, you know? So much planning & preparation. For Tara & Tom, the day was sunny and very hot (just like Tara wanted it.) The ceremony was small & lovely & touching, at a dear little church in their neighborhood. The dresses & the details were beautiful and pinterest-worthy (can I just tell you about those mint dresses + coral flowers? Yes please.) We had lots of time for lots of amazing portraits. The reception was at the Heinz History Center, which is epic in itself, and I already can’t wait to shoot there again.

With all of those things, though, the most important thing to say about this wedding day is: Tara and Tom smiled all. day. long. And it was pretty fantastic.

And their bridal party? They smiled all day too. When they weren’t breaking down in hysterical laughter from one joke or another. Which was a lot of the time. That was pretty good too.

So, yeah. The day was beautiful, the style of the entire day was gorgeous, and Tara & Tom’s happiness just swept the entire thing away. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Sep

Pittsburgh Weddings | Brigid & Adam

Weddings / 1 Comment / September 11, 2014

This is one of those weddings where the whole big families opened up & welcomed us in. I learned quickly from all of our conversation and the engagement session that Brigid & Adam are kind and good-hearted and easy to work with. I should not have been surprised to find that their family and friends, likewise, are amazingly warm people- they told us stories, checked on us often, and made the day generally wonderful. That seemed to set the tone for the day- not just for us as photographers, but for the entire event.

Brigid had told me early on how so many people were coming to join them from near & far away, and how important that was to them. It seemed like everyone was involved in some way, whether handcrafting details or simply with their presence and support, and I’m not sure there is any better tribute to such a loving couple. I couldn’t help but feel that maybe the term wedding “guests” was inadequate in this case- maybe call them participants, instead, for all of these people came with joy to join in the celebration of Adam & Brigid’s love.

Here’s to families, then; chosen and blood, old and new. I was honoured to be part of this day.