Weddings at the Renaissance Hotel in Pittsburgh are a great mix of modern and elegance, with so many fun opportunities to showcase the city in order to get epic Pittsburgh wedding photos. This venue can be very challenging to light, with the gorgeous grand staircase and vaulted ceilings with dark purple glass dome - but luckily this isn’t my first day on the job!

I got to know Camille and Zachary when we did their adorable engagement session at Mellon Park with their pup Olive - and even though we had to work around the timing of the Pittsburgh Marathon and then got caught in a downpour, it was one of the best engagement sessions ever because THEY were just so happy and in love. It makes a huge difference in front of the camera working with couples that just love to be around each other. The two met online in the early days of the pandemic, and when they had their first date, they tackled all of the hard topics - religion, politics, etc. to really “cut to the chase” and see if they were compatible. Things worked out well, and they decided to quarantine together with Zach’s roommates during lockdown and their relationship grew at warp-speed! It was so fun getting to learn about them and just seeing the down right GIDDINESS they have around each other. Oh, and they are both super-smart scientist grad-students. They are perfect together!

We started the day in the gorgeous Heaven Suite at the Renaissance Hotel, where I was greeted with the MOST KIND group of friends and family ever (like seriously, they offered us snacks, lunch, and drinks!). The whole vibe was calm, happy, and pleasant, which means EVERYTHING on wedding morning! I always start wedding day photographing the small touches that make the day feel like “you.” Camille’s details featured a water-color rendition of the Renaissance Hotel on their invitation suite, and a hand-drawn Pittsburgh skyline for the save the dates! Jewelry was of course the timeless yet very trendy-for-2022 pearls found on her necklace, earrings, and hairpiece. The wedding dress was the perfect combination of classy and whimsical with a beautiful satin top and a full skirt covered in flowers.

When we went to spend some time with the groomsmen, we found Zachary helping head up the floral decorations on the grand staircase when we arrived. He and his groomsmen looked sharp in their classic black tuxedos and bowties. Once everything was set for the ceremony and everyone was ready, the couple opted for a first look so we could get some photos outside in downtown Pittsburgh before the ceremony started.

The Renaissance Hotel is conveniently located just steps away from one of the most iconic bridges in Pittsburgh, the Roberto Clemente bridge, which always makes for a great photo-op… except when it’s under construction! Luckily the bridal party was happy to walk just a block down the street to the bridge’s twin, the Andy Warhol bridge. Even though there were TONS of people out and about for a Kenny Chesney concert AND a summer festival happening on the same block, we were able to get some great photos by the tree-covered walkways, on the sides of the bridge, and even a few quick snaps walking across!

The ceremony was very sweet, drawing on the love and closeness that Camille and Zachary had grown over the last 2 years. With a quick kiss and a breaking of the glass (Mazel tov!), the two were officially Mr. and Mrs. Since most of the photos were done beforehand, we had time to get a GIANT photo will all 100 guests in on the grand staircase, which was a logistical and lighting challenge that we happily rose to!

Guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the second floor, strolling the marble halls with cookies and cocktails in hand. The Symphony Ballroom was stunning with gold Charivari chairs, floral centerpieces from Blumengarten, and custom etched drink ware for guests. My husband provided music with his company Royal Heir DJ Services, and after a quick getaway to take some night-time photos on the terrace of the Heaven Suite, it was officially a successful wedding day!

I loved being back at the Renaissance - I hope you enjoy some of the highlights from this special day!

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Vendors:

Photography: Jill Gearhart Photography assisted by Tommy Seibert

Venue: Renaissance Hotel Pittsburgh

Invitation Suite: Brown Fox Creative

Gown: Bridal Beginning

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Hair and Makeup: Black Label Society

Florals: Jim Ludwig’s Blumengarten Florist

Cake: Pastries a la Carte

Officiant: Brandon Stiffler

DJ: Royal Heir DJ Services

Weddings at the lodge at Indian lake feel like a destination wedding at a lake resort but without the long drive! This resort features a big beautiful ballroom and cozy outdoor covered porch for intimate ceremonies, and a neighboring golf courses for beautiful photo opportunities. And the best part is that it’s only 2 hours from Pittsburgh!

Nicole and Alex had the perfect day for a wedding - clear skies and comfortable temperatures, but even more importantly they were surrounded by people that genuinely cared about them and wanted to be there for THEM! We started the day in the complimentary bridal suite (!!!) which had plenty of gorgeous light, mirrors to get ready by, and lots of room for her large bridal party and family. My favorite parts of the getting ready portion were Nicole’s amazing 6 inch heels (her maid of honor told me that Nicole came out of the womb able to walk in heels, and it even was mentioned in the maid of honor speech later that night), the sweet first looks between Nicole and her moms, abuela, and dad, and a sweet and totally coincidental moment when I walked in to her room and found her sitting by the window reading her Bible to calm her nerves.

I am blessed to know Nicole from her early teenage years where she attended a youth group that my husband and I volunteered at. I remembered her as a sweet and spunky (in the best way) beautiful young lady. I had know idea the incredible woman she would grow up to be! Nicole and Alex both serve in the military (where they met!) and have endured so many more trials and challenges in both their personal and professional lives than most are aware of. They have even taken in younger family members as their own to give them a chance to thrive, even though they are still young themselves and working so hard.

I had the privilege of meeting Alex when we started wedding planning all together, and the respect and love he had for not only Nicole but everyone he encounters was evident from the first few minutes of talking to him. surrounded by his best friends from high school and the military on wedding morning, the nearly dozen groomsmen were loud and crazy (we heard them singing and laughing from 4 rooms down the hall in the morning), but immediately respectful and kind once I got their attention. Which was no small feat - I’m considering purchasing a “wedding whistle” so I don’t lose my voice again, haha!

Alex looked incredible in his deep purple suit with black lapels - the only person that could hope to upstage him was of course Nicole, who was breathtaking in her lace Essence of Australia dress with long sleeves and open back. The two were sheer perfection together. The ceremony was shared with a small number of family on the back deck, where Nicole and Alex wrote some of the best vows I ever heard.  Nearly every person cried hearing them, myself included. The two share a deep love that honors God and each other, which was evident in their vows.

After the ceremony came my yell-fest (in a good way!) to get through some large family groupings and a 20 person bridal party, which was super fun to work with because all of them loved the couple so much and genuinely wanted to be there for them, and not just to party. We wrapped up portraits with Nicole and Alex on the grounds behind the lodge near the lake, and when they both were willing to climb in a ditch on the side of the road with flowers all through it for SOME OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS OF MY CAREER, their paparazzi team of 5 were all speechless. That’s a lie, I’m pretty sure I squealed. A lot.

The only thing that could top the amazing portrait session we had was one of the most fun receptions I’ve been to in 11 years. With a big crew that just wanted to dance, the floor was packed all night with the DJ throwing out some Hispanic inspired songs as well as all the wedding favorites. Nicole’s Puerto Rican heritage meant this girl can dance, and some of my favorite moments were watching her and her mom salsa on the dance floor. With her beautiful satin Marilyn Monroe inspired reception dress and killer moves, Nicole was radiant and joy-filled as we all had an amazing evening celebrating.

It’s not often that I don’t want to leave at the end of the night, but this was such a smooth, fun day that I was a little sad to pack up my lights and go. Over the past 11 years of photographing weddings, the one thing I’ve learned that all great weddings have in common is simply this: surround yourself with people that love and respect you, and your day will be filled with love and respect towards everyone, which is exactly what God calls us to model in a marriage.

A special thanks to this amazing vendor team for pulling off a flawless day:

Lead Photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography

Second Photographer: Kirkland Photography

Photographers Assistant: Ben Lloyd

Videographer: m20 Media

Gown: Essence of Australia at White Lace Bridal, Indiana PA

Makeup: Sparrow Beauty Co.

Jewelry: Sam Jam Creative

Rings: Lorelli’s Jewelery

Caterer: Flair of Country

Cake and Cookies: Nikki Hockenberry, Nikki’s Sweets and Treats

DJ: DJ John with the Lodge at Indian Lake

Officiant: Summit Church

Invitations: Tiffany Miller

Farm 1840

Farm 1840 is a beautiful, all in one wedding venue where everything is taken care of for you! When photographing this wedding in April of 2022, the beautiful chapel was newly finished just a few weeks ago, and the clean, simplistic yet elegant design was every bride’s dream.

Madison and Tyler had recently relocated to the beautiful town on Mechanicsburg for their careers, and while so many people they know and love are from this side of the state, the venue was worth traveling for! The couple met through mutual friends, both of which were in the wedding that day! Their fierce love and loyalty has carried them through so many challenges including moving across the state, losses of loved ones, and incredibly hard health scares. It was evident that their love for each other knew no challenge that they could not or would not face together - I was so lucky to be able to capture that!

We started the day in the beautiful, newly renovated bridal suite, full of lovely natural light which after all, is a girls best friend! Madison’s friend Alyssa traveled across the state to get the girls looking their best with their bridal hairstyles, and the make-up artist Alicia knocked it out of the park to make all the girls look amazing. Madison exuded an old-school Hollywood glam with her soft curls and dramatic lashes - it was so easy to take beautiful photos!

The guys looked handsome as ever and were extremely easy to work with and respectful, which is something I definitely don’t take for granted! Tyler was happy to pose for any and ever photo I asked of him (and there were a LOT that day)!

Once the couple said their I do’s, they walked down the aisle and were able to ring the chapel bell - truly signaling the start of the BEST of their lives!! We were able to capture some fun group shots and finish up with the most romantic and dreamy under-the-veil shots that were TOTALLY worth getting covered in glitter for! We made sure to make time for extended family photos since family is so important to the couple, and then danced the night away with an awesome DJ that kept the floor packed until the very last song! Madison also surprised her mom with a special dance, which again spoke to the value the couple place on those precious family ties. There were so many great moments in the day - I hope you enjoy seeing some of my favorites below!

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Vendor Team:

Venue: Farm 1840

Photography: Jill Gearhart Photography

DJ: Royal Heir DJ

Hair: Alyssa Ferguson

Makeup: Alicia D Beauty LLC

Bridal Attire: Birdy Gray | 700 Shop

Rings: Lorelli’s

Invitations: Miss Lily Designs

Cake: Cakes by Nicole Dunkle

Catering: Misson BBQ

A night-time, winter wedding at Phipps Conservatory is no less beautiful than having your wedding during the summer there - the beautiful wedding venue still has stunning topiary displays to dazzle guests, and when you follow it up with a wedding reception at the University Club on the Pitt campus, your guests are in for a very special, upscale experience!

I was honored to be able to capture these special nuptials a few months ago. The relaxed day started with family and bride and groom portraits in Pittsburgh’s beautiful Mellon Park, and then the ceremony took place under a night sky inside the conservatory’s Broderie Room, decorated with rich reds for the post-holiday season.

After a champagne toast, the couple wandered through the conservatory rooms where we captured some unique night-time wedding portraits among the cactus and fountains. We later joined up with the guests at Pitt’s University Club Ballroom where the guests enjoyed a delicious dinner while reconnecting with family inducing the intimate reception.

Enjoy the shots below of some of the most beautiful spots in Pittsburgh like you rarely see them - in winter, and at night!

If you were to take engagement photos in the exact spot you met your fiancé, would they be as cool as these engagement photos at Strawberry Way in Pittsburgh? These two met on this literal spot on the street corner by the Hotel Monaco (where they are getting married at later this year!), had their first date at The Commoner, the restaurant inside the hotel!

We met up on a cold afternoon in January and the two were dressed so classy and ready to brave the cold! They could pull off any and every pose - from super chic and serious to fun-loving and silly, which not even minding that they were freezing! We strolled up and down Strawberry Way, which in the summer is full of tables for outside eating at the various restaurants around the area, finding inspiration in the diverse architecture.

The session ended with dinner at the Commoner, recreating the couples’ first date! The restaurant was super cool to let us in a little early to get some really cool shots in the totally empty restaurant. Once they opened for dinner service, we ordered dinner and drinks to recreate all the details of their first date.

Enjoy the highlights of this super fun and meaningful Pittsburgh engagement session - hopefully it will inspire you to think outside the box (or better yet, inside the restaurant!)

The Westminster Preserve location at Armstrong Farms is a great choice if you’re looking for a beautiful barn wedding venue for your ceremony and reception. I was blessed to be a wedding photographer at Armstrong Farms twice last year, and can’t wait to go back!

Alyssa and Jason had a beautiful, sunny day at the farm, complete with deep blue skies, gorgeous flowers blooming all around the venue, and appearances from the famous geese that run the show at the ceremony pavilion!

The couple met on Tinder about 6 years ago, next came a house and a puppy! When I asked about the proposal story, Alyssa shared that on her birthday, Jason hid a camera in the living room and had her open up a present with a new collar they just got their new puppy, Ranger. Jason then sang happy birthday to her, handed her a birthday cake, and told her to close her eyes and make a wish by blowing out the birthday candle. When she opened her eyes Jason was on one knee asking her to marry him! She put the birthday cake on the table to give her new fiancé some hugs and kisses, but when they looked over at the table, Ranger was eating the birthday cake!

The couple honored Ranger and his brother Dante with some cute signature cocktails named for their pups, and had many other special details and moments incorporated throughout their day! Alyssa shared the special significance of some of her accessories:

“On my flower bouquet I had a blue butterfly brooch that was from my grandmother. She is 91 years old and lives in Florida with y grandfather. I always dreamed of my grandparents being there on my wedding day but with my grandmother Alice being 91 years old and my grandfather Melvin being 93 years old and COVID we decided it was not safe for them to travel that far. They have been married 73 years and seeing the love they have for each other is so inspiring to Jason and I. For anyone that has met my grandmother Alice she is always wearing a brooch but butterflies are her favorite to wear. By having that with me on my bouquet it gave me hope and inspiration for Jason and I to be married for just as many years.”

Be sure to check out all the beautiful shots of these meaningful details in the highlights of their perfect day below! And of course, we couldn’t have pulled this amazing wedding off without some incredible vendors:

• Photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography, assisted by Jessica Duncan

• Venue: Armstrong Farms, Westminster Preserve

• Gown: MB Bride

• Hair: Copacetic Beauty Lounge (Mallory Puniak)

• Makeup: Makenna Carlin (friend)

• Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie.com (in “Twlight”)

• Tuxes or Suits: Men’s Warehouse

• Rings: James Douglas Jewelers

• Invitations or Other Stationery: annsbridalbargains.com

• Florals: Monika Friend (a close friend of my bridesmaid)

• Cake: Tasty Bakery

• Catering: Elegant Catering

• DJ: Entertainment Unlimited

• Videographer: Just Hitched Films (Ray Cordero)

• Coordinator or Event Planner: Deanndra Wetzel with Armstrong Farms

How do you set goals and know what to invest in as a small business owner? If you photograph weddings or engage in other “seasonal” work, the impending “off season” can be both exciting and terrifying! Photographers typically spend time and money investing in their business and in education to improve their skills, but no one really tells you WHAT that entails. Until now - here’s 10 things that small business owners can do in the off season to push their business forward!

That question of “what” is one that nearly every photographer thinks about at the beginning of the year once the Holiday hustle has died down and you’re left with more time to work ON your business with less things to occupy your time IN your business.

I’ve always been a person that is internally motivated and a bit of a perfectionist, and I habitually feel guilty if I’m not “doing” something or producing something. Setting specific goals is very daunting and feels rigid for me, in part because I can’t directly control my consumers’ behavior, and also because I will feel like a total failure if I don’t meet those goals. My motivator is fear more often than not, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing if you learn to set loose goals and have a whole lot of grace for yourself.

Instead of buying the cute paper planners for my daily, weekly, and monthly goals or and making trendy graphics for a vision board of 3 and 5 year benchmarks, I’m a “list it all out on my phone” type of gal. I have a master “ideas” list in my phone and every time I’m feeling uninspired or am at a loss for what to do next, I can pull out that idea list and start DOING.

As long as you’re making one small step a day towards progress, it’s enough.

Your list of ideas will look very different than mine, but to get my brain in the right mode to make business “goals”, aka think the next project I want to work on, I ask myself things like:

1. What do I feel like my weakest skill is? (invest in education in that category!)

2. What part of my workflow is the most time consuming (then work on streamlining or automating it!)

3. What’s something I dread with my business? (Network with others to learn other possible ways to do things!)

4. What can I outsource? (aka what’s taking up so much time that’s not something specific to YOU completing!)

5. What’s costing me the most money? (research alternatives!)

6. What’s a question that customers ask me over and over again? (work on clearer communication!)

7. What is my competitor doing better than me? (reach out to them for a mentor session!)

8. Am I reaching the customers I want to? (If not, switch up your branding or blog with those specific customers in mind!)

9. What’s something I can invest in to make my product better? (is it new gear? Maybe an educational course?)

10. What’s a resource or platform I’m not using yet, and is it feasible to incorporate it into my workflow? (Pinterest, Instagram reels, etc)

Of course there’s the daily tasks for any small business owners like taking care of clients, producing product, posting on social media, etc. but this list will help you with those projects both big and small that move the needle in the direction of progress! Here’s some things that I complete every year that are on my project list:

1. Branding

   • Update any digital or printed materials with new product shots

   • Get updated headshots

   • Take the time to update any color, logo, or text changes to your brand across EVERY platform (Facebook, website, google, linkedIn, Instagram, email signatures, etc.)

2. Website

   • Update your website with new images

   • Update your pricing, packages, etc.

   • Go through your website with “customer eyes” and make sure everything is organized with clear “call to actions”

3. SEO

   • Blog. Just do it.

   • Brainstorm a list of topics for blogs

   • Add alt text to all of your images to help with SEO

   • Add page titles and descriptions to all pages that are SEO friendly

4. Data Collection

   • Figure out what months have the most leads, most sales, etc. (This can be helpful for planning out what time of the year to invest into paid marketing)

   • Conversion Percentage: Do you know the percentage of “fans” that you convert to clients? Track how many leads against how many bookings to get a conversion percentage! Aim for 30% or more!

   • Raise your prices! If most of your sales are for your most expensive package or product, then it’s time to raise your prices! Look back through your sales to figure out the percentage of sales each price point is bringing in.

5. Financial Workflow

   • Research options for tracking your expenses easier (I recommend a business credit card linked to accounting software to make it automatic!)

   • Get organized for tax time! Research a reliable tax professional to help you get the most out of your money.

   • Pay yourself! Develop an easy system to pay yourself from your business income (A business checking account and a personal checking account with unlimited transfers back and forth helps BIG TIME!)

6. Social Media

   • If you hate doing it, learn how to batch-post automatically with services like Later.com

   • Brainstorm a list of reels ideas that aren’t cringey and feel like “you".” (and it’s OKAY not to do reels. It really is.)

   • Plan a monthly photoshoot of products or create an exporting system in Lightroom for when you edit photos so you can build up content to use on social media over time.

7. Network

   • Reach out to someone in your field that you admire to just get coffee and make a new friend!

   • Join Facebook groups for your expertise area to learn new skills and ideas, or just to meet people to understand and encourage you!

   • Get together with other small business owners in your community to learn how you can all support each other!

8. Client Communication

   • Start collecting emails in a Google Sheet for an email list!

   • Brainstorm ideas for and pre-draft email newsletters.

   • Do you send the same emails out over and over again? Make it a template!

   • Create and/or tweak your contact forms to collect ALL the info you need and also to pre-screen your clients! (It’s absolutely okay to require clients to specify their budget, and it’s absolutely okay to say you’re unavailable if their budget is way too low)

9. Education

   • Ask your mentors or peers for resources that they used to get where they are.

   • Offer to shadow or assist other professionals for free to gain on-the-job skills.

   • Buy my course! (But seriously, we cover SO MUCH of these things in detail!)

10. Define Success

    • Ask yourself what you REALLY want to get out of your business? Is it a number? A lifestyle? A state of mind? Get specific so you know when you are achieving it!

    • Figure out your monthly personal living expenses + your monthly business expenses to see just how many weddings you have to book or products you have to sell to meet your needs. (My finance planning tool can help!)

I’ve spent 10 years completing project after project, making and testing systems, and figuring out ways to automate everything to make my life easier and my business more streamlined. I’ve had so many people ask me about how I did certain things along the way, and I am always happy to help, because I definitely would not be here myself without the help of others and the audacity to ASK them! If you’ve found this information useful, I promise you it’s just the tip of the iceberg of what I can offer you as far as help! I spent two years putting together an online course to help small business owners just starting out have the knowledge, systems, and confidence to grow their business and “catch up” to the rest of the industry. If that sounds like something you want in on too, you can click the photo below to check out the course!

Ashley and Brandon had an amazing day in the early fall for their September wedding at the Chetremon Golf Course and Event Venue! “The Chet” is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues to work at because it seems to truly have everything that a wedding couple could want, but it’s also very easy for vendors to work at as well!

We started the day in the “Inn” on the Chetremon’s property, which is a great place if you’re looking for where to stay the night before and after your wedding. The convenience of having everything right there truly saves so much time and stress on wedding day! There’s plenty of room for even the biggest wedding parties, and the two-floor design makes it easy for the groomsmen to get ready downstairs while the bridesmaids can get ready upstairs! We filled the morning with champagne pops, a first look with Ashley’s dad and her bridesmaids, exchanging gifts to parents and each other, and a very special letter reading.

Ashley and Brandon decided not to do a first look, but still wanted to have a private moment to connect before the hectic day started, so we had them “meet” back-to-back by a tree on the golf course, and read letters that they wrote to each other. It was such a sweet moment and the bride and groom and whole paparazzi team cried!

We then headed to the beautiful St. Michael’s Basilica in Loretto for a stunning Catholic mass, and then returned to the Chet for portraits of their super fun bridal party and of course the bride and groom! We had so much fun exploring the entire golf course (seriously, the owners and managers are so nice and even supplied us all with golf carts!). There were plenty of amazing photo spots, lots of shade, and even some water and bridges to get some really unique photos.

The venue itself looks stunning for receptions, but paired with thoughtful decorations it was truly breath-taking. Ashley is an elementary school teacher and thoughtfully had her students write their definition of “love” on her table number signs - we couldn’t help but photograph every single one they were so precious!

DJ Jack Labarko did a phenomenal job as usual making sure everyone had fun for the reception. Ashley and her dad did an amazing choreographed dance, Brandon sang a karaoke love song to his new bride, and the dance playlist was jam-packed with the bride’s favorites: Shania Twain and Celine Dion. It’s so important to hire a DJ that will really listen to your requests, and these guys always hit the mark!

A little backstory about the couple: Brandon and Ashley met in high school while both performing for the musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". A couple of months later after the musical, prom was coming and Ashley (Junior) decided to ask Brandon (Sophomore) to go with her. The musical cast was getting together to practice for the Isaac Awards (awards that recognize school musicals and cast) and Ashley knew this was her shot! During one of the rehearsals, they all decided to play a game where everyone except one person would close their eyes. Ashley gave that person who didn't close their eyes a bag of candy with the word- "PROM?" written on it to give to Brandon, but it didn't go exactly as she had hoped. Brandon ended up throwing the bag of candy across the stage while not knowing who it was from! Half an hour went by until he actually found out that the bag of candy was from Ashley. Ever since then the rest is history! The couple has been together for 10 years, and were engaged for 1 year before their magical wedding.

I hope you enjoy the following highlights of THE wedding of the year, jam-packed with special moments both planned and unplanned, pulled off by the team of amazing vendors below:

• Ceremony: St. Michael’s Basilica (Loretto, PA)

• Reception Venue: Chetremon Golf Course and Event Venue (Cherry Tree, PA)

• Photographers: Jill Gearhart Photography and Jenna Dunsmore Photography (Indiana, PA)

• Videographers: Union & Main Collective

• Gown + Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Pine Ridge Bridal (Duncansville, PA)

• Hair: Oasis Styling Salon LLC (Cresson, PA)

• Makeup: Elisa Blue (Pittsburgh, PA)

• Suits: Miller's of Johnstown, Inc. (Johnstown, PA)

• Rings: Kranich's Jewelers (Altoona, PA)

• Florals: Florals on the Corner (Lilly, PA)

• Catering: Amici's Restaurant (Ebensburg, PA)

• DJ: DJ Jack Labarko (Johnstown, PA)

Monica and Jack had an absolutely perfect summer wedding at the Armstrong Farms Westminster Preserve wedding venue. Even though it was a SCORCHER (seriously, we drank all the water they had by 9pm!), these two managed to be cool, calm, and cheerful the entire day. I just love a wedding party that’s happy to be there - which is not always the case!

These two have been together for over a decade (!) and when you see the two of them interact you can instantly tell how comfortable they are around each other. I asked Monica about how they met, and she said, “We were high school sweethearts. We met way back in 2007 - our jr. year of high school in science class. On our first date we went to Chili’s and saw “I am Legend” at the movies. Jack claims I ran a red light while driving there but I still deny it to this day!”

We started the wedding day off photographing the beautiful details, including Monica’s super unique GREY diamond from Alexia Russel Jewelry, and the Sola wood flowers hand dyed by the bride! The dusty blue color palette is certainly popular this summer, but Monica added her own twist by choosing differing shades of the blue for the bridesmaid dresses.

Jack and his groomsmen kept me laughing all day long - you can see just how much personality they have by some of the hilarious groomsmen pictures! After shots of whiskey and Miller lite cheers, we knocked out the groomsmen photos pre-ceremony, to everyone’s delight. The tree-lined driveway gave us the perfect amount of shade and scenery. There’s even an old wagon on the property and the groomsmen were quick to recreate some movie scenes and other silly poses using it.

The lakeside pergola was the perfect spot for the couple to complete their wedding ceremony - Monica’s stepdad even officiated! The famous geese were there too to bring smiles to the guests as we all enjoyed the beautiful moments by the water. I took bets how long it would take for me to step in goose poop - I lasted a few hours, hahaha!

As is standard for most weddings, we did family photos immediately after the ceremony, and since it was a very hot and sunny day we took refuge for shade and photos under the beautiful trees surrounding the pond. “Avoid the sun” was the goal for Jack and Monica’s wedding portraits as well, and luckily the venue provided some beautiful spots among flowering bushes and under shady trees overlooking the scenic barn.

Since the guest list was large and the barn is best suited for dancing, Monica and Jack had their first dance and dinner under the large, beautiful tent beside the barn. Aly, the venue coordinator, was a huge help at orchestrating all the moving parts between three close-but-separate spots for the days festivities. After we all had our fill on some amazing Medure’s catering, guests walked over to the historic barn to get their dance on.

Royal Heir DJ had guests dancing all night - seriously, it was wild!, and I got to experience my first “thunderstruck” at a wedding. All of the vendors worked super hard to make the day amazing, and everything went so smoothly because of the awesome team Monica and Jack put together! Check out the vendors below and enjoy the highlights from Jack and Monica’s amazing wedding. Till death do us party!

Vendor List:

• Gown: Alyssa Kristin (designer) from Blanc de Blanc Bridal

• Makeup: Refeyeance Makeup

• Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal

• Suits: Jos. A. Bank

• Rings: Blue Nile, Alexis Russell Jewelry

• Invitations: Minted

• Florals: Sola Wood Flowers

• Cake/Donuts: Oakmont Bakery

• Catering: Medure’s

• DJ: Royal Heir DJ

• Videographer: Manny Pain Media

• Event Planner: Aly Weifenbaugh at Armstrong Farms, Westminster Preserve

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In case no one has told you, marriage is HARD. It tests your patience, challenges your character, inspires your dreams, pushes your limits, and refines you into the best person you can possibly be. If you talk to anyone that’s been married for a significant amount of time, they will tell you that they have weathered many challenges, and the ones that find compromise and willingness to learn at the center of their values are the ones that persevere. Often times at weddings, you will hear the advice “don’t go to bed angry” - but it’s so much more than that. It’s showing unconditional grace to the person you’ve decided to make an ultimate commitment to, and putting aside your reaction to challenges in favor of a caring response.

In current culture, pride is one of the biggest things we battle, and a marriage is one of the hardest hit areas of our lives. Love that endures deserves to be celebrated, and that is exactly what we did in this vow renewal session. These two have been married for 10 years with two beautiful children, and have walked through many challenges together hand in hand.

For their 10th wedding anniversary, the bride approached me about snapping a few photos of her and her family, but we schemed up a pretty epic vow renewal ceremony, with my pastor husband officiating. The ceremony took place right off of the parking lot of the day-use beach area of Yellowcreek. Even though it was a public state park, we still had “wilderness forest” vibes, which went perfectly with the beautiful boho touches. Petal and Stem knocked it out of the park with that gorgeous bouquet featuring mocha roses, and the flower crowns for mama and the girls!

A simple macrame hanging between two trees provided a great and simple backdrop, and a few Shepards hooks with lanterns, a small area rug, and the cutest vintage loveseat were all we needed to transform the picnic area into something super photogenic and memorable. The ceremony was just a few moments long, but the handwritten vows between the couple had all the other adults (my husband and I) bawling. The vows acknowledged the challenges the couple had been through, while celebrating their perseverance and their gratitude to one another for truly forming a team that can overcome it all.

After the mini ceremony we snapped some sweet family photos in the woods and at the beach. At this time the water level of the lake was very low, so the beach offered up some very unique and beautiful spots to capture truly stunning wedding portraits. This was one of the best afternoons of shooting I have been blessed to be a part of! I hope that if you are considering a vow renewal or even a “local elopement”, you can be inspired to make it extra special with just a few simple touches. Enjoy the highlights of the afternoon below!