Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Elizabeth and Joey- Omni William Penn Wedding

“Take a hand towel, cover the cork with it, then slowly twist” I say to Elizabeth a second before the cork of the Champagne bottle popped by itself. Elizabeth and her bridesmaids jumped in surprise when the cork popped, then began laughing at the shock factor, and also because the bottle decided to open itself.

That moment was a mere reflection of how Elizabeth and Joey’s wedding day was- full of spontaneity, energy, and delight. Elizabeth was cool as a cucumber when I arrived at her hotel suite, prepped and excited for the day, and not anxious at all. Her spunky personality was prevalent throughout the day, joking around with her family and friends, and you could see how excited she was to marry her best friend. Her handsome groom, Joey, was equally cool, calm, and collected prior to the ceremony, and watching him interact with Elizabeth the rest of the day was endearing. Their energy feeds off one another- it is contagious, actually. This energy carried them throughout the night, spontaneously gathering guests on the floor to dance before dinner, and also during their first dance when Joey twirled, dipped and spun Elizabeth around the dance floor.

Take a look below to see the story of Elizabeth and Joey’s wedding day…

Cake: Prantl’s
Ceremony Venue: St. Paul Cathedral
Florist: Z Florist
Hair Artistry: Kimberly Hughes
Makeup Artistry: Valarie Panei
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: Omni William Penn
Transportation: Elite Coach
Videographer: Christina Montemurro
Wedding Gown: Hayley Paige

Jackie and Justin | Point State Park Engagement Session

Jackie and Justin are one of the most laid-back and kind couples I have ever photographed! What I love most about them is how much fun they have together, and at the same time, take moments to savor their relationship and appreciate each other. They make each other genuinely laugh, and their delight is completely infectious.

This lovely couple is getting married in May, their reception is at Twelve Oaks Manor! I’m so excited that we are a part of it, especially because we know and love Justin’s family because we photographed his sister’s wedding last year!

Here are some of my faves from Jackie and Justin’s engagement session…

Meg and Andrew | Heinz History Center Wedding

Popping my head into Meg’s getting ready room, I see her sitting in the makeup artist’s chair, her laughter lighting up the room. Meg’s smile is bright and contagious, and I can’t help but chuckle as I witness Meg’s wedding day delight.

I start to gather Meg’s dress, flowers, etc. to photograph her detail pictures, and notice that I don’t see any wedding shoes in the vicinity. “Oh, don’t worry about photographing my wedding shoes, they’re just Crocs” says Meg, as if knowing that I was just going to ask about them. I chuckle at Meg’s practicality; she didn’t want fancy wedding shoes because she wanted to be comfortable the entire day. The crocs were Meg’s something blue, by the way. (And, after some convincing, she agreed that the wedding shoes could be in some of the pictures!)

Meg and Andrew decided that they wanted to do a first look, and when Andrew turned to see his bride for the first time in her dress, you could see just how mesmerized he was by Meg’s beauty. It was so sweet to watch him soak in her beauty; after an initial hug, he swapped back and forth between pulling apart to admire her, then pull back in to hug her. Andrew’s soft demeanor is such a complement to Meg’s bubbly personality. However, in this moment, his smile couldn’t have been outshined.

One of my favorite moments of the day happened as the sun was setting. I asked Meg and Andrew to take a five minute break from their cocktail hour for a picture, and as we escaped onto the balcony at the Heinz History Center, Meg and Andrew took a quiet moment for themselves, to admire the bright city skyline, and take a moment together as newly husband and wife.

Here are some of my favorite images from Meg and Andrew’s wedding day…

Lavender Leigh Photography, wedding, photographer, photograph, picture, engagement session, couple's photography, Pennsylvania, Best of the Knot, Couples' Choice, chic, sophisticated, venues, ceremony reception, Heinz History Center, city, the Strip District

Cake: Bella Christie and Little Z’s Sweet Boutique
Caterer: Common Plea
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Heinz History Center
Entertainment: Jason Kendall Productions
Flowers: greenSinner
Hair Artistry: Jolene Schiavo
Makeup Artistry: Lauren G. Makeup
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Videographer: KLJ Photography

Jenny and Tyler | Westmoreland Country Club Wedding

The sun was as bright as I’d ever seen it on Jenny and Tyler’s wedding day, its light bouncing off of the red, orange, and yellow leaves, and making them and the sky ever more radiant in color.

Jenny and Tyler got married at Westmoreland Country Club, which is a venue near and dear to my heart because, not only did I work at this Country Club when I was a sophomore in college, but it is also the venue where Barry and I held our wedding reception! Stepping into the Club on Jenny and Tyler’s wedding day brought back so many fond memories.

And, there were plenty of fond memories that Jenny and Tyler created together that special day. One of my favorite moments was the prayer that they said together prior to the ceremony. They didn’t want to see each other, so they stood on either side of a church wall and tightly held hands. Jenny and Tyler each spoke, and their prayers were so humbly thankful that God gave them to each other. It put tears in my eyes.

In addition to the prayer, the smallest actions throughout the day spoke volumes about how much Jenny and Tyler love each other, and how excited they were to be married. After they were announced into the reception, Tyler and Jenny hugged each other so tightly, Jenny burying her head deep into Tyler’s chest as he lifted Jenny off of her feet. As they cut their wedding cake, it was as if you could feel their delight of fulfilling one of the first special milestone moments as husband and wife.

But enough talk; take a look to see what I mean…

Cake: Prantl’s
Ceremony Venue: St. Barbara Parish
DJ: Wenning Entertainment
Florist: Flowers in the Attic
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Bella Amici Salon
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: Westmoreland Country Club
Transportation: Elite Limousine
Videographer: Dorosh Documentaries
Wedding Dress: MB Bride

Stacey and Matt | Shannopin Country Club Wedding

It means the world to me when I have the opportunity to be a part of the very special moments of somebody that I have known for quite a few years, which is the case for this lovely bride, Stacey. Stacey and I met prior to my full-time photography business, when I worked at Dick’s Sporting Goods headquarters. Since then, we have intermittently kept in touch- she contacted me to photograph her lovely daughter, Allison’s, senior photos a few years ago, and then asked me to capture her very own wedding day to her handsome groom, Matt.
Stacey and Matt’s wedding was held at one of my favorite venues- Shannopin Country Club. I absolutely love the gold sunlight that falls on this club, and coupled with the Pittsburgh skyline backdrop, it is the most beautiful location to have a wedding ceremony.
Here’s to Stacey and Matt, and some of my fave images from their day…