Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Our Trip to Greece Part I: Chania, Crete

After spending some time in Greece in 2019, we had a phenomenal experience of visiting historic sites, hiking, and enjoying the Greek culture. This year, it was on my bucket list to travel back to this country to see if the TikTok hype of Greece’s beaches lives up to reality. So, this past August, we embarked on a trip to the Greek islands of Crete, Paros, and Mykonos.

Days 1-3 Chania, Crete: Hikes, History, Olives, Water and Wine

Our time in Crete was split between two hotels around the town of Chania. The three days were at Giorgi’s Blue Apartments, which had a relaxing swimming pool, onsite access to the sea, gave us spectacular sunset views, and was away from the hustle and bustle of Chania.

Some of my favorite memories at Georgi’s Blue Apartments included:
~Waking up to local church bells ringing on Sunday morning.
~Watching fighter jets roar overhead in the morning.
~Night time relaxing on our room’s balcony, sipping on raki and watching airplanes taking off into the star-studded black sky.
~Listening to night-time soft Electronic music coming from the bar area below our balcony, combined with the sound of the sea’s waves lapping against the rocks.
~Watching the pool’s lights at night silently rotate from pink to green in color, as if awaiting a night party to happen in the placidity of its water.
~Hanging out with the cat Pedro, the local whiskered resident who joined us for breakfast.

Giorgi’s Blue Apartments

<alt>Seaside view at Giorgi's Blue Apartments Chania Crete</alt> — The quaint sea cove at Giorgi’s Blue Apartments.

Sunset at the pool. The picture above and also below are cell snaps from our balcony. You can see the sea access close to the pool. Below are people having a placid night swim in the pool.

A container ship silently floating on the sea at night, the view from our balcony.

Hike #1: Gouverneto Monastery to Katholiko Monastery

<alt>Mountain goats galore around Chania, Crete</alt> — Mountain goats galore in Crete! The above and below pictures depict the hike between the Gouverneto Monastery and the abandoned Katholiko Monastery.

The trail begins at Gouverneto Monastery, pictured above.

<alt>Hiking at the Governeto Monastery Chania Crete</alt>

Same hike. The above is the entrance to Arkoudospilios Cave, which is famous for a stalagmite formation that looks like a crouching bear (below). The goddess Artemis was once worshipped in this cave, according to archaeologists.

The end of our hike; pictures from the abandoned Katholiko Monastery, which is rumored to be the oldest Monastery in Crete, possibly as early as the 6th or 7th century.

Above is the cave of St. John the Hermit at Katholiko Monastery.

After our hike to the Katholiko Monastery, we stopped by Monastery of Agia Triada Tzagarolon. This monastery owns vineyards and olive groves. We sampled some wine and olive oil here in a little cove under the steps.

The wine tasting cover under the monastery’s steps!

Hike #2: Sarakina Gorge

The picture above is a tavern nestled amongst old trees in the town of Meskla. This is where our hike up the Sarakina Gorge began.

If you look towards the top of the mountain, you will see houses in the town Zourva. We hiked all the way up the gorge to those houses!

The picture above is at the top of our hike in the town of Zourva, looking towards the bottom of the gorge where we began the hike.

Farm animals and their owners share the same residence in Zourva, which is the town at the summit of the Sarakina Gorge hike.

We happened upon a quaint little restaurant called Rizinia Taverna on our hike down the road between Zourva and Meskla. It served authentic cuisine from Crete and had a phenomenal view of the gorge!

“What do you say to them?” The owner asked her little son who was serving us the above dish at Rizinia Taverna.

“Thank you!” her little son sheepishly replied, with a hint of pride because of his proper English vocabulary.

This picture above is of a traditional Cretan dish called Dakos, which is rustic bread topped with olive oil, vine-ripened tomatoes and feta cheese. Delightful!

The World’s Oldest Olive Tree and Local Life

We ended our first few days in Chania visiting the world’s oldest olive tree. Afterwards we enjoyed a seaside restaurant, Almyriki, to enjoy the fresh catch of the day, and watch locals lapping through sea waves during the final hours of the sunset.

The world’s oldest olive tree in Vouves, estimated to be 3,000-5,000 years old.

Obligatory cell snap at said olive tree.

Cell snaps of (above) locals in Stavros wading during sunset outside of the seaside restaurant, Almyriki, and also (below) the catch of the day for dinner, barracuda!

Stay Tuned for Our Trip to Greece Part II: Days 4-6 in Chania, Crete!

Abigail and Anthony | PPG Wintergarden Wedding

“Hello Leigh and Barry! Guess what ~ daughter #2 is engaged! Abigail and Anthony got engaged in June! Would it be possible to reserve the date of July 20, 2024?” Reading this email made my day! We had photographed their first daughter and her husband’s wedding in 2021 (Hi, Megan and Nick!) Being asked to photograph the second wedding in the family, Abigail and Anthony’s wedding, made me feel utterly happy and it was such an honor!

Abigail was such a vibrant and gracious bride! Her smile was warm, bright, and didn’t leave her face the entirety of the day! Especially when she looked at Anthony. And I’m not just saying that, you will see what I mean as you scroll through these images! The way that Anthony looks at Abigail is endearing; his soft smile gives way to laughter and joy when he is near to her.

Abigail and Anthony’s day was so much fun, I have never laughed so much watching a bride, groom and an entire bridal party run down the Rachel Carson bridge, stopping traffic as we were taking pictures!

Take a look to see the story of Abigail and Anthony’s wedding day…

<alt>PPG Wintergarden Wedding Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</alt>

PPG Wintergarden Wedding Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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<alt>PPG Wintergarden Wedding Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</alt><alt>PPG Wintergarden Wedding Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</alt>

Cake: Giant Eagle
Ceremony Venue: Mother of Sorrows Church
Cookies: family/friends, Oakmont Bakery, Eat n’ Park, Cookie Fix
Cookie Table Assembly: Here For The Cookie Table
Custom Art Piece for Guest Book: Kristen Lowe-Rebe
Entertainment: Bachelor Boys Band
Florals: Rosebud Floral
Hair Artistry: Emma Hackworth Hair
Invitation Provider: Minted
Makeup Artistry: Hlavish Beauty
Neon Sign: Steel City Neon
Photo Booth: Flash That Photo Booth
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: PPG Wintergarden
Transportation: Elite Coach Transportation
Videographer: Just Hitched Films
Wedding Gown: Bridal Beginning

Katie and Zack | West End Overlook Engagement Session

“I didn’t think he’d propose on our vacation since we were with friends!” Katie exclaims when I asked how Zack had popped the question. Zack chose such an amazing proposal spot; they were in Hawaii on a mountain top that was even higher than the clouds! As the sun was setting, he got down on one knee. Now that’s a way to propose!!!

Katie and Zack are getting married in June of 2025 at Southpointe Golf Club! I had a great time getting to know them and their pup, Luca, as we strolled around the West End Overlook chatting and photographing.

Here are just a few of my favorites from their session!

<alt>West End Overlook Pittsburgh engagement session</alt>

Hannah and Brock | The Pennsylvanian Wedding

It started out as a wedding day typically does, with the ladies getting ready in one location, and the gentlemen getting ready in another. I was having fun snapping photos of Hannah’s details and of her hanging out with the bridesmaids, and Barry was doing the same for Brock and the gents after being greeted and approved by Ziggy, Hannah and Brock’s fluffy furkid.

When all of the prep was finished, Hannah and Brock wanted to meet prior to the ceremony, without the formality of a reveal or a first look. It was a casual atmosphere, Hannah, Brock, their parents and their bridal party; hanging out in the getting ready suite at The Pennsylvanian and toasting to the excitement of the day. It was such a calm and enjoyable vibe; we totally loved it! Quite the opposite of the hustle and bustle that typically goes hand in hand with a wedding day.

The smile that Brock had when he watched Hannah walk down the aisle of the ceremony is probably the largest that I’ve seen on a groom! He was absolutely thrilled to be in that moment, and the same could be said for Hannah as she caught his glance.

The day was truly exquisite, being held at some of the most lovely venues in Pittsburgh; the ceremony was at Saint Peter Catholic Church on the North Shore, and the reception was at The Pennsylvanian downtown.

Take a look to see some of my favorites from Hannah and Brock’s wedding day…

<alt>An elegant wedding at The Pennsylvanian in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</alt>

<alt>An elegant wedding at The Pennsylvanian in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</alt>v

Marissa and Jaxon | Greystone Fields Wedding

Marissa and Jaxon; a couple that started dating when they were fifteen years old. A couple who may or may not have envisioned at that time that, one day, Marissa would be wearing a white dress and walking down the aisle towards Jaxon.

Now, eleven years later, their lives unfolded just as such. But, let’s set that wedding-day scene. A wiggly and energetic beagle charges down the aisle, as her mom in a white dress turns the corner and locks eyes with Jaxon. Guests glance back and forth between Jaxon and Marissa, trying to catch his expression when he first sees Marissa walking down the aisle. Jaxon is fixated on his bride, completely unaware of everyone else around him. He doesn’t even blink once; he didn’t want to miss one second of the moment.

There was a moment in her vows when Marissa mentioned being an avid reader as a little girl. She would read about fairytale romances, and dream about being swept off of her feet one day. It brought tears to everyone’s eyes when she told Jaxon that she is living the romance that she dreamed of, and that he treats her even better than a princess in a fairytale.

Take a look to see Marissa and Jaxon’s fairytale day…