Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Natalie and Nick | Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort Wedding

What I love most about summer are the days where there are blue skies for miles, and that is exactly the type of day it was for Natalie and Nick’s wedding day. As we pulled into the parking lot of Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort, the sun was beaming and warmed my face as I stepped out of the car. I knew it was going to be a flawless day.

I entered the spa at Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort to find Natalie sitting in the salon chair, getting prepped with makeup for her wedding day. Her bridesmaids are scattered around her, watching, talking and enjoying the excitement of the day.

Upon seeing me, Natalie flashes a huge smile and says “Hi, Leigh! What do you need to get started? Krystena can help with anything you need!” Krystena is Natalie’s sister-in-law, and we photographed her wedding to Justin last year. Not only are Natalie and Nick one of our faves because we love them as a couple, but also because we have been a part of so many special moments for their family, and have gotten to know them all so well. Side note- Natalie’s mother, Nancy, would send me the kindest notes in the mail. She took the time to find the most beautiful notecards, and write me the sweetest letter letting me how excited the entire family was to see the moments that we captured of Natalie and Nick’s wedding day! I saved every single card that she sent <3

Natalie and Nick are the perfect balance of fun, genuine, and family oriented. They are an incredibly thoughtful couple, case in point, they surprised their parents and had a vow renewal for each during their own wedding ceremony! How absolutely selfless to celebrate their parents’ marriage on their own wedding day.

One of my favorite moments of the day was their introduction into the reception. The entered the room through gold-gilded doors, and walked through an arch of sparklers as the crowd went wild! It was spectacularly dramatic- the best introduction we have witnessed to date!

Keep scrolling down to view the story of Natalie and Nick’s wedding day…
Lavender Leigh Photography, wedding photographer, photograph, picture, engagement session, couple's photography, Pennsylvania, Best of the Knot, Couples' Choice, chic, sophisticated, wedding venues, ceremony, reception, Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort, Blairsville

Leslie and Ted- Heinz History Center Wedding

Somehow, die-hard Penn Staters find a way to each other like a magnet. Which is the case for the lovely couple Leslie and Ted- and they picked the right duo to photograph their wedding since Barry and I also graduated from Penn State! There’s nothing better than being a part of a wedding where so many of the bridal party and attendees sing your same alma mater. Especially when the phrase “WE ARE!” sounds out multiple times around the reception room.

Photographing Leslie and Ted on their wedding day was such a pleasure- they are extremely warm, courteous, generous, and know how to break loose and throw a party (or a reception in this case!) Their wedding day was held at two of our favorite venues- the ceremony took place at Westminster Presbyterian Church in the South Hills, and the reception was at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District.

Leslie and Ted’s entire wedding day was flawless, and it is so hard to choose a favorite moment that we witnessed! If we had to pick, it may have been the guests’ reaction when Ted lifted and spun Leslie around and around right on cue to their first dance crescendo. The guests went absolutely nuts cheering and clapping in awe. But our tie-breaker favorite moment happened later that night on the dance floor- the Song “Cotton Eye Joe” began playing, which is a song that Leslie and Ted’s friends requested as tradition. Their friends tore up the dance floor as we had NEVER seen before! They were leaping, bouncing, and dancing with the most electric energy, definitely one of our all-time favorite dance floor moments!

Take look at some of the images we captured that tell the story of Leslie and Ted’s wedding day…

An elegant wedding with the ceremony at Westminster Presbyterian Church and the reception at the Heinz History Center.

#TRUTH. Best bar sign. Ever.

Cake: Potomac Bakery
Caterer: Common Plea Catering
Ceremony Venue: Westminster Presbyterian Church
Entertainment: John Parker Band
Florist: Designs by Dani
Hair Artistry: Salon Eclip’s
Makeup Artistry: Lauryn Taylor
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: Heinz History Center
Transportation: Nittany Party Bus
Videographer: Post Script Films

Kristen and John | The Club at Nevillewood Wedding

“During the ceremony, do we turn to look at the readers, or do John and I look at each other the entire time?” Kristen asks me as I am floating around the getting ready room taking pictures of her and the bridesmaids. I actually had to pause to think about this answer before responding- you would think I would have automatically known after having photographed 100+ weddings! (For the record, I don’t think there is a wrong answer to this, but most of my couples will continue to face each other, the reader usually being in one of their points of view.)

It makes my heart happy when my clients want to get my input on more than their questions about the actual photographs. For any given wedding, is typical for me to be asked questions such as how to put in a veil, how to pin a boutonniere, or even how to cut the cake. I love lending any help that I can! Especially to a couple as sweet and kind as Kristen and John.

What I found exceptionally special about Kristen and John’s wedding day was the blanket of love that seemed to envelop the atmosphere the entire day. It is pretty hard to explain how I could sense this love other than by observing the hugs, kisses, and words spoken that day. Maybe it was the sense of calm that seemed to follow Kristen and John around everywhere that day. Maybe it was the amount of time and attention they paid to each other, their friends and their families that day. Every small moment was appreciated. Kristen and John are the type of couple that makes everyone feel special and loved, which is why they are so deserving of the plethora of love that was reciprocated back to them that day.

Take a look to see what I mean…

Cake: Moio’s
Ceremony Venue: Bethel Presbyterian Church
DJ: 2^nd II None Productions
Florist: Barbara Thaw
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Blue Moon Salon
Transportation: Vogue Limousine
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: The Club at Nevillewood

Lindsay and Dan | The Club at Nevillewood Wedding

“Love is like a dog. It makes messes. Loves leaves you little surprises here and there. Sometimes love just wants to go on a nice long walk. Because love loves exercise. It will run you around the block and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different directions at once, or wind itself around and around you until you are all wound up and cannot move.”

This poem was beautifully written by Taylor Mali, and eloquently spoken during Lindsay and Dan’s wedding ceremony by Lindsay’s sister, Kaitlin. It was an outdoor ceremony, the sun’s rays streamed through the clouds, and the wind seemed to lift up the words of this poem and swirl them around all of us, and land them directly on Lindsay and Dan. It is a rare occasion that I tear up during a wedding ceremony, but this poem did the trick. Not only because this specific depiction of love is spot on, but also because the poem itself resonates *exactly* with who Lindsay and Dan are as a couple: energetic, playful, full of unending love, and loyal, to name a small few.

The rest of the day followed suit; it was full of playful moments, a handful of tearjerker moments, and had an all-around stress-free vibe, which is a direct reflection of Lindsay and Dan because that’s just who they are: easy going and laid back.

But enough of this talk- take a look at their images so you can see how beautifully emotional Lindsay and Dan’s day was…

Cake and Donuts: Bethel Bakery
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Club at Nevillewood
Ceremony Musicians: Steve Vance
DJ: All Pro DJ USA, Bob Hartnett
Event Coordination: Your Big Day, Nicole Brough
Florals: Teresa Zugay
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Antina’s Salon, Emily Martin for Lindsay
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Wedding Dress: Kleinfeld Bridal

Jenny and Tyler | Mellon Park Engagement

I love photographing winter engagement sessions at Mellon Park because the architecture, brick walls, and iron gates provide the most beautiful backdrop of textures to compensate for the lack of color on the trees (which, notably, bare trees are beautiful in their own right.)

We photographed Tyler and Jenny’s engagement session here, and what set an absolutely magical scene was the silent snowfall that floated from the sky as we took pictures. Yes, it was a cold day, but you can’t tell when looking at these pictures because the obvious chemistry between Tyler and Jenny supersedes any notion of it being cold.

Tyler and Jenny are getting married this October at Westmoreland Country Club, which is a venue near and dear to our hearts because this is the venue where Barry and I held our reception!

Here are some of my favorites from Tyler and Jenny’s engagement session…