Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Jill and Jonathan | Fairmont Pittsburgh Wedding

Jill and Jonathan. A couple that is adventurous, believes in family first, and is quite simply enamored with each other. They love laughing and being goofy together, but at a drop of a hat the laughter they share can turn to utter romance. The beautiful and raw emotions that were a part of each and every stage of their wedding day were incredibly touching.

It is hard to pick a favorite moment from their wedding day, because there were so many of them! Maybe it was the “Hurrah” moment that Jill and Jonathan shared as they crossed under the military swords during the recessional. Maybe it was seeing the rest of the world dissipate as Jill and Jonathan hugged, kissed, and laughed throughout the day. Maybe, it was Jill’s father’s reaction to her pink wedding shoes. As the day unfolded, we learned the back story of the significance of her pink shoes. When Jill was little, she always wore a pair of pink shoes. When her father came home from work each night, he would see those pink shoes on his little girl, as she was waiting at the top of the steps to give her dad a huge hug. Each time they hugged, Jill’s father would say to her that it was “the best part of his day.” Or, maybe my favorite moment was the incredibly skilled and choreographed first dance that Jill and Jonathan performed! No joke- it was like watching a number from Dancing with the Stars!

Oh, there’s so much to say about this day! For now, take a look at some of my favorites from Jill and Jonathan’s wedding.

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Alyssa and Brian | Pittsburgh Airport Marriott Wedding

As soon as we stepped foot inside of Alyssa’s getting ready location, the wedding dress bag was unzipped, and our jaws dropped in amazement. Alyssa’s wedding gown was a romantic periwinkle blue color from head to toe, with the most exquisite buttons down that back (that matched Alyssa’s engagement ring!) What a beauty Alyssa was in her wedding dress… her dark hair and fair complexion looked so sharp against the blue color! She was a show stopper!

Which is precisely what Brian thought as she made her way down the aisle… his face said it all! Alyssa and Brian are one of the most genuine and down-to-earth couples. They are fun, and have a tremendous sense of humor that kept us laughing all day long! Their friends and families are just as much fun… at the end of the night, Alyssa’s father pulled Barry and I onto the dance floor so we could join in on the fun.

One of my favorite moments during the wedding day was during the ceremony- as the priest went to bless the rings, Brian and Alyssa had the sweetest moment… they had such a loving smile, and it seemed as if they were the only two people in the room.

Take a look at some of the images from their day!

Cake: Dave Terrace Bakery
Ceremony Venue: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish
Cookies: Deborah Frohliger & Grace Cerminera
Entertainment: Jonathan Mihellis
Florist: John Wallace Bethel Park Flowers (Ceremony/Bouquets), Reception: Parkway Florist
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Phillip Pelusi- West Mifflin
Limousine: Tortorice Limousine
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: Pittsburgh Airport Marriott

Jackie and Jay | Ohiopyle Engagement Session

Ohiopyle is a very special place for Jackie and Jay because they got engaged there! Ironically, they got engaged the DAY AFTER I photographed my last Ohiopyle engagement session in August (I don’t usually photograph at Ohiopyle, hence the irony!) Jay proposed to Jackie during a long walk that they took in the woods, right next to a pavilion (where we took a few pictures.)

It was so cute to watch Jackie and Jay interact together! They snuggled tightly, and the way Jay makes Jackie laugh… you just can’t help but get the warm fuzzies. One of the first things Jay told me was that “he doesn’t like taking pictures and is not photogenic.” Say what???!!!! Wrong!!!! There were so many amazing pictures of these two, I literally couldn’t pick which ones to blog about.

Here’s a few of my faves from their session!

Molly and Pete | Valley Brook Country Club Wedding

“Anything for the shot!” Molly says to me as we run in and out of the shelter from the drizzle that showered down on their wedding day. That’s what is so great about Molly and Pete, they are up for just about anything. Molly hates cold weather, but decided on a winter engagement session so they could get their Save the Dates out quickly! And, I don’t know about you, but when you look at their images, there is something supremely romantic about the fire these two strike together despite the rain.

Molly and Pete are such an All Star couple. Not only are they best friends, but also smokin’ hot together. Just take a look at some of their images and you will see exactly what I mean! I have to admit, at one point I accidentally blurted out loud “Oh, that’s hot!” when I asked them to almost kiss. But dang, don’t you see what I mean?!

One of my favorite parts of their wedding day was watching Pete’s expression the second she stepped onto the alter. His expression screamed “you look beautiful!” I also adore Molly’s smile as she and Pete had their first kiss as husband and wife. Molly was so elated, she smiled as she kissed Pete, and you can see her adorable dimple!

Such a beautiful wedding, and so many great moments! Take a look at the story of Molly and Pete’s wedding day…

And a BIG shout out to one of our favorite vendors, The Pittsburgh DJ Company! It is always awesome to work with people that you know and like, especially when they are awesome at what they do!

Valley Brook Country Club Wedding, Lavender Leigh Photography

Too funny not to share! Molly brushing her teeth right before the ceremony!

Cake: Paul McVay
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Valley Brook Country Club
Cookies: The Toffee House
DJ: Pittsburgh DJ Company
Florist: Julie James
Hair Artistry: Haylo Hair Studio
Makeup Artistry: Shannon Cole
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Signage: Diane Pesci

Lisa and Christian | Circuit Center Wedding

“You’re working with a bunch of Engineers here- you need to tell us exactly what to do!” Lisa jokes as we begin taking pictures of her, Christian, and their entire bridal party. Funny thing is, they all actually did a great job without too much instruction! Especially Lisa and Christian, who were incredibly cute and snuggly with each other the second I told them to hug or cuddle. And, don’t miss the surprise Christian had as Barry took his portraits! I’m still laughing at that one- as Christian was leaning against a wall, Barry was instructing him to change his glance “look lower…” and a groomsmen had snuck up behind him and stuck his head underneath Christian’s arm and Christian’s surprise reaction is hysterical!

One of my favorite moments of the day was after their first kiss as husband and wife- when they were announced to the crowd, Lisa and Christian flashed the most excited smile, and their faces said it all as they walked down the aisle. There were so many other fun moments, too, like when they all sang “Sweet Caroline” with their friends from Pitt, or when all of Lisa’s leading ladies circled around her on the dance floor as Lisa sang to Taylor Swift’s “Love Song.”

Take a look at some of my favorites from Lisa and Christian’s wedding day!