Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Kristina and Scott | City Engagement Session

Kristina and Scott’s engagement session took place on a day that started off with bright sunshine, and then rolling thunder and lightning crept in from the distance. We had a mix of sunshine and clouds, which made for some diverse picture backdrops!

This couple braved the rain that had settled in halfway through the session- they were not afraid of getting a little wet! Fortunately, when the rain began, we had umbrellas as protection, and we also photographed under the overhangs at PNC Park. Which was actually the perfect setting because, it was at PNC Park where Kristina and Scott agreed to go on their first date (Kristina told Scott “if the Pirates win, I’ll go on a date with you!”)

This beautiful couple is getting married in April of next year, with a wedding ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and a reception at the Omni William Penn. We are incredibly excited for their wedding! We photographed Kristina’s brother’s wedding and engagement a few years ago, so it will be very special to see her family again, and get to know Scott’s family, too!

Here are some of my favorites from their engagement session!

An engagement photography session at the West End Overlook in Pittsburgh, PA.

pittsburgh wedding, engagement, and boudoir photographer, lavender leigh photography

Risa and Andy | Seven Springs Wedding

The first time I met Risa and Andy, it was at their engagement session. I remember noting how incredibly kind and laid back they are, and honestly just adored Risa’s constant smile as she walked alongside Andy. Risa and Andy love animals- we photographed their engagement session with their dog, Luna, and I also got a few images with Risa and her cat, Nola, on her wedding day! If you know me, you know that I love animals, so photographing an amazing couple and their pets on their wedding day was a triple win for me!

Risa and Andy also love to be outdoors- their first date was hiking at Cucumber Falls, and their proposal happened on the way home from their adventure-filled weekend of hiking and canoeing at Deep Creek. So naturally, the woodsy wonder of Seven Springs Mountain Resort was the perfect setting for Risa and Andy’s wedding day.

What I loved most about their wedding day was watching the subtle gestures of affection between Andy and Risa. The long hug that they shared during the first look. How Andy took Risa’s hand as she teared up during the ceremony. How Risa’s happiness came out in smiles and laughs as we took her pictures with Andy. A gesture can be small but still speak volumes.

A *close* second favorite moment was when the bridesmaid’s serenaded Risa and Andy as we started their portraits. There we were, on the top of a mountain, just Risa, Andy, Barry, and me. Out of nowhere, the bridesmaids step out of the shuttle in the distance, and start to sing “A Whole New World.” Naturally, we all laugh. Better yet, Andy decides to add to the romantic ambiance and starts to run around like a bird taking flight! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard! Such a fun couple. Such a fun bridal party, too!

Take a look to see what I mean…

BAM. Look at that dress!

A hug after the bride and groom's first look

GAH- just love this embrace.

Photographer and Videographer help Bride

A little behind the scenes action. I’m with ShoFilms.

Look at these lovelies right before the ceremony.

The flower girl was having just as much fun as the rest of them!

Entertainment: Elite Show Band
Ceremony Musicians: Maureen, Hot Metal Strings
Ceremony Venue: The Meadowoods at Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Cake: Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Onsite Event Coordinator: Franki Waski
Florist: Linda Brown’s Floral
Hair/Makeup Aristitry: Becca McClain
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: Timberstone Room, Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Videographer: ShoFilms

Our Trip to Spain Part II

After spending time on the coast of Spain, we hopped to Barcelona, where we stayed at a lovely Airbnb right in the city! We specifically stayed in Eixample, which is a hip and trendy section in Barcelona, with many phenomenal restaurants closeby. Our Airbnb hosts were incredibly warm and gracious, so if you are going to Barcelona and looking for a place to stay, shoot me a message and I can refer you to them!

Barcelona is much different than some of the other cities we have visited in Europe. It is much more modern compared to the castle towns we visited in the south of France, or Florence in the heart of Tuscany. Barcelona reminded me of a European New York City because it is partitioned into different sections- for example, the Gothic Quarter, which is where you can find the famous shopping in La Rambla, Eixample is where you’ll find the trendy restaurants, Grácia is where Gaudí’s famous Park Güell was built, and this is just to name a few.

We only had two days in Barcelona, which really isn’t enough to cover it all, so we had to prioritize! We chose to visit quite a few of Gaudí’s architectural masterpieces, ate like a local in a gentrified neighborhood that specializes in tapas, toured La Rambla, and experienced a huge indoor fresh food market.

Casa Battló
Built between 1904-1906, Gaudí incorporated elements of nature throughout: skulls and irredescent scales on the front of the facade, shells and other elements of the sea inside. What amazes me about Gaudí’s work is that he incorporated unique artwork into his architecture! He was truly a genius and now one of my favorite architects!

The facade of Casa Battló looks like skulls and colorful dragon scales

The entry stairway in Casa Battló

Gaudí incorporated elements of the ocean into this house. From the bright blue colors to the shell-like décor.

Looking through the blue glass in the spiral staircase- Gaudí purposefully made it to look like you are looking underwater.

On the roof!

Segrada Família
Gaudí’s most impressive work of art. Trying to dodge a million tourists, these pictures don’t do Segrada Família justice. This beautiful church is immense! Construction began in 1882 (Gaudí starting on the job in 1883 after the first architect resigned) and won’t be completed for another 10 years. Segrada Família incorporates aspects of nature, like the ocean, rainbows, trees, and even bones. It would be impossible to count the number of sculptures on the outside of this church! Each sculpture is grouped together with others to tell a passage from the Bible.

The side reflecting the Passion of the Christ. The spires look like bones, and the pillars look like trees!

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The other side of Segrada Família. Every sculpture is part of a scene that depicts works from the Bible.

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The first sight when entering.

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Gaudí loved light and wanted to use it to create visual splendor.

The pillars were formed to look like tree tops

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Right above the altar.

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A closer look above the altar.

Gaudí got killed before his time in a streetcar accident. His tomb is in the bottom of Segrada Família. He wanted light to touch all areas of the church, which is why there are windows all along the top of the tomb.

Gaudí’s crypt is in Segrada Família. He wanted light to touch all areas of the church, which is why there are windows all along the top of the crypt.

Just a portion of The Passion of the Christ sculptures.

One of the doorways near The Passion of the Christ side of the church.

We took a tower tour. I’m afraid of heights and almost passed out walking from the top down the spiral staircase!

Park Güell
Some of the most iconic pictures you will see of Barcelona were taken at Park Güell. The gardens surround the architectural structures at this park. Colorful mosaics adorn every piece of architecture!

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The main entryway at Park Güell.

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Gaudí intended this area to be a marketplace, and it is directly under the famous overlook of the city of Barcelona.

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The ceiling of the marketplace. Crazy, right?!

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The garden walk leading us to the roof of the marketplace, where you will find the beautiful city overlook.

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The roof of the marketplace.

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The iconic view of Barcelona from the roof of the marketplace in Park Güell.

Mercat de La Boqueria
A large market full of fresh and unique foods. Anywhere that offers fresh oysters on the half and champagne is at the top of my list!

The entrance to Mercat de La Boqueria.

Tapas on Carrer Blai
The tapas experience on Carrer Blai was one of Barry’s favorite parts of our trip (I agree!) Our gracious hosts told us to go here for the best tapas in Barcelona. This street was a trek away from our Airbnb (it took us a train and a long walk to get there!) But it was completely worth it!

Carrer Blai is lined with tons of tapas restaurants, all of which open their doors for people to enjoy food and drink inside and outside. Carrer Blai only permits foot traffic, since there are tables in the middle of the street. Tapas time is the Spanish happy hour! Tapas selections were both sweet and savory. You can pick platefulls of delightful finger foods, and the server keeps count of what you owe. What’s best is that you can go back for more, as many times as you want!

Where to find Carrer Blai if you happen to be in Barcelona, looking for tapas.

A view of the best place to eat tapas in Barcelona- Carrer Blai.

Carrer Blai right at tapas time.

Two of each, please.

The housing surrounding Carrer Blai

Well, that is our trip in a nutshell! I love to talk travel, so if you are thinking of going to Barcelona or the Costa Brava region, and want recommendations on where to visit, I would love to chat with you and give you some suggestions! Thanks for stopping by!

Our Trip to Spain Part I

This is our second week home after taking an amazing trip to Costa Brava and Barcelona in Spain! For those of you that don’t know, Barry and I are huge travel bugs, and we especially love Europe! We like to hunker down in one area, and explore the heck out of it. This was our third trip to Europe- the first being Tuscany, Italy, and the second being the Rhone Valley in France. Spain proved to be equally amazing as the first two countries, and had so many unique characteristics to it that set it apart from Italy and France.

We choose to stay in two cities along the coast of Spain- the first in Calella de Palafrugell (at Casa Dos Torres) and the second in Begur (at Hotel Galena Mas Comengau.) Both cities had so much character, and same with both of our accommodation sites! While we were on the coast, we also visited medieval cities, attended a nighttime craft and music festival, swam in the Mediterranean, toured wineries, and ate a lot of gazpacho and paella.

Then we hopped to Barcelona, where we stayed at a lovely Airbnb, and saw quite of few of Gaudí’s architectural masterpieces, ate like a local in a gentrified neighborhood that specializes in tapas, toured La Rambla, and experienced a huge indoor food market.

The blog Part I today focuses on our time at Costa Brava, and the blog Part II tomorrow will focus on our time in Barcelona.

Also, to see the blog post from our trip to France a few years ago, click here!

Calella de Palafrugell

The town where we stayed the first few nights- Calella de Palafrugell

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Our accommodations at Casa Dos Torres- the sitting room leading into the hallway where our bedroom was

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Our outdoor breakfast table at Casa Dos Torres

Hiking Costa Brava
We hiked through the hills and across varying terrain from the coastal town of Calella de Palafrugell to the coastal town of Taramiu. There were beautiful towns and secluded beaches as stops along the way! My favorite part of the hike was watching the speed boats on the ocean as we climbed up the hills- these boats silently flew through the turquoise Mediterranean from cove to cove, searching for the next beach to set anchor.
To view the hiking guide we used, click here

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The start of our hike

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Nearing the first beach town Llafranc

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Down into Llafranc

Up the mountain and the other side of Llafranc…

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A restaurant and hotel at Sant Sebastiá de la Guarda

The Iberian settlement of Sant Sebastiá de la Guarda. A watchtower from the 15th century was built here.

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The speedboats were silent from up top! It was beautiful to watch them streaking across the sea.

The terrain inland

The secluded beach of Cala Pedrosa- only accessible by foot or boat

The pebbly beach of Cala Pedrosa

The five table small restaurant at Cala Pedrosa

The five table restaurant at Cala Pedrosa- we stopped here for calamari among the locals

Just random houses with a built-in ocean view along the hike…

Final beach town on he hike, Tamariu

Favorite Views in Calella de Palafrugell

Toasting our 9th anniversary. Our favorite view of Calella de Palafrugell from 3 Pins.

The view from 3 Pins. I honestly don’t think it gets any better than this.

A view looking at 3 Pins

Their version of a boardwalk- it isn’t shops but restaurants…

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Dinner that same night. My guy!

Our view that night at dinner

Begur

After our stay in Calella de Palafrugell, we traveled to the town of Begur. Below is our accommodation in Begur called Hotel Galena Mas Comangau.

Hotel Galena Mas Comangau in Begur. Our room’s patio and doorway was all the way at the bottom left of this picture.

Just a portion of the charm at Hotel Galena Mas Comangau

Gelato stores were everywhere! Here is me in Begur before we hike up the hill to Begur’s castle.

Hiking up to the castle in Begur (it was so windy!)

At the top of the castle, which didn’t really look like a castle but the view was amazing. I clearly wasn’t ready for this photo and distracted by the wind!

Every Saturday at 10PM, a band plays near the church in Begur.

Locals slowly start to come together and dance while the band plays. It is a dance of tradition!

Winery visits

We visited three wineries, and had private tours at two of them! The wine and olive oil from this region (the region is otherwise known as Catalonia) is out of this world!
Winery Mas Oller

The tasting room at Mas Oller

The olive oil from Catalonia is better than what we had in Italy (and that is hard to beat!)

Celler Mas Eugeni

Since GPS doesn’t pick up Celler Mas Eugeni’s location, the owner of the winery, Martí, met us at a local Aldi in his red Suzuki jeep and led us to his winery!

Where we tasted. The owner, Marti, brought out a box of wine and said "try as much as you want!"

Where we tasted wine. The owner, Martí, brought out a box of wine and said “try as much as you want!”

Barry with the owner and winemaker, Martí, and his father. Sweetest guys ever!

Barry with the owner, Martí, and his father. Sweetest guys ever!

So maybe we brought some of this home…

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This is a cork tree that is grown on the property of Celler Mas Eugeni. You can see where they take the bark from the tree to make wine corks. This bark grows back every 5 years.

The view of Celler Mas Eugeni from the vineyards

Finca Bell-Lloc

Inside the winery B&B- can we have a renewal of vows here please?!

Metal from Naval ships was used to line the walkway of this underground winery!

Underground at the winery. Slits in the ground above gave light to this meeting room at the winery!

The underground stairway

Medieval towns visited in the region…
Pals

Heading into the medieval town of Pals…

A ceramic store in Pals

Right outside of Pals- it is like a normal town!

You’ve never eaten a better tomato than from Catalonia. Rosé was had just about at every meal, too.

Peratallada

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On to Peratallada, one of the most well-preserved medieval towns in Catalonia.

Me doing what I do best…

White Summer Festival
We were lucky to be visiting during a White Summer festival outside of the medieval town of Pals. There were food trucks galore, and tons of store fronts set up for artists to sell their crafts. From textiles, to clothing, to jewelry, it was a feast for your eyes (and your wallet.)

The atmosphere at this White Summer Festival was so charming! I love the strung lights and the field of pink flags!

The atmosphere at the White Summer festival was so charming! I love the strung lights and the field of pink flags!

That’s all for today’s post- Our Trip to Spain Part I! Be on the lookout in the next few days for Part II, which you will see pictures from our visit to Barcelona!

Sara and Tim | Farm Engagement Session

This was my first week back to work after our trip to Spain (yes, Spain! That blog post to come…) and we have hit the ground running! I met up with Sara and Tim at a *gorgeous* barn in Washington- Tim’s grandmother grew up on the old farmhouse next to the barn so it really added a touch of sentimentality, thinking that the grounds we were photographing on were the same grounds his grandmother used to walk as a child.

Sara and Tim are honestly one of the most loving and kind couples I have ever photographed! They were so excited for this engagement session (admittedly, Tim was excited mostly because he knew how excited his bride-to-be was for it!) And of course I ate up the fact that I was photographing a gorgeous couple during the golden hour. In a field. With horses galloping past us in the background…

Just the way that Sara and Tim look at each other- I love it- GAH! They are so sweet on each other, and their love was a beautiful thing to capture!