Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Sarah and Donnie | Omni William Penn Wedding

Peeking our heads into Sarah’s getting ready room at the Omni William Penn hotel, we hear Sarah and her bridesmaids laughing and talking with a flurry of anticipation for the big day. Once Sarah stepped into her wedding dress, it was as if she had a whole new sparkle in her eyes. This sparkle is completely evident in her pictures, she honestly glowed throughout the day! And so did her sweet beau, Donnie! As we took his pictures prior to the ceremony, his gentle demeanor couldn’t hide his excitement to be married to his best friend. They are happily in love, and it is completely obvious how perfect they are for each other.

One of my favorite parts of the day was at the ceremony, witnessing Donnie and Sarah’s union as Donnie’s best friend officiated. I literally got a tear in my eye seeing Sarah and Donnie standing in front of their beloved friend, saying their vows, and watching the elated expressions on Sarah and Donnie’s faces as their close friend united them. It was truly meaningful. There were so many other special moments during this day that made me stop and take it all in: the tear in Donnie’s mother’s eye as she slow danced with her son, the huge hug Sarah and her father shared after the Father Daughter dance, the sentimental tears Sarah’s sister had as she gave her toast. It was such a beautiful and heartfelt day! Take a look to see what I mean…

Wedding Dress in Window

Ornate Wedding Veil and Shoes

Wedding Bands on Pintucked Couch

Bride and Ring Bearer

Bridesmaids Getting Ready

Published! Borrowed and Blue Wedding Blog

We are excited to announce that Stephanie and Doug’s beautiful fall wedding at The Club at Nevillewood has been published on the Borrowed and Blue wedding blog! Stephanie and Doug had a fun-filled day and outstanding wedding details. From the sparkly cake pops to the scarlet and gold table décor- their day was visually stunning! Click on the below links to see more details from their wedding day.

Click here to see the feature on Borrowed and Blue’s blog.
Click here to view their blog post on Lavender Leigh’s website.

Lauren and Jeff | The Grand Concourse Wedding

“The bride is here, so that must mean this is really happening!” Jeff says as he walks toward me in the church aisle. “This is it!” I reply back, chuckling at his comment. His excitement to be married to his bride was so obvious and touching. On most wedding days, Barry has more time than me to get to know and photograph the groom and groomsmen. On this particular day, I also had time to get to know the guys, and found their energy to be contagious!

As for Lauren and her ladies- what sweethearts! Upon entering their getting ready room, all of the bridesmaids took the time to introduce themselves to me, and Lauren immediately offered us something to drink. Lauren is such a classic and beautiful bride, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such crystal clear stunning blue eyes. Your jaw will drop when you see these pictures of her! And yes, that is the true and unaltered color of them!

It is hard for me to pick a favorite moment from Lauren and Jeff’s wedding day. Certainly, Jeff’s comment to me in the church aisle makes the list. Another is his face as he watches Lauren walk down the aisle, and having Lauren’s father give her away. Lastly, the special moment when Lauren hugs her grandfather as he rises from his wheelchair to dance with her. Ah- I just get happy tears in my eyes reliving that moment.

Take a look to see what I mean…

I just about died over these gorgeous Badgley Mischka wedding shoes!

bride, bridesmaids, brunch, wedding day, mother of bride, sparkling wine

A glimpse at the action through their hotel mirror…

bride, portrait, flowers, Lavender Leigh Photography, hotel, Sheraton Station Square

Let’s just take a moment to gush about how gorgeous Lauren is! And, how much I love her dress and lace overlay!

sage green bridesmaid dresses, bride, Station Square

I am *slightly* obsessed with the colors Lauren chose for the wedding day, and LOVE the bridesmaids’ dresses!

groom, wedding day, getting ready, hotel

The rain was on and off that day, I love this image of Jeff gazing at the city out the rainy day window.

bride, train, dancing, wedding reception, The Grand Concourse

A train dance around the entire floor of the Grand Concourse got the action started!

cookie table, Pittsburgh wedding tradition, lavender leigh photography

I love the signs at the cookie table signifying each dear one who baked each type of cookie.

wedding and engagement ring, quarter, flowers, bouquet, pink flowers

Jeff made his wedding ring! He used a quarter made in Pennsylvania to signify where they got married!

Cake: The Party Cake Shop
Ceremony Musician: Amanda Bruce
Ceremony Venue: Saint Mary of the Mount
DJ: Rockin’ Bob’s DJs
Florist: Fragile Paradise
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Ikram Fattoumi
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: The Grand Concourse
Transportation: Molly’s Trolleys
Videographer: Kesneck Wedding Videography

Laura and Dan | Embassy Suites Wedding

“Please take these sandwiches and make sure you eat on the way to the ceremony!” Laura, one of the sweetest brides we’ve had the pleasure of working with, runs into her house in her wedding dress, and comes back out carrying ham sandwiches, NuGo Bars, and two drinks. She scurries across her front yard and passes the food to us through our car window. We had just finished photographing her getting ready pictures, and honestly felt like royalty for how hospitable she was being to us! But that’s just Laura inside and out- the type of friend anyone would want to have because she genuinely cares about their well being. She is the bride that helps her bridesmaids get ready on her wedding day, being just as excited to see them in their dresses as she was to put her own dress on.

It was so sweet to watch Dan’s excitement throughout the wedding day. His subtle smile spoke volumes as he watched Laura walk down the aisle. His grin kept getting bigger as each step brought her closer to him. A few times during the ceremony, I caught him glancing to the left at his beautiful bride, with that same smile of excitement, and love. As we took pictures of Laura and Dan together, the little moments of kisses in between pictures warmed my heart. Without being asked, Dan helped Laura walk in between picture taking spots by picking up the train of her dress in one hand and covering her with the umbrella with his other hand. Sweet little interactions. The love these two have for each other is obvious, and we were the lucky ones to have a part in capturing it on their wedding day.

Anne Gregory for the Bride Wedding Dress, Bride, Mother

The little moments Laura had with her mother and bridesmaids were incredibly touching.

Laura’s Father couldn’t contain his excitement when he saw his daughter for the first time in her wedding dress!

Just look how Laura’s eyes were shining that day! She is so beautiful!

Laura kindly offering us food and drink to eat on the way to the ceremony. Such a sweetheart!

Laura kindly offering us food to eat on the way to the ceremony. Such a sweetheart!

Groom, boutonniere, wedding day, church, pre-ceremony

Dan’s mother helped pin the gents’ boutonnieres on them.

groom, tux, rose, pocket square, portrait

Such a genuine smile. One of my favorite images we took of Dan that day.

Flower Girls, purple sash, wedding ceremony, flowers

Barry has a knack for getting the Flower Girls to smile.

processional, bride, father, wedding, ceremony, St. Mary of the Mount, Pittsburgh

I just love a silhouette image of a bride and her father entering a wedding ceremony.

groom, wedding ceremony, giving bride away, St. Mary of the Mount, Pittsburgh, wedding

I also love the moment when a groom takes his bride’s hand after her father gives her away.

Bride and Groom, Mt. Washington,city, Pittsburgh

Having a second photographer is beneficial to get different perspectives! The image above is Barry’s perspective, and the image below is my perspective.

Bride and Groom, Hot Metal Bridge,city, Pittsburgh

There’s something so genuine and cute about this image. They are just. so. happy!

Cake: Bethel Bakery
Ceremony Venue: Saint Mary of the Mount
DJ: Entertainment Unlimited– Scott Alexander
Floral: Botanical Emporium
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Evolutions Salon
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: Embassy Suites
Transportation: Shamrock Limousine

Courtney and Chris | Pittsburgh Airport Marriott Wedding

You just *know* it is going to be a good day when you walk into the bride’s getting ready room, and the first thing you hear is Top 40 music and laughter from the bride and her bridesmaids. This precisely sets the scene for the start of Courtney and Chris’s wedding day. Except, not only were Courtney’s bridesmaids part of the getting ready scene, but also an entourage of her other friends and family. It was obvious how absolutely adored Courtney is by the amount of people who popped their head into the room to say hi, to help with the day’s tasks, and to take pictures. I can see why she is adored so much- not only is she caring (she offered us food not even five seconds after we entered the room!) but also helpful, and absolutely hysterical. I got the biggest kick watching her shoo Barry away when he tried to help her move chairs and other heavy objects to declutter the room for pictures. Then she turned around and helped to apply the Junior Bridesmaid’s makeup. All done with her bright and beautiful smile. Who doesn’t love an independent, energetic, “go getter” woman?!

Chris is just as loveable with his genuine smile, relaxed demeanor, and can-do attitude. When he wraps his arms around his bride, they fit perfectly together. His expression of excitement as he watched Courtney walk down the aisle will always be unforgettable- it was a mix of his jaw dropping to the floor, his eyes wide open in awe, and his huge smile that boasted “that’s my bride!” And out of amazement, he carried this expression the entire time Courtney walked down the aisle at Heinz Chapel. So adorably sweet.

Take a scroll through their images to see what I mean…