Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Jen and Jeremy | Jay Verno Studios Wedding

Life is about having fun. With friends. With family. And especially the love of your life on your wedding day. Jen and Jeremy’s wedding day was the epitome of fun, from start to finish. Not just the average fun, but the type of fun that screams “THAT WAS AWESOME!”

Which was really the theme of this wedding. Every single detail reflected who this light-hearted and loving couple is: the school bus transportation,

Jen’s red Chuck Taylor shoes, the sunglasses and glow sticks passed out at the party, err, I mean reception. And not to mention one of my favorite parts of the day- when the officiant gave Jen and Jeremy gifts AND cake to eat during the ceremony at the altar, seconds before they said their vows!

This couple means business when it comes to laughter, love and fun. It didn’t stop with their guests, we had such a great time just being around them on their day. I kept thinking, “how lucky were we to be a part of all of this?!”

<alt>wedding rings on chuck taylor shoes</alt>

<alt>a bride's nails being painted</alt>

<alt>bride and bridesmaids in lawn</alt>

Kim and Nick | West Park Engagement Session

It was a beautiful day for Kim and Nick’s engagement session! The fall leaves couldn’t have been any riper and vibrant. We started in West Park, and then headed over to the Mexican War Streets to include the cool neighborhood vibe surrounding the park. We are excited to photograph this couple’s wedding next June at Shannopin Country Club!

I absolutely loved watching Kim and Nick’s interactions between each other- especially the larger-than-life smile that Nick put on Kim’s face. It is quite clear that they are simply smitten with each other! And also smitten with their dog, Tucker! Tucker made an appearance in some of the pictures. Take a look, and keep scrolling down to learn a little bit more about this couple!

Q: Tell us how you met!
A: We met at my best friend Catie’s Halloween party. She was working with Nick at the time and thought we might like each other. She was right!

Q: When was your first date and give us details!
A: October 29^th, 2010. Hanging out at the Halloween party! We can’t remember what our first date was after that, oops!

Q: How did you know he/she was the one?
A: I knew Nick was the one right away, it was just a feeling, I felt so comfortable around him and he was always so sweet and nice.

Q: When was the date of the proposal, and tell us about it!
A: December 25, 2014. We had both of our families over for a big Christmas dinner for the first time and it all went really smoothly! After everybody left, we were chatting about the day, and he asked me if I got everything I wanted for Christmas. I said yes, it was a great Christmas! He said well I have one more present for you…. And pulled out the ring!

Q: What do you like most about your fiancé?
Kim: I like how calm and level-headed he is, the fact that he is always there for me and willing to help me with anything, and that he makes me laugh and is my best friend!
Nick: Her smile and how happy she makes me.

Wedding Date: 6/25/16
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Shannopin Country Club

Winona and Dan | Armstrong Farms Engagement Session

Winona and Dan are getting married next September at Greendance Winery, and we can’t wait to photograph their big day! Barry and I absolutely adore wineries (we try to make a winery getaway weekend at least once a year), so when Winona and I first met and she told me about what they had in store for their wedding day, it sounded like an absolute dream!

For Winona and Dan’s engagement session, we chose the beautifully rustic location of Armstrong Farms to match the rustic theme of their wedding day. Here are some of my favorites from their session! Keep scrolling down to read a little bit more about this gorgeous couple, and to also see some encounters we had with the barnyard residents!

As we were taking the below picture, we piqued the interest of about 30 cattle, and they all moved down the field and stood in a straight line against the fence to watch us! I didn’t have a wide enough lens to capture all of them, but you’ll get the idea when you see the images below!

This resident was none too happy that we took over his space on the dock, and started running towards me and fighting for his space! I think he wanted some privacy as he soaked in the last of the sun’s rays that day.

Q: Tell us how you met!
A: Dan and I had been going to the same gym for years. We had always noticed each other, but it took about 5 years for us to actually strike up a conversation! After that initial conversation, we both conveniently made sure that we were at the gym at that same time so we could run into each other. We did a lot of cardio getting to know each other back then!

Q: What was the date of your first date? Details, please!
A: March 29th, 2014. We went to Hal’s Bar and Grill and stayed for 7 hours until they closed! Dan is definitely a talker and I am more of a listener so the conversation flowed easy. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous at all for the first date. Dan has a way of making you feel relaxed and at ease.

Q: How did you know he/she was the one?
A: The night after our very first date, I had a very vivid dream that I was married to Dan and we had a kid. I had never experienced anything like that. It took me a while to tell him about the dream because I didn’t want to scare him away! A little over a year later, we were engaged.

Q: What date was the proposal? Tell us about it!
A: May 17th, 2015. We were in beautiful Aruba. It was the first day of our vacation and we were walking around, trying to find a place to eat. We had joked that we were going to pretend to be newlyweds for the perks. As we were walking alongside the beach, I joked that I was going to take a ring off my right hand and put it on my left. He got down on one knee and said you don’t have to pretend, will you marry me?

Q: What do you like most about your fiancé?
Winona: How loving, supportive, kind and funny he is. Just when I gave up on dating, Dan came into my life and I’ve never been more happy or grateful.
Dan: How kind, selfless, generous and caring she is. She’s very thoughtful, always putting me first.

Wedding Date: 9/24/16
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Greendance, the Winery at Sandhill

Ashley and Matt | West End Park Engagement Session

It was such a beautiful day for Ashley and Matt’s engagement session- the middle of fall, sunny and in the 70s. We photographed at the West End Park and also parts of Mount Washington. This lovely couple is getting married next year at St. Stanislaus, with a reception to follow at the Heinz History Center, and we can’t wait to be a part of it! These two fit together so perfectly- it comes so easily for them to make each other laugh and put their arms around each other and snuggle in. Take a look to see some images from their engagement session, and keep scrolling to learn a little more about them!

Q: Tell us how you met!
A: We meet through a mutual friend…actually met up with friends to watch a UFC fight, haha.

Q: What was your first date, and details, please!
A: 12/12/10 was the first date. We just got dinner and drinks at a local diner. Interestingly, the diner where we had our first date, Matthew’s company tore down the building a few years later and built a new building where it once stood.

Q: How did you know he was the one, Ashley?
A: It might sound cheesy, but from the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was the one. I remember coming home from meeting him, and as soon as I walked in the door, I told my roommate that I found the one.

Q: What was the date of the proposal, and details!
A: 9/11/15 was the date. We love to visit Gettysburg and we found a winery on a battlefield and loved it. We have been visiting it for years, and last time we stopped at the winery he proposed.

Q: What do you love most about your fiancé?
Ashley: How calm he is about almost everything.
Matt: That she is athletic.

Stay tuned for more on this lovely couple!
Wedding Date: 7/16/16
Ceremony Venue: St. Stanislaus
Reception Venue: Heinz History Center

Julia and Baron | South Hills Country Club Wedding

One of the first times I met Julia, we were bundled up in our running gear about to start the Burgh’s 5k race a few Aprils ago. I won’t lie- she smoked me in regards to her race time. SMOKED. And maybe I was jealous of her time, but who can stay salty at a sweet-as-pie lady? Fast forward to a few years down the road, when Julia asked us to photograph her and Baron’s wedding, I don’t think I could have been any happier!

There was something about Julia and Baron’s wedding day that was extra special. Maybe it was the fact that Julia’s family traveled from the Ukraine to witness this monumental occasion. Maybe it was the touching little moments she and Baron had in between each stage of the day. Or maybe it was the way Baron can make her smile brighter than anyone else in the room.

As Julia reached the front of the aisle, I saw Baron mouth a few words to her “You look great!” or a derivative of that statement. Even though I couldn’t hear his words, his expression said it all. The way he drew her close by circling his arm around her back, or putting his coat around her shoulders to shield her from the wind were simple acts of smitten.

Take a look to see what I mean…