Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Caitlin and Sam | Rustic Acres Farm Wedding

Romantic. Playful. Sweet. Three words to describe the beautiful couple, Caitlin and Sam. They love to take long walks in nature, and relax outdoors with a glass of wine, a good book, or both! Their relationship is a romance straight out of a Nicholas Sparks book, and it is so inspiring to be in the presence of their love.

Arriving at Rustic Acres Farm, Barry and I step out of the car, all prepped and ready for the beautiful wedding that was ahead of us. Instantly, a sweet barn cat hovers around my legs and starts to purr. I knew it was going to be a great day. Apparently, Barry also enjoyed the company of our furry host, because every time I turned around, he was petting or talking to the cat (usually that’s my job!)

Stepping into the barn, we were *WOWED by the special touches in the décor, which suited Caitlin and Sam’s personalities perfectly! For example: book and teacup centerpieces, love bird cake toppers, and also favors that were skeleton key bottle openers (symbolizing their “lifelong love letter.”) Caitlin and Sam brought so much of themselves into these pieces of their wedding. It was simply beautiful.

Take a look to see what I mean…

Raise your hand if you love her shoes! We must have taken a zillion pictures of these shoes, from every angle, in every space of the room!

I was over the moon to see an image I took of Caitlin and Sam from their engagement session, sewn into the inside of Caitlin’s wedding purse!

I love the mirror images in this picture…

So maybe I indulge in portraits of a beautiful bride if I have a little bit of time…

This little guy was so excited to get the rings to his daddy!

I love how Sam just quietly soaks in his bride right after she joins him up front… that subtle and sweet smile…

Their vows were so original and sweet- they rhymed like a Doctor Seuss book! It went along perfectly with their book theme for the wedding!

How excited are they for their kiss?!

I don’t think I have ever had as much fun at a reception as I did watching the soul train dancing!

These shotgun shell boutonnieres deserve some attention!

Cake, Baked Goods, and Catering: JPC Event Group
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Rustic Acres Farm
DJ: Houserockers DJ Jamie Simpson
Florist: The Bloomery
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Hairtique and More
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Videographer: William French

Published! Borrowed and Blue Wedding Blog

It is so exciting to see the lovely faces of my wedding clients published online! Dana and Aaron’s gorgeous fall wedding at Montour Heights Country Club has been published today on Borrowed and Blue! I have never seen fall leaves as bright as they were on Dana and Aaron’s wedding day.

Click on this link to view their Borrowed and Blue feature! http://www.borrowedandblue.com/pittsburgh/weddings/dana-aaron

To see more images from Dana and Aaron’s wedding day, click here: http://www.lavenderleighphotography.com/dana-aaron-montour-country-club-wedding/

Calli and Joe | Pittsburgh Field Club Wedding

Walking into Calli’s parents’ house, we were pleasantly surprised to find a relaxed atmosphere, with her family members hanging out and soaking in the scene as Calli and her mother were finishing their final touches of makeup. As we start photographing Calli’s wedding details, her mother explains to us just how meaningful these details are- so many pieces of their family’s history were present that day: a piece of her grandmother’s wedding dress, her grandmother’s diaper pins, and also the necklace her grandmother wore on her wedding day! It was so touching to see these pieces preserved and hear how they were passed down for each lady in the family to wear on their wedding day! Just this scenario is a perfect example of how close Calli and Joe are to their families. It was so special to watch them all laughing, hugging, dancing, and singing, in celebration of Calli and Joe’s day. Yes, I said singing! Calli’s sisters performed a SINGING TOAST! And the groomsmen performed an interpretive dance with streamers. Folks, these toasts were hard to beat! So was the wedding day in general! What made the day even more special was that it was held at the beautiful Pittsburgh Field Club, where Joe grew up frequenting with his family.

Take a look to see what I mean…

Wow. Just, WOW! Look at this gorgeous lady! She nailed it.

Two of my very favorites. It isn’t every day I can capture a bride and groom on rocking chairs.

The audience participated in the singing toast with plastic noisemakers! It was hilarious!

Cake: Bethel Bakery
Ceremony Musician: Brent Stater
Ceremony Venue: St. Thomas More Church
Florist: Duprees Garden Center and Florist
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: Pittsburgh Field Club
Videographer: Lauver Creative Productions

Wendy and Jason | Longue Vue Club Wedding

Picture this: an old stone manor, immaculate spring green grounds, and hundred-year-old windy trees. This picture set the scene for Wendy and Jason’s wedding, which was held at Longue Vue Club. Such a happy and joyous wedding, adorned with bright yellow flowers, ceremony programs, marquee letters, and candles. The bright yellow color certainly set the tone for this cheerful couple’s personality. In just about every picture I took of Wendy and Jason, they were smiling from ear to ear- so bursting with excitement and love for each other, and excitement for sharing this day with their loved friends and family. This vibe was completely contagious to each and every guest, including their photographers! I can’t remember the last time my smile had beamed so much just by watching a bride and groom interact with each other and guests on their big day.

In every one of my wedding blot posts, I comment about what my favorite part of the couple’s wedding day was. On this particular day, my absolute favorite part of the day was watching this beautifully beaming and happy bride and groom soak in the perfect day that was. 100%. Meant. For. Them. Wendy’s smile is so contagious, that as I flip through each wedding day image, my heart swells more with happiness. And this vibe is completely parallel to how Wendy and Jason are as a couple- all- encompassing, loving, and genuine. Right after I snapped my last photo of Wendy and Jason that night, Wendy turned to me and said “Leigh, if I had known you in high school, I know that we would have been really good friends.” What a true sweetheart. I got a tear in my eye. And, I felt the exact same way.

Take a look to see just how truly sweet this couple is…

Love. The. Earring. Bling.

Post and Pre ceremony shoes

From one…

… to the next…

Cake: Ali’s Marketplace
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Longue Vue Club
DJ: Travis Chickness
Florist: Leechburg Floral
Hair and Makeup Artistry: At Home Beauty
Photographer: Lavender Leigh

Brittany and Dan | Oakmont Country Club Wedding

Walking through the doors of Brittany’s getting ready room, we were immersed in a flurry of bridesmaids with matching white sweats and navy blue tank tops, grabbing finger foods for lunch and watching the beautiful bride get her final touches of makeup. I have so many favorite parts to a wedding day, and the building excitement as the bride gets ready is always one of them. It is fun to hear the girls chattering and laughing with the bride, and to watch their expressions when they see the bride in her dress for the first time.

Brittany’s getting ready time was chock-full of some of my favorite moments. Brittany lined up the bridesmaids to see them all in their dresses, and then continued to build the excitement by having a “team huddle” with all of the bridesmaids before she left to put on her wedding dress. Brittany was as excited to see her ladies in their dresses as she was to put on her dress. So all-inclusive. What a sweetheart!

There were so many other sweet moments throughout Dan and Brittany’s wedding day! These two are so in love. If you had never met them before, you would only need to watch them for a minute to see what I mean. When the two look at each other, their smiles get *that* much bigger. I loved watching the impromptu kisses that Dan gave Brittany in between the pictures we took. I loved their expressions of sheer excitement when they were announced as husband and wife at the end of the ceremony. The love just radiates off of them! It warms my heart.

Take a look to see what I mean…

My kind of shoes- ROSE GOLD HEELS!

Brittany is so cute! Her thumbs-up moments happened a few times during the day, and it was such a perfect expression of her fun personality!

And he sees his little girl for the first time in her wedding dress…

This picture may be my favorite from the Getting Ready part of the day. Brittany is so close with her family, and it really shows in this image. Such a cute moment!