Pittsburgh Wedding, Boudoir, Senior Photographer

Morgan and Mark | Irons Mill Wedding

As Morgan’s mother zipped up her wedding dress, I could see happy tears welling up in both of their eyes. Morgan looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress, and I could see the pride in her mother’s expression as she took a step back to look at her lovely daughter. Fanning her face, Morgan took a deep breath, laughed, and said “I can’t cry, I will ruin my makeup!” To which I jokingly replied “We photographers love capturing emotion! Cry away!”

Morgan’s brother turns to look at me. “Oh honey, this family is full of emotion. Once Morgan steps down the aisle, get ready for a Broadway show!”

And he was right, Morgan and Mark’s wedding day was chock full of emotion. Plenty of happy tears, smiles, laughter and the overall abundance of joy. I can’t really decide what my favorite part of their day was. It may have been the serene prayer that Morgan’s bridesmaids said over her right before the ceremony. Or, the “first touch” moment when Morgan and Mark exchanged vow books in a spot where they couldn’t see one another. As they reached around the corner to hold hands, they couldn’t find the other’s hand, and began grasping air. Which led to both of them laughing out loud, realizing the comedy within a romantic moment.

From fist bumps to hurrahs, Morgan and Mark celebrated each second of their wedding day. You could see how excited they were to finally be Mr. and Mrs. Take a look to see what I mean…

Cake: Oakmont Bakery
Caterer: Medure’s
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Irons Mill Farm
Entertainment: Premier Wedding DJ
Florist: FOUR08FLORALS
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Videographer: One & Only Media
Wedding Gown: Lilian West Bridal

Chelsea and Tyler | Southpointe Golf Club Wedding

Chelsea and Tyler: a couple whose elegance and charm equally match their sense of fun and spontaneity. And, at the same time, all of this is coupled with how energetic, outgoing, passionate, and caring they are.

Chelsea and Tyler’s wedding day was just as vibrant as this lovely couple. The sky’s sapphire hue wasn’t dappled with even one cloud in the sky. It set the scene for all the beauty that was to come that day.

One of the most beautiful moments of Chelsea and Tyler’s day occurred during the first look, which took place on a sweet little bridge on the golf course. Tyler’s anticipation to see his bride quickly turned to awestruck when he turned around to see Chelsea in her wedding dress. It was one of the sweetest moments that we have ever witnessed; Tyler was overcome with emotion and couldn’t even speak at first; he silently took her hands into his, a smile never leaving his face…even as the happy tears welled up in his eyes.

Another one of our absolute favorite moments occured at the very end of the reception. The song “(I’ve Had) The Time of my Life” began, and a crowd circled around Chelsea and Tyler. As if rehearsed a million times, Chelsea ran towards Tyler, and he picked her up over his head. They performed the lift that I have only seen Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey perfect until that moment! With absolutely no practice! Just a testament to their energetic and spontaneous personalities.

Take a look at these images to see the story of Chelsea and Tyler’s wedding day…

Cake: Tasty Bakery
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Southpointe Golf Club
Cookies: Family/ Friends and Potomac Bakery
Entertainment: DJ Thomas Walter
Florist: Honeybunch Bouquets
Hair and Makeup Artistry: Wanderlust Beauty
Wedding Gown: Designer Loft
Invitation: minted.com
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Videographer: Weddings by LDF
Violinist: Devin Arrington

Krista and Dan | The Club at Blackthorne Wedding

“It’s funny, the days leading up to the wedding, I was stressing over the little things, but surprisingly, today I just feel like, meh… I’m not stressed at all. I just want to marry Dan.”

What a great perspective Krista had! She was having her hair and makeup completed, and I could tell that she meant everything that she said. Krista was relaxed and enjoying the special moments as they unfolded.

There were quite a few special moments and special touches during Krista and Dan’s wedding day! Above and beyond the most significant part of becoming Mr. and Mrs.! While getting ready, Krista wore a robe that had pictures of Dan’s face dappled all over it; the robe was hilarious! Krista also hand painted “Mrs. Kohrs” on the back of a black leather jacket and threw it on over her wedding dress when she had finished getting ready. Pulling into the church parking lot, the sound of bagpipes played around the corner. Sure enough, a bagpipe player dressed in genuine Scottish attire serenated the guests as they arrived to the ceremony! At the reception, Krista and Dan pulled off a flawless choreographed dance, chock full of spins and dips. It was magical to watch! Later during the reception, the song “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” began to play, and no sooner than I could turn around, Krista and Dan danced into the center of the crowded floor donning a second outfit! Krista wore this phenomenal silver glitter gown with flowing sleeves, and Dan had a handsome white tux jacket on! And for a grand finale sparkler exit, there were two sparkler machines that shot streams of sparklers seven feet up into the air!

These were just a handful of the unique touches that Krista and Dan had on their wedding day. If you don’t know Krista and Dan, you will be able to tell that this loving couple is the type that is up for anything and full of fun, just by scrolling through this blog post.

Congratulations to a perfect couple! Take a look to see some images that tell the story of Krista and Dan’s wedding day…

<alt>A wedding at The Club at Blackthorne in Jeannette, Pennsylvania photographed by Lavender Leigh Photography</alt>

A wedding at The Club at Blackthorne in Jeannette, Pennsylvania photographed by Lavender Leigh Photography

A sophisticated wedding at The Club at Blackthorne in Jeannette, Pennsylvania.

<alt>Wedding aCake at The Club at Blackthorne</alt>

<alt>Wedding and Engagement Rings at The Club at Blackthorne</alt>

Cake: Oakmont Bakery
Caterer and Cookies: Jaden’s Catering
Ceremony Venue: Mother of Sorrows
Entertainment: Moxie Events Powerbomb DJs
Florist: Something Borrowed Blooms
Hair Artistry: Tease Salon
Makeup Artistry: Shannon Cole
Photographer: Lavender Leigh
Reception Venue: The Club at Blackthorne
Transportation: Elite Transportations
Videographer: Just Hitched Films
Wedding Gown: Pollardi Fashion Group at The Exquisite Bride

New Wedding Albums!

In the ever-relentless goal to continually improve and evolve, I have been searching for a wedding album company that best fits the needs of my clients. After hopping around to different album companies over the past few years, I have finally landed on one that meets all of the criteria of my apparently particular taste!

Clients can choose between a square or rectangular album, and they also have an amazing selection of cover options. What’s best is that leather covers do not come at an upcharge to the client, which is highly unusual! The albums are beautifully crafted; they have thick pages without a gutter down the center, so images can cross an entire album spread without being interrupted.

These albums are of the best quality and can’t be found on an everyday consumer website. I always encourage my clients to invest in an album so their images and memories can remind them of one of the best days in their lives. Images do not good if they sit on a USB that collects dust in the closet!

Without further ado, the below images will depict these lovely new albums, and also some of the diverse cover options…

<alt>new wedding albums for Lavender Leigh Photography in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</alt> — This album cover is a light lavender pearlescent leather.

While I absolutely love all of the album cover options, I am slightly partial to the metallic leathers in the last picture. They are incredibly unique because the metallic sheen gives them a hint of sass!

You do not have to purchase a wedding album as part of a Wedding Photography Package, you can purchase one on it’s own! Once you pick the images that you want in the album, I will create a proof of the album for you to see and approve. It is a painless process!

So if you are considering a wedding album, contact me and we can get the process rolling!

Madi and Calvin | The Pittsburgh Field Club Wedding

(Spoiler alert: this is a long blog post because I have much to say about these lovely families!)

There was no better feeling in the world when I walked into Madi’s hotel room on her wedding day. I was greeted by the brightest smiles and given the warmest hugs. It was incredibly heartwarming to see that Madi and her family were just as excited to see me (and Barry!) as I was to see them.

A little backstory on how I met and have connected with this family…

Rewind almost four years ago, we photographed Madi’s sister, Katie’s, wedding (Hi, Katie and Geoff!) Upon first meeting this family, I remember feeling so welcomed and a part of it all in a different way than how I usually feel when I photograph weddings. In a special way.

Fast forward a few years, and Madi’s sister, Jane, gave me the opportunity to photograph her as she completed the impossibly remarkable feat of running MS Run the US. Jane and I share a love for running, so this opportunity was double the enjoyment for me! And, last year, Jackie (the mother of these lovely sisters) and Katie came to cheer me on for the virtual Pittsburgh Half Marathon! You can see the love that Madi’s family has for one another, and how they spread that love.

I can actually write paragraphs about how much this family means to me, but I want to talk more about Madi, Calvin, and their wedding day!

Madi and Calvin’s day was flooded with sunshine that beamed through clear-blue skies. The entire day flowed beautifully . In addition to their nuptials, the focus was on the meaningful time that Madi and Calvin got to spend with their family and friends. Oh, and also how to rip it up on the dance floor!

I’ve never known a couple to be so laid-back, welcoming, genuine, funny, respectful, and inclusive as this couple is. The same goes for their families. Having just met Calvin’s family, we were showered with warm compliments about how impressed they were with how we photographed the day. Madi and Calvin made it a point to make us feel included in their wedding day, above and beyond photographing it. Before we left the wedding, both Madi and Calvin made sure to say goodbye to us, and also let us know how appreciative they were that we were a part of it all. Madi and Calvin are humble, gracious, and a gem of a couple. How lucky for us to know them and to photograph their special moments!

Madi and Calvin are the couple that every other couple strives to be. Not only for the aforementioned traits, but also because they are up for anything, and every single minute that you experience with them is outright fun. They like to spend time with their families, enjoy tailgating, attend sporting events, heck, Madi even likes to fish! You couldn’t get me to sit for hours on a lake, waiting for a fish to bite, or touch a worm even if you paid me. And, they are creatively clever… you should see the Schitt’s Creek Halloween theme that Madi’s family dressed up to be! Anything that Madi and Calvin do, you want to be a part of.

I am going to curtail my writing or else you’d be reading this blog post for a century. So, without further ado, here are some of the images that tell the story of Madi and Calvin’s wedding day…