Category: photojournalism

Desmond Hotel Wedding | Becky and Michael | Malvern PA

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All eyes were on Becky as she turned and started walking down the aisle in the Ballroom at the Desmond Hotel towards her groom, string quartet playing quietly in the background.  Michael grinned ear to ear, and for those watching, he and Becky seemed to be the only ones in the room.  They exchanged their vows, beamed down the aisle, and boogied the night away.

I can’t recall a more calm bride on her wedding day.  Becky was the picture of poise, her joy overflowing.  As she snuggled on the couch between her mom and sister, rain began to fall outside, which seems to be a daily trend during the summer of 2017.  They chatted about old memories and inside jokes until is a fury of tulle, they shuffled off to the Desmond to marry her husband.

The rains stopped just after the ceremony and allowed us some much desired time outdoors.  Despite the fact that the air felt like soup, Becky and Michael were nothing but smiles.  If there is one thing about these two that you should know, it’s that their laughs are infectious.  When one starts, it’s hard to know where the other one ends in terms of laughs.  And Micheal… he’s always watching Becky laugh.  It’s the cutest thing ever, and I’m sure he won’t appreciate me saying this 🙂

The party started off with a bang and featured a shout out to the Eagles, solo dance offs from the bride and groom, and a grand bubble exit.

Congratulations Becky and Michael!  Thank you for having me along for your day!

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New Orleans Themed Gettysburg Wedding Photography | Joe and Andrea | Philadelphia Wedding Photographer

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When a bride and groom are from New Orleans, you know it’s going to be a good time.  Live music, old cars, and second lines (which I had never heard of, and now feel strongly that every wedding should have one!).  When the bride and groom also love Gettysburg and can’t picture having their wedding any place else, it’s a match made in style heaven.

Andrea and Joe could have gotten married anywhere.  They make the space.  Their love, joy, and radiant smiles can light up any space, and their killer dance moves can start any party.  They were married in the open air Western Maryland Train Station in downtown Gettysburg, the same station where good old Abe Lincoln himself came into town.  We recreated a photo Andrea’s parent’s have in front of the station, then scooted off to the Gettysburg Battlefield Visitor Center, where the real party started.

I mentioned the Second Line, right?  Good.  Because it was amazing,  Better than the cha-cha-slide, better than any dance train.  I’m smitten.  The sun set over the fields and we were greeted with the most beautiful summer evening.  Congratulations, Joe and Andrea!   Continue reading “New Orleans Themed Gettysburg Wedding Photography | Joe and Andrea | Philadelphia Wedding Photographer” →

Wedding Photography Tips : How to Organize Your Clients and Your Business

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I am not organized.  Let me repeat that : I am not organized.  My work space is cluttered, my closet is…. well, don’t open it, and my receipts stay tucked in a box until tax season.  It takes a lot of work for me to be organized, but I know it is a priority.  My clients need to count on me, they need to know that I have information they have given me.  Not only that, they need to know that I know what information to ask them!  ]

Until recently, I as wasting a lot of time sending emails asking for information, then follow up emails asking for more information, etc.  It can be exhausting with so many clients, and I was tired of it.  I started making fillable PDF’s for different topics, and not only do I love it, so do my clients.  It helps me keep everything sorted (plus, I can send the file to my second shooter— bonus!), it instills confidence in my clients, and it leads to a better overall flow on a wedding day.

To all of my fellow photographers out there, don’t reinvent the wheel each time you send out an email.  Here are a few pages from the PDF I send out about 6 weeks before the wedding day.  Hope this helps someone!  Click below to see:

 

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Bloomsburg Pump House B&B Wedding | Marguerite and Justin | Philadelphia Wedding Photography

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Some wedding days are just downright magical.  And when said wedding is on your birthday, it’s a slam dunk, naturally.  This May 13th Pump House B&B wedding incorporated the best details- twinkling lights, paper cranes, antique chairs, dew covered forests, and the cutest bride and groom (and parents to be!).  Marguerite and Justin were one of the most daring couples, venturing out in the rain to walk around the old pumping station.

I love shooting at the Pump House, located in my hometown of Bloomsburg.  It’s overflowing with charm and originality, not to mention, it’s a wooded paradise.  I’m so excited to send out this gallery in a couple of weeks!  Congrats, Mr and Mrs Gould!

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Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and Library | Stacey and Josh | Philadelphia Wedding Photography

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romantic photo of bride and groom in tree lined grove at Hagley Museum

Have you ever gotten goose flesh?  I’m sure you have, but for what reason?  It scatters across my skin when I’m cold of course, but also when I hear a strikingly beautiful chord in a song, watch a dazzling scene in a movie, or stumble upon something truly remarkable in nature.  It’s a sign to me that I need to pay extra attention or I could miss something divine.  As I drove through the back gates at Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and came face to face with a tree lined grove that trailed up to an old DuPont mansion, a shiver ran up my spine and goose flesh erupted.  I knew this day, this wedding, and these two people, were something extraordinary.

Now you might think this is an incredibly odd way to open a wedding blog post, and I’m sure it is, but there is really no other way to describe the beauty that surrounded this day.  I will try, though.

When I first met Stacey and Josh last year for their engagement session, I was instantly smitten with them.  They were incredibly kind, laughed at my jokes, and came dressed like they walked out of the 50’s (which, come on, why did we ever stop dressing like that?).  I had every faith that their wedding day would be spectacular, every detail flawless, and I was right.

Let me break it down for you. Succulents.  Floor length veil. Blush color pallet.  Strings of lights.  Cascading wisteria.  Need I say more?!?  The Hagley Museum is one of my favorite venues to date.  We were threatened with rain the entire day, and luckily, it held off.  Stacey mentioned that she would have been more upset if it had rained for my sake than hers because she knew how much I would love it.  And she was right.

Stacey and Josh were married at the old Soda House Library, a glass and stone building set back from the main house in the woods.  Once vows were said and rings exchanged, we toured the grounds, for which there could never have been enough time.  There were times when it felt we had been transported to the deep south or the hills of Tuscany, with its fine stucco houses covered in lush vines.   We laughed and enjoyed the cool evening air and our sweet chaperone, Dot, gave us a private, photo filled tour.

It could have rained.  It could have poured!  Nothing could have dampened this joyful day.  Stacey and Josh, the credit is yours.  You could have been married in an alley wearing paper bags and it still would have been one of my favorite weddings (but I’m really glad that wasn’t Plan A!).

Enjoy this preview!  Video coming soon!  Continue reading “Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and Library | Stacey and Josh | Philadelphia Wedding Photography” →