This is from Mackenzie and Chris’ wedding at Sacred Heart Church in Shadyside.

The ISPWP contest draws entries from the best wedding photographers from the North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, so it’s an honor any time I’m able to place. Believe me when I say it’s a tough contest; I was one of the judges for the Spring 2010 contest so I got to see the quality of the entries first hand.

I’ve had a bit of a summer break and have been able to catch up on albums, print orders, and life in general after a busy spring and summer. I shot a wedding in Toronto, Ontario with my friend Judy Cormier which I’ll post a few of my favorite photos from later on this week.

This coming weekend I’ll be in Oklahoma City to photograph a very special wedding. Be sure to check back for photos from that one.

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Here are some of my favorite photos from the day:

Cheryld and her friend Eva get ready:

The cake was a work of art – from Uzi’s Pastries in Brookville:

Love the red shoes! Cheryld has her makeup done by her bridesmaid Marta:

Cheryld’s mom Emma joins the party as the girls get ready:

Meanwhile Tim and the guys got dressed in the barn (Caroline’s Photo):

The dress from Sottero and Midgley:

Each guest was given an envelope containing a butterfly to let go at the end of the ceremony:

Cheryld really likes butterflies:

Tim and the Reverend head to the ceremony (Caroline’s photo):

Cheryld watches as the music starts and the procession begins:

Cheryld and her dad Dave walk down the aisle, so to speak:

Caroline’s photo below:

Cheryld’s parents present her:

Tim’s dad Jim wipes away a tear:

Each butterfly was let go with a wish for Cheryld and Tim:

Tim and his dad share a hug:

Cheryld greets her guests:

Marta, Eva, and Cathy were a fun group of bridesmaids:

What a great headpiece Cheryld wore:

On to the reception.  First up, the cake cutting:

Tim’s uncle toasts the couple:

Marta gave an emotional toast:

It was a little bit warm in the barn, this lady found a way to stay cool:

The rings.  Each table had a couple of chalkboards on them for guests to write messages to the couple:

Some portraits.  The light at Lingrow Farm is spectacular at sunset:

Then on to the dancing:

Eva and her mom must practice because they’re excellent dancers:

These ladies were serious about getting the bouquet – they kicked their shoes off so they could move fast:

Skyhook!

The guys staked out their positions:

Eva’s boyfriend Brian emerged victorious:

Much good luck goes to Cheryld and Tim, the garter is about 15 inches above Eva’s knee! (Caroline’s photo):

More dancing fun:

Three pretty ladies.  This was nice, I’m more accustomed to a different finger being pointed at me:

At the end of the evening a thunderstorm rolled through to the north.  Pretty cool sky, huh?

Thanks again for having us photograph your wedding.  We had a blast!

Here’s a slideshow with the images above and more:

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It was my first time shooting a wedding at both St. Scholastica parish in Aspinwall and the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. They were both highly enjoyable places to photograph in. I walked into St. Scho’s (as the locals call it) and was delighted to find that it is air conditioned! It was a welcome change after a few weeks of outdoor weddings and older churches in the heat of the summer.

The Pittsburgh Field Club is at the top of Fox Chapel and features a magnificent view. Landmarks such as the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church and the Fox Chapel Episcopal Church can be seen from the clubhouse, as can a large part of the beautiful golf course.  Julie Driver and her crew made sure everything ran to perfection.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the day:

Michelle and her Aunt admire Michelle’s bouquet:

St. Scholastica:

Bill’s sister Julie arrives with her daughters Mara and Janie, the flower girls:

Michelle chats with Bill’s parents:

Michelle’s mom, Kooki, has her corsage pinned on:

Michelle’s brother and his son say hello:

Bill arrives at the church on time!  Both Bill and Michelle are avid runners with a number of marathons to their credit.  Caroline’s photo below:

Michelle and her uncle Duane wait to walk down the aisle:

Michelle cracks up while exchanging rings:

Yours truly in a self portrait:

Bill’s mom sang Panis Angelicus beautifully:

Bill’s brother Tom congratulates him.  Caroline’s photo below:

The competition for photos at this wedding was fierce:

In the movies this photo is what is known as foreshadowing:

Bill clowns around with the knife before cutting the cake.  My dad has a saying, “You fool around, you get in trouble.”

See what I mean?  Caroline got this great shot below:

From my angle:

Bill makes the save:

Caroline’s photo below:

Another one from Caroline:

After the cake cutting, Bill’s brothers Tom and Jim took turns roasting him:

But since he’s the oldest, the groom got the last word:

Michelle and her daughter Laura:

Some portraits:

Then on to the first dance, a la the Peanuts:

Michelle’s mom and uncle share a dance and a smile:

Bill’s brother Jim calls out to the rest of the family to join him on the dance floor:

Bill and Mara dance:

I’m not sure when doing a split went from seeming like a good idea…

…to something painful.  But I think it was right about here:

At the end of the evening, the guys enjoyed a cigar on the back porch of the Field Club:

Thanks again Michelle and Bill.  We had a lot of fun, as did all of your guests.  Below is a gallery with the photos from this post and more:

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The wedding was held at Lingrow Farm, near Leechburg. We were blessed with warm weather and clear skies, which allowed us to take advantage of the great natural beauty of the farm.

Emily and Dan chose to do their formal shots before the ceremony.  Here’s Emily trying to figure out how to pin the boutonnière on Dan’s suit.

Meanwhile Dan’s dad and nephew had a little fun:

Emily looked absolutely fabulous in her copper colored dress.

Emily and Dan stayed out of sight in the farmhouse while they watched their guests be seated:

A chuppah held by loved ones provided a bit of shade on the sunny day:

Emily and Dan make a few last minute adjustments before walking down the aisle together:

The ceremony was held in front of the dock at the pond:

Fans were provided so that guests could stay cool out in the sun.  I’ve got to get one of those straw boaters!

Caroline’s shot of Emily getting a little emotional:

Emily made sure that Dan’s ring went on all the way:

Incorporating an ancient tradition, they literally “tied the knot”

Another tradition, the breaking of a glass:

Mazel Tov!

The couple headed back to the farmhouse for a few minutes alone while the guests went to the barn for the cocktail hour:

The table assignments were hung by clothespins:

A little video game action:

Some details:

Before cutting the cake, Emily and Dan thanked their guests for coming:

There is always that moment of negotiation before a couple feeds each other a bite of cake.  You never know when someone is going to go rogue and shove the cake in their new spouses’ face.  Emily and Dan behaved themselves:-)

Emily’s mom and dad gave a funny speech about the couple:

Dan’s parent’s enjoyed it!

Dan’s buddies roasted him with some really funny imitations of him.  During this part of the evening guests were encouraged to provide some entertainment – whether it be a song, a story, or a poem – in lieu of the tradition where guests clink their glasses to get the couple to kiss.  Emily and Dan have some talented and creative friends:

This group rapped and beatboxed:

These folks brought down the house with Smog’s “Dress Sexy at My Funeral”

A freakin’ trombone solo!  How often do you see that?

As the light got nice we went outside for some portraits:

Back inside, The Turpentiners started their set:

…and Emily and Dan had their first dance:

Everybody was invited to the dance floor to join them:

Hava Nagila anyone?  Yes, let us rejoice!

Emily and Dan:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  We truly enjoyed photographing your wedding.

Here’s a slideshow with all of these images and more:

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Here are some of my favorite photos from the day:

The girls got their hair and makeup done at Salon 22 in Lawrenceville:

Nicky fuels up with a Ho-Ho:

Nicky’s mom checks her hairdo:

Tim’s mom has eyeshadow applied:

After the hair appointment the ladies made a quick stop at Wendy’s:

Tim is an organized guy:

Rather than carry the iPhone to the altar for his reading, Tim’s brother writes out a passage from St. Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians:

Tim (right) and his brother get ready at the Holiday Inn near the University of Pittsburgh:

One of the great things about Oakland is that it is walkable.  Nicky and the girls walked over to Heinz Chapel from the Holiday Inn:

Nicky’s mom says wearing different colored socks has been Nicky’s thing since she was a little girl:

But she took them off before putting on her shoes;-)  Love the Steelers garter:

It can get rather warm at Heinz Chapel in the summer.  Nicky’s mom and stepmom cool off in front of a fan:

Caroline got this cool shot of the recessional from the balcony:

The girls just couldn’t contain themselves after the ceremony:

Nicky and Tim blocked out plenty of time for portraits in their timeline.  I think the results show just how important that is for getting fantastic portraits.  There are lots of possibilities for photos near Heinz Chapel, and we didn’t even bother going over to the Mellon Institute!

The girls wanted this shoe shot:

The guys weren’t to be outdone:

Tim rented a Mustang convertible for their time in Pittsburgh.  It was a fun trip over to the Gateway Clipper’s dock at Station Square:

There were monitors on the boat so that everybody could watch Nicky and Tim eat.  I wonder if they knew.

The first dance:

The parent’s dances:

Then on to general festivities:

It was Nicky’s grandmother Fannie Mae’s 90th birthday.  She boogied all night!

The Gateway Clipper fleet understandably doesn’t allow sparklers near their boats, so Nicky bought glow sticks for their exit:

Thanks again for an enjoyable day!  Here’s a slideshow with more pictures in addition to these photos:

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Of course that’s the abbreviated version of the story.  The great thing is that they fell in love and didn’t let distance or the U.S. Immigration service get in their way.  Family members from both sides traveled long distances to be there for Kirsten and Dafyd.  Kirsten’s dad Erik listed the different countries guests came from and it sounded a bit like the list of teams competing in the World Cup.

Here are some photos from the day:

Samantha, Kathryn, and Anna help Kirsten get ready as Dafyd’s mom Carola looks on:

Dafyd’s dad Ian gives him a word of encouragement:

A few nerves before the ceremony never hurt anyone:

Kirsten and her dad Erik:

Kirsten’s friend Elizabeth sang The Wedding Song (There Is Love) beautifully during the ceremony:

I loved the head pieces Dafyd’s mom and many of the ladies were wearing:

Caroline shot this moment from the side as Kirsten was saying her vows:

While I shot it from the middle of the aisle:

One of Erik’s friends drove them away from the church in his 1951 De Soto:

It’s a very cool old car:

The cookie table was well stocked.  I love buckeyes!

Kirsten and Dafyd built the gift box out of Legos.  The Union Jack is smaller because all they could find was an Australian flag, which they cut away all but the corner.  So no disrespect was intended towards our British friends:

I walked in on this and can only assume it’s some sort of tradition in the UK:

Erik gets a bit emotional during his speech:

Following an English tradition, Dafyd gave a speech:

It was pretty funny, too!

Kirsten’s sister Samantha shed a few tears during her toast:

Not to be outdone, best man David delivered a very entertaining toast:

This mannequin was in the lobby of the Doubletree near the airport where the reception was held.  He was so lifelike that he startled some of the guests:

It rained really intensely just as we arrived at the hotel.  You can see what the weather was like in the shot of the De Soto on University Boulevard just before the storm hit.  Thankfully the weather cleared as dinner was served, so we ran outside for a few portraits:

This is just about the coolest thing I’ve seen at a wedding.  Not only are the M&M’s personalized, they’ve got the couple’s portrait on them!

I don’t know who these two are, but I like their attitude:

The first dance was choreographed and quite elaborate.  Well done:

The father/daughter dance followed:

And then on to the general festivities of the evening:

Thanks very much, we enjoyed the day and are grateful you chose us to photograph it.

Here’s a slideshow with a few more photos included in addition to those above:

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You may have already seen the photo I posted the day after Mackenzie and Chris’ wedding.  That was a sneak peek.  Here’s the full post of my favorites from their day:

Detail from Mackenzie’s dress:

Playing tricks on the guys:

Chris gets dressed.  The cufflinks are from the University of North Carolina, his alma mater.

Chris and Mackenzie with their moms:

The guys leave the hotel and head to the church:

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a six pence in her shoe:

Mackenzie and her sister Melissa in the elevator as they leave the hotel for the church:

Mackenzie’s dad Mark and her step father Robert walked her down the aisle:

Caroline’s photo (below) of Chris watching Mackenzie walk down the aisle:

It was warm inside of Sacred Heart Church.  The program made a handy fan:

Chris’ parents Angela and Tim:

One of my favorite shots of the day:

Some portraits in the church:

A quiet moment in the limo on the way to Frick Park in Point Breeze for some portraits:

Mackenzie and Chris practice their first dance inside the tent on the patio at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts:

As they danced, I saw their reflection in the cake server and thought it looked pretty cool:

Guests were treated to some awesome refreshments during the cocktail hour:

The flower girls watched a video art installation upstairs at the PCA:

Practice made for a perfect first dance:

The toasts:

Rania’s Catering provided an awesome dinner:

Chris couldn’t wait to get his hands on the cake:

Chris’ uncle relaxes after dinner:

Cookie table!

Chris and his grandfather:

I’m pretty sure they were telling me that I’m the #1! photographer in Pittsburgh;-)

Jeremy Ganss made sure the dance floor was full.  It was such a pleasure working with the team that Mackenzie and Chris assembled.  Rania’s, Jeremy, and Joy Sato at the PCA are all top-notch professionals.

Chris grew up in West Virginia, so “Country Roads” became a big sing-along:

The last dance ended with a kiss:

Here’s a color image from the Walled Garden at Mellon Park:

I went into more detail in the prior post, but here’s the short version of the installation in the Walled Garden at Mellon Park.  The lighting is a representation of the skies above Pittsburgh on November 20, 1979.  That’s the day that Ann Seamans was born.  She died in a car accident in 1999.  New York artist Janet Zweig created the memorial artwork, entitled “7:11AM 11.20.1979 79°55′W 40°27′N.”

Here’s a photo of Electra, the star that Mackenzie and Chris sponsored:

It was a great day.  Thanks again for having us there, we enjoyed it immensely.

And finally, a slideshow with these images and more from the day:

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Jasmine Goldband joined the team to help cover the wedding and the reception which followed at The Grand Concourse.

We had a great time shooting this wedding.  Yvonne and Daniel are such a kind and gracious couple that it was easy to get caught up in their joy and excitement.  The pictures reflect that.

The wedding took place in the morning, so it was an early start to the day.  Yvonne had a 7 a.m. hair appointment at Charise’s Salon in Bethel Park:

Yvonne has her veil put on as her mom watches:

We got to the church early enough for Yvonne to give her matron of honor’s son Kenny a piano lesson:

Daniel (second from left) and the guys got ready in a room filled with portraits of former rectors of Trinity Cathedral (Jasmine’s photo):

Yvonne helped her bridesmaids put on their jewelery:

Then we headed through the basement so that Yvonne could remain unseen as she made her way to the back of the church:

Kenny entertained the girls with a dance while we waited for one of the church ladies to find a key:

Jasmine’s photo shows a beautiful moment of Daniel and Yvonne’s brother praying with Yvonne’s uncle Scott, who was also the officiant:

Yvonne waits to enter from the back of the church, while Daniel and the best man listen for their cue to enter from the front:

Yvonne’s dad cracks her up with a joke as they wait to walk down the aisle:

Yvonne gives flowers first to Daniel’s mom:

Then her mom (next two are Jasmine’s photos):

Caroline’s photo below of a really quick first kiss:

Jasmine had a nice angle from the side as we did some portraits in front of the great red doors at the front of the church:

I love the mix of white wedding dress, black tuxedo, red doors, and weathered stone:

The beautiful bride:

The handsome groom:

Jasmine’s shot from across the street by the Duquesne Club:

Yvonne and Daniel make their entrance into the Grand Concourse:

This little guy needed a nap before lunch:

Listening to the toasts:

Each guest received a small cake in one of these satin covered boxes.  Daniel told me that the embroidered characters say “Double Happiness.”  Two joined together are happier than one.

Guests were treated to a sumptuous lunch.  It’s my pleasure to work with some really first class professionals at venues around the area; Brian George at the Grand Concourse is one of the very best.  An event at the restaurant is a case study in ease, elegance, and efficiency.

Wedding bands on a half shell:

The desserts were unbelievable!

Daniel and Yvonne thanked their guests:

We set up a photo studio in a room just off of the main hall.  The guests had a great time with it.  Here are some of my favorites (Jasmine’s photos):

While the guests had some fun with the silly hats, we had another portrait session.  This is up on the second floor above Smithfield St.:

Thanks Yvonne and Daniel!

Here’s a slideshow with these and some other images from the day:

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Carrie reads a note from Jon:

Carrie designed her own earrings:

Carrie and her mom watch out of the back window of the house as the guests arrive:

Jon waits with Carrie’s brother before making his entrance:

Carrie and her mom wait in the atrium for the signal to head out to the garden:

Carrie and her mom walked down a path of flower petals:

Jon gets his first look at his bride:

Carrie’s brother officiated the ceremony:

Jon’s mom watched from the first row:

Carrie and Jon wrote their vows to each other.  They had them printed so that their guests could follow along:

Carrie’s mom watched the couple exchange vows:

A budding photographer:

Eskimo kisses!

Jon’s mom congratulates the happy couple:

The portrait session was cut a bit short by a rain storm, but we were still able to get some good shots in Springwood’s beautiful garden.  I especially like these ones:

Meanwhile, the staff gets some help cleaning up the flower petals:

The lovely bride:

…and the handsome groom:

Caroline’s shot of the toast, as Jon and Carrie stood on the stairway to the back porch:

The Three Rivers String Quartet provided music throughout the day:

The first dance:

Then on to the cake cutting:

Carrie’s brother said grace before dinner:

The punch in their glasses made this shot really pop:)

Dinner in the atrium:

The Steeler Nation apparently extends into South Carolina:

Carrie shows Jon’s mom photos of her family:

Looking over pictures of loved ones who have passed:

Meanwhile, Jon’s buddies had quite a bull session going on outside:

The things a young man can learn by listening to his elders.  I’m sure his mother shudders at the thought!

Carrie gave the centerpieces to Jon’s relatives:

Tired kids at the end of a wonderful day:

Thanks again for having us.  I am glad to have met all of you and to have been able to photograph this beautiful day.

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After nearly a year of construction, the new public art project in the walled garden at Mellon Park was unveiled last night.  It features fiber optic lighting in a pattern that mimics the stars above Pittsburgh on the evening of Ann Katharine Seamans‘ birth in 1979.  By a complete stroke of luck, the event coincided with Mackenzie and Chris’ wedding celebration being held at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.  The tie-in is that Mackenzie and Chris donated the star “Electra” to the project.  They were thrilled to see the garden lit up on their wedding night.

This was a pretty difficult shot to get.  I had been thinking about it since Chris and Mackenzie told me about it.  I stood on a wall for a higher angle and held a 1.3 second exposure on my Nikon D700 at ISO 6400 to get the stars.  Caroline stood off to the left with a radio slaved flash to illuminate the couple.  They were real troopers, standing still as I shot a bunch of photos adjusting the lighting and exposure.  Thanks!

Check back in a couple of weeks for the full blog post from the wedding.

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