This is so cool. Kirsten goes to England while pursuing her undergraduate degree. She likes it there and decides to go back to work on an advanced degree. While there she meets Dafyd and his buddy David at a pub. They hit it off, and the next thing you know Dafyd and Kirsten were at the Zion Lutheran Church in Coraopolis getting hitched!
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:
