Jen+Chris // Black Mountain Sanctuary Wedding

We love these guys, and there’s not a whole bunch left to say. We photographed their engagement session last year, and before that Jen was one of the first people to ever model for me when I first became a photographer. Jen and Chris are, in fact, some of the first people we ever met in North Carolina, and it’s an absolute honor to photograph their wedding all these years later. Plus, they have a cute dog. A real cute dog. He has one eye and is very good and his name is Gunner.

They got married at the Black Mountain Sanctuary near Asheville which is basically a woodsy forest venue that would be perfect for Hobbits and Hobbit-enthusiasts. Their bluegrass band played covers of both the ABCs and the Violent Femmes, so I’m not sure their range could be wider. It rained. A lot. The third wedding for us in a row. Schedules were drafted, then changed, then changed again, and then changed one more time. They postponed the ceremony just long enough for it to stop completely pouring so they could have their ceremony outside (it was definitely worth it). They modeled with umbrellas and an axe and a light-up pumpkin. Jen allowed me to fondly dub her “The Mud Princess” and everyone ate s’mores around a fire that I didn’t quite want to leave. It was a beautiful day and a lovely evening and everything about it screamed, “IT’S FALL, YOU GUYS!” and we were quite happy with the whole thing.

  • Date: October 10, 2015
  • Ceremony + Reception Venue: Black Mountain Sanctuary // Black Mountain, NC
    First Dance Song: “Hold You In My Arms” – Ray LaMontange
    Jen’s Occupation: Elementary School Teacher
    Chris’s Occupation: Emergency Medicine Resident
    Vendor Credits: Officiant – Reverend Seth | Band – The Bellevue Rhythmaires | Florist – Black Mountain Florist | Caterer – Luella’s BBQ | Coordinator – Sue Christainsen

Chelsey+Eric // Pittsburgh Wedding

Welcome to Part Two of our three part series of weddings where it rained every weekend in a row. We thought we might be able to escape the wrath of Hurricane Joaquin which was going to dump even more water onto North Carolina (where it had already been raining for a solid week) by fleeing to our northern homeland of Pennsylvania. We had a wedding the previous weekend that let us a bit damp, and we were hoping for dryer land in Pittsburgh. But alas! Joaquin outsmarted us and ended up hanging around there too, and our forecast was not looking good (a quite literal 100% chance of rain for several hours). And rain it did, hard, for quite a long time. This left Geoff and I pretty nervous because we had a 22 person wedding party and nowhere dry to put them.

But! Probably because we had literally no other options except putting 22 people under 22 umbrellas and hoping for the best, and because Mother Nature felt a bit badly for us, it miraculously cleared up about 10 minutes before photos started and our sanity was spared. And I’d like to thank Chelsey and Eric for being ridiculously good sports about the whole thing, and I’d also like to publicly give high praise and all the hugs to the best, most-listening, wonderful, controlled and well-behaved group of 20 wedding party members ever. It probably helped that you couldn’t drink for an early Catholic mass wedding, but we feel strongly that you had more self control than most groups of partying friends, and made what could’ve been very difficult very easy for us. We love you, 20 friends of Chelsey and Eric. Let it be known.

So here’s to our wonderful new wedding party friends, and to our “old” but trusted and lovely clients, Chelsey and Eric. Thank you for making things so easy on us.  And sorry again about making Chelsey wear the honey Burt’s Bees lip balm, Eric.

  • Date: October 3, 2015
  • Ceremony Venue: St. Vincent College // Pittsburgh, PA
  • Reception Venue: Hilton Garden Inn // Pittsburgh, PA
  • First Dance Song: “Then” – Brad Paisley
  • Chelsey’s Occupation: Marketing Manager
  • Eric’s Occupation: Middle School Math Teacher + Athletic Director
  • How You Met: While attending St. Vincent College.
  • Interesting Fact: As if he wasn’t nervous enough, Eric actually ripped the crotch of his khakis during the proposal.
  • Honeymoon: Caribbean over Thanksgiving
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant – Father Tom Curry | DJ – DJ Yelenix | Florist – Taunia’s Flowers by Design | Cake – Signature Desserts | Caterer – Hilton Garden Inn | Hair – Lori Dedola | Makeup – Mackenzie McDowell | Coordinator – Alex Jordan of Hilton Garden Inn | Linens: Party Reflections