Brandy+Andrew Get Married in Pittsburgh, PA

**Editing Note: After threatening to start doing this several months ago but never actually doing it, I am finally scaling down my post sizes. They reached a ridiculous 100-150+ pictures per wedding post a few weddings back, and I finally came to the painful realization that I have a culling problem. So starting now, I am attempting between 40-50 pictures per wedding post, and about 15 pictures per everything else. Basically, I want to put my very, very favorites of the wedding in the post instead of including everything little tiny thing so the rest of the world doesn’t start spacing out about halfway through the post. :) Don’t worry – this doesn’t involve cutting the number of actual pictures the client receives. Okay! End editing note.**

The sailors say, “Brandy! You’re a fine girl! (Such a fiiiiiine girl!) What a good wife you would be! (Such a fiiiiiine girl!)”

Brandy, our fine fine girl, now gets a chance to live up to everything the sailors apparently told her. But Andrew isn’t a sailor, so I think it’s going to work out just fine. :)

This was a very emotional wedding with the highest percentage of family crying pictures we’ve ever taken. They cried at the rehearsal. They cried at the rehearsal dinner. And continued crying all day (not pictured in this blog post: like, a bajillion more pictures of people crying). And I, as someone who does not cry at weddings, found myself tearing up on several occasions and thinking, “What are these people doing to me?” I think it might be contagious. Both of these families have a crazy, crazy love for each other that is just the sweetest thing, and they way they all came together for Brandy and Andrew was amazing. And what was even more amazing was that Brandy and Andrew hated each other when they first met… and it took a few months of hating, but slowly turned into that super embarrassing realization that you just may have a crush on that person you’re still trying to hate (although you don’t remember why). Thankfully they both realized that they came to that conclusion at the same time and everything ended up fine and now they’re married and it’s all good. Andrew can now pretend to like Harry Potter for Brandy’s sake, and Brandy has enthusiastically accepted all of Andrew’s crazy buddies.

We were so thrilled to shoot this wedding for them, and we’ve loved getting to know Andrew. Brandy and I were friends in high school and went through show choir and drama together for 3 years (she was a grade below me) and I was very honored to be asked to be her photographer and incredibly excited to meet Andrew, who is everything that I thought he would be (Brandy is perhaps the sweetest and nicest person ever, and she has found her equally sweet and nice counterpart with the exception of the disagreement on Harry Potter). Geoff and I are also super pumped to be reunited with Brandy, Andrew, and one half of these incredible families in September for Andrew’s sister Christina’s wedding (you may recognize her and Steven in a few of the shots). I’ll bring tissue holster for my belt this time.

 

First Dance Song: “Unchained Melody” – The Righteous Brothers

Bride’s Occupation: Faculty Services Representative for Person Publishing

Groom’s Occupation: Interior Engineer for Honda Research and Design Americas

How You Met: Working at a restaurant, Johnny Rockets

Interesting Bride Fact: Has a Harry Potter tattoo

Interesting Groom Fact: Played the trumpet as a kid

Honeymoon Destination: Cruise to Jamaica, Haiti, and Cozumel

Date: June 16, 2012 (happy birthday, Carolyn’s dad!)

Ceremony Venue: St. Joseph’s Parish // O’Hara Township, PA

Reception Venue: Syria Mosque // Cheswick, PA

Officiant: Father Thom Miller

DJ: Martin Morgan

Florist: Bridal Blooms

Cake: Moio’s Bakery

Caterer: Stratwood Catering

Hair: Chris Murdock

Videographer: Willow Productions

Christina+Steven’s Engagement Session on the North Shore in Pittsburgh, PA

I like these two a lot. They’re really, really silly and not afraid of their silliness. They’re also really fun and outgoing and not afraid of geese. Christina is Andrew’s striking older sister in a sibling trio who all have fantastic brown eyes (or at least 2 out of 3 since I haven’t met the oldest sister… but I’m assuming she also has awesome eyes). Steven is her partner-in-crime-and-silliness, who ironically warned me that Christina would photobomb all of the pictures, then proceeded to photobomb them all himself. :) They were set up by Christina’s sister who was Steven’s best friend in college. Their first date was bowling, where Christina crushed Steven’s score but not his heart (badum-ching!), and Christina has since moved back to Pittsburgh (from Philadelphia where she went to school) to be with him as they plan for their September wedding in the ‘Burgh. :)

We started off the session at the street corner where their first kiss took place, and ultimately their engagement (cute!). It looked awfully doomy and overcast, but by the time we got to the city it was all blue sky and fluffy clouds! I think these two are just a ray of sunshine on a Pittsburghy day. :)

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: Morgan+Jim

You know you’ve known someone for a long time when one of your past experiences with them involves going to see Oasis in concert.

Morgan was a few grades older than me, but close friends with my sister. It turns out that she was also close friends with Geoff’s sister at the same time in some weird Twilight Zone-y way. Anyway, I used to see a lot of Morgan until I got to the point where I would stop pestering my sister to hang out with her and her friends. :P They graduated, I graduated, etc (in closer proximity to Morgan’s younger sister Randi), and our relationship turned into Facebook friends, as so many relationships do these days. When she asked me to shoot the wedding of her and her fiance Jim back in Pittsburgh and about 10 minutes away from our hometown, I was very excited… excited to see her and her family again, and excited to meet Jim, because I was pretty sure he’d be pretty cool.

And of course he is (and I welcome another groom who has GREAT hair and excellent music taste), and of course they are, and of course their family and friends are. In fact, it was one of the coolest assemblies of people we’ve met in a long time. There were cats involved, an old family house, Tom’s wedding shoes, alleyways to shoot in that I’d never thought to visit even though I grew up ten minutes away, lots of Hall and Oates and Phil Collins, a videographer who used to be my band teacher, a Glen’s custard visit (a Springdale staple), and… perhaps best of all… a totally decked out Steelers bar who yelled at our newlyweds from across the street: “Hey, yinz guys come over here and we’ll give you a drink!” Of course, the drinks actually were accompanied by the owners and local bar residents blasting The Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” while playing along via jugband (i.e. banging whisks against beer bottles) in celebration of Morgan and Jim’s soon-to-be marriage. I’m not sure what could have been better, but upon wading through and editing their pictures later, I’ve determined that nothing could have been better.

First Dance Song: “Something” – The Beatles

Bride’s Occupation: Pricing Coordinator – GNC Corporate Headquarters

Groom’s Occupation: Project Administrator  – Siemens Energy // Soccer Coach

How You Met: Well, we were born in the same hospital 2 days apart and were in the nursery together – our families even visited with one another (her Mom and his Aunt were bffs in high school).  But we don’t really remember that.  25 years later our mutual friends unknowingly reunited/introduced us.

Interesting Bride Fact: 100% certified crazy cat lady, and avid bookworm

Interesting Groom Fact: Has an extremely extensive record collection, shuns most modern technology, and hopes to one day open a used book store so that he can go to work barefoot every day.

Date: November 19, 2011

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Springdale Veterans Association // Springdale, PA

Officiant: District Magistrate Carolyn Bengal

DJ: Craig Brown // DJ Goodtimes

Florist: Springdale Floral

Cake: Oakmont Bakery

Caterer: Patti Luffy // Ranieri Catering

Hair/Makeup: Ashlee Pici Seger // Ashley DeMasi Hair Salon

Videographer: Brian Querry // Querry Music Productions