Moonstone Manor Winter Engagement and Summer Wedding | Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania | Lancaster and York Wedding Photographer
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Shannon + Matthew | Longwood Gardens Winter Elopement | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
Victoria + CeeJay | Indian Echo Caverns Spooky Halloween Wedding | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
Aubrey + Trevor | Bellevue Hall Wedding | Delaware and Pennsylvania Photographer
Serenity + Tony | Weddings on Memory Lane | Hershey, Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
Serenity and Tony will be celebrating their 1-year anniversary this weekend, so I thought I would surprise them by sharing a few highlights from their fabulous wedding ceremony that took place last May. (You might remember them from their Longwood Gardens engagement session blog.) Weddings on Memory Lane - located in Hershey, Pennsylvania - was such an incredible backdrop for their celebration. Everything took place here, from getting ready through to the end of the reception, and the venue had the perfect locations for all of it!
I was attending a family wedding in North Carolina this day, but my team of associates took incredible care of Serenity and Tony and documented their day perfectly. (They photographed the wedding on my memory cards, and I edited all of the images to match my style.) I’m so fortunate to have a wonderful team to call on when needed, and couples that trust me to take care of them - in person or from afar.
Without any further hesitation, here is a selection of details (ridiculously stunning details!) and moments (crazy, sweet, emotional moments!) from Serenity and Tony’s Day #1. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the dream team responsible for making all of the magic happen!
Thank you to the following team who made their wedding day vision come to life!
Venue: Weddings on Memory Lane
Wedding Coordinator: Melanie Haldeman
Florist: Melanie Haldeman
Cake Artist: Jody Mack
DJ: Klock Entertainment - Wil Monestime
Hair Artist: Down Street Salon
Makeup Artist: Prism Beauty and Wellness, Sierra Hoke
Ceremony Dress Boutique: ASOS
Reception Dress Boutique: Lulus
Bride’s Shoes: Keds x Kate Spade Bridal Sneakers
Bridesmaid Dress Boutique: ASOS and Lulus
Tuxedo/Suit Boutique: Joseph A. Bank
Officiant: Kurt Gregory
DIY personal touches: cake stand/plate, triangle ceremony backdrop, aisle flower boxes, reception sweetheart table backdrop
Kaitlin + Haruki | The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel and Biltmore Estate Asheville Wedding | North and South Carolina Destination Wedding Photographer
Last spring, Kaitlin and Haruki had an intimate wedding ceremony surrounded by a small group of their family members and friends. (You might remember Ruki’s incredible surprise proposal that took place at the Biltomore Estate!) Like many other couples, due to COVID-19, their bigger celebration had to be postponed to a later date. Well, that celebration is finally happening next week and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of the highlights from their Day #1 as husband and wife.
Their wedding day was absolutely perfect. Their wedding party consisted of Haruki, Kaitlin, and Haruki’s two children. They are so lucky to have Kait as a bonus mom, and she is incredibly luck to call them hers. They were so overjoyed to officially become a family, as you will see from the selection of photos posted below.
Kait got ready at their home, while Ruki got ready at the Biltmore Forest Country Club. Right before the ceremony began at The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel, Ruki and his son had a first look with his daughter, and Kait shared a first look with her dad. The sun was shining brightly, and the tears were flowing! It really was a beautiful day all around - from the weather, to the emotions, to the absolutely stunning couple. Kait’s cathedral length veil (adorned with cherry blossoms to honor Ruki’s Japanese heritage) glistened beautifully against the bluebird skies and puffy clouds!
Haruki was speechless when his bride walked through the Glassy Chapel doors with her proud, adoring father. And Kait was equally elated to set her eyes upon her groom. Ruki’s mother read an incredibly touching poem from her late husband, and then Ruki and Kait exchanged vows and promises to each other and to their children. Their promises were sealed with a kiss - actually a few kisses!
Ruki, Kait, and I stopped at a few of their favorite spots at the Biltmore Estate for some couple’s portraits. Then, we headed to Posana in downtown Asheville for their reception. They reserved a private room at Posana, and it was decorated so beautifully. The hugs, laughs, and tears - lots of tears - continued at Posana. I’m sure their upcoming celebration at the Biltmore Forest Country Club will also be overflowing with love and fun, and I can’t wait! Congratulations again, Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura! See you soon!
Special thanks to this team for bringing Ruki and Kait’s vision to life:
Groom’s Getting Ready Location: Biltmore Forest Country Club
Bride’s Hair and Makeup Artist: Wink Salon
Bride’s Gown: BHLDN (Jenny by Jenny Yoo)
Bride’s Veil: Amsale
Bridesmaid’s Dress: David’s Bridal (Georgette Cascade)
Groomsman’s Tuxedo: Little Tuxedos
Harpist: Beste Toparlak
Officiant: Dr. Keith Black
Wedding Ceremony Venue: The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel
Portrait Location: The Biltmore Estate
Reception Location: Posana Restaurant
Videographer: Val Cinema
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Hope + Joseph | Intimate Four Seasons Philadelphia Elopement | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
This winter, I had the honor of documenting Hope and Joseph’s intimate Philadelphia elopement. Hope and Joseph are one of the many couples whose original wedding plans were impacted by the Covid pandemic.
Hope and I have had an online friendship for years, but we never actually met in person until her wedding day arrived! She is such a kind soul and has a positive, uplifting personality. Her spunk and smile are contagious! I was so happy to experience the love that she and Joseph have for each other. He absolutely adores her, and they both deserve so much joy and love. I only spent a few hours with them, but it’s obvious they have found that and much more in each other.
They had a first look, and then exchanged vows and wedding rings in their hotel room in the Four Seasons Philadelphia. Their room had the most amazing view of the city skyline! Next, we bundled up and met up with some of their dearest loved ones at Water Works for some family portraits. This day was blustery and downright cold, but they were such good sports through it all.
Thank you again for giving me this honor, Hope and Joseph! I know that you are enjoying life as husband and wife.
Here are a few of my favorites from our wintry afternoon together.
Monica + Micheal | Wind in the Willows Fall Wedding | Grantville, Pennsylvania Wedding and Portrait Photographer
This past fall, I was honored to spend my evening on the most popular wedding date of the year (10/10/2020) with Monica and Micheal. (Yes, that’s how his name is spelled - E before A.) I was originally booked with another couple on that date and turned down many additional inquiries, but their request came through at just the right time. Due to the Covid pandemic, my other couple decided to reschedule their celebration and I ended up being available! I am a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason - we just don’t always know what the reasons are right away. I guess I was meant to photograph this celebration!
I was actually quite nervous to shoot this wedding, as I had never spoken with the bride or groom ahead of time. Monica’s best friend was taking care of the planning for them, so all of my contact was with her via Instagram. In retrospect, I really need a friend like that in my life! Wedding planning is no joke (especially during 2020) and I bet that kind gesture relieved so much stress and anxiety for them, so they could just focus on their relationship.
I showed up at the Wind in the Willows venue that day ready for just about anything - and the day turned out to be more perfect than I ever imagined. When you see the photos, I’m sure you will agree. The venue was decorated in stunning simplicity, with red and white roses and bunches of eucalyptus. Some of my favorite moments were the emotional first look, when Micheal started singing to Monica during portraits, and the last few minutes we spent together capturing images (and fun memories) in the rowboat! We concluded our portraits just as we were gifted the most amazing golden hour sunset light.
Congratulations again, Monica and Micheal. I wish you a lifetime of love, laughter, and roadtrips together.
