Romantic Chadwick Wedding | Pittsburgh Wedding Photography

Hello Hello, everyone!

HBP BLOGS ARE BACK!

My goodness…it’s been a stressful few weeks!  NOT because of the TWO amazing weddings I had two weekends ago (both Pittsburgh weddings) but because of this website/blog transfer debacle.  Whewww.  If you’re reading this, it’s FINALLY done! YAY!  It’s actually a good thing I had these amazing weddings too because it reminded me not to sweat the small stuff, for real.  You’ll see why here soon!  They were weddings that will NEVER be forgotten!  I know I say that all the time because each couple is extremely special to me but these two weddings, back to back, reminded me of all the goodness in the world and in my life!  They were each unique in their own ways but both full of love, friends, and family!  You just wait and see…it was phenomenal!

Let’s start with Friday, September 21st, shall we?!  It was a beautiful and warm day with just a few clouds in the sky (I need to start it like a storybook…for good reason).  I had been waiting for this wedding for a while and this was also a new location and venue for me which always gets me excited!  Jenna covered this one as assistant and second shooter so I stopped at the venue -The Chadwick in Wexford, PA (just outside of Pittsburgh) – to meet up with her before we headed for the bride’s house.  The anticipation was KILLER!

Yep!! That’s right!  Susan and Chad are the star couple this blog and they tied the knot this day!! It was glorious!  I have SO MUCH to say about this one!  Are you ready?!  I hope so!! Let’s do it!  Jenna snapped this sweet and simple invitation shot for me!  It seemed fitting to start!

Then, I snapped these detail shots real quick.  Susan is simple and simply sweet.  There is no other way to describe her.  I absolutely love that her details were so classic and so “Susan” while she somehow managed to tie in some glamour too!  You know me…I’m all about the glitz and glamour and the more diamonds and rhinestones the better!  You know how they say, “Happy Wife, Happy Life?!”  It’s kind of the same thing for me…perfect details make a happy photographer which makes for outstanding photos!  Take a look and see!

Susan had very few requests and was a super easy bride to work with but requested a simple “getting ready” photo.  This was her idea not mine.  Chad later asked, “Did Susan get her bed photo?  Because I spent all morning trying to make that room perfect!”  I thought that so sweet and so hilarious at the same time.  I gotta admit…I do love this photo!  Their house also belongs in a magazine!

So, after that, we left Susan, her sister Jill, and her mom to finish getting ready.  Susan sent her engagement ring with me so I could pair it with the rings Chad had with him.  I had this fantastic shot in my head (most of you have seen it already), but I needed all three rings.  So, here’s a funny story that goes along with this.  You all know how I’m CRAZY about the thought of losing the rings, right?  Well, my anxiety spiked quite a bit when I was tasked with making sure her beautiful, diamond, engagement ring made it from her home to the venue.  Good grief.  I checked for those rings when she handed them to me.  I checked when I went out the door.  I checked when I put them in the car and then I checked again when we got there….only to realize I had left my camera behind.  I’m not even kidding.  You read that correctly.  The wedding photographer left her camera behind!  I called Susan to confirm it was, in fact, still at her house and then I whipped out my backup camera and off we went!  I mean…I take a backup in case something would happen to my primary camera or secondary camera – it malfunctions, gets broken, etc.  I never imagined I would ever need it because I quite literally left the other behind.  HA!  There’s a first for everything, I guess!  I’m happy to report the rings were not forgotten! 🙂

We walked into this beautifulness and I gasped!  So, while I shot the inside of the reception and got these beauties, Jenna was outside shooting her usual architectural photos and even caught one snap shot of their plaque.  She’s the best!

Then, thanks to Miss D (more about her later)…we finally found the men!  We captured some simple detail shots and then totally creeped while they finished getting ready!  I finally was able to combine all three rings too for an epic shot!

…and this shot below was SO worth it!  Susan arrived and I grabbed her purse.  When I saw her purse back at her house, I KNEW I needed this shot.  It’s a shot I’ve always wanted to create but I needed those three rings together, of course…and something glitzy, like her purse.   I also got my camera back! YAY!  That’s quite a story…the bride had to bring the photographer her camera! HA!  I have no shame…better the camera than the rings, right?!

But really…isn’t this STUNNING?!  I’m going to bust out my old purse from my wedding and take a ring shot like this too!

Now, for some getting ready shots!  I had warned Susan earlier in the week that most weddings run behind.  Wellllll, we were running a wee bit more than behind this day.  We were running one hour and fourteen minutes behind (to be exact) and I’m 100% positive I had my nervous “t-rex hands” activated.  We quickly…very quickly…got Susan ready!  Running behind didn’t mean we had to miss these beautiful shots though!

While I was getting those shots real quick, Jenna was setting up Chad for the first look!  I got a fun behind the scenes shot of her prepping him and explaining what was about to happen.  Check back at the end of the year!  This year’s wedding photography behind the scenes and outtakes blogs are going to ROCK!  I can’t wait!

It was a sweet and simple first look…which fit right in with the rest of the day!  You know, Susan and Chad are one of those couples I’d really like to see in a regular environment because they’re just so calm and laid back when I’m around.  I’m not a betting woman, but I’m not positive they’re always like that…I mean…they ARE into Crossfit and I know there’s nothing simple about that workout! Goodness!  Speaking of that, do you remember their engagement session?  You can see it here.  They’re another one of my social media couples…who met via the IG hashtag #nodaysoff .  That’s a true statement!  It’s so crazy how people meet!

I don’t know why but I LOVE this photo!  It’s stunning and fierce and compliments of Jenna (I have no idea where I was at this time…probably calming my t-rex hands so we could go into formal photos).

Weeeeeee!!! I had forgotten how easy they were to photograph and how great they looked on camera!

I’m telling you…piece of cake!

These are a mix of Jenna and my photos.  She’s a lot like Kari and tends to shoot closer and fills the frame more!

The videographers stole my idea and hid in the bushes first! HA!  I followed right along with them!  I love these so much!

Then, it was time for some individuals.  Chad was dressed to impress.  We all made a collective and executive decision to ditch the boutonnieres at the last minute.  There is a first time for everything, right?!  Honestly, I preferred the men dressed without them.  There was so much magazine worthy goodness going on…we didn’t need any additions.  Top photo (below) compliments of Jenna and I’m pretty sure it belongs in an ad!

Then, we photographed the beautiful bride!

…and took about 100 too many! HA!  You can NEVER have too many though, right?!  Shoutout to Jenna for always remembering to take a close up of the bouquet!

We did some veil throwing too.  Susan said, “This is fun!  I always wondered how you did that!”.  I didn’t even have to photoshop Jenna’s hands out this time either!! We nailed it!

Then, it was time for family photos.  I want you all to really appreciate this day right along with us.  There was so much love at this wedding…genuine love.  Please see these photos below as proof…Chad could NOT get away from the love!  Hugs and kisses for the groom…from everyone!  This is just a teeny, tiny, little snippet of what was going on…the bride’s side…the groom’s side…we were even feeling the love from all the people surrounding us!  That’s not something that can be made up.  These people were sincere and amazing and a joy to spend the day with!

After family photos, we photographed the gals!

I love Susan so much.  I am someone who gets caught laughing and making faces…she’s the same!  I told them to do the “Ha, Ha, Haaa” pose and Bri, Chad’s sister, gave us all a GREAT laugh!

Now, check out this beautiful and sweet bridal party!  They’re looking GOOD!  We were having fun even though we were rushing.  This photographer has nothing but great things to say about this group!

So, I always ask the guys to do the “GQ Shot”.  I REALLY thought these guys would just throw out something epic and I’d barely have time to catch it.  Butttt….*crickets*  This was the reaction I got! HA!  I can’t even stop giggling.  I would have bet money these three would have given me something show stopping…Nope.  Not this time.  SOoooOooo….

We luckily had a super, handy, family member to save the day!  He was standing off to the side and overheard my request.  He did not miss a beat jumping right in there to get these guys into position.  I loved it so much!  Look at the reactions on the guys’ faces…I can’t stop giggling.  They probably hated me so much in that moment!

BUT LOOK!  It worked!  I’m telling you…they didn’t need the flowers.  They were so very well put together.  Those tuxes (or are they suits?  I never know) fit them like a glove (which I hear was NOT the case when they first came in..whomp whomp).  Nonetheless, once this day rolled around…they looked great!

Then, it was time for the ceremony.  I had already had plenty of time to interact with Susan and Chad’s immediate family.  I knew we were surrounded by amazing individuals…then, I walked out to get ready for the ceremony.  Holy Moly!  You know…we notice things at weddings since we do them over and over again…weekend after weekend.  We can usually tell if the families are close.  We can usually tell if they’ve met prior to this big day or if this is the first time.  We can usually peg what kind of reception it will be and what kind of party to expect.  I was honestly a little confused and in a good way.  You may recall from their engagement blog, Susan is from Pittsburgh and Chad is from North Carolina.  As a result, their families don’t live close and I could only assume many had not met prior to this day.  Heck, I do believe some even came from Florida!  So, I’m standing around with Jenna and the videographers and I’m just observing.  I already recognized some of the family groupings but then I noticed lots of people shaking hands, lots of “nice to meet yous”, lots of smiles, and lots of love.  At MOST weddings, people simply take their seats quietly before the ceremony and wait for the reception for introductions.  NOT AT THIS WEDDING.  Nope.  Chad’s family was eager to get to know Susan’s family and Susan’s family was eager to get to know Chad’s relatives.  I’m so happy I could blog this too because Chad and Susan didn’t get to experience this as they were “backstage” getting ready to walk for the ceremony.  I got all the warm fuzzies watching the beginning of this ceremony unfold.  It was one, big, happy family coming together right before our eyes!  When they say it isn’t just the bride and groom who unite at a wedding but family also…THIS was the wedding that should be pictured next to that statement.

…and now that I’ve rambled about all the good vibes I was feeling this day, let’s look at the ceremony!

Here comes the bride escorted by her sweet father!

I went shoulder to shoulder with the videographer so we both could get the shots we needed!

It was short and sweet and they were pronounced husband and wife!  I should mention they wrote their own vows too which doesn’t seem to be as popular as it used to be!  The vows were perfect!  Jenna said she was getting “misty”…at least, I think this was the point in the day she said that!  I really couldn’t tell you for sure because it just kept happening to us and we’re not typically “misty” people! HA!

Mr. & Mrs. Watson!

I gently insisted we do just a few more bride and groom shots since we were running behind earlier in the day.  I’m so glad we did!  I also knew how important it was to the couple that they be able to enjoy cocktail hour with their guests…so we made it snappy.  It was hot and humid as you know what too.  Chad had to have been dying in that tux/suit!  He didn’t complain!  These are all a combination of Jenna and my shots!

I really loved this brick wall.  Because of the time allotted and the bright, hot sun…we were limited so we got creative!  The attire chosen for this wedding was perfection too.  Susan and Chad did well!  His tux (or suit…seriously…what is it?!) fit him like a glove and the colors were paired amazingly.  Susan’s dress?  It was perfect!  I’ll tell you a little secret too.  When we did their engagement session, she said she wasn’t getting crazy with the dress.  It made sense because she’s a simple gal with a gentle personality (which I later learned during speeches may NOT always be the case) so having a simple dress without a lot of fluff (pun intended) made sense.  THEN, she tells me she’s just going to get it off Amazon “or something”.  Ummmmmm.  No.  NO. NO. NO.  I mean…I’ve gotten some clothes off Amazon BUT A WEDDING DRESS?!  Get out of town!  She giggled.  I didn’t push the issue.  I then come to find out that her Amazon dress from overseas wasn’t so great so she ended up getting this beautiful (and perfect) dress from a local salon anyway.  YAY!  Happy photographer and all that jazz!  This dress was simply perfect and even more perfect for her.  It had just enough pizazz to make it very bridal without being “too much”.  It was Susan.  It was perfect…and it was really short…because she’s a tiny but mighty little thing!

OooOooO the love!  I’m really hoping their video gets music put over it…I wasn’t quiet about these moments because I was just so excited!  I always tell the videographers to give me the universal “zip it” sign when I need to keep cool.  They didn’t so I assume we’re in the clear!

Jenna was brilliant and shot from the back while I shot from the side!!! EEEEEKKKKK!

We also did the necessary HBP walk and snuggle because every wedding requires it!

I always try and catch my couples off guard with the dip because it always looks so great when they don’t think about it.  During the snuggle part of the walk, I told Chad to dip her.  Because of their positions, the dip went the wrong way so I had them redo.  Then, I came home to find out I did, in fact, prefer the reverse dip because it’s perfect.  It displays their personalities and love and I just love it so much! SO MUCH!

See what I mean? This (below) is your standard dip and it was executed perfectly.  I like the one above better though.  You vote!! What do you think?!

So, after about 10 minutes of formal photos, we sent the couple off to cocktail hour while we went in and shot some last minute reception details.  This was my kind of wedding – a ballroom, fancy chairs, and elegance…YESSSSSSS!

Then, we headed over to see what was going on at cocktail hour.  My goodness…the love was STILL spewing from this tiny area.  The “nice to meets yous” kept on coming so we stood back and documented everything.  Guests were even talking to us!  At one point, I was looking for Jenna to confirm we got everything we needed before the reception started.  She was “lost” in genuine conversation with some of the guests who approached her…just to chat.  It’s amazing when stuff like this happens because people do NOT have to talk to us.  We’ve been hired to do a job and we take that very seriously.  It warms our hearts to no end when we get enveloped in conversations and genuine love.  I just love to be a part of it and it reminds me every day not sweat the small stuff and just pay attention to real life situations like this.  The world isn’t such a bad place after all when you pay close attention.

I mean…there was dancing…at cocktail hour!  The DJ even mentioned later he was surprised when Susan and Chad wanted to choose the cocktail hour music but admitted they know their family and friends well…people couldn’t wait to get the party started.  This wasn’t a “lets get this crazy party started” feel either.  Nope.  This was more like a “now that we have gotten to know each other better…let’s celebrate” feel!  I hope that makes sense!  I’m trying to give you a real life glimpse into what was happening.  Did I also mention how GREAT everyone was dressed?!  I need to up my game at weddings if I ever get to be a guest again! HA!  For real!

As mentioned earlier, Susan and Chad are all about fitness – eating right, drinking right (more on that later), working out, plus their family and friends…including their “gym friends”.  Like I said, there weren’t very many “must have” photos on the extras list but this was another one (and I think the only other one if I recall correctly).  They wanted a photo with all their gym friends!  Being surrounded by these people reminded me why I need to get back to pilates and lifting…for real!  Not only are they in great shape, you could tell they were mentally happy too!  I know that feeling and it’s amazing…I need to get my butt back in gear!

After that photo, we headed into the reception.  DJ Kool Breeze killed it with introductions!  I’d never worked with him before so I didn’t know what to expect!! He gets right in there with the crowd and it was an approach like I’ve never seen before.  He nailed it.  You’ll see more later!

Susan and Chad hired us to be there for about half the reception.  Sometimes that is worrisome because I want all my couples to have the important memories documented before we leave.  Then, I found out they planned the perfect reception timeline for us!  YAY!!  I bet Dana (or Miss D) of The Chadwick also had a hand in this.  She’s AMAZING!   If you didn’t see my live video on Facebook this day, go check it out!  I spotlighted her for a minute and she deserves ALL the praise!  Check out the happiness during their first dance.

This was one of those weddings I struggled what to blog and not blog. There was just so much amazingness going on this night so it was hard to narrow it down.  As if I didn’t already have the warm fuzzies, these “first dances” gave me chills.  Susan and Chad had a sweet, intimate, first dance and then Chad and his mom mixed it up and added some fancy steps into the mix!  Look at that mother/son love.  This was one of those weddings I kept thinking, “That’ll be Jack and I one day!”…and I teared up just a tad.

Then, Susan and her dad had an emotional first dance.  Father/daughter love and all that!  I KNOW this was a moment Jenna teared up (or as she called it..”misty”).  We couldn’t help it!

There were some epic speeches going on too after those dances and Susan will probably kill me for this.  The girl gets caught with epic facial expressions…I can relate, as well!  She’s so full of spunk and life and I was cracking up right along with her!  Seriously, this day could not have gotten any better at this point.  I couldn’t stop laughing with them…smiling with them…I probably looked like a crazy photographer to people who didn’t know me!

There was some kind of funny joke going on her about having the upper hand.  I loved it!  I wish I could remember it!

Susan and Chad were kind enough to seat all of us vendors together at our own table.  It doesn’t always happen and we definitely don’t require it (and sometimes its easier to eat and run anyway).  We’re really just happy to get a bite, but at this wedding, we had a good chunk of time to sit and learn a lot about each other at this wedding…DJs, photographers, and videographers.  Susan even came over to make sure we were being treated well.  I kid you not.  The bride was worried about us!  She didn’t have to be…but she was and that was so sweet (Miss D came to check on us too)!  We were totally happy by ourselves and mingling (complete with conversations about our kids and the catchiness of Frozen and Moana tunes).  I even found out the fancy water I saw at the DJs table was actually a gift from Susan and Chad!  Earlier, I said, “Boy.  They’re serious about their water [the DJs]”.  Apparently, the couple had a conversation with the DJs pat prior consultations about the power of “perfect water”.  Apparently, perfect water exists with perfect alkalinity and they purchased some for the DJs (which made sense later when I saw DJ Kool Breeze sweating it out on the dance floor).  If I haven’t said it before, Chad and Susan are one of a kind.  They love and give with all their hearts.  I had a glimpse of this from chatting with them on the phone, meeting them at their engagement session, following them on IG, and then spending time with their family and friends…but this day and night sealed the deal.  They’re amazing people!

I also want to talk about their guest list again.  There were people from all walks of life.  It did NOT matter your age, place of residence, background, the date you brought, whether you were a friend or family member of the bride or groom, etc.  I could go on and on.  All that mattered to all of these amazing human beings was being present and celebrating the marriage of Susan and Chad.  You could see it clearly.  Tables had dispersed and families were mixing.  Conversations were happening and laughter was loud.  The DJ had mentioned he wasn’t sure how he was going to get everyone on the dance floor because the couple had opted for a less traditional approach.  We later learned he didn’t need to worry.  The guests took it into their own hands and got out there before the DJ even started the “official” dance music.  Check out these photos.  This is just a very small snippet of what we took.  Can you just imagine?!  It was magical.  If you ever had a bad day or wondered what this world was coming to, you needed to be here.  EVERYONE needed to be here.  It was unlike any night I’ve ever been a part of and I wish I could go back and do it all over again!  You just don’t find a better group of people than this and Jenna and I stood in the parking lot after it was all over and talked about it.  High fives go out to everyone present that night – bride, groom, bridal party, family, friends and vendors!  GREAT JOB!  WELL DONE!

Ok…back to the blog!  I got a little sappy there, didn’t I?!  I can’t help it!  So, as I mentioned, one of the DJs was so impressed with how people just got right out there to dance.  So, imagine my SURPRISE when he kicked everyone off the dance floor.  HE DID!  WHAT?!  I’m thinking, “BUDDY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”  I mean, I’m pretty sure he literally told them he was kicking them off the dance floor and asked them to sit down.  I thought, “Oooo no.  No.  No. No. NO!  Here we go!”.  I didn’t think the “here we go” was going to be a good thing either.  Jenna and I were giving each other crazy side eye too.  Then, he started taking his jacket off.  Ooo no.  What the heck is happening?! MAYDAY…MAYDAY!

But then…he got REAL creative and SOMEHOW managed to get almost every single guest who was able onto the dance floor.  WHAT?!  I mean…WHAT?!  He’s a clever one, I tell ya!  I’d never seen this approach (and I know he came up with it off the top of is head because we had talked about it earlier when we were eating).  Check it out!

So, after he got the dance floor packed…he opened it back up for some fun dancing!  We got a fun photo of it too.  It was so packed I had to get up on a chair with my wide angle lens up against the wall and I STILL couldn’t quite get everyone into the frame.  CRAZINESS!

So, back to him originally kicking everyone off the dance floor.  This fine lady (below) was having a great time when he kicked everyone off initially and gave him a hard time when he did it (he deserved it).  He promised her he would make it up to her and he would owe her a dance and he owned up to it!  I mean, DJ Kool Breeze has some moves.  He went and found her and gave her the dance she deserved and she kept right up with him.  I was loving it.  Had he done that to me?  I would have landed on my butt after tripping over my two left feet…for real!  He even managed to emcee WHILE keeping up with her.  WHAT?!  I mean…WHAT?!  WHAT IN THE WHAT?!

SO.MUCH.DANCING.

Then, he slowed it down for a minute for the anniversary dance.  Chad’s grandparents won with I THINK…57 years of marriage.  Goodness.  It was special and you can just feel the love in this photo, right?!  No time for the smile and say cheese photo (even though I did insist and got it).  I had to share this one instead…because there’s love and happiness pouring out of it.  Do you feel it?!  If you don’t feel it yet, well…go back and reread again! HA!

Seriously…SO.MUCH.DANCING.  SO.MUCH.FUN.

THEN, he kicked everyone off the dance floor…AGAIN.  I was thinking this time, “Buddy.  You already did this once.  ARE YOU NUTS?!”  Nope.  He’s not nuts.  He’s a talented fella, I tell ya.  Susan and Chad had no idea what was happening either.  He asked Susan and Chad to come up first by themselves.  They looked at me and asked if I had any idea what was about to happen.  I did not.  Then, he told Susan and Chad to pick the person out of all their family and friends who would be the best partier…the craziest…the one known for having a good time and getting all worked up!  It took them a minute.  I would have been nervous too.  MAYDAY MAYDAY.  I saw this turning bad real fast.  Nope.  That’s not what happened though.

THE CONGA LINE!

Seriously…HE’S SO CLEVER that DJ Kool Breeze.  He had a guys vs. gals conga line challenge.  You had to go around and grab all the guys (or all the gals …depending on the line you were assigned).  I’ve never before seen anything like this in my life…and I’ve been to a lot of weddings – both working and as a guest.  Seriously…HOW CLEVER!

So, once again…we went from a packed dance floor to an empty dance floor back to a PACKED dance floor once more.  Seriously, how does this even happen!?  I didn’t see it coming and literally got trapped in the center of it all.  I was literally surrounded by goodness and fun!

Seriously, I was not kidding.  Check it out!  Look at everyone’s faces!  They’re squashed on that dance floor!

Here we are…trapped in the middle!  Look at his cocky expression…he knows.   He knows he’s good at what he does.  I’d like to title this the…”I told you so” salute!  Don’t mind me being out of focus…this wasn’t a planned shot but I knew it needed to be documented!  It was a spur of the moment decision to take this! HA!

DJ Larry was over there holding down the fort and keeping the tunes coming.  They’re quite the team.  Also pictured…the “perfect water”.

Boy are we pasty…HA!  Goodness!  We were having a blast though!  This is probably the time to admit I was recovering from the flu or some kind of crazy bug.  Less than 24 hours prior to this day, I was running a high temp and in bed hoping…and hoping…and hoping…I’d feel ok for this wedding.  I wasn’t 100% but the atmosphere got my adrenaline pumping and it was easy to forget I felt yucky all week leading up to my double header weekend.  I was so sick at one point I meant to text Jenna and I texted my Saturday bride instead accidentally.  I usually NEVER tell them if I’m feeling down because I don’t want them to worry (but I blog about it here later).  I obviously let the cat out of the bag when I texted the wrong person…oops.  OooO well!! It all worked out!! I always tell my couples I would literally have to be trapped in a hospital bed to miss a wedding.  Luckily, I was definitely on the mend by Friday morning for this wedding…even if my complexion doesn’t say so! HA!

THEN, after DJ Kool Breeze got everyone on the dance floor.  He trapped them.  Literally.  How many times can I say, “He’s so clever!” in one blog?!  Apparently, A LOT…because it’s true.  So, he trapped everyone on the dance floor.  What do I mean by that?  He awarded a point to the winning team for the conga line (I think the gals but can’t confirm because there was so much going on I was focused on one thing and one thing only…trying to FOCUS and get these memories documented).  He then gave the other team a chance to redeem themselves with a good, old fashioned, DANCE OFF…with a twist.  If you left the dance floor at this time, you forfeited a point.  That’s right.  You couldn’t leave or you lost a point for your team and he WAS serious and keeping an eye out.  He was going to choose who would dance off too…and if you refused to dance…you forfeited a point.  OooOOo man…OooOO man.  There was pushing…there was hiding…and he didn’t let them get away with it.  Nope…he chose the people who were hiding and pushing their friends forward.  He didn’t cut them any slack.  So many thoughts were going through my head this point…”This is risky.”…”What if this doesn’t work?”…”What if people get mad?”.  I’m not sure why I had those thoughts though.  I’d already spent the day with this group…I knew better.  I did!  So, he chose people…DJ Larry dropped the beat and HOLLLLYYYYYYY CRAP.  People didn’t hold back.  OMG!  I mean really…the dance moves…FOR REAL!

I’m serious…they did not hold back.  It did not matter who you were or who you were dancing against…you gave it your all on this dance floor with no shame!  I love looking back on this so much!! I hope Susan and Chad do too!  It was unlike any reception we’ve ever photographed (or any reception I’ve ever attended for that matter).

We had already overstayed…I mean..we weren’t about to leave when a dance off was being executed.  So, we caught the bride and groom facing off against one another and then called it a night.  It was epic.  It was amazing.  It was a wedding I wish every person could have attended.  I look back on last year when Susan and I first chatted on the phone about me potentially being her wedding photographer and can’t believe it’s all said and done now.  This is one of those weddings it makes me sad it’s over already.  I could spend every day with these amazing individuals.  She joked about already planning an anniversary party… I do hope it happens.  I’m inviting myself!  I want to do it allllllllllllll over again!! We all deserve it! HA!  It was JUST.SO.AMAZING!  Thank you to Susan, Chad, all of their family and friends for being so amazing and letting us a be a part of this outstanding day and night!

CONGRATS TO THE WATSONS AND THEIR NEW FAMILIES!

OOooooO and while I’m at it, remember Miss D?  She’s the coordinator I mentioned earlier?  Chad and Susan heard nothing but great things about her from friends who had used her services in the past.  They specifically asked for her when planning their own wedding.  Well, she deserves all the praise in the world.  I was walking over to get a new battery and saw this moment occurring in the corner.  Yes.  That’s Miss D holding the groom’s hand with genuine love and care on her face.  You gotta remember…we do this all the time.  As wedding vendors, we meet brides and grooms and couples all the time and we attend countless weddings over and over again.  It is our job…but some of us take it to the next level…like Miss D.  You can tell from this photo, Chad’s not just any groom to her…she cares.  It’s important to note she was just as amazing to us – the outside vendors .  As soon as we arrived, it’s like she had vendor radar on.  She knew we were there.  She immediately greeted us kindly…showed us around…let us know if we needed ANYTHING…to let her know if we thought of anything.  She’s definitely my kind of woman…organized and ON THE BALL…and she cares for her couples deeply…just like I do.  I’m so sappy this blog, I’m sorry but not sorry…this was just so amazing…location, decor, people, love…it had it all!  WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!  I’m still on cloud nine!

Ok.  For real.  I’m done now! Whewwwww!  I’m so glad this was my first couple to be posted on my new blog.  I am NOT a creature of change so using a new and more complicated blog site was stressful…but it was easy to forget all that when I had an amazing wedding to blab about! YAY!

One more big CONGRATS to the Watsons!

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Of course, a HUGE shoutout needs to go out to this amazing vendor dream team!!

*HIGH FIVES TO EVERYONE INVOLVED*

We rocked it if I do say so myself! HA!

Bride’s Gown – Alfred Angelo from This Magic Moment

Bridesmaids’ Gowns – Lulus

Mens’ Attire – Men’s Wearhouse

Bride’s Shoes – Material Girl (From Macy’s)

Jewelry/Rings – Earrings – Eliot Danori  Rings – Noah Gabriel & Co.

Hair – Jen – Creations Hair Studio

Makeup – Jennifer Albertini with MaryKay for Makeup <— and she has THE BEST MaryKay car!

Wedding Coordinator – Miss D (Dana) from The Chadwick

Venue – The Chadwick in Wexford, PA

Videographer – Matt and Angelo of Dana Lynn Photography

Cake – Lincoln Bakery

DJ – DJ Kool Breeze and DJ Larry of 2nd II None Productions

Catering – The Chadwick <— BEST wedding food we’ve had in a long time!

Save the Dates/Invitations – Costco

Officiant – Reverend Robinson