Whisper Hollow Homestead Wedding | Madison + Zach

Hello, everyone! Just four more weddings after this one so let’s soak all the wedding goodness up! I feel like we have a good bit of new viewers and readers so it’s probably time I explain again what’s going to happen here. The Hannah Barlow Photography blogs aren’t your traditional or “normal” blogs you might see photographers post! Nope! I was told years ago (so much I got sick of hearing it) to only post “the best parts of the day and your perfect photos that match the exact aesthetic you want to book”…well, I feel that’s NONSENSE. RIGHT?! Yep! That’s how I felt then and still now ten years later…SOOOooOoO here on these blogs, every single wedding I do gets posted if the couple desires it. Yep! AND I’m going to show you highlights of the whole day…not just the pretty couple portraits. SO, if you didn’t attend a wedding, you can feel like you were there…and if you did attend a wedding, you get to relive it!

So, that’s how it works! I’m a walking typo with all kinds of energy so if you know me…be sure to read this in your best Hannah voice! Madison and Zach’s blog is live now! ENJOY!

Now, let’s start it off like I usually do in 3…2…1…Let’s do this!

We were up north of Pittsburgh again two weekends ago. I jam packed this gallery with 10 hours of coverage so it took me some extra days to get it done! Madison and Zachary (Zach) took us up to a new venue – Whisper Hollow Homestead! I had sneaked a peek on their website and just KNEW we were going to love it! So, without further ado…please give these two your warmest (it was sure warm that day) Hannah Barlow Photography welcome and ENJOY! The new Mr. & Mrs. Smith, everyone!

Becca and I were up bright and early to make the hour and a half drive up to where the ladies were getting ready! As we always do on wedding days, we tag teamed the details AND the getting ready portion of the day.

It’s not a wedding morning without some hair and makeup madness!

Madison had reacted to one of my prior ring photos from a different wedding and I made a mental note to try and stand her rings up to make the shot happen for her…and in many different ways. Lucky for me, the rings were the perfect size and it didn’t take much encouragement to get them to stand on their own with no secret hacks or assistance from me!

I love that these two moments happened separately but are very much a similar experience and feel! The plan was for the bridal party to go on the bus and for Madison (that’s right…the bride) to go with us! It was quite hectic but we got out just ten minutes late! I was gonna drag her out if I had to! HA! It was actually a really enjoyable ride and I’d like to do it over again! I can’t explain it…but we were having lunch, chatting, gossiping about weddings, getting a plan for the day…you name it. We were doing it JUST like we always do BUT with a bride in the back seat…and it didn’t feel like a bride in the backseat. It felt like a friend on a road trip with us!

Once we arrived to the venue, we were welcomed by the owners (Hi, Shirley and Rich!) AND it was time for that first look!

Madison told me she’d be a total “mess” but I never expected everyone in this group to be so emotional…in a GREAT way! Happy tears for hourssssss! There was a super sweet Dad first look too but I’m opting to keep those moments private.

I MEAN! At this point, I can’t even tell you which ones are Becca’s photos and which ones are mine and that’s a GREAT thing!! If you could only see all the angles and moments we got in their gallery…but alas, I must keep it as short as Hannah possible.

It’s become a new trend of mine to have the couple exchange rings after their first look so they’ll have them on for their photos but Madison and Zach took it to a whole new level and showed them off for a photo op!

Ok. OK! I don’t normally ever love black and white (color my heart…I LOVE color all the time) BUTTTTT there is something deep and bold and stunning about the black and white photos for this wedding. Yes?! What do you think!?

Just a few more barn photos and then you know what’s next…FIELD TRIP! To the dead stuff!

Then, you absolutely know where we went if you know me at all…YOU KNOW! We took that little field trip to the top of the hill for the BEAUTIFUL dead stuff! It just keeps giving us GRANDNESS! I may also be becoming a wee bit obsessed as I furiously have been texting brides to convince their farmer dads NOT to brush hog the fields next year!

I thought we may have to go far for this kind of beauty…nope! It was right up the hill from the barn! The amazing thing I learned about Whisper Hollow is that we don’t have to go far for lots of variety in our photos!

Then, it was time for bridal party! It’s a big group and they didn’t disappoint either!

I am HERE for all this color this fall!!!

If you saw my Instagram stories with me laying on the ground, this is the photo we were going for. Madison had seen it online and wanted to re-create it. You know I will always agree to give my couples what they ask for…BUT later…they asked Becca to lay on the ground on the dance floor at the reception. I was cracking up when she came to me and I laughed and said “absolutely not”. HA! I can’t imagine laying on the ground under a bunch of people with alcoholic drinks in their hands…I don’t knowwwwwwww. What do you think?! Should I have gone for it?! I’m the only one allowed to do the crazy things!

Back to the story! Here are the littles! They rocked it!

Some more bridal party! We were killing’ it with all the photos and time!

Then, of course…bride and groom solo formals AND MORE couple portraits! I kept checking my watch…and time was actually going slow. That NEVER happens! SO, more photos for everyone!

AND SOME MORE!

Then, before the ceremony, I got to photograph inside the barn! Shoutout to Erin (Plans for Perfection) for clearing everyone out for the ceremony. I then got to run up and get a “clean” photo of the inside of the barn while everyone went to the ceremony space!

Lakeside photos of Whisper Hollow Homestead’s ceremony space. If I’m being honest, I took these FIRST and then the above shot of the table and chairs later…but whose counting or paying attention?! I like my blogs to go in chronological order. Can you tell?!

Time for the ceremony!! This one was HOT…and I don’t know why it felt so hot. I’ve bene doing unGodly hot weddings ALLLLLL summer. The numbers on the thermometer weren’t as high this day…but man…I got dizzy at one point. Becca got dizzy later…May Day! MAY DAY! HA! We survived…with photos to prove it! Was anyone else feeling it?!

It sure was beautiful and peaceful in it’s own way. I also had to sneak Dawn in there because I love when she does my weddings!

2024 has been THE YEAR for the post ceremony dip!

We got through family formals which are arguably one of the toughest parts of the day simply because of the sheer amount of photos and people we have to squeeze into a small (and warm) part of the day. BUT…we did it…and then…you know it…MORE COUPLE PORTRAITS! I bet they were so sick of me at this point but I THRIVE on a new venue. It’s a fresh canvas and I was alllll the opportunities! And thanks to these two, I now know so many great places I can go if I ever go back!

More black and white photos doing their THING!

Then, I HAD to let them go and rest for a bit before reception things got under way!

Entrance dips, first dances…cake cutting AND speeches and blessing were a part of the beginning of the evening!

Then, after dinner (which was delicious, by the way)…we had parent dances!

THENNNNNNN…OooOO my goodness ME! FINALLY!!!! We didn’t table race…nope…we got to do the photo bomb trend! FINALLY! I’ve been seeing it for so long and I finally got to do it! YAY!

So, what’s the photo bomb trend? Well, instead of US going table to table…the guests come to us! AND this group got SOOOOOO into it! It was SO fun!

They actually got SO into it that we had to extend to two songs. Shout out to DJ Cruz (he was amazing) for keeping this going! My photo collage software wouldn’t even let me put them all together so here’s the second set! With the couple’s permission, I am happy to share your photo bomb photo.

Email me at info@hannahbarlowphoto.com and please give me a good description of your photo since I don’t know you all!

Then, they got right down to traditional reception shenanigans!

We did take a brief pause in all that dancing to get some dreamy GOLDEN (you can’t really get more golden than this) hour photos. Becca was with me and the last time she was with me doing golden hour photos…she smoked me in a GREAT way. Well, it wasn’t a fluke because she did it again and took so many of these and all while I was doing the silhouette photo…she kept on with the photos too!

It was on our way back to the barn that I learned I don’t ever want to play Madison in corn hole!

We did get a STUNNING photo of them walking back to the barn. I photoshopped out about 30 people ANDDDDDD while doing it, something hilarious happened and I left it as a “Where’s Waldo”….”Will anyone notice because I’m over photoshopping today…” kind of thing.

CAN YOU SPOT IT?! Tell me in the comments if you can! Actually…now that I’m looking at it…there are two things!

There was lots more dancing and mingling to be had and that’s all included in the couple’s (very large) finished gallery. BUT…before I left…I took a shot at a four exposure HDR like night photo and ‘voila’! Whisper Hollow Homestead is a beauty! That’s all I have to say to end the photos in this blog!

WAHHHHHH!!! That’s me whining. This was super duper bittersweet for me!! I feel like I’ve got to know Madison (and Zach) on such a deeper, friend-like level so I’m kind of (really) sad this one is over. I told her I’d be texting her over and over again about all things weddings and non-weddings. It’s happening! Zach is one of those guys who is just so full of fun energy and is so kind and fun to be around that photographing him with Madison together was a dream! I’m pretty sure Madison and I could talk him into anything photo related now…and I’m sure he’s reading this and saying, “NOPE!”

OoooOh it’s happening!

HOW are September weddings over already?! It’s just SO crazy to me! GAH!

Thanks for reading, everyone!! Happy Monday!!

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Disclaimer: Hannah Barlow Photography blogs only represent a small portion of photos the couple actually receives in their private gallery.  The blogs are meant to highlight favorite photos and favorite moments of the wedding day and do not represent an entire gallery.

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Vendors

Venue – Whisper Hollow Homestead in Enon Valley, PA

Planner/Coordinator – Plans for Perfection (Erin)

Officiant – Eternal Bliss Marriages – Dawn Scott

Bridal Gown – La Belle Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaids’ Attire – Birdy Grey

Men’s Attire – Top Hat Tuxedo

Hair – Gretchen (Madison’s Mum) and Reilly Collins for the Bridesmaids (IG: reillyjoellebeauty)

Makeup – Glam by Karly

Florist – MS Blooms Collective

Videographer – Parker Productions

Cake – Windy Hill Bakehouse

DJ – Loyalty Entertainment – DJ Cruz

Catering – Gianna’s Catering

Transportation – Shamrock Limo

Stationary – Zola/Canva

Honeymoon Planning – Design Our Travel, LLC