Jenn & Pete

What can I say about Jenn and Pete? They are an awesome couple. We were absolutely delighted when they chose us to document their wedding day! We photographed Jenn's sister's wedding and really loved working with their family. It is always especially meaningful to us when we have the opportunity to photograph more than one wedding for a single family. Not only is it a huge compliment to be invited back into their lives but it also allows us to understand more about the family and their history. In this case, Jenn's dad was diagnosed with ALS after her sister's wedding and unfortunately his illness has progressed in the two years since. All day long I was struck again and again by the beautiful way in which their family has pulled together to support one another and their dad during this difficult time. I was very deeply moved by their courage, especially Jenn and Melissa's father's courage in the face of a very debilitating disease, and her mother's selfless devotion to her husband. I can explain to my clients why I love photographing their weddings, but I don't think I can express in words how I felt documenting this day for this particular family.

Jenn and Pete got ready at the Hyatt Penn's Landing, which is in a great location in Philadelphia. Jenn had her bridesmaid to help her with the preparations.

Jenn and Pete decided to see each other prior to the ceremony to allow plenty of time for portraits of the two of them as well as their families. We arranged for their first meeting in a park near the hotel. Their reaction to seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day was sweet and emotional.

After some casual, fun portraits we headed to The Ballroom at the Ben, their venue, for family portraits before the ceremony. After a brief rehearsal, the ceremony began. Jenn and Pete were both escorted down the aisle by their parents and surrounded by their bridal party as they said their vows. They exited to applause from their guests!

Once the ceremony was over, the room was setup for a stunning reception. Longstems did a beautiful job with floral and decor.

Everyone had a fantastic time at the reception, with heartfelt speeches, great food and a photobooth for even more fun!

Rio, the band, was fantastic as always and the guests enjoyed a great dessert spread after dinner and lots of dancing.

Check out the slideshow for more preview images!

Melody and Matt's wedding featured!

Just found out about this cool little feature on Melody and Matt's wedding, which we photographed in March at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts!

Kim & Evan

Kim and Evan were married at the very fabulous Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Kim looked stunning!

We had a great time taking photos at the Kimmel Center and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station before the ceremony. Evan fortunately had time for a snack at the golden arches before we headed back to the Kimmel Center for family pictures and the ceremony.

I can't even tell you how beautiful the atrium is!! They had both their ceremony and reception there, with a cocktail hour on the second level while the room was prepared. The lighting, decor, and service at the reception were all absolutely impeccable and Kim and Evan were a joy to work with all day long!

Check out more images here:

Melody & Matt

We were beyond happy last summer when Melody, one of our favorite coordinators from Philadelphia's Sofitel Hotel, asked if we would photograph her wedding at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA)! Melody is gorgeous and hilarious and we knew she would be a wonderful bride.

She chose one of Philadelphia's most beautiful venues for her event. Her charming fiance Matt works for Jimmy Duffy's which we are told is one of Philadelphia's oldest, well-known caterers!

Melody did her preparations at the Sofitel and was actually early getting ready!

We had plenty of time for some bridal portraits and then we documented Melody and Matt's first time seeing each other on their wedding day. After we took their family portraits we headed over to PAFA for a few more images before the ceremony.

The setup at PAFA was beautiful and Melody and Matt's family and friends watched from above as they said their vows on the beautiful marble staircase. Afterwards the cocktail hour was brilliantly presented by Jimmy Duffy's among stunning paintings and sculpture. After Melody and Matt danced to I Love You More Today than Yesterday, dinner was served and everyone enjoyed the toasts and ambiance of the gallery.

There was lots of dancing as well as a popcorn and candy bar! Matt encouraged me to help myself and so I was sure to bring along some chocolate and popcorn for the drive home. It was a fantastic day. Check out the slideshow below for more preview images!

Kelley & Tyler

We met with Kelley for the first time last year to talk about her Philadelphia wedding. She and Tyler married at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in downtown Philadelphia. The reception was held at the beautiful and modern Sofitel Hotel. Melody Lapp coordinated the Sofitel event and not only is she a brilliant coordinator but she is also one of our clients. We'll photograph her wedding in March 2009! :)

Kelley got ready in a beautiful suite at the Sofitel which yielded some gorgeous getting ready images - she had a very Breakfast at Tiffany's look for her wedding day style.

We all hopped in the limo (well to be honest I kind of fell into the limo which is what happens when you're carrying your camera and shoulder bag - I travel very light but for some reason limos are so hard to get in an out of!). Anyway Kelley and her bridesmaids were more graceful than I and we headed off to the Basilica.

The Basilica itself is beautiful and the staff was gracious enough to allow us a lot of freedom of movement during the ceremony. I was with Kelley until she walked through the doors and down the aisle. After an emotional few moments of seeing each other as Kelley made her way to Tyler, the couple took their seats on the altar for the ceremony. The beauty of the church and the obvious love and commitment as they took their vows made for a touching ceremony.

After the ceremony we had instructions to leave the church right away (a peculiarity of this particular basilica) and of course that didn't happen. One thing I can say from experience - it's nearly impossible to quickly leave the ceremony and disperse the excited family and friends! The day is so meaningful and emotional that it takes on a life of its own.

I got in the limo with Kelley and Tyler and a few bridal party members and took one of my favorite images of the day.

It's one of those images that makes me so happy to be a wedding photojournalist. Generations of Kelley and Tyler's family will get to see this image and others like it and get a sense of what their wedding day was like and how they felt on that day.

The reception was a lot of fun - after a couple of heartfelt toasts from their matron of honor and best man Kelley and Tyler danced the night away with their guests. Kelley's background is in dance and she didn't fail to impress us! You can check out our favorites gallery below in full screen by clicking --- or to see the entire gallery you can click here.

Natalie & Jordan

We're soooo busy with editing right now. We've just completed our post processing work on a fantastic Philadelphia wedding at the Sofitel. Natalie and Jordan throw a great party!
After getting ready just next door at Ursula's About Phace, Jordan and Natalie had a dramatic "reveal" (a blindfold was involved) at the base of the stairs in the Sofitel lobby.
We headed out to walk around for a few casual portraits with some key Philadelphia landmarks. We saw someone get mugged during our travels, which was a little surreal... Let's just say I was a little paranoid about my gear after seeing that. We made a stop at DiBruno Brothers, one of Natalie and Jordan's favorite hangouts.
We headed back to the Sofitel for a brief break before the festivities. The ceremony had some hilarious moments, including a quick go at rock-paper-scissors to see who would repeat their wedding vows first.
A raucous party followed soon after, complete with toasts, special songs, a New Orleans second line, people holding up hand written signs speculating on the state of mind of their friends, and the grand finale of napkins flying through the air. I laughed. A lot.
If you'd like to see some of our favorite images, check out the slideshow. Hit the fullscreen button for the best overall egomedia experience!

Natalie & Jordan

When we first met Natalie and Jordan, it was apparent that they were very excited about planning their wedding. We couldn’t wait to see their unique “foodie/journalist” themed plans for their special day. The wedding took place in Philadelphia on a gorgeous sunny day. Before the ceremony, we photographed them during a whirlwind tour of some of their favorite places in Philadelphia. Among the stops were Love Park, Rittenhouse Square, and City Hall - all recognized as some of the city’s most famous locations. Perhaps the most entertaining stop was DiBruno Brothers, a specialty store filled with gourmet cheeses and a locale frequented by Natalie and Jordan.

We paraded through the store, photographing them as they looked at the cheeses, made their selections, waited in line, and paid. As we were leaving, an employee looked at our entourage and said, “You know, you aren’t allowed to take photos in here.” As we say, its always better to ask for forgiveness after the fact rather than permission before hand.

The ceremony and reception took place at the Sofitel Philadelphia. In fact, both the ceremony and the reception were held in the same room! The differences before and after never cease to amaze me, and the speed at which the room was transformed by the Sofitel staff is always truly impressive.

Worth noting was a photo booth located just outside the cocktail room. Guests were able to take a series of photos, and received a strip to keep and one to include in Natalie and Jordan’s guestbook! We couldn’t resist an opportunity to participate in the fun.

The reception was lively and there were several special dances - including a New Orleans Second Line - complete with handkerchiefs and tiny umbrellas! “Love is in the Air” brought the evening to a close as all the guests crowded onto the dance floor, participating in the tradition of surrounding the happy couple throwing hundreds of napkins in the air everytime the words “love is in the air” are sung.

Leaving the reception, guests passed a table filled with scrumptious hot, soft pretzels - a salty treat for the trip home! Definitely much needed after all the dancing!