A few weeks ago, Dave + Sarah hosted a gorgeous backyard wedding, at the home of Sarah's parents. Something that I loved about their day was the fact that the attention was toward the importance of their union moreso than the day itself. The joy that Dave + Sarah showed for one another was endearing. When it came time for the reception, Dave was very eager to showcase some of his favorite recipes. The photos below do no justice to how delicious his food was. Dave is a remarkable chef and anyone who knows him can attest to his food being nothing short of fantastic. It was such a joy to celebrate with Dave, Sarah and their wonderful families. They welcomed us into their beautiful home and showed so much love toward what we love to do most, capture the best day of people's lives. -Jeff
Working At Work (V6)
Happy to share Working At Work V6 with you all this afternoon! It's really hard to tell myself and Liz apart, and Jeff and T.J. apart in some of the photos below! And my hair looks really red in some of the images!? Strange.
Also, I love the image of Kristen sprinting out of the way once the dress was hung on the porch - that's normally how shooting wedding dresses outside goes. Enjoy! -Brooke
Rico + Kristin
Rico + Kristin have one of the cutest stories ever. They met because of their dogs! Each owning their own, they would take them to the same park every day. The second they met, Rico and Kristin were forced to become friends. And from there, the rest is history, two sets of best friends. After photographing their engagements last fall, I anxiously awaited their big day! Rico + Kristin celebrated at the Cork Factory in Lancaster City and it was definitely a party. It was so much fun capturing their reception, as the celebrating seemed to never end. I absolutely adore their love story and it was beyond a blast capturing the day. Here are my favorites! -Jeff
Brian + Kristan
Today I bring you another addition to the "mega weekend" wedding collection. Brian + Kristan were my third wedding of the weekend in early October and their day was beautiful. Shooting at Congress Hall is always a pleasure since everything, including the beach, is so close by! Brian + Kristan were incredibly sweet and you could feel the excitement from their family and friends in the air.
One of my favorite things Kristan did was get the same wedding ring/band that both her Mom and Grandmother have. She kept it a surprise from her Mom and I love the image of her seeing it for the first time.
Enjoy some of my favorite shots from their day! -Brooke
Christian + Alison
The Farm at Eagle's Ridge has quickly become one of my favorite venues in Lancaster. Weddings there are beautiful and simple! I'm so glad Christian + Alison chose the Farm for their wedding day. And it was such a joy getting to know the two of them on their day. What a kind, sweet, bubbly and fun couple! I normally ask grooms how nervous they were for their first look. On a 1-10 scale, most grooms seem pretty relaxed and say a low number. Christian quickly admitted that he was nervous. But the second he saw his bride, I could see all of that evaporate. Another reason why first looks are amazing! Alison wore her mother's dress beautifully and the pride that she showed because of it was admiring. I was so happy to celebrate with both of their families and I'm so excited for them to have these photos for life. Here are some from that beautiful fall day a few weeks ago. -Jeff
Taylor + Kelsey // Engaged!
Last night something amazing happened! My younger brother (and only sibling) proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, Kelsey, and I couldn't be happier for them both. Kelsey has felt like family since day one and I am so freaking excited to help with their wedding and future plans!!!
I started out at my parent's house yesterday afternoon where Taylor was literally just sitting around waiting. He was both excited and nervous. It was hysterical. He kept laying in different rooms, shuffling cards, texting people and looking at the ring really, really closely to make sure it was super clean. The photos of him waiting might be my favorites.
Once it was time to head to the mall, where Kesley works, I jumped in the car with Taylor... where we chatted about our feelings towards to new Katy Perry record, predictions on whether or not Kelsey would cry, and which emoji I would text him to say "We're in place, we're ready!" without actually saying that, just in case Kelsey saw his phone.
We got to the mall and went our separate ways. T.J. and I jumped into Tess's car (who was working at the walk in love. store at the time) so we could park right in front of Kelsey's house and she wouldn't suspect anything or recognize our vehicle. Taylor headed in the other direction to meet Kelsey inside the mall and casually suggest that they should go out for sushi!
Within 10 minutes of Kelsey's shift ending at work, T.J. and I were in place, cameras in hand, parked right in front of her house. I was laying in the back seat and T.J. had his hood up in the front seat so they wouldn't see us. We were so nervous. Every car that drove by we were certain it was them and instantly felt like we had to pee. Once they actually arrived and got out of their car, we snuck out the back side of our car and waited for Taylor to finish his lovey-dovey speech about how he saw her for the first time on her front porch, etc. The second he reached for the ring and got down on one knee, we sprinted down the street and up the driveway to capture the moment. Kelsey was so surprised and so happy. It was awesome. I think I was shaking just as much as they were. I'm actually quite surprised these images are in focus. (And way to go Mrs. Harley! Your porch looks lovely!!)
Within minutes we were all inside the Harley's house, hugging and Facetiming and re-telling the story from everyone's perspectives.
And then, naturally, just before the sunset, I shoved everyone outside for group and family photos. The sunlight in their backyard was perfect! I am so happy I was able to capture these images for them to have forever.
And then we stood outside and talked about everything all over again... cause it was really exciting.
And to Taylor + Kelsey - T.J. and I are so incredibly happy for you both. Marriage is wonderful. You're going to love it. -Brooke
PS. We did try to take video of the actual proposal happening... but it's mostly just 16 blurry seconds of my butt running in front of T.J.'s camera and T.J. breathing really heavy. So.... that won't see the light of the internet anytime soon. Butt who knows..... Ha. See what I did there?
Halloween Dance Fest Flying Booth
At the Halloween Dance Fest we had two Smilebooths set up. The first was with a sparkly background of happiness designed by Ashley Meaders. The second was with a giant black sheet. My goal was to have people take really wide photos so I could make them look like they were floating in nothingness. I think we did it! Which one is your favorite? - T.J.
Tory + Stephanie
A few weeks ago, I got to be part of something that I never imagined I'd ever witness: a SURPRISE wedding. Yep, you read that correctly. Tory, with the help of friends and family, planned a proposal AND wedding for Stephanie... without her knowing. Early in the morning, my fiancée Liz and I were camping out in front of a white gazebo overlooking the Schukylkill River in Philadelphia. We waited for Tory + Stephanie to come at 11AM, when Tory was scheduled to propose to her. I honestly think I was more nervous for his proposal than I was for mine! They appeared a few minutes after 11 and Tory dropped to one knee and asked for Stephanie's hand. Of course she said yes! But Tory had much more planned. He walked over to the end of the gazebo, where family and friends were down below. He explained that he had a second ring for her and pointed toward the river. They would be getting married at 1PM! She was shocked, excited, and in a daze. The photos below show it. Her mother had picked out three dresses and three pairs of shoes for her to choose from. I tucked myself inside the restaurant's tiny women's bathroom with Tory, her mother and a handful of friends as they helped her make her selections and get ready for her wedding. One of the most wonderful stories to come from the day was learning that Stephanie's grandfather had been able to be there to marry them. Stephanie was so overjoyed to see him and to have him share this remarkable moment with her. I took Tory + Stephanie for a short walk to take some portraits and Tory shared stories of how the plan was almost ruined. When they arrived, the valet asked "are you here for the wedding?" and Tory quickly hushed him. Stephanie had admitted that she wasn't interested in the idea of planning a wedding, but had a strong desire to just be married! I asked Tory if there was even a sliver of worry in his mind and he quickly said zero. What a day to be a part of and definitely a moment I will never ever forget. It was such a blessing to see this plan work flawlessly and to share it with their families. I can easily admit that I've never seen smiles so big in my entire life. -Jeff
Kyle + Danielle
I am so happy to be sharing the beautiful, windy engagement photos of Kyle + Danielle. It was so wonderful getting to meet them and their little dog last week. Both Kyle + Danielle were great in front of the camera and I'm already super excited about their wedding next October. It's going to be awesome! -Brooke