The Engagement Session

There is so much to say about Gwen and John’s Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Wedding! I met John and Gwen a few years ago when they were in search of an engagement photographer. They were going to be in Chicago for the weekend, so we decided to meet when they were in town. We met at Millennium Park, and right from the start, I knew they were going to be a lot of fun to work with.  Their energy when they are around each other is amazing. We spent a few hours hitting different spots around the park; the bean and the art museum gardens gave me a lot to work with. After wrapping up at Millennium Park, we decided to finish our session at the Adler Planetarium, so we could capitalize on the gorgeous Chicago skyline.

With a quick wardrobe change, (Gwen and John changed into their hockey jerseys, how awesome is that?) we started capitalizing on the overcast skies. When we were done and after we said our goodbyes, the sky opened and rained harder than I have ever seen it rain before. It’s a good thing we were already in our cars! Even editing their images was a lot of fun for me! This honestly remains one of my favorite engagement sessions to date.

Gwen and Johns Pittsburg Pennsylvania Wedding

After seeing the photos, John and Gwen asked me if I would come out to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to photograph their wedding. I probably only thought about it for one second before I responded with, “Heck yes!” I decided to make the 8-hour drive, (no offense to anyone that lives in Ohio, but that is the most boring state to drive through! It’s SOOO flat!) and I arrived the night before the wedding. I would have to say, Pittsburg is one beautiful city to drive into at night.

The next day I had the morning to explore a little bit, and then I headed over to meet Gwen and the girls at J. Verno Studios on Jane Street. Being primarily a Naperville Wedding Photographer, I haven’t had the chance to ever photograph a wedding at J. Verno Studios before and I must say, this place is packed with character! From my understanding, the studio is owned by Mr. Verno, who is a photographer himself and lives upstairs on site.

The girls were a lot of fun to hang out with for the morning, and one of Gwen’s friends did her makeup! All the makeup terms they were talking about while getting ready pretty much sounded like a different language to me. Haha! But you can tell they knew what they were doing. Gwen had a bunch of beautiful details to capture and her dress was insanely gorgeous!

Once the guys showed up, I headed upstairs with them to get some images of them getting ready, and that’s when John and Gwen exchanged letters with each other.

I honestly wish more couples did this tradition! I am always able to capture such raw natural emotion, and a lot of the time they turn out to be some of my favorites. There was not a dry eye in each of their rooms, and it was awesome to see how in love they were with each other and how ready they were to tie the knot! Before the ceremony, the guys and I were able to use some of the cool details that the studio had to offer, and it really added to John and the guys’ style.

The ceremony was AMAZING and was carried out in the studio as well. Witnessing John tear up while seeing his bride come down the aisle for the first time, was one of the coolest experiences ever. During this moment, I captured one of my favorite images I have ever taken. The ceremony was quick and to the heart, and filled with all their close friends and family. After the ceremony, the bridal party and immediate family all jumped on the party bus and headed to the Phipps Conservatory. We didn’t have much time when we arrived, but we were able to utilize all the beautiful foliage in the interior of the greenhouses.

We headed back to J. Verno Studios for the reception and right from the start, the party was going! It was catered by Sausalido Catering and Bistro. It was some of the best food I have ever had at a wedding, EVER! They had everything you could imagine; grilled salmon, awesome wood fired veggie platers, homemade pasta salads, and everything in between. Their first dance (if you ever read any of my other blog posts, you would know that my favorite part of a wedding day is the first dance) was amazing and super heartfelt. It is so amazing watching a couple get lost in how in love they are, and it seems that they completely forget there are people around in the first place. The occasional kiss on Gwen’s forehead, and the sweet smile Gwen would give John was amazing to document. They finished off the evening with one heck of a party, and I was super thankful I had the privilege to experience this special day with them. What an amazing couple, and I hope I get to go back to Pennsylvania soon! Interested in talking about your wedding? Contact me!!

ceremony and recepton venue | J. Verno Studios, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

catering | Sausalido Catering, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania