Megan & Sean: Butler Country Club Wedding Photos

I knew I was in for a treat from the moment I met Megan and Sean for their Historic Harmony engagement session this past winter! (Click here to check it out!) Kind, gracious, generous are just a few of the words I would use to describe this pair, and let me tell you - their friends and family fall right into that same category!

Megan and Sean's wedding day began with the ladies getting ready at Megan's parents' house - which just so happens to sit right on the edge of the Butler Country Club golf course! Her parents' house made the perfect backdrop for her gorgeous and classic bridal details - ranging from a dress bought at Kleinfeld's to the most beautiful jewelry and accessories! Though the threat of rain loomed throughout the day, it only sprinkled for all of five minutes on their day - regardless, Megan's parents have the most BEAUTIFUL front porch that we used from practically every angle for photos!

The ceremony took place at First United Methodist Church in the heart of Butler, which included a few personal touches, including a song sung by the bride's brother. It was beautiful!

After their formal exit, we headed back to the Butler Country Club for photos around the property, followed by a reception in the grand ballroom. The room was decked out in beautiful florals (by Julie James) and The Elite Show Band brought so much life to the party! There's nothing quite like a live band at a wedding!

Congratulations on your wedding day, and more importantly, on your marriage, Megan and Sean! Praying all the best for you two as you move forward into this next adventure!

Vendors:

Bride's Dress: Kleinfeld Bridal

Church: First United Methodist Church

Florist: Julie James

Cake: Pennies Bakery

Band/Entertainment: The Elite Show Band

Hair & Makeup: Salon Vivace

Reception: Butler Country Club

Videography: Nathan Kesneck Wedding Videography

Second Shooter: Ashley McLaughlin

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography

Frequently Asked Questions in the Bridal Getting Ready Suite

There are a few questions that are asked during almost EVERY bride/bridesmaid getting ready session. But why should you care about these questions? If you're a bride-to-be, a bridesmaid-to-be, a mother-in-law or a mother of the bride, knowing what could come up in advance could make you the most prepared person in the room for these questions that will most likely be asked!

Does anyone have any scissors?

Yes, this is probably the number one most frequently asked question in the bridal prep room! Tags and loose threads show up in large numbers on a wedding day in the bridal prep room. I recommend packing a little “bridal emergency” bag with scissors, thread & needle, hairspray, bobby pins, gum, tape, and any other items you think you might need!

Which leg does the garter go on?

The wedding garter is (traditionally) worn on the left leg, and the toss-away garter is worn on the right, both about 3 to 6 inches above the knee. But you can wear both on the same leg, if you’d like! But to be honest - it doesn't really matter that much! I actually took my garter off part of the way through my wedding day because it was so dang itchy!

When should my bridesmaids get dressed?

It’s best for bridesmaids to get dressed before the bride, along with the mother of the bride and anyone else helping the bride get into her dress. Why? For photo’s sake, having everyone out of their lounge clothes and into their formal attire to match the bride helps make the photos much more cohesive! Sweatpants and a wedding dress don't really go together ;)

Has anyone seen the rings?!

Just kidding about this one – but when this question is asked, it is scary! I’ve only been a part of one wedding where the rings were misplaced (i.e., left at the bride’s house) before the ceremony. But no worries – decoy rings were used, and the crowd didn’t even notice! The bride was thrown off a bit, though, as she had no idea they were missing until her husband went to slip the band on her finger! I would recommend having one person who is in charge of the rings to make sure they make it to the ceremony - just in case!

Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh: Favorite Pittsburgh Wedding Venues

Alright friends, it's time for another installment of my favorite Pittsburgh wedding venues! Today, I’m excited to introduce you to another one of my favorites, located right in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh: the Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh! MUCH, much different from my previous favorite wedding venues (Lingrow Farms, Shady Elms Farm), this hotel is a top favorite of mine for so many reasons!

In these venue highlights, I want to share some of my favorite attributes of each venue when it comes specifically to photos – mainly, why I love shooting there, how picturesque the venue is from a photographer’s point of view, and how rain could affect your wedding photos at each venue. My hope is to help viewers see the potential of each wedding venue I highlight specifically from a photography perspective so you can ensure that your photos will be gorgeous!

Picturesque:

My favorite thing about this venue: it used to be a BANK. That's right, a legitimate, functioning BANK. And they left all of the most beautiful parts for guests to enjoy, including a vault (which looks epic in photos) and tons of art deco, black and gold design all throughout the lobby. It's truly classic meets modern, and there are SO many options for bridal party, bride & groom, AND detail photos!

In addition to having a beautiful interior space, the Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh is one walk across the street away from Mellon Park, Strawberry Way, and only a few short blocks from other gorgeous and iconic downtown Pittsburgh locations!

This hotel also has a gorgeous and modern cocktail hour and ballroom space, and if you're feeling adventurous, Mellon Park lights up BEAUTIFULLY at night, making for some truly epic night time portraits!

Rain Plan:

This venue is definitely on your side in the case of rain. With BEAUTIFUL interior decoration, there are more than enough spaces to work with (though you might have a little trouble fitting everyone in if you have a huge bridal party!). I think I could have an entire bride & groom portrait session in the lobby and not even get bored! And don't even get me started on the elevators - most certainly the most gorgeous elevator doors I've ever seen!

Other Mentionables:

I feel like the photos speak for themselves with this one! You HAVE to check them out!!!

If you are a bride who is looking into Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh as a potential wedding venue, I would love to chat with you more! Feel free to email me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com with any questions you might have!

Kristin & Brian: Antonelli's Event Center Wedding Photos

Kristin and Brian's colorful, bird-detailed wedding day was absolutely beautiful from start to finish! I had the pleasure of photographing these two about a month before their wedding day at Allegheny Commons Park (see their engagement photos here!) and as SOON as I started photographing them I could tell how oh-so-in-love they were!

The story of how they met is pretty much something you would see in a movie: Brian was a teller at a bank, and Kristin was a server at Eat'n Park (a little over three years ago). Kristin would come into the bank to deposit her tips, which is how she met Brian. After she met him, she tried to purposely make sure she would end up going to his counter - and soon after that, they had their first date. The rest is history, as they say!

If you don't happen to know it, Kristin is an insanely talented wedding and portrait photographer - which made her wedding even more of an honor to photograph!! When someone in the industry trusts you with their day, it's truly such an honor. Kristin also happens to be an avid bird watcher, and is something her and Brian now love to do together - which is why you'll see some bird themed detailed incorporated throughout her wedding day! There is even a huge bird MURAL in their church parking lot, which, of course, we had to incorporate into their photos! The mural even matched their wedding colors, which is so stinking amazing!

Kristin and Brian, it was truly such an incredible honor to be a part of your wedding day. I can't thank you enough for truly being two of the kindest souls to work with! So excited for you as you start their marriage journey!

Vendors

Church: Good Shepherd Church - Braddock, PA

Reception: Antonelli's Event Center

Invitations: Missy Hubans

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bridal Beginnings

Bride's Dress: Sorelle Bridal

Makeup Artist: Bailey Rae Beauty

DJ: 2nd II None Productions

Cake: Patti's Patisserie

Florist: Karen's Floral

Second Shooter: Sara Dinwiddie, Sara Lynn Photography

Shady Elms Farm: Favorite Pittsburgh Wedding Venues

I’m excited to introduce you to another one of my favorite Pittsburgh wedding venues: Shady Elms Farm! This eclectic, whimsical farm is full of drop-dead gorgeous details and sweeping Western Pennsylvania views that leave this little photographer's heart oh-so-happy! 

In these venue highlights, I want to share some of my favorite attributes of each venue when it comes specifically to photos – mainly, why I love shooting there, how picturesque the venue is from a photographer’s point of view, and how rain could affect your wedding photos at each venue. My hope is to help viewers see the potential of each wedding venue I highlight specifically from a photography perspective so you can ensure that your photos will be gorgeous!

Picturesque:

Like I mentioned in the intro, if you're looking for a picturesque spot to have your wedding - this is it. Shady Elms Farm not only has a beautiful farmhouse and barns that can be incorporated into your photos, but also has fields, lines of trees, a pond (if you're brave, a canoe!), and sweeping mountain views. Really, what more could you need?! I feel like you have to see the photos to believe it!

In addition to being all-around beautiful, sunset is extra magical up on the hill above the farm. It's definitely worth sneaking away from your reception for a few minutes for some epic golden hour photos!

Rain Plan:

Though I've never photographed a rainy day wedding at Shady Elms, there are lots of spots that could be used in the case of rain! There is a deck on the front of the farmhouse, as well as a covered pavillion in the back! In past years, the inside of farmhouse has also been open for use in the case of inclement weather and is adorable inside!

Other Mentionables:

Aside from being stunning from pretty much every angle, Shady Elms Farm also has the kindest, most pleasant people you would hope to work with on your wedding day. Who doesn't want to work with amazing people on their wedding day?!

Shady Elms Farm also does ALL of the florals for the weddings they host - which totally blows my mind, because they are some of the most beautiful bouquets I've ever seen!

If you are a bride who is looking into Shady Elms Farm as a potential wedding venue, I would love to chat with you more! Feel free to email me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com with any questions you might have!

5 Unexpected Things to Factor Into Your Wedding Timeline

Have you ever planned a wedding day timeline?! The task can seem daunting to say the very least! How long does hair and makeup take? How long will it take to get enough bride and groom photos? When will you have time to go to the bathroom?!

While all vendor related questions can be answered specifically by your wedding vendor (and I highly recommend reaching out to vendors to get a time estimate for how long each part of the day could potentially take!), I’d love to share five unexpected events I frequently come across on wedding days that are sometimes not given enough time in the “official” wedding timeline (causing day-of events to run behind), or just not accounted for at all. The key to an awesome timeline is to be prepared in advance – so here are my top tips for you, bride-to-be! Don’t forget to factor in:

1. TRAVEL TIME

This is a big one, but can sometimes be overlooked even by even the most detailed planners! Travel time from the getting ready location to the ceremony, from the ceremony to the photo location, and from the photo location to the reception can sometimes eat up a significant amount of time on a wedding day. On top of that, party busses, limos, and trolleys are required by law to drive below the speed limit – which means longer travel time.

Tip: If you plan on renting a party bus, add an extra ten to fifteen minutes onto any travel time during the wedding day.

2. A RECEIVING LINE

Receiving lines can be great for getting to greet each guest, but before you decide on a receiving line, think about this: you’ll probably want to talk to at least each of your guests for a minute or so (trust me, I was a bride once!), because many of them you won’t have seen in months or even years. If you have 150 guests, your receiving line could take up to 150 minutes, or over two hours.

Tip: Check in with all of your guests during dinner! During the reception, typically the timeline is a bit more relaxed and you’ll actually have an hour to an hour and a half during dinner to greet everyone individually (plus, everyone will be happy because they’ll be getting fed, too!)

3. THE BUSTLING OF THE DRESS

Bustling a dress can be a LOT harder than you would think! Some bustles can have up to 20 different hooks and/or buttons, so if you have a dress with an intricate bustle, make sure you leave some time to bustle up!

Tip: Leave an extra 10 to 15 minutes before your reception begins for your bridesmaids to bustle you!

4. LINING UP TO ENTER THE RECEPTION

This is one area where I see a lot of disconnect. The DJ typically likes to have 10 minutes or so to set up each couple for their grand entrance – making sure they have name pronunciation right and the entrance order correct.

Tip: Ask your DJ how much time he/she needs to set up for the grand entrance, and allot that into your timeline. This way, you’ll keep your guests happy (who are expecting to be fed at a certain time!)

5. SOME SORT OF MISHAP

Anything can happen on a wedding day, from a bridesmaid running behind to makeup/hair taking longer than expected – whatever the case, I highly recommend leaving a few “buffers” in your timeline, just in case something unexpected and out of your control happens. That way, you can rest assured that you have more than enough time and leeway in your timeline to keep the day on pace!

Former brides, bridesmaids, grooms, and family members: is there anything you would add to the list? Leave your best timeline tips in the comments below!

Lingrow Farms: Favorite Pittsburgh Wedding Venues

In the very first feature of this new blog segment titled “venue highlights,” I’m excited to introduce you to one of my favorite venues: Lingrow Farms! I’ve had the privilege to photograph two drop-dead-gorgeous weddings at Lingrow Farms, and I always walk away from Lingrow weddings so incredibly excited to go back!

In these venue highlights, I want to share some of my favorite attributes of each venue when it comes specifically to photos – mainly, why I love shooting there, how picturesque the venue is from a photographer’s point of view, and how rain could affect your wedding photos at each venue. My hope is to help viewers see the potential of each wedding venue I highlight specifically from a photography perspective so you can ensure that your photos will be gorgeous!

Picturesque:

This category is self explanatory, because if you’ve ever seen photos from Lingrow Farms, it’s easy to see how gorgeous their venue really is! When it comes to taking photos there, everything is beautiful! From the getting ready locations (the Carriage House & Farm House) to the outdoor ceremony location in front of the pond (with horses in the background, of course!) to the rustic reception barn, to so many other locations in between – there is so much opportunity for gorgeous photography!

Rain Plan:

When choosing a wedding venue, it’s always important to consider a rain plan – for me, I always tend to consider: is it still possible to get beautiful photos at this venue in the case of inclement weather? And at Lingrow, it most certainly is! There are a few covered and indoor areas that would make it fairly easy to still get beautiful photos at this location. For instance: the carriage house, the covered outdoor wedding pavilion (usually the ceremony spot), the reception barn (there are overhangs that can be used to still get that natural light look!) as well as the farm house itself, with lots of beautiful nooks and crannies inside.

Other Mentionables:

When I was a bride back in August of 2015, one of the non negotiable items when choosing where to have our ceremony and reception was that everything had to happen on the same property. I wanted to get ready where my ceremony and reception would be because I had seen from photographing weddings how much more at ease my couples were when everything happened in the same place! No need to worry about driving from one place to the next, losing people in traffic or being late, because everything was right in the same place! That is yet another reason why I LOVE Lingrow Farms. The bride, groom, and entire bridal party can all get ready ON property, then just walk outside to the ceremony and into the barn for the reception. Talk about easy!

If you are a bride who is looking into Lingrow Farms as a potential wedding venue, I would love to chat with you more! Feel free to email me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com with any questions you might have!

Sarah + Mike: Armstrong Farms Wedding Photos

A year ago, I photographed a wedding at the White Barn for two awesome people - Brian and Rachel (click here to see their wedding photos!), the brother and sister-in-law of Mike, who just so happened to be the best man. Shortly after, Sarah, Mike's fiance, reached out to me saying that the two of them were getting married, planning a wedding, and would love for us to capture it! And of course, I was so excited to work with this amazing family again!!

A few months later, we scheduled an engagement session for Sarah and Mike (see those photos here!) which they TOTALLY ROCKED in the heat and humidity (which was a whopping 100%!!). I feel like I learned so much about these two during their session just through the way they interacted with each other. So loving, so kind, so gentle. So, so in love. (You know a couple is truly in love when they snuggle together in 100% humidity!)

Thankfully, though, their wedding day was much less humid - almost the perfect temperature, actually. From the moment I stepped inside the farmhouse where Sarah and bridesmaids were getting ready, I knew it was going to be an amazing day. The whole day, including her bridal details, were sprinkled with meaningful details that pointed back to the couple's story. Her bridal details alone included: a ring from the bride's grandma, a cork from the champagne bottle popped at their rehearsal dinner, and lace to be wrapped around the bride's bouquet from a friend who also wrapped it around hers. Perfection.

After getting ready, Sarah and her dad placed roses on chairs in the ceremony space for a few relatives who watched the day unfold from above. It was an incredibly thoughtful and emotional moment!

From Armstrong Farm's Fieldstone Farm, we journeyed over to where Mike and his groomsmen were getting ready (Westminster Farm) for an intimate first look between the bride and groom, followed by bridal party photos around the property and in the barn, followed by the ceremony overlooking the rolling hills of Pennsylvania and a cocktail hour featuring some Cinco de Mayo inspired food and beverage holders! After a bit of celebrating, we stole these two out into one of the fields for just a few more photos!

I am so excited to share Sarah and Mike's beautiful day!

Vendors:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Armstrong Farms

Florals: Crystal Robinson of Darlington Flower Co.

Cake: Main Street Bake Shop

DJ: Pittsburgh All Stars

Makeup: Brazil Raine

Hair: Profiles Salon

Bride's Dress: from MB Bride by Rebecca Ingram

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie

Invitations: Minted

Linens: Lendable Linens

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography

Second Photographer: Kim Tryon, Kim Hadden Photography

Wedding Photography Bucket List

We all have those crazy, far fetched dreams - bucket list items, if you will - that don’t seem real until you put them out into the world. The more I’m alive the more I realize how much of a team sport life is - I’m learning over and over that I can’t do it all on my own. Sure, that might seem obvious to some who are naturally awesome team players, but the control-freak inside of me wants to do it all on my own. I think starting a business points to the fact that, sometimes, you have to be willing to do it all on your own.

But that doesn’t mean you have to stay there.

And it doesn’t mean I have to stay there.

So today, I want to share one of my huge wedding photography dreams with you! If you’ve been following along on the blog or over on Instagram, you might’ve caught onto the fact that my husband and I are BIG Disney fans. We’ve gone a total of three times since we’ve been married (don’t worry, we’re still big time killing our debt!), and we’ll have only been married for three years in August. We talk about going other places for vacation, but somehow, we always seem to end up asking each other, “what if we just went to Disney?!?”

You might be wondering, what does Disney have to do with your wedding photography dream?

Well… the current biggest item on my wedding photography bucket list is to photograph a wedding on Disney property. At one of the resorts, or in the parks - but, the ultimate dream would be to photograph a wedding at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort!

We recently went down to Orlando (February of 2018) and for the last few days of our trip, we treated ourselves to a few nights at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. It wasn’t the first time we had stayed there (actually, it was the third!) but every time we walk away loving it more and more. And GUESS WHAT:

One evening as we were strolling around on the Boardwalk at twilight, eating some free ice cream samples (we might be able to afford staying at the cheapest room at the Boardwalk by a hair but affording the food is a whole ‘nother story!) I saw a white vision out of the corner of my eye and whipped around to see a bride, a groom, and a photographer all walking towards the “Dance Hall” reception venue on the boardwalk. I immediately told Nick “we’re following them” and as he started to protest how much of a creep I was being (which, I totally admit, I was) I pulled him along with me and we walked behind the threesum all the way to their venue, watching as they stopped to take photos against the gorgeous Boardwalk Bay along the way.

I was being a little bit of a creep, but I realized something that night: how much I want to photograph a wedding at the Boardwalk. It seems a little silly to even type because I know how much of a long shot it is without family or friends in the area to pass along my name, but nonetheless - it’s still a dream, and if it’s meant to be, it will be!

I also thought this would be the perfect time to share a few of my favorite photos from our anniversary photo session at the Boardwalk for our first year of marriage (taken in November of 2016). Enjoy (and see some of the little reasons why we love the Boardwalk so much!)

Get a Dose of JHP Straight to Your Inbox!

JHP FINALLY has an email list and I couldn't be more excited about it!! Over the course of the last year, I've had numerous current, former, and soon-to-be clients ask if there is a way they could stay updated on a monthly to bi-monthly basis with things like mini-session dates, cancellations, print specials, the latest blog posts new offerings, discounts, and the like, and I'm finally excited to open up this email list to anyone who would like to join!

With all of that being said, let me tell you a few things this email list is not:

• Spam (I cannot STAND when people send me useless emails!)
• A constant sales pitch (who wants to be sold to all the time?! Not me!)

If you are someone who is looking to stay updated on all things JHP, then this email  list is certainly for you. Sign up below!