These two have such a beautiful love for each other! I had the privilege of photographing their intimate Canonsburg wedding towards the end of October on an unusually warm day. The photos seen below were - believe it or not - taken in a cemetery! Also, they are expecting their first child, a baby girl, within the next few months! Congratulations on your marriage, Missy and Jeremy!
I couldn't have picked a more perfect day for Daniel's senior portraits, taken on the North Shore. The sun was shining, the weather was not-too-hot, not-too-cold, and there were barely any crowds around the area - surprising, for such a beautiful November day!
As a side note, I love when high school senior guys take an interest in their senior portraits. It's so much fun to work together to create dynamic images that showcase interests, likes, and personality. For instance, Daniel has a love for the city, so of course, we decided to take his photos in an urban setting that showcased Pittsburgh's iconic yellow bridges and skyline. Daniel is also a member of his high school's lacrosse varsity team and has played sports for the majority of his life, so incorporating in the different sport-themed backgrounds dotting the North Shore really helped enhance the overall look of his images.
Thanks for a great session, Daniel! I had so much fun creating these images with you. Congratulations on your last year of school!
I have so much love for this sweet family and the fun we have during their annual family session! These four (plus their pup, Milo!) are always up for throwing, kicking, and even laying in leaves - and always with so much enthusiasm and joy! I've said it so many times before, but my favorite part of any session is seeing the people in front of my camera having fun and enjoying themselves. And this family does it so well!
The day Nick asked me to marry him (one of my favorite days, ever!), I started receiving a lot of advice about wedding planning. Don’t get me wrong, I had never actually been a bride before, so I was desperately in need of some guidance (and genuinely appreciate the wisdom of brides who had gone before me), but if you’re anything like me, too much of anything can be a little bit overwhelming! During the 15 months of wedding planning, there were two pieces of advice that stuck out to me and rose above the rest – two things I still tell brides I work with over a year after my wedding! So, if you’re newly engaged, here are my top two favorite pieces of advice:
The first piece of advice I received as an engaged 22 year old came from my very own mom. The day after I said “I will,” me, my mom, and my fiancé (now husband, Nick) started talking about all of the details that would need to get done over the next couple of months. In true Jenna fashion, I started to feel REALLY overwhelmed, and because my mom knows me so well, she immediately noticed and said, “You know, you don’t have to start actually doing any of this right now. You don’t even need to think about it. Just take the next month to enjoy being engaged without worrying about the wedding that needs planned.” Wow. Talk about some serious mom-wisdom! Now… I didn’t make it a month – I think I made it two weeks before I jumped into serious planning, but you know what? Those two weeks of just being engaged, minus the wedding planning, made me even more excited to start planning my wedding to marry my absolute best friend! The initial stress I had felt only a day after getting engaged slowly melted away as I started enjoying (and soaking in) the season I was in. It was like magic.
This SUPER solid piece of advice came from one of my husband’s volunteers (he’s a middle school youth director at our church). She might not even remember saying it to me, as she said it in passing during a quick conversation, but shout out to Sheryl Polite for one of the best pieces of advice I got! I was about two weeks out from the wedding trying to play it cool on the outside at church, but freaking out on the inside about everything that still needed to get done! Did we finish the seating chart? Did we forget anyone? Why doesn’t my baker remember the conversation we had about my wedding cake?! (True story – she totally lost the order! But the cake was delicious, so that made up for it ;) ). While asking about how things were going with wedding planning, Sheryl said, “Listen. Whatever you haven’t gotten done three or four days before the wedding – just let it go! You deserve to enjoy your wedding day just as much as anyone else, even the days leading up to it.” I didn’t realize it at the time, but her words were the permission I needed to actually enjoy the days leading up to my wedding day! Were there still things that needed to be done in those last few days before the wedding? Of course! But there were so many little details I could’ve poured over and worried about and made myself crazy trying to pull together at the last second, but didn’t, because I finally realized that I deserved to enjoy my wedding day, too!
What’s the best advice you received while planning your own wedding? I’d love to hear - leave a comment below!
Mellon Park in the fall is one my absolute favorites! The mix of architecture and fall color make for the perfect photo-worthy combination. For Ashley and Rob's engagement session, we started at Mellon Park with their pup, Hans, and finished up at the Mellon Institute right before sunset. Congratulations, Ashley and Rob! We are so excited to be a part of your wedding day!
It's hard to believe, but Kathryn and Chase's engagement session was my first photo session in the Strip District - ever! Kathryn and Chase even brought their pup, Cola, in his adorable sweater for a couple of photos. We had so much fun hanging out with these two and can't wait for their wedding next year! Congrats Kathryn and Chase!
What a pleasure it was to take this sweet girl's senior photos! We were able to hit the beautiful fall color during the peek of fall at Hartwood Acres Mansion. Janelle had her hair and makeup done for her session by the talented Kaylin Simonic. Ladies - I highly recommend taking some time to pamper yourself before your session! Whether it's getting your nails, hair, or makeup done, going out for dinner or ice cream after your session, or treating yourself to a new outfit (or two ;) ), make your session fun and unique by making a day of out it and treating yourself! It makes the day just a little bit sweeter.
And without further ado - here are a few of my favorite photos from the beautiful Janelle's session! Congratulations on your last year of school, lady!
Fall is my FAVORITE season by far. The chill in the air, bonfires, colors, and scarves are like coffee for my soul! (Does that make any sense?!) One of my favorite places to go in the fall is Soergel Orchards in Wexford, PA. They have fall festivals featuring pumpkin patches, apple orchards, Arsenal Cider, and so much more! So when Rachel asked me if I knew of any good places to take photos in the fall, I jumped on the chance to recommend Soergel's! We were able to visit early in the morning before one of their famous fall festivals, which involved a pretty early morning (on a Saturday) - but Rachel and Brian were more than willing to oblige, and it was totally and completely worth it for the epic light and beautiful sites we were able to capture! Plus, Rachel and Brian made it SO easy for us, just by being themselves and having a good time (they even bought us apple cider - so sweet!!). We also found out during the session that Rachel interned at Disney! (Super off topic, but if you know anything about Nick and I, you know we LOVE Disney!). Also - they're getting married at the White Barn in Prospect next year, which is where Nick and I tied the knot last August!
So without further ado, here are some of my favorite photos from Rachel and Brian's engagement session! Congratulations you two, we are so excited for your wedding!
It's a beautiful thing, to meet people who radiate love and joy from every piece of their being. Trina and Jeff are not just people, but a couple that people are drawn to because of their selfless qualities. We were so honored to be a part of their wedding day and to get to know their family and friends who shared their joy so fully with them.
Trina and Jeff incorporated so many beautiful details into their wedding. Trina's favorite color - yellow - was incorporated into her invitations (and into her wedding ring with a yellow stone). She also opted for a brooch bridal bouquet, made from brooches collected throughout the years, as well as those collected from her bridal shower. It was gorgeous, and she got quite the workout holding it all day - it was so heavy, but so beautiful! In addition to her own brooch bouquet, Trina spent time finding brooches for each member of her wedding party, parents, and pastor that were personal to them - what an incredibly thoughtful way to honor them! Other fun details included a pie bar at the reception in lieu of cake, and an exit with a firetruck (Jeff is a firefighter)!
Praising God for these two and their commitment to serve God together!
DJ: Mark Zini
Centerpieces and Flowers: Farmer's Daughter
Invitations & Ceremony Signage: Jessi Evans
Brooch Bouquet: Ritzy Rose
Videography: Jonathan Merkel
Chairs: Elegant Chair Cover Designs
Ceremony/Reception Venue: Cranberry Highlands Golf Course (Wedding Coordinator, Brenda Kerr)
Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn, Cranberry Township
Makeup: A Touch of Makeup by Denise Nedev
Hair: Platinum Hair Studio in the Hilton Double Tree by Stacy Hirth
Bride's Dresses: Mary's Bride and Formal (Beaver Falls, PA)
Ring: Mathew Jewelers
Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography, Jenna & Nick
I met Ryan early on a Friday morning (on a day he didn't have school) to take his senior photos. It was the perfect morning for a photo session, and we were even able to incorporate his love of soccer into his shoot! You might remember his sister, Kathleen, and her senior photo session from last year. Thanks for an awesome shoot, Ryan, and congratulations on your senior year!
