A little backstory: Leslie and EJ commissioned me over a year ago to photograph their wedding. A few weeks before the wedding, they unexpectedly had to change their date. Unfortunately, I wasn’t available on their new date: I was going to be in Puerto Rico photographing Julia and Travis’ wedding. However, even though I was no longer able to be there myself on their wedding day, they trusted me to handle providing alternate photographers for them. So thanks to the photographic finesse of Kevin and Eileen, Leslie and EJ still had awesome photography coverage of their wedding day, and can live happily ever after.

Love this shot Eileen got of Leslie leaving the hotel on the way to the ceremony:

Now, not just anyone can pull off fuzzy animal cufflinks. Fortunately, EJ is sufficiently hardcore enough to do just that, as clearly evidenced in this image by Kevin:

The new Mr. and Mrs. (by Eileen):

I think Leslie looks absolutely radiant here. (image by Kevin)

LOVE this one by Eileen:

This image just tickles me. I love that they are both trying to keep straight faces but having a rough go of it. EJ is trying to stifle a smile, and Leslie looks like she’s just on the verge of breaking into a laugh. (Image by Eileen):

Another fab catch by Eileen:

This is one of my favorites of the day. Visually, I think the moment *just* before the lips meet during a kiss is the most romantic. Let’s call this ‘Anticipation’… (which sounds like it should be a Calvin Klein perfume.) Perfectly timed capture courtesy of Kevin:

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I LOVE when couples incorporate their personalities into their wedding. I think Leslie and EJ did a remarkable job of infusing personal touches throughout their day to make it uniquely theirs. Several of these made me extra swoon: Leslie’s custom made dress, the crimson crinoline she wore underneath it, the entire wedding party (including Leslie and EJ) changed into black converse after the ceremony, and their Simpsons bride and groom ‘cake topper’.

Love this detail on Leslie and EJ’s custom shoes (image by Kevin):

I’m not sure whom to give credit to for this idea, but I thought it was quite a clever alternative to a guest book (image by Eileen):

I find there can be great meaning in subtleties. In music, and conversation, so much can be said in moments of silence. I find the same correlation in art, in films, and in photography: that sometimes what is omitted or inferred is what elevates the beauty, or intrigue, or suspense.

I’m also of the opinion that sometimes, when people are aware they are being watched, they may be a little more reserved in terms of their actions or emotions. So when photographing people -during a wedding, for example- it can take great timing, and some really purposeful observation on the photographer’s part to capture a really pure moment. Those are (in part) a natural upwelling of what someone is truly feeling in the moment. They are expressions or emotions that you can’t coach or direct out of someone. They simply happen, or they don’t.

All of that little philosophical diatribe is to say that there are a number of images throughout the day, of Leslie in particular, that I found to be particularly moving. Some of that should certainly be credited to the skills of Eileen and Kevin, but I also get the sense that during those moments, Leslie was wholly present and completely engaged in what was happening right then, to the exclusion of anyone or anything else.

Which I find exquisitely beautiful.

This is an example, during their first dance. The head tilt, the closed eyes, the relaxed fingers..all of that says to me that nothing else exists right now except for the music, the moment, and her new husband. (image by Eileen):

Another example. Love this capture of a moment of joy by Kevin:

Even though you can’t see their expressions, to me, everything you need to know is in the body language. Image by Kevin:

Another example during the father/daughter dance where expressions speak volumes (image by Kevin):

A moment of pure joy captured by Eileen during the mother/son dance:

Some more joy, courtesy of Eileen. In looking through the images from the day, I couldn’t help but notice how often Leslie was smiling like this. So much so, that I suspect that by the end of the night, her cheeks hurt. (Has that ever happened to you? It’s kind of a bizarre side effect of extreme happiness):

and a little dance enthusiasm (also by Eileen):

by Kevin:

I’m not sure what song was actually playing here, but the song that plays in my head when I look at this is ‘Brickhouse’. She’s a brick—-house….She’s mighty mighty… just lettin’ it all hang out… (Yeah…I don’t know either. Sorry, EJ.) Image by Kevin.

To round out the evening, some super fun wedding party shots.

Although, I get the sense that they’re not really feeling it here. (image by Kevin):

Now that’s more like it. (Loving the commitment by the guy in the second row. He’s all in.) Image by Eileen.

Caught by Eileen in the visor mirror of the trolley:

LOVE this (by Eileen):

Leslie and EJ: You rock. I hope your marriage is filled with obscene amounts of bliss.

Ceremony: First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Reception: Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Wedding coordinator: Lori McElhatten (at Heinz History Center)
Caterer: Common Plea
Dress designer: Threadhead (Rai-Lynne)
Hair and Makeup: Verve Salon
Florist: Mocha Rose Designs
DJ: DJ David Riel

{Special thanks to Eileen and Kevin for their superb photographic stylings! You. complete. me.}

I can sum up Julia and Travis’ wedding in three words:
So. Much. Fun.

You guys remember Elizabeth from Amanda and Collin’s wedding?

Julia looked stunning (she has gorgeous blue eyes). Love these little vignettes of her:

Her dress was simple, elegant, beautiful, and the perfect choice for a beach wedding.

Julia and Travis chose to see one another before the ceremony so we had extra time for portraits. (To give you an idea how convenient everything was, right behind Travis is the beach they got married on, and right behind Julia is where the reception was.)

Love this:

Love this:

One of my faves:

Their wedding party was ridiculously fun. Proof: I was laughing so hard at one point while photographing the groomsmen, I snorted. (Not one of my finer moments.)

I usually don’t blog shots of the wedding party, but I totally dig this one (plus, their entire wedding party was gobs of fun):

Some of the details of their day:

I absolutely adore when couples include personal details like this at their wedding. Right in the area where guests arrived, there were tons of photos of Julia and Travis (and their friends and family) hanging from clothespins and strung amongst the trees. I thought it especially clever to include photos of each of them growing up, in addition to photos of them together as a couple. What a brilliant way to get their guests reminiscing and laughing, and also a great way for Julia’s friends and family to get a little glimpse of who Travis is, and vice versa. Most guests at any given wedding invariably are much closer and familiar with either the bride or groom, so this was a great way to show everyone a little bit about who they are. (As a side note, including something like this at each table is a great conversation starter for guests who are seated together but don’t know one another.)

The weather was beautiful all day long (hot and humid, but we were in Puerto Rico, after all). The sky started to get dark right before the ceremony, and just as Julia was walking down the aisle, there were a few drops of rain. It held off though, and brought a nice breeze that was perfect timing for the ceremony.

I adore little moments like these: Travis’ arm around Julia during one of the readings.

I’m not sure what it is, but watching a parent get emotional as their child gets married puts a lump in my throat every.single.time. That’s Julia’s mom on the left, and Travis’ mom on the right:

Love the expression on Julia’s face here:

A few portraits after the ceremony:

A fave:

Another fave:

First dance:

During the toasts, Travis’ dad elicited a long-awaited confession from Travis about an incident from his childhood.

If you’ve ever been at a party and wondered whether it was a good one or not, here’s a failproof way to tell. Look around, and if you see anyone using a bottle as a microphone,:

or if multiple people have broken out into air guitar solos,:

you can consider that definitive proof, and rest assured that you are at a kick ass party.

Julia and Travis, thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer, for importing me into Puerto Rico, and for a beautiful day filled with love, laughs, and perfectly awesome people.

{I also have to give a shout out to Mary Baker, the wedding coordinator, whom I had the distinct pleasure of working with for the second time now. Mary is a pure joy and absolute delight to work with, along with Leslie Laronga, who was the florist extraordinaire. Thank you ladies, for being so wonderful, again.}

Coordinator: Mary Baker of Barefoot Weddings (new website is currently under construction. You can reach her at 787.808.3629)
Florist: Leslie Laronga of Tropical Treasures
DJ: Luis Vargas
Hair: Elizabeth Hair Design
Ceremony: Dogman’s Beach, Rincon, Puerto Rico
Reception: Casa Por Fin at Dogman’s Beach, Rincon, Puerto Rico

I’m delighted to announce that Muse has officially been launched!

Muse is my newest venture: a sister studio to Kimberly Reed Photography.
Muse will be offering inspired wedding photography, baby portraits,
maternity portraits, children’s portraiture, family portraits, and high
school seniors. These will all be done in the fresh, fun, modern
approach that is Muse’s style.

The idea behind Muse
has been in the works for a while now, and I’m so excited to announce
it’s debut. With the new studio launched, Eileen and Kelly will now be
photographing out of Muse, and Kimberly Reed Photography will go back
to just yours truly.

Of course, we will also continue to offer modern boudoir photography through our Femme Couture sessions.

If you’re already booked with Eileen or Kelly, there’s nothing to
worry about, nothing has changed except their business cards.

Muse will be announcing more exciting news in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on the Muse blog for some specials and a contest!

I got an email recently that we won the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards.

From the email: “The Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes the best wedding vendors, from wedding cakes to wedding photographers, in the WeddingWire Network. These wedding vendors have demonstrated excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry. The Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by over 500,000 newlyweds. Being a recipient of this award means you are in the top 5 percent of all wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Community!”

Thanks to everyone who voted for us!

Read the rest of this entry …

Collin proposed to Amanda on the beach in Rincon, Puerto Rico. When it came time to begin their planning, they thought it would be the perfect place to return for the wedding.

It was.

Here are some of the things that caught my eye throughout the day:

 
Ceremony was on the beach, and the reception followed at the Blue Boy Inn, just a few steps away. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention both the owner of the Blue Boy Inn, Marc, and the wedding coordinator, Mary, of PR Weddings. They were both wonderful to work with and did an amazing job pulling everything together. Some of the details from the day:

Love Collin’s expression here as Amanda meets him at the end of the aisle.
 
The light during the ceremony was tasty delicious.

I love when couples mimic one anothers actions or gestures without realizing it. Collin and Amanda were both holding two fingers of their opposite hand during the ceremony.
 

A few portraits on the beach after the ceremony. This one is my favorite portrait of the day:

Another fave:

Fave:

Love this one:

After a few minutes of portraits on the beach, we spent a little time in the garden at the Blue Boy Inn. It was dark at that point and we were able to get some moodier, edgier images with a totally different feel than the beach images:
 

Love this:

Holding hands during one of the toasts:

A delicate and loving exchange of the cake:
 



After dinner, everyone changed into their swimsuits and most of the rest of the reception happened in and around the pool. Super fun.
 
Bouquet toss:

n>The recipients of the bouquet and garter:

Collin’s parents:

Collin’s dad and brother trying for synchronized backflips:

Amanda and Collin: Thank you. The two of you, and your friends and family, are amazing. I can’t imagine a better group of people to spend a few days in paradise with. (When you renew your vows, I’m in!)
 
Ceremony Location- Black Eagle Beach, Rincon, PR
Reception Location- Blue Boy Inn, Rincon PR
Wedding Coordinator – Mary Baker, PR Weddings, Lajas PR
Caterer – El Bohio Restaurant, Joyuda, PR
Bakery – Delight Cakes, Francisco Rodriguez, Rincon, PR
Florist – Leslie LaRonga, PR Dream Weddings, Rincon, PR
Entertainment- DJ Eric Hodgdon
Bridal Salon – Elizabeth’s, Sunset Village Calle Cambija, Rincon, PR
Makeup Artist – Elizabeth’s, Sunset Village Calle Cambija, Rincon, PR
Dress Designer- Anne Barge

I love when weddings are truly celebrations of two families coming together, which was certainly the case with Jessica and Pano. The love and support from their friends and family was apparent as soon as we walked in the door.

Here are a few of my faves from their day:

The dressing of the bride and groom on the wedding day is ceremonial (and very interactive) in Greek culture.
Image below by Eileen:

Image below by Eileen. There were elaborately beautiful paintings all throughout the church. It made me smile that at this angle the angel appears to be stepping on Pano’s head.

Can you see the beginning of the tear forming in Jessica’s dads eye? There is something about a father getting emotional on his daughter’s wedding day that chokes me up every time.

Jessica and Pano, it was so, so wonderful to finally meet you and to be there to document your day! Thank you so much for having Kevin, Kelly, Eileen and me along; we had a blast!
 
Ceremony- Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church, Campbell, Ohio
Reception- Maronite Center, Youngstown, Ohio
Bakery- Clarencedale Cake
Entertainment (Band)- Karizma Greek Band
Entertainment (DJ)- Stevie B DJ
Videographer- Focus on You Video
Transportation- Affluent Travel by VIP Limousine

Amanda and Greg are married! Here are some of my faves from their day:

Let’s all take a moment to swoon over Amanda’s veil. And glasses. And overall personal style.

Another fave:

Gotta give props to my lovely and talented second shooter Heather for suggesting this pose:

Christine was beautiful on her wedding day. Don’t just take my word for it though. Check out some of the reactions she received:

This is one of my favorite images of the day; when her bridesmaids saw her for the first time after she was dressed. I love that while the actual expression is different on each girl, they each say the same thing: OMG, you look amazing!

Andrew watching her walk down the aisle.

I waited for quite a while for the priest’s actions to mimic those of Jesus right next to him, and this is the closest I captured:

Great little stairwell in the church. This image is another fave.

Love those long veils

Another fave

Love this one with the city behind them.

Some of the details from their day. Christine chose a color scheme of dark blue, with green and orange accents. Everything worked together really well, and that orange uplighting at the reception really tied everything together.
 
First dance:

Another great dancing crowd, which deserves another hat tip to DJ Jeremy Ganss. He knows how to keep a crowd on their feet!

Love these next two:

Karen and Ben are good people. The kind of people that make things better; by their actions, their outlooks, their attitudes. I’m not sure what that chances are that two people like that should happen to meet, fall madly in love, and decide to get married, but I’m glad they did. I’m also glad they chose me to photograph it, because it was a beautiful, emotional day, that -despite a few bumps along the way-  turned out perfectly.

A few portraits of Karen. Isn’t she stunning? (For the record, she is also quite charming, incredibly sweet, and full of grace, but those traits don’t come across as well in photos.)  :

The ceremony was held at Smithfield United Church in downtown Pittsburgh. I think the way Karen is looking at Ben as they exchange their vows is a pretty good summation of how they feel about one another:
 
How cute is the flowergirl? Seriously.

A few portraits after the ceremony:

Karen’s long veil was perfect for getting some dramatic images like this one:

One of my faves:

Love this:
Their reception was held at the Pennsylvanian in downtown Pittsburgh. A few details from the evening: (image of cake by Eileen. Other three images by Jaci.)