Richard + Dawn | Fairman Family Farms Wedding, Shelocta PA
Richard + Dawn | Fairman Family Farms Wedding, Shelocta PA
Sparkler exit at barn wedding at Fairman Family Farms in Shelocta PA
 

Dawn and Richard had the wedding of their dreams at the beautiful Fairman Family Farms in Sheltocta, PA! When I first met Dawn and Richard, besides being super adorable and ridiculously photogenic, I quickly discovered their love of the outdoors and animals, so this elegant yet rustic venue was perfect for them.

We started the day at the Hilton Garden Inn, a favorite of brides in the Indiana area for a gorgeous getting-ready location on their wedding day. Dawns adorable nieces and super sweet bridal party made it so easy to capture beauty in every corner of the room. The girls already arrived with their hair and makeup done, so after capturing some quick detail shots and candids, all that was left was getting the stunning bride into her dress! After the finishing touches, Dawn read a letter that Richard wrote her specially for their wedding day.

After capturing a few tears and a lot of smiles, I headed to the barn venue to photograph the guys getting ready. Richard was careful to make sure his hair looked perfect, and was probably one of the most kind grooms I’ve ever had the pleasure to photograph. We snuck away around the side of the barn so he could read his letter from his bride to be, and then we were ready to start the ceremony!

I was able to grab a few wide room shots in the time in-between, which is always a treat to see your venue untouched and looking perfect with your decor. Luckily, the barn comes already decked out with lights and tulle, so you can have a magical wedding look with minimal effort. The ceremony was gorgeous, taking place in front of the venue’s signature waterfall landscaping with the beautiful barn in the background. Even though it was hot and sunny, the guests didn’t seem to mind and by the time the “I-do’s” came around everyone was all smiles.

A lot of people think that sun is great for photos, but in actuality shade is always best. As such, I was able to find a shady field across the street from the venue, which was a really nice change of pace for me since I’ve shot weddings here many times before and had yet to discover the magical light over on that side of the venue! Family photos were very important to Richard and Dawn, so much so that she even had me get updated family photos of their siblings and their families, without them in it, as a gesture of kindness. What a sweet idea!

After blazing through portraits and getting the timeline back on track after a delayed ceremony start (photographers always save the day, friends!), the bridal party came bursting through the barn doors to get the party started! I was pleasantly surprised working with a new (to me) DJ that was one of the most kind and laid back I have encountered (check his link below). I was also ELATED that we vendors had our own table and were told to eat first. A chair and a meal is something I don’t take for granted for a second! Dawn was so kind to make sure we had both.

After some dancing and fun (check out grandma getting down in the pics below), we snuck out for some sunset photos and some special moments with the beautiful horse that lives on the property. The night ended with a beautiful sparkler exit where I was able to take THE sparkler shot of my LIFE. I hope you enjoy the photos of Dawn and Richard’s special day!

Vendor Team:

 
WeddingsJill StifflerIndiana, Fairman Family Farms
Family Photography Pittsburgh | Sam + Nick
Family Photography Pittsburgh | Sam + Nick
Phipps Botanical Garden Pittsburgh Family Photography

Family Portraits have come a long way since the department store studios with the cheesy backgrounds - you can have gorgeous family photos at pretty much any location that is special to you! I’ve known Sam and Nick for years, and one of the best things about them is that they are totally trusting of my creative process and willing to go and do anything I suggest.

When Sam asked me about doing some family photos, our original plan was going to be creating something epic on a joint-family vacation to Boston, but like so many other times this year, COVID had other plans. Like most of my friends, we are all foodies at heart and the city has a special place in our lives - so naturally some of the happiest places that come to my mind are found in Pittsburgh. Still wanting something unique and urban, we decided Pittsburgh would hit the spot, and then treated ourselves to some incredible arepas for dinner at The Columbian Spot.

The beautiful thing about shooting at Phipps is that they don’t require a permit or special permission to shoot on their outdoor property. With creative angles, you can have a range of backgrounds from the incredible spires of the greenhouse that look like something in Morocco, to lavender fields and weathered benches, to gothic architecture with lush greenery, to vibrant flower fields! It doesn’t take a big spot to make a big impact in your photos.

Creatively, however, my favorite part of this session was the total vibe-change as we ended the session at the top of a parking garage in Market Square. We were incredibly lucky to have the entire roof-top floor to ourselves, free of cars. I threw all convention out of the window and shot exclusively with off-camera flash (to capture those amazingly textured skies!) and a brand-new super-wide lens to give us a funky creative vibe with distortion and the ability to capture ALLLL of that amazing Pittsburgh skyline. Fun fact, I also shot 90% of them sitting on the ground because I had to pee so bad! I was determined not to have an accident in front of my friends, especially because we all carpooled an hour from Indiana, hahahaha!

Hope you enjoy one of my favorite family sessions to date, and I hope it inspires you to think outside of the box (and your zip code!) when planning your next photo session location!

 
 
Families, Photoshoot LocationsJill StifflerPhipps Conservatory
Frick Park Engagement Photos | Chanel + Enoch
Frick Park Engagement Photos | Chanel + Enoch
Photographers for Black People

It’s never too late to have amazing photos with the person you love, especially if you didn’t get the chance to have professional wedding photos done. Lots of couples are smartly choosing to have smaller ceremonies at home or a a local park, with smaller guest lists budgets.

But I firmly believe that everyone deserves to have amazing photos with the person that they love, and a fantastic way to make sure that happens is an anniversary session! These two were an absolute dream to work with (I mean you’ll see why when you look at the photos!), and we had so much fun walking around the park where they got married the year before capturing that same joy and excitement that has only grown deeper over their first year of marriage! Pittsburgh has a lot of really great photo locations, so if the greenery of park is something you are wanting, we can do that! Of course there’s lots of options for the more urban look too.

Sometimes people like to wear their wedding dresses or suits, or photograph in a totally different season than their wedding was in. Once I did an anniversary session where the couple was in full wedding dress and they had a cozy night time session at their favorite local coffee shop! These are excellent sessions to showcase what that two of you love, milestones you have accomplished - it’s not just for families with kids!

If you have those that are hard to shop for, a gift certificate for an anniversary photo session is always a great idea! I don’t put an expiration date on my gift certificates, and they can be used for any type of portrait session, whether it be a family session, engagement, anniversary, or maternity! You can send me an email and let me know if you’d like to grab a giftcard!

 
 
Engagements, Photoshoot LocationsJill StifflerFrick Park
Indiana PA Engagement Photo Locations | Tiffany + James
Indiana PA Engagement Photo Locations | Tiffany + James
Plus Size Bride and Plus size groom engagement photos

Tiffany and Jim had their engagement photos taken this Saturday at the beautiful Blue Spruce park in Indiana. Photographing couples is my absolute favorite because you can encourage and celebrate the JOY and FUN that comes with being in love! Even if you aren't comfortable with being in front of a camera, I’ve photographed people that I guarantee are more awkward than you are and helped them have a successful photo session that they enjoy.

Tiffany admitted when we started the session that she was a little nervous, but as you can see these two are naturals and by the end of the session, when I always ask “so did you guys have a good time?” they both answered with a heartfelt “yes!”

The difference between “meh” photos and GREAT photos has so much to do with posing. There are approximately 123284923598 other things that a photographer has to know and account for (gear, lighting, background, wind, PERSONALITY), but posing can really make or break a session. It’s important to keep the conversation going, keep it light and friendly, ask questions to your couples like “do you have a side you prefer” or “are there any areas you love/dont love" and then have a game plan to accommodate.

I walk my couples through a “script”, using the lighting and surroundings to influence which pose I pull out of my script at that particular location. All of my posing also incorporates movement or action - which is my style! I want you to be able to look at a photo and see natural genuine smiles, wonder what they are laughing at, guess where they are going in their environment. This takes YEARS to perfect, but if you are new to photography the absolute best thing you can do is invest time and money on educating yourself about posing!

Hope you enjoy these sweet photos!

 
 
Engagements, Photoshoot LocationsJill Stiffler
Money Saving Tips for Weddings
Money Saving Tips for Weddings
 
Jill Gearhart Photography-3-2.jpg

Weddings are one of the most expensive things you will encounter in your life, but as wedding culture evolves, so do ways to make your wedding more unique AND more cost effective. COVID undoubtedly turned the world upside down, but some of the practices that we adopted to have safe, outdoor weddings have impacted wedding trends and are sticking around for a long time. Some of these changes can even be used to save you money, and definitely have made more non-traditional weddings more popular, which means you can feel more free than ever to plan the wedding that YOU want!

Wedding changes thanks to covid

  • Friday and Sunday dates: a lot of venues now offer Friday and Sunday dates as they aren’t as popular as Saturday. This way, they can accommodate more weddings in a year!

  • Small Ceremonies: It’s common now for couples to have a small ceremony at churches, homes, or even the courthouse. Sometimes ceremonies are even private and then guests are invited to the reception portion of the day only.

  • Split dates: the ceremony can be now, and the party can be later! Clients are still having their big, dream receptions, only a year later. This makes having an elopement or destination wedding much easier!

  • Smaller Bridal Parties: A way to cut down on expenses and day-of chaos is to downsize your bridal party. There are lots of ways you can honor your family and closest friends and have them be a part of your wedding, such as having them as ushers, read a passage during your ceremony, give speeches at dinner, or dedicate songs to them at the reception.

  • House Parties: Some couples are opting to scale down from start to finish, having a small ceremony and then a banger of a house party after!

 
Wedding TipsJill Stiffler
How many photos in a wedding album
How many photos in a wedding album
Jill+Gearhart+Photography+Wedding+Album.jpeg

Most brides have every intention of making an awesome coffee table album of their wedding photos, but the truth is, they never get around to it. (I have been married for over a decade and still have not made mine!) After your wedding, you will have SO much to do, including selling or storing decorations, getting your dress cleaned and preserved, perhaps moving in together, finding places to store the wedding gifts, not to mention those dreaded thank you cards! Perhaps most overwhleming of all is the never-ending legalities of changing your name, combining bank accounts, etc! When you're trying to settle into your newly married life and roles, time to create a photo album is a luxury many don't have. (…and then 11 years later still not having time like moi hahaha)

Enter online sites like Shutterfly. Shutterfly sells wedding albums, and they have templates to save you lots of time, and they are cheap! What’s not to love? It’s no shock that your photographer would prefer you did NOT use Shutterfly, but I take a different approach. I don’t care if you spend the extra money and have me do it, or if you save some time and do it yourself - the important part is that your photos are getting a chance to live in the real world (not just on your computer or phone!) and THAT is why we create art!

The best day of your life deserves to be showcased for years to come, and that means your wedding photos cannot just live on in your cell phone! It's so important to be able to celebrate your life together often, and showcasing an album that's beautiful and durable as part of your home decor will give you the opportunity to reminisce together in those memories over and over again. Not to mention, an album is a great heirloom to pass on to your soon-to-be growing family!

The big advantage when choosing “me or them” is first and foremost quality. It’s obviously ideal to have an album with a stunning and durable cover to compliment your home's style, one with thick pages to endure hundreds of turns, something that is weighty and durable enough to stand up to being toted back and forth to friends’ and families’ homes, and you need something with the same quality and valuable as your perfect wedding day. Quality is worth it! It’s a hard balance to not only make your album, but know exactly how many photos to put in it! The albums I design typically have 50-75 images in them.

how easy is it to design an album?

If you decide to either book a package with an album included, purchase one after your wedding through me, the entire process of designing it couldn’t be more simple. Most of my wedding couples DO get an album, and we are able to meet in person to design their dream album! I will show up to that meeting with a draft on my computer, and we will be able to go through page-by-page to swap out or delete photos you don’t want until the amount of photos and the selections are exactly what you want!

But what if you don’t live closeby? We can do the entire process mentioned above over zoom, or if you prefer, we can do it over email as it’s convenient for you! Here's a timeline of what to expect in order for us to work together to create the album of your dreams!

  1. The first draft of your album with images chosen by me will be sent to your email (or you get to see it in person at a meeting!) in about two weeks after your gallery is delivered. I use an online tool called Album Draft that makes it super easy for you to make edits and let me know which photos you would like to use instead of the ones I initially chose for your draft. This tool shows you a digital version of your album and makes it super easy for you to click each photo and make notes, such as what you want to change, etc. 

  2. We will then email requests and edits back and forth until we settle on a design you love!

  3. Final design is approved, albums ordered and shipped directly to you!

I asked Steph, the bride from the video above, to give YOU real, honest feedback about everything albums from designing it together to the album itself. Here’s what she had to say:

Q: Can you describe the process of reviewing the album and submitting changes online yourself?

A: The processing of reviewing the album is very simple and convenient. At first I thought I would have to view it only on my desktop but I tried to view it on my phone and it worked just as good! It is like viewing an actual album virtually and turning the pages like you are holding it in your hand. Submitting changes is just as simple. You just click on the picture that you would like to change/swap and make a note of what change you'd like to change.

Q; What was your overall impression of the software?

A: The software is very user friendly and high-quality.Was the software easy to use?Very easy to use! Quick, simple, and very user-friendly.

Q: How easy or hard was it to customize your album exactly the way you wanted it to be?

A: Extremely simple! There were a handful of changes that were made but they were made quickly and precisely.

Q: About how long did it take you to submit changes?

A: Only a couple of minutes.

Q: Were you happy with how fast changes were sent back to you?

A: Yes! Barely any wait time at all!

Q: Would you recommend ordering an album to future brides?

A: Absolutely! It was such a simple process and the finished product was more than perfect! The process was made easy and the finished product was exactly what I wanted and more :) I am thrilled I decided to go through the process because I have a beautiful keep sake of the best day (my wedding day) for the rest of my life!

Wedding TipsJill Stiffler
South Carolina Destination Wedding Photography
South Carolina Destination Wedding Photography
Charleston Destination Wedding

Destination Wedding Photography is a dream of mine. Who doesn’t love to travel - and when I get to let that creativity behind the camera run wild in a new town with new sights and new friends - that sure sounds like a dream to me. For the past two years I’ve been blessed to travel for some amazing weddings (check out my wedding in Waco Texas last year!), and it was the best thing to end my busiest wedding season yet.

So how in the heck did you get a wedding in Charleston, you ask? Flash back to middle school when I rode bus #2 and met my very best friend for life, Nikki. Nikki introduced me to many great things and great people in my life, including a friend group that led me to my hubby (here’s the story!). Nikki and the beautiful bride here, Steph, were roomies in college. I met Steph when I visited IUP, Steph followed my business from the start, asked me to photograph her reception and BAM! We got a destination wedding.

Steph and her hubby Neil actually live in Edinburgh Scotland (wish I could have photographed THERE!), and after Steph moved “across the pond” from a journalism job in Manhattan and she and Neil met in a writing group, its been love ever since. How lucky am I to get to capture it?! These two officially tied the knot in Scotland earlier this year, but since Steph’s parent’s live in Charleston, it seemed the perfect place to celebrate state-side with friends and family of the bride’s.

Saturday started “normally” enough as any other wedding day - the bride and groom surrounded by family and close friends, fastening buttons, straightening ties, lacing up THE COOLEST SHOES IVE EVER SEEN, and other relatively normal wedding prep activities. Since the day was a reception celebration, we didn't have to worry about a first look or ceremony, so we were able to jump right into family photos under the Spanish Moss covered Oaks in the beautiful Charleston humidity. I made a point to try and incorporate as much local foliage into their portraits as possible (with a lovely greeting by some local fire ants across my foot while doing so). We danced on docks and posed by palms and captured some of my favorite wedding portraits of all time. Enjoy them below!

Then, the boat! We did a non-traditional receiving line by having the bride and groom greet each guest as they boarded the boat, and then laughed and munched the night away cruising the magnificent bay. I’m not big on cake (imagine that, I can eat free cake once a week for half the year and I don’t like it), but the amazing baby bundt cakes Steph’s family found from a local bakery made me reconsider. The dinner menu was the stuff of dreams with way more choices than your typical wedding spread - so much so that I didn’t even miss the magical Pittsburgh cookie table or pierogi’s that harken of home.

After an epic champagne spray and an extremely tired goodbye in the hotel lobby, my magical weekend away came to an end. I am so grateful to do what I love, and even more grateful to share that with people that I love. I hope you enjoy this piece of my heart and these incredible moments in Charleston!

Destination, WeddingsJill StifflerSpiritline Cruises
Barn at Rayne Run Wedding | Gary + Carissa
Barn at Rayne Run Wedding | Gary + Carissa
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If you want a rustic wedding, chances are you are looking at a barn venue for your reception, and there’s no other season like fall to have a wedding with a rustic feel! Carissa and Gary incorporated all of the most beautiful aspects of fall, rustic barns, antiques, and country life into their October wedding at the Barn at Rayne Run in Marion Center. This venue is always great this time of year - especially because of the vibrant trees that run along the creek in the back of the property - and with the addition of the antique teal blue truck this year that was stuffed with mums and pumpkins for fall, it truly can’t get anymore beautiful.

It sounds strange to say this, but not all couples are as outwardly happy and excited as Carissa and Gary on their wedding day. Right before the first look, Carissa was literally bouncing up and down with excitement and she had a HUGE smile on the entire day - even during the “getting ready” phase which can be stressful for a lot of brides. I met these friends two years ago (she’s on the ball, seriously) and couldn’t wait for this day to come almost as much as them! I learned that they have been together for 6 years, and the proposal story was incredibly sweet with a very “Carissa” response! She tells it like this:

“Gary's proposal was the most perfect idea and complete surprise at the Fireworks on July 1, 2017. I really thought he wanted to get a "new profile picture for his Facebook page" when actually he had it set up so that my sister was getting pictures of the whole thing!! Considering I truly thought he was trying to have my sister take a profile picture, I told him to "shhhheeeeh! Kee is trying to get a picture!" when he started talking to me and telling me his proposal speech. He kept talking all while thinking "Is she serious?" and eventually just got down on his knee so I would realize what was going on... then I squealed, jumped, ran away (only about 3ft away), came back, and fell to my knees in front of him with complete and utter shock and excitement! Needless to say, a solid success!!”

All of that happiness, excitement, and kindness just radiates from them, and I especially love how family is so important to them. Carissa shared her “old, new, borrowed and blue” with her family members in a way to honor them and make them a special part of her day. She planned that “Something Blue is a sweet little hanky with adorable poem from my Mom that has a tiny blue bow and blue printed poem. Something Borrowed is my Granny Smith's pearl necklace. Something Old will be lent to me by my Gram Conrad but she tells me it is from my Pap Conrad who will be watching from Heaven. Something New is my veil which Gary's mother and my Mother - In - Law To Be, Theresa, bought for me.” Not only did she plan these sentimental details, but we captured photos of each family member sharing the item and a sweet moment with Carissa.

Admittedly, I anticipated the day to be a lot more hectic than it was, but with such sweet family and bridal party members, the convenience of everything being at the same location, a fantastic second shooter, and a couple willing to do a first look, the day went flaw.less.ly. Since we had a limited amount of time between the ceremony and the reception, and because we had a big family to honor with photo combinations, Carissa and Gary opted for a first look 2 hours before the ceremony start time. We were able to knock out the first look, nearly 50 family photos, bridal party photos, and couple portraits in an hour and a half! Once the ceremony ended and the receiving line was done, we grabbed a few more portraits with plenty of time to spare for bustling the dress, restroom breaks, and getting everyone placed for the DJ to announce them in!

We danced the night away in the elegant barn with its twinkle lights and chandeliers, and even snuck outside to a neighboring hillside for some sunset portraits. Needless to say, it was pretty much a perfect, stress free wedding day for all parties involved! This wedding’s sneak peeks are breaking the internet over on facebook, so you definitely want to scroll down to see a HUGE preview of their day below!

Vendor Team:

Photographer: Jill Stiffler | Jill Gearhart Photography

Second Photographer: Karen Plate | Karen Plate Photography

Venue: The Barn at Rayne Run, Marion Center, Pa

Gown: Stella York bought from White Lace Bridal, Indiana, Pa

Hair: Shear Stylin', Elderton, Pa

Bridesmaids Dresses: Morilee by Madeline Gardner bought from Rusted Rose Bridal, Kittanning, Pa

Florals: Flower Gallery, Indiana, Pa

Cake: Cheri's Cakes & Cruffles by Cheri from Brush Valley, Pa

Caterer: Flair of Country Catering and Event Planning, Corey and Mindi Crocco from Johnsontown, Pa

Favors: Homemade Apple Butter made and donated by Carissa's Grandmothers

DJ: Royal Heir DJ Services

 
 
WeddingsJill StifflerBarn at Rayne RunIndiana, Barn at Rayne Run
Laurelville Retreat Center Wedding | Colby + Hillary
Laurelville Retreat Center Wedding | Colby + Hillary
Jill+Gearhart+Photography-50-2.jpg

Hillary and Colby’s wedding at the Laurelville retreat center was everything you could ever want in a summer wedding with its breathtaking mountain top views, peaceful surroundings, plenty of parking, and lots of seating for even the biggest guest list.

These two like to joke that they met when they were 5 years old at Al's Pub after a conversation when they realized they were both there for the dinner with Barney (the dinosaur from the kids show). In their adult lives, they met through mutual friends. After 5 years of dating, Colby proposed by making a photo video their first date (a pirate game), all the places they had visited, and pictures of all the weddings they had been to together. The last slide said, "Maybe it's time to start planning our own?' Then he got down on one knee and proposed!

I started the day with the girls, much like every wedding, where Hillary was sweet enough to have all of her details ready to go! Her beautiful Badgley Mischka’s gave just the right amount of sparkle next to an incredible summery/fall bouquet by Red Punch designs. Her invite suite, I later learned, was designed and made by her sister Gretchen who is also a graphic designer! With the help of her circuit, the invites were set off by an intricately cut sage green jacket and gold belly band. Shortly after the details were documented and we squished everyone together on the couch for a robe picture, Hillary stepped into her gorgeous Essence of Australia dress. Her sister and mother were close by for the final touches like jewelry and perfume.

When I arrived at the Laurelville Retreat Center, I met up with Colby who was busy pinning the boutineers on the groomsmen. That was definitely a first for me - usually I’m the one that steps in and gets everyone pinned! He also shared with me a very special pair of cufflinks featuring a 16 year old Colby with his mom Wanda who had passed. He said he got them made on Etsy! I was so impressed not only by this sentiment of honoring his mother with his wedding details, but that fact that he even knew what Etsy is!

Soon guests began to arrive on the hay wagon/tractor shuttle, and Hillary walked up the hill with her father to meet her groom! The “aisle” was lined with geometric hanging planters made by the bride’s brother-in-law. The ceremony took place under a wooden geometric arch that the groom made himself! Talk about a talented family! Red Punch Designs took it over the top with TWO mind-blowing flower arrangements on the arch featuring sunflowers, dahlias, roses, thistle, and eucalyptus. It was truly the stuff of bridal magazines! The couple planted and watered a fig tree as a symbol of their growing relationship, and after rings and vows, the two were husband and wife!

We were fortunate enough to have amazing skies, shade, long grasses, and changing leaves for family photos and photos of the bridal party. We finished up at the retreat center with some bride and groom portraits on top of the mountain and by that incredible floral arch.

DiSalvos’s station was just a short drive away, and honestly one of the most unique venues I’ve shot at. The train-station-turned-restaurant was equally romantic and rustic with railroad decor, string lights, and red brick and green architecture. We took some portraits near the tracks at the top of the restaurant, highlighting the old train station awnings, benches, and brick walkways. The wedding decor was just as special with so many hand-made elements that looked very high-end and not DIY at all. Hillary grew the mini white pumpkins in her garden, and the couple made their hexagonal tile seating chart out of copper pipe. All in all, the decor for this late September wedding was a perfect blend of modern minimalist and elegant rustic with geometric metals, beautiful florals, and white pumpkins.

We ended the night with an epic night portraits showcasing HIllary’s second gown, a white sequin flapper style dress, and then later a cozy shot of the two lovers at a private table for two in the cigar bar downstairs. I hope you enjoy the highlights from this beautiful and unique day!

Ceremony: Laurelville Retreat Center

Reception:  DiSalvo's Station 

Gown: Essence of Australia at Marwin Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: Morilee at Marwin Bridal

Tuxes: Cantalamessa Formals

Rings: West Side jewelry

Florals + Decor: Red Punch Design

Cake: Oakmont Bakery

Caterer: DiSalvo's Restaurant

DJ: Macky D Enterprise

Rentals: Photobrations Photo Mirror

WeddingsJill StifflerDisalvos stationGreensburg, DiSalvo's
Blair County Convention Center Wedding | Erin + Paul
Blair County Convention Center Wedding | Erin + Paul
Jill+Gearhart+Photography-53.jpg

The Blair County Convention Center is a great venue if you’re looking to have an all-inclusive, large wedding in the Altoona area that has catering included. Erin and Paul’s September wedding started in Colver where we were greeted with a flurry of activity and bridesmaids in the living room of their family’s home. Each member of the bridal party was so helpful, accommodating, and sweet to us the entire day. We were especially smitten with the little ring bearer who was the happiest, most cooperative little boy literally ever. I enjoyed photographing the gorgeous bouquet from Peterman’s, laid next to some of Erin’s prettiest details like her invite suite from White lace, shoes with pearl accents, and her very special Virgin Mary pin that belong to her grandmother. Her sister also used this pin at her wedding too! Grandma was with Erin in another special way, too, when her mother placed her grandma’s engagement ring on her finger after she zipped the dress.

The guys shared some laughs, brews, and shots in Paul’s garage before walking to the ceremony at the church just right up the road. It was so nice to be so close to everything! After a beautiful Catholic mass ceremony, Erin and Paul stepped out into the world as Mr. and Mrs. with silk ribbons and bells on sticks being wagged in the wind by their closest friends and family.

After some quick and organized family sessions (these are law enforcement officials, after all! Everyone listened well! hahaha), we got some photos near the historic Lemon House in Gallitzin. Erin and Paul especially liked the civil-war era type wooden fence, and Jackie and I especially liked the tall wildflowers and winding path through the field. A few puffy clouds against the dark blue fall sky made their portraits they stuff we dream of! Just right down the highway was an old stone bridge/archway that we stopped at for some more portraits. The Laurel Highlands truly have the best little hidden gems if you know where to look - like right in the middle of the highway!

It was just a short drive from there to the convention center, where guests mingled outside of the ballroom for cocktail hour. We were lucky to have the whole stunning room to ourselves to photograph before guests entered, and the crystal candelabra-style centerpieces and stunning ruffled cake form Maddie Cakes took everything to another level of elegance. We even got to encounter Erin and Paul experiencing the room and decor for the first time, too!

Erin and Paul started the night of dancing off by their first dance to “Eyes on You” by Chase Rice. She shared with me that it had significance to them because the first concert they ever went to together was to see Chase Rice at Stage AE. In fact, Paul proposed that night in Pittsburgh. She said this about the night:

” We first went to the melting pot for an early valentine’s dinner. We then went up to the top of the incline and he proposed on the overlook at the top of Mt Washington. One of the groomsmans was there to film it, and both of our families knew about it, but I was completely surprised! After we had plans to go to a concert at Stage AE. The concert was for a country artist we both love ... Chase Rice. It’s why we chose Eyes on You for our first dance! It was the first concert we had ever gone to and it was from the night we got engaged.”

We ended the night with a truly epic shot showcasing the stunning architecture of the convention center and highlighting the “thin blue line” that Erin and Paul both dedicate their lives to protect. Thank you both for your service, and thank you for an amazing opportunity to capture your perfect day!

Photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography

Second Photogrpaher: J.Jae Photography

Venue:  Blair County Convention Center

Gown: Stella York at White Lace Bridal

Hair: JC Penney

Makeup: JC Penney

Bridesmaids Dresses: Sorella Vita at White Lace Bridal

Rings: Leo Diamond by Kay Jewelers

Invitations: White Lace Bridal

Florals: Peterman’s Floral

Cake: Maddie Cakes

Caterer: Blair County Convention Center

Favors: totallyweddingkoozies.com

DJ: DJ Boomerang

 
 
WeddingsJill StifflerBlair County Convention CenterConvention Center, Blair