Holiday Cheer | Gretchen & Ron's Peddler's Village Engagement Portraits

 

• Posted by Natalie •

This post is very overdue, but there was just so much I loved about Gretchen and Ron's engagement portraits in Peddler's Village just after Christmas last year, that I couldn't pass up sharing them.  First, how perfect is her vintage fur coat?  It was passed down from one of Gretchen's relatives, but it fit perfectly and coordinated ideally with her boots.  The whole atmosphere at Peddler's Village, which is located in Bucks County near New Hope, just fit perfectly with Gretchen and Ron's ideas for their engagement photos.  This little collection of gift shops housed in colonial-style buildings with paths and gardens between them goes all-out for the holiday season. The whole village is lit with Christmas lights and holiday music wafts through the air.  It's hard not to be in good mood!

We met up with Gretchen and Ron about an hour before sunset to get some vintage-style portraits among the colonial architecture, then we warmed up at one of the restaurants while waiting for it to get dark enough for some shots with the Christmas lights.  I'm so glad that Gretchen even got her wish to have some snow on the ground for the photos!

After the sun finished setting Gretchen opted for an outfit change for a more modern, classic look. All these cozy winter photos were such a nice contrast to their June wedding portraits!

Sneak Peek | Ka Huen & Jon's Bridal Portraits in Yardley

• Posted by Natalie •

We'll have another full post coming up soon!  Matt and I are trying to wrap up all the album designs before the holiday deadlines hit—but I couldn't wait to share a few of my favorite photos from Ka Huen & Jon's November wedding.  We took portraits all over Yardley from along the Delaware River to the Yardley Fire Station to this gorgeous open field.  There is so much more to share, but here are a few of our favorites.

Jon & Ka Huen—I think the long walk up this hill was totally worth it! Thanks for finding this field!

Helen & Larry's South Philadelphia Wedding at the Hyatt Regency

• Posted by Natalie •

We've got a lot of catching up to do!  Helen and Larry got married during some April showers earlier this year, but they didn't let that dampen their spirits.  Helen even prepared for the weather by decorating a black umbrella with bright pink flowers!  Their ceremony was at St. Casimir's church in South Philadelphia and they rented a Philadelphia Trolley to transport the bridal party.  It was the perfect mode of transportation for such a wet day instead of cramming everyone with their umbrellas into a limo.  After the ceremony we headed to a park in South Philly for some bridal portraits, and then over to Pat's and Geno's (yes the cheesesteak joints!) for some photos with the whole bridal party. The little flower girls were starting to wane by this point, so it was the perfect time to grab a snack. You've gotta love a bride and groom who make time for some cheese fries on their wedding day!

Helen & Larry's reception was at the Penn's Landing Hyatt Regency on Columbus Blvd., which provided a great backdrop for their white, black and red wedding colors.  The bride & groom are both nurses and their caring nature was evident throughout the wedding day and all the details.  They are both very kind and warm people and we were so glad to see their happiness brighten up what would have otherwise been a gloomy day.  Their attitude was contagious and by the time everyone hit the dance floor the rain was long forgotten!

Jay and Lori's Urban Engagement Portraits in Philadelphia

• Posted by Matt •

This coming March we will be photographing Jay and Lori's wedding at the Tendenza in Northern Liberties. I met both of them a few years ago when I started working out at a Crossfit gym in my neighborhood, and I am honored to be a part of their special day.

They were interested in getting engagement portraits done around the city, but they didn't want a traditional session. They were interested in a more gritty, urban look to their photos which Natalie and I were more than excited to make happen!

We started at the Race Street Pier before heading into North Philly to hunt down some interesting walls with graffiti on them to use as a background, as seen in the image above. We made a quick stop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art before ending back at Sherman Mills in East Falls, where they both live, because they wanted have some portraits with their dog as well.

I can't really put into words how much we love the images we were able to make with these two. They were so relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera, it felt like we hired models to hang out with us for the day!

Jen & Jay's Chase Center Wedding in Wilmington, DE

• Posted by Natalie •

Jen and Jay's mid-September wedding reminded us how much we love fall weddings! After spending the bulk of the spring battling raid and the summer dodging oppressive heat waves, surprise thunderstorms and even a hurricane, Matt and I were thrilled to see blue skies with a pleasant temperature the day of Jen and Jay's wedding at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, DE.  This was our first Delaware wedding, and we love the location they chose. They held both the ceremony and reception at the Chase Center, and the on-site coordinators were wonderful.  They were on top of every little detail to make sure the whole day flowed smoothly. We love a well-managed venue!

Plus, there were so many great spots for photos both inside and outside. Since we only had about half an hour for bridal party portraits, we chose to head outside to the nearby Delaware Riverfront where we found a mix of natural and industrial portrait spots. Jen's bridesmaids really went the extra mile to help us make great photos—when I asked if any of the ladies would be willing to climb onto a crane for a shot I had in mind, three of them hopped up without hesitation! Jen and Jay showed their own moxie when they scaled an old train car shortly after that.  Normally by the time we get to the wedding day, we've met with couples a few times and we get to know them fairly well, but busy schedules meant we kept having to postpone their engagement portraits, and Hurricane Irene changed our pre-wedding meeting into a phone conversation, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. Thankfully, they were totally at ease in front of the camera. We could have kept them for portraits all evening, but the sun was setting and it was time to party!

Jen & Jay, we wish you all the best and we can't wait to get you back in front of our cameras for your (post-wedding!) engagement photos :)