Last night I had the honor of being the photographer at #helloSAL, a “reveal” party for one of Pittsburgh’s most darling icons – Secret Agent L. You can read about Laura and her adventures in Pittsburgh here. The event was a total success and raised over $1,500 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Here are a few shots from the party. If you were there, or wish you had been, leave a comment and share something about the evening!

There were lots of neat things to bid on at the silent auction - craft brews, hand bags, stationary, gift certificates, books and more...

The Firehouse Lounge was serving up $5 sangrias that even the most die-hard beer drinkers couldn't resist.

SAL set up a Mini Mission Station for people to take part in.

At 9:00 p.m. SAL revealed what everyone had been waiting for...herself!

#helloSAL quickly evolved into a dance party on the terrace and continued well past the event's scheduled time.

Venue: The Firehouse Lounge
T-shirts and Invitation Design: Melissa Ott Design
Lighting/Tech Guy: Mike Woycheck
Slideshow Presentation: Derrick Brashear

[LEFT]
Dress Courtesy of Stylish White Female
Necklace: Jupe Boutique
[RIGHT]
Blouse & Earrings: Jupe Boutique
Necklace courtesy of Stylish White Female
Trench Coat, Blouse, Earrings and Sunglasses courtesy of Stylish White Female
Blouse, Empire Skirt and Earrings courtesy of Stylish White Female
Leather Jacket, Blouse and Zipper Pants: Jupe Boutique
[LEFT]
Jean Jacket and Zipper Pants: Jupe Boutique
[RIGHT]
Trench coat and Hat courtesy of Stylish White Female
Dress & Necklace: Jupe Boutique
Dress: Jupe Boutique
Trench Coat & Hat courtesy of Stylish White Female

Model: Laura Miller of Secret Agent L
Photography: Rima Campbell Photography
Stylist: Terra McBride of Stylish White Female
Makeup: Pittsburgh Makeup by Julie Marckisotto

Jason and I met while working together in the same public relations office three years ago. When he first introduced me to Jenny at a game night hosted at my old apartment, I knew she was here to stay. She hit it off with all of Jason’s friends immediately (not an easy feat — we’re a tough crowd!) and it didn’t take long for Jason to pop the question. I was able to celebrate with them at their engagement party at Beaver Falls Coffee & Tea Co. and it was there that they asked me to be their wedding photographer — to which I immediately exclaimed “YES!”

The two were married at the Syracuse RP Church in Syracuse, New York with a reception at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The zoo has a beautiful ballroom perfect for weddings and a catering service that will blow your mind (best wedding food of my career as a wedding photographer!). For photos we went to Onondaga Park, a place reminiscent of a Jane Austin novel. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from their day. Leave them a comment and if they get 25, I’ll send them a free 11×14 print of their choice!

Ceremony: Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church
Reception: Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Caterer: Catering at the Zoo
Cake: Michael LaSala
Bride’s Bouquet: DIY
Boutonnieres & Corsages: Sam Rao Florist
Invitations: Ryan Cerbus
Bride: Impression Bridal via New York Bride
Veil: abusymother on Etsy.com
Groom: Reaction by Kenneth Cole (suit, tie), Geoffrey Beene (shirt)
Bridesmaids: Adrianna Papell
Groomsmen: Reaction by Kenneth Cole (pants), Van Heusen (shirt) and Gianfranco Ruffini (tie)
Flower Girl: Gap
Guest Tree: sweetcarolinadesign on Etsy.com
DJ: Ian Graves

James and Starr were married on July 10 at The Aurora Inn in Aurora, New York. Set on the shores of Cayuga Lake amidst a tiny, heritage village in the heart of the Finger Lakes, the Aurora Inn has a pedigree dating back to 1833 and made for the perfect setting for James and Starr’s special day. This past spring, James and Starr and I grabbed dinner in Pittsburgh’s Strip District to go over their wedding plans and get to know each other a little better. It was like dining with friends — lots of laughs and a genuinely enjoyable evening. Over dinner I learned of how the couple met — on a London basketball court while Starr was studying Animal Neurology. James, who is from England, was smitten with Starr from the beginning and the two later decided to marry in the states and live there as well. Meeting James’ British family was a real treat and I couldn’t get enough of all the accents! Here are a few of my favorite moments from their day. Enjoy!

Venue: The Aurora Inn
Caterer: The Aurora Inn
Cake: The Aurora Inn
Dress:Martina Liana via Bridal Beginnings
Jewelry: Heirlooms
Florist: Flower Fashions
Ceremony Music: Cornucopia String Quartet

I’ve decided to submit one of the following photos to a “passion for light” contest. I have always been passionate about using natural light as much as possible and I have chosen these three based on on how I feel they represent my ability to get the shot I want without the use of flash equipment. Will you help me decide which one to submit? Please leave a comment below with your pick and tell me why you think it’s the best of the three (from left to right, we’ll call them “1″, “2″ and “3″).

Thanks for your help!

Model: Amy Grubb

I had the honor of spending the weekend with my Brother-in-Law and his wife and their beautiful new baby, Adeline. Here are a few of my favorites from her portrait session. I’m biased, I know, but isn’t she darling?

I just returned from a wedding at the breathtaking Hayloft in Somerset, Pa. The wedding was gorgeous and Chris and Caitlin could not have asked for a more beautiful day. I’ll be posting more later on, but in the meantime, I just had to share a few of these with you…

I’ve never seen anything like this before! Apparently, the deer had broken its leg a while back and the venue’s owners cared for it and nursed it back to health and ever since it’s been extremely friendly with its guests. Here are a couple of pictures of the deer greeting guests and eating the venue’s flowers:

And to add to the “friendly animal” theme, here are a few of the Hayloft’s sweet and gentle horse:

Jason and Amber were married on Jason’s grandmother’s breathtaking farm in Ozark, Ohio. Amber was a beautiful bride and I couldn’t get enough of her gorgeous smile. You could tell they put a lot of themselves into the day, as could be seen from all of the D.I.Y. details and personal touches. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. Congratulations Jason and Amber — I wish you the very best!

Instead of a traditional unity candle, Jason and Amber combined seeds from flowers chosen for them by their mothers and threw them into the surrounding fields (where they had already previously sewn wild flowers in preparation for their big day).








After taking some pictures at the bottom of the hill, Amber insisted on driving us all back up to the reception herself!

Florist: Blossoms (Barnesville, Ohio)
Cake: Melissa Carpenter (Barnesville, Ohio)
Dress: Universe Bridal/Unusual Junction
Matron-of-Honor Dress: David’s Bridal
Groom: Alfani Red
Best Man: Ralph Lauren
Flower Girl: Kinder Bliss
Wild Flowers: American Meadows (sewn by Father-of-the-groom)
Programs: Tucci Design

In an attempt to add some diversity to my portfolio, I will be giving away a free destination wedding photography package for a couple getting married between 2010 and 2012 in any exotic location.

The package includes:

-Unlimited Photography Coverage: Including Engagement Session, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding and Day-After (TTD) Session.
-Two Photographers
-DVD of High-Resolution, Professionally-Edited Images from each session.
-Online gallery for image viewing, sharing and optional purchasing (includes slideshow and album design).

All you need to do is provide travel & lodging for 3 days (two nights) to your destination.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post and e-mail me with your names, wedding date and location (and any other special details you wish to share!) and I will contact you if you are chosen!

I look forward to reading your comments!