Chelsea & Eric’s Rustic Engagement Shoot

Posted on December 19, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

Chelsea and Eric live east of Pittsburgh outside of Kittanning, PA and I was thrilled to shoot their lovely rustic engagement photos. The setting was the farm of Chelsea’s family where the couple plan to build a home of their own. Eric restores vintage trucks and I was lucky that he had this beautiful truck completed for the shoot. Isn’t it stunning?!

Chelsea and Eric were great to work with along with their two dogs. Congratulations you two!

“Eric and I met a year ago at Panera Bread. He was so nervous that I thought it could never work… Our second date he took me for a ride in the country in his pickup truck and that was it. He was madly in love with me and I was thinking he was pretty ok too. Here we are a year later, still enjoying rides in the country only now we’re about to be married! Our wedding is December 8th. I’m so excited. It’s going to be red and ivory with a bit of Christmas flare.” – Chelsea

see more of this shoot at www.emilyreneephoto.com

Emily Renee Photography Love • Michelle’s Review

Posted on December 18, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

Michelle and Jay’s wedding at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium was one of the best of the year. I loved working with Michelle, Jay and their families and I am so glad that they felt the same way about working with me. I am honored to be able to be able to tell the stories of my couples through photography. Thank you so much Michelle for your sweet words!

“Somehow Jay and I made the overwhelming decision of choosing from hundreds of event photographers for our June wedding and we could not have been happier with another photographer. Your website and previous work spoke to us and I knew from the very beginning that you would do an amazing job. Not having the pressure and stress because you knew the exact questions to ask and ease of creating a timeline for photos meant I could focus on others and truly enjoy my special day. In addition to all the prep work, you and your assistant Amy knew exactly how to help us enjoy ourselves-from getting ready all the way up to the last dance and capture those truly natural and timeless moments! Your patience and talent is something special–thank you again for sharing in our unforgettable, yet untraditional marriage reception.” – Michelle

see more of Michelle and Jay’s stunning wedding at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Snapshot – Cake! • Pittsburgh Wedding Photography

Posted on November 4, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

In the next two weeks we will be celebrating two milestone birthdays in the Rearick household, I will be turning the big 3-0 and our baby will be turning one. All of the party planning for our little one has me dreaming about cake. I have seen (and sometimes tasted!) many wedding cakes since beginning my career as a wedding photographer. From towering to tiny, from homemade with love to professionally sculpted, from traditional to modern – I have seen so many amazing cakes and here are some of the sweetest.

Jacki and Thad, Part 5 – Hershey Inn Wedding

Posted on October 30, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

After dinner, formal dances and cake the guests moved outside the Inn at Westwynd Farm to enjoy mojitos on the porch and barefoot dancing in the grass. The dancing was lead by an Irish dance caller. Jacki invited me to put down my camera for a song or two and join in the fun. What a vibrant and unique celebration!

Congratulations Jacki and Thad, I hope you lives are filled with as much joy as your wedding day!

Jacki and Thad, Part 4 – Hershey Inn Wedding

Posted on October 28, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

Jacki and Thad were surrounded by their closest friends and family during their ceremony and reception at the Inn at Westwynd Farm. The reception was cozy and so full of love. The guest seating encircled the dance floor where Jacki and Thad showed off some very impressive moves.

At the reception, love was in the details. Jacki chose cornflower and navy blues along with white to accent the charm of the inn. She handmade “confetti” hearts to scatter around the rustic flower arrangements. Amazing job, Jacki!

Jacki and Thad, Part 3 – Hershey Inn Wedding

Posted on October 25, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

Jacki and Thad ceremony at the Inn at Westwynd Farm took place in the inn’s backyard. The ceremony, officiated by a friend of Jacki and Thad’s from the Pittsburgh Curling Club, began with a passage from The Princess Bride, “Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam.” I love how Jacki and Thad found such clever ways to personalize their wedding day and really show the guests their collective sense of humor.

The ceremony ended with Jacki and Thad’s hands being tied together with a ribbon and cowbell. The cowbell was another nod to their love of curling. Spectators ring cow bells with their team scores, this was a win indeed.

Jacki and Thad, Part 2 – Hershey Inn Wedding

Posted on October 23, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

Jacki and Thad decided to have a first look before their wedding ceremony at the Inn at Westwynd Farm in Hershey, Pennsylvania. For this first look, I took advantage of one of the barns on the farm. I decided to mix things up a bit and use the natural lighting of the barn to my advantage. I placed the groom facing the back of the barn, so that he was both literally and figuratively in the dark about how beautiful his bride looked.

After the first look Jacki and Thad did their best “American Gothic” impersonation and we visited with one of the horses who was snuggling up to Jacki, such a sweet moment.

Jacki and Thad, Part 1 – Hershey Inn Wedding

Posted on October 21, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

Jacki and Thad picked a location for their wedding and reception that held a special place in their hearts, the Inn at Westwynd Farm, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Jacki and Thad had spent a weekend away a Westwynd and fell in love with the charm of the inn, beautiful setting on a horse farm, and wonderful hospitality of the inn’s owners. When I arrived at Westwynd I knew why it was the perfect spot for their intimate and lovely wedding.

The day began with Jacki getting ready in Harrisburg. I loved spending this time with Jacki. We were able to catch up on all I has missed in her life while we were living in North Carolina and reminisce about our time as design colleagues.

I have never seen Jacki more beautiful and I was so honored to be the one by her side, camera in hand, on her wedding day.

Jacki & Thad – Downtown Pittsburgh Engagement

Posted on October 17, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

I first met my good friend Jacki in 2006. I was fresh out of college at my first job at a design firm. Jacki has such an amazing zest for life and a wonderfully perfect dry sense of humor. I was so excited to see Jacki when we moved back to Pittsburgh and hear that she had met a great man with whom to spend her life. I met Jacki and Thad in downtown Pittsburgh on a sunny morning for some engagement photos. We walked around from Market Square, the location of their first date, to the Clemente bridge and down Penn Avenue.

Michelle and Jay, Part 4 – Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Reception

Posted on October 14, 2013 by emilyreneephoto

After my portrait tour of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium with Michelle and Jay, I got my first glance at their reception space. The couple did an amazing job incorporating Jay’s naval background with the perfect space for a nautical wedding reception, the aquarium. Michelle provided her florist with antique cheese boxes that the florist filled with vibrant coral, peach and white flowers amongst clusters of succulents. The arrangements were absolutely stunning.

Some of the other personal touches at the reception were naval flags used as table markers, a traditional Pittsburgh cookie table and candy buffet in one, aquarium themed goodie bags for the kids, and favor bags adorned with anchors – Michelle and Jay thought of everything!

The reception space at this part of the PPG Aquarium includes a giant tank that includes some awesome huge fish and sharks as well as touch tank that was a huge hit.