Getting Ready for Christmas!!!

We went on Tuesday for some Christmas Pictures for the kids. We decided to go back to Sears at Pittsburgh Mills and here is what we came up with!!!!

They really do love each other!

My little peanut, Benjamin! And my Princess Pea, Caitlyn... wow doesn't she look ornery
What a pair... we're gonna be in trouble when these 2 get older!
Love the giggles!

I think next year, we're gonna have one of our photographer friends take the pictures, but for this year, something made me go back to a studio. They did good though, especially considering how the kids were acting. Benjamin was all wound up and and every time we got Caitlyn set, she'd just get up and walk away. Now that she's walking, she doesn't want to stay still.

Just wanted to share some of our holiday fun!!! I'll post pictures of our Gingerbread House later!

November 3rd Wedding

Last weekend's wedding took us high atop the city to Mt. Washington. Lauren and Mike were married at St. Mary of the Mount Parish. After a few preparation shots with the groom, the bride arrived in the Limo. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Lauren and her attendants were absolutely stunning. I am becoming a fan of the "hair down" look and Lauren's gold locks perfected it!

The ceremony went off without a hitch and exactly on time...as all weddings at this parish do. It was a catholic mass and we ran 3 cameras because of an angel requested by the bride. I can't wait to download the tapes and see how it really went (this camera was static on a tripod).

After the ceremony and some formal shots, we got thrown out of the church and off to the West End Overlook we went. This was out 3rd wedding with Dino, and again, we had a blast. He came up with some awesome shots at the Overlook and I was happy to check it out, cause we had never been there before.

Then we headed to Le Mont for the reception. As a guest, the wedding was perfect, the dances were all very nice and the food was probably pretty good. HOWEVER, I must say, for such a high class resturaunt, they sure don't treat the wedding vendors very well. We asked for a table to eat, and the guy in charge rudely told us "NO" with no explaination. After an awesome salad, we were handed a plate of cold pasta. It's pretty bad when the people that park your cars are nicer than the staff inside.

Done ranting... the reception was georgeous and we got some good footage. The set up here presents a challenge because of the tightness and the windows everywhere, but we worked around it pretty well. CONGRATULATIONS Lauren and Mike and thanks for making us part of your day!

October 27th Wedding

The spectacular wedding of Kelly and Randy led us to St. Mary Church in Apollo. What a beautiful and quaint little church. It was there that I ran into Dino Bovo again! He actually referred Kelly to me, and I am forever grateful because this was a wedding to remember!

After setting up (and making a phone call to my hubby to bring me a battery I forgot back in Plum), I got to meet Randy, the groom. He was great to work with, as were his groomsmen. I peaked in the limo to Kelly... wow what a stunning bride! She looked absolutely gorgeous and her beautiful blue eyes were just sparkling!

(I love this picture... Kelly caught me snapping this shot!!!)

The ceremony went great for us... and for the bride and groom. There was so much love between these two! Its not often you see this connection between two people, I can't even describe it in words. After some formal shots at the church, I headed to the Mayernick Center to set up their Childhood montage for the reception.

Kelly and Randy and the gang arrived shortly later and we got some awesome shots outside at the Mayernick... thanks Dino for all the fabulous stuff and Kelly and Randy for just being so in love. Dino hardly had to pose these two... they just fell into it themselves.

The reception was DJ'd by Andy Booth... love him! He was great to work with and a treat to get to know. We had great conversation over a wonderful meal and I was very impressed with his ability to pack the dance floor! Every aspect of the reception was just perfect. These two were inseparable. CONGRATULATIONS KELLY AND RANDY and thank you for everything!

October 20th Wedding

This wedding was another beautiful fall wedding in Greensburg, PA. Kelly and Thom were married at the Harrold Zion Luthern Church, near Hempfield HS. We always called it the "church that the giant sat on" as kids because of the amaizing architecture of the church. I met Thom first and got to know him and the guys a little. Then Kelly showed up, as radiant as ever, and we worked with the girls for a little while.

The ceremony was beautiful and went off without a hitch. The colors of the wedding were just beautiful and I can see why fall has become more popular than spring for weddings. After the ceremony we headed to a private location off of 130 for some Bridal Party shots, and then off to the reception we went.

The reception was at the Harrison Room. Things went great and the bride, groom and all guests had a blast. The food was delicious also. This wedding was neat because it was the first wedding I have run into people I know... both the best man and one of the guests (that went to my HS). Congratulations Kelly and Thom. Pictures to follow!!

Zoo Boo!

Yesterday, my husband and I took the kiddos to the Pittsburgh Zoo for their Halloween Zoo Boo event. It was really fun! We walked around to see all the animals... because they do it during the day now... and they had trick-or-treat stops along the way! The kids got all dressed up and had a blast.

They also had pumpkin painting and haunted houses too, but we had to skip out on that stuff. Benjamin was dressed in his Little Devil costume and Caitlyn was Tinkerbell. Enjoy the few pictures we took. I'll post more of them in their costumes after Wednesday... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Caitlyn - little Tinker Bell

Our lil' Devil Benjamin

Caitlyn and I with the Flamingos!

Lenny and Benjamin with the lion over their shoulder!

My trick-or-treaters!

October 13th Wedding

OMG!!! I am almost 2 weeks past this wedding and I am still trying to recover! The wedding of Christy and Chris was a BLAST!!! They were married at the Indianhead Church of God, near Somerset, PA. I arrived at the Church early... of course... and had a moment to chat with another of my favorite photographers, Joanna Fassinger! She was my partner for the day and I have her to thank for the great footage we got later in the day!

Christy was the absolute fastest bride I have ever seen get ready for her big day, but WOW did she look great! The ceremony went awesome, and was short and sweet! After the receiving line and bubble blowing, we did some formal shots at the church, then the fun began...

We headed to Christy's grandma's house for some pictures of just Christy and Chris. It was a georgeous fall day and this scenere was perfect, complete with a pond and fall foliage! We headed to the Laural Hill State Park after that for some more shots of the bridal party. Then on the way out, Joanna and I had seen some nice tall weeds and decided to stop there for more pictures of the newlyweds. I'm sure it turned out better for Joanna that it did me (cause she had the proper lenses), but it looked awesome! These two were up for anything, even... nevermind Christy, I won't reveal the secret! :)

Off to Glades Pike Winery we went for the reception. We stopped on the way in for some pictures at the winery and some great "fall" shots. I'll try to post some ASAP. Then the reception began... the bridal party was introduced and then a special treat... MY VERY FIRST LOVE STORY MONTAGE COMPLETE WITH PRE-WEDDING INTERVIEWS!!! To see the friends and family's reactions to the montage was the single most rewarding moment in my career this far. Here is a link to view Christy and Chris's Montage. They were great to work with, so they helped it turn out so great!

The reception was so much fun. Joanna and I had a blast working together, as well as the DJ, Eric the DJ. The dance floor was packed all night and I don't think I saw Christy leave the dance floor all night! CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for letting me be a part of your day!

CHECK OUT THEIR TRAILER BELOW!!!!

(Click here to view Trailer in Windows Media Player)

October 6th Wedding

This wedding has been a long time coming! Cheri booked our services way back when we were just starting out - and we are so thankful for the trust and support she has given us! Cheri and Dave had an absolutely perfect days in the mountains at Stonehenge Lodge! We arrived to prepare for the pre-wedding shoot and were taken back by the fall scenery, especially the special touches done by Cheri!

We were also privileged to work with our favorite photographer Dino Bovo! The ceremony took place outside in front of the lake on the property. What a gorgeous day for an outdoor wedding. A little hot, but perfectly beautiful! The ceremony went off without a hitch!

Then they headed around the property for some photos. Cheri and David didn't select a package with the photo session included, but I just couldn't help myself, because not only do I love working with Dino, but the fall foliage made it perfect! So Cheri and Dave will have a photo session montage in their video, and we got some great stuff!!!

The reception was beautiful, with pumpkins and fall decor everywhere! The meal was tasty - as were the Carmel apples - thanks guys! Cheri and Dave and their friends and family had a blast and although exhausted by the end of the night, we were able to get some outside shots of the newly weds before taking off for the night! CONGRATS Cheri and Dave!

September 29th Wedding

This day, one of my very best friends from highschool got married! Mandy and Aaron were married at Holy Family Church in Latrobe, PA. I arrived, ready to roll, but I should have known, Mandy would be late. Some things never change :) When she got there, we started shooting Mandy and Aaron's preparations. Everything went great!

The ceremony was beautiful and Mandy looked absolutely stunning. This was the hardest wedding I have ever done because I was fighting back tears the whole time - and it was the first wedding I have shot in a DRESS AND HEELS (since we were guests too)! Mandy and Aaron are such a great couple and compliment each other perfectly!

After the ceremony, we headed to the Roosevelt Hall in Norvelt, PA! The hall was decorated beautifully and you could tell Mandy put a lot of work into the details. They arrived, were announced in, toasts took place, then Aaron serenaded Mandy with a song he wrote (he's in a band called Brothers Kelly - CHECK 'EM OUT!). It was so heartfelt and sweet!

We taped a little longer, captured the first dance, mother son and father daughter dances, hopped up for the garter and bouquet, then put the equipment away to enjoy the night - per Mandy's strict orders. It was such a perfect wedding! I will be posting more pictures shortly!!

Me, Mandy and Aaron peaking in the photo!

Me, Mandy, Aaron and Susan (another highschool friend)

VACATION - Myrtle Beach

I figure while I had a moment, I'd post a little about our recent vacation to Myrtle Beach. On September 15, after a 12 hour drive through the night (with 2 young children, one of which who's potty trained) we arrived at Sea Watch Plantation. We stayed in a 3 bedroom unit because my parents came along.

What a great time of year to go to the beach. The weather was still nice - cool at night - but because it was the off season, it was not nearly as busy! The resturaunts had no lines, the beach had pleanty of room, and even our condo was nice and quiet without any neighbors!!

We stayed for a week, went to a bunch of neat places to eat - Cheesburger in Paradise, Margaritaville, Hard Rock, Umbertos (a Pittsburgh owner), Giant Crab (seafood buffet). I loved going to Boardwalk at the Beach and shopping and we loved the Ripleys Aquarium. AND, while Caitlyn was napping, I actually got some video work done while we were there - not much, but some!! This place was great for a young family! Enjoy the photos!!

Benjamin at Margaritaville

The Lazy River - me and Benjamin

Caitlyn being a Beach Babe - she turned one during vacation!

Papap, Benjamin, Caitlyn and Mima

Benjamin at the Ripleys Aquarium

My Beach Babes!

Benjamin and Caitlyn at East of Chicago - kinda like Chuch E Cheese

My happy little Family on Caitlyn's Birthday!

September 8th Wedding

Okay, so I am about a month behind on posting this one, but the wedding of Tina and David isn't one that I have forgotten. They were married at the Blessed Sacrement Cathedral church in Greensburg.



Tina and I met in her limo, while her and her attendants were relaxing before the ceremony. Tina was a very relaxed and beautiful bride. Their color scheme was Black and Red, and I must say this is a very classy combination.



The ceremony went beautifully, with photos to follow. After the formal shots at the church, we went to the University of Pittsburgh in Greensburg for some more scenic pictures.



Their reception was held at Guinelli II in Greensburg. The room looked absolutely amaizing. I was a little shocked at how long it took to serve the meal, but it was delicious, so we didn't mind much. Tina and David had a live band for thier reception (who I just found out today was a cousin of the bride). The band was great and all of the guests had a blast. Congratulations Tina and David!!!

September 2nd Wedding

Perhaps one of the most unique wedding I have seen!!! This beautiful Labor Day weekend took us to Sommerset, PA, to the mountains and rolling hills of farms. The wedding of Valerie and Austin took place at Mt. Calvery Church.

We showed up to take some great shots of the bride and her girls preparing for the day. As we were finishing up, this rumbling sound came from outside the church, loud enough to shake the walls. The bride said "here comes the trucks." I stepped outside to see what was going on... up infront of the church drives 4 big-rig (tractor trailer) trucks and 1 tow truck. The groom and all of his men were truck drivers and they used their own trucks as transportation for the day! The groom was going to wisk his bride away in his semi!!

The ceremony went great, and Valorie looked great! This was a hometown wedding that I was so happy to be a part of (I grew up down the road from here in Mt. Pleasant). After the ceremony, we did some pictures, and everyone climbed into their trucks and headed to the reception!

The reception was held at the very unique "Hayloft". It is an old barn, redone to a reception facility. So beautiful and perfect for this wedding! The reception was a blast. We did some more of the "formal stuff", and then the party started. The dance floor was packed all night. It was time for us to leave, and I walked away saying "I really wish we didn't have so far of a drive, or I'd stay longer just to watch!" They were having such a good time! CONGRATULATION AND BEST WISHES VAL AND AUZZIE!!

August 25th Wedding

About an hour and 1/2 away from home, we were taken to the wedding of Nicole and Terry, in Wheeling, WV. The ceremony took place in the beautiful Formal Gardens of the Oglebay Resort. The weather in the morning was a little shakey, but after our drive there the skies cleard for their ceremony.

We showed up about 2 hours before the ceremony took place and set up our gear. I also began the family and wedding party interviews there with the Groomsmen and the Groom. They went well. Terry and his guys were awesome sports about the interviews and things went smoothly.

Nicole arrived in the limo, and after speaking to the photographers (Jamie and Lance from Storybook Photography in Bentlyville, PA), I decided it was better to let the nerves of the day settle, so I didn't start with the girls until after the ceremony. There ceremony itself went great for us. We set up 3 cameras and got some awesome footage. Nicole was an absolutely beautiful bride. She just had that "glow" about her, and her dress was a beautiful Champagne color and just amazing! We also had the pleasure of meeting the Steel City Brass Quintet... who were a great addition to the ceremony. Their music was great.

After the ceremony came the downfall for the day. My husband approached me, with tears in his eyes... HE LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE CAR!!!! While he was trying to break in (and eventually calling AAA), I followed the wedding party and the photographer for the photo session. So, we got more great shots of everyone, Nicole and Terry now get a FREE photo session, and AAA finally showed up in perfect time to get us out of there and on our way to the Hellenic Center for the reception!

The Hellenic Center was decorated beautifully. We worked with 5th Ace Entertainment... who I was actually very dissappointed in, but thats a whole other story. The events of their reception went without flaw and the night ended for us. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Nicole and Terry and their families and I look forward to begining with the editing of their video!!!

August 12th Wedding

The wedding of Kristen and Christopher took us to South Park Gazebo at 9am on a Sunday!! Very different from our normal schedule, but enjoyable at the same time. The ceremony took place within the Gazebo at 10am and went off without a hitch. From our end it was kind of comical though, because after the bride entered, no one ever sat down!! I have never seen this happen before, especially when people are out in the heat!

Kristen and Christopher were great sports about reacting a few shots that were missed because of the people standing blocking both my shot and the photographer's. After that we headed to Youghegheny Country Club for the reception.

We hit the golf course for a few more photos, then the new Mr. and Mrs. were announced and we all enjoyed a delicious brunch. Things went well the entire day and I enjoyed working with these two, as well as their coordinators, D & H Wedding Planners. Thanks again!!

You've got mail!

What a great phrase... especially to those brides out there waiting for their DVD package! I have been able to get caught up to where I wanted to be at this point. All May weddings went out a while ago and I am over half way through June! After Sheila and Kevin recieved their video, I got this email a few days later. I share it not to boast, but because I enjoyed working with them and their feedback helps share some of the special touches we take pride in!!

"Dawn,

Kevin and I got our video yesterday and absolutely loved it! You really captured all of the important moments of our special day. I love that you used different camera angles for everything, it gave us the opportunity to see the things going on that we missed that we missed. The microphones at the church worked out great! You really heard everything that Kevin and I said. I love the music that you picked! The Kenny Chesney song is now my new favorite song. The special touches that you put on the video were just amazing. The slow motion added so much emotion to the video. We laughed when Kevin was falling out of his groomsman's arms and cried when we were dancing with our ring bearer and flower girl. We also enjoyed watching our guests do the chicken dance at high speed, that was hilarious. The DVD case that you gave us as a gift is so cute. It is the perfect way to keep our video safe for years to come (if I can ever stop watching it).

Overall we are thrilled with our video and your work. You have been nothing but a pleasure to work with and by far were one of my favorite vendors from our day. It was so nice to work with someone who you knew really cared. We are so happy we found you to be our videographer!

Thank you for everything!
Sheila & Kevin Keough
May 26Th 2007"

Thanks Kevin and Sheila! I also look forward to hearing from other brides, as your feedback and reaction to your wedding videos is one of the reasons we do what we do!!!

Whats going on...

Well, we now have 2 weeks to get caught up, as we are off for the next 2 weekends! I am so excited to say that all May weddings are finished and the last one is going in the mail tomorrow! I have minor touches to finish on our June 10th wedding and am over half way through the June 16th and 23rd weddings!! Such a great feeling to have that sense of accomplishment! Not to mention, I absolutely love to deliver the final product sooner then expected to clients!

Its funny, cause I had plans to be a little further ahead last week, but then on Tuesday (last week)my 10 month old daughter Caitlyn, decided to master crawling and pulled an Evil Kineval (no clue how to spell) down my steps and landed on her head on a ceramic tile floor. So we spent the night at Children's... got a CT and she's okay (thank God!), but time was lost there, cause that was a scheduled "work" evening!!

Anyway, things are good here and I am starting to book more weddings for next year! I am so excited, as we have some great venues booked, like the Pittsburgh Zoo, W&J (who just started doing weddings) and more! So much to look forward to!

Okay, after the whole day at the zoo with the kids today, I'm beat. Signing off! G'night!

July 21st Wedding

Wow! That sums up our day today!! Today was the wedding of Sophia and Mike. It took place at St. Mary of the Mount on Mt. Washington. We showed up early and caught the previous wedding taking place, so we decided to check it out. What a GEORGEOUS church!! I ran to a friend Photographer, Rebecka (Becka's Place) and had a moment to chat before it was time to work.


The ceremony was about to begin and it was discovered... we had no bride! The limo had forgotten to pick her up!! So after a minor glitch, the ceremony took place and went great! We took the normal photos, then headed to an overlook to get some of the "Mt. Washington" shots. We worked with Sunny Carney of Sunny's Photos today, one of our favorites and as usual, we had a blast with her!

The reception took place at the Carnegie Museum, in the Music Hall! What a beautiful venue! We went to several locations throughout the museaum for some shots before everything got started. I'm sure the photos will be absolutely stunning from Sunny, because from my lense they looked great!

Then we headed to the reception which was beautiful. Very dark, but with the lighting they provide, it was perfect for video... I didnt' even have to bring out my light all night! From their first dance to the moment Mike serenaded Sophia to the end or the night, things went perfectly! The love between Sophia and Mike was like a lingering fog in the room... They are such beautiful people, inside and out, and we feel blessed to have worked with them on their special day!!

July 7th, 2007

7-7-07 The biggest wedding day of the year! Every where I went that day I saw Brides and limos! We had the privelege of working with Jeremiah and Ashley in Greensburg. The ceremony was held at Zions Luthern Church and it went very well. I must say that I absolutely loved the bridesmaids dresses, they were my favorite this year (so far). And of course Ashley was georgeous as well! There was a sense of nervousness in the air, but those feelings make the day special!!

After a touching ceremony, we headed to Mountain View Inn for the reception. The room was decorated beautifully and the party was great! All nerves were gone here, and the dinner and dancing begain. I had a great time working with Ashley and Jeremiah and look forward to working closer with them as I begin editing!! CONGRATS!!

June 30th Wedding

Today's wedding took us to Mount Olive Baptist Church in Rankin for the wedding of Krystin and Jason. The wedding ceremony went very quickly and flawlessly (... almost... if only the unity candle would have lit!). After some quick photos, we headed to the Westwood Golf Club by Kennywood. Its a very nice location and the room was decorated beautifully.

We did some photos on the golf course then headed inside for a great meal and a fun party! Jason and Krystin were wonderful to work with, and on our end, the day went great! Beautiful Bride, Beautiful Day... Beautiful Video!! Photos coming soon!!

Getting Caught Up!!

Well, this spring is starting to die down when it comes to weddings. Thankfully, I mailed out a package to Ashley and Tom yesterday with their wedding DVD's. I have started to set goals as to when I will mail out final videos, and I will be sticking to those goals. So for the brides out there waiting... things will be moving a little faster now! The next 2 are set to go out next Friday.

Its been difficult balancing being a stay-at-home-mom with a new business owner, but I have found a few happy mediums to handle the work load. I'll have a babysitter 2-3 days a week sit with the kids while I work, and have 3 evenings (minimum) set aside to edit. I love spending time on this part and through experience, I am learning to shoot to edit... meaning cutting out the "junk" that won't be used.

I'd say overall, this spring has gone fantastic!! Thanks again to all the wonderful people we have had the pleasure to work with!! Gotta cut this post short to head to Krystin and Jason's wedding! Packing the car now!!

June 23rd Wedding

This last minute affair took us to St James Church in Wilkinsburg for the wedding of Hilary and Adam. Hilary contacted us on Tuesday before, and thankfully we were available! We showed up and set all the cameras up (thanks to the help of the Father that married them, and his suggestions on placement), and then we did some shots of the groom and his groomsmen.

I met for the first time, Tiffany Kramer, their wedding planner. There were a few glitches in the plans and Tiffany was handling them wonderfully. Transportation ended up bringing the guests almost 45 minutes late for the ceremony, so obviously, things got pushed back a little. But no panic, it was handled, and the wedding went on.

Hilary showed up right behind the busses and the second she stepped out of the lime, there was a glow of beauty around us. She looked absolutely amazing! She walked down the aisle almost immediately after her arrival to meet her groom, Adam.

The ceremony went off without a hitch! I hung around for some of their formal photos, but this was a Ceremony Only package. I also had the pleasure to meet Liz and Jenn Bartos, and they were great to work with.