Nothing beats a first kiss as husband and wife but double the luck for couples who marry on New Years’ Eve. Sending lots of love and congratulations on that numero uno milestone to Kaitlyn and Brian tonight!
Tag Archives: winter wedding
Ringing in the New Year as Newlyweds
Although we’ve been photographing weddings for going on eight years, we’ve rarely been asked to photograph a wedding on New Years Eve. I believe we were waiting for the absolute perfect couple to celebrate with, which was most definitely Kaitlyn & Brian!
Kaitlyn & Brian held their dream wedding late in the evening at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, with stunning drapery and lighting provided by Shumaker Designs. Given it was an extremely busy night for downtown Lancaster, we were thrilled that coordinator Jenni Mercandetti, opened the The Montgomery House for some simply gorgeous backdrops.
My favorite moments of the night had to be the couples introductions as each bridal party pair entered to a WWE wrestler the couple loved. The end of the night, getting Ryan Seacrest up on the main screen, with guests in festive hats and decor, was another amazing moment we were privileged to capture. Congratulations to Kaitlyn & Brian! You guys are seriously awesome and lots of love to Koosh (their beautiful pup).
For more images of Kaitlyn & Brian’s wedding click here!
Vendor Love:
Venue/Catering- Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square
Design/Lighting: Shumaker Designs
Entertainment: 30West
Gown: Posh Bridal
Videographer: InVision Video
Flowers: Petals with Style
Cake/Desserts: Bella Manse/La Petite Patisserie
Stationary: Persnickety
Linens: Special Occasions
A Lancaster Cork Factory Winter Wedding
When we first met Amanda (actually Amanda’s Mother), we knew her winter Cork Factory Hotel wedding to Alex was going to be stunning. Amanda and Alex married at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church before heading over to their Gatsby inspired reception, filled with gorgeous golden decor items with hints of black and white.
The combination of flowers/decor from Splints and Daisies and the linens from Special Occasions Queen Street Linens made the room glow with a classic, yet romantic elegance. DJ Freez had the dance floor packed all night, spinning lots of classic 90’s music that we all love. Overall an amazing wedding to kick off the 2015 season! Congratulations Amanda and Alex and wishing you both an amazing marriage!
See more fantastic images from Alex and Amanda’s wedding on Facebook!
Vendor Love:
Ceremony: Saint Mary’s Lancaster
Reception/Catering/Cake: Cork Factory Hotel
Entertainment/Lounge/Photo Booth: DJ Freez
Gown: Alexander from Bridal Beginnings
Suits: Mens Wearhouse
Flowers/Decor: Splints & Daisies
Stationary/Invitations: Jupiter and Juno
Linens: Queen Street Linens
To Winter or Not To Winter- Danielle & Bryant’s B&B Wedding
You might want to sit down for this one, but winter is quickly starting to become my favorite wedding season. Sure it’s a heck of a lot slower than PA’s most popular wedding months of May, October, and June but there is some sort of peaceful tranquility in the winter wedding scene.
Danielle and Bryant, two amazing teachers who are a perfect match, chose a family church for their heartfelt ceremony. Incorporating the winter theme, the couple tied beautiful branches to the pews to create a neat outside brought inside feel. Rather than traditional transportation, Danielle and Bryant opted for a traditional yellow school bus with the nicest driver ever…
well at least compared to my childhood bus drivers.
The reception kicked off at Brandywine Manor House which hosts beautiful views, even in the winter, and a two historical barns that were transitioned into one space. I loved the personalized touches that Danielle incorporated such as Canvas paintings that stated “You Will Always Be My Forever” and “I Vow To Love You Even When You’re 45 And Still Play XBox”. Guests also had the privilege of sipping beer fro
m the Groom’s family brewery Generations Brewing. Overall such an amazing event with two amazing people!
So in closing.. some tips if considering a winter wedding:
- Be mindful of the ceremony start time. Sunset is around 5pm that time of year so opt for a first look or an early afternoon ceremony to capture the best light.
- Stay close to lodging or choose a venue that offers rooms. Most hotels offer a shuttle service and if the weather is foul, guests may feel more comfortable to be closer to lodging rather than taking a longer drive home.
- Dress appropriately if planning to have images outside. Wearing a pair of flats and wearing a jacket is always recommended. Both are easy to take off and switch to something else.
Check out more images from Danielle & Bryant’s wedding here!
Vendor Love-
Ceremony: Episcopal Church of the Ascension
Reception: Brandywine Manor House
Christen & Shawn January 4, 2014
I’m not sure how other vendors feel about invited wedding guests, however Jason and I love the interactions we have with couple’s family and friends. Some of the best images I’ve taken are from guests cutting loose and exposing their personalities, as well as just being darn hilarious! Christen and Shawn had some of the sweetest guests in attendance at their Susquehanna Club wedding. Shawn’s cousin, who I’d guess was about 7 years old, made my night when she had asked if she could show me something, which was a sliver (more like just a shoulder) of her portrait in an old image from Shawn’s childhood on the couple’s photo collage. She and I had the discussion that it’d be better of course if her face was in the image to which she specified if the ‘photographer’ moved over a bit more, she’d be in the image. I almost gave her a job application!
The second funniest moment was a family member of Christen’s, I’m going to assume an Uncle, was divvying out his special brew to the couple’s friends and family. Later on I heard it was similar to apple moonshine. Attempting to grab an action shot of the brew being poured into colorful shot glasses, Uncle caught me eying up the drink and politely offered. This girl rarely drinks anymore and definitely never at a wedding. After my second ‘Thanks but No’, Uncle hilariously responded “Aww.. come on.. It’ll make your hair all one color”. Wait until my stylist hears this one:)
Special thanks to Christen and Shawn! We had such a blast at your wedding and my mass appreciation to braving the cold and snow for some great images!
Venue: St Theresa’s Church/ Susquehanna Club
Rebecca & Brendon December 28, 2013
We rarely see many weddings in the colder months, however for Rebecca and Brendon, December was the perfect time for their gorgeous country club wedding. Rebecca is the head groundskeeper at Blue Ridge Country Club and Colonial Country Club, where Brendon is the head groundskeeper at West Shore Country Club. One of the cutest things during their engagement session was the little back and forth of who’s grounds were prettier or who had their annuals in first. With 12-14 hour days over the summer months, it was awesome to see these two kick back with loads of greens and turf friends to celebrate their nuptials.
One of the best moments was capturing actual snow over the couple for their first dance courtesy of Klock Entertainment’s expertise! It was awesome to see Rebecca & Brendon’s guest drop jaws as they walked into the ballroom with the dramatic lighting, cloud and star effects, and beautiful table lighting (aka get this.. it looks AMAZING!!). Another great moment was watching and hearing Brendon perform a traditional New Zeland rugby chant! Overall we wish Rebecca and Brendon a relaxing and fantastic three week vacation.. you two deserve it!
Venue/Catering: West Shore Country Club
Entertainment/Lighting: Klock Entertainment
Cake: PA Bakery
Our friends are getting married!
I’m convinced as a photographer, there is nothing more awkward than actually being in a friend’s wedding party. Don’t get me wrong.. it was an absolute blast.. but being on the other side of the camera is SO much easier! Photographers are infamous for being terrible at posing themselves, add in the intimidation of having your own team capture these images while in a frilly bridesmaid dress and primped hair and makeup… well no wonder I started drinking so early!
So a little back story.. Derrek is one of Jason’s close guy pals when he and I first started dating 11 years ago. Megan is one of my best gals that I had met in the days of banking years ago. I still remember Megan asking if I knew any great guys and the only one that came to mind that would be perfect for her was Derrek.. however he was in a relationship at the time. As time went on and their paths changed, they officially had their first date in early 2012 and shared so many crazy hobbies and interests it was pretty much fate.
Over the past few months of planning we’ve seen their love flourish, the expansion of a new furry friend and a new house that’s just blocks from ours (Score!). A big thing for Jason and I is creating “Friend Family” aka not necessarily blood but as close as any other family member. Derrek and Megan are most definitely some of the best friend family we’re blessed to have and have the warmest wishes on their future! Love you guys!
Iris & Matt 02/16/2013
Iris and Matt contacted us just a few short months before their wedding and after our first Skype conversation, I knew these two were going to be a blast to work with! Iris and Matt met initially in college and after years of travel and finding their own way, their path intertwined again many years later which fate led them to exchanging traditional American vows and also a gorgeous Korean marriage celebration at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort. We also had the pleasure of capturing their engagement images at the ever courteous and always entertaining Whitaker Center in downtown Harrisburg!
Their wedding day, despite being a bit chilly was bright and sunny. If we had hours to spend with these two shooting at the Omni Bedford Springs you bet we would’ve taken it! This place is GORGEOUS!! Picture it.. mountain resort, classic architecture, vacation location to many past presidents… I felt like we stepped into a hybrid location of Kellerman’s from Dirty Dancing meets Hershey Hotel! Iris and Matt also chose to celebrate Iris’ Korean Heritage with a p’ye-baek, the traditional Korean wedding ceremony during their cocktail hour which included words of advice from the couple’s closest family members, a tea ceremony, and chestnut and date toss which symbolized the number of male and female children the couple was to bear.. I think it was some ungodly number of a couple dozen boys and girls. To top it off we worked with Bryan from Klock Entertainment, which if there is to be a party, Klock Entertainment needs to be there. Overall, an amazing wedding, lots of laughs and fun times, and a wonderfully blessed couple to share the day with! Congrats you two! Lots of love from the McClain’s!
Jessica and Jeffrey January 08, 2011
There’s always something about the first wedding of the year. Given we haven’t had much of a break between our last and first, you do have that anticipation of something great in celebrating the wedding of two loving individuals. Jessica and Jeff’s wedding was gorgeous, decked out in beautiful pine trimmings, candles, and some of the best musicians in the area.
We were blown away by Jessica’s voice as she sang to her new groom prior to their first dance as husband and wife! Also a true hero of the day was the Best Man, Jeff’s brother, who had an emergency appendectomy just hours before the wedding and was still a trooper through the whole event! Congratulations to the wonderful couple and we wish you both a lifetime of happiness together!
Melissa McClain Photography 
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