wedding photographers in west virginia Archives

Welcome back to West Virginia, readers! We’ve had three weddings now in Morgantown… all at the Erickson Alumni Center at WVU… and each time the weather’s been a bit crazy in its own way. The first time was absolutely hot. Ridiculously hot, even. The bridal party did their photos inside because everyone was melting. The second time brought a ton of tree-leaves-turning-inside-out wind. This time finally brought the rain. Up until about 10 minutes before we took their photos, it rained. Thankfully it was hot enough that most of the moisture evaporated by the time we got out there, and all was right with the world… until their ceremony. The clouds came back, and a large rain drop fell on their officiant’s notes… at which point Shanon told him to hurry up the ceremony and they all escaped unscathed. :)

Shanon and Ryan are two hilarious and awesome people. Their friends were also quite entertaining (one of which was impressively able to do crazy dancing despite being incapacitated in one leg) and super nice (the maid of honor ordered me a pizza). The reception featured an awesome band (The Soul Miners) whom Shanon and Ryan frequently see in downtown Morgantown when they get a chance… and they came sporting a Lava lamp, which we think might’ve been the source of their power. Shanon’s dress was our first heavily sequined wedding dress, which I was thrilled about (sequins, as well as most shiny little dots, photograph really well!), and Ryan’s wedding present from her was a watch equipped with a note scribbled on a paper napkin that said, “Don’t lose this one.” Here are our favorites from an awesome weekend with two people that we absolutely love.

Date: June 21, 2014

Ceremony and Reception Venue: WVU Erickson Alumni Center // Morgantown, WV

First Dance Song: “Nothing Can Change This Love” – Sam Cooke

Shanon’s Occupation: Pre-Kindergarten Special Education Teacher

Ryan’s Occupation: Master of Public Health and Master of Science in School Health Student at WVU/ Substitute Teacher/ Teaching Assistant/ Farm-to-School Intern

How You Met: We first met in our early high school years through our group of friends, but it wasn’t until 4 years later (after those awful years of braces, shaggy Beatles-wanna-be hair and puberty) that we decided to date when Shanon started her freshman year of college and Ryan was a sophomore.

Interesting Fact about Shanon: Shanon survived cat scratch fever as a young girl. Needless to say, Ted Nugent is not her favorite recording artist.

Interesting Fact about Ryan: Ryan was a chicken chaser at the Dixie Stampede, an interactive dinner show created by the wonderfully well-endowed Dolly Parton.

Honeymoon Destination: St. Lucia

say nice things

Allison and Blue met at a bar in college. His last name is Brown, but Allison doesn’t like the color brown, so she’s taken to calling him Blue, and so has everyone else. I prefer calling people by primary colors whenever possible, so I think it’s a great idea. The two met in college at WVU and found us through another wedding we photographed at the WVU Erikson Alumni Center a few years ago in Morgantown, West Virginia. We Skyped, they booked, and we packed our bags and drove up West Virginia to photograph their awesome wedding weekend.

Morgantown is a unique place in that it’s in West Virginia, but still awfully close to Pennsylvania with its nearest rival city being Pittsburgh regarding college sports. But yet Pittsburgers like Morgantowners (unlike our feelings for people from Cleveland), and Morgantowners tend to identify with Pittsburgh ways (Heinz ketchup, for example, and the Pittsburgh Penguins who were cheered for several times during their playoff game that happened to take place during Allison and Blue’s rehearsal dinner). So it’s kind of like being home, except not really.

Morgantown is, if I dare say it, slightly better at partying than Pittsburgh. So though we knew they were cheering for the Pens, we also knew that it would be a rowdy (in a good, happy way!) wedding. And it was. There were polkas involved (another Pittsburgh/WV wedding staple which is always surprisingly crazy and enthusiastic and much more entertaining than the Wobble) and a cookie table and really, really delicious food. There was also lots of American flag light-up glasses and hats because it was Memorial Day weekend and who doesn’t love a good pair of light-up glasses!?

We had an awesome time being lovingly welcomed by Allison and Blue and their amazingly kind parents, siblings, and friends. We enjoyed our brief but lovely stay in Morgantown and we even got to stop at the Fiestaware Outlet on the way home (which I enjoyed despite them not having flatware on sale… sigh). A huge congratulation and thank you to Allison and Blue!