Shanon+Ryan // Wedding in Morgantown, WV

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

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Justin Bowers (Cousin of the Groom) | Band – The Soul Miners | Florist – Blooms Florist | Dessert Table – Family and Alumni Center-made cookies and desserts | Caterer – Erickson Alumni Center | Hair/Makeup – Rondal Mitchell

Lindsay+Jonathon’s Wedding in Pittsburgh, PA

It was so great to be back in Pittsburgh, PA to photograph Lindsay and Jon’s wedding! I went to high school with the two of them back in the day (Lindsay I specifically knew through show choir and drama club), so it was pretty awesome to see a bunch of people I hadn’t seen in a long time all together in one place. :) And, following in the tradition of us acquiring awesome wedding venues in Pittsburgh, the wedding was held at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association building across from the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt, and super close to the Mellon Institute of Carnegie Mellon… and also super close to Phipps Conservatory… and super close to an adorable carousel. And lucky for us, we had a limo driver to take us to all of the cool super photogenic places, so it was kind of a “best of” tour of Oakland. ;)

Aside from being really, really ridiculously good looking, both Lindsay and Jon are also ridiculously kind people and head over heels for each other. Jon did a great job of not only helping carry Lindsay’s dress across treacherous terrain, but also comforting her when we all got incredibly nauseous from driving around. ;) Their friends (some of whom we knew from high school) are all pretty ridiculous and also super sweet and accommodating after we toted them around Oakland for a while. :) We cannot thank everyone enough for being cooperative and helpful and generally fantastic at this wedding! I am going to miss all the Burrell friends I was briefly reunited with, but it was a great reunion. :)

Date: June 14, 2014

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Pittsburgh Athletic Association // Pittsburgh, PA

First Dance Song: “My Love” – Paul McCartney

Lindsay’s Occupation: Merchandise Analyst for Dick’s Sporting Goods

Jon’s Occupation: Construction Technician for Galway Bay

How You Met: High School

Interesting Fact about Lindsay: Lindsay used to make mystery movies with her cousins when she was little, and to this day her family calls her Lindsay Drew.

Interesting Fact about Jon: Jon has traveled to more than 13 different countries, almost all in the past 4 years.

Honeymoon Destination: Maui, HI

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Pastor Lee Kricher (Jon’s uncle) | DJ – Sam Crawford of Party Time Productions | Florist – Mocha Rose Floral | Cake – Oakmont Bakery | Caterer – Pittsbugh Athletic Association | Hair/Makeu – Salon Vivace | Videographer – Just Hitched Wedding Films | Coordinator – Mike McChesney of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association | Transportation – Shamrock Limousine

Ariana+Matt // Raleigh Rose Garden

We met Ariana and Matt way, way, way back at the 4th wedding we’ve ever photographed. Ariana was a bridesmaid and Matt was a groomsman and they had kind of exchanged brief “hello”s at each other once before since their best friends were engaged. Now they were in the wedding, and I specifically remember photographing them several times talking and dancing because I was pretty sure they were a couple, but apparently they weren’t, but rather had just started actually speaking more than “hello” that evening. Clearly they seemed like a couple and that obviously transformed into them actually being a couple and I’m really happy that I took those photos because that’s pretty much when they first met so I feel like I have some sort of weird, cosmic part in the whole thing. :)

Through the years since that wedding, Ariana has kept in touch with me. She’s an extremely talented cellist who plays at weddings and with the symphony (and has performed recently with Yo-Yo Ma!) and is generally awesome. Recently she asked me for my hair dresser’s contact information and got her hair cut right before us so we were able to see her and recommend the best gluten-free restaurant ever in Asheville (Posana!) where her and Matt were soon headed for their anniversary (they’re gluten-freebies). She had a sneaking suspicion that he might propose, so we were anxiously awaiting the news, and he did, and it was awesome, and then they went to Posana to celebrate, so I feel like we had a weirdly cosmic part in that aspect of their relationship timeline as well! Clearly the cosmos think the four of us are pretty good together.

Anyway – we are thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to have them finally… all these years later… as our clients and we’re looking forward to their wedding next March! Here are our favorites from their engagement session at the Raleigh Rose Garden. We love you both and are so excited!