Jessie+Dan // Pittsburgh Aviary Wedding

Guyyyys – nothing is better than Pittsburgh in the summer. The winter is a whole different story, but the SUMMER! The summer is so great. It’s even greater when a client asks you to shoot a wedding up there at the same time as your Pittsburgh Dad’s birthday, retirement, AND Father’s Day… all in the same weekend. My dad was so happy we were up there, and so were we. AND THEN! It’s even GREATER when that same client asks to have their wedding portraits taken in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood where your first apartment was, and you get all misty-eyed shooting there next to your former home with the badass fireplace in the bathroom. AND THEN YOU’D THINK IT COULDN’T GET ANY GREATER BUT THEN OUT COMES THE COCKTAIL HOUR PENGUIN AND THE TINY OWL. I cannnnn’t, you guys, with the tiny owl. The cocktail hour penguin, Disco, is my first love, and I’ve met him at previous weddings. This time he pooped on me (the love is clearly mutual!). But I HADN’T YET MET THE TINY OWL. I don’t know what his name was, but he was so tiny and so cute that I almost exploded. It took everything in my power to not pet him and this is an actual photo of me as he approached.

So anyway, for all these reasons and more, we are forever in Jessie+Dan’s debt. Not only are they sweet and kind and totally awesome but also for having us home to the ‘Burgh and exposing us to tiny owls. They’re also animal people and there was much discussion between Jessie’s parents and myself about cats. There’s just no better way to start your work day than that. And a phenomenal wedding day we had indeed – perfect weather and a perfect couple. Jessie and Dan fit together like a puzzle, and we love that when Dan first met Jessie, he immediately thought of his beloved childhood dog whose name was also Jessie… which is both adorable and hilarious at the same time. There were a lot of sweet, happy tears shed, followed by crazy, animated dance moves. ALSO PINK FLAMINGOS. This wedding was definitely not FOR THE BIRDS – ha haaaa! ::badum CHING::

Date: June 16, 2018
Ceremony + Reception Venue: The National Aviary // Pittsburgh, PA
First Dance Song: “This Magic Moment” – Lake Street Drive
Jessie’s Occupation: Application Analyst
Dan’s Occupation: Structural Engineer
How You Met: Through mutual friends at a bar.
Interesting Fact: One of first dates was to meet a penguin at the aviary! We will have a penguin at our cocktail hour.
Honeymoon: Aruba
Officiant: Rev. Susan Talbott
DJ: Pittsburgh DJ Company
Florist: Green Sinner
Cake: Prant’s
Caterer: Atria’s
Hair/Makeup: Be Salon
Coordinator: Your Big Day

Lauren+Jacob+Jane+Oscar // Raleigh Family Photographer

Lauren and Jacob live in a really rad house with a 2 month-ish baby named Oscar and a vivacious 2 year-oldish toddler named Jane. They all share, together, a really great blue fireplace and and several awesome vintage chairs. But most importantly (to me, anyway), they share all of Lauren and Jacob’s meticulously cared for childhood toys. We’re talking everything I loved and used to have as a child, and then some. It was awesome! Plus, they didn’t seem weirded out when I got out my phone and started sending pictures of the toys to family. My old Care Bear purse was there, in ridiculously pristine condition and complete with original tiny change purse that I’m sure I lost about 2 days after receiving it! My old My Pet Monster was there (technically my sister’s BUT MINE IN MY HEART), in almost brand-new like condition, complete with original plastic handcuffs (!!)! And my old, purple Popple was there! It was my dearest childhood toy that I really couldn’t be parted with… but that I also threw in the local lake (then burst into tears and made my dad swim in and retrieve it). Lauren and Jacob also have a lot of Cabbage Patch Kids, which were also, obviously, an 80s-kid favorite.

It made my day to see all this stuff again, and in such great condition! Quite impressive. But even more impressive is that they also have in their possession a vintage Michael Jackson doll that kinda looks like a Ken Doll except it’s Michael Jackson in his American Music Awards circa 1984 outfit, complete with visible white socks. The 100% best thing about this is that Lauren holds up this doll and goes “hee-hee!” and thus has taught Jane to also say, “hee-hee!” when she picks up the doll (definitely click on that link). I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed and delighted in all my years of photography. Hee-hee!

Anyway – besides their vintage toys, they are also pretty great all on their own. Oscar sleeps a lot because he is a baby, but he does smile charmingly and is quite adorable. Jane took a strong liking to Geoff and wouldn’t go anywhere in the house or outside without him. “Geoff!” she’d say, and then point upstairs. “Geoff!” she’d say, and then point downstairs. There was a lot of ordering him around, but also handing him babydolls. She took a lot of delight into forcing him inside her playhouse and then repeatedly ringing the doorbell like a bad prank situation (Jane is really great). She also likes eating lunch (me too!) and cats (YES!) and when she sees a cat outside makes an immediate beeline for it with squealing delight (THIS IS ALSO ME!). They are a cute-as-a-button-on-a-vintage-Michael-Jackson-American-Music-Awards-jacket family and we’re happy to have photographed them.

Jodi Foy // The World’s Nicest Dentist

Jodi Foy is the World’s Nicest Dentist. I can vouch for this based on her ads in the Indy Week (which drew me to her practice when we moved here in 2008), but also because she is, obviously, my forever dentist. That’s like when you adopt a cat or dog and they find their forever home, but instead it’s when you find a dentist that somehow makes you enjoy going to the dentist, and you then follow on Instagram as they hold celebrations for the Royal Wedding (bouquet toss included) and go to Backstreet Boy concerts, and you decide that you’ll never go to another dentist even if you have to drive on 40 and sit in traffic. Jodi Foy is that forever dentist for me. And the Foyettes! Gahh the Foyettes. The Foyettes, and every Foyette that I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, have all been wonderful – every single one of them. They are equally as nice and hilarious as Jodi, and somehow they all remember me and exactly what plans I had six months ago when I last saw them.

So I was overjoyyyyed to be asked to do promo pictures for this wonderful, wonderful crew! They needed new headshots and group shots, and I drove there and we did them and we laughed and bit some unsuspecting patient’s hand with a plastic alligator and made her pretend like she has no idea how to brush her teeth (sorry, Sunny). It was fun and it always is. She is 100% and without any doubt recommended by yours truly as a dentist. She’ll talk to you about The Walking Dead and photography and hockey and the Foyettes will remember all your vacations and your husband’s plans too. I love these women with my whole being.