As an artist who provides a service, it’s often difficult to separate your own life experiences from the clients who have invited you into the most intensely personal day in their lives. When your art requires you to open your heart and feel things as deeply as possible, sometimes the feelings that rise aren’t always what you’re prepared for. I’m prepared for the feelings that well up when I photograph sisters having moments of pure love and pride and of sharing joyous moments together. I know that father/daughter dances are going to make me silently cry behind my lens. I’m ready for these moments. I know they’re triggers for me.
I wasn’t prepared for all the feelings that Megan and Brendon’s sweet rustic wedding at White Chimneys in Gap, Pa would trigger in me. My dad was a cowboy. I cannot see a horse without crying. I should have realized it when the Brenden told me that one of his must have photographs was of the newlyweds with the famed “hairy cows” that live on the White Chimney’s property, or when I saw that Megan and her bridesmaids all had beautiful cowboy boots, or the feel of the rustic old tobacco barn, carefully decorated with old barn windows, mason jars of wildflowers, welcome signs on pallets, and towers of frosty pink cupcakes.
While getting ready in the cozy bridal cottage, Megan surprised her mother with a piece of her grandfather’s military uniform with his name, which had been carefully sewn into her dress. Photographing this moment: a mother, her daughter the bride, and her sisters, tears flowing, hugging, simultaneously grieving while laughing, was one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever had the privilege of photographing. Thank you, Megan and Brenden, for allowing me to live in my heart, and photograph yours.
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Love seeing a bride in boots! Rural country weddings are always fun, and this rustic barn reception looked like it didn’t disappoint 🙂 Obsessed with the outdoor golden hour portraits you did for the bride and groom. So lovely. You photographed this White Chimneys wedding in Pennsylvania beautifully!
You captured this rustic wedding perfectly! Now I’m wanting to scout out Pennsylvania as a wedding destination, it’s so beautifully decorated with the mason jars and pallets! A beautiful rural wedding, captured perfectly.
Nothing says rustic wedding Elegance to me like a beautiful bride in cowboy boots! Pennsylvania weddings rock and you always do a wonderful job , Lori
This pictures are gorgeous! White Chimney looks like such a beautiful place to get married, and I love the cowboy boots! I love every little detail about this wedding, and your photography captured everything so elegantly.
What a beautiful Pennsylvania wedding! Love a bride that can rock a great pair of cowboy boots! And I can’t even pretend I’m not totally in love with matching floral bridesmaid robes! Gorgeous.
Lori, I love this blog. It capture everything I love about wedding photography and being a wedding photographer.
Your personal antidote at the beginning of this blog is exactly what goes through my mind anytime I’m involved in a wedding that starts pulling on my heart strings. lol. Its one of the main reasons I love shooting weddings. They’re so personal and so profound and they really have an effect on you as a person and photographer.
I really love the rustic and authentic feeling of this wedding at White Chimneys and while I’ve never explored Pennsylvania myself (Apart from a couple of quick trips to the tourist traps in Philly), this makes me think there’s a lot I NEED to see soon in the area.
These photos are beautiful and tell a great story of a really wonderful couple. Excellent job!