A timeless, elegant, classic Hotel Bethlehem wedding that ended the evening with a real-life fairy-tale moment!!!
Jennifer shared, “A colleague of mine recommended Lisa right after Brian and I were engaged. He had worked as a videographer previously and was familiar with many photographers. He highly recommended Lisa for her creativity, professionalism, and attention to detail and was surprised that she could accomplish so much on a wedding day while also capturing each couple’s unique style and personalities.”
She continued, “Lisa made time to photograph our engagement pictures and have a conference with us before the wedding. This gave us so much confidence in her and her vision. We left our meeting knowing that she fully understood us and our priorities and preferences and somehow were even more excited for our wedding day!”
She concluded, “The day of our wedding, Lisa showed us a few of her photos on the back of her camera and I could already tell that she perfectly captured the timeless, classic, and elegant style I was looking for. We are hoping to have a balanced blend of these traditional shots along with capturing what a fun day that was had by all!”
When I first met Jennifer and Brian, Jenn shared that I had photographed a bride in front of one of the large arched windows of Hotel Bethlehem and that she really loved the shot. The photo above is her version, instead of being silhouetted against a blue sky and alone she is with Brian and dramatically side lit with an awesome view of downtown Bethlehem (her home town) visible in the background. I love to customize my photography to fit each unique client!
This next photograph of Jenn getting ready is just the sort of classic, timeless, dramatic shot she loves, and it’s a silhouette! 😉
I love to play with different photography techniques and wanted her shoe shot to really pop. I love the dark color/texture in the background as well as the reflection in this image…
An intriguing history… The Historic Hotel Bethlehem was built in 1922 to cater to the elite clients of the Bethlehem Steel company who provided steel for such American icons as: The Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, etc. Hotel Bethlehem has welcomed a wide range of interesting guests over the years– from Thomas Edison and Henry Ford to Muhammad Ali, Shirley Temple, the Dalai Lama, and even John F. Kennedy!
There are interesting historical elements throughout the hotel, and I wanted to incorporate them into Jennifer and Brian’s wedding photography. Can’t you just imagine hotel guest Amelia Earhart dropping a letter in this very box!?! Yes, she was also a guest here! If you look closely you can see that I carefully included Jennifer’s engagement ring in this photograph.
Jennifer shared, “Brian and I are both die-hard Steelers fans, so we knew right away we wanted black and gold incorporated into our wedding. With our elegant venue and overall look in mind, we decided to take a more subtle approach to this color scheme. We kept the black and paired it with a metallic gold.”
They incorporated classic white roses and other timeless elements to their day. I photographed the roses against a black background, dialing up the drama and making them pop.
I subtly brought the black and gold into this ring shot as well as a reflection, bokeh and a ton of sparkle…
Jennifer shared, “As someone born and raised in Bethlehem, the Hotel Bethlehem was an obvious and perfect choice!” She had also shared previously about driving anywhere and coming home and being greeted by the familiar and sign. I think anyone who grew up in the Lehigh Valley, myself included, knows this familiar icon.
With this in mind, I literally brought the sign into this photograph– yes it is a single shot… if you look closely you’ll also see Jennifer and her dress!
Jennifer and her beautiful bridesmaids…
Brian shared, “I spent a few years on the dating scene and remained patient, waiting for ‘the one.”
He continued, “There was a spark with Jenn from the very beginning– she is equally beautiful on the inside and out. She is intelligent and is 100% committed to her job, friends, and family. When I found out that she shared the same life goals and vision as me, I was truly speechless. I knew I had finally found the one!”
Here the men put on some finishing touches of their own– I liked the lines and symmetry here, also the black and gold….
Jennifer shared, “There is no doubt in my mind that Brian is the one for me…. the way he loves, cares for, and treats me each day is incredible, and a true representation of how he was raised. He is the perfect gentleman, a provider, a trusted companion and my best friend for life.”
I like this timeless, classic, portrait of Brian…
Jennifer shared, “The Hotel Bethlehem is such a timeless and elegant place. It has a very vintage and old-school/sleek feel, something we wanted for our big day. In fact, that vintage feel was what determined our floral arrangements and decor.”
Here you can see the black and gold theme continued thought the ceremony space and the floral arrangements provided by Jonathan Morrissey of Richmar Florist. Jenn shared, “Jonathan at Richmar is amazing! He knows how to tailor floral arrangements to fit the overall theme and style of the wedding and we were so happy with everything!”
Jennifer shared, “I remember locking eyes with Brian as I walked down the aisle. Brian is, in a word, my soulmate.”
Brian explained, “The moment when I was standing at the altar with my groomsmen and I saw the large doors open with my beautiful bride entering the ceremony in her breathtaking dress… I was truly speechless and grinning from ear to ear.”
His smile didn’t stop– he was practically glowing throughout the ceremony…
He continued, “Making a lifelong commitment to Jenn, for better or for worse, is a vow that I am excited to fulfill each and every day. There is no question that Jenn is the person that God intended from day one to put into my life.”
Jennifer agreed, “There is no doubt in my mind that he is the one for me and the lifelong partner brought to me by the Lord himself.”
She continued, “Brian and I had been waiting for this day for a long time. We were both so anxious for it to finally arrive and officially become husband and wife. For both of us, marriage is a lifelong commitment, a journey that we are both ready and excited to begin!”
They agreed, “Making it official was our favorite part of the day! We are so excited to have those titles of husband and wife!”
Shortly after being pronounced husband and wife, Brian and Jenn embraced. I loved all of the detail and sparkle of her dress, but focused on his shiny new wedding band…
I love everything about this shot– it is a color version of the photo that I used to open the blog! I mentioned about being to see downtown Bethlehem in the background including Moravian College (which was kind of cool for me as my mother was an art professor there when I was a kid), and the happy couple against one of the large windows that the bride loved, but I think another key element of this photo is Jenn’s incredible wedding gown!
Jennifer explained the story behind her wedding dress, “My gown was chosen by Suzanne of Jon’s Bridal by Suzanne. She took the time to listen to my preferences for the wedding style and theme and customized her dress selection for me. But when I first saw the dress, I found at least 3 things I didn’t like about it, haha! But all of that instantly changed once I actually put the dress on. When the veil and headpiece were selected and put on…. game over! ”
Jenn is a teacher and concluded, “It is without a doubt the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever worn in my entire life, and I’ve already asked my principal if I can wear it to school! 🙂 (she said she’ll think about it).”
They stopped for a quick drink at Hotel Bethlehem’s tap room and were pleasantly surprised to see football in the background! I loved that element and that the photo was so “them” and that there was a cool reflective element I could play with as well to bring in a little artistic flair…
Jennifer shared, “There is so much to love about Hotel Bethlehem, but a few of my favorite elements were defiantly the huge windows and marble staircase!”
Here I captured the two of them joining hands and walking up the staircase together. One of the arched windows and a Moravian star is in the background. 🙂
There are so many unique and interesting spaces in the Hotel Bethlehem, one is this mezzanine, I like the gold and black throughout and again the Moravian star, so iconic of Bethlehem. I thought it was a perfect spot for Jenn and Brian.
Michelle Quier of Granny Schmidt cakes created a beautiful confection– Jenn laughed, “Two words: Buttercream Icing. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out!”
The room was lit by Mike Kresch and Nicole Shafer of Gruvin Enterprises. If you look closely you can see guests enjoying cocktail hour from the mezzanine.
Here is a closer look at cocktail hour– I made sure to incorporate those stunning chandeliers…
Champagne favors– such a perfect gift for wedding guests…
Jennifer explained, “We are die-hard Steelers fans, so we bought a few Terrible Towels for the wedding– they ended up being used far more than we expected!”
I’m a ninja on the wedding day, haha! Here is an interesting perspective of the first dance…
Those flowers, just stunning– well done Richmar Florists!!!
Jennifer shared, “Hotel Bethlehem was the best! Kathy went above and beyond with everything from the entrée tasting, to the rehearsal dinner. She made sure the day went perfectly and smoothly and we could not have asked for a better wedding coordinator!”
Another unique vantage point, this time for the father-daughter dance…
Guests weighing in on if they should cake-smash, haha– love the reflection here…
Jennifer & Brian both tossed the bouquet and garter at the same time…
The result was rather interesting, haha!
Jennifer explained, “Mike and Nicole were outstanding. They basically ran the reception, keeping the good times flowing and the guests entertained. Mike is a veteran at this business and Nicole was excellent in making sure we were okay and getting anything we needed. She even made sure I (Jenn) ate something in between the ceremony and reception! Love them both!”
I always like working with Mike and having cool lighting to play with during the reception– it really sets the mood for the party! Well done, Gruvin Enterprises!
And for the real life, Cinderella moment– this is really sweet…
Jennifer shared, “It’s so fun to be a bride for a day– I’ve waited my whole life for it. Strangers on the street yell their congratulations, cars honk at you, and it’s one day to have your entire family and friends there celebrating something incredibly important and personal.”
She continued, “As we stood outside Hotel Bethlehem, a little girl, no older than four, took one look at me and the decorations outside of Hotel Bethlehem and yelled, “It’s Cinderella and her pumpkin!” It was the cutest, and most unexpected moment, but it is certainly something I’ll always remember when looking back on our night…
I knew that that Hotel Bethlehem sign meant a lot to Jenn and was eager to incorporate it into their photos… to me it says, “they lived happily ever after.”
Jenn and Brian, thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of photographing your wedding day! Thank you for all of your kind words about my professionalism, creativity, attention to detail and ability to capture a couple’s wedding style and personalities.
I am so excited to hear what you think of your story and photos now that you have seen a few highlights!!! I’m also excited to hear the news that the Hotel Bethlehem has plans for expansion in the future!
