Colorful fall foliage, a middle schooler on “ring security” and a kind, relaxed couple…
Sarah & Mike wanted their wedding to be relaxed and free-flowing– they wanted a fall, outdoor wedding and found the Blair Mountain B&B in Dillsburg to be the perfect fit. They spread the elements of traditional wedding day over two days, focusing on the formal aspects on Friday (the formal ceremony, speeches, professional photography, etc) and then had the more relaxed, party side of things the next day. Their parents, grandparents and bridal party were present on Friday and the whole gang joined in on Saturday.
The end result was the stress-free event they had imagined. It rained throughout the wedding day, but Sarah’s perspective was that rain was good luck and was married outside as planned. Their hand-made decor was exquisite and the rain drops just made the fall colors and their love for eachother appear to be more vibrant, as you can see in the image above.
The day also had an honest, down-to-earth, relaxed feel with touches of elegance and formality. For that reason, this is my favorite photo of their rings…
Sarah & Michael were drawn to my photography because of the clean, creative look of my photos. I made sure to deliver :).
I wanted to show the quaint, homey, elegant feel of the B&B without bringing Sarah’s dress out in the rain. I found this painting of a cottage catching the reflection of the window and knew that would be the perfect place to hang Sarah’s dress. I captured several other images of her wedding dress, but this was my favorite.
Though they dressed in separate rooms I was able to photograph both Michael and Sarah, I like this shot of Michael, I caught a bit of his reflection off of the mirror.
Michael is quiet at first and creative with an intense eye for design. He also has a pretty intense eye color, too! I brought that color out in these photos by getting the light to hit him just right and by giving him the right background 🙂 
Michael and Sarah exchanged letters and gifts. Sarah worked at a jewelry store in the past and has always had a passion for unique stones. She picked up a few loose gemstones during a trip and never did anything more with them. Michael had them “set” as her wedding gift. Here she is opening the box…
Sarah’s gown was stunning and showed off that tiny waist that she has perfectly! She purchased it at J&B Bridals, where after hearing Sarah’s description, Jackie went right to the rack and pulled off this dress. At first sarah turned her nose up at it, but her mother encouraged her to try it on– once she put the dress on, she would NOT take it off, she knew it was the one!
The florist was Wendy from D & S Floral in West Shore. She is actually Michael’s cousin and has a flower stand at the west shore farmer’s market. Sarah told her to get whatever looks great at the market that week, and wow, did she deliver! The only other guidance Sarah gave was “fall colors” and “no roses” haha. I can’t get over the results!
Sarah & Michael designed everything themselves, from the invitation to the ceremony decor. They started planning their wedding a year and a half ahead of time, so that, combined with their artistic eye and design background enabled them to create pretty amazing decor.
I’m obsessed with this letter B, which stands for Brandt (Michael’s last name which is now Sarah’s, too ;)). They used their favorite font, such a nice, personal touch!
Ring Security! Michael has a son in middle school, so he was a little too old to be ring bearer, but young to be a best man. He has always enjoyed “spy games” so the job of “Ring Security” seemed to fit. He took his duty very seriously and went all out with an earpiece, lock box and aviator glasses.
Michael watching Sarah walk down the aisle towards him. His expression is perfect (see that twinkle in his eye?) and you can even see the raindrops beading up on his tux.
The maid of honor, Michelle, met Sarah in high school on a mission trip to India where they were roommates. Michelle’s family has taken Sarah under their wing and it just made sense to have Michelle’s dad, a minister, lead the ceremony. I told you the rain really made the colors of the leaves and garland pop!
The moment right after they kissed was my favorite. They leaned their heads in towards each other holding hands, looking into eachothers eyes, still holding Sarah’s face, it was absolutely romantic.
Michael was grinning ear to ear, he was so incredibly happy– what a beautiful thing! Also, what a beautiful bridal party!
Following the ceremony, Sarah and Michael took about an hour to be alone– that is the time I recommend for all of my couples. During that time, they were able to relax, enjoy the grounds and enjoy eachothers company. Their interactions were candid, loving and overflowing with trust…
This spot was amazing, it is almost as if a rainbow of foliage is radiating around them. Red, orange, yellow, green and then the blue of the porch.
I like this image because it gives you the full picture of Blair Mountain Bed & Breakfast with it’s landscaping and fall colors. Sarah & Michael chose to have their wedding outdoors in the fall because it makes them think about growing-up, being outdoors, feeling the crisp air and warm drinks.
It was time to come inside for dinner. Guests were greeted by pumpkins, berries, leaves and mason jar centerpieces that were hand made by the couple.
Because the ceremony and reception were so small, Sarah and Michael were able to serve their guests, which was a lovely, personal touch…
He was the youngest best-man I’ve ever photographed, but his speech was excellent and packed a punch– he even took the time to memorize it, which surprised Michael and Sarah. What an awesome kid! He brought tears to several of the audience members including his grandma (below).
Every year when Micahel’s family gathers for the Dillsburg Fair, Mike makes spiced cider. The thank you gifts for the guests were spiced cider mix.
Sarah & Michael, it was such a pleasure to work with both of you! Thank you so much for choosing me as your wedding photographer!
