A fun, elegant, romantic, cross-cultural wedding celebration in downtown Harrisburg…

Steph and Dan chose the Harrisburg Hilton as their wedding venue, with it being downtown, nestled between the remarkable Capitol Building and Susquehanna River.  With so many guests coming from out of town (many of whom were even out of the country) it was a perfect chance to acquaint them with Harrisburg.
Their wedding style was elegant and sophisticated with a romantic garden look.  The colors were primarily cremes with pinks.  Here I photographed their invitation against the marble table in their Hilton suite.  The cream colors pop against the green and the orchid brings in a bit of that garden feel…

I was first contacted by Kevin, owner of KLB Events, a wedding planner who I have had the pleasure of working with before.  He introduced me to Dan’s parents, and eventually all of us video chatted with Steph and Dan, who were living several hundred miles south of Harrisburg, in Florida!
Steph and Dan said that they fell in love with the quality of my work and the way that I was able to capture the unique aspects of every wedding that I photograph.  They mentioned enjoying the way I capture emotional moments and  my creative, outside-of-the-box photos.
With unique, creative elements in mind, here is my photograph of their rings.   A bright blue sky with billowing clouds greeted them on their wedding day– I used its reflection to make the rings look as if they are hovering in it…

Here Steph opens her wedding card and gift from Dan.  I like the close perspective of this– it feels very intimate with the movement of her fingers and the card visible and the untied leather chord.  I also focused on her lovely diamond engagement ring. 🙂

Blaine from Hair Visions created beautiful and unique hairstyles for the ladies and Carmina Cristina did the same for their make-up.  Everyone was polished and gorgeous!
The bridesmaids wore matching rompers and toasted to the bride to be with glasses of Rose.

When I talked with Steph and Dan initially, one of the Harrisburg locations that they were interested in incorporating was the Walnut Street Bridge.
No this was not photo-shopped, or a double exposure– is anyone able to tell how I brought the bridge into the suite? (feel free to comment below) 😉

Steph’s wedding gown was extraordinary!  It was a romantic lace gown by Spanish designer Yolan Cris.  You can see some of the detailing above and below along with her stunning bridal bouquet.
The bouquet included peonies, lavender and eucalyptus leaves and looked elegant, timeless and beautiful!  Well done, Petals with Style!

Dan shared that he was immediately attracted to Steph from the moment he met her.  She had so much confidence, humor, beauty and love… she was driven and family-focused– a true beauty on the inside and out!

Here, Steph’s father sees his little girl in her wedding gown.  It is such a beautiful, loving look and one of those emotional moments that I believe Steph will cherish:

Steph wanted each bridesmaid to shine in their own unique way– she allowed them each to choose their own style of bridesmaid gown, and united them by having each be floor-length and  be in the pink palette that she had chosen.  Steph is flanked on either side by her beautiful sisters. 🙂

Steph shared that Dan is her best friend.  He is motivated, passionate and makes her feel loved, appreciated and is a true family-man.

Check out those socks…  a fun group of groomsmen:


The first look… The happy couple chose to have a first look prior to the ceremony so that they could enjoy the company of their family and friends during the cocktail hour and enjoy several different outdoor spaces downtown together and with their bridal party.
They met in the shade of a grove of trees beside the capitol building– suspense building…

When Dan turned around he said he was absolutely blown away.  He knew she would be stunning, but she was everything he had always imagined his bride to be…

The Pennsylvania State Capitol provided such a stunning backdrop.  I felt like we were in Europe somewhere, perhaps Italy, with all of the lovely marble columns and detail…

Dan shared that they have so much to look forward to– buying a house together, raising a family, traveling and he is so happy to be by her side every step of the way.

Steph mentioned falling more in love with Dan everyday during his trip to visit her family in Argentina.
He immersed himself in her culture and got to know everyone.
She said that he is very loving, supportive and great with kids so she can’t wait for the next chapter of their lives to begin…


We traveled to the Walnut Street Bridge, a pedestrian bridge crossing the Susquehanna River, connecting Harrisburg’s downtown to City Island, an area mainly used for leisure and sports activities (go Harrisburg Senators!).
I love to play with camera settings and exposure and captured both the image above and below on the bridge using very different camera settings and techniques.
I wanted to give the image above a soft, romantic feel and the image below a crisp, dramatic feel that would capture the architecture and vibrant color of the sky, water and island in the distance…

The wedding traditions started with the Ketubah signing…

It is a beautiful Jewish tradition and was an incredibly emotional moment for all involved…

Steph and Dan were married beneath a lovely Chuppah decorated with flowers and olive branches.  It represents the home that Steph and Dan will build together.
They added a few mementos from family that had passed away, such as a Tallis, pearl necklace and eyeglasses from their grandparents.
I have many photos of the ceremony that have a more traditional look, but I like the little bit of artistic flare going on in this image…

Writing their own wedding vows was Dan’s idea, and one that grew to be Steph’s favorite part of the wedding day.  They wrote 10 vows, secretly, and did not get to hear them until the ceremony.
While it was completely unplanned and not discussed, their vows were very similar and even complimented each other as if they wrote them together!
They both had themes surrounding family, food, travel, love and watching bad TV haha.  Here they are exchanging rings.

The kiss!  I made sure to capture the chandelier throughout, but really like this photograph:

Cocktail hour was lovely and included several different stations, here are just a few:

The room was stunning!  Everything from the gold linens to the chiavari chairs and centerpieces had the soft, garden feel that Steph and Dan wanted.
The look of the ballroom and entire wedding was brought to life by a talented team lead by Kevin of KLB Events along with Daniel’s mother, Sheri.
Petals with Style created the most gorgeous centerpieces, the elegant Hilton Ballroom was transformed into a charming, romantic garden!

A closer look at the centerpieces…

The bride and groom’s gold table cloth matched the golden hues of the candles and the vibrant blue lights and instruments set the stage for the epic evening of dancing that awaited the guests.

The bridal party got the party started with their colorful and creative entrances:

They continued with a group dance number!  It was actually a really creative idea and worked even though the group is very separated by distance.
They each learned popular dance moves on their own (whip, running man, etc.) and played a mix of songs that allowed them to all show off those dance moves (“My Boo” “Watch Me” “Party Rock Anthem”), for an extra special nod to these Penn State graduates, the DJ, Roberto Flay, separated each mix with a Nittany Lion roar.
Everyone had a blast!

The first dance was to “Stand By You.”  They ended with this dip– spectacular!
I drew the focus to Steph and Dan, but you can still see guests clapping, smiling and shouting in the background :).

Dan’s father gave an incredibly touching speech– it was very well written and highlighted many of the key players in the room.  He even mentioned *by name* every vendor who worked on the event and was the first I’ve heard of it’s kind.
I like this photo because at one point he asked his wife, Sheri to stand beside him.  It really gives you a feel for Dan’s close-knit family and the supportive relationship that his parent’s share.

The blessing was given both in English and Spanish, and done together with members from both the bride and groom’s family.
Sheri thought it would be a nice way to show both of the cultures coming together in Steph and Dan’s marriage.
The “Motzi” featured the breaking of the challa by both Dan’s Grandfather and Steph’s Uncle.  Dan’s Aunt. Lori, baked the Challah in the shape of a heart for the couple.

The maid of honor’s speech was given by Steph’s sister– it was clever, touching and ended with giving two huge hugs to the bride and groom.

One of the highlights of the night was Dan’s grandfather singing “Hello Young Lovers” in memory of his late wife.
Dan said he lost his grandmother about a year and a half ago and he was very close to her.  The relationship that his grandparents shared is an inspiration to him.
The lyrics, “I had a love like you!” really hit home to the newlyweds…

Wendi from Sweet Treats baked dozens of delicious creations for the dessert table, each beautifully and remarkably presented.
Here are just a few of the selections– Steph said it was like her Pinterest dream had just came to life!

The Hava Nagilla began to play and everyone from both families began dancing the hora together.  It was a joyful celebration!

The bride and groom were lifted on chairs…

Even the parents were lifted on chairs!!!  Dan’s father’s expression is priceless along with his sister’s laughter which you can see at the bottom right…

The band was incredible.  The band members from LiveWire Entertainment were talented and really knew how to keep the crowd out on the dancefloor!

A few of the wedding guests celebrating…

At the end of the night, I wanted to bring the focus back on Steph and Dan and their union.
I used a chandelier at the Harrisburg Hilton to create a frame for the couple that gave a sense of space…

Steph, Dan, Kevin, Sheri and Michael– thank you for inviting me to be a part of such a momentous occasion in your lives and that of your family and friends.  I wish you many years of happiness and hope that these wedding photos will allow you and your loved ones to re-live this day for countless years to come.  🙂