An elegant, sophisticated Omni Bedford Springs affair with lots of heart and soul…

Brittany shared, “A few photographers were recommended to us by the Omni. We were immediately drawn to the creativity and sophistication of your photos on the blog. The photos were pristine and the reviews were glowing…. You have the most easy-going personality yet know how to keep things in line as far as detail and timeline go. I didn’t feel the need to make sure we got ‘this shot or that shot’ because I was so confident in you.”
The image above is so romantic– it shows the natural beauty of the couple and setting, the lighting and fall colors were just unreal.  In the next image,  bright light streams from the window, the room has a good deal of symmetry (the bride in the make up chair to the left and the groom’s mother to the right, two lamps in the foreground, two bridesmaids sitting) all while one bridesmaid finishes off her campaign as two blueberries roll towards her lips…

Brittany’s style was classic and sophisticated with sweet, whimsical touches.  Her shoes and dress were stunning and so perfect for her!
Her gown was designed by Liancarlo from Elizabeth Johns in Ardmore, which is located just outside of Philadelphia.  Make-up artisit Jaqueline Cipullo and Macrae Conte from Legacy Salon were fantastic as well.

Chris shared that there are many qualities that made him fall for Brittany, “Brit has a passion for life and a heart of gold. She sets goals and achieves them with optimism. She cares deeply about those close to her and would do anything for them. She also has the brightest eyes…”

Chris went on, “She is a true, lifelong partner. Brittany will support me in my career, challenge me to always be a better person, and bring happiness to me every day…. She also has a head-turning smile!”
Brittany thought the tub was fabulous, so we grabbed a quick photo in it, haha!  I like all of the textures from the tile to her dress, the shiny chrome, etc.  It was well-suited for black and white…

Brittany said she had always envisioned a classic, black and white wedding for as long as she could remember.  She holds a bouquet of dozens of red roses and her sisters wear black floor-length gowns and hold white roses.  Each sister could select and black dress that fit their own personal style…

Here Brittany stands with all of her bridesmaids.  The red, black and white color palette really pops against the evergreen edging along the Springs Eternal Spa entrance.

Chris shared, “Pool is probably my favorite hobby. I had a pool table in my house growing up, and I play in a league now once a week. I’ve been using the same $30 cue since I was about 13 years old, so Brit buying me as she would say “the Chanel bag of pool cues” was such a cool wedding gift. It’s something that I would never buy for myself, but something I enjoy having so much, which really does make it the perfect gift. The pool table at the pub was not surprisingly one of my favorite places to hang out at Bedford Springs.”

Brittany shared, “I can’t say what made me fall for Chris– the combination of all his qualities make him so spot on perfect for me. What I admire most about Chris is his character– he will be an honest and devoted husband. He is so undeniably intelligent and excels at literally everything he does. He lights up the room with his genuine smile and makes those around him so happy. I knew Chris was going to make the most handsome groom.”

Chris chose the red bow ties that the groomsmen wore– Brit thought they looked so dapper ;).

Time for the first look– Chris said, “Brit was the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”  Brittany said, “It made me so happy to see that huge smile on his face!”

They laughed and hugged.  So happy together…

Brittany and Chris are a perfect fit for each other and for my style of photography.  They were true to themselves and enjoyed the moment, trusting Kris and I fully to “do our thing.”  The result is wedding photos that are truly custom-tailored to fit them– their style, their day and their relationship.
Brittany shared, “Lisa and Kris were a joy to work with. We could joke with them one minute and be frank the next, all while feeling incredibly comfortable.  It made the day go by so nicely. Everyone keep asking about stressors and glitches in the wedding day. Part of the reason why I never felt the slightest bit stressed was because of Lisa.   AND she shared her warm, soft coat with me when I was cold– thank you!!!”
Here Brit and Chris take a stroll towards the wedding grotto as the vibrant autumn colors are illuminated by the sun.  There is something so sweet and organic about this image, yet it still feels very sophisticated…

When I asked Brittany if she had any special requests for me when it came to her wedding photos, she said, “My favorite thing about wedding photos is when you look at the bride and groom in a photo and it’s so blatantly obvious how in love they are with each other… and that is what I want most in our wedding pictures!”

When I asked what brought them from Philadelphia to the Omni in Bedford Springs, she explained, “Bedford Springs is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been- from driving in and seeing what appears like miles of pristine, white architecture to the breathtaking springs and greenery that surround it.”
She continued, “I loved that we were able to experience the entire weekend there– from massages at the spa Friday morning, to the rehearsal dinner, the wedding day preparations in the gorgeous suite, the ceremony, the reception, the after party, through breakfast Sunday morning. We really made a weekend out of it! We loved that our guests were able to hike, golf, swim, go to the spa- all before the 4:30pm ceremony. Bedford Springs has it all, and it really is breathtakingly beautiful.”
I was also struck by the hundreds of rows of pristine front porches and pristine lawn and sought out to capture them along with the happy couple against the vibrant blue sky.

While I love capturing candid images that tell a story, show emotion and capture the beautiful surroundings, I fully understand the importance of capturing more traditional portraits of the bride and groom as well.
I chose this space because the lighting and colors were perfect for Brit and Chris.  The dark background allowed them to really pop and the red-brown brought out the green of Brittany’s eyes that Chris loves so much.
I wanted to show off the intricate detailing on the back and sleeves of Brittany’s dress and of course their beaming smiles…

I adapt my wedding photography coverage to meet the wants and needs of each couple and custom-tailor it to their liking.  In Brittany & Chris’ case family photos were important to them.
We had several different combinations of family photos with the bride, groom, parents, siblings, grandparents , etc.  Here is a photo of Chris and his immediate family.  They were the best.

Here is a much larger gathering.  Brittany fell in love with my editorial inspired group portraits.  She really liked the idea of a modern portrait that resembled something that you may see in Vanity Fair or Vogue.
It was a little too cold outside for the children, so I arranged the family here in one of several fireplaces in the Bedford Springs lobby.  Everyone wore black and white per Brittany’s request ;).
I love seeing all of the generations of a growing family gathered together– what a fun photo!

The entire bridal party really embraced their inner supermodel for their large group photo!!!
I chose a green backdrop because it compliments the red flowers and provides contrast and texture to their sleek black and white look.

Green and gold seemed to be natural compliments to this color scheme.  Here you can see a couple of ways I used them to really make her details pop…

Brittany & Chris chose Constitution Hall for their wedding ceremony space.  The skylights and floor to ceiling windows and gold detailing were absolutely stunning and the perfect setting for the elegant affair.

I have several traditional photos of Brittany being escorted by her father and Chris watching, all of which are lovely, but these is something particularly sweet about this moment.
Brittany shared, “My dad and I have always shared a very close and special relationship. From my younger days playing sports, maturing and learning life lessons, and realizing what really matters in life, my dad has been a role model and confidant for as long as I can remember.”
Here he kisses her on the cheek as Chris eagerly anticipated taking her hand in marriage.  You can almost feel the crowd gathered around and leaning in to get a closer look.  Brittany’s sister (and maid of honor) watches them holding hands, beaming.  I also like the way the black and white treatment really shows off the lovely textures of the wedding decor as well…

I really like this solemn moment here– while it is quiet is has this intensity.  They are looking at their hands before they exchange rings.  There is something so sweet and simple about it.  I also love showing the unique details on the back of Brittany’s wedding gown!

Here is a closer vantage point taken at nearly the same moment in black and white.  I think the emotion might be even more palatable here:

The priest performed the Liturgy of the Eucharist during their Catholic wedding Mass.  He was the best!  He really didn’t have any rules or restrictions for me.
I was able to really “do my thing” which for me usually involves strategically moving a few times during the service to get an interesting perspective, so that my couples can relive their wedding day over and over again, experiencing many different angles, etc.
I know it looks like I’m an inch away from his hand here, but I am actually nearly against the wall  to high right, I just have some awesome camera lenses.  😉

Here Brit is wiping away a tear during the reading, Chris’ expression is priceless…

Brittany’s sisters held hands during the ceremony and I thought it was so precious…

The kiss…

Many congratulations to the happy couple…

As their ceremony ended, the sun went down.  We captured a bit of the fading light…

The black and white theme continued through he ballroom where there was a definite Art Deco feel with vintage inspired table numbers and high contrast decor and warm lighting…

The wedding party took their entrances seriously and there were several really fantastic openings involving terrible towels and the like… these guys are ready to get down…

Brittany shared, “One of our first dates was seeing a Canadian band called City and Colour. We followed the artist and have seen him every year for the past 5 years. A lot of his songs are beautiful acoustic melodies and “Northern Wind” was the song we chose to dance to.”

She continued, ” It was slow and beautiful with really touching lyrics. As far as the dance, we didn’t take lessons and didn’t practice the song one time. We just rolled with it, as we do with many things in our relationship!”

Several speeches were given, they were incredibly touching and heartfelt.  There were tears and laughter and everything in between!
In the photo below, Chelsi, Brit’s maid of honor is saying, “You have given my sister a love that I know is unbreakable. You guys share a love that seems so easy and pure, and I think that is a direct reflection of the type of people you both are….. You two are a blessing to be around and your love is evident to everyone.”

I like the contrast in this photo and the low perspective that really shows off Brittany’s twirling dress, more than that I like the expression on her father’s face.
Daddy’s little girl…

I like the symmetry and framing in this next photo.  I like how you can see wedding guests, the lovely background along with Chris and his mother.
Chris’ mom’s expression says it all!  She is so proud of her son!

Time to cut the cake!!!

Haaaa!!!!  Another priceless expression by Chris– I should totally have a photo captioning contest for this one!

Brittany shared, “Our favorite part of the day was the dancing. The most important thing to us on our wedding day was that our guests had fun.”
One of Chris’ friends from high school, Chris Burrell, was the DJ and even let Brittany climb behind the turn table for a bit, haha! He traveled from Philadelphia to be there!

And they lived happily ever after…

Brittany & Chris– I am so happy that you chose me to be your wedding photographer!  You two were such a pleasure to work with and I think we just understood each other from day one!  I love working at the Omni, it is where we celebrated our anniversary last year and has a special place in our hearts.  If you want to see more of Brittany & Chris, you can check out their Philadelphia engagement photos here.