First Wedding of Spring

Yesterday was our first big event of the spring - Steve and Melissa's wedding. The day got off to a rocky start when the phone rang at 9am. I usually rent a car for Pittsburgh weddings so as to not rack up the mileage on my vehicles. Well, the phone call was from Enterprise Rent A Car and the agent said "You know that reservation you made? Sorry, but we don't have any cars." I reserved the car in December and they didn't have a single vehicle on the lot. Needless to say, I was a little peeved.

So, Sharon and I packed all our gear into one of our cars and began the drive to the city. We left Somerset early in the morning and it was pouring down rain. The forecast said there would be rain showers in Pittsburgh all day so the outlook for nice outdoor portraits looked positively dreary. To make matters worse, shortly after we got off the turnpike we hit a major traffic jam. It took us over 1 hour to drive 2 miles before entering the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Why people have to stop before entering the tunnel, I'll never understand.

The day took a much needed turn for the better once we got to Sewickley. The rain finally stopped and we arrived on time despite the major traffic problems. Melissa's mother Martha met me at the door and welcomed me into their beautiful home. A few minutes later the flowers arrived and just as they did, Melissa was ready for photos. We got some great shots at the house with the bride and her bridesmaids as well as some very cool classic cars before heading to the church to get get ready for the ceremony.

The day continued to go great and after we did formals and photos outside the church, we headed into the city for the reception at Pittsburgh's Grand Hall at The Priory. I'd never shot there before and was blown away by what a gorgeous building it was, both inside and out. We got some great shots with the bridal party and the bride and groom and I had so much fun working with all of them. The reception went great with entertainment courtesy of Steven Vance - the Strolling Violinist and the party never waned. It was a fantastic way to kick off the season!

The trip back to Somerset was less exciting. Heavy construction on the expressway doubled our travel time, making an already long drive even longer and we didn't get home until well after midnight. I made up for that with a very sound night's sleep!

Below are a few of my favorite shots from yesterday's wedding. Congrats to Steve and Melissa and my thanks go out to them, their wedding party and their families for being so warm and welcoming.