When Jule walked out in a red dress, I knew it was going to be an amazing wedding day. And it was.

Jule and Paul’s wedding undoubtedly deserves two (or three, if that’s possible) thumbs up! The couple’s chemistry shines through in every photo of the day and their comfortableness both with each other and just with the day in general put everyone around them at ease and in high spirits.

Laughter abound, as did plenty of lighthearted goofiness. Both Jule and Paul aren’t afraid to get a little silly nor look a little silly - that goes for with each other, with their friends and even with me, their photographer. As a result, if there was one word to sum of the essence of their day, simply stated, that word would be “fun”. 

Jule and Paul did their wedding right. They had fun. And lots of it. Sure, I’m certain tons of planning and likely some stress went into it, but no sign of any anxiousness showed up on their day. They simply let loose and acted purely as themselves - a couple in love and at ease with one another.

We had fun wandering around Lauxmont Farm’s property, a countryside venue where at night you can hear the crickets and see the stars. You can’t beat the romance of a venue out in the middle of nowhere. A table full of pies and a sparkler exit concluded this magical day.

Wishing Jule and Paul plenty more days full of endless fun to come!

Venue: Lauxmont Farms

Planner: Simple Soiree (Jodi)

Florist: Weddings and Blooms

Officiant: Steve Lewis

Hair: Anna Cafone

DJ: T-Rex 

Band: The Bailsmen 

Caterer: The Scarlet Runner  

Rentals: La Lucia Boutique 

Cara and Will’s wedding was at the American Swedish Historical Museum and everything from the details to the vows to the hour-by-hour gifts given to Cara by Will pre-first-look made the day both special and beautiful to capture.

One of the highlights was undoubtedly when Cara surprised Will mid-ceremony by singing him a song, after which the officiant went on to give a bit of a backstory to their relationship. He spoke of how Will was by Cara’s side as she went through cancer, and supported her when afterwards she decided to take some time to travel the world on her own.

Today, their chemistry is obvious and Cara’s laugh contagious to Will. I wish them many more laughs and good times ahead - including well-executed Soldier Boy dances with the fam!

• Venue: American Swedish Historical Museum
• Florist: Love ‘n Fresh Flowers
• Ceremony Musician: Mark Tremalgia
• Makeup: Ashley Leoncini with Philly Hair and Makeup Co.

• DJ: Kim Alexander with No Macarena
• Caterer: Jeffrey A. Miller

Interrupting wedding season here real quick to feature this adorable family shoot.

I had the pleasure of doing some newborn photos for this little lady, and one-year later, had the opportunity to capture her cuteness again. 

As the location for Amelie’s birthday shoot, we chose the East Passyunk Singing Fountain, a neighborhood spot that together Amelie and her parents visit quite often. 

The highlight was without a doubt watching Amelie devour her very first birthday cake. Just minutes before, an elderly lady walking by on the street stopped to look Amelie in the eye, and sweetly tell her how much there is out there in the world to experience and explore. “You have so much in front of you to experience,” she told Amelie.

After the woman left and as I was watching Amelie experience a chocolate cupcake for the first time ever, that statement really hit me. Wow, the beauty of being a kid and all of the novelties that come with it…and yet, there’s still so much left for us all to explore in this world.

With icing smeared all down her face and not a care in the world, I was able to capture a moment of true bliss.

Needless to say, it was a priceless shoot and I am so happy I was able to be a part of Amelie’s one-year. Looking forward to watching her continue to grow! And wondering what kind of cake experience will come next year…

I met Kristen earlier this year and we immediately bonded over our passion for food. Later, I learned that her soon-to-be husband was involved with opening up Martha, a new bar/restaurant that had become a go-to spot of mine for cocktails when in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philly. Needless to say, I quickly became psyched to shoot their wedding.

Kristen and Tim chose to host their wedding day at the Smith Memorial Playground in Fairmount Park. Naturally, the venue was a haven for playful, pre-ceremony portraits. Together, we found a nice balance of goofing around on the swings and slides and taking part in other playground fun, while also using the surrounding greenery to create some more elegant portraits. I’m not huge on kitschy photos, but seriously, what could be better than riding down a 40-foot-slide with your lover on your wedding day? Or kissing on the swing set? There was no way we weren’t going to make that happen.

Before kisses at the playground however, Kristen and Tim met for a first look at City Hall. When chatting about the weekend crowds at City Hall, Kristen says, “We live in this city and interact with these people every day, so it only makes sense for them to be in our pictures, too.” As a photojournalistic-style wedding photographer, that’s totally the kind of attitude I love. 

For the food, Kristen and Tim kept things laid-back, choosing their all-time favorite BBQ spot, Deke’s BBQ out of Manayunk, to cater the wedding. Then, they brought down one of their favorite party bands from Brooklyn, The Engagements, which put on a funky show during the reception to carry out the night.

Wishing these two tons more playfulness and smiles as they continue their future together!

Venue: Smith Memorial Playground

Wedding Planner: Courtney Smith Events

Florals: DIY

Band: The Engagements

Caterer: Deke’s BBQ

Cocktail Hour Apps.: DiBruno Bros.

Desert Table: Kristen’s lovely friend Sofia

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Percy and Mike’s wedding was among my favorites. Beautiful venue. Easygoing vibes. And a clear “I’m really into you” chemistry between the couple. It’s hard to beat that latter quality when capturing love.

The venue that they chose, the Morris Arboretum, is filled with beautiful backdrop after beautiful backdrop, which made it easy to capture Percy and Mike. Not to mention, the playful couple was continuously sneaking in impromptu kisses, which again made the photo process comparably effortless and resulted in some rather nice candids.

Percy and Mike’s wedding day fell on a storm-impending spring afternoon, and halfway into our portrait session, the dark clouds and rumbles began to make their appearance. For the few moments we had before the downpour commenced, we captured some dramatic sky-enhanced portraits to conclude our time before the ceremony. 

From there, the ceremony got underway, followed by a bright and joyful reception.

The two were radiating, and I wish for more of that spirit and love in their life as they continue their future together. Congrats to both of them!

Vendors / collaborators:

Florals: Wildstems 

Cake:  Catering by Amy 

Caterer: Joshua’s Catering 

Ice cream: Weckerly’s

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After shooting Emily and Anthony’s engagement session last year, we became instant friends. The two were on board for spending part of their session up on Philly’s Reading Viaduct, and while we were there, they courageously climbed up onto one of the railroad’s bridge for some rather epic shots. It was a memorable engagement shoot, and only made me look even more forward to their wedding day. 

As expected, the couple’s wedding at Terrain was a blast. The day kicked off at Hotel Monaco, where Emily, a fab food blogger, had a bridal suite’s worth of Dizengoff hummus stocked for her crew of smiling friends. From the hotel, we ventured to an adorable street just off of Rittenhouse Square for the first look. Rather soon after, the street’s fully-bloomed cherry tree began to shed some of its pink blossoms into the wind for a brief, magical second. Cityscape photography, at its best.

The first look led us onwards to Terrain at Styers in Glen Mills, always a favorited venue. Emily and Anthony looked fabulous, and their friends and family were a ton of fun to shoot. We managed to capture a few evening photos after the ceremony, too, just before sunset, and then finished out the night with much dancing, cheersing and overall good vibes.

Wishing Emily and Anthony the best and lots more laughter as they continue their future together!

Hair: Zaneta Leszczynska

Makeup: Lauren McGrath

Flowers: Green Meadows Florist in Chadds Ford

DJ: Walter Breslin of Silver Sound

Cake: Emily’s awesome friend

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Erin and Sean had a quiet, intimate ceremony at St. Philip’s Church in New Hope, PA before having a larger celebration with their group of friends and family.

The chapel was quaint and charming and the perfect space for a ceremony with only your closest loved ones.

Erin and Sean were both incredibly laid-back and full of contagious laughter and smiles. Much of this came through in their photos, evoking emotions of happiness that will last a lifetime.

Although the wedding fell upon a misty April day, the greenery-filled settings of New Hope created a dreamy background to capture the love of these two. 

Wishing Erin and Sean lots more laughter in their future ahead!

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Casey and Chris’s shoot embodies everything I love about engagement photography sessions.

Engagement shoots are laid-back (as was this awesome couple). They can include as many elements of the city as you want - i.e. colorful murals, mosaics and urban vine-filled areas just off of South Street.

And they’re able to capture passions and memories that the couple share — things you might not necessarily be able to bring to / capture at the actual wedding — that makes their love so special. 

For Casey and Chris, this meant bringing along their two dogs and swinging by the South Street Bridge. 

Happy, tongues out, ready for puppy-kisses, the dogs were certainly a pleasant and adorable addition to the shoot.

The South Street Bridge marks the spot where Casey and Chris first kindled their love. The two met at a restaurant where they had each previously worked and would ride the same route together home at night along the lit-up South Street Bridge. Bike love, for the win.

I’m looking forward to Casey and Chris’s wedding next year!

Tierney and Efi originally met in Boston through mutual friends but jobs in the editorial industry led them to venture together everywhere from Seattle to their current home in NYC. The two were together for 7 years when they decided to tie the knot.

Both laid-back friends, Tierney and Efi chose a down-to-earth (and I mean that quite literally) wedding venue, which they decorated with tons of adorable DIY details. Held in the beautiful Horticulture Center in Philadelphia, the setting for their wedding day seemed almost surreal. Gorgeous green plants filled the greenhouse interiors of the Horticulture Center, and just steps away outside, the area’s surrounding cherry blossom trees were nearing their peak. It was dreamy and a beautiful backdrop for their love.

Laughter and jokes were in abundance during both the couple portraits and bridal party photos, which made for a fun and lighthearted experience. 

An elegant and memorable excerpt from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (Love is a Temporary Madness) was read during the ceremony, as were the couple’s handwritten vows. 

This led into cocktail hour where guests were able to take-in all of the DIY details that Tierney and Efi helped to produce for the day. Adorable photos of the couple were strung along the guestbook on a table lined with roses. You’ll see Tierney and Efi dressed as Miss Piggy & Kermit the Frog in one of them, two figures that also topped the “naked”, lightly-frosted wedding cake.

The remainder of the day led into the best kind of unabashed dance party - the kind where all of the girls quickly kick off their heels and everyone starts moving. Tierney switched into a short cocktail dress and her and Efi broke it down.

All in all, a beautiful night and wedding day to capture.

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Now NYC residents, Jule and Paul originally first met when the two were still in college at the University of Pennsylvania. It was here that we kicked off their engagement session, in front of one of the couple’s favorite buildings, the Fisher library. After a few photos and laughs, we wandered over to a field full of ivy, tucked not too far from our starting point. The couple waded ankle deep into the ivy for some rich, verdant shots. The ground was a little soggy, but Jule and Paul didn’t sweat it, which of course is my kind of couple!

Afterwards, our ventures took us to Old City, but not before driving by one of my favorite mural-lined parking lots (which just so happened to be mostly empty of cars!!). We pulled over quickly for some colorful captures, and then took another quick stop to Franklin Square, where an equally vibrant setting awaited us. The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival was in the process of getting set up, which made for some bright and unique photos.

The day ended near Race Street Pier, where the trees were blooming and one of my favorite blue buildings lay in the background. We also stopped at Fringe Arts along the way, containing an outdoor beer garden that I’ve been had bookmarked to capture for some time now.

Full of laughs, ideas and an overall laid-back vibe, this was a lovely engagement photography session. I’m looking forward to Jule and Paul’s wedding in September!