Alyssa + Tony | Barn at Silverstone | Lancaster, Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer

Alyssa and Tony were married in August in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, at the Barn at Silverstone. (You may remember them from their fabulous engagement session with their Huskies!) I have photographed a number of weddings at Silverstone, and always love shooting here. Their staff is amazing, and there are so many great backdrops for photos. This wedding was no different!

Alyssa and Tony’s wedding day vibe could be described as romantic, rustic, elegant, and (last but definitely not least) incredibly fun! Mother Nature kept us on our toes that day, and their ceremony ended up being postponed by a few minutes to allow a quick storm to roll through. My couples have definitely had their share of lucky (i.e. rainy) days this year! Personally, I never worry about the rain, because we always get amazing photos regardless of the weather. Everyone rolled with it like champs, and we were even rewarded with a rainbow during the reception!

Alyssa and Tony opted against having a first look, waiting to see each other for the first time that day as Alyssa walked down the aisle. It was such a sweet moment, as you will see in the photos. Everything about their wedding day reflected their loving and fun relationship - including the decorations, the gifts that were exchanged, the inclusion of the children in the ceremony who are so important to them, the choreographed dances at the reception, the ice cream truck, and the cake that was customized to include their three doggos. Everything was absolutely stunning and perfect.

I hope you enjoy this selection of photos from their Day #1 as husband and wife. Congratulations again, Mr. and Mrs. Kerezsi! It’s taken me a hot minute to edit these, as busy season is in full swing, so without any further ado I will just go ahead and share a ton of my favorite images from their day.

I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who worked together to make Alyssa and Tony’s wedding day a giant success!

Photographer: Carrie Kizuka Photography, LLC

Wedding Coordinator: Kayla Resh, Simply Events

Florist: Kim Glasson

Cake Artist: Master’s Baker (Grace)

DJ: DJ Andy M

Hair Artist and Makeup Artist: Stefani Burkett, The Bonafide Ginger

Wedding Dress Boutique: Jennifer’s Bridal in Hockessin, DE (Hayley Paige)

Bridesmaids’ Dress Boutique: David’s Bridal

Groom and Groomsmen’s Tuxedo Boutique: Men’s Wearhouse

Draperies and Twinkle Lights: Shumaker PDT

Linens: John Serock Catering

Officiant: Randy Mims

Ice Cream Truck: Woodside Farm Creamery

Wedding and Reception Venue: The Barn at Silverstone

Lancaster Hot Air Balloon Festival | Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Portrait Photographer

On Sunday, in-between Saturday’s wedding and Sunday’s back-to-back portrait sessions, I woke up at 4:30am and made the short drive to Bird-in-Hand for The Lancaster Hot Air Balloon Festival. (If you’re not from this area and were unaware, we have some really interesting town names nearby.) Attending a hot air balloon festival was on my mom’s Bucket List, and even though she is terrified of heights (sorry, Mom, for exposing you) she wanted to watch me and my daughters take flight. My mom and oldest daughter opted to keep their feet on the ground, while me and my two younger daughters went up in a balloon. (For the record, my husband was invited along, too, but he is a really cool middle school teacher and had a mountain bike ride planned with his students - so he wasn’t able to join us.)

We arrived at the launch site around 6am, just as the sunlight started peeking over the horizon. The air was chilly, and the grass was covered in dew, and everything was so peaceful and quiet. We were assigned to balloon #7, and made our way to wait in line for our balloon, squinting to see in the dark. After we got to our assigned area, the pilot asked us if we would mind switching to another balloon - I was initially disappointed, because we were told that pilot was a great one to fly with. As it turned out, some higher power had our backs. We were moved to balloon #23 - and I am so thankful for that! I heard that the balloon we were initially assigned to had some issues with takeoff, which I am happy to have avoided. In addition, the pilot of balloon #23 (Patrick) was also incredibly skilled, informative, and funny - which my non-morning-loving-personality really appreciated. There ended up being 7 of us in our basket (including Patrick), and even though we were packed in pretty tightly, it wasn’t super uncomfortable and we had some room to stretch out if we needed to. Our balloon ended up taking off around the middle of the pack, which provided for incredible photo opportunities with the surrounding balloons. Our flight lasted about 1 hour, during which time I created some of my most favorite images to date. Most importantly, I made some lifelong memories with my family.

Not only did I leave with great pictures, but I also left with great memories of my daughters working together as part of a team. (Thanks again, Mom!!) It turns out that flying a hot air balloon really is a team effort, and Patrick did a great job of recruiting members of our group to help with the set-up and tear-down processes. At the end of this post, I have shared photos of my daughters helping with the balloon inflation (they say it was pretty hot!), the balloon deflation, and packing it up at the end.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the balloon festival. I can’t wait to go again! (Next time, I hope my mom, husband, and all three daughters can join me in the balloon!) Big thanks to The United States Hot Air Balloon Team for putting on this event. If you live near Frederick, Maryland, you can fly with Patrick through his company Tailwinds Over Frederick.

And, if you want to purchase any of my images, you can do so here: https://carriekizukaphotography.pic-time.com/-artworkforsale.

Here are some of the behind-the-scenes shots of the preparation and tear down.

Morgan + Mikey | Barn at Silverstone Wedding | Lancaster Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer

In September, Morgan and Mikey were married in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, at the Barn at Silverstone. Their wedding day had a romantic and semi-formal vibe, with decorations and details that were rustic and shabby chic. Morgan thought that my “moodier” editing style would be a great fit, so she asked me to add that touch to her wedding photos (which I was happy to do!). The weather has been rather turbulent this year, but we lucked out that day. We had a few showers in the morning - perfect for some extra wedding day luck - and then were gifted the most incredible weather for the rest of the day. Admittedly, it was a bit windy, but they rolled with it like champs!

Morgan, Mikey, and their bridal party were so much fun! They were there to celebrate, and that’s exactly what they did. There were a few emotional moments, too, especially during the first look, wedding ceremony, speeches, and sentimental dances. I was laughing and crying right along with them. And their first dance - they were literally on Cloud 9!! (Wait until you see it!)

I hope you enjoy this selection of photos from their Day #1 as husband and wife. Congratulations again, Mr. and Mrs. Antolino!

Huge props go out to the following vendors for making their dream wedding a reality:

Photographer: Carrie Kizuka

Venue: The Barn at Silverstone

Wedding Coordinator: Christine Helwig, Scarlet Runner Catering

Videographer: Rola Cinema

Florist: The Autumn Olive

Cake Artist: Krystal Moran

DJ: Vince, East Coast Event Group

Hair Artist: John Sentell, Alchemy Studio Hair

Makeup Artisti: Nicole Moeser

Wedding Dress Boutique: Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo; Casablanca

Bridesmaid Dress Boutique: Ashley’s Bridal

Groom and Groomsman Tuxedo Boutique: Men’s Wearhouse

Officiant: Theresa Gilberti

Jess + Sean | White Chimneys Wedding | Lancaster Wedding Photographer

During my busiest months, I often fall behind in blogging so that I can dedicate as much time as possible to making sure my amazing clients get their images delivered quickly.  Jess and Sean's incredible wedding is one that I haven't blogged yet - but that's all changing now!

The first time I met Jess and Sean in person was when we shot their engagement portraits at Longwood Gardens.  (You can see those pictures by clicking here.)  They have so much love for each other, are incredibly kind and full of joy, and are so much fun to be around.  We hit it off right away, and I knew that their wedding was going to be one of my favorites to photograph!  When their wedding day rolled around last fall, my prediction was accurate - I had a blast!  Their ceremony and reception took place at White Chimneys, located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Their DIY decor was a combination of romantic, casual, and rustic.  Their personalized vows and rope braiding ceremony reflected not only the strong love they have for each other, but also their strong faith.  I found myself giggling at the adorable "ring bears" that made their presence, and then I broke down in tears when I witnessed Sean's reaction as Jess walked down the aisle toward him with her dad.  (Give yourself a high five if you got that How I Met Your Mother reference!)

The fun continued throughout the portraits and the reception, too!  There was no shortage of toasts, laughter, or dancing... and a few special guests made their appearance on the dance floor as well!

Jess and Sean, thank you so much for asking me to capture your Day #1 as husband and wife.  You both deserve this Happily Ever After, and I'm honored that I was able to celebrate with you.  I hope you enjoy this selection of photos from their day.

This day wouldn't have been a success without the collaboration of these vendors:

Photographer:  Carrie Kizuka Photography, LLC

Second Photographer:  Bill Johns

Venue:  White Chimneys Estate

DJ:  Levi McCurdy, Sparxx Entertainment

Florist: Greta Bomgardner, Lace and Peonies Floral Design

Cake Artist: Patty, Cake Creators

Hair Artist: Lizz Maldonado

Makeup Artist: Marked by Tiffani Rose

Wedding Dress Boutique:  David's Bridal

Photo Booth:  Shining Star Photo Booth

Mika and Zach | Wilson High School Prom | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

My middle daughter, Mika, is a sophomore at Wilson High School.  Her boyfriend, Zach, is a senior at Wilson this year, and yesterday they attended his prom together.  Mika chose to wear a simple yet elegant navy dress that she found online at PromGirl, and sparkling silver heels that accentuated the dress details.  Mika's hair and make-up were done at Iron Roots Salon in West Reading.  Zach picked out coordinating accessories for his suit, and did a great job picking out flowers for both of them!

Wilson's prom took place at the Wilson High School.  Since Wilson, Exeter, and Twin Valley were all having their proms on the same day, we decided to drive to Stoudtburg Village for their prom photos and avoid the local crowds.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from yesterday.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  I can't believe how quickly Mika has grown up, and I'm in awe of the gorgeous, talented, creative, and strong young woman she has become.  I will forever cherish these photos and memories.  Thank you, Mika and Zach, for setting aside some time on your special day to create these photos with me!  You both looked absolutely stunning.