Bella | Wilson High School Class of 2022 | Berks County Pennsylvania Senior Portrait Photographer

Bella and I met up at the Reading Public Museum last week for her senior portrait session. (Her original session date ended up being 40 degrees and super windy, so we decided to reschedule. I’m so glad we did - this particular afternoon was absolutely perfect!!!) Bella is a member of Wilson High School’s Class of 2022, and she is off to Pitt in the fall! I had such a fantastic time strolling around the park with her this evening, chatting about her future plans and snapping photos in the stunning golden hour light. Here are some of my favorite portraits that we created. Congratulations, Bella and family! Best wishes on your next adventures, and thank you for trusting me to celebrate this milestone with you.

Serenity + Tony | Weddings on Memory Lane | Hershey, Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer

Serenity and Tony will be celebrating their 1-year anniversary this weekend, so I thought I would surprise them by sharing a few highlights from their fabulous wedding ceremony that took place last May. (You might remember them from their Longwood Gardens engagement session blog.) Weddings on Memory Lane - located in Hershey, Pennsylvania - was such an incredible backdrop for their celebration. Everything took place here, from getting ready through to the end of the reception, and the venue had the perfect locations for all of it!

I was attending a family wedding in North Carolina this day, but my team of associates took incredible care of Serenity and Tony and documented their day perfectly. (They photographed the wedding on my memory cards, and I edited all of the images to match my style.) I’m so fortunate to have a wonderful team to call on when needed, and couples that trust me to take care of them - in person or from afar.

Without any further hesitation, here is a selection of details (ridiculously stunning details!) and moments (crazy, sweet, emotional moments!) from Serenity and Tony’s Day #1. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the dream team responsible for making all of the magic happen!

Thank you to the following team who made their wedding day vision come to life!

Venue: Weddings on Memory Lane

Wedding Coordinator: Melanie Haldeman

Florist: Melanie Haldeman

Cake Artist: Jody Mack

DJ: Klock Entertainment - Wil Monestime

Hair Artist: Down Street Salon

Makeup Artist: Prism Beauty and Wellness, Sierra Hoke

Ceremony Dress Boutique: ASOS

Reception Dress Boutique: Lulus

Bride’s Shoes: Keds x Kate Spade Bridal Sneakers

Bridesmaid Dress Boutique: ASOS and Lulus

Tuxedo/Suit Boutique: Joseph A. Bank

Officiant: Kurt Gregory

DIY personal touches: cake stand/plate, triangle ceremony backdrop, aisle flower boxes, reception sweetheart table backdrop

Lehigh University, Bethlehem Pennsylvania | Spring Student Portrait Sessions | Lehigh Valley Family Photographer

I’m a proud graduate of Lehigh University, having earned my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Degree (and a Minor in East Asian Studies) back in the 90s. (I’m not admitting exactly how far back.) One of my three brilliant daughters currently attends Lehigh. Not-so-coincidentally, over the past few years I have received an influx of requests for spring photoshoots on campus.

Most often, these requests are for senior portraits. However, I also get inquiries for sorority and fraternity sessions, roommate sessions, freshman sessions, athlete sessions, headshots, and even family and engagement sessions. Lehigh’s campus is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and is absolutely stunning at any time of year. The landscaping is gorgeous, and the older buildings have so much character. (The newer buildings make a great backdrop as well, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the older architecture!)

I was so busy during 2021 that I didn’t have an opportunity to blog many of my sessions. My 2022 Lehigh photoshoots begin tonight, so I thought it would be a nice time to highlight some of my spring work from last year. Here’s a selection of some of my Lehigh University student portraits from last May (and some dreamy Golden Hour lighting!). If you’re a Lehigh student or parent looking to schedule your session, you can’t get on my calendar soon enough - it fills up quickly, especially during May and October!

Connor - Class of 2022 | Fleetwood Senior Portrait Session | Berks County Family Photographer

Connor is a member of Fleetwood High School’s Class of 2022, and the son of another talented Berks County photographer! His passions include music, fashion, his beloved Subaru WRX… and his family. It was such a pleasure meeting up with him for a golden hour photoshoot in his hometown of Fleetwood this past fall. Best of luck on your future adventures, Connor! I know your family is incredibly proud of you.

Cameron - Class of 2022 | Reading Museum High School Senior Session | Berks County, Pennsylvania Portrait Photographer

Meet Cameron, a proud member of Wilson High School’s Class of 2022! We met up at the Reading Public Museum this past fall for her senior portrait session, and she absolutely nailed it! She has so much personality, and I’m incredibly envious of her style! (Seriously, I wish I had half of her fashion sense!) Between her outfit choices, her natural charisma, and the beautiful fall colors and weather we were gifted, all of the pieces aligned perfectly for her session. Cameron is such a talented, well-rounded young woman - I know she is going to accomplish some pretty fabulous goals during her lifetime. Congratulations again, Cameron! And congratulations to your family - it really does take a team!

Mackenzi - Class of 2022 | Longwood Gardens High School Senior Photoshoot | Pennsylvania Portrait Photographer

With graduation season being in full swing, I thought it would be a fantastic time to highlight some of the fabulous seniors I have photographed over the past year. I’m honored to introduce you to Mackenzi, a proud member of Tulpehocken High School’s Class of 2022! I was absolutely thrilled when her mom asked if we could shoot Mackenzi’s high school senior portraits at Longwood Gardens… and I immediately replied with an excited “Yes!”. If you follow my work, you probably noticed that I shoot at Longwood Gardens pretty often. It is beautiful there any time of year, and the displays are always changing, so no two portrait sessions ever turn out alike. Plus, I have a membership that allows me to bring in a bunch of additional guests - at no cost to them!! (Hint, hint…)

Congratulations, Mackenzi! Wishing you lots of love, luck, and success in your future adventures!

Without any further delay, I present to you Mackenzi. I hope you love these images, her smile, and her personality as much as I do.

Kaitlin + Haruki | The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel and Biltmore Estate Asheville Wedding | North and South Carolina Destination Wedding Photographer

Last spring, Kaitlin and Haruki had an intimate wedding ceremony surrounded by a small group of their family members and friends. (You might remember Ruki’s incredible surprise proposal that took place at the Biltomore Estate!) Like many other couples, due to COVID-19, their bigger celebration had to be postponed to a later date. Well, that celebration is finally happening next week and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of the highlights from their Day #1 as husband and wife.

Their wedding day was absolutely perfect. Their wedding party consisted of Haruki, Kaitlin, and Haruki’s two children. They are so lucky to have Kait as a bonus mom, and she is incredibly luck to call them hers. They were so overjoyed to officially become a family, as you will see from the selection of photos posted below.

Kait got ready at their home, while Ruki got ready at the Biltmore Forest Country Club. Right before the ceremony began at The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel, Ruki and his son had a first look with his daughter, and Kait shared a first look with her dad. The sun was shining brightly, and the tears were flowing! It really was a beautiful day all around - from the weather, to the emotions, to the absolutely stunning couple. Kait’s cathedral length veil (adorned with cherry blossoms to honor Ruki’s Japanese heritage) glistened beautifully against the bluebird skies and puffy clouds!

Haruki was speechless when his bride walked through the Glassy Chapel doors with her proud, adoring father. And Kait was equally elated to set her eyes upon her groom. Ruki’s mother read an incredibly touching poem from her late husband, and then Ruki and Kait exchanged vows and promises to each other and to their children. Their promises were sealed with a kiss - actually a few kisses!

Ruki, Kait, and I stopped at a few of their favorite spots at the Biltmore Estate for some couple’s portraits. Then, we headed to Posana in downtown Asheville for their reception. They reserved a private room at Posana, and it was decorated so beautifully. The hugs, laughs, and tears - lots of tears - continued at Posana. I’m sure their upcoming celebration at the Biltmore Forest Country Club will also be overflowing with love and fun, and I can’t wait! Congratulations again, Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura! See you soon!

Special thanks to this team for bringing Ruki and Kait’s vision to life:

Groom’s Getting Ready Location: Biltmore Forest Country Club

Bride’s Hair and Makeup Artist: Wink Salon

Bride’s Gown: BHLDN (Jenny by Jenny Yoo)

Bride’s Veil: Amsale

Bridesmaid’s Dress: David’s Bridal (Georgette Cascade)

Groomsman’s Tuxedo: Little Tuxedos

Harpist: Beste Toparlak

Officiant: Dr. Keith Black

Wedding Ceremony Venue: The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel

Portrait Location: The Biltmore Estate

Reception Location: Posana Restaurant

Videographer: Val Cinema

Intimate Honeybrook AirBnb Elopement | Chester County Wedding Photographer

Kate + Adam | Trexler Nature Preserve Fall Engagement Session | Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer

I’m so excited to share Kate and Adam’s engagement session! I was absolutely thrilled when they were referred to me by another couple of mine - Ally and Dan! Ally and Dan are so fun and kind - and are just all-around incredible human beings - so I knew that their good friends would be a perfect fit for me and my wedding day approach. The first time I met Kate and Adam in person was actually at Ally and Dan’s wedding - and I assure you, they heated up that dance floor all night. The heat continued when we captured their engagement session just a few days later at Trexler Nature Preserve! It’s a good thing they were there to keep each other warm, because that water they splashed around in was super chilly! I know, I walked through it myself to capture the incredible moments with my cameras! LOL

I’m kicking off my 2022 wedding season with Kate and Adam in just a few days! I’m so excited to see Ally and Dan again, and I can’t wait to reunite with all of them on the dance floor. (I just realized I never blogged Ally and Dan’s session, so I’m going to rectify that soon! Oops!)

Victoria, Class of 2022 | Lock Ridge Furnace Senior Portrait Session | Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania Family Photographer

Weddings and engagement sessions typically make up about 90% of my work. That being said, I DO photograph other types of sessions, too - and I really enjoy having the variety of work that I do! Here is one of my senior portrait sessions from this past fall. Victoria is a senior at Schuylkill Valley High School and will be graduating in 2022. Victoria and I met up at Lock Ridge Park and Furnace Museum in Alburtis after her lacrosse practice one afternoon. Amazingly, we had this popular location all to ourselves on a beautiful fall evening, and wrapped up just as the rain decided to make its arrival! Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Victoria!!