Kimberly Reed Photography

melanie and craig tied the knot on sunday in a simple, intimate ceremony at north park. it was a gorgeous day for a wedding, and melanie made an enchanting bride, if i do say so myself. here are some of the things that caught my eye:

bouquets by the lovely and talented emily baehr

heh heh.

my hot sister.

when the ceremony began, the pastor invited everyone to come up around melanie and craig. it made things feel much more personal and intimate.

my beautiful mama.

a few portraits after the ceremony

first dance

welcome to the family craig! many blessings as you begin your lives together.

this weekend was an emotional weekend for my family. i have two older sisters; my sister melanie got married on sunday. my sister michelle wasn’t able to attend the wedding.

she was diagnosed with leukemia last february (2006). a year and a half later, it’s been a long road of long hospital stays, late nights, trips to the emergency room, a stem cell transplant, fevers, infections, chemo, remission, triumphs, setbacks, side effects, and lots of tears. she was doing better up until about 6 weeks ago, when she was admitted back to the hospital. it was discovered she has a rare and serious bacteria infection in her lungs. while they were determining the best treatment for that, and after a series of complications, they also discovered her leukemia was back, in a small tumor in her sinus cavity. she just finished radiation for the leukemia, and is still undergoing treatment for the infection in her lungs.

we were hopeful that she would be out of the hospital in time for melanie’s wedding. her two children were Melanie’s flowergirl and ring bearer, and we wanted her to see their big debut.

once it got to the point that we were pretty certain she wasn’t going to make the wedding, Melanie began to scheme. She contacted the hospital and her pastor. She made arrangements for a faux ceremony to take place at the hospital on Saturday, the day before her actual wedding. The guys came in their tuxes, and Melanie changed into her gown. My mom brought Michelle downstairs to the chapel (she made up some story about why they had to go downstairs), and we surprised her with the mock wedding. (The real deal, minus the exchange of rings and a few other key parts). She was surprised, I think everyone cried a little at some point, and she got to see her kids in their important roles.

I love my family.

Here are some of the pictures of the evening.

walking down the aisle. michelle and her husband are in the background trying to get their son to stand up front with the big boys.

watching my mom cry made me cry. she’s an amazing woman; she stays with michelle pretty much 24/7 whenever she’s in the hospital, which has been a good part of the last year and a half.

getting a little emotional.

dominic smiling at his mama.

dominic and ashley. how cute are they? the guy on the left with the point and shoot is my dad. he’s pretty much responsible for my love of photography.

a casual group shot. dominic kept making this face, so i had everyone indulge him for a minute for this shot. they happily obliged.

a quick portrait in the emergency room mirror in the hallway.

then a quick trip up the elevator for a cake and soda reception in one of the waiting rooms.

stay tuned for photos of their actual wedding the next day!
I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday!

these two are just terrific, as you may remember from their engagement session. they got married yesterday, and the reception was held at the mansion (724-586-6171) in butler, which made for an elegant, intimate evening. andy hutelmyer was their dj, the camelot catered the evening (the food was incredible), and creations by carlini designed their cake. there were tons of fabulous details, but you’ve got to watch the slideshow (the link is after the photos) to see more of them. i’ve also got to give another shout out to abie, who was my rockstar second shooter for the day. (watch for more about abie over the next few months.)

here are some of the things i saw throughout the day:

this is one of my favorite images from the day

this is another fave. she was a breathtaking bride.

eileen’s expression here pretty much sums up the day.

high fives on the way back down the aisle

the bubble exit from the church. love the bubble-blower’s face on the right.

some portraits at the mansion

another fave. i have lots of faves from yesterday.

love the face eileen is making during the father daughter dance.

the mansion has an awesome spiral staircase.

and check out these shots that abie got:

a gorgeous portrait of the bride

and this shot of grandma blowing bubbles. what makes this extra great for me is that she was shooting from in the crowd, and she framed grandma with guests on either side. love it.

mike and eileen, your love is an inspiration. it was a pleasure to document your wedding day for you, and i hope you have an amazing honeymoon in jamaica!

chrissy and dan got married at st. sylvester church yesterday in brentwood, and headed to southpointe golf club for their reception. chrissy was just breathtaking in her gown (from bridal beginning in mt. lebanon), and dan is pretty handsome himself. chrissy was so serene throughout the day, and i was repeatedly touched with dan’s tenderness toward her. they had a beautiful day surrounded by friends and family, and i felt fortunate to be a part of it. i’ve also got to give mad props to abie who was my rockstar second shooter. thanks abie! without further ado, here are some things that caught my eye throughout the day:

chrissy was the quintessential stunning bride.

they scheduled in plenty of time for some romantic portraits.

up the veil

mmmmm….i love me some flare.

how sweet are they?

chrissy (cake knife in hand) subtly reminds dan not to smoosh the cake in her face. he didn’t.

first dance

love the look on her face here.

some fun on the dance floor.

view more of the day on their slideshow.

chrissy and dan, i feel so fortunate to have been a part of your day. you two are amazing together. enjoy your honeymoon!

amy and ben tied the knot on saturday at armstrong farms in saxonburg. a fare to remember provided the catering (delicious!) and jean marc chatellier did their cake (it was covered with a thin layer of marzipan- i wanted to cry it was so good). i was a little worried about the weather early on; the sky was overcast and threatening rain all day. however, a few minutes before amy walked down the aisle, the sun broke through the clouds, and remained out for the entirety of the ceremony. the timing couldn’t have been any more perfect!

amy and ben are the first children on either side of the family to be married, and the tears flowed freely throughout the day. the bridal party was super fun, ben and amy’s families were amazing, and there was so much joy and laughter. i’ve gotta give a shout out to abie and josh who shot with me all day. here are some of the things that caught my eye throughout the day:

right after amy’s dad saw her in her gown for the first time.

amy scheduled in plenty of time during the day for portraits. isn’t she gorgeous?

the groomsmen were gobs of fun throughout the day

the ceremony. amy wrote it herself. it was simple and emotional.

a few portraits of the new mr. and mrs.

the simultaneous licking of the fingers after eating the cake

amy dancing with her father- you can see ben getting a little teary eyed in the background.

and then the party started.

so. much. fun.

heh heh. i love breaking out the wide angle as the evening wears on…

amy and ben- i was blown away by the warmth and love of everyone I met. your friends and family are amazing; it was such a pleasure to photograph your wedding day. many blessings as you begin your lives together.

where to begin? heather and kris tied the knot on saturday at the morning glory inn on the southside. this was the first time ever that i hadn’t met the bride or the groom before their wedding day. we spoke on the phone for the first time last week, and when one of the first questions kris asked me was if i liked mojitos, i liked him instantly. once he told me a little more about the details of their day, i knew it was going to be a good time. heather and kris were incredibly gracious, and the day couldn’t have gone any smoother. heather wore an elegant gown by nicole miller. alphabetical order provided the flowers, and yes we cater provided the meal stations following the ceremony. (did i mention there was sushi? any wedding with both sushi and mojitos gets a thumbs up in my book). afterwards, the newlyweds led their guests parade-style through the streets of the southside to the rex, where their afterparty was held. here are some of the things that caught my eye:

corsages and bouts. i love the simple elegance of an orchid.

i have very few photos of heather where she isn’t smiling or laughing.

captured this while one of heather’s bridesmaids was putting orchids in her hair. heather is one of those women that is just naturally beautiful. one of their guests, upon seeing her in her gown, made a reference to grace kelly. i have to agree.

walking down the aisle. i love the joy on everyone’s face.

on the way to the rex. the couple on the left are friends of the family, and provided the musical accompaniment for the parade, which really added to the energy of the journey. strangers on the street were stopping to congratulate them, and kris managed to inspire some staff and patrons from a bar we passed to join the procession. it was quite a sight to behold.

in lieu of cake- a tower of cupcakes.

aerial view of the rex. the bands ‘the what else’ and ‘the new alcinders’ played…

and then kris took the stage and dj’ed. (yes, at his own wedding).

(i have to give a shout out to abie and josh, who were my second shooters and comrads for this wedding. thanks guys!)
heather and kris, thanks for inviting us to document your day. you were a joy to work with and be around, and your wedding day was one of the most fun celebrations i’ve been privy to. hope you’re enjoying your honeymoon!

ronette and cooper tied the knot on 07-07-07, which the press is saying is the most popular wedding date in history. it was a beautiful day in Pittsburgh for a wedding, and there was plenty of laughter and tears (the good kind!) throughout the day. we started out at ronette’s parent’s home (which, incidentally, is located on love street- how fitting!) after that, we made our way to the church for a simple, beautiful ceremony, and then off to springwood for the reception. i’ve got to say- springwood is amazing. if you love the outdoors and are looking for somewhere a little different to hold your wedding, definitely check them out. the building and grounds are very unique and quite picturesque. flood city brass band provided great entertainment throughout the evening, and there was just so much love throughout the entire day. i also have to give a shout out to shannon, who was my second shooter yesterday. thanks shannon! here are some things that caught my eye:

tears during her sisters toast

love this face.

ronette and cooper, you guys are amazing! it was such a pleasure photographing your wedding day for you. have an incredible time on your honeymoon!

dana and jim got married yesterday at southpointe golf club. what a beautiful day for a wedding! dana was a gorgeous bride, and she and Jim are so much in love. she was so calm before the ceremony-we asked her if she was nervous at all and she said “I have no reason to be. I know he’s the one for me.” (there were at least three times yesterday that my eyes got teary, and that was one of them). dan from 5th ace kept things moving all night and pastries a la carte made their wedding cake. oh- and i have to give a shout out to table 11, who kept us great company at dinner!

here are some things i saw throughout the day:

her shoes were pretty awesome, but what was even cooler was she had a penny taped in the heel that her grandmother had in her shoe at her wedding!

we made sure there was time to get some cool portraits of dana before the ceremony

and some of the two of them after the ceremony.

there was all kinds of ultra cool lighting around the country club. i was in heaven.

papparazi

and their first dance as husband and wife

it was such a pleasure to photograph your wedding day for you dana and jim! i wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new life together.

Saturday was a beautiful day for a wedding! one of my favorite things about connie and steve’s wedding was the band. mon valley push played polka tunes throughout the evening, which was a great addition to the dj. They are not only quite talented, but really swell guys as well. I definitely recommend them! here are some of the things i saw throughout the day:

super cute kids

she’s motioning for the ringbearer to join them

high fives on the way back down the aisle

first dance

thanks connie and steve! i hope you’re having a fabulous time on your european cruise!

ok- as promised, here’s the final installment of jeremy and priya’s wedding! in case you missed my previous posts, i spent memorial day weekend photographing a lavish three day wedding in kentucky with the fabulously talented angela anderson. saturday evening was jeremy and priya’s american ceremony and reception. Here are some of the things that caught my eye:

priya’s dress

i was in love with the way the light was hitting this comb

one of her earrings, and bouquet

ceremony site details

gotta love it when the ringbearer has a mohawk

the flowergirls were twins

vows

a few portraits, inside and outside

headed back inside- this picture reminds me of cinderella

first dance

dancing with her dad

which got this reaction from her sisters

priya changed from her gown into a more comfortable dress (the pink version of her bridemaids dresses), and then the bridal party was announced. they formed this tunnel for priya and jeremy to go through. i wanted to go through too. real bad. (but i didn’t).

priya’s signature drink, made up of blue kool aid, sprite, and bacardi limon. this was circulating through an ice fountain, into bowls carved from ice. frozen inside the ice bowls were white roses and ivy. pretty cool.

i sat for a long time trying to think of a clever caption for this. i got nothin’ for you. (sorry).

the bridemaids bouquets ended up in a pile once the dancing got started

i was certain this was going to end badly. (it didn’t)

being pulled onto the dance floor

ok, that’s all! even though i posted so much on the blog, there is so much more that i left out! this wedding really made me fall in love all over again with being a wedding photographer- i love telling the story of a couple’s wedding day! i feel like it is such a privilege to be the person chosen to do so, and i’m looking forward to documenting many more wedding stories!

Saturday morning was Priya and Jeremy’s Indian ceremony. Here are some of the things that caught my eye:
detail of the sari Priya used to cover her head.

the stage the ceremony will take place on.

the lights from the videographer cast this cool shadow on the wall from one of the statues.

jeremy holding the garland that he’ll wear during the ceremony. it’s made entirely of rolled up rose petals.

Priya’s mother welcomes Jeremy with garland at the entrance to the ceremony. There was a little ritual that happened here, during which his groomsmen were supposed to lift Jeremy on their shoulders to prevent Priya’s mom from being able to reach him for certain things. Here, they were a little too slow, and she caught hold of his nose. She wouldn’t let go until his best man gave her a ‘bribe’ of an envelope filled with money. The girl in the background that’s delighted by all of this is Jeremy’s sister.

One of the statues decorating the walk down the aisle. Jeremy and Priya’s parents are on stage taking part in a short ceremony before Priya and her bridemaids enter.

a white sheet is held so jeremy can’t see priya’s arrival.

priya was carried into the ceremony in a small carriage, and then lifted onstage

jeremy seeing his bride for the first time

everyone that went onstage during the ceremony had to take off their shoes first

it’s customary to give one of the grooms’ younger female relatives the job of keeping the groom awake by shaking a metal pot filled with a few coins and a betel nut over his head. Jeremy’s sister gladly filled that role.

The couple walk around the sacred fire four times. Each time they stop to touch with their toe a stone in their path. This symbolises obstacles in life that they will overcome together. The fourth time around, one of Priya’s male relatives grabbed Jeremy’s toe and wouldn’t let him continue until he gave him a ‘bribe’. That was one of the key functions of Jeremy’s best man- to hang on to his envelopes of ‘bribe’ money, and get him out of trouble when needed. One of the things I loved about this ceremony was it was very heavy with customs and tradition, but there was also a lot of laughter and pranks (Priya’s sisters took Jeremy’s shoes at one point, and he couldn’t leave the ceremony until he ‘bought’ them back). It kept people engaged, and was a lot of fun to witness.

and finally, a portrait of jeremy and priya taken outside after the ceremony.

that’s all for part three! if you’d like to know more about some of the customs of hindu weddings, this is a good resource. Next up, Priya and Jeremy had an American ceremony and reception that took place that evening. I’ll post those pictures next in the fourth and final edition of Priya and Jeremy’s amazing wedding weekend!

ok, so friday morning angela and I went back to Priya’s parents home for the puja. This is a religious ceremony performed the day before the wedding day. The priest performs prayers with rice, coconut, wheat grains, oil, betel nuts and turmeric. During this event, the mother and close female relatives dress up in elaborately detailed sari’s and jewelry. For Priya and Jeremy, the Puja was combined with a cleansing ceremony (Pithi) during which the they were pasted with turmeric powder in a beautification process. The entire ceremony was performed in Sanskrit, so I couldn’t understand what was being said, but it was beautiful to watch. Here are some of my faves from Friday:

lots of detail shots

part of the ceremony took place outside

i think one of the ladies got tired of sitting after a while, so she jumped up and started throwing candy to the all the guests. it was awesome!

priya got a little choked up when her grandmother came up to give her blessing on the marriage

ok, that’s all for installment two! the next morning was their indian wedding ceremony, so that will be my next post!