If you follow me at all on Instagram, you may have seen me post about being back in the Allegany State Park area for a wedding this month! Last year, I shot there for the very first time and fell in love with its scenic views, while simultaneously being perplexed by its immensity. The hillsides full of trees seem to extend somewhere beyond forever. As a child, I remember being terribly afraid of the damages of deforestation. After learning that plants and trees produce oxygen, I became so worried that if this madness continued… we’d all suffocate to death. No joke, friends. I thought that by killing the trees, we’d be depleting our source of oxygen. I only wish my parents would have taken me to this place. My tiny, worried spirit would have been to put ease in no time; I am confident there are enough trees in this forest alone to keep us all alive and well for at least a millennium.

Anyways, back to Matt & Kerry. They exchanged vows in St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in downtown Bradford, PA, on potentially the warmest day of the month. Despite both being from out of town, they knew the area far better than I EVER will! Camp Turner, a Catholic camp within the state park, is where their love story began. In our pre-wedding consultation, Kerry and Matt gave me a play by play explaining exactly what took place between the two of them. I laughed and laughed as Kerry informed me that for a very long time, she was simply Matt’s “best friend’s little sister.” She claimed she was an ugly duckling that somehow blossomed into a beautiful swan. One summer, while working as camp counselors, the two of them were out on some type of excursion through the woods with the campers. Fed up, Kerry finally just up and asked Matt… “So are you going to kiss me, or what?”

Apparently her blunt gesture got his attention, because the two of them celebrated their wedding reception on June 17, 2017, at those same grounds they first fell in love on. We referred to this day as the “Royal Canadian Wedding” because of Kerry’s AMAZING ball gown and extensive train, paired with the ornate beauty of St. Bernard’s sanctuary. Oh…and the Canadian part; I bet you’re wondering about that. A large portion of Matt’s family is actually from Canada and travelled all the way here for this event!

A huge shout out to my caring, loving fiancé for helping me capture this wedding day. I say it on the daily to him, but I feel like I need to profess it to the world every so often, too: I could not do all of this without him. He’s the way cooler, better-looking, charismatic half to our whole. He carries the gear, second shoots, and keeps everything in line for me on wedding days. Matt kept joking that he was the real brains behind the operation, but in all seriousness… he really is the back bone of it. I am so lost on wedding days without him and often find myself wondering how I ever shot a single one without him by my side. Life, in every aspect, is so much better with him in it.

Matt & Kerry- THANK YOU for choosing us to capture this beautiful wedding. It was the perfect mix of elegant architecture and nature’s beauty. You two were so much fun and we loved laughing along side you and your bridal party throughout the day. XOXO

Can you guess what song was playing back in the tent when I pulled this group away from the reception for groomsmen photos?



We ended the night with one last family photo… Kerry’s grandparents were my absolute FAVORITE! How cute are they in these last two pictures?! Seriously…