It’s been a long, long time since I’ve shared a wedding on here! I had a full 2017 season, most of which never got published because life took over with a new baby and a house renovation and all the things. But now that I’m getting back into the swing of things and hoping to book a few weddings for 2019-2020, I figured I’d make the I’M BACK announcement by finally blogging a few of my favorite weddings that I never got to share with you!
I’m kicking it off with Joe + Rachel’s warm August wedding day. It was a celebration of not only a marriage, but a family becoming one. Joe took in Rachel’s son as his own and read vows to him during the ceremony, ending with the sweetest embrace and wet eyes all around. It was so special being a part of this day. The way Joe and Rachel included Alex was just so neat to see.
Every detail was so effortless + beautiful, from the dress to the florals, to Joe’s amazing blue suit. If you’re looking for some great Summer wedding inspo – look no further!
Until next time | Meagan
This is one blog post I have been itching to do! Zach and Nikki are as sweet as they come and I an confidently say they turned into life long friends of mine. I love when this little job of mine allows me to meet complete strangers and in turn, form lasting relationships. Every time I get a sweet note from Nikki in my inbox on instagram it makes my day! Whether it’s discussing our latest product finds/reviews, encouragement over life circumstances or laughing at my son Owen’s adorableness – Nikki is always so authentic and really just such a gem.
Zach and Nikki’s relationship and wedding day can be wrapped up in this entire word: authenticity. They’re so kind and yet so real. They form real relationships with every one of the people in their lives. So much so that Nikki hand wrote personalized letters for each and every individual guest that she had tucked in their place settings at the reception. I mean if that doesn’t give you an idea of how neat this couple is than I don’t know what will! Zach leads Nikki with such care and devotion, and Nikki loves on her now husband with such tenderness + grace. I can’t say enough about these two!
Their day was irish themed, with a bunch of neat nods to the country. But the main inspiration for Zach + Niki were their families. They both come from incredibly close families, and really wanted to honor them in planning their wedding. They chose to have special touches throughout the wedding to honor loved ones and family members. Their officiant was Nikki’s uncle, They had Nikki’s maternal grandparents’ song as the prelude to the ceremony, they chose for their mothers to share readings during the ceremony, and wanted the entire day to feel like two families coming together. They also wanted the day to have a very natural, ethereal feel regarding decor and the vibe. Zach and Nikki love being outdoors and having an outdoor wedding and bringing in lots of natural elements while keeping things airy and romantic was really important to them.
The love story: “Zach and I have known each other since we were in middle school. We met at our very small towns summer carnival that is held each year. We had similar mutual friends and had all decided to go together. At a certain point in the night I saw Zach sitting by himself near the Ferris wheel, looking rather sad. Turns out he had been “dumped” by his first girlfriend, who was my sisters best friend. I offered to ride the Ferris wheel with him so he wouldn’t be alone, and ever since that moment, we’ve been the best of friends.
We never dated during high school or college, but we would go on “dates” to get dinner, see movies, or hang out. He was the person I would go to to share good news, and the first person I turned to in the most difficult of times. We were each other’s person since middle school, and even though there was always something else, something very special with us, we didn’t start dating until we were both in grad school. After a spontaneous phone call on Valentines Day, we decided to take a leap of faith and see if our friendship just might be the beginning of a relationship. We dated long distance for about a year during my graduate program, traveling between Philadelphia where Zach was getting his PhD and D.C. where I was in school getting my masters in counseling. After school we moved in together in Philadelphia and began our next chapter.
In October of 2015 Zach and I went to Ridley Creek State Park, one of our favorite places in Philadelphia area that we went to so many times during my trips up from D.C. our favorite spot was at the end of the walking trail by the waterfalls. We made our way down and Zach suggested crossing the water to a small “island” of rocks in the center to get better pictures. The water was freezing and deeper than we thought, so Zach carried me across the water to the center where the large rocks were. Getting there wasn’t too easy, and there may have been a fall involved. Once in the center of the river standing in front of the waterfall he asked me to marry him, and I instantly began crying and of course said yes to my best friend.”
When I asked Nikki what their favorite memories from their wedding day was, this was her response: One of my favorite moments was having my “first look” with my dad. That was one of the best moments of the day for me, being able to have that special time with him and getting to surprise him. I cherish the pictures from that time because it was something that turned out better than I could have hoped. Our ceremony was my absolute favorite part of the day. The service that my uncle gave as our officiant was so perfect and so “us.” It meant the world to us that he agreed to marry us and the message he gave was so personal to Zach and I it really made our day even more magical. The first dance was also an amazing moment to cherish the fact that we were finally husband and wife! Zach’s favorite moment was “seeing you walk down the aisle. It was perfect.”
Vendors:
Venue- Stone Mill Inn
Flowers- Dan O’Donnel from Blue Heron Florist
Music- Declan of Provolve Entertainment
Dress- Pronovias gown from Elizabeth Johns Bridal
Shoes- Bella Bride shoes
Suits- Jos A Banks
Photography- Meagan Nicole
Until Next time | Meagan
Holy moly, it’s been a hot second since I’ve blogged! Let’s be real, it’s been like a year. WHOOPS. It feels so good to be back in action + updating my new site for you all! I wanted my first post of the new year to be our behind the scenes from our recent wedding season.
Reflecting back on all that the Lord has done in 2017 brings me to tears. First off we had the best intern/second shooter EVER and she goes by Morgan but I like to call her the sweetest dang thing since sliced bread. Morgan went above and beyond this year, tackling her first time photographing weddings like a pro. She fluffed dresses, held bags and more bags and phones and memory cards and flower bouquets (sometimes all at once – you’re the real mvp Mo), pinned on boutonnieres, got me drinks when I was about to pass out from the heat (not really, but really) and sooo much more. Morgan has morphed into this phenomenal, confident, assuring, helpful, eager wedding photographer and it has been the biggest blessing getting to play a small role in that.
2017 wrote the final chapter to an amazing journey. I’ve managed and grown with a team for almost 5+ years, and now going into 2018 I decided to scale down and go back to the roots of being an independent photographer. Julia has been with me since 2014 when she started out as an intern, and here she was in 2017 photographing her third full wedding season as a lead associate. I couldn’t be prouder of my girls + all of the memories and growth we experienced together.
Looking back over these images CRACKS me up. From testing locations/lighting, mirror selfies + selfies with the groomsmen.. it’s been a good year. From my first day back not knowing what the heck to wear to accommodate all of the pumping I’d be doing and feeling so swollen from nursing (literally so embarassed by that first outfit/hair choice. Black, always wear black Meagan.) to getting the hang of this mom life + work life down to a system and feeling like I could conquer the world. So dramatic, but so true. But really, I love seeing the evolvement that we’ve each gone through over the year.
We want to thank EVERYONE who hired us and entrusted us in 2017 to document some of your most treasured moments for you. We have been so humbled, honored and blessed to meet so many amazing clients turned friends.
Now, what you really came here for.. enjoy laughing with us.. or at us.. we won’t judge.
ALLLLLL of the love | Meagan
Assistant Photographers: Morgan Fatjo, Jordan Kreiser and Madeline Isabella
Okay you guys, I had no idea how dreamy The Inn at Leola Village is! This was my first time photographing here and oh my goodness, it’s instantly one of my top venues for 2016. The rain decided to grace us all day long, but it didn’t even matter because Lance and Courtney are two of the happiest, sweetest people and made sure their wedding day was nothing short of fun and special. I can’t stop swooning over the perfect, soft lighting we had for the first half of the day mixed with all the beautiful greenery. These rose gold, sequenced bridesmaid dresses rented from Rent The Runway are also worth all the swooning! I think the detail that steals the show and takes all the cake home though is Courtney’s dress. This wedding dress was actually her mothers wedding dress! She had some minimal things tailored and adjusted to make it her own, but kept it pretty true to the original which is so amazing. I can’t get over the vintage, laced headpiece that’s attached. Goodness, goodness! So dreamy.
Courtney and Lance both surprised one another with fun/silly choreographed dances for their father/daughter and mother/son numbers. The whole guest list was howling with laughter and snapping photos with their hands in the air clapping and whistling along. It was just.. the best. 🙂
I love how Lance and Courtney really let their personalities shine through, making their wedding day so personable and relatable and down right enjoyable! Enjoy taking a peek into their special day with me!
Warmly | Meagan
After photographing Joe and Courtney by their local park in Brooklyn, NYC for their engagement session last year I could not wait for their wedding day! These two are effortlessly photogenic and in love. They compliment one another (literally + figuratively) so, so well. Their truly best friends! I really don’t even know what else to say about them because that literally wraps it up to a T! I just, adore them as a couple. 🙂
They made their wedding day their own, celebrating with all of their closest family and friends. Courtney did DIY for her center piece arrangements + florals. Seriously, drooling over them. They had a traditional catholic mass for their ceremony and held their reception and super fun dance party at Riverdale Manor. The rain didn’t hold these two or their wedding party back from making it a day to remember. This will forever be one for the books!
Without further ado.. | Meagan Nicole
Harvest View Barn has quickly become one of the most popular venues around town and I love every opportunity I get to photograph at it. Larry and Kate tied the knot on a chilly September afternoon. I love that my job involves me meeting and photographing all different types of people and couples and relationships, each one as unique as the next. Larry and Kate are fun loving and down to earth and you just get the sense that they are being totally genuine with you! It was such a great day to be a part of. 🙂
xoxo | Meagan
William and Anni are two of the kindest people I’ve had the pleasure of photographing! They’re both so fun and full of life. Listening to all of their stories and adventures from their dating relationship had everyone at the reception smiling ear to ear. These two were destined for one another and for greatness! They live life to the fullest and light up the room they’re in and the people they’re with.
Their wedding was held in Lock Haven, PA at the “1900 Red Barn”. The view was breath taking! Anni infused the entire wedding with accents of her favorite color red. At the reception the groomsmen graced us all with a hilarious dance to whip + nae nae, then broke out in karaoke/lip syncing battles. The evening ended with a beer race, and Anni was oh so close to winning but William’s brother stole the show (quite proudly, as you’ll see below). Ha!
Enjoy a few of my favorites from their wedding day!
xoxo | Meagan
I’ve realized I haven’t shared any weddings on here in awhile, and I think today is the perfect day to change that! I photographed Daniel and Gillians wedding this past Summer at the gorgeous Colonial Pines in Lewisburg, PA. I can’t stop feeling giddy over this day. The location, the weather, the lighting, the details, the gorgeous greens. This was one for the books!
The entire day was very laid back yet elegant feeling. I can’t stop tearing up at Gillian’s first look with her father. His expression and reaction was so priceless. Those are the types of moments we live for as photographers. As we wrapped up the first look and portraits before the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a “pre” cocktail hour of sorts. The entire front lawn held white high top tables, vintage sofas and chairs scattered through out, an open bar, lemonade/iced tea station and a big open front porch. As family and friends mingled, laughter and happiness could be heard for miles.
After the ceremony, the string band began playing and cocktail hour resumed. After just a few more photo ops, Daniel and Gillian were able to join their guests to mingle and be merry! A total perk of having a first look and getting most all of your photos in at the beginning of the day (venue/weather allowing) is that you’re able to relax after the wedding and enjoy most of your “happy hour”. We also snuck out during the end of the reception which was timed perfectly for some sunset portraits. Daniel and Gillian are so, so sweet together and compliment one another perfectly. It was such an honor to be a part of their love filled day!
xoxo | Meagan
Tori and I still talk about Armin and Rebecca’s wedding day to this very day. Probably because we learned a sweet armanian dance move thanks to Armin and their awesome friends and family. After watching the whole dance floor erupt in this jazzing dance we’d never seen before, we kept trying to mimic/learn it. After witnessing our failed attempts Armin came up to us laughing and said “pretend you’re screwing in light bulbs”.. “AHHH!” we proclaimed. Thus, the rest of the night we couldn’t stop exercising our new found move.
But in all seriousness, I don’t even know where to start with these two! Some adjectives that come to mind when I think about their wedding: family, traditions, special, close, kind, vintage, antique, SO HAPPY, unique, enchanting, thoughtful, and just perfect. Rebecca had so many wonderful details all unique to her own style. Like those shoes! Our eyes immediately turned into big ole red hearts. They had a non traditional bridal party which was made the whole day feel so much more intimate. Armin had his sister on his side, and Rebecca had her sister on her side. They also had Rebecca’s grandmother as the “flower girl”, how sweet!? There were so many neat touches like the family history table, which had both of their mothers vintage wedding dresses showcased, as well as photos and family heirlooms. There was also a lot of traditions weaved in, in honor of Armin’s family and their culture. I loved the table at the reception that held a ton of things that I’m not even going to pretend to know what they were, but it was super cool.
Armin and Rebecca have been together for 16 years. YOU GUYS. You can’t make up this kind of love story. Their story, their vows, their toasts, their conversations, their gazes towards one another.. it was all like something out of a fairy tale book. I honestly believe they were made for one another and I was so, so honored to be the one who got to document their wedding day.
Lauxmont Farms is one of my all time favorite wedding venues. Especially their rotunda venue! These views were unbeatable and the sunset was killer. I love how big and open and white the indoor faciloity is, and how much natural light it allows to flow in through the floor to ceiling windows. It totally gives you the practicalness of an indoor wedding while still allowing you to have that magical outdoor feel.
I could talk all day about this wedding, but instead I’ll let you soak it in for yourself with the images..
xoxo | Meagan
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