Nicole & James Wedding – 5.19.18

Posted on June 24, 2018

It’s weddings like Nicole and James’ that I look forward to. Not only were they an awesome couple with an amazing group of family and guests at their wedding, but it took place at a petting zoo!! I seriously have the best clients! We started the day off with some getting ready shots with both the guys and gals. Needless to say, the groom and the groomsman had me laughing the whole time. The groom pranked all his groomsman the night prior and brought a whole stack of suits that were incorrect and mismatched! Also, let’s talk about the awesome T-Rex bride and groom shirts that these two were wearing! Not all my couples can be this awesome sauce.

Following getting ready, everyone headed to Green Meadows Petting Farm to get hitched! Guests got to wander around to get to the ceremony barn to the calls of peacocks, and were also able pet goats, sheep, not to mention piglets, and even a baby kangaroo! The ceremony went off beautifully, with the bride riding in on her horse! These two even did their own lovely vows. After they kissed as husband and wife for the first time, they were led off to do photos with the bride’s horse, and then we headed down to the petting zoo barn to get some photos of Nicole bottle feeding a baby kangaroo, hold a baby goat, and pet the most adorable baby cow with huge ears! Her horse was even a bit jealous of the other animals getting pets and got in on the photo action!

After family photos, we all headed to the reception for the couple and their party to make their entrance. The couple came in last and began their first dance. These two have quite the moves! They pulled off some spins and dips beautifully! Dinner was served shortly thereafter, and guests raved about the food. Nicole and James went around to greet all their guests, and get hugs and congratulations from all their family. We even pulled off a huge cousin photo with all the groom’s cousins! He wasn’t kidding when he said he had a lot of cousins! Once the sun had started to go down, I pulled these two away for some backlit shots, which they champed through despite the rain that had been going on all day! After that, these two headed back into the reception to dance the night away with their guests, who all were obviously of the dancing persuasion. As the night ended, I bid these two goodbye, and I wish them nothing else but happiness! Congrats to the happy couple and without further ado, I give you this awesome petting zoo wedding of Nicole and James!

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com www.alyshayoderphoto.com

(e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

Venue: Green Meadows Petting Farm

Catering: Carterque

Cake: Eds Country Bakery

Flowers: Blossom and Basket

DJ: DJ Luccio – Adam Carluccio

Kayla & Matt’s Wedding 5.28.17

Posted on July 19, 2017

So this blog post has been a long time coming! I’ve been busily second shooting, photographing families, and packing for Japan which I leave for in the AM… today now, I guess lol. But these two love bugs, Kayla and Matt, are clearly two peas in a pod. Not to mention, their family and friends really knew how to throw a party! They had to reschedule the venue unexpectedly THREE DAYS before the wedding took place. And holy cow, did they all come together as a family to pull this event off! We started off the day with the women getting ready at Kayla’s grandmother’s house. Everyone enjoyed subs and chit chat, as everyone’s hair and makeup was done.

After the lovely bride was put in her dress, I headed out to the groom’s mothers home to get shots of her with the men. She sadly was unable to attend, so the couple wanted to include her in photos! Everyone piled in their cars and headed to the lovely Banana Factory in Bethlehem. Family members and friends showed up with cookies and desserts in hand for a dessert cookie bar (which was also served with gelato, yum!) after dinner. Soon, the family was all hands on deck to put together the stunning arbor for the ceremony.

With everything put together and decorated, the go ahead was given for the ceremony to start. Guests were seated as the groom and groomsman walked in. Kayla, being given away by her father, led to chuckles as they circled the sign post a few times before heading to her soon to be husband. And let me tell you, Matt was beaming as soon as he caught a glimpse of his stunning bride headed down the aisle for him. The ceremony was lovely, and guests looked on as these two got hitched. Rings were exchanged, a sand ceremony (where sand wasn’t exactly ‘combined’ like it was supposed to haha!), and a first kiss were had! The couple was announced as husband and wife for the first time and headed down the aisle and right into their couple pictures.

With two super handy bridesmaids to help, we went all around the Banana Factory property, capturing these two in the scenery. You couldn’t ask for a more photogenic couple, could you? And both are so clearly in love with one another in every single photo! With couple photos checked off our lists, we all headed inside to prepare for the party’s entrance. First dance and father daughter dance commenced, followed by all guests joining in on the dancing festivities. There were some winning dance moves by some for sure, and I caught a butt grab or two 😉

The best man and maid of honor stood up and toasted the couple in two sweet speeches. Glasses were raised and clinked, while guests blew on noisemakers to signal that the couple should kiss! The bride’s father followed up with a thank you speech as guests were then asked to make their way to the dance floor for the garter and bouquet toss. There were some awesome dive bombs from both the men and women for these and the reapplication of the garter left the room in stitches! A touching ‘longest married couple’ dance began and the winner’s were presented with a plaque as they gave marriage advice to the newlyweds. Cake was cut (and smashed in faces) and guests were served gelato and tons of yummy homemade cookies before we headed out for some lovely night photos. These two rocked it, even though it was raining outside. They win some of my favorite photos ever! Just look at how in love these two are! The night wrapped up and I headed out, but not before exchanging some hugs and congrats. So three cheers for this lovely couple and to many, many more years of happiness. Now enjoy, Kayla and Matt’s wedding:

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com www.alyshayoderphoto.com

(e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

Venue: The Banana Factory

Flowers: Flower Essence of Easton, PA

As well as the expertise of Aunt Shelli and bridesmaid Melissa.

Cake And Catering : Simply Smooth of Allentown, PA

DJ: Laser DJ of Bethlehem, PA

Rachel and Josh Wedding – 4.30.17

Posted on June 9, 2017

A Sunday brunch wedding with a doughnut tower, spin art, piñata, and lego place holders! Yesss!! It’s not every day I get to shoot a wedding as awesomely unique as Rachel and Josh’s wedding! These two certainly had some wonderfully unorthodox components to their wedding day. The day started off with these two getting ready in their perspective corners of the lovely Stone Mill Inn.

Let me tell you, an awesome set of bridesmaids and groomsman surrounded these two. Just picture four groomsman all getting knives as party gifts. Now picture posing them with said knives. It was awesome! They even pretended to do a little barber work on the groom!

Guests then began to arrive and file into their seats for the ceremony! As the party walked to the altar, a string quartet (missing one member, who happened to be the bride’s mom!). The bride’s parents walked her down the aisle as the grinning groom looked on. The ceremony began, and was being performed by the groom’s sister. It was lovely! And then, after some heartfelt personally written vows, these two donned full body smocks and began to do a unity spin art. Not only was that awesomely unique, but the groom himself built the spin art machine! Talk about being a handy-man to have around!

The ceremony ended with a ring exchange, lovely kiss, and everyone exited to be led into family and couple photos. I mean seriously though, could you ask for a more beautiful place to do wedding photos? The estates at the Stone Mill Inn were just stunning. I think the couple’s photos look like they are in a woodland fairy tale. Those wooded areas are the places wedding photographer’s dream about for couples photos! It also helps when you have a couple so plainly in love that it shines through in their photos!

Following a lovely brunch cocktail hour (with mimosas, of course!), everyone headed into the reception area, grabbing their Legos place cards as they went. The guests certainly enjoyed those, as much as the bride and groom enjoyed putting them all together! The groom’s best man introduced the couple and they danced their first dance as husband and wife. Speeches were had, guests were greeted and thanked, and an epic doughnut wedding dessert tower was cut! The groom had a special dance with his mom before everyone headed outside to SMASH A PINATA, of course! Guests took turns spinning and swinging until finally the piñata was obliterated! Guests scrabbled with their candy gift bags to get some tasty treats. The day slowly came to an end as everyone posed for photos, said their goodbyes, and exchanged hugs and well wishes. There was even a guest cheerleader pyramid at one point. These were some great people, guests, and a couple to spend the day with! So here’s to many more years to this fun couple! And without further ado, Rachel and Josh’s wedding: