Cari & Mark – 10.24.15

Posted on December 11, 2015

Cari and Mark, talk about a relationship that’s been in the works for a while. Originally high school sweethearts, fast-foreword to now and voila! A match that’s been smoldering for a while and it finally caught fire. Not to mention their son, Gavin who now is just as tall as his parents (who are aren’t shorties by any means)! These two could not have picked a more perfect day to tie the knot. All the leaves were still on the trees but had changed to fantastic shades of orange, reds and yellows. It was sunny but cloudy, a light breeze and an all around beautiful day for a wedding.

Surrounded by friends and family with one of the BIGGEST parties I have ever photographed (19 in total!) and dressed out in various shades of blue, suspenders and white flowers. This was a total family affair, from Cari’s brother being her wedding planner to her friends and family helping to provide desserts, chairs & tables and even bean bag games! Their first look, when Mark turned around, saw Cari and couldn’t stop smiling, to the meaningful speeches (four in total from their siblings), to the touching parent dances.. these two were just enveloped by love!

There was plenty of humor and laughs at their wedding too. Gavin being asked to speak by all his uncle’s while giving their speeches and rejecting them all (much to the hoots and hollers from the crowd), to Cari opting out of shoes half way through their first photos. The bride mixing up her drink with her brother’s as he was trying to toast the couple (whoops lol), to the bride’s sister saying they were finally a real family (to which Gavin responded… ‘What were we before?!’).

Full disclosure, I had my first big wedding screw up ever and showed up at the wrong ‘mansion’ location (only about 5 miles aways, whew), to a wedding where there happened to be a bride named Cari too (what are the freaking chances!). So after talking to the family and setting up my lights.. I went to go find Cari to only be met by a stranger. Seriously.. I have never been so embarrassed and while frantically trying to call the bride, groom and really anyone in their party I had the numbers for, I realized there was no cell phone reception up in the mountains. Thankfully, I was only a few minutes away so everything still ran smoothly but Cari and Mark were calm as cucumbers and had a good chuckle about my other ‘Cari bride’ encounter.

Seriously though, as weddings go, this one was such a blast to photograph. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and I found myself laughing throughout the whole day. To be part of Cari and Mark’s union was truly awesome and it is weddings like this that make my job worth it! So without further ado, Cari and Mark’s wedding!

Vendors:

– Venue – The Iron Master’s Mansion –

– Caterer –Redd’s Smokehouse BBQ –

– Photography – Alysha Yoder Photography –

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

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Abby & Tyler – 10.17.15

Posted on December 3, 2015

When two loving families come together to create a memorable night for a loving couple that would perfectly describe Abby and Tyler’s wedding. Add a splash of chic and a little bit redneck and you’re in business! From the moment I arrived to find Abby waiting for her brother to see her in her dress for the first time (only to share some tears shotgun beers together) to the ‘ball and chain‘ garter removal this wedding was one for the books!

This was truly a fun wedding. Despite the cold weather, guests joined together to warmly recognize this newly married couple. The ceremony was held outside at the lovely Fallen Tree Farm Bed and Breakfast. There were special touches throughout, from a string ceremony to a frame filled with sand by Abby and Tyler. The bubble procession begun after their first kiss was had and they received kisses, hugs and laughs from all their guests.

Abby and Tyler champed through their photo session despite the cold (and Abby having virtually NO sleeves!). After sneaking off to get warm with their party in the inn I got to start photographing guests and the little details of their reception. Everything had a touch of the couple from sunflower place card holders for their guests, a hand-painted tree canvas for everyone to sign, to sunflower cupcakes and a cake topper with the bride wielding a hunting bow dragging the groom.

After everyone was announced, the couple had their first dance leading into the cake cutting (and cake smashing!). The speeches began and one of my favorite moments happened. The best man (who has literally known the groom his whole life), pulled out a framed shadow box to present the couple which included the blanket he had stolen from the groom in their childhood. The look of surprise on the groom’s face and the laugher of the whole party and guests was priceless! What an awesome groom’s gift, definitely one for the books.

Family dances soon followed with the bride dancing with her brother and the groom with his mother. Shortly after, the bride tossed her bouquet for the single ladies to catch. The best man had another surprise in store when he pulled on a literal ‘ball and chain’ for Abby to pull Tyler by to get the garter. The single man and single lady had a blast putting the garter back on (it was put on with teeth, no joke) much to the hoots and hollers of the crowd. All in all, a wonderful wedding to shoot. Congrats again Abby and Tyler, I hope your marriage is filled with as much happiness and laughter as your wedding day was!

Vendors:

– Venue – Fallen Tree Farm Bed & Breakfast –

– Caterer – Crider Meats –

– DJ – Brandon Beam –

– Florist – Blue Mountain Blooms –

– Photography – Alysha Yoder Photography –

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

Kristen & Ian – 10.3.15

Posted on November 6, 2015

Kristen and Ian’s fall wedding. What a magical day! It might have been cloudy with 100% of rain but these two champed through! You want to talk about compatibility, look no further. Kristen and Ian have that in spades! What a blast their bridal party was too! From fedora’s and mobster poses to champagne toasts and a ‘wheel barrow’ entrance, this was a fun crowd.

This was my first wedding this year that I got to do with my mom (who does the marrying) which is always a blast. We just need a caterer and a DJ and we could start our own wedding business lol. There ceremony was lovely and full of smiles! The groom even went in for the kiss a little too soon only to be met with laughter and applause from all their guests. When it was finally time for their first kiss the groom’s brother was the one to give the cue. There’s a funny photo of Kristen and Ian just laughing at the alter at this whole experience. It’s one of my favorites!

The rain started just as we began to shoot Kristen and Ian’s couple shots but it didn’t matter to these two! They rocked some porch photos and embraced the rain as a moment to relax and take each other and their wedding day in.

The reception was lovely. The speeches were some of the best I ever heard. I was busting a gut behind the camera at the best man’s speech. Who knew a golf game could lead to a dead goose? One of the best moments of the night was the dollar dance which just happened to be POLKA. Not only did almost every guest get up to dance with the bride BUT after they were done they joined hands and danced around the bride. The circle kept getting bigger and bigger, eventually multiplying into a few different circles. With her mom (who happened to be the last person in line), the dance ended and all the guests in circles squeezed together and created a kind of huge hug around the bride. It was awesome. The photo of the Kristen and her mom in the middle of all these people puts a smile on my face whenever I look at it.

The night winded down with dancing and cake cutting. They had a picked a cute little cupcake tower with a cake to top it off. There was no smashing, despite the pleas of the crowd. This led to a dance dedication to the groom’s brother. The song, Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith, I’ve never seen someone more excited for a song to come on. He knew all the words and jammed out like a champ. It was a great moment and a great way to end the night. So without further ado, I give you Kristen and Ian’s lovely wedding. Enjoy!