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!

Vendors:

– Venue & Food – Cameron Estate Inn & Restaurant –

– Cupcakes/Cake – The Flour Child – Alixe –

– Flowers – Floral Designs of Mount Joy – Jill Erb –

– DJ – Soundwaves Entertainment – Chris Pyle –

– Photography – Alysha Yoder Photography –

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

Kate & Marshall – 8.23.15

Posted on September 25, 2015

One of my favorite weddings hands down this year. Seriously… not only was this couple like crazy in love BUT they picked one of the most unique locations, The Hall of Philosophy in Mt. Gretna AND the glowing bride is just starting to show the most adorable baby bump. One of my favorite photos from the whole wedding is when I was photographing Kate and Marshall by themselves, the sun streaming in through the trees, both looking at each other full of love and the groom is resting his hand on the baby bump. It was quite magical. The love surrounding this family and couple was just spectacular. While the wedding crowd was kept small and intimate, you could tell everyone was there just really loved, cared for and supported the bride and groom.

There were so many beautiful small details at this wedding too. The ring bearer carried the rings in a little bird’s nest, favors were little ornaments made of bird seed, little nests decorated tables, napkins even sported the bride and groom’s names. You see a little theme going on here? The bride’s mother, Pat, did a heck of a job planning. She even hand-painted little bird houses for the decorative tree! The bride’s sister, Moira, serenaded the couple as they danced their first dance as husband and wife. The rest of the night was filled with the sounds of Jazz music by Perseverance Jazz Band and the gourmet eats of 14 Acre Farm (seriously, yum!). It seemed everyone pitched in to make this a perfect evening for these two and it was truly an honor to be a part of it and get to document the evening.

Vendors:

– Venue – The Hall of Philosophy, Mt. Gretna – Catering – 14 Acre Farm –

– Band – Perseverance Jazz Band – Flowers – Hernley Farms, Mt. Gretna, PA’s “Flower Lady” –

– Photography – Alysha Yoder Photography –

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

Category: Uncategorized Tagged: alysha yoder photography, august, band, birds, bride, bridesmaids, brothers, central pa wedding, ceremony, couple, couple ideas, dad, dance, dancing, fall, family, father, flowers, getting ready, grandparents, groom, groomsman, hall of philosophy, jazz, love, mother, mt. gretna, outdoor, rings, sister, sunlight, wedding, woods

Tina & Todd – 9.23.14

Posted on November 3, 2014

Tina and Todd, what a great little wedding this was. This was the fastest turn-around on a wedding I’ve ever had. I had gotten an email from Tracy over at La Carta Luna Wedding Planning and Designs asking if I’d be free in two weeks to photograph a tiny wedding over at Fallen Tree Farms. Now most weddings I book are a year in advance so two weeks was rushed to say the least. I arranged to meet with Tina at the local Paneras and we hit it off right away. She’s one of the happiest clients I’ve met in a while. She was glowing and obviously very excited to get married (though I think at our meeting the fact that it the big day was happening in a week hadn’t hit her yet). She talked about her and Todd, smiling the whole time and told me about their wedding quilt (which is a very cool and unique tradition) which is how he had proposed to her while they were quilt shopping. After we discussed all the details and parted ways I couldn’t wait to photograph these two’s wedding day!

Fast-forward a week and two days and I pulled up to The Fallen Tree Farms Bed and Breakfast on the most perfect day you can imagine. The sun was shining, it wasn’t too hot, the leaves had just started to change and the whole landscape was just beautiful and blushing with colors. I headed upstairs to where Tina was getting ready while greeting some of the other guests and meeting Todd for the first time. Tina was so happy. Seriously, no joke, one of the most cheerful brides ever. I don’t think she stopped smiling the whole day. I went around getting small detail shots and photographing her with the quilt Todd had gotten her (a surprise for him when they had their big wedding celebration for friends and family). Her best friend and daughter had come up to help her and I couldn’t help but laugh and smile with them as they helped me get quilt photos and exchange jewelry with Tina. After everyone was set and ready we headed up to the little chapel area Fallen Tree Farms has outside for beautiful intimate ceremonies. Todd along with the couple’s family and friends all arrived and the ceremony was ready to begin! One of my favorite moments of the whole day was Tina walking to meet Todd at the aisle and when she first saw him she stopped, smiled and started to tear up (it’s one of my fav photos below) and Todd seeing Tina immediately began beaming, a huge smile spread across his face. These two are very much obviously in love and that moment made me tear up a little behind the lens.

The ceremony was beautiful, short and sweet and everyone clapped when the rings were exchanged, vows were given and Todd lifted Tina up in their big first kiss as husband and wife. They played music and danced the whole way down the aisle and walked hand and hand to the end of the drive. It was a truly magical moment. All the guests came back and congratulated the two exchanging hugs, hand shakes and beers. I then got to take some fun photos that I’ve been meaning to take but have never had a really tiny wedding thanks to my head filled with tons of pinterest ideas (I don’t know if you can tell the guests are in a heart around the bride and the groom in some of my favorite photos of the couple but it’s a fun photo nonetheless). We headed down to cake cutting and celebrating before the whole crew headed out to dinner. All in all, this was one of my favorite weddings I’ve ever shot. Everyone was so laid back, the couple and day couldn’t have been more perfect and the love shared with family, friends and couple was obvious. Thank you to Tina and Todd for letting me be the one to capture their special day and without further ado the photos of this fantastic day!