Ali & Mike – 10.9.15

Posted on November 16, 2015

Talk about a fun, quirky couple! Ali and Mike were a couple that I had the pleasure of photographing previously in their engagement session. These two agreed to get photographed at the Magic Garden in Philly (which in itself is a pretty awesome setting) so I knew right off the bat that Ali and Mike were going to be a fun couple! Talk about a few states love affair. These two met in Philly, recently moved to Boston and had their wedding in New Jersey!

Their venue, Valenzano Family Winery, couldn’t have been a stunning setting. From the vineyards where we did their sneak peeks to the barrel room where we did some fun backlit shots, there were so many unique settings for stunning photos! When I arrived, the sky had already started to turn grey and looked like rain. I asked the photo gods to hold off the rain, at least until we could get some fun outdoor shots. Who would have thunk that would work?

Literally to the minute, these two had their outdoor ceremony, walked down the aisle as husband and wife for the first time and BAM full on thunder, lighting, torrential downpour. It was almost magical. Throughout the ceremony the sky got darker and darker. There was a moment when a loud clap of thunder occurred and Ali looked back at the guests with a worried look. Thankfully no one got soaked and everyone got to clamber inside before mother nature fully released her wrath.

As everyone scattered inside they were all led to the reception area where Matt and his team had set up beautiful tiers of food all around wine barrels and decorations. Guests got to sample Valenzano Wine as they smiled for photos and chatted the night away. A fantastic (seriously awesome!) dinner catered by Summit Catering was served after Mike and Ali shared their first dance under a chandelier surrounded by their party members. Soon after, parent dances followed until everyone joined in, especially the couple’s nieces and nephews who were dancing machines! After letting me snag them for some fun shots in the barrel room the staff did a dessert dance, led by all the kids, and served everyone a huge variety of sweet specialties. Talk about a fun night! These two and all their close friends and family were such a joy to photograph. Check out their big night below!

Vendors:

– Venue – Valenzano Family Winery –

– Caterer – Summit Catering –

– DJ – Stew of Time Productions –

– Officiant – Irene of Journeys of the Heart –

– Wedding Planner – Matt and Dory of Summit Catering –

– Photography – Alysha Yoder Photography –

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

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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

Puja & Michael – 9.12.15

Posted on October 16, 2015

Puja and Michael, this was one of those couples that I think I was just as excited to photograph their wedding as they were to get married! I got an email saying they wanted to do there pre-wedding shots at a comic book store followed by a reception and ceremony at an art gallery. Like holy cow, talk about an awesome opportunity! Comic book store, SIGN ME UP!

These two were just so fantastically amazing to work with and photograph. From the moment we had our first video conference to meet each other I knew this was just going to be a blast to photograph. Puja and Michael both emit this happy nerdtastic vibe that got everyone excited (including this photographer!) to spend the day with them, celebrating their marriage.

Even meeting and getting to know each other was kind of a happenstance #dorklove story made by the cosmos. While attending Drexel (two completely different majors mind you, Engineering and English) they happened to cross paths in their final semester while taking a Philosophy in Science Fiction course. They bonded over their love of science fiction and as Puja put it, “the British musician Imogen Heap for some odd reason.” They said they both knew that they were each other’s plus one after spending a night meeting up for tea and closing it (and multiple other places down). They kept moving from location to location, chatting about life and common interests. It still took them like another few weeks to be forced to recognize by common friends that they had feelings for each other and were, in fact, dating though.

Their whole reception was completely them too. This is always great for a photographer who shoots so many weddings. I got to see something new and unique that was totally Puja and Michael. Their love of art, books and literature showed throughout the night. The centerpieces were made of antique and used books that they had spent months finding at various public library sales. After the second library they had more than enough books but they were so excited about finding new rare books that they discovered their new love of ‘book treasure hunting.’ Each place setting also featured library book checkout cards featuring details regarding the 2nd part of their weddings celebrations. Their cake featured their ‘love formula’ and they picked food from their favorite restaurants to cater.

Throughout the whole experience this couple was just so lovely to work with. Every time I got off the phone or sent an email I had a smile of my face. All the unique ideas and love these two had for what they were doing, made my job so much more fun and enjoyable. It was such a honor to get to photograph something so unique, capturing the love that Puja and Michael’s family and friends have for them, and the love they have for each other. So enjoy the photos below because seriously… who wouldn’t enjoy wedding shots in a comic book store!