This past Saturday was the long-awaited wedding of Julia and Chris. These two met as freshmen at Penn State and have been together for the long haul ever since.

The warm August day couldn’t have been more different than the last time I saw them! Saturday was a beautiful day all day long, with never a threat of rain. An ideal summer wedding day!

I began the day at Julia’s parents’ beautiful home in Pittsburgh’s South Hills.

Julia’s sister, Stephanie, and her mom, Rose, helped her get ready. These two were so wonderful, making sure Julia had everything she needed. Love Rose’s expression here as she sees her daughter transformed into a gorgeous bride.

Meanwhile, my assistant Alisa Innocenti was with groom Chris and some of his groomsmen. What’s so funny here? I have no idea.

Team Julia waits for her to make her descent…Julia and Chris were married at St. Mary of the Mount on Mount Washington. We took a few quick portraits outside the church. Julia’s perfect makeup by talented makeup artist (and Julia’s friend) Simone Jene. From Mount Washington, we drove over to Mellon Park. There was a wedding in process in the walled garden, but still many great photo locations elsewhere in the park. And I must add that Julia and Chris had a FANTASTIC bridal party. About 85% of them, like Julia and Chris, are Penn State grads. Coincidence? I think not. (Love you too, Pitt people… I’m married to a Pitt grad, so we share the love in my house.)

Love the bridesmaids’ dresses color! Photo by Alisa. Bride and groom portrait time! Julia and Chris scheduled ample time for photos between the ceremony and reception. That plus them being so incredibly happy and super gorgeous made for some very lovely portraits. Love these! Photo by Alisa. Getting the reception started at the LeMont! DJ Scott Miser of Magic Moments made sure everything ran smoothly. We were also joined by videographers Gordon and Barb Schu.First dance: “The Way I Am.”The LeMont of course has an amazing view of downtown Pittsburgh. Three of the four walls in the reception room are lined with windows. It can be a little tricky getting the lighting right in here so that you can see both the people giving toasts as well as the view outside – but it’s worth taking the time to get it right for a shot with this backdrop. Julia and Chris and Alisa and I stepped out for just a couple minutes for a few more portraits co-starring the lights of Pittsburgh. There are quite a few boats in the Allegheny River, perhaps trying to catch a glimpse of the preseason Steelers game that was going on at Heinz Field. Party time! Photo by Alisa. Julia’s mom, Rose, handmade this extraordinary quilt masterpiece as a gift for the newlyweds. What a treasure! Quilts play an important part in my family too, as my mom is a quiltmaker. (And also, Rose is from Italy, and my mom’s an Italian teacher, so I felt a special warmth for Rose immediately.)Now what’s Chris so happy about? I believe it was “Juke Box Hero.” I had a lot of favorite moments throughout the day, but these last two are way up at the top. First, Chris dancing with his charming grandmother Ida (to C. Lo’s “Forget You”). Ida had more dance partners. Right after I took this, she turned to me and said, “I’m dancing with my grandsons!” Awwww. Congratulations Julia and Chris! Wishing you an amazing honeymoon in Hawaii.

======================================

The Credits

Reception Venue:
The LeMont

Ceremony: St. Mary of the Mount

Flowers: Mount Lebanon Floral Shop

Julia”s dress: Ysa Makino from Anne Gregory

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Jim Hjelm from Bridal Beginning

Videographer: Gordon Schu Productions

DJ: Scott Miser,  Magic Moments

Cake: Fenoglietto’s Bakery

Hair: Jackie Schwartzmiller

Makeup: Simone Shollito

————————————————–

Christina Montemurro Photography is a top-rated photography studio specializing in special events, including weddings and bar mitzvahs, serving the greater Pittsburgh area. Christina’s focus is on creating genuine, heartfelt, relaxed images, with extraordinary attention to detail and customer service. Contact Christina now to check availability for your engagement session, wedding, bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah. Christina has been rated among top Pittsburgh photographers. You can read reviews by Christina’s past brides and grooms here and here.