Lauren & Bill - Carnegie Museum Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

Lauren and Bill were married at Heinz Chapel on the University of Pittsburgh Campus and held their reception at the Carnegie Museum Musical Hall Foyer. I love the flare I was able to capture in this image as they were finishing their walk down the aisle.


Craig caught this image of Bill fixing Lauren's bow.


He was watching his gorgeous bride get photographed and I'm pretty sure he was thinking... I am a very lucky man. Image by Craig.

I asked Bill to dip his bride and I love, LOVE his hand placement!

We headed over to the infamous pillars at Carnegie Mellon University to grab a few shots. (I say infamous because there is always a line of bridal parties there awaiting their turn).

What can I say? GORGEOUS!

Lauren is just a doll. She is so sweet and pretty and has a wonderful smile.


Lauren and Bill scheduled quite a bit of time between the ceremony and reception for photographs (smart) and we had so much fun.




I'm fairly certain that we caused traffic problems on Forbes Avenue, look at these two!


I have several fun images from this series, I asked them to lie on the ground and take a break.


Lauren and her father are very close, this was during their dance.


Courtyard fountain.


The sparkler exit was a lot of fun, but I won't lie... I feared for my safety a few times. Ha. Imagine being surrounded by guests (who may or may not have been drinking), waving fire wands all around you. Keeps things interesting!


Florist: Hepatica
Entertainment: Dreamscape Band
Bakery: Carnegie Museum
Videographer: Cana Films
Colors: black with blue and pink accents
Flowers: roses, peonies

My birthday!

Birthday's are a big deal in our family. We all have a birthday month, but we really have fun celebrating birthday week. For my birthday this year, Craig and I decided to get dressed up and go out for a nice, quiet dinner. We haven't really had time to do anything together like this since Evan was born almost two years ago. I'm pretty sure that this is my favorite photo of us of all time.

My actual birthday was Friday, September 11th and I thought it would be fun to get my hair and make-up done to celebrate turning 35.

I had no idea that it was going to be so much fun!!! I had my hair done in the morning, and then the fabulously talented Lisa Johnson from Kiss and Make-up came to our home to complete my look.


When Lisa arrived, I told her that I only have one theory when it comes to make-up: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH! I often hear brides tell make-up artists that they don't want a lot of make-up, they wish to look natural, etc. But here's the thing: I know what I look like naturally, and it sucks, so bring it on! When done properly, the transformation is amazing.


Since we were going to be all done up, I thought we definitely needed some pictures. My friend Michelle (new assistant, has been shooting with us quite a bit lately) was gracious enough to snap a few photos.

Here is my husband unzipping my dress, I love it.


And here he is zipping it back up. Fun.


Craig captured this close-up, he loves these kind of images. And yes, when contemplating make-up, go for the lashes!

I cannot thank Michelle enough for taking these pictures, my wonderful husband and I are so rarely in photos together.


I think that this images shows our close, sexy, intimate relationship. We have the best marriage and truly couldn't be happier (and I think our love for each other and our marriage shows in the images I create for my clients).


I can't even explain how much fun I had, I felt like a million bucks!


I know that this isn't reality, and that it took of team to make me feel so fabulous, but I love fantasy and recommend this kind of pampering to everyone.


Brides, please, call Lisa and schedule your trial and reserve your wedding date. Professional make-up looks amazing in photographs. You can catch up with Lisa on Facebook, or contact her via her website: http://www.kiss-and-makeup.com/

Erin & Matt - Slideshow

Please click on the play button in the lower left corner to view the slideshow.

Erin & Matt - Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

Erin and Matt were married at the Schenley Park Visitor's Center in Oakland and held their reception at the PPG Aquarium. Erin's father passed away and she carried this photo of them together on her bouquet. I must have been in an emotional mood because it brought tears to my eyes.


The weather was spectacular and the early evening light was even better.


I loved the variations of purple in Erin's bouquet. Can someone please help me identify all of these flowers for the info that I include at the end of the post?


Craig was sneaking around in the bushes when he captured this image.

Matt and Erin's wedding was an intimate affair, and as such, we had ample time to capture some amazing images.

This shot feels very soft and romantic to me.

These two were very relaxed with each other and their wedding had the same feeling.


Michelle was with us again and she captured this image. I love the lighting and the colors, so warm.


We grabbed this shot just before we headed into the reception at PPG Aquarium. I love her little purple shoes peeking out from under her dress.


First dance.


Erin and Matt were hoping to get a few pictures with the penguins, but they were sleeping when we arrived. So we just turned the other direction and captured this image, I like the beams of light.


Make-up Artist: Travis - Capristo Salon Shadyside
Florist: Bella Floral Shoppe
Entertainment: Schiemer Entertainment
Bakery: Vanilla Pastry Studio, they make THE BEST cupcakes!
Colors: purple, blue
Flowers: roses, hydrangea's, lillies

Jamie & Bryan - Testimonial

I received this amazing note from Jamie regarding the Experience Romance session we had with her and Bryan.

First off, let me say that any bride out there planning a wedding would be insane not to hire Heather to photograph some component of your big day! The day of your wedding goes by so quickly, and it is the pictures that you have that you will look back on in the coming years, so invest wisely and choose an amazing photographer. You've dreamt of this day for so many years and put so many long hours into planning it - you deserve incredible pictures!

Unfortunately, for my own wedding, I did not heed my own advice. My budget-minded soon-to-be-hubby convinced me to hire a family friend to photograph our wedding. While overall his pictures were okay, we got good pictures of all of the family groups and of the reception, we did not get the one thing that was most important to both of us - many beautiful pictures of my husband and I. After we got our pictures back following the wedding, I was devastated. There were very few pictures of us and those that we did have were very traditional and just not "very us." Now, about 6 months before our wedding, I had come across Heather's blog when searching for images of our wedding/reception site. I was so impressed with her images that I continued to follow her blog. My husband, knowing how disappointed I was in the pictures and knowing how much I adored Heather's photography, suggested we contact her about possibly taking additional pictures of us. Just the thought of getting to work with the photographer I had so long admired made me so happy. So, I emailed Heather and explained our predicament and asked if she would be willing to lend us a few hours of her time to take additional pictures of us. Her excitement was contagious and soon we were well on our way to getting the pictures we had so badly wanted.

Flash forward 1 month to the day of our photo shoot with Heather. I'll admit I was a bit nervous but incredibly excited, not only for the photo session, but also because I got to wear my fantastic dress again! We met Heather and her husband Craig one early evening at Hartwood Acres for what was to be an amazing, fun-filled evening. Heather and Craig went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. We were both a bit nervous, as neither of us is particularly comfortable in front of the camera, but there is just something about Heather and Craig that puts you instantly at ease. While on the wedding day, we had maybe 45 minutes to take pictures of husband and I, we spent over 3 hours with Heather and Craig, taking the kinds of pictures every bride dreams of. There wasn't the time crunch of the wedding day - we didn't glance at our watches even once. The day of the wedding can be so hectic and filled with nervousness - the evening of our photo session was none of that. It was so relaxed. We could take as many pictures as we wanted and take as much time as we needed - there was no one where we needed to be. The weather was perfect - yet another thing you cannot control on the day of your wedding. And to say that her photography makes you feel beautiful would be an understatement. My husband and I had so much fun experimenting with different poses, some of which we would never have thought of, but we had complete trust in Heather - and boy, did it pay off!

Having seen the images that Heather and Craig took that evening, it was probably one of the smartest investments we made for our wedding. While I would have loved to have hired Heather for the day of our wedding, our budget simply wouldn't allow for it. But even with the cost of the second photo session, in addition to the cost of the tux, getting my dress cleaned, my hair and makeup redone, and getting a second bouquet (something I would recommend to every bride - who doesn't want another beautiful bouquet?!), it was still well within our original photography budget. And we got to spend 3 uninterrupted hours taking gorgeous pictures of just my husband and I. Not even having Heather there on the day of the wedding allows for that kind of time. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. The photographs we now have of us are something that we will treasure for years to come - something that we did just for us. Because after all of the planning, worrying, and everything else that goes into a wedding - that's what it's really all about, the bride and groom, and the love you share for one another.

Experience Romance

The Experience Romance session is designed for couples who wish to capture fabulous images without the pressure of the wedding day timeline. I will spend 2-4 hours with you either before or after your wedding day at a location of your choosing.

There are many reasons to consider this unique session:
~ My standard package options may be impractical due to time and budget limitations
~ You were less than thrilled with your photographs taken by another photographer and/or guests
~ Maybe you would just like an excuse to wear your wedding gown again!

Whatever your motivation, we promise a fun and relaxing session that will produce amazing images.

The session is $725 and includes a 6x6 Fine Art Album. The bride and groom will dress in their formal wedding attire with no limit on the number of images captured. All images will be accessible via a private, online viewing gallery. The re-touched high resolution files, or prints, may be purchased separately.

Jamie & Bryan

Jamie and Bryan were married June 27th, but they are the first couple to book my brand new Experience Romance session!

Clients book these sessions before or after the actual wedding day so that we can capture amazing images without the usual time constraints.

We'll go to a location of your choosing, and spend a few hours just relaxing and having some fun.


I love this image of Bryan, feels very masculine and strong.

Lovin' the blue sky.


Imagine the kinds of images we can create when we don't have be anywhere!


And not only the time pressure, but now we can also choose the time of day and the lighting.


If you enjoy my wedding day images (when I don't have any control over the time, the dynamics, the lighting), just imagine what I can do outside of those constraints.


We spent the early evening at Hartwood Acres for their session and the weather was perfect.





Shoot to the east and you get the beautiful deep blue sky above. Shoot to the west and you get beautiful golden flare!





And yes, you can expect these sessions to get sexy. VERY sexy. When I am left to my own devices, this is what happens.


I cannot thank Jamie and Bryan enough for spending their evening with us, they were up for anything!