Cork Factory Hotel Wedding: Lancaster, PA | Danielle + Tyler

Danielle and Tyler were married on the most gorgeous spring day at the Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster, PA.  I have been looking forward to their wedding since I first met them back in January 2013.  They made the trek from State College, where they were finishing up their degrees at Penn State, to meet with me and chat about their wedding plans.  I could tell then it was going to be a seriously beautiful day, but nothing prepared me for how stunning Danielle was as a bride and how seriously stylish Tyler was.  Everything was picture perfect including her stunning Mori Lee gown and Valentino shoes.  Not to mention the bouquets - I don't think I've seen flowers that pretty all season. All of that wrapped up with an amazing bridal party and Danielle and Tyler's sweet love made for a perfect day.

I loved every second of photographing this absolutely perfect day and, honestly, I'm a little sad that it's over!  But I wish Danielle and Tyler all the very best in life and their years to come.  Thank you so much for allowing us to document your love-filled wedding day; you guys are one of the sweetest!

Thank you SO much to the following vendors who blew us away with their fabulous work:

Ceremony + Reception: Cork Factory Hotel
Coordinator: Lindsey Howe - Cork Factory Hotel.  She was an absolute dream to work with!
Caterer: The Baker's Table at Cork Factory Hotel
Florist: Petals With Style
Videographer: Aaron Rotz Films - can't wait to share this when it's ready!!
DJ: Top Hat DJs
Dress Boutique: Exclusively You Bridal - Designer: Mori Lee
Hair + Makeup: Plum Salon and Spa

Love when the groom sends over a note to his bride

Seriously.  This dress was amazing.

 Meanwhile, Clare was with Tyler while he was getting ready

Time for the first look!

 Clare's perspective.  When I first saw this I instantly thought it looked like a watercolor painting.  Beautiful!

We had so much fun working with Danielle and Tyler's bridal party!

The ceremonies at the Cork Factory have an intimate, cande-lit feel.

 In no time the ceremony space was transformed into a beautiful reception

 So I don't normally post bouquet toss photos, but this one was extraordinary and resulted in a bridesmaid taking out a table :)

 The party was awesome, but ended with a sweet, final dance.

Aaron Rotz Films did an AMAZING job on their film!  View it here:

Danielle+Tyler Married | Cork Factory Hotel from Aaron Rotz on Vimeo.

To view their engagement session at Longwood Gardens click here!

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Thursday's Thoughts | Moments Vs. Details

For today's Thursday's Thoughts I want to discuss documenting moments on a wedding day versus photographing details.  Details have become such a huge part of a wedding day.

A lot of today's photographers go to the same workshops and learn how to place the shoes and jewelry for the prettiest shot.  What results is an "insert this weekend's bride's details here" look.  In part, this is due to the surge in social media such as Pinterest as well as the hundreds of wedding blogs that feature image after image of "stuff".  And, honestly, this has only become extremely popular in the past 5 years.  Understand, I'm not saying the bouquet, dress, shoes or rings are not important because they are, especially the rings.  I'm specifically speaking about the actual wedding day and what's going to keep you going back to your wedding album year after year.  Now, this being said, I do photograph details and I love doing it.  However, I do try to incorporate the location and lighting of each wedding individually to give a sense of time and place.

I think showing the details and remembering exactly what you wore helps tie into the story of your day, however, it should not BE the story of your day.  When you look through your images or your album, you want to see what is at the core of your soul and most important to you: your family, friends, and loved ones.  Because, unfortunately, there will come a day when those people in your wedding album will no longer be here.  I'm definitely not trying to be morbid, but it is so, so true.  Seeing your loved ones in photos on your wedding day, the best day of your life, will always bring a smile to your face and always bring you back to that very moment.

A wedding day is a chapter in your love story and this chapter should consist of all the main characters in your life.  The details of what you wore are merely there for descriptive purposes.  It's important not to get too caught up in the "stuff" on a wedding day and focus on every fleeting moment.

Although details have become a part of what I photograph on a wedding day, my love will always lie in these moments.  Capturing these split seconds of time is literally priceless.  And it doesn't matter if your photographer can photograph your ring with the best macro lens so you can see every facet in your diamond, if he/she doesn't understand how to document your day then all you have in your wedding album is stuff.   I'm proud to admit that I don't have a degree in Photography, however, I do have a degree in Journalism.  And this has made all the difference in my wedding photography career. 

Check out our last Thursday's Thoughts on a First Look!

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