Over the years, I have come to learn that First Birthday Parties can be SUPER FUN! And momma, Justina, is a woman after my own heart with all the details & time she put into Annabelle's big day ;) A whimsical Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme with red, black & yellow decor everywhere the eye could see! Makes me want to start planning my baby girl's 1st Birthday Party...even though it's still 7 months away ;)
Read MoreWhat a darling little family, sweet as could be =) Baby boy, Porter, and his big sister Quinn spent the day in the Studio with us yesterday for, what turned out to be, some adorable newborn photos! Bundled up in a knitted cocoon, nestled in a wooden crate, set atop a bear skin rug...I mean come on! ;)
Read MoreWhen my old college roommate heard two heartbeats on the ultrasound, her & her husband about hit the floor ;) It wasn't until after that appointment, that her mom mentioned her grandma was actually a twin (sadly grandma was the only baby to survive labor). This proved to be information that Jenna & Brady would have found very useful as they were planning whether or not they should expand their family to 2 or 3 kiddos, along with their toddler son, Zane......well that decision was made for them in a heartbeat...or should we say in TWO! ;) That made three under the age of TWO for this growing family!!!
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Rain on your wedding day is a lucky sign, so they say! How about a down pour all day long? ;) Almost non-stop from getting their hair & makeup done all the way through the Sparkler Send-Off! But that didn't stop Ryan, Shannon, and all of their friends & family from enjoying their day and having a blast at the Reception!
Read MoreThough it may not look like it from Adella's crying photo above ;) the Reiter's are one fun-loving, happy family =D I mean come on! They wore adorable matching Dr. Seuss t-shirts for their session, Things 1-4, how FUN is that?! And the love between siblings is enough to melt your heart, we asked big brother, Eliot, to give his baby sister a hug and as I got closer to take the shot, I heard him say "wuv you" =) We love getting to watch these two kiddos grow up year after year!
Read MoreLiliana & I had a WONDERFUL Father's Day celebrating this loving, selfless, SUPER FUN husband & father of ours ;) LOVED that we got to do a quick mini session at my parent's house before the cookout. I was so excited to take family photos on Father's Day wearing my Mother's Day gift earrings, holding Liliana in an outfit that I bought before she was born and have been dying to get her into!...it's the little things ;)
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A Father's Day weekend that Ryan will never forget...yesterday Hilary married the love of her life. A sweet, kind, and caring man, who now is the stepfather to her 6 year old son, Caleb. We got to spend time with these three last year for their Engagement Session and they were already the cutest little family back then, now it's just official ;) Caleb is a ham, hyper, and hilarious all rolled into one, but he is also one of the sweetest little boys I've met, especially when it comes to his momma ;) When we were playing our Reception Screening (a slideshow of photos from the ceremony & formal portraits played that night at the Reception!) he turned to Hilary and said, "They're really great photographers, Mom." Well aren't you just the sweetest, buddy! On our first official Father's Day, Sam & I hope your adorable family of 3 have a wonderful first Father's Day too =)
Read MoreSo HOW FUN!...we went on our Beach Week to photograph the family & high school seniors that brought us down to North Carolina and, lo and behold, one of our 2014 bride & grooms was actually on vacation themselves just 10 minutes down the road!! Once they saw us tag a Facebook photo of mommy, daddy & Liliana walking down the beach, scoping out photo spots for the week, they commented that they were in town too! So naturally we had to connect for a mini session on the beach...these 2 lovebirds are celebrating 1 year of marriage!
Read MoreAustin and his family were on vacation at the Beach House this past week as well and decided to book a Senior mini session with us on the beach! Boy oh boy, am I glad they did ;) Austin was so much fun to photograph, not like most high school senior guys, haha. He smiled on demand and worked the "mean mug" for some fashion shots too!
Read MoreAfter Mom & Dad brought us down to take photos of their graduating daughter, Sam & I decided to gift them with a Family Session on the Beach! Outer Banks is a well-known and loved vacation spot and the Stine Family has been visiting for years...now they will have photos to remember their favorite vaca spot ;)
Read MoreLast week, we traveled back to North Carolina! Instead of shooting a vintage wedding in the mountains, we were brought down for a series of photo shoots on the beaches of the Outer Banks =)
It all started when one of our past bride & grooms, contacted us about a Senior Session for their daughter. They admitted that they were torn, that they would love to have us take the photos, but that they also were leaning toward a session on the NC beach where they would be traveling for vacation. So naturally, Sam & I asked "Why not the best of both worlds? Bring us with you!" So that's what they did!! Sam, Liliana & I stayed at their Beach house for the week and, not only, photographed the HS Senior session we were brought down for, but 3 more shoots! We gifted our hosts with a Family Session, another family staying at the Beach House booked a Senior mini session and a Beach mini session of one of our 2014 bride & grooms that just happened to be staying 10 minutes down the road the same week!
It was an AMAZING week! Sam & I love these type of "Work Vacations", just like our wedding weekend in North Carolina and corporate conference in Miami, FL =) So for all those out there who love looking at our photos and have your own event coming up outside of PA, DO NOT hesitate to chat with us about bringing Rachel Anne's Photography to you, WHEREVER you are! ;)
Read MoreI have been so excited for this NEW style of photo shoots we are introducing...ANNIVERSARY MINI SESSIONS! These shoots are all about remembering your wedding day: flipping through the pages of your wedding album, dusting off those engraved champagne flutes to share a toast, reading the love notes that your guests shared in your guest book & wedding cards! Feeling the love all over again that you felt that special day =)
Todd & Kelsey had a FUN chevron-themed wedding on June 14th of last year! And when they came over to reminisce for the Anniversary Session, they brought along two stunning products we designed for them: their custom-designed Heirloom Wedding Album and our unique-to-Rachel Anne's "Nearlywed Magazine" that features photos & stories about all that went into planning that wedding ;) The proposal, dress shopping, bridal shower, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, honeymoon and more!!
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Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, what a dream of a venue! Getting married in a Tropical Forest...literally...that's what they call that wing in the conservatory ;) Dave & Jennifer exchanged personal vows about poetry and video games, standing in front of the lush backdrop of greenery and enjoyed their evening reception in front of a gorgeous sunset. Standing beside them throughout the day was their 5 bridesmaids & 5 groomsmen, who amazingly, were all dating/married couples themselves! We did a fun "couples" photos with the 12 of them! ;)
Such a lovely day for a truly, lovely couple =)
Read MorePeople always tell Sam & I that our little girl, Liliana, is a HAPPY baby!...Danielle & Justin must hear that all the time too about their bubbly baby boy, Caleb =D He was non-stop smiles during his 1st Birthday photo shoot!...while having fun with his family outside, walking with mom & dad, swinging with his big brothers! And the smiles certainly didn't stop when we headed into his "Lil' Man Cave" for birthday photos and the oh-so-adorable Cake Smash ;)
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From the waterfalls of North Carolina to the lakes of DuBois PA...Sam & I were back on our stomping ground for this weekend's wedding, about 30 seconds away from our Studio actually! What a difference from one week to the next ;)
Eric & Laura are simply lovely...as clients, as friends, and most importantly, as husband & wife =) And their day matched them perfectly: simple, fun, elegant. There were pops of purple & green everywhere you looked, along with big blue skies and a shining sun when it called for rain =) We couldn't help but have our bridal party dip their toes in the water and relax on the docks for some photos ;)
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In December of 2013, Sam & I photographed a delightful Christmas-themed wedding, where we met a super fun bridesmaid named Katie & her date, Tim...they fell in love with our work, in their words "We loved at Tabby and Bryan Dempsey's wedding how ORGANIZED you were! And pictures at the reception! How special is it that everyone gets a sneak peak into what was captured just a few hours before?! We love how timely you are with everything. It's exactly what we need." Just 9 days after Bryan & Tabby's wedding, Tim popped the question and we had a wedding contact form hit our inbox from Katie ;)
So this past weekend, we had an AMAZING weekend with Tim & Katie for an absolutely gorgeous North Carolina wedding! Friday a Rehearsal BBQ, Saturday a rustic barn Wedding, and their Newlywed Photo Shoot in front of a Waterfall Sunday...photographer's dream ;) Enjoy these stunning photos!!!
Read MoreYesterday we got to meet a new family that's celebrating a BIG milestone...miss Annabelle is turning ONE! =D Though it was a bit chilly, we were able to capture the warmth of these parents' love for their little cutie. Sam & I can't wait to celebrate with Annabelle again in a few weeks as we shoot her 1st Birthday Party!
Read MoreFor nearly 10 years now, I have been photographer & owner of Rachel Anne's Photography, over 5 years as my Full-Time Career...but something fun you might not know is that after College I landed a job working for the Boy Scouts of America =) My title was District Executive and I was in charge of planning council-wide events, fundraising, and volunteer training...oh and I took the Summer Camp photos too ;)
Well this past weekend, I had one of my old Cub Scout Packs contact us about shooting one of their events, the Cub Mobile Race. Sam & I had an absolute blast taking pictures and capturing video of these kiddos racing in the cars they built from scratch...watch all the adorable action in the video below! ;)
Read MoreOne of the most magical moments from our wedding, was when Sam & I sent Sky Lanterns into the night sky with our guests at the end of the Reception. Over the years, I have had multiple brides ask me for some tips on how to make this, somewhat intimidating, event happen at their wedding...without burning down the venue ;)
Read MoreToday I am SUPER excited to have Guest Blogger, Jamie Simpson, owner of www.houserockersdj.com He put together 5 Helpful Tips in choosing your Reception Playlist that, for our brides who are in the planning stages, is a must-read!
BUT FIRST, I have to tell you guys how amazing Jamie is and what he did for Sam & I's wedding reception... with pretty pictures & video of course ;)
When it comes to Wedding Receptions, if you want a non-stop party that guests will never forget... you want HouseRockers DJ! Sam & I had Jamie Simpson on the TOP of our Vendor list and he DID NOT DISAPPOINT =) The party was jumping and Jamie kept our guests on the dance floor ALL... NIGHT... LONG. I could explain more in detail, but really, it's so much better to SEE!
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