The one thing that I can’t stand in this industry is all the negative talk about wedding days – “Your wedding day is going to fly by so fast you won’t even remember it”, or “Your wedding day is going to be so stressful”, “Family photos are THE worst”, etc. I am a firm believer that yes, while those things CAN be stressful they most certainly don’t have to be. After doing around 80 weddings the past couple of years, there are certain things that I think are key in at-least setting yourself up for a seamless wedding day. If you are planning a wedding I hope this encourages you and makes you feel ready for your wedding day.

1. Marriage is what we’re here for. If you stay focused on the purpose of the day – to marry the love of your life – a lot of the little stressors won’t even matter. When you look back in 25 years, the fact that the tablecloths weren’t ironed perfectly, or if your bustle lost a button – they just won’t matter. What matters is that you became husband and wife and started on the most grand adventure ever – marriage.

2. Add wiggle room in your timeline. All of the #rosiecouples out there know my secret – break up the majority of the day in 15 minute increments, even if you know it will only take 10 minutes. Having wiggle room in your timeline CHANGES THE GAME. Even if things happen that initially set us behind like your hair running late or your dad forgetting his tie – you’ll catch back up because of that wiggle room. This is a huge reason why we help all of our couples plan their wedding day timeline. It’s just one more way that we can serve them and help give them the best day of experience. Which leads me into my next point…

3. Trust your photographer. More than likely, your photographer has years of experience running a wedding day. My brain literally works in triple speed day-of, always evaluating the time, who is where, how we can compensate for lost time, etc. I’ve trained my brain to be able to easily solve problems on the spot and that’s what we’re here for. BUT, trusting your photographer goes beyond just the timeline, it’s trusting them with every aspect. Family photo time is another part of the day that easily becomes a huge stressor. But IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE. We work with all of our couples ahead of time to make a family photo list that includes all the combinations they want. Then in the moment we encourage our couples to just let us take control, organize everyone, and take the photo.

4. Just have fun. It’s one day. All your friends + family are there to support you. Your hype-girl photographer is there cheering you on. It’s going to be the best day ever no matter what happens.

Xoxox,

Lydia Bea

P.S. *Disclaimer – I am not guaranteeing that your wedding day will be seamless if you do these things, a lot of it comes down to in the moment choices to just roll with the things that came up or get really stressed by them.* 

In December, I was starting to get the creative itch to have a day to just create to CREATE and especially to document bridal portraits with snow. From there, Donnie and I started working out dates, vendors, and a vision for how it would all come together. I quickly contacted all my favorite people and locked them in for the date. I reached out to Jenn from Novalee Events in Pittsburgh and asked her if she would design the shoot for us. We have followed each other on Instagram for a couple years and we love her design style. She jumped in, designed the shoot, and helped connect the final details.

Terri from Meant to Bee was a must for our Styled Shoot. Her heart for people and floral design is unmatched and we love working with her. We had the privilege of meeting her whole team and also capturing their headshots for them. We love when other vendors prioritize serving their clients and making their day a dream. We recommend Terri to every single one of our brides and as you scroll through the blog you’ll see why!

Amy from Gracie Mae Bridal Hair was actually the first vendor I texted before I had even locked in the Harper! If you don’t know Amy she’s the definition of a boss babe and goes WAY above + beyond to serve her clients. She is a great example of investing in herself and her skill to better serve her clients. The way she is committed to her clients and serves them SO well – just made me an instant fan!

Kate from Makeup By Kate has been with us since the beginning! She did the makeup for one of our first brides (after I joined the team, not at Donnie’s beginning), and we’ve invited her back for both Styled Shoots we’ve done because she makes our job easy! She does such stunning, natural make up that makes our brides and clients feel confident!

Louis from Aspiring Gent is another one who has been with us for a while! He was one of my (Lydia) first photography “clients”. From photographing him sewing some of his early projects to now inviting him to be a vendor at a Styled Shoot – it’s been our favorite to have his friendship! He owns Primo Tailoring in Erie and we highly recommend checking them out for a custom suit! One of the reasons we use him for Styled Shoots is because Louis makes an effort to do fittings for the models to make sure the suit is best tailored to the groom – which makes a HUGE difference.

We could talk endlessly about these vendors and we’re so grateful for them. Be sure to scroll to the end to see some behind the scenes of the vendor team. A lot of hard work goes into Styled Shoots – very similar to a wedding day!  A lot of design, planning, coordinating and even long hours! The sneak peek film is also at the end – and you won’t want to miss it! 😍

Needless to say, we didn’t end up with snowy bridal portraits but the SUN showed up and made all of our photographers’ souls happy 😍

WHAT A DREAM DAY. 

Bear Ridge Destination has a special place in our hearts and it was truly an honor to be able to design and document a Styled Shoot at their stupidly stunning wedding venue. We all know the Erie/Clymer area lacks great venues and Bear Ridge stepped in and SAVED THE DAY. We can’t wait to be back here in 2022 to celebrate with some of our couples!

This space provides everything you could ever look for in a venue. The barn has three levels providing space for each part of your day. A stunning bridal suite, lounge area for the groomsmen, outdoor ceremony space, magnificent indoor reception area, a catering kitchen, a loft leading out to the balcony – and this is just a START on all the elements of this perfectly designed space.

We want to say a HUGE thank you to all of the vendors who came and were a part of this day. We obviously couldn’t have done it without them and we are forever grateful!

Meant to Bee Flower Farm – If you are on the hunt for florals – LOOK NO MORE. We have worked with Meant to Bee several times this year and we are constantly amazed. Not only are the florals jaw-dropping stunning, they are some of the kindest people to work with! We wish we could work with them for every wedding!

Primo Tailoring – AH. We are so excited for our friend Louis who is doing BIG things in Erie. Louis was actually one of my (Lydia) first photography clients! He was just getting started with his tailoring business and I was able to do some photos and videos with him for his social media. It meant so much to have him provide the suit and tailor it to fit our groom perfectly! We highly, highly recommend him and his team at Primo Tailoring!

Your Daily Serving – Betsy has also been a friend of ours for a while and we are so excited to see her doing SO many awesome things! It is fun having her join us in the wedding industry and getting to see her at some of our weddings! She makes a KILLER grazing table and I can be a witness to the fact that they taste just as amazing as they look! 

Heiser Lettering Co – I stumbled upon Heiser Lettering Co on Instagram and fell in love with what she is doing! I was so excited to bring her on as part of the vendors and she made some STUNNING signs to add to our day! She is a small business just getting started in Clymer, NY. Definitely check her out if you are looking for some custom signs for your wedding day!

Bella’s Capelli – My favorite salon that I have ever been to! I have missed it since moving to Pittsburgh. I occasionally will call them to see if they have appointments when I travel up from Pittsburgh! Hah! I recommend all of my friends to go to them and everyone just falls in love with them!

Makeup by Kate – This was another sweet connection! She did the makeup for our very first Bear Ridge bride a year ago! It was fun to work with her again – and still obsessing over how good the makeup looked!

One White Lane – They saved the day by providing a last-minute dress (That’s a story for another time!). They have such a beautiful space in Pittsburgh! Definitely check them out if you are currently looking for your dress!

And last not but least, our models – THANK YOU to Declan and Tara for being the easiest going models ever! They were so fun, relaxed, and helped us document the day!

OKAY. TIME FOR THE PICTURES! EEEK!

HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VENDORS!

Venue: Bear Ridge Destination | @bear_ridge_destination
Photographer: ROSIE Photo Video | @rosiephotovideo
Videographer: ROSIE Photo Video | @rosiephotovideo
Florist: Meant to Bee Flower Farm | @meanttobeeflowerfarm
Grooms Suit: Primo Tailoring | @primotailoring
Grazing Table: Your Daily Serving | @your_daily_serving
Hair: Bella’s Capelli
Makeup Artist: Makeup by Kate | @makeup_by_kate 
Bride’s Gown: One White Lane | @onewhitelane
Signs: Heiser Letting Co | @heiserletteringco
Models: Declan & Tara | @declanbingham, @taradesanto

Micah and Anjewl’s winter engagement session is HERE! Eeeek!! This stupidly cute (and cold) session might be the longest blog to date! 🤪  We’ve known both Anjewl and Micah for a long time, and it is a true honor to document their love story! We can’t wait to celebrate with them in May! 

I love the month of February because I love Valentine’s Day. I know, I know some of you may think it’s a silly holiday, but I love any excuse to celebrate, especially when it includes something with my husband! Let’s be real, this year, Valentine’s Day is going to look different for many of us. Your V-day date night probably isn’t going to include sitting in a restaurant or going to the movies. BUT, don’t let that be your excuse for not celebrating.

SO, my husband and I sat down and wrote up 5 Covid-Style V-Day Date Night Ideas that you could easily do if you can’t think of anything to do with covid restrictions OR if you’re both homebodies and want to have a night in. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

If you’ve been feeling stuck on what to do for your love, search no longer, and thank us later 😉

1. Take out Candlelight Dinner 🕯

Just because you can’t sit in a restaurant, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite local restaurant! Grab take out, your favorite bottle of wine, and some candles to make your own romantic dinner!

2. Movie Night Basket 🍿

If you’re anything like my husband, you realllllly miss going to the movies. But with a movie night in basket, you could set up your own home movie theater! Rent your favorite movie, get a cozy blanket, popcorn, snacks, obviously some good wine, and BOOM. You don’t have to worry about getting caught sneaking in your favorite snacks. 😉

3. Spa Night Basket 🧼

This one is directed a little more for the guys to do for their s/o. Buy some bath salts, bath bombs, bubbles, scented candles, wine (how is this one showing up in every list!?), lotion, face mask, and a fuzzy bathrobe. This will give the perfect relaxing evening (Trust me, she’ll love it). 🛁

4. Make Dinner Together 👨🏼‍🍳

This is one that Hans and I do often! We love grocery shopping to get what we need and then cook a fancy dinner in. This is a good one if you’re on a budget, cooking in usually is way cheaper and in our opinion, way more fun! Choose a meal, write a grocery list, make a date night grocery trip, and then turn on some romantic music, pour some wine (well, are you surprised?), and cook the whole meal together.

5. Last, but not least, bring your s/o breakfast in bed. 🛌 ☕️

There are very few people in this world that wouldn’t want to wake up to their love bringing them a warm breakfast with juice or coffee. Snuggling in bed while eating breakfast is really the best way to start the day!

So there’s our list! Obviously, you could stick to the ol’ classic, chocolate and flowers, BUT if you want to do something a little extra, we guarantee these date night in ideas will be a hit! 💕

Happy early Valentine’s Day, friends!

Xoxo,

Lydia Bea

You’v spent months planning the most important day of your life and now you have to trust one person to capture it all the way you imagined it being captured.

We’ve all heard the horror stories of wedding photographers not delivering what they promised, not following your timeline, or just giving a miserable experience. I don’t want that for you! From the day that I was a bride, I have tried harder as a photographer to give an overall better experience for my couples. I meet with them to understand their expectations and dreams of their day, I strive to make them feel comfortable and relaxed during the pictures, and just give them a joyful, fun experience.

I’m not writing this to prove to you that you should hire me as a photographer. I’m not meant to be everyones photographer. However, from a previous bride and current wedding photographer, I wanted to share some tips for how to choose your photographer ✨

1. Do I like their photography style?

There are SO many photography styles out there, while the two broadest categories would be dark and moody/light and airy. Wedding photographers typically don’t do both. Don’t hire a dark and moody photographer expecting to receive bright/vibrant photos. When looking at a photographer, look through their galleries and see if you feel yourself emotionally connecting with the images or in your mind knowing you want yours to look like that.

2. Do I like the photographer as a person?

This may seem like a silly question but we can’t stress this one enough! Your photographer is going to be around you and your family the ENTIRE day of one of the biggest days of your life. Having a photographer who you don’t like as a person will result in a miserable experience. Read their bio and even talk to them on the phone before booking them to make sure they are a good fit for your day.

3. Do I trust this person will give me an overall great experience?

This might be the most important question of all. You don’t want to hire a photographer who is going to just show up, capture a few pictures and go home. Find a photographer who is willing to invest in you, communicate with you, understand your vision, assist in planning your day, be kind during the sessions, and leave you with a joyful experience. One of the best ways to know the kind of experience you will get from a photographer is to read their reviews on social media. A more simple question to this is, “Do they have happy couples?”

Those are just a few things to consider when hiring your wedding photographer. Your wedding day will only happen once and you deserve to have a great experience and end up with stunning photographs! Do the research, ask questions, and don’t settle for anyone if you’re not ridiculously excited about it!

Xoxo,

Lydia Bea

Jordan and Brittany met in high school during their creative writing class and immediately hit it off. They share so much in common and are such a dynamic team. I just wish everyone could meet them, because their love for each other would truly inspire you!

We really couldn’t be more thankful that they chose us to document their wedding day in July!

All our love,

The Rosie Team

This was HUGE in the wedding planning for me. It seemed like anytime I shared an idea that I had, someone would make the comment, “Well you have to do it this way”. Brides – I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to do it any certain way. You don’t have to have the candle lighting, you don’t have to have cake cutting, you don’t HAVE to have someone sing a special song. None of those things are bad, but make the day yours.

I wanted to keep our wedding simple and so I cut out maybe some of the more “traditional aspects” of the wedding ceremony. But I loved it, because it was ours. It showed our love and told our story. And heck, we’re married, that’s all that matters right??

This might be one of my favorite things from my wedding day. My at-the-time fiance and I went shopping for a perfume, picked it out together, but I didn’t wear it until the wedding day. Now, anytime I wear it, it takes us back to that day and it. is. my. FAVORITE. (If you want to know some recommendations – hit me uuuup.)

Hans and I both LOVE music and we wanted to incorporate it as much as we could in our day. For the ceremony, I had my wickedly skilled brother-in-law play his own arrangement of a few of my favorite classic wedding songs on the piano (see I didn’t break EVERY tradition haha). Having him play was so special to me and a way that I could make our wedding day incomparable.

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, everytime Hans and I were in the car together, we would listen to endless songs as we custom-built our own wedding day playlist for the DJ to play during the reception. It was so fun to hear songs that meant something to us instead of just random popular pop songs.

One of my FAVORITE ways we incorporated our music style into the day was by playing a song that was one of our current favs to jam out to – “Coming in Hot” by Lecrae & Andy Mineo. It played as we entered into the reception! Seriously, picking songs particular to us, made the day so special. Now, when any of these songs come on, it takes us back to that day. We still even have our wedding day playlist saved, and yes, I play it on repeat endlessly.

It’s not what you think, we didn’t completely scratch the traditional vows, we just changed them a little bit and added some things. Here’s how ours read:

“In the presence of God and these our friends, I Lydia, take you, Hans, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. I promise to honor you and submit to you as the church submits to Christ.”

(Hans’ said at the end, I promise to honor you and love you as Christ loves the church)

That little phrase at the end was really powerful for us to add in and to remind ourselves of the purpose of our marriage, we do all these things, because of Christ.

When I first began wedding planning, I wasn’t too high on doing favors. I didn’t want to just hand out some cheesy thing that no one really wants – and especially when they usually cost a LOT of money. I decided to look for ideas that would be uncommon and something that had a little bit of our love story in it. From the day Hans asked me to be his girlfriend, he’s always called me “his honeybear” (that’s still my name in his phone contacts to this day hahah). I grew up on an apiary farm, so I immediately fell in love with the idea of giving away honey in bears for favors. They were a huge hit, people loved them, and it was such a fun, simple way to incorporate our love story into our day.

Don’t try to copy pinterest into your wedding, make your wedding day about your love story.

When you look back on your wedding day, I can guarantee these things will stand out to you. I hope these simple things inspire you to plan the best day ever.

Xoxo,

Lydia Bea