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What a wonderful day!  It’s days like these that make me pinch myself to make sure that I’m not just dreaming…that I really get to do what I do for a living!

When planning an outdoor ceremony in the east, you realize that there’s always a reasonable chance of rain.  And from the looks of the weather forecast in the days proceeding their wedding, it seemed likely that Shannon and Tony’s outdoor ceremony was going to be moved indoors. Even on the drive from Pittsburgh to Morgantown the morning of the wedding, there were showers and ominous looking clouds.

But, we were lucky – the afternoon turned into a beautiful one (though a bit humid!) and the outdoor ceremony at the 10th Tee of Lakeview Resort happened as planned.

There are so many wonderful things to share about this wedding that I hardly know where to start…in some ways, it’s almost harder to blog about one full of details because I don’t want to leave anything out!  It was the first that I actually met both Shannon and Tony – our previous contact (as with many of my couples) was by email and phone – both of them and their family and friends were all wonderful.

In discussing plans, Shannon & Tony decided that they would exchange gifts on the day of the wedding to allow me the opportunity to document those moments since the gift giver usually doesn’t get to see the reaction.  Tony got to open his gifts first and he’s a HUGE Steeler’s fan, so Shannon presented him with a special Steeler’s NFL watch to wear when they head to Pittsburgh for the September 10th season opener.  Shannon created tickets to look like the real thing, but these included some wonderful extras like a two night hotel stay and a Friday night dinner date.  So for all the Steeler fans out there, if you’ll be at the game, be sure to look for Shannon & Tony and say “Hi!” or watch for them on your tv at home.

After hanging out with Tony and his guys for a bit, I went over to Shannon’s room.  When I got there, I started photographing some of the details.  Absolutely love Shannon’s e. ring, a gorgeous Asscher cut diamond.  The couple wanted their out-of-town guests to completely enjoy the area, so Shannon created a tri-fold brochure listing things to do in the area along with the schedule of events that was place in gift bags.  Shannon, being a WVU graduate placed the WVU cookie in the gift bags…there were a few extras, so I placed the rings on the cookie.  Also pictured here is the handcrafted plates from Paloma’s Nest. 

Love the kate spade shoes that were in a gorgeous fucshia color perfectly matching the sash to Shannon’s dress. 

Once Shannon was dressed, it was time to open her gifts from Tony. She was in for the surprise of her life.  Because they both work together at Deltek, Tony said that it’s almost impossible to keep something as a surprise, so Tony wouldn’t reveal to ANYONE where they were going on their honeymoon.  When we were headed over from Tony’s room to Shannon’s with the gift, Tony told me to be certain to tell Shannon to look in the pockets – since he didn’t reveal what was inside the gift to me, I wasn’t certain what he meant at first, but he said that Shannon would understand as she started opening things up.  Here you see where Shannon is reading Tony’s card and is about to wipe a happy tear away.  And her look on her face in the next 3 pictures just doesn’t need any words at all…she certainly didn’t hide her astonishment and happiness! When Shannon opened the box, she found a Versace bag…and when she ope ned it up, she found out where they were going on their honeymoon – two weeks in Greece!  (If you’re their friend on Facebook, you’ll be able to see some of the photos they took while they were there.)  And lastly, a pair of diamond stud earrings – an “upgrade” to replace one of the earrings she lost. 

I think that Shannon’s feet hardly touched the ground as she walked up the aisle to meet Tony!  And they both were just so happy the whole time during the ceremony.  From the position of the sun during the ceremony, I was able to get some nice photos with sunflare – I’m a fan of flare, so it’s always great when I have an opportunity to capture it a bit. 

The couple opted for a profusion of carnations and orchids for their reception centerpieces.  Shannon carried a hand-tied bouquet with peonies, listianthus, and crystal-studded orchids, while Tony wore a matching orchid boutonniere.

After the ceremony, we took a few minutes for their Romance Session to get some great photos of the two of them.  The last photo was inspired by going out onto the deck in the evening.  When I went out, I loved the Chinese lanterns that Shannon and Tony decided to use outside on the deck.  Most of my couples are more than happy to go out for a few minutes to get some great photos and as soon as I walked out and saw the lights glowing, I knew exactly the photo I wanted to create for them.  There were challenges because we were surrounded by guests all around and some tables, so it took an extra minute or so for setup with my assistant, but the challenges were worth it – I just love this image on the far right!

Some various moments and details from the reception:

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Location: Lakeview Resort & Spa, Morgantown, WV
Gown: Marisa from  Lady Hamilton Bridal , Leola, PA
Ceremony Musicians: The Seneca String Quartet
Reception Entertainment: Funomenon Entertainment, Ken, Morgantown, WV
Floral Designer:  Zaccagnini’s Suncrest Florist, Kelly Jo, Morgantown, WV
Bakery: Almost Heaven Desserts, Patti, Westover, WV
Hair Stylist: Spa Roma @ Lakeview Resort, Carrie, Morgantown, WV
Makeup Artist: Spa Roma @ Lakeview Resort, Megan, Morgantown, WV
Martini Ice Luge:  Mastro Ice, Linda Anne, Pittsburgh, PA
Flowers used: peonies, lisianthus, orchids, carnation clusters
Colors: magenta/fuschia, plum, white, and gold accents