If I had to sum up this wedding in one sentence it would be this…
Shannon and Ryan radiate such a beautiful love for each other, life, and their family and friends.
The entire wedding was a celebration filled with joy and laughter; all who took part in the day exuded heartfelt enthusiasm. I don’t think I ever saw Shannon not smiling, seriously. She has such a pleasant and sunny disposition, always thoughtful and considerate of others. This was evident especially on her wedding day!
Shannon incorporated special family heirlooms into her ensemble. The crystal necklace belonging to her maternal Great Grandmother gracefully adorned the Bride. The delicate rosary belonging to her paternal Great Grandmother hung beautifully from the Bride’s bouquet. The beautiful broach from her other Great Grandmother added a splash of color to the Bride’s gown. One piece of the broach was also used in her hair piece which was hand crafted from a vendor on Etsy. Lastly, the hankie that Shannon carried was also from her Great Grandmother. How remarkable to have so many treasured family pieces!
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Shannon, you were such a magnificent Bride!
All the dresses were gorgeous!
The Bride and Groom chose to have a First Look prior to their ceremony. It was such a special moment to witness. Ryan waited inside Mellon Park and Shannon gently tapped him on the shoulder for him to turn around and see his gorgeous Bride in all her bridal glory for the first time.
Then it was time for the couple to separate and prepare for the ceremony. Shannon was walked down the aisle with both her Father and Grandfather, a very sweet processional. Mellon Park was an exceptional location for a ceremony, very scenic and intimate at the same time.
The wedding party was a fantastic group to work with, very easy going and accommodating. All were quite a good sport despite the scorching temperature, thank you so much everyone!
All of the flowers for the day were artfully prepared by Dragonfly Florist. The bouquets and centerpieces were so exquisite and looked beautiful all day, no wilting here!
Shannon and Ryan are incredibly devoted Penguins fans and did a nice job of including Penguin elements at their wedding. Each table was marked by a different jersey number and this one is my hands-down favorite. The guy is a legend and a hero, especially to the city of Pittsburgh. It is fun spotting him around Sewickley, he held the door for me at Starbucks once and I just about passed out.
Shannon’s creative and thoughtful touches were present throughout both ceremony and reception including: pomanders, monogram, Irish blessing favors, seating chart, escort cards, table numbers, courtesy basket, guest book, and a personalized bobble head cake topper.
Ok, about the bobble head…remember their engagement session? Shannon had contacted me prior to our shoot asking if I could discreetly grab a profile shot of each of them so she could have a personalized bobble head created. No problem! I was able to accomplish that task and the end result is impressive, pretty good match right?
The bobble head was Shannon’s surprise wedding present to her Groom, what an awesome gift!
“I wanna make you smile, whenever you’re sad. Carry you around when your arthritis is bad. All I wanna do, is grow old with you.”
The speeches given by the matrons of honor and best man were some of the most original and clever I have heard. One included a list of the top five things that Shannon & Ryan can learn about marriage from hockey:
5. Shannon, the draft is over. Ryan is your first round pick for life; there’s no going back for a younger prospect, or a European.
4. Ryan, think of the couch as your penalty box. While even disciplined players wind up there from time to time, Shannon’s not going to be happy if she has to send you to the penalty box for too many nights.
3. The two of you are now each other’s goalies, defensemen, wings, and all around MVPs for everything that life shoots at you. Ryan, although Shannon will never admit it, she has now become your manager as well. Congratulations.
2. When you do have an argument, don’t be afraid to swallow your pride, bring out the Zamboni, and smooth things over.
And the number one thing that Shannon and Ryan can learn about marriage from hockey -
1. A Penguins fan is a Penguins fan for life. May you always be each other’s biggest fans. May every year of marriage feel like a Stanley Cup win.
These three ladies share such a beautiful friendship, I loved watching you guys interact.
The cookie table was decorative and delicious! Who made the snickerdoodles? They were seriously the best I have ever tasted!
We ended the evening with a mini shoot inside some of the galleries at the Center for the Arts.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for including me in your beautiful celebration and for making me feel like a guest!
