Pittsburgh Wedding Photography

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers – Kukucka Photography

Beth Kukucka — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:07:38 +0000

2011 Wedding Season in Review

2011 was a great season – my first full wedding season since relocating to my hometown of Pittsburgh three years ago. Thank you to all of my amazing clients. I never take for granted the fact that I am entrusted me with one of the most memorable days in your lives. I am honored more than I can convey in any one blog post.

On this New Year’s Eve, I thought I would post a few favorites from a season full of favorites. As I get ready for another great year (my first wedding for 2012 is already next week!), I want to thank everyone for their trust and support. I’m so blessed to do what I love – witnessing love on its best dressed day, and then preserving the many ways it is revealed to me as I wait and watch with camera in hand. It never ceases to amaze and touch me, whether it be a private moment with a beloved grandmother, a loving touch by a new spouse, or the moment a couple realizes that their history as a family has begun. I love knowing that the photos I take that day will one day be seen by future generations – loved ones not yet born who will see themselves in the smiles and profiles of the great great grandparents who were once so young and new. These are my clients.

I wish you all that you most wish for yourselves in the New Year. Thank you again for letting me be a witness to your lives and your loves.

Here are a few favorites, in no special order …

Wedding Photographers in Pittsburgh – St. Paul’s Cathedral – Churchill Valley Country Club

Beth Kukucka — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:32:43 +0000

Jessi and Donnie

Jessi and Donnie were married on December 17th at the majestic St. Paul’s Cathedral in Oakland, with a reception at the Churchill Valley Country Club. This was my last wedding of 2011, and it was the perfect wedding to close an extraordinary season.

I liked Jessi and Donnie the moment we met, and had been looking forward to their wedding all season! At a time when it’s easy for a couple to get caught up in the details of planning, it was refreshing to see how excited Jessi and Donnie were to simply be getting married. It was a pleasure to witness the love between them, as well as the celebration of this super cute couple by everyone there.

One detail that I’m still touched by was a special photograph Jessi wanted me to take of her and her grandmother looking in a mirror together. I didn’t understand the importance of this photo until we got to her grandmother’s house, where there was a wall filled with two generations of portraits of her grandmother posed the same way, with aunts and cousins. I suddenly felt incredibly honored to know that one of my images would also hang on this wall of a grandmother’s love … this time, with her beautiful grand daughter Jessi.

Congratulations to a great couple that brought this 2011 wedding season to a perfect end. Here are just a few favorites.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography – Mansions on Fifth

Beth Kukucka — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:36:08 +0000

Niki and Neil

Niki and Neil were married on December 3rd at the beautiful, newly renovated Mansions on Fifth. This venue was absolutely beautiful, and complimented the majestic ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Oakland.

Having followed the Pittsburgh Pirates since my childhood I was especially excited to be the photographer for Pittsburgh Pirate, Neil Walker’s wedding! It was a treat for me to photograph Mr. and Mrs. Hometown Hero on their wedding day, and I loved witnessing the way they are together – true friends. It turns out that they are high school sweethearts, which made this special day in their lives even more special.

Every wedding has an energy to it, and this wedding was just plain FUN! The families were FUN. Niki and Neil were FUN. The elegant and festive atmosphere at the mansion was FUN, and the music and celebration was FUN! I want to give a special mention to Bloom Brigade, who did the flowers that transformed the mansion into an absolutely magical place, the great staff at mansions on Fifth, and DJ extraordinaire, Eric Schiemer, who kept the atmosphere light, and (you guessed it) FUN!

Congratulations, Niki and Neil! Thanks for the privilege of being your photographer on such a special day. Here are just a few favorites …

Wedding Photographers in Pittsburgh – William Penn Omni Hotel

Beth Kukucka — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:45:39 +0000

Alyssa and Brian

Alyssa and Brian were married on October 29th at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. I found out from Alyssa’s mother that it was appropriate that we had an unexpected snow storm on this day, because Alyssa loves snow! Fortunately, we were still able to step outside for a few photos, because there were still colors to be had on this wintry day.

A few favorite moments were when Alyssa wanted to have a portrait taken with her beloved dog, Lucy – but the other family dog kept stepping in front of the camera whenever I would attempt to take Lucy’s photo with Alyssa. By the time we tried one last time, Lucy had lost interest … Another favorite moment was the moment that Brian saw his beautiful wife to be for the first time. So sweet!

Here are a few favorites from Alyssa and Brian’s snowy day wedding.

Wedding Photographers in Pittsburgh – Greensburg Country Club

Beth Kukucka — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:58:35 +0000

Lydia and Ed

Lydia and Ed were married on October 22nd, on the last really beautiful Saturday in autumn. In between the ceremony and reception at the Greensburg Country Club, Lydia and Ed had taken the time to scout out an outstanding location for photos – the Greensburg campus of the University of Pittsburgh. This was the perfect spot for this autumn day, with the last sprinkles of color behind old brick roadways and buildings. They told me that after seeing where I stuck them during their engagement session (old railroad tracks, and empty warehouses in the Strip district!) they thought this location would be fun, and they were so right!

Every wedding has one moment that stands out in my memory, and for Lydia and Ed, that moment was their first dance. I have never seen a more content groom dancing with his bride, and it stopped me in my tracks. It was a wonderful moment to witness in a day filled with wonderful moments.

Here are a few of those moments. Special thanks to Allison Florio at One Fine Day Wedding and Event Planning, who made Lydia and Ed’s wedding day as easy as they get.

Wedding Photographers in Pittsburgh – Lexus Club, PNC Park

Beth Kukucka — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:48:28 +0000

Sarita and Rob

Sarita and Rob were married on October 15th at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. After seeing years of Pirate baseball games at PNC Park, I had never had the opportunity to photograph an event there until now. What a great venue, even on this cold and windy day!

I met with Sarita and Rob last year and was excited when they chose me as their photographer. I liked them right away, and something about them felt familiar to me. Maybe it was their kindness toward each other, which was especially true on their wedding day – a that can easily be filled with tension and stress. This impression of Sarita and Rob was confirmed during our engagement session a few months ago.

I have to say, as I have spent time editing their wedding photos, Sarita is one of the most elegant and classy brides I have had the pleasure of photographing. All of my brides have a wedding day beauty about them, but Sarita had an elegance about her that made it extra fun to photograph all day! My camera just loved Sarita and Rob, and it was hard to choose just a few favorites for this sneak peek.

That said, here are a handful of favorites from the beautiful autumn wedding day of Sarita and Rob.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography – St. Winifred Church

Beth Kukucka — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:58:16 +0000

Amanda and Chris

After a rainy week, Amanda and Chris had a beautiful autumn day for their October 8th wedding at Saint Winifred Church in Mt. Lebanon, with a reception at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsburgh. I was hoping for a beautiful day for this incredibly cute couple, as I knew they wanted the weather to be on their side from our first meeting almost one year ago!

I knew at that meeting that Amanda and Chris were cute together, and this became more obvious to me during their engagement session with me in the spring. Their wedding day was no exception, and the added emotion of excitement, nerves, tears and joy was like extra spice to an already great recipe of a relationship. I know that someday the wedding photos I took at their wedding will be displayed on the ancestry table at their great grandchildren’s weddings.

Here are a handful of favorites from the beautiful fall wedding of a beautiful couple.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography – Blessed Sacrament Cathedral – Greensburg Country Club

Beth Kukucka — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:09:44 +0000

Molly and Chris

I had been counting down the days to October 1st, and Molly and Chris’s wedding at the beautiful Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, and the Greensburg Country Club. I had a connection with Molly the first time we met, when she and her mother scheduled an appointment to talk about Molly and Chris’s wedding. I knew then that this would be one of those weddings where, in my heart, I would feel more like a guest than a vendor. When I finally met Chris, for Molly and Chris’s engagement session, I knew that this was a couple I wanted to know as the years passed.

Molly and Chris’s love for each other permeates a room, and casts a spell on everyone who has the pleasure to witness their affection for each other. They are absolutely adoring of each other, and you just know that these are two souls who were written in the stars long before they met. It didn’t even matter that it rained all day. Corny as it sounds, it was sunny wherever they were.

It was hard to choose just a handful for this sneak peek, but hopefully, you’ll get a sense of who they are together, and how celebrated they are by everyone who knows them. Including me.

Congratulations, Molly and Chris. I just LOVED being your photographer. Truly.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography – Phipps Conservatory, LeMont Restaurant

Beth Kukucka — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:32:46 +0000

Rori and Michael

Rori and Michael were married on September 30th at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. I don’t know what connections they have, but it rained all weekend, except for the exact amount of time it took for Rori and Michael to have a beautiful outdoor ceremony in the gardens at Phipps. Right on cue, and right after the “I do’s” were exchanged, the skies resumed their business of rain and drizzle.

The reception was held indoors, at LeMont Restaurant on Mt. Washington, and though it didn’t matter whether it rained or not, Rori and Michael were hoping to grab a few photos at one of the overlooks on Mt. Washington. Again, right on cue, the clouds parted long enough for us to visit the overlook at the Duquesne Incline, for a spectacular view of a very wet city.

Here are a few favorites, from a beautiful day that included a sweet ceremony and lively entertainment at the reception, including a duet by Rori’s parents, a song by Rori’s sister, and an unexpected fireworks show with front row seats. I half expected Grandma to get up at some point to do an inspirational dance, but the dancing was left to Rori and her friends, who were delighted to see their good friend so happy on her wedding day.

Congratulations, Rori and Michael. Damn you two are good looking.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography – Shadyside Academy

Beth Kukucka — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:55:48 +0000

Anita and Trey

Anita and Trey were married on September 24th in Pittsburgh, at the Shadyside Academy in Fox Chapel. This was a beautiful venue, and my first time there. In fact, I hadn’t been aware of it as a wedding venue, but it’s a great location, with beautiful grounds and privacy. What made it especially beautiful was the fact that the bride organized and created everything, right down to baking the wedding cake. In fact, when I told her how beautiful everything looked, and how she should go into the wedding event busines, she told me she needed about a two year break from thinking about anything wedding related! I don’t usually show details in my BLOG sneak peek, but I’m making an exception with this wedding. As you can see, Anita gave her wedding a lot of thought!

I met Anita and Trey two years ago. Their wedding was intended to happen last year, but they ended up postponing it until this year, and gratefully, I was available for their date, so I had the pleasure of seeing them again after so much time had passed. I remembered that they have been together since middle school, and their wedding was long awaited by their family and friends as well as themselves. Their long history together was detailed by Trey’s best man during the toast, and you could just tell that they were meant to be together, starting with their first date so long ago.

Also have to mention that I had the pleasure of working with one of the BEST DJ’s in the business, Bobby Kramer, at DJ Climax. Kept everyone on the feet all night. I even found myself doing some toe tapping …

Here are a few favorites from a way cool couple who I just loved being with on their wedding day.