All of you blog readers are in for a TREAT today! Leah’s & Ian’s wedding was an unbelievably amazing day full of love, happiness, friendship, laughter, closeness, God, and fun! We had a wonderful time being a part of the wedding day & couldn’t have asked for a kinder, more welcoming couple with wonderful, supportive family members & friends. It was the perfect combination to create a wedding day to remember for generations.
I met Leah & her bridesmaids at her parents’ home in Steubenville. Her sister, Sarah, beautifully pregnant with Leah’s first nephew (the first boy in the family for a LONG time; Leah has four sisters and zero brothers), selflessly dedicated herself to doing makeup for the entire bridal party. She did a fabulous job.
Leah was full of smiles and laughter the entire day. I won’t belabor the point, but there were a couple of details about the wedding day that didn’t go exactly right and didn’t comport with the vision Leah had anticipated. She brushed them off with a smile & didn’t worry about those small details. She was excited to marry Ian that day & the rest would work itself out.
Her mother softly exclaimed to Leah as she helped her don her dress: “You’re absolutely gorgeous, Leah. The Lord has been very kind to you.” 
Undeniably breathtaking!
The glances exchanged between a daughter and her mother on a wedding day communicate volumes without a single word.
Her sisters, childhood friend, college friend, father, and grandmother all gasped as they saw Leah emerge from her dressing room and walk down the stairs in her gown. 
Meanwhile, Josh was with First Lieutenant Ian at Duquesne Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Pittsburgh. He was also all smiles getting ready for the wedding ceremony.
I love these shots Josh captured before Leah arrived to the church for the first look.
This moment. . . oh this moment. It definitely ranks up there amongst my all-time favorite Menning Photographic wedding day moments! I walked out of the church with Leah & when we emerged around the corner of the building and she caught a glimpse of Ian standing with his back to her waiting for her to arrive, she was giddy, elated, and ecstatic; I could almost feel the excitement radiating from her voice and her smile. She said, “Oh, no way. There he is!” in a half-whisper. Josh met us at the corner of the church building and told Leah how to make her approach. 🙂 This first look is BEYOND sweet, emotional, and an absolutely amazing memory that these two will share for a lifetime. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves:
One of my favorite aspects of this wedding day in particular is Leah & Ian’s story. These two kids have known each other since middle school. They were friends, but they never dated. Their families knew each other; their mothers prayed that they’d end up together. It was one of those things- so many people around them knew they were a great match, but they wanted to remain friends. 
The event that eventually brought these two together was a sad one: Leah’s family pet passed away & Ian was there to comfort her. They realized that they clicked as a couple & that was that. Then God called Leah’s family from Raleigh, North Carolina (where Leah & Ian had both grown up) to Steubenville, Ohio, where Leah’s mother would eventually get a professorial position at a nearby University. After school, Ian went the Army route & Leah & Ian did the long-distance thing.
Leading up to their wedding day, Leah lived in NYC & Ian lived near Seattle. They went months without seeing each other in person, which made this first look moment even more like a fairytale. And now these two will get to be together through happy & sad events alike, to comfort each other, to make each other laugh, to lift one another up, and to build a family and a life together.
Josh & I had scouted out the Duquesne campus and the surrounding area the week prior to Leah & Ian’s wedding day; we always value preparedness and having a plan for the wedding day. We were ready for whatever the weather would throw our way & we were even ready for the craziness of a 150,000 strong St. Patrick’s Day Parade invading the city of Pittsburgh on Leah & Ian’s wedding day! That event didn’t disturb us at all. 🙂
Um . . . can we just pause the blog for one quick second to admire the fact that Leah is ONE GORGEOUS BRIDE?! 
Stunning!
Her veil was her Something Borrowed. 
The sun was shining, the skies were a lovely shade of blue, and the wind was intense. Overall, it was a fantastic March day for a wedding.
Following the first look, we shot some wedding party photos. Then there was time for freshening up, prayer, and reflection prior to the personal & heartfelt wedding ceremony.
Ian’s parents walking down the aisle to witness their only son be married.
Those moments just before the bride & her father walk down the aisle are so full of love & emotions.
Leah’s beautiful mother beaming with pride & love:
This is a grand space.
Leah’s father, a Deacon at the Chapel, had the pleasure and honor of performing the homily. It was, thus, comical, personal, and significant at the same time. 
Leah’s adorable niece enjoyed the wedding ceremony, too.
The saber arch awaited them at the end of the aisle during the recessional:
Some quick family formals took place, as the Chapel was triple booked that day. We had to act quickly, but no worries. We had the family grouping details worked out in advance of the day & can swiftly move from one group to the next with organization and ease. Family formals don’t have to be stressful & do not have to take an hour & don’t let anyone tell you differently. 🙂 Just make sure your photographers have a game plan for the day mapped out with you beforehand and don’t forget to tell the family members to stay after the ceremony. 
Gorgeous sisters:
The wedding reception took place at LeMont Restaurant on Mount Washington, just a short drive across the bridge and up a steep hill. The yellow reception details were so pretty & they matched beautifully with the yellow bridges of Pittsburgh that appeared in the background of a few shots. 
Fenoglietto’s Wedding Cakes designed this beauty.
Leah & Ian made their grand entrance as First Lieutenant & Mrs.!
Elise, Leah’s Maid of Honor & childhood friend from Raleigh, gave the cutest speech that included a description of her & Leah’s love for Playmobil figures as children. She explained that they always loved to pretend that their toys were having weddings & then she busted out the bride & groom Playmobil figurines for Leah & Ian to use as a wedding cake topper.
The Best Man, Scott, shared a funny story about camping with Ian & the pyromaniacal antics that were included. 🙂 Childhood friends are like no other friends.
Kelly, Leah’s college friend, had the entire crowd cackling and guffawing throughout her speech about how Leah is always prepared (even for strange situations in trailer parks behind an above ground pool retailer), but she also left room for tears as she described how happy she is for Leah & Ian.
Ian’s father mentioned how the power of a woman’s prayer truly works, as his wife & Leah’s mother prayed that his son & his now-daughter-in-law would end up together.
Leah’s dad had the entire crowd toast “to six grandchildren.”
Their first dance was incredibly romantic & full of beautiful moments that stitched together to create a few amazing minutes of their life that they’re sure to remember forever. Our goal as photographers on wedding days is to make sure that couples can look back through their collection of wedding images & remember exactly how they felt in those moments. We pray Leah & Ian can do just that.
Leah’s parents gazing lovingly at the newlyweds as they swayed to “Gone, Gone, Gone” by Philip Phillips; the LOVE between these families was palpable the entire day.
Leah & her father danced to “Butterfly Kisses.” Although I only spent a day with this father & his five daughters, I could tell that he loved each one uniquely & made each daughter feel special in her own way. This father-daughter dance was a lovely moment to witness.
The love Ian’s mom has for her son is apparent to anyone.
At the end of the mother-son dance, Ian’s mom welcomed Leah’s mom to share a moment with her new son.
Then things got slightly frightening. 😉 Now THAT’S a knife.
These two newlyweds are one of our 2013 wedding couples. We actually met Leah & Ian at their wedding reception & that’s how we got to shoot this wedding. We were SO happy to get to see them again. They traveled all the way from Texas for the wedding and were both looking great in their Army blues.
The anniversary dance was adorable, as always. Leah’s grandparents were the longest married couple.
The dance floor was packed all night & the DJ, Bob Hartnett of All Pro USA, did a great job playing music everyone could enjoy and keeping the crowd engaged.
Leah’s college theater friends are a little shy. 😉
Everyone in every age group had an absolutely wonderful time. This was a wedding reception to remember!
The Pittsburgh skyline as viewed from Mount Washington at night makes for a pretty decent backdrop for some romantic & beautiful end of the night shots, eh? :-DÂ 
Leah & Ian are a gorgeous couple, definitely hand-picked for one another, and we had an absolutely amazing day with them on their wedding day!
Leah & Ian, we are so blessed to have met you both. Thanks for choosing us to photograph your wedding day! We pray that you enjoy a lifetime of love, laughter, and closeness.
If you’re interested in talking with us about your wedding day photos, please call or email us: 330.651.4849 or info@menningphotographic.com. We would love to hear about your wedding day!
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