Blame it on the time of year, but when this lil beauty came across my desk the very first thing I thought about was Kentucky Derby!!  Sure the lovely pony hanging out in what certainly feels like racing paddocks is giving off the derby vibe, but Andrea Price & Zachary Valenzuela have that proud owner feel, especially in their formal get up!  I could easily some of these shots as part of the ‘Getting to know the horses’ package during the Derby pre-show, cant you?!  The relationship the two share not only with one another but with their animal friends is adorable, and I am sorry but those lil pups are waaaay too cute!  The styling is spot on from the more laid back look {LOVING the boots!} to the bow tie Kentucky fever look.  This entire session is one mint julep away from hearing those trumpets roar to life to call the race!

How They Met…

Zach and Andrea met in Downtown Denver at 1670 Broadway on January 17th, 2011. Andrea had just begun a job as a property assistant with Cushman & Wakefield, the same company Zach was working for as a building engineer. On her introductory tour, Andrea was introduced to all of the members of building she would be working with. Zach had come by the Management Office for something unrelated. They briefly talked for a couple of minutes and Andrea found out that Zach had also attended the same college she had recently graduated from, CU Boulder. From there, Andrea settled into her job and more and more Zach began to visit her office for random reasons. They began talking more often. When Andrea decided that the job wasn’t going to work for her, she gave her two weeks. Zach realized this was his chance to get her phone number. The Friday before the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, he came into her office and asked her if she had any plans. She mentioned she had planned on attending with a friend of hers. He awkwardly wrote his number on a pink sticky note, slapped it on her desk, instructed her to call him if she was in Denver and awkwardly walked out.

They never ended up meeting for the parade but began exchanging texts. As Andrea’s time came to a close at work, Zach asked her if she wanted to grab a drink after work. They spent a couple of evenings talking for hours after work. Her last day came and went and Zach had decided to go to the Rockies Season Opener. After a couple of days, Zach had called and asked if he could take her out on an actual date. Their first date was April 8, 2011 at Centro Latin Kitchen in Boulder. They have been together ever since.

Popping The Question…

In September 2012, Zach and Andrea took a vacation to her parent’s house in San Diego with their friends Britta (Maid of Honor) and John Meyer. The vacation was an incredibly relaxing week spent laying on the beach, eating and shopping. Britta and John left to go home and Zach and Andrea had one last night before they left to return home. They weren’t sure what to do with that last night but decided to visit nearby Shelter Island, CA after hearing about the island from her Aunt Joann. Andrea had been visiting San Diego her whole life and had never heard of the island so they were both excited to check it out. They decided on a Polynesian restaurant called Bali Hai. After dinner, they went on a walk along the shore facing the skyline of downtown San Diego. The view was perfect against the dark bay. The shore was perfect, peaceful and secluded. And, as you can probably guess… this is when Zach proposed to Andrea!

Being a Pittsburgh kid myself, I was most enlightened to discover that the lovely little farm of Destiny Hill Farm, {growing lavender, flowers & berries} is just outside of Washington, PA {slightly to the southeast  of Pittsburgh}.  When KC Bell & Mike Fritz set out to plan their day, tops on the  list was the overall feel for everyone, that of a sweet summer’s day where folks could kick up their heels, dancing or even frolicking in the fields around them!  The barn was draped in low hung light strands while tables were dressed in burlap with accents of pewter plates.  Perfect country touches were everywhere from the absolutely gorgeous silver cake base to the twin ladders strung escort card display {love this!}.  Our sweet couple embodied that of country chic, while KC was the vision of perfection in a Melissa Sweet gown with barrel curl locks that gently tumbled down her back.  KC & Mike’s wedding was the perfect amount of country & brilliant amount of chic!

What Storyboard Likes…

Color As An Accent- More often that not couple’s focus on a color and the next thing you know their wedding looks like that of an homage to said hue.  Such is not the case with KC & Mike’s country perfect wedding!  While purple is indeed the color of choice, its how it was used that really makes it stand out.  Sure the girls were clad in flowing floor length purple gowns, but beyond that you would be hard pressed to find a solid shade, instead sweet tonal ranges of purple used in just the right places.  The lavender fields naturally provide a gorgeous soft light purple glow, while items like the floral arrangements weren’t afraid to sample a few different saturations of the purple hue.  Mixing deep purples with light as well as buds that only show off a touch of purple at the tips of the petals.  Even the sweet Petit Gâteau {wedding cake} is given the purple ombre touch with shades of cream, lilac & lavender!  The overall effect is purple as an accent color & it couldnt be more gorgeous in its restraint!

Bull By The Horns- Out with the deer antlers and in with the bulls head!  I have stopped myself from making no less then 20 bull by the horns jokes and I think I should be applauded for this!  I must say however, while I am a huge fan of the deer antlers, I am looooving the bull’s head!  I think the thing I love most about KC & Mike’s using this lil guys as their prop, bull’s heads defiantly have such a strong old west influence, that their chic bridal style almost elevates the bulls head and in a very unique & gorgeous way, the two different worlds work beautifully together!  Nothing beats a great prop and KC & Mike found the perfect one to toy with!

Simply Sweet {Bridal Style}- I can’t get enough of KC’s bridal style.  I have to imagine that KC is the vision  that a lot of bride’s get in their mind hoping to achieve when their day comes.  Simple yet sophisticated, elegant yet playful.  The Melissa Sweet gown is absolutely lovely on KC’s slender frame with just the right amount of drama in the fabric pulls & florishes.  Wanting not to over complicate things, KC kept it light in the jewelry department, pairing the gown with pair of lovely drop earrings that beautifully meshed into her barrel curl locks.  Keeping with a more rustic country feel, KC simply allowed her hair to be worn loosely down with only a few choice pieces held back.  Her makeup was kept light which is oh so very important ladies!  When you have such a young lovely face there is no need to cover it all up  in heavy makeup!  There is an elegance & sophistication to KC’s look, one that I can see many a future bride pinning away to provide inspiration for herself!

Novella of the Bride…

Mike and KC are both Pittsburgh natives. We went to high school together, but didn’t start dating until several years later when we reconnected in Washington, DC while we were both living there after college.

We wanted our wedding to feel very laid back and welcoming- a fun summer day with all our loved ones.  Mike and I first visited the farm with our families in the cold winter months. If you have ever been to Pittsburgh- you can imagine the grey, cloudy skies. Needless to say it was hard to image what the farm would look like for our wedding reception, but we had a vision of a beautiful summer day, surrounded by our families and friends in a place where everyone could walk around and enjoy the scenery.

We had a ton of help from both of our families. My Mom and Mother-in-law both helped us collect family wedding day photographs to display the day of the wedding. I can still remember my Mom working so hard to find ladders to display the photos and helping to decorate the farm. The day before the wedding all my nieces and nephews ages 2-15 came to the farm to help decorate. They loved running around the farm, riding on a golf cart with Mimi York (the coordinator at the farm) and watching the horses. These special touches made us feel right at home. I imagine most weddings you show up and everything is already prepared-this wasn’t the case with our wedding. Our families put a lot of time and effort into making the farm feel like our own. When we arrived we felt like we were being welcomed home. The staff at Destiny Hill were all lined up to greet us when we arrived- it really made us feel special. Mimi York from Destiny Hill Farm was amazing to work with along with the Cameron Family- the owners of Destiny Hill Farm. They really went out of their way to make our day everything we imagined.  Also our very dear friend Joe Olivito designed our wedding invitations. His creative ideas and  invitations (and save-the-dates) gave us the so many ideas in terms of the look and feel we wanted for our wedding.

Bride’s Favorite Moment: “My favorite moment was getting ready to walk down the aisle with my Dad by my side. It was such a special moment when I saw Mike.”

Vendor Love

Ceremony Venue: St. Louise de Marillac Parish
Reception Venue: Destiny Hill Farm
Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet
Hair Stylist: Caruso Hair & Esthetics
Makeup Artist: Origins
Groom’s Suit: Men’s Warehouse
Invitations: {Joe Olivito}In Love With Love Invitations
Music: Kelli B Entertainment
Florist: Pete Donati & Sons and Destiny Hill Farm
Caterer: The Golf Club of Washington
Baker: Prantl’s Bakery
Photographer: Pat Furey Photography

Nothing is sweeter then small town young love going on a late summer’s day date with a stop at the local ice cream shop.  Shannon Waite & Karl Resch popped into Stahl’s Bakery, a local favorite in New Baltimore, grabbing a tasty treat.  The iconic shop made for a lovely set up, bringing in that hometown feel, though nothing quite tops Karl’s grandfather’s cabin, a rundown property that is filled with all kinds of great places to shoot!  Shannon & Karl’s day is iconic & sweet, just the way any great Americana shoot should be!

*All Photographs by Patrick Hadley Photography

There is something just so laid back perfect about a good ol’country moment.  Megan Quigley & Matthew Darda took to a picturesque Florida ranch to shoot their engagement pics.  Megan was dressed in a sweet blue summer dress perfectly completed with well worn cowboy boots while Matthew had on a plaid western shirt with crisp blue jeans.  The photos around the red barn are truly striking with the red just popping in your face!  Our sweet couple even took a moment out to sip on some sweet southern tea, something that will be the hallmark of their Save The Dates.  While the sweet tea photograph is fun, its their eyes that haunt me {in a good way} in this image in particular and I love it!  This shoot is so fun, sweet & genuine & that is exactly what I love about it!

*All Photographs by Maria Angela Photography

Start your week off right with a sweet Texas wedding!  Melanie Daniell & Matt Bowling’s wedding under the giant oaks of Texas has a dreamy country feel to it.  The men were outfitted in fresh crisp blue jeans, khaki blazers & naturally cowboy boots & a hat or two!  The gals donned handmade mix matched floral dress by the bride’s mother!  It was of the utmost importance to Melanie that they married outside under the giant sprawling oak trees, to which her dream came true when they discovered Cathedral Oaks Event Center.  A sturdy branch above their ceremony space was outfitted with mums which hung in glass globes in a very Labyrinth (Ps-talking about the movie) way.  Tables were decorated  with a combination of white mums in mason jars and birdhouses with blue wood planter stands to display their personal photos.  I must say however, I am absolutely crushing on the wedding cake!  Rich butter cream frosting that was whipped and styled left to be a star in and of it self!  Delicate pink roses and mums were draped down the side as a finishing touch!  The cake & the wedding is so very country chic!

Vendor Love

Event Designer: Sweet Sunday Events
Reception Venue: Cathedral Oaks Event Center
Dress Designer: Melange Bridal Inc.
Photographer: Maria Leinen Photography