Amanda Wilson, Author at Photos by Amanda Wilson

Jan 01

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Linden Hall Wedding | Maurissa + Brendan

By Amanda Wilson | Linden Hall, weddings | No Comments

I LOVED this wedding but never shared it before! No time like their 3rd anniversary to revisit happy memories!! The July weather was perfect that day for their Linden Hall wedding reception. To honor their Saint Vincent College alumni status, they chose to host their ceremony at the historic Saint Vincent Basilica Parish in Latrobe, PA. We took photos in the garden and then celebrated their reception at Linden Hall – one of the most unique and best kept secret venues in the area! It’s a gorgeous mansion high on a hill overlooking Fayette County. Their wedding was themed after the mad hatter and their cake wore a top hat and a pocket watch. They worked so hard to include a ton of small details from the cookie ROOM to the giant chess set for everyone to play with on the lawn. Maurissa wore two different dresses, one with a…

Feb 01

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Wedding planning on Pinterest

By Amanda Wilson | Wedding Planning | No Comments

So I’ve been hanging around on Pinterest a lot lately and I have noticed some disturbing changes that I want to address. Pinterest has been a game changer for anyone planning ANYTHING from a wedding to a recipe to decorating your fantasy house. Wedding planning on Pinterest has been FUN. Like Whose Line is it Anyway – where all of the pretty things are possible and the prices don’t matter. Even though this is my 16th wedding season coming up this year, I’m still excited to experience all of the events my couples are planning and see what surprises might be on the horizon for the new decade! It’s the off season and I want to fantasy plan too – so I typed in “2020 wedding trends” and while a lot of pins and posts popped up heralding the coming of things like “wedding charcuterie” (OMG YES PLEASE) “the return…

May 29

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Cook Forest Maternity Session – Leeona & Jimi

By Amanda Wilson | Adventure Sessions, Maternity | One Comment

This couple is super close to my heart. I’ve known them for years, even before they got engaged! They are two of the most hard working, selfless, people I’ve ever met. From their engagement photos sitting on a dock at sunset, to making silly faces with the kids on their wedding day, and all the hockey games, doggy play dates, and hilarious game night christmas parties in between – being their photographer and their friend is a big deal to me. Their life together is just starting a new chapter, and I’m the one that gets to make the pictures to the stories they will tell their little boy one day. Maybe when he is little, he will like to hear how Mama is really a fairy princess – but when he gets older, I want him to be able to look at these photos and see the LOVE. The…

May 14

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Lifestyle Newborn vs. Studio Newborn Sessions

By Amanda Wilson | Lifestyle, Milestones | No Comments

When it comes to a having a baby, there are a million choices to be made including whether or not you will opt to have newborn photos taken! If you’re lucky, the hospital you deliver at will provide an on-staff photographer who visits your room in the first day or so after your baby arrives to shoot some photos that you can purchase later. If you’re very VERY lucky, this photographer is experienced and makes you feel at ease, does great work with those classy overhead fluorescent lights, you are feeling rested and someone was kind enough to help you brush your hair, and your baby is able to be in your room with you versus needing a little extra care in the nicu. Whether or not they opt for the photos in the hospital (fresh 48 sessions), many new parents will choose to do photos of their family after…

Apr 19

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Armstrong Farms Winter Wedding | Kimberly + Jonathan

By Amanda Wilson | Armstrong Farms, weddings | No Comments

Armstrong Farms is one of my favorite rustic wedding venues! I met Kimberly and Jonathan at Armstrong Farms’ bridal open house last fall and we hit it off right away! This amazing couple was planning a wedding for March at Fieldstone barn and we had no idea if it was going to be spring with lots of flowers in bloom or a blizzard! Weather in Pennsylvania can be unpredictable, but these two knew the only thing that was important was that all of their family and friends were together. The morning of the wedding came, and it was forty degrees with strong wind gusts. The girls all got ready at the farmhouse right on the property at Armstrong Farms, and the guys got ready at the Drake house. Kimberly’s dress was custom designed just for her with illusion mesh sleeves and lace applique. She carried a brooch bouquet down the…

Apr 13

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Adventure Sessions – for people who love the outdoors

By Amanda Wilson | Adventure Sessions, Engagements | No Comments

Let’s talk adventure sessions! Have you scrolled through Pinterest and looked at countless wedding photos and portrait sessions and just felt like none of them really felt like YOU? Let’s talk about you – (or maybe me?) – you hate high heels, you don’t own a single fancy dress that makes you feel great about yourself, you don’t care what the kardashians are up to, and your perfect night “out” is a glass of wine on the back porch. If you’d rather spend your weekend by a campfire or taking a hike with your dog instead of shopping in the big city – you are in the right place. I’ve got just the experience for you! What makes adventure sessions special and how is it different from a regular photo session? An adventure session is unique because it’s not just about photos, but about getting outside your comfort zone (or…

Feb 26

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Wedding Day Timeline planning; 4 tips to make your day feel as good as it looks!

By Amanda Wilson | Lingrow Farm, Wedding Planning, weddings | No Comments

Wedding day timelines, what are they? Why are they important? A wedding day timeline is basically a planned schedule of how events will unfold morning to end of the day at your wedding. And if you’re reading this saying to yourself, “oh no, we’re super relaxed we’re gonna go with the flow” then Honey, you need a timeline more than most people. Why? Because the flow of a wedding with a planned timeline is like the Mississippi, steadily moving in one direction but with a lot of calm flat water. A wedding without a planned timeline is more like the raging rapids rushing over the edge of Niagara falls. They both might look great in photos, but one of them is a much more comfortable boat ride, if you know what I mean. *wink emoji* So let’s start this list from the bottom and work up to my number one…

Feb 09

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The power of pictures

By Amanda Wilson | Personal, What to do with your images | No Comments

Every client I meet whether it’s for a wedding, a family portrait session, or even senior pictures, I always talk about the reasons why we are shooting the photos, the end result. I want to actively discuss the purpose of why we are investing the time and money into making these photos together. I pull out my leather albums, describe BIG images, and talk about framing services, and outfits. But we don’t talk about the REAL reasons, and I think it’s time we did. When I urge you to print your photos, it’s not a sales pitch, it’s a crusade. Like a lot of things in life, the power of pictures is not something we often appreciate until it’s gone. Right now, in the age of instagram, snap chat, and smart phones – we are snapping selfies and photographing more of life than ever, but if the power went out…

May 01

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Urban Expedition – Sara & Paul’s Pittsburgh Spring Engagement

By Amanda Wilson | Engagements | No Comments

I will follow adventurous couples anywhere!! Sara and Paul are getting married this June at Lingrow Farm and while they are from the Pittsburgh area, they live out of state now. For their spring engagement photos, they wanted to travel back to where it all began and visit all of the locations in Pittsburgh that were special to them and showcase the city they fell in love with. From their first date in Lawrenceville, to the bridge they walked across to work every day, to the Children’s Museum and the Point State Park, we had a great time playing tourists around town. Our original plan had been to do their photo session in pittsburgh in the winter with all of the holiday lights, but mother nature decided it should be zero degrees that weekend! So we waited. Then we rescheduled for Easter and it looked like we might have snow…

Feb 12

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Working from home – Real Talk

By Amanda Wilson | Behind the Scenes, For Photographers | No Comments

We’ve all heard it. “It must be SO nice working from home!” I cringe a little when that’s the biggest impression people have of my job. It’s like telling someone who works in an office “you’re job is sooo easy, all you do is type!” OR telling someone who works in a hospital “it must be soo nice to never have to go outside!” Let’s get real. No matter what your occupation is or where you do your work, there are parts that everyone assumes are great, but might actually suck. With career fields changing and commerce shifting from stores to online, more people than ever are working from home. Contrary to popular belief, unless you have the flu, staying in your pajamas till 4pm is usually a sign that you may be overwhelmed and prioritizing everything and everyone else before what’s best for you. I’ve spent too many years…

Amanda Wilson

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