As we're bracing for the next SNOWPOCALYPSE to hit pennsylvania - I thought I'd do something radical to celebrate.  (Yes I said celebrate the 8-12 inches of snow that's bearing down on us at this very moment.)  I'm going to blog out of order. 

 

Just because today reminds me a  lot of the last time we were scheduled to get 8 inches of snow in one day which was for Megan and Jon's snowed in winter wedding.  I remember when we shot their engagement session last summer that we stared dreamily into space imagining light flurries falling like a snow globe as they said their vows and sighing:

 

"ahhhh i hope we have snow :-)  " 

 

 

Turns out we did - almost 32" of it at their venue!!  If you like snow - host your wedding in a ski resort area - it works!  You'll notice a lot of landscape photos in this post that we shot both the day of the rehearsal and the day of the wedding - not only was it spectacularly gorgeous - I think it's important to set the scene that there was not just snow.  Or a lot of snow.  There were literally FEET of snow.  The wedding party chose to spend the weekend staying at the Foggy Mountain Lodge in Stahlstown, PA which was just a mile down the road from their ceremony and reception venue.  The girls got ready in one suite and the guys got ready in the suite next door.  Although just getting up the hill was a challenge - since it was Anna's birthday weekend, she was at home celebrating and I was lucky enough to have Sean with me as my second shooter and hazardous driving expert.  We had to pull off in the ditch on the way up the driveway to let the snowplow squeeze by! 

 

 

 

 

The girls were in full swing with hair and make-up when we arrived.

 

 

The Foggy Mountain staff had shoveled pathways through the deep drifts for us all to scurry back and forth between locations and to the cars.  Megan chose a gorgeous royal blue color for the bridesmaids gowns that looked awesome with all of the ice and snow.  Top left and bottom right images by Sean.

 

 

 

This was what the drive looked like on the way up the mountain. 

 

 

But let's get back inside where it's warm!! 

This is Megan with her neice and nephew who were also her flower girl and ring bearer for the ceremony.

 

 

Then it was time to put on the dress - there is seriously never enough time to get ready for a wedding.  I think for my own wedding I may start hair and make up the night before just so we're not late.  Megan's sisters helped her put on her dream dress and when she walked out, everyone lit up at how beautiful she looked.

 

 

Megan's sister, Emma, placing her veil.

 

 

 

The snow stopped for a brief while and we actually thought the sun would come out - Image by Sean.

 

 

Over on the other side of the bathroom wall - the guys were getting ready deciphering the rental tux instructions.  (You should see the treasure map the rental shop gives you for folding a pocket square.)  Jon was a little anxious.  With the weather being extreme - we all hoped the guests would get there safely and on time.

 

 

More shots from the drive up - as we gained elevation we encountered a weather phenomenon known as 'freezing fog'.  You could see a line where 5 feet below that line there was no snow on the trees and five feet above that line it looked like mother nature had hit the forest with an 80s hair band dose of Aquanet.

 

 

 

Back to the story - the guys all dressed up with nowhere to go - took a very stately cigar break before they loaded into the trucks to four wheel over to the wedding.  Bottom and right images by Sean. 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow's post - SNOWPOCALYPSE HITS PA - AGAIN - and Megan and Jon's ceremony by the fire :-)