A soft, romantic, rainy-day wedding for two best friends and high school sweethearts at the new Highland Lodge at Liberty Mountain Resort…

Kayla shared, “We chose Rhinehart Photography because we simply fell in love with your work. We wanted unique photographs that would capture our personalities. We absolutely loved working with Lisa and Kris on our wedding day. They kept us on track throughout the day and were super flexible, especially in accommodating our large bridal party. Lisa was great at coming up with fantastic ideas for pictures even though the weather wasn’t cooperating.”
I love capturing a couple’s look and style and when I saw the misty greens, blues and purples of the scene below and the plants that resembled succulents, I knew it was the perfect place to have Kayla and Andy take a stroll during their wedding day.  It really brings the whole soft, romantic, natural, purple-succulent look together.   It also captures Andy’s gentlemanly personality– I’d totally recommend opening your wedding album with that image, guys. 😉
You see what I mean about the bouquet?  Such a similar look and feel– it is by Koon’s Florist in central Pennsylvania…

As Kayla prepares to dress, the flower girl admired it and told her how beautiful it was.  Kayla shared, “It was so sweet to share in that special moment together. She was so excited to be a part of the day and she looked so beautiful in her dress!”
I like the way the sunlight illuminates the bodice of Kayla’s gown and her veil and bounces on the cheeks and fingers of the tiny flower girl– I have this photograph in color as well, but like the drama and contrast that the black and white image brings…

I like the intimate, timeless feeling of this next photograph.  Kayla’s maid of honor helps her to dress.  As she nimbly fastens buttons the beading on her veil and gown shimmer…

Andy shared, “I knew I loved Kayla from the moment I saw her.  I was so young, only 13, yet I was instantly captivated by her smile– it was (and is) so beautiful and genuine. Once I got to know the person behind that smile, I quickly discovered she’s as beautiful inside as she is out.”
Kayla shared, “I really wanted to wow Andy with my wedding dress.  I chose a lace gown that would be romantic, with an open back to keep it modern and fun.  I was so excited to show it to him!” No doubt that this will absolutely knock him out!   The dress is from Lilla’s Bridal Boutique in York, PA.

Kayla shared, “The first look with my dad was so incredibly special. Besides Andy, my dad is my best friend. We share a very special and unique bond. It was so special to have his blessing to marry Andy and to share this moment on my wedding day!”

Kayla explained, “I loved being able to see the look on the girl’s faces as I was walking down the stairs. They all looked so beautiful and happy!”

Now it was the boys turn in front of the camera–
Kayla shared, “I have always had a very special connection with Andy from day one. He’s such a caring and kind person. It’s hard not to love someone who is so thoughtful. Since before we were dating, Andy had this unique ability to make me feel like I was the only person in the room and that he only saw the beauty in me. He always made me feel like I was enough.”
Looking dapper, gentlemen…

Kris captured several great portraits of Andy, but this one is my favorite because it includes Maddie :).
Kayla shared, “Maddie has been a huge part of Andy’s life since his senior year in college. She’s an awesome dog, such a sweet girl!  It was so cool that she could still get some pictures with Andy on the morning of our wedding day!”

Kayla & Andy headed to the church.  Andy shared, “St. Joseph of Hanover is the Church Kayla went to since she was a little kid. She even went to school there. It was a very special place for us to gather our friends and families and share our wedding vows.”
Andy explained, “I was absolutely awestruck when I saw Kayla for the first time on our wedding day. She was just so beautiful and I kept feeling the urge to pinch myself because I didn’t think it was real. Her walk down the aisle seemed like it took days. I couldn’t wait for her to get up there to me so I could tell her how amazing she looked. It was the most surreal moment of my life and a moment I will never forget.”

They both had looks of pure joy on their faces when they met at the altar.  I snapped a couple of photographs during this moment, but this one is my favorite.  You can see their joy in the foreground, but you can also see wedding guests’ reactions.  Andy’s mother is framed between the two of them.
Andy shared, “We both aspire to strengthen and grow our marriage to be as strong as the relationship that my parents have.  They put each other first and are such an inspiration to us.”
Kayla continued, “The Kale’s were a huge part of our day. Andy’s mom had helped us out with anything and everything — they were so happy for us.”

Kayla explained, “Andy and I both grew up going to Catholic school since Kindergarten. We met in high school and were best friends immediately.”

I like the lines and textures in this photo–a subtle and beautiful capture by my best friend/husband/photographer, Kris…

Kayla explained, “We agree that the most special part of the day was just finally being able to see each other at the Church after much anticipation. Andy was dying to see my dress and I couldn’t wait to catch up with him. The days leading up to the wedding were packed full of things to do, it was nice to finally have the pressure off and to just be able to enjoy our day.”
She laughed, “We could not stop chit-chatting at the Church. We are best friends and have a hard time not being able to share everything with each other.”

Andy shared, “Kayla is my best friend and she makes my life better every day. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of life with anyone else. She will make an amazing wife and she will be an incredible mother. I’m so excited that I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”

I love capturing natural, candid moments like this– Kayla feels her wedding band on her hand for the first time and laughs out loud!   Things just got real for these two, haha ;).

Another natural, candid moment– the bride and groom receiving communion for the first time as husband and wife.  Here the priest holds up the body of Christ.  I focused on it sharply, moving a bit so that it would stand out against the dark wall, also capturing the lines and shadows on the priests face and allowing Kayla and Andy to subtly frame the photograph.

The blessing…

Kiss the bride…
Andy shared, “Kayla makes my life better every day. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of life with anyone else. She will make an amazing wife and she will be amazing mother. I’m so excited that I get to spend the rest of my life with her by my side!”

Check out this cast of characters!  I really wanted to capture Kayla and Andy’s entire *seventeen* person bridal party in one image and also have them show some personality…

Kayla shared, “Andy and I chose Liberty Mountain Resort for our reception location because it was such a beautiful space. We loved the ‘wow” factor we had when we entered the building. We loved the fireplace and the awesome view of the golf course from the deck.”
While I captured the fireplace in the background during their wedding reception traditions, Kris captured the groomsmen with the beautiful mountain view behind them here:

Haaaa!  When Andy was in high school he dressed up as a penguin for Halloween one year.  He continued wearing the costume to college Halloween parties, so here the groomsmen showing off the playful twist to their wedding attire…

Pretty in purple…
Kayla shared, “I love the color purple so we decided to go with different variations of the color to keep it interesting.”
She continued, “Each of my girls are unique and I wanted to show that off. I felt that the colors and the styles of their dresses were similar enough to allow the girls to be unique. The flowers helped to tie that look together.”

Kayla shared, “We really liked that they had a hotel and bar so all of our guests could enjoy themselves before and after the official reception. We knew you would be able to capture some really awesome pictures there!”
Andy laughed, “Kayla is always down for a good time and is the only girl I’ve met who likes to party as much as I do!”  Kayla really wanted to do a shot with all of her bridesmaids at the bar before the reception– bottoms up, ladies!

Kayla shared, “Andy and I met in high school and became best friends immediately.  He played football and I cheered. I always asked for Andy to be ‘my football player’ so I could wear his number on my cheek, decorate his locker and give him candy before games.” 🙂
Andy explained, “Once our relationship finally took that next step it all came so naturally, the strength of our existing friendship made everything so easy. I fell in love with her so quickly and I never had anyone love me and care for me as deeply as Kayla does. I’m so blessed to be able see the same beautiful smile I fell for when I was 13, every day for the rest of my life!”

Kayla shared, “Andy was always my go-to person in time of need or to celebrate life’s successes. I knew Andy had feelings for me but didn’t want to lose my best friend if things wouldn’t work out. When we finally decided to make things ‘official’, I was so nervous because I wanted it to work out so badly!”
She continued, “Dating Andy felt natural. We had the firm foundation of our strong friendship to build on, so our relationship really flowed naturally and we have never looked back!”
For me this photo captures that connection, commitment and sentiment of “never looking back.”  I wanted the shot to feel soft and romantic and chose my lens and position (adjacent to the weeping willow) accordingly…
So happy together…
Andy shared, “Kayla is absolutely perfect for me in every single way. She is so loving and caring and is the type of person that would do anything for anybody. She is always down for a good time, yet is also driven and extremely hard working. Her work ethic is unmatched, she has so many goals and she is always achieving them. She is so supportive of me in everything I do, she doesn’t allow me to settle for less than I deserve. She pushes me to better myself every day and is always there to help pick me up when I am down.”
I love playing with reflections– here the water is moving, creating interesting patterns on its’ surface.  Kayla and Andy in this image…

Kayla explained, “Andy and I work well because we complement each other – Andy is very laid back and easy going, whereas Kayla is very detail oriented and a planner. We push each other to be the best people we can be. Even though we grew up quite differently, we are able to share our differences to teach the other.”
Andy shared, “I’m looking forward to cherishing each and every day with her.  I look forward to making that house our home together with our dog Maddie and then eventually growing our family. Every day will be an adventure and I wouldn’t want to spend it with anyone else.”

Andy was always quick to lend a helping hand.  Here he helps to carry her train as they explore the grounds of Liberty Mountain Resort and Highland Lodge together.
Kayla shared, “Andy’s wedding band was picked to tie into his Irish heritage and love of Norte Dame. The Celtic knot has strong ties to the Catholic Church.”

Always a gentleman, here Andy helps Kayla to warm up, offering her his jacket….

Kayla shared, “We really enjoyed having that space and alone time to ‘catch our breath’ after the whirlwind of activity earlier during our wedding day.  We really enjoyed having that quality time alone together as you took our pictures.”

Liberty Mountain Resort‘s new Highland Lodge is stunning with its’ vaulted ceilings and exposed wood beams and can accommodate over 250 guests.  A truly unique venue in Central Pennsylvania.
I appreciated the natural, neutral backgrounds and could imagine them working well with any color scheme…

And for the first time in public the Mr & Mrs, I love how excited they are here…

I knew that the fireplace was a real highlight for Kayla and Andy and one of the elements they loved about Highland Lodge, so I made sure to capture it when I could.  Here are a few of the reception traditions…

Here is their naked cake– that’s right, no fondant, accented with different shades of purple flowers, matching her bridesmaids’ gowns… beautiful job as always by Main Street Sweets:

Crazy cake smash…
Kayla shared, “At our engagement party, I was able to really get Andy good in a cake smash. Fearful of revenge in a white dress and perfectly applied makeup, we swore to each other to not smash cake. Our DJ (Bill Cappetta of Music Productions) actually came up with the idea to smash the cake in our best man and maid of honor’s faces. We loved the idea and thought it would be hilarious.”
The color photo shows the start of the smash, the photo below shows the “trick,” it all ended with clean-up, laughter and hugs…

Speaking of hilarious, check out the garter toss…

Yep, the kid caught it!

Andy shared, “Kayla’s grandparents and great aunt and uncle won the anniversary dance. They both were married 6 months apart from each other and married for 57 years!”
This is the moment they were announced the “winners”…

Kayla shared, “The popcorn favors were something we picked because we wanted something our guests would actually enjoy – who doesn’t love popcorn?!?  We added cute stickers to make it a little more personalized and ‘us’.”
Andy shared, “Kayla is slightly obsessed with popcorn – so it was perfect!”

By the end of the evening it was still raining, but Kayla and Andy embraced it and stepped out in it for a few minutes.   
Kayla shared, “The rain didn’t stop us from our happily ever after… if anything it made it unique and more memorable. I begged Andy to do the ‘Dirty Dancing’ lift for full effect, and he did, it was awesome!”

Kayla & Andy, thank you for choosing us!  It was so much fun to spend the day with both of you and I can’t wait to hear what you think of the blog!
If you’d like to see more of Kayla and Andy (and their dog Maddie) or hear more of their story, check out their fall engagement session here.  🙂