Authentic and down-to-earth,  Heather and Darrin’s small-town church ceremony followed by a rustic Bell Mountain Estates wedding reception was perfectly tailored to fit them.  A woodfire pizza truck with all the fixins’, a faith-centered celebration, a dozen couples who shared heartfelt marriage advice mid-ceremony, and a couple that is so in love that they seem to glow in the dark.  Oh, and did I mention the lavender confetti, line dancing, and a full moon?  You’ll need to see this for yourself!

Why Rhinehart Photography?

Heather smiles, “Lisa’s portfolio was by far the best we had seen when searching for photographers for our wedding.  We chose to have only Lisa there because we felt we could trust her sense of composition, and artistic sense in capturing key moments in a non-traditional way, which was most important to us.  After meeting her for the first time, she immediately made us feel so comfortable sharing such an intimate day with her!” 

Putting Our Minds at Ease

Heather shares, “I remember the day of the wedding I was gathering all the last-minute things to bring the day together. It was so nice looking down and seeing a text from Lisa saying that she was at the church and getting in her creative space. It was so lovely having her extend that ease and comfort which made the day that much more enjoyable.”

I love to hear couples feel at ease when working with me. 🙂

Heartfelt Church Ceremony Starts the Day

Here Darrin watches as his beautiful bride approaches the altar with tears gleaming in his eyes:

I absolutely love this photo of Heather and her father hugging as he “gives his daughter away.”

The black and white really shows the emotion and the beautiful detailing on Heather’s gown!

Meaningful Ceremony

Darrin says, “The verses that were chosen during our ceremony are ones that we have heard at weddings before.  We put a fun personal touch to them, by defining ways to execute them in real life.”

Heather & Darrin really took the time to make their wedding day exactly what they wanted. It was so personal and meaningful to them.

Now Heather is the one with tears in her eyes:

Touch Means so Much

When their Pastor asked them to hold hands it was simply magical.

Getting the chance to photograph small moments like this is one of my favorites. I love the way their hands are intertwined during the ceremony.

A Blessed & Supported Marriage

Heather explained, “We wanted the scriptures to stand out as meaningful, worth something to us and for our guests. We had several of couples that we admire give their interpretation of the scriptures and real-life applications for us on how to apply them to marriage.”

Heather continues, “It has been such a blessing having friends and family there to support and love on us through this process.  Both Darrin and I’s parents and close friends have been staples in our lives through the years and it was so incredible to have them speak truth into our relationship as it starts as husband and wife.”

These were some of my favorite photos of the day, you get such a sense of community and emotion here:

Husband & Wife

So much joy was shown at this intimate wedding ceremony. I love the wildflower arrangements as well.

Awwww wedding guests praying for them:

Congratulated by Family & Friends

Seeing the joy on Heather & Darrin’s faces when talking to their family and friends after the ceremony was priceless!

Lavender Confetti 

Heather smiles, “Ahhh the lavender! Rose petals and lavender… we just wanted something different to throw and celebrate us walking out of the church. Why not have something that smells like sweet perfume?!”

I loved the floral petal exit. Such a fun way to involve guests and it’s environmentally friendly!

The Best of Friends

Darrin says, “We chose couples that knew our story both individually and together as a couple, that were also dear friends of ours and held God at the center of their relationship.”  

Here are the couples that shared marriage advice during their ceremony:

A Prayer Alone

I knew how important Heather and Darrin’s faith is to them.  Rather than starting into traditional wedding portraits right away.  I suggested now that they are officially married they start with a prayer.  They loved the idea and were so sweet together.

Married Couple’s Embrace

After their prayer, they hugged and it was beautiful.  What better feeling is there than hugging your new husband or wife on your wedding day? Love this shot that shows off all the beautiful flowers and details.

Best Dressed Son

Here Caden gets ready for his family portraits.  How cute, seriously– a handsome gentleman!

Two Families Become One

Heather says, “We both have different stories, but similarly know heartache.  We wanted to make this moment of joining families as valuable as possible.  With two children, Caden and Bella, we want as much help, love from friends, and wisdom poured into us as possible.  We love our new family!  Darrin and I both waited a long time to find this kind of pure and deep love.”

Artistic Perspectives

Here I photographed Heather & Darrin from the reflection in the mirror of the Mustang. I love to get creative on a wedding day, and always have my eye out for reflections.

1966 Mustang

Darrin shares, ” My brother let us borrow his 1966 Mustang to ride in style to the reception.”  

What a fun car!

Wife by His Side

Darrin smiles, ” It was such a cool experience driving a car with that much horsepower and such a unique look and feel.  I’ve driven it before, but it was much cooler having my wife beside me this time. Definitely, the most memorable time driving the car.”

Just a Moment Alone

I had the chance to use my creativity and get both sides of the venue at the same time.

I love seeing all the guests inside while Heather & Darrin spend time alone outside.  Those little girls!

First Dance Time

Heather shares, “I think Darrin did a great job with our first dance! It’s fun dancing with him and was comfortable even in front of people. It was super sweet not to just practice anymore, but to dance as husband and wife finally!”

The Family Dance

Darrin smiles, “We practiced that dance only a handful of times and so I was very nervous. The kids though were not a bit nervous!  They did an excellent job and timed everything out perfectly just as we practiced altogether!”

I love how the sunlight illuminates them.  I kept all the key players in the frame, from the kids to the couple to the supportive wedding guests surrounding them:

Parent Dances at Belle Mountain Estates

How sweet are these expressions– you can feel the love for sure!

Darrin’s mom looks absolutely angelic in this image.  I wanted to show the sun’s light, the emotions of the dancers, and support from the family in the background, too.

Again, using that sunlight to bring in that love & Spirit-filled vibe.

A Surprise Line Dance

Darrin laughs, “My mom was very nervous about the dance. She doesn’t like to be the center of attention. I told her to relax and to have fun with it. Once the music changed and people started joining in she was more relaxed and enjoyed the moment.”  

I love the sunburst in the corner– it brings in that Spirit-filled feeling for sure:

Lol, love the crowd’s initial reactions framed in Darrin & his mom’s arms:

Everyone joined in in no time and was all smiles.  Again I wanted to bring in the light as much as possible, and really show how such *Spirit* and joy was felt there:

Match Made in Heaven

Heather & Darrin are seriously one of the sweetest couples. I loved getting to know them throughout our time together. 🙂

The Perfect Prayer

Darrin smiles, “Caden’s speech was beautifully done!  We were both so proud of him for standing up in front of everyone and saying such a heartfelt prayer. It was very special to hear those kind words that he spoke. It brought tears to my eyes and to several others.”

Here Heather gives him support just before he speaks.  Again I wanted to bring in that surreal spiritual feeling and brought in a reflection in this case.

Words from the Heart

Darrin continues, “He wrote it a day earlier on the patio when we were thinking of asking our pastor, Luke, to do the prayer.  Caden asked if he could.   Heather gave him a piece of paper and when he asked what he should say,  Heather told him to write what was on his heart and what he is grateful for.”

Wood-Fire Pizza Truck

Darrin smiles, “I know pizza is Heather’s favorite food, especially woodfire. The traveling wood-fired pizza truck was a perfect fit for our wedding. They made so many wonderful types of pizza that Heather and I had to try them all!!”

Amazing Vendors

Heather shares, “Zoe, owner of Pappas Pies, was phenomenal. She made each decision easy, allowing all different kinds of toppings to offer our guests.  She and her husband were wonderful.”

Sporty Vibe for the Gym Teacher

The sporty vibe was only fitting for this gym teacher and his bride.  Kids played football and volleyball among other physical activities.

The energy was high and the vibe was casual in this wedding.  Here boys play football behind the reception space.

Beautiful Bridesmaids with Wildflower Bouquets

I love to tell a story with my photos.  To show the bridesmaids laughing, and to have them framed by the couple, as Heather tells a story.

I loved the idea of bouquets made out of wildflowers. Each one was so unique (like her bridesmaids 😉 ) but used the same color palette of white and green to tie them together.

Sports at Sunset

I love the colors in the sunset here. Such a gorgeous early summer night.

Again, more sports, this time girls playing volleyball:

Bell Mountain Estates Wedding Reception

Heather smiles, “It was a great day to celebrate.  Good friends and family, beautiful weather, good food, music, and some yard games.”

She adds, “With the amount of kids that were there, Bell Estates was a perfect place for us.”

The Best Cake

Heather shares, “My good friend and wonderfully creative person, also named Lisa haha, made our wedding cake and all the individual ones as well! She is incredible! She baked up three different flavors and uniquely crafted ours, too! She perfected the design I was going for and made it all the more special that it was from her.”

So Happy with Lisa as Our Photographer!

Heather shares, “Through the evening of the reception we just loved having Lisa (Rhinehart this time, haha) as our photographer. She is such a personable individual that she makes her connections with her clients and surroundings come with grace and enjoyment.”

She adds, “Lisa truly kept us on track with the evening events while still feeling like part of our guests!  She was fluidly navigating amongst guests and kiddos out in the yard playing games capturing *all* of the wedding and reception in unique ways. Her compositions are fun, meaningful, and saturated with the moment’s feelings.”

This is the best compliment ever! Heather & Darrin’s wedding day was so much fun and I loved being a part of it!

Growing Old Together

Darrin shares, “I was blessed to have such a wonderful day and a beautiful bride.  I am most looking forward to growing old together.” 

This photo so makes me think of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”:

Heather & Darrin’s Wedding Slideshow

See even more photos from Heather & Darrin’s Bell Mountain Estates wedding set to music in the slideshow below!

Hungry for More?

• See additional church weddings here
• View another pizza reception here
• Check out a beautiful confetti exit here

Vendors

• Venue: Bell Mountain Estates – Most beautiful wedding venue!! Our guests raved about the estate, wide-open spaces, and gorgeous setting.
• Dress Boutique: Amber Rose Bridal Shop
• Florist: Back Mountain Floral Farm
• Catering: Kickin’ Kater – Best artichoke dip in Mifflin County! Wonderful joy to work with!
• Traveling Brick Oven Pizza: Pappa’s Pies – Zoe is AMAZING to work with! We were her first wedding and she was seamless, having best interests of clients,  consistently contacting and reaching out making everything very much at ease, offering a wide variety of pizza choices and salad.  I would recommend them over and over again.