Natasha & Rob’s Bond Wedding in York, PA was unique, vibrant and overflowing with emotion!
They infused the day with color, from cobalt bridesmaids’ dresses to bright colorful bouquets. I was able to continue that vibrancy, incorporating local murals in the Royal Square downtown to really amp it up!
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Natasha & Rob share, “We were looking for a female photographer and we felt that Lisa’s personality was a great fit for us. (Being a petite brunette may also have been in her favor haha)!”
She continued, “Her weddings were atypical in that she uses a lot of color and incorporates a different perspective than more traditional wedding photo layouts and poses. We didn’t want our photos to be the same as everyone else’s, just as we wanted our wedding to be unique with its blend of traditional and unconventional elements.”
Cobalt Skies & Dresses
I knew the church was important to Natasha (more on that later) so when I arrived I made sure to get a shot of just that. I love how the trees frame this shot and the vibrant blue sky almost seems to be mirroring Nathasha’s bridesmaids’ gowns!
A Creative Perspective
I love to bring a creative perspective when possible. This next shot shows both Natasha and her bridesmaid’s reaction because I’m using a silhouette and reflection. The image after that turns up the impact of her bouquet by including one of the bouquets from the wedding party.
Also, how stunning is Natasha?! Her mom did all of the ladies’ hair and they all looked beautiful.
Color, Color, Color
Natasha says, “Color, color, color, was our theme. There is a large trend right now in weddings for super clean, Pinterest-worthy, and in my opinion, colorless weddings. That just isn’t me. The best compliment I received on my wedding was a friend telling me that my wedding was so uniquely me and that it is was evident that it was my wedding and my vision and not someone else’s. I love bold bright colors and that was reflected in the gorgeous choice of my flowers. They were inspired by a bouquet Robert purchased for me right after Valentine’s Day in 2021.”
I love how bright and colorful Natasha & Rob’s wedding colors were. On a wedding day, I always make sure to get plenty of traditional portraits, like this one, in addition to all of my creative photos!
Love Letters from Paris
Natasha shares, “We met through friends at a party my junior year at Gettysburg College and originally connected because of a shared interest in foreign cultures and languages. At the time Rob had just returned from studying abroad in Russia and I was about to embark on my semester abroad in Paris, France. We had been dating for about 10.5 years when we got married.”
Rob shares, “Natasha and I wrote letters to one another when we first met. She was studying abroad in Paris and I was in graduate school at UMD. We exchanged letters during her six months in Paris, and I brought those with me to the wedding day. I also wrote a letter the night before our wedding day, that my groomsman, Matt, drove to her at the church. She wrote a letter to me that Matt had brought back. I had time to read her letter right before the wedding. I suspect her wedding morning was a bit more hectic than mine, so she didn’t get to read mine. It’s still sealed and she is saving it for our anniversary.”
Does it get any more romantic? I love that Rob used his official Gettysburg Stationary!
The Best Groomsmen
Rob shares, “The wedding day was surreal. We had to wait an extra year because of COVID, so there was a lot of “is this really happening” feelings. I had a lot of anxiety about forgetting something important on the wedding day because there was so much going on all at once. I’m lucky that I have a great crew of friends who were there and helped keep things together and light at the same time. They were super helpful in helping deliver supplies to the venue the day before, running gift bags to the hotel, and in making sure the day went off without a hitch.”
Natasha and Rob had two photographers in their package, which allowed us to do double duty and be two places at once. My second photographer, Sean, was photographing the groomsmen while I was with the bridesmaids. I kept him the loop from the start and also edited and processed all of the photos to give our work a cohesive look. He totally knocked it out of the park, especially with the men’s toast!
Daddy’s Little Girl
Natasha shares, “My Daddy and I have a very special relationship as he was a stay-at-home Dad after my little brother was born. I couldn’t ask for more amazing and supportive parents. I love them to death.”
She continues, “Our wedding was very tailored to us as we chose all our hymns and scriptures and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful, poignant, and perfectly us ceremony. As a musician, I attended a lot of rehearsals for both solo and musical ensembles in the sanctuary. I remember practicing walking down the aisle in the church as a little girl, so it was important to me to have that moment with my Dad.”
Natasha adds, “Our choice of processional song was very important as well because my mom shared with me her wedding bulletin and I chose the song that she walked down the aisle to. My Dad heard that song when he met my mother at the aisle and then again giving me away to Rob.”
It was so evident how special family is to Natasha. She even wore her mom’s veil during the wedding ceremony!
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Ceremony
Natasha shares, “I grew up going to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church with my family. Getting married to Rob there was especially important to me as my parents both came from different faiths (Lutheran and Russian Orthodox) and they chose their faith and this church together. We are a very close-knit family and my brother Matthew even works for the church so it just was the perfect setting.”
She continues, “What was also really important to me was to have both my past and present there to marry us. Pastor David Norris was my childhood pastor and it was the perfect fit to have someone who knew me as both a child and an adult marrying me to the love of my life. I also wanted to include someone from my present who I met as an adult and who also knew Rob, Pastor Timothy Funk. We thought it was a perfect mélange of the two.”
Meet the Parents
I know people typically think of my work as being colorful and candid, but I really am able to offer an eclectic mix. Natasha and Rob wanted traditional church portraits of family members following the ceremony. Here are just a few of those:
The Bond Wedding Reception
Natasha shares, “The Bond is the only one of its kind in the area and the name lent itself well to Rob’s love of James Bond movies and his work at the Fed. We were also looking for something that we hadn’t seen many people use so that we could make it our own.”
Natasha adds, “I did not want to have to deal with any form of weather on my wedding day, hence why I chose all indoor non-weather pending venues. While this may have proven a bit of a challenge in hindsight due to Covid, at the time I thought it was the surest way to have exactly what I wanted without worrying about the weather. In all irony, our wedding day was weirdly warm and it did rain so I am glad that I chose to have everything indoors.”
Bond Wedding Party
Natasha shares, “My family is very close-knit, and I was so glad to see my two brothers stand up for me on my wedding day. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish it without having my family’s support. My brothers keep me humble and laughing and they included Rob and made him one of the family so much so that sometimes I think they might like him more than me.”
Romantic Getaway, in the Rain!
Since Natasha and Rob chose not to have a first look, I photographed their romantic portraits while the guests and wedding party enjoyed cocktail hour. Natasha reminds me of Cinderella here, though her sparkly slippers stayed on, haha!
Royal Square Gardens
Rob smiles, “One of the many reasons I love Natasha is for her passion, and her desire to do things differently. She had this vision for how she wanted the wedding day to be, with the industrial-chic space in the Bond, and all the bright and vibrant colors of the floral arrangements. I love her passion for doing things her way.”
I loved being able to photograph inside The Bond’s new venue, Royal Square Gardens. Part of the reason I love working at The Bond is that the space is so unique– check out those chandeliers!
Colorful Murals in Downtown York
The Royal Square in downtown York has some cool murals. I love the color of this one specifically and felt like it fit Natasha and Rob’s colorful theme so well!
I had so much to play with from the mural itself to exposed brick and an open window. We had fun and it seemed like the rain stopped just for us. 🙂
Lucky in Love
Natasha smiles, “Rob has an innate kindness that draws people to him. He is clever and curious and has a wealth of random facts tucked into his brain that fascinates me. Rob is also a very loving person and I feel very lucky that I am the recipient of his love and he makes me laugh.”
Shared Love of Travel
Rob shares, “Natasha and I share many common interests, including travel and wine. She had the brilliant idea of using photos we had taken from our travels as the table numbers.”
So fun! There were so many different destinations on the table numbers– table nine was Paris and the colors kept coming!
Cookie Table Tradition
Natasha shares, “Traditions were important to us. With having a father who is from Pittsburgh and of Russian descent, it was important to have a Pittsburgh cookie table in which women and men in my life contributed to the cookies.”
Natasha continues, “My parents received letters from friends who attended, and even so many people came up to both of us after and during our wedding. Guests said our wedding ceremony was the most beautiful one they had ever attended, our food was delicious, they loved my dress, they had so much fun, and that the cookie table was a smorgasbord of yumminess.”
I love the look on this wedding guest’s face– she seems very impressed with the assortment, difficult decision!
The Bond Wedding Reception Traditions
Rob shares, “It was wonderful that we ended up getting married on my parent’s 39th wedding anniversary and it was special to have them dance to their wedding introduction song “Your kiss is on my list” by Hall and Oates, later during our reception. We didn’t plan to marry on their anniversary; it just happened that way because of the covid rescheduling. When we rescheduled, my mother was quite tickled when I told her that our wedding would be on October 16, her wedding anniversary.”
He continues, “For Natasha and I getting married in October meant a lot to us, as both our parents are in loving relationships and they were both married in October. Fall is also our favorite season by far.”
I love how Natasha’s mom is clapping in the background when they are introduced into the reception as husband and wife.
Heartfelt Speeches
Natasha says, “My best friend Dana was my MOH. She is an amazing person who is kind, smart, funny, and humble in her many many accomplishments. We met in girl scouts at about age 10 and have been best friends for over 20 years. Her speech made me laugh, it made me cry, and it reminded me of all of our wonderful adventures before Rob and also during my relationship with Rob. She might be MY best friend, but she has embraced our love and has supported us from day one.”
Rob shares, “Three of my groomsmen I knew from college. Two I grew up with, and my best man was my youngest brother, Patrick who is the baby of the family at 12 years my junior. He gave a speech that was very him and very heartfelt.”
Dessert & Father-Daughter Dance!
I love that Natasha & Rob’s cake had even more of their colorful flowers on top! The father-daughter dance between Natasha and her dad was a sweet moment as well.
Natasha shares, “The first dance between my Dad and I to “Be Careful It’s My Heart” was the only song I knew immediately would be played at our wedding because every time my Dad warms up on his trombone he plays it. We also watch the Holiday Inn every year at Christmas time.”
So fun that they sang to each other!
Grandma opens the Dancefloor!
Natasha shares, “My grandma who is about to turn 91 has told all of her 5 grandchildren as a response to any snarky comment or answer for basically every question that “I’ll dance at your wedding.” So it was so special that she danced with both Rob and I at our wedding. I was so happy that she was able to be there, I get emotional just thinking about it now.”
Proud Gettysburg College Alums!
Natasha & Rob share, “Our wedding was “Gettysburg Great” we were so lucky to have so many of our college friends able to attend. Two of Natasha’s closest friends Andrea and Dan, met for Friday lunches every week from junior year to senior year and have remained really close since. Our accompanist AJ was Natasha’s Freshman RA and Rob’s friend so it was perfect that our relationship exists with friends that knew us both before we met and after we started dating and has evolved since.”
Happily Ever After
Natasha shares, “We had a lot of people fly in from all over the country; shout out to honorary groomsmen Steve who flew in from San Francisco, and many who had not been anywhere or at this type of event for 18 months. So there was a different level of energy and joie de vivre that accompanied our event.”
Their wedding day went off without a hitch and I’m so happy to hear about how much fun their guests had! From a photographer’s perspective, The Bond in York, PA gave me so many fun elements to play with. From glass beads that I could light and bring in a disco ball effect to lights strung from a mature tree just outside of Royal Square Gardens. They provided the perfect backdrop for a twilight silhouette as you can see below. Again, almost giving a nod to the cobalt blue color scheme!
The Bond Wedding Vendors:
- Ceremony Venue: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Red Lion
- Reception Venue: The Bond
- Caterer: JDK
- Florist: Debbie Mylin
- DJ: Steve Smith of Ultimix DJ’s Inc.
- Cake: Sharon’s Sweet Beginnings
- Dress: Tamzen’s Bridal at Butler Manor
- Bracelets: Wire to Fire Jewelry by Kimberley Jade
- Ring: Diana Michaels
- Bridal Party Hair: Bride’s Mom, Debra
- Makeup & Nails: Bride
Hungry for More?
- See more of The Bond weddings on my blog
- Check out more central PA weddings here
- Click here to learn about how to book me as your wedding photographer