🍎 🐈 ❤️ Apples, and cats, and sunsets, oh my: how I love being a Carlisle Wedding Photographer!  Sarah & Dom met at an animal rescue shelter bonded over caring for cats and found out that they are the puuuurfect pair!   They joined me for a fun-filled day at Toigo Orchards, on farmland just outside of Carlisle, Pennylvania.  Thank you for letting me into your playful world filled with deep authenticity, fierce fun and of course cats!!  You inspired me creatively and for that I’m fuuuurever grateful!  (sorry I couldn’t help myself!)

Sarah shares, “Dom would vacuum the animal shelter with a cat riding his shoulder or just sit with a bunch of little kittens getting jumped on! It was so endearing.”

Dominic adds, “I found Sarah to be so selfless. I remember her sitting with a scared cat for hours, she even sang to her! Sarah has such a huge heart!”

Why Rhinehart Photography?

Sarah says, “Looking at photographers was difficult for me since most of the ones I saw were pretty bland and reminded me of those JCPenny family photos where everyone looks so unimpressed and doesn’t want to be there. I stumbled across Lisa’s page and was FLOORED. It honestly captured the essence I was looking for whimsical with a fun-loving creative flare. The way she captured tender moments made me even more excited to get married! I thought to myself: my future grandkids can look at these and get a window into our relationship, like ‘Wow, once upon a time grandma and grandpa were a hoot!'”

She adds, “I have also always loved fairy tales, and seeing the different colors and tones made me want to instantly book! Dominic was worried about our wedding photos before we even got engaged since he claims to be utterly unphotogenic. He saw Lisa’s work and said, ‘I think I can look good with this photographer!'” 

Oh my goodness, you two are the sweetest!  Thank you for your very kind words, and Dom, I got you, you got nothin’ to worry about!

The Purrfect Match 😻

Sarah smiles, “I met Dominic on a cold, early Saturday morning at the cat rescue/shelter that I work at and boy was I surprised! Here came this tall, muscular man wearing a cap, shirt with sleeves rolled up, and a freaking toothpick in his mouth saying ‘Hi.’. I swear the first thing I thought was ‘Oh shit he’s good-looking.’ And then awkwardly asked him, ‘Hi, are you here for community service hours?’ *laughs* the poor guy looked so shocked when he said he was there to volunteer and I was so embarrassed.”

Dominic laughs, “You and the manager both thought that! I couldn’t believe guys don’t typically volunteer with cats unless they *have* to– they are missing out. Happily, Sarah figured out I wasn’t just cleaning and carrying stuff because I was forced to, haha, and our friendship began.”

She adds, “Dominic is very smooth as well – he took a great cat photo and wanted to share it with me.  I walked away all happy when I got the photo of one of the best cat shots, then realized I had given the man my number! He was very excited and I’m sure the cat got a kiss from him that day!”

The Cat Who Played Cupid

Sarah shares, “Back in May 2023, Dominic decided to adopt a lovely pair of bonded siblings named Sonny and Cher. Sonny kept having bad digestion issues and I was helping Dom through that and getting the cats to adjust to their new home and new dad. One day I went to give him a cat tunnel toy that my own fur babies didn’t use anymore and we ended up sharing a lot about ourselves and I gave him a kiss. From there, we have been pretty inseparable.”

Dominic smiles, “You really helped out when Sonny was sick by checking in on me and answering my questions. You even visited him to check up on how he was doing and brought care packages.”

Sarah says, “I was worried about you and him. The poor boy was sick and you are a first-time cat owner… What a way to get tossed into the feline fire!”

Toigo 🍎 A Carlisle Wedding Photographers Dream

When I got to meet Sarah & Dom and talked to them about the sort of vibe they were going for, I thought Toigo Orchards would be a really great fit, it was even better than I imagined!  I reached out to several of my friends who work there, and they totally hooked us up!

She says, “Toigo was so fun! We got to meet some barn cats, play with an old truck, climb ladders and apple trees, and explore the orchard to our hearts’ content! We don’t take ourselves very seriously and so being at Toigo just doing whatever came to mind was so nostalgic. When we are together, the feelings of pure joy and love flow and so you can embrace that childhood feeling of being carefree.”

Incredible places like this, so close to my home, and so deeply rooted with some of my best friends, are a lot of what keep me anchored to small town Pennsylvania :).   So proud to be currently ranked as the top wedding photographer in Pennsylvania and incredibly pleased to be one of several talented Carlisle Wedding Photographers.

🍎Rustic Romance

Sarah continues, “Often, we forgot about the camera and just were chatting and cracking jokes! I love seeing Dominic smile and my antics tend to crack quite a few of them! He is so loving and funny – we just are able to go with the flow with one another without stopping!”

Sarah says, “We love animals and going fruit picking whenever we have free time. It felt like the right choice for us to get away from the city lights and embrace our love of nature (despite us being allergic to every pollen out there!) Our first dates were to go to zoos and pick grapes to make jam. We ate so many off the vine I don’t know how we didn’t turn into a glass of wine, haha!”

I love how Toigo gave us free reign here, what an absolute treat– and if you haven’t heard of them their produce is served at many elite restaurants in DC and NYC,  which are two places I work often too!  A few years ago, I was photographing a wedding across from the White House and eating brunch inside before heading up to the bridal suite– I ordered a dish featuring Toigo produce!!  It was literally listed on the menu as such!!

Nods to 1950’s/60’s Nostalgia

Sarah shares, “I would say we are old souls. I distinctly remember meeting his parents and talking about musical taste. We talked about how much Dominic and I enjoy early 20th-century music and how much we appreciate instrumental pieces. Dominic is a big fan of music from the ‘50s and ‘60s and we are having a pastel-colored wedding so…it made sense!”

Dominic adds, “Don’t forget to mention how you thought how fun the colors we wore looked very much like an old school ice cream parlor.”

Sarah exclaims, “You should’ve seen my excitement at the lilac pants he wore! I thought ‘ICE CREAM!!'” 

Imagine their surprise when seeing this perfectly placed *pastel* farm truck!?!

Apple Pickin’🍎

They had so much fun picking apples and were the cutest team from climbing on his shoulders, spinning her around and even maybe taking a little nibble…

Sarah smiles, “Dominic is sweeter than any shiny red apple! 😊 He always makes me feel so loved and he brings me chocolates and coffee and snacks… Apple picking could never beat him!”

Sarah shares, “We always have a blast together! We never argue and we have such good and open communication that nothing in our relationship phases us. We make funny sounds together and listen to podcasts in the car as we make our own commentary. It’s always so fun together!”

🌞Life is Golden: Dom’s Thoughts

Dominic shares, “Sarah just gets me. I see us getting old together and still being able to express ourselves however we like. I feel safe with her and I can tell her anything that no one else knows about me. Sarah never judges and always listens to me with love and affection. She is my everything.”

He continues, “Besides the whole, she is beautiful, smart, and funny…I found her so selfless. She tended to the cats and everyone around her without a second thought and I remember her singing to a cat who was scared and sitting with her for hours.”

He smiles, “Sarah is truly an amazing person. Her heart is so full of love and she is so sweet that it makes me tear up sometimes. She goes out of her way for people and animals and she has made me feel so loved. I’m an introvert and she just pulls out of me out of my shell… She’s so special.”

🌞Life is Golden: Sarah’s Thoughts

She adds, “Honestly, I still can’t believe he fell for me looking like a literal cat lady… covered in fur, cat food, medicine, and God knows what else!”

Sarah continues, “I think what drew me to Dominic was the same thing: how selfless and kind he is. I remember passing by the rooms he would be cleaning and being a feline magnet! He would vacuum with a cat riding his shoulder or just sit with a bunch of kittens getting jumped on! It was so endearing.”

Sarah shares, “Dominic makes me feel safe and sound. I am someone who has a chronic illness and unfortunately have had a plethora of negative experiences with it. Dominic accepts that I may not have a good day. He truly wants to be there for me as I want to be there for him. In my lowest low and darkest dark, Dominic is and will be cheering me on. And vice versa. He will never be alone since he always has me, too!” 

At the End of the Night, Looking Ahead…

Sarah laughs, “We look forward to being on our honeymoon hahaha! Planning a wedding isn’t for the faint of heart. Dom and I are super excited for everyone to celebrate, eat good food, listen to great music, and just have a fun time! We really hope everyone can enjoy themselves to the fullest. The two of us care about every single person who will attend be it a vendor or a family member and at the end of the day, taking the time to share in our love means the world to us!”

She continues, “We met in a place where we shared our love to those less fortunate and we continue to share our love with others be they human or furry friends. Meeting each other changed the trajectory of our lives. We both wanted to do some good and help animals and ended up finding each other. It’s true that you find love in the most unexpected places. We thank our lucky stars that we crossed paths.”

Sarah concludes, “I may have thought he looked like a thug at first and he thought I was a cutie cracking jokes to cats but funny enough we are here now. Still sipping on coffee and munching on ice cream even in winter. Together with Sonny and Cher the fluffiest siblings around. Sonny may have been sick for a month but he was the best wing cat a man could ever ask for!”

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