Engaged: Stephanie & Randy

Simplicity really is beauty.  This chic engagement session has three ingredients: a stunning sunset, white roses, and a bride and groom who are undeniably in love.  Put them together and you have these stunning shots captured by Kristi Telnov Photography.  If the engagement photos are any indication of how beautiful Stephanie and Randy’s May 2015 wedding is going to be, we’re in for a doozy.  Commence swooning.

From the bride-to-be…

When and how did you two meet?
Randy and I first met in the summer of 2002.  He ended up moving to Florida at the end of that summer and we lost touch.  In 2005, we ran into each other again by the power of mutual friends and have been together since.

Juicy details on the proposal, please!  Where, when, how?
Randy and I traveled to NYC to visit my brother, Scott, and his girlfriend, Gretchen, as well as celebrate New Years Eve with them!  Leading up to our trip, I had been wanting to get pictures in front of the fabulous tree at Rockefeller Center with all of us and also pictures of each couple.  On the day of December 31st, 2012 we woke up with a mission to get to the tree and Rockefeller Center before the crowd started to form in Times Square for the ball dropping that night.  When we got to the tree, there was a photographer that was set up to take pictures, so we started with our group pictures of all four of us.  Then, Scott and Gretchen got their pictures taken.  Finally, it was our turn and as I was telling Randy what pose I wanted to do first, I turned and he was bending down on one knee!  I could not believe this was happening, as my knees began to shake, and he asked me, “Stephanie Ann Werner, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”.  Of course, I said “YES!” and the whole moment was caught on camera.  It was perfect and will forever be a treasured moment to both of us.  Also, it was really cold out, but I refused to wear gloves after Randy proposed!

Describe your engagement shoot…the look, theme, style, etc.
The theme of our shoot was romantic and natural.  I wanted the love between Randy and I to be the focus of the shoot and really stand out in the pictures.  Kristi did an amazing job of capturing that and making us feel so comfortable during the shoot.  Our wedding is going to be black tie preferred, with our colors being black, white, silver, and Tiffany blue accents.  So I wanted our attire in our engagement shoot to reflect the more formal, romantic look that will be the setting for our wedding.

What inspired your vision?
I keep fresh flowers in our home at all times and, to me, roses are the most romantic of all, so I definitely wanted to incorporate fresh blooms into our shoot.  We ordered 10 dozen white roses to be used somehow and to add some more romance to the pictures.  Kristi helped with incorporating them so that they did not take the focus off of Randy and me.  The pictures turned out better than we could have even imagined.

Describe your upcoming wedding…the look, theme, style, etc.
Our upcoming wedding is definitely going to have the love Randy and I have for each other as the focus.  As for the look, we want it to be formal, but not stuffy.  We want our guests to have fun and be able to kick their heels off to get on the dance floor all night.  We will have lots of white flowers, silver and touches of black and Tiffany blue throughout the ceremony and reception.  St. Paul’s Cathedral is the head of the Catholic Diocese in Pittsburgh and the most stunning church we have ever been in.  The PAA’s ballroom does not disappoint with the look we are going for either, with their white pillars lining the dance floor and the beauty of the room falling right into place with our vision.  There is going to be enough going on to keep everyone enjoying themselves throughout the night.

What will make your wedding unique?  
We will not be stopping the party at the end of the reception.  We will be continuing to an after party located in the downstairs of our reception venue where there is a full bowling alley, bar, and room to dance.  We will have surprises throughout the night and we cannot wait to celebrate with our families and closest friends.

What are you most looking forward to about your wedding?
I am just looking forward to giving my heart and all my love to the man of my dreams for the rest of my life and becoming his wife.  The celebration that follows that, is just the icing on the cake.

Bride to Bride

What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
Enjoy the process of planning this day for you and your groom.  Don’t get lost in the production of the reception; remember to keep the focus on you two and why you are getting married in the first place. Randy and I had a longer engagement, which definitely helped in the stress of getting things completed, and have enjoyed the process of planning our day.    Our parents have been a huge help throughout the process and we wouldn’t have been able to make our vision come alive without them!

Any must haves, must dos, can’t live withouts?  Anything you would do differently?
MUST DO:  My mom and I went to so many bridal shows, not knowing what to expect for our first one, but we had so much fun!  Again, enjoy the process; we looked forward to spending that time together, try out a few photo booths, try desserts, and go through all the vendors for information.  It helped our process and also added some fun into it.  We even did one with Randy, my dad, and Randy’s mother.  I wouldn’t do anything differently, everything has been working out the way we have been hoping it would.

Congrats Stephanie and Randy!  I can’t wait to see how your big day turns out!