Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer | Christina Montemurro bio picture

  • Hello! I’m Christina.

    Welcome! If you're looking for a wedding or portrait photographer in the Pittsburgh area, you're in the right place.

    Choosing a photographer is one of the most important decisions you'll make during your wedding planning. It's so important to find someone you can trust to capture the big and small moments of your wedding day, and someone who makes you feel comfortable at ease.

    I'm known for being laid back and relaxed, and respect that this is your day to celebrate and enjoy. My goal is to get you beautiful images efficiently and unobtrusively so that you have lots of time for fun.

    Please look through my galleries and scroll down for recent work, and then contact me to reserve your date!

Monthly Archives: November 2009

Jill & Todd { Pittsburgh Marriott City Center }

November 23, 2009

A fabulous wedding at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center!

Saturday, November 21, did not bring the 70-degrees-and-sunny weather we had the previous Saturday, but 50-something and not raining is still fine by me. Especially in November. So it was a pleasure to assist the talented and vibrant Randi Voss in photographing Jill and Todd’s wedding.

The Wedding – St. Philip’s in Crafton

I spent a little time with the guys before the ceremony at St. Philip’s in Crafton.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography - Groom and Groomsmen at St. Philip's Crafton

Uncle Matt here got a little silly for his one-on-one photo with Todd.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer - St. Philip's Crafton

Full of fabulous expressions all day, here’s Jill just before heading down the aisle.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer- Bride at St. Philip's Crafton

Just married!

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography - St. Philip's Crafton

Christina Montemurro - Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer-200911212697

Bridal Party Photo Time!

First stop – Mount Washington, West End Overlook

I have to include this next one… not just because I love how Groomsman Matt perched himself up there, but because my 4-year-old, Leo, saw this over my shoulder and asked, “is that George Washington?”

No idea what he’s learning in Pre-K…

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer - West End Overlook

And then on for some photos in Oakland…

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer - Mellon Institute

Reception – Pittsburgh Marriott City Center

Jill and Todd’s reception was at the Marriott City Center in downtown Pittsburgh, next to the Mellon Arena and new hockey rink.

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Wedding Cake

I love when brides and grooms use names instead of numbers for tables. And Jill and Todd personalized theirs even further by explaining the significance of each title on the back of the card.

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Table Name Cards and Centerpieces

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Toast

Maybe my favorite father-daughter dance ever! Jill loves baseball, so she and her father danced to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Father Daughter Dance

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Mother Son Dance

And I love when there’s a band! Nightlife had everyone dancing.

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Dancing - Nightlife

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Reception - Dancing - Nightlife

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photography - Reception - Dancing - Nightlife

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Photographer - Reception - Dancing - Nightlife

It was also a pleasure to meet Barb and Gordon Schu, who are creating Jill and Todd’s wedding video.

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center

112 Washington Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 471-4000

2 comments

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend

How Photographers Dream of Alligators

November 22, 2009

This past Friday, I had a dream that there was an alligator in my house. I saw it in the hallway on the first floor and it scurried off into the office, a room with just one way in and out.

While it wasn’t a full-grown alligator, it was no baby, either. Probably about four feet long and maybe 50 pounds. Certainly it was enough alligator to alarm!

In reality, I imagine if I’d just seen an alligator in my house, I would call 911. Or at least call for my husband, Matt, who in the dream was upstairs. But in the dream, all I could think was, “I need to get a picture of this!” And I woefully realized that all of my camera equipment was, of course, in the office. With the alligator.

I tried to devise ways that I could somehow get through the room and over to my camera, lying on the table. I tried to remember which lens was on the camera, and thought about whether it would be the optimal choice for that situation when there’s an alligator in your house.

A little bit of sense came to me as I thought of Chase Jarvis and his book The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You. In this case, I thought Chase was right, and that the best camera was the one that was not in a room with an alligator in it. And so I retrieved my point and shoot from my purse, which was easily accessible.

I then crept into the office, peeking around the corner. No alligator. I figured it had to be under the futon, and as I bent over to look underneath, sure enough, an alligator jaw emerged and chomped my hand. Rather gently, though, for an alligator. It was a hard enough bite to hurt, but not hard enough to do any real damage.

And then it took off, back through the house and out the front door, and a moment later Matt came downstairs. I told him there had just been an alligator in our house. Really! I know it sounds crazy, but there was!

He didn’t believe me.

I’ll never know what would have happened next, because my dog woke me up. THE END!

1 comment

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend

Chocolate + Beer = Happy Me

November 19, 2009

I know – you may be thinking, “chocolate and beer? Is she crazy?” Well – let’s just move on from the crazy part. And focus on the deliciousness that it is a fine chocolate stout.

Many years ago, I discovered Brooklyn Chocolate Stout.  This is the perfect beer to sip (or chug, if you lack patience or discipline), sitting in a comfortable chair in front of your fireplace on a cold day. At 10.15% ABV, you might want to be careful, though, when you get up out of that chair, as it does pack a bit of a wallop. It’s not a beer to drink every day, but it does make a rather tasty treat.

And as it’s not really an every day beer, it would be nice if Brooklyn would include the chocolate stout in a variety pack with some of their other choice ales. But alas, the Brooklyn variety packs don’t include the chocolate stout. And here in the great state of Pennsylvania, you have to buy beer at either a “beer distributor,” which means by the case or keg, or at a “bottle shop” or a bar that sells beer by the 6-pack. Well… with my busy schedule and love of beer, I prefer to buy my beer by the case. It’s a better deal than buying 6-packs and more convenient for me.

So… I was happy to discover that Vermont brewery Harpoon has added a chocolate stout to their lineup. And not only that – it’s in their variety pack! Yay!

At the end of a busy day, I do love to kick back with (one) beer, and the Harpoon chocolate stout is every bit as tasty as the Brooklyn. At 6.3% ABV, it’s not as overpowering as the Brooklyn. Thank you, Harpoon!

Side note: in looking for the links included above, I discovered you have to confirm you’re over 21 to enter the brewery websites. Interesting that you can’t even look at beer or read about beer until you’re 21!

no comments

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend

« Older posts

_

Copyright © 2010 Christina Montemurro | Customized by Luxecetera | ProPhoto WordPress Blog by NetRivet