http://christieheimbachphotography.com/

Christie Heimbach Photography, Lancaster, PA (2026)

05/21/2026

Your wedding day venue should alleviate your fears, not be the cause of them…

I will die on that hill as someone who has seen terrible weather plans during a hurricane (unfortunately, not joking), menus that could LITERALLY kill the bride who has disclosed her allergies (yep, this is real too), and terrain meant for no one above 25 (so many grandparents wiping out)... Pair that with unhelpful wedding coordinators, or a bad parking lot, or an inconvenient traffic flow to the bar, and you have yourself a bit of a situation… Venues- the structure, the look, the staff- really dictate how your wedding day is going to feel.

One venue that I adoreeee, that really checks all the boxes, is Riverdale Manor in Lancaster, PA. You’d think I’d be sick of it after photographing dozens of weddings on site, but every wedding there feels so fresh, and alive, and I’m always thankful for getting to partner with a venue that I know is taking care of my clients.

Swipe through to see some of my favorite days, and if you’re still looking for a venue, check them out! (Riverdale, I’ll see you tomorrow! 😉)

04/28/2026

The amount of middle fingers I’ve witnessed waving out the window on side streets and highways is astounding… And always for the same reason. “They’re driving SO DANG SLOW.”

I have a vivid memory of coming home from my first ever serious first date. I was sixteen. It was 10pm. There were no other cars on the road, and this boy was driving 35 in a 55mph zone on his way to drop me back home. 100% grandpa driving status.

When I questioned him about it months later, I thought he’d laugh and give some excuse about “carrying precious cargo,” but instead he told me he was just trying his best to stretch out every single moment we could spend together. That being able to “slow down time,” even just for a moment, was a gift.

Obviously, we never scientifically slowed down time. But in the short time we were together, we moved slower, we took in every moment super intentionally. And I try to remember that when I feel frustrated on the road. I hope that someone is just taking a little extra with someone they cherish.

Okay Christie… NOW ONTO THE WEDDING DAY METAPHOR! 😂

There is nothing like a wedding day to pull your attention in a million different directions. The middle fingers are now rigid timelines and every one and their cousin twice removed asking for a photo. The incessant beeping and honking is the side questions, bad weather, anything not going quite according to plan.

It’s so easy to lose yourself in that. To get anxious from all the metaphoric and the actual noise.

And the easiest way to avoid it? Make yourself go 35 even in a 55. Take time to breathe and make all the eye contact with your loved ones. Understand that the most important moments are the ones where you’re connecting. (And as your friendly neighborhood photographer, I’ll do my best to not sob too loudly behind my camera and make everything weird).

Caroline and Brady had pretty much the picture perfect day. They rarely left each other’s side, completely present, enjoying every moment (even the insane windy ones by the river), and not letting a second of it slip by.

Vendor team:
.florist

04/16/2026

I have a blurb in my opening email to clients about how my background is an amalgamation of experiences that have perfectly blended together to make me the photographer I am today…

I mention having been a teacher, a nonprofit founder, and a project manager, with a tiny three word add on about also being an actor (which I hope infers my love of telling peoples stories).

Upon first reaching out, Jen, in all her enthusiastic glory said “wow. I can’t wait to hear about your acting career!” Why does this matter?

Jen took one of the smallest pieces of information about me (but a chapter of my life that I cherish deeply), and made me feel immediately seen. I think some still feel like the arts are a flippant way to spend professional time, but she saw a tiny glimpse of my passion and wanted to know more. A year later, her and her wife were sitting in the front section of the theater, supporting me as I made my acting comeback after twelve years away.

And this is who Jen and Kerri are. They’re women that are fiercely generous, hilarious, warm and empathetic, and when they allow you in their corner, their love runs deep. There are no two people on earth better suited for each other, and while it may sound just a bit cheesy, playing witness to their love story is truly a privilege.

Venue:
Florist:
Dj:
HMU:

03/23/2026

My simple trick for “sunshine” portraits?

I just… smile at people…

That’s it. No big secret.

Turns out if you show up warm and a little goofy and actually happy to be there, people feel it and will mirror that joy back to you.

I know it can be intimidating trying to get candids, not knowing how people feel about a camera being in their face, but I’ve found smiling at them really does make all the difference.

03/13/2026

✨Scroll to the end for a surprise.✨

My first cheek kiss with a boy happened in 5th grade, right before sprinting away and knocking myself to the ground with my rolling backpack as a bus full of my peers rolled right on by…

I got up bloody and bruised (both my knees and my ego), hoping my little boyfriend didn’t see. And if he did… hoping he’d still think I was cool.

And that, my friends, is often how I feel as a photographer trying to capture the art of your day on a shortened timeline.

Pulse racing from the pressure, trying to give the performance of my life for my clients, probably collecting embarrassing moments while attempting to look cool…

The unfortunate truth is wedding timelines go awry. Ties get left at hotels, the sky opens up right before a first look, transportation runs late. Over time I’ve learned to be flexible, and more importantly, to look for minute moments.

While I love when we can spend real creative time capturing portraits, it’s not always in the cards on a wedding day. Sometimes the timeline shifts. Sometimes portraits just aren’t the biggest priority for the couple.

This is where observation becomes everything.

Where are the in-between moments where I can sneak in a 30 second portrait without disrupting the flow?
 How can I capture the emotion that’s already happening between the couple and gently elevate it?
 Where is that sweet spot between documenting real life and polishing it into something grandma will want to hang on her wall?

Mel and George’s wedding this past November was a perfect example. Their original portrait window got trimmed a bit, but the way they moved through the day together made it easy to keep finding small openings to grab photos without stopping the momentum. I mean look at their faces. They RADIATE with love and deep companionship.

Those tiny slices of time added up to a gallery full of portraits that felt exactly like them.

Many captured in the margins of the day.

And equally as importantly, without me needing to sprint away afterward… which my 5th grade track record suggests is the safer choice.

03/12/2026

One of the best parts of this job is getting to watch the cycles of people’s lives happen in real time.

Most people think of wedding photography as showing up for one big day. But from my side it often feels more like getting invited into different chapters as they happen. Engagements. Weddings. Babies. New houses. An occasional “we got a puppy and now our entire personality is the puppy.” (Which I’m ALWAYS here for, and if you don’t believe me, ask to see my tattoo)

And every once in a while, the email sitting in my inbox is from someone I’ve known since I was three.

Sara and I go all the way back to preschool. She loved me through chaotic snack times, glue stick meltdowns, and that one time I decided to pull my skirt over my head during the Christmas play… 😅 While we lost touch during the middle of our adolescence, we reconnected again in highschool, and she’s always been someone I deeply admire.

And now she’s getting married to the love of her life.

Sara and Bec have built a really sweet life together in Phoenixville with their dogs Max and Rudy, a great group of friends, and regular Sunday dinners with Bec’s family. Bec proposed on a snowy hike for Sara’s birthday after secretly designing the most perfect ring (a plan that was almost ruined by an EZ Pass notification and a very observant dad). Sara, meanwhile, had also bought a ring because she had a feeling a proposal was coming at some point. Her big romantic plan lasted about as long as it took them to get home from the hike before she excitedly proposed right back.

We met up this past November for their engagement photos, and they both radiated warmth, coziness, and a go with the flow attitude. WILD seeing it was hailing literally marble sized pieces of ice at the beginning of their session.

I feel ridiculously lucky that this job keeps letting old friendships show up again in new chapters. And I’m even luckier that Sara found Bec, because she’s exactly the kind of person you hope your oldest friends end up with.

03/04/2026

Hi, I’m Christie, and I haven’t done an introduction post in… let me check… YEARS. 😂

My potentially unpopular opinion is that while yes, your photographer needs to be talented at their craft, the best are also a bit of a personality hire. And I think my personality is a direct result of some of my craziest life experiences.

So without further ado, here are some of the things that make me, ✨me ✨.

02/16/2026

Photograph the couple, yes. But don’t miss the hands that raised them.

The memories that are shared across wedding dinner tables and toasts?

While the couple may be the main characters, they aren’t the only characters.

Humans are developed through shared experiences.
And how cool is it that on a wedding day, each person who was part of the puzzle in shaping those individuals are together in the same room?

“Wow, she has her mother’s eyes…”
“Oh, he definitely has his father’s sense of humor…”

But it’s more than that. It’s the spectrum of experiences.
It’s the holiday parties. The family game nights. The friendships that lasted and the ones that quietly faded. The shared grief. The inside jokes. The ordinary Tuesdays that didn’t feel important at the time. All of it building two separate stories that somehow led to each other. That’s real-life magic.

And it’s why we treat every person who is part of your story as worthy of being photographed.

Because one day, the photo of your uncle laughing at a toast won’t just be funny. It will be proof he was there.

The blurry hug from your college roommate won’t just be a moment. It will be evidence of a chapter you once lived.

Weddings aren’t just about two people falling in love. They’re about the community that made them who they are.

Photograph the couple, yes. But don’t miss the hands that raised them.

02/12/2026

I shot my very first wedding in 2016, full of curiosity and ready to soak in every detail. I had had VERY few opportunities to observe a wedding in action, aside from my own, and went in wanting to learn the culture of the day from the inside out.

After about two years and 18 weddings, I started seeing wedding days differently. I knew where to pour my energy, when to be observant, when to be organized. The day became chunks of time: getting ready, first look, portraits, wedding party, ceremony, family formals, reception. Add sunset photos and flatlays, and there it was, a full timeline.

That structure brought clarity on hectic days. The rigidity actually made room for flexibility when things went wrong. I shot hundreds of weddings focused on those main chunks, taking a breath when one ended and gearing up for the next.

But a few years ago, something shifted. Putting the day into neat boxes, while helpful for my couples, dulled my own curiosity. When I thought I knew what to expect, I stopped looking as closely. So I pushed myself back into curiosity. And when I did, I started seeing the full day again.

I now see guests hugging after years apart.

I see your people turn to each other after you walk back down the aisle, their most honest reactions written across their faces.

I see the soft squeeze of mom and dad’s hands before the processional.

The bridesmaid trimming an inch off her dress in a panic.

I see the glances, and the tears, and the spills, and the eye rolls, and the sneaky side kisses, and the family dynamics, and all the love you can possibly imagine. Sometimes these things explode out of a wedding day. And other times, they are so subtle, and you have to be part photographer, part treasure hunter to truly do the day justice.

So I encourage my photographer friends to be treasure hunters… not just going off of the map, but looking for clues and hints all along the way.

And to future engaged couples, find vendors who promise you curiousity and acceptance during every part of your big day.

02/04/2026

I’ve spent years (quite literally years) not posting because I couldn’t (and can’t) come up with words that feel like they do justice when posting about someone’s wedding day.

How do I possibly put a sentiment to the weight of the trust my couples decide to have in me? And how can I post these intimate artifacts about a day in a way that will honor my couples stories?

You’ll quickly swipe through these images, but I want you to know about uncle Bill picking up photos at the memorial table. I want you to know about how Jake and Rachel decided he would come es**rt her down the aisle. I want you to laugh with me at the passing of a singular jacket in the bitter cold, and tear up over the toasts that reiterated again and again how perfect these two have always been for eachother.

I think the desire of wanting you to know these things stems from my deep passion of sharing goodness. I see so much good on wedding days and I want people to celebrate these little moments of humanity with me. I especially want us to remember that beautiful things are still happening despite all the tragedy in the world.

Yet what I’m starting to realize is that it’s not my job to have perfect words and it’s not my job to make sure each wedding has an audience on social media. It’s simply my job to document, and when I have words to help people feel seen in one way or another, I’ll share them. Sometimes that may mean long winded paragraphs about my favorite parts of a wedding day. And other times, it’ll just mean some emojis and a hope you’ll still scroll through because you see the same magic I see.

Rachel and Jake, I wish I had the right words, but right now, all that I can say is thank you for being who you are and letting me witness a small part of your love story. I’m eternally grateful.

Venue:
HMUA:
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Christie Heimbach Photography

05/21/2026

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