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SMJ Photography SMJ Photography provides professional photography services within central Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas

People sometimes ask why I stay until the very last song. These photos are the reason.By the end of the night, the timel...
10/24/2026

People sometimes ask why I stay until the very last song. These photos are the reason.

By the end of the night, the timeline is done, the formalities are over, and nobody is thinking about the camera anymore. That's when the dance floor at The Inn at Leola Village turned into a huddle of friends singing at the top of their lungs, a tie swinging through the air, and Eric riding high on everyone's shoulders.

You can't plan moments like these, and you can't fake them. You just have to be there when they happen, so that they live on in more than everyone's memory.

Usha and Eric, your people know how to party. ❤️

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There's a feeling that hits right after the first kiss. The vows are said, the nerves are gone, and for the first time, ...
10/23/2026

There's a feeling that hits right after the first kiss. The vows are said, the nerves are gone, and for the first time, you get to walk back up the aisle as husband and wife.

Cayla and Noah felt every bit of it at Excelsior. The rain brought out a few clear umbrellas among their guests, but it didn't put a damper on the vibes one bit, and those two smiles say it all.

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For a few years, dancing in the clouds was everywhere. Then, almost overnight, it disappeared.I think a few things happe...
10/22/2026

For a few years, dancing in the clouds was everywhere. Then, almost overnight, it disappeared.

I think a few things happened. Cold spark machines became the new showstopper, some venues grew wary of fog near their smoke detectors, and once every first dance on your feed looked the same, couples went looking for something new.

But I'll be honest. I've always been a big fan, and I still am.

Look at this first dance at The Belle of Blue Bell. The chandelier hangs above the couple, their guests line the edge of the floor, and the cloud rolls all the way out toward the camera. I got low so that the fog would fill the bottom of the frame and the two of them would rise right out of it.

It only lasts for about a minute, so you get one chance to get it right.

Trends come and go, but anything that makes a couple feel like the only two people in the room is worth bringing back. ❤️

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10/21/2026

The sky did this, so we ran.

Brittney and Jimmy stepped away from their wedding at Drumore Estate for a few minutes, and I followed them out past the trees. The clips are what it looked like to anyone watching, and the photos are what my camera saw as the light dropped.

A sunset like this does not wait, so I keep an eye on the sky all evening.

Planning a wedding at Drumore Estate? Send me a message to check your date.

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Thank you so much to Aimee and Bryan for these kind words! They trusted me with both their wedding photography and the p...
10/20/2026

Thank you so much to Aimee and Bryan for these kind words! They trusted me with both their wedding photography and the photo booth at their reception at Cork Factory Hotel, so hearing that I was "amazing from start to finish" means the world to me. I'm so glad they and their guests loved every part of the day.

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Congratulations Jess and Rob!Their pup put on a floral collar and joined them for portraits, Jess wrapped Rob in a big h...
10/19/2026

Congratulations Jess and Rob!

Their pup put on a floral collar and joined them for portraits, Jess wrapped Rob in a big hug at the head table, and by the end of the night she was out on the dance floor with a CO2 cannon in hand. Thank you both for letting me be part of such a fun day at Colonial Country Club.

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10/16/2026

No two Lancaster County barns are the same. 🌾
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I have photographed more than 500 weddings, and a lot of them have been in barns just like these. Each one gives you something the others cannot, so that the right choice comes down to what matters most to you on the day.
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🏰 Mount Hope Estate and Winery shares its grounds with the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, so that your portraits can include a castle or a pirate ship

🪵 The Star Barn was built in 1877, taken down in 2014, then rebuilt beam by beam where it stands today

💡 The Barn at Silverstone has a hay barn with string lights and air conditioning, so that rain never moves your ceremony

🕯️ Bluestone Estate has cathedral ceilings thirty feet up, and the bridal suite is yours from 8 AM

🦢 Harvest View Barn is yours from 10 AM until midnight, with a balcony over the pond, the fountain, and the gazebo

🐂 Ironstone Ranch has seventy acres, longhorns, and alpacas that are happy to be in your photos

🛏️ Historic Metzler Homestead gives you the whole weekend, and up to 24 of your guests can stay overnight
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Nine barns are in the full guide on the Blog, with guest capacities, what each one starts at, and the photo spots I use at every single one. The link is in my bio.
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Over the years, I've learned that some of the best photographs come from doing LESS, not more.It's easy to overcomplicat...
10/15/2026

Over the years, I've learned that some of the best photographs come from doing LESS, not more.

It's easy to overcomplicate things. Add more lights. Find a more elaborate background. Introduce more elements into the frame. But sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a step back and let the moment speak for itself.

With this portrait, it's all about the contrast. The deep green foliage. The vibrant reds. The simplicity of the composition.

But most importantly? Them.

The way they lean into each other. The smiles. The connection.

Everything in this frame has a purpose, and nothing is fighting for your attention. Your eye naturally goes where it should: to the couple and the moment they're sharing.

That's something I've come to appreciate more and more throughout my career. You don't always need to add something to make an image better. Sometimes, you make it better by taking things away.

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn't to create a photograph that makes you notice the photographer.

It's to create one that makes you feel something about the people in it.

Usha and Eric set aside a few quiet minutes at The Inn at Leola Village to exchange gifts and say their private vows. Wh...
10/14/2026

Usha and Eric set aside a few quiet minutes at The Inn at Leola Village to exchange gifts and say their private vows. What I love most about these frames is how comfortable they are around each other. Neither of them was performing for the camera. They were simply being themselves, with big laughs and a few tears mixed in too.

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York, PA
17404

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