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BASED IN IRWIN, PA

serving the Pittsburgh, PA area

CONTENT CREATOR & PHOTOGRAPHER

Wedding Wire Couples’ Choice Award Winner 2022 // Irwin, PA

2022 Wedding Wire Couples Choice Award Winner Irwin PA

Well, you’d think after winning the same award for EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW, the “fanciness” of it would wear off.

Nope.

Every year it feels the same – and dare I even say: bigger?

Here’s the deal: if you are not a part of the wedding “world”, let me explain what exactly this is.
WeddingWire (& it’s sister company: The Knot) are the two biggest names in the wedding world. They’re a database of vendors, inspiration, tips & tricks for wedding-planning couples.
They’ve been around forever (meaning, I utilized WeddingWire & The Knot when I was planning my own wedding a million years ago) and typically, when a couple is first engaged, it is (likely) their very first “introduction” into the wide, wonderful world of wedding planning.

They’re legit.

And every year: they recognize the TOP vendors in the wedding world by giving out the “Couples’ Choice Awards” (unfortunately, it’s all virtual, I don’t actually get a trophy or get recognized at some major event where I get to walk across a stage or anything – pfft).
But, the vendors who win these awards are considered at the top of their game in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism.

AND it’s called the Couples’ Choice Awards because WeddingWire uses the real reviews left by real people in it’s considerations.

IN OTHER WORDS: the only reason I have won this award for eight years in a row is because my amazing couples have left me the highest praise.

(And, this is where I get a bit emotional.)
I photographed my first wedding 13 years ago (in November) but really started “trying” to build this business 10 years ago. So, 2022 feels like a big year for me & my little business. It was in 2012 that I looked myself in the mirror (literally, I was putting makeup on to go to my “real” job) and realized, if I didn’t actually TRY to make this thing work, that I would regret it for the rest of my life. And so I put my head down, dug in, and did the work. I created a website, I got legit legally, I began telling people I was a “wedding photographer” and I started to actually push forward. It wasn’t easy – it was darn hard. But the weddings I photographed in 2013 (my first full “real” wedding season) remain cemented in my head as a turning point in my life.
Those couples trusted me when I barely knew what I was doing (and I still see a lot of them annually for family photos – I consider them some of my most treasured friends.)

Those couples jump-started me off into this INCREDIBLE journey & here we are!! 2022!! Having won this amazing award eight years in a row.

I’m just beside myself.

THANK YOU!! Words cannot express how deep my appreciation runs to each & every one of you who have taken the time to write me a review after our time together. Your kind, sweet, thoughtful words are what makes receiving this award so meaningful year after year.

I literally could not do this without you. Not many people can boast that they are living their dream & loving their job – and I can make both of those claims.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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Hi Im Kara Abbey a Wedding Photographer in Irwin PA

Hi! I'm Kara!

Welcome to my blog!

I'm a Pittsburgh-based wedding photographer and wedding content creator with a love for storytelling, both on wedding days and beyond.

I've been part of the wedding industry since 2009, documenting 250+ wedding days and helping couples preserve the moments, big and small, that make their day uniquely theirs.

When I'm not working a wedding, you'll probably find me creating videos for my personal YouTube channel, The Adventuring Abbeys, where my family and I share our love of amusement parks, roller coasters, and travel.

Around here, you'll find wedding inspiration and behind-the-scenes content, family adventures, amusement park visits, travel stories, and a little bit of everyday life.

I'm so glad you're here!

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Kara Abbey is based in Irwin, Pennsylvania and regularly works in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, but she has her passport and is available for travel worldwide!