I STILL HAVE OPENINGS FOR 1-2 WINTER '26/'27 WEDDINGS & MY 2027 CALENDAR IS OPEN & FILLING FAST! LET'S CHAT SOON!
BASED IN IRWIN, PA
serving the Pittsburgh, PA area
EST. 2008
REAL MOMENTS, FULLY LIVED
Hi, I’m Kara!
Wedding storyteller and travel content creator -
equally at home on a wedding day or in the front row of a roller coaster.
I’ve been in the wedding industry since 2009 and have had the honor of documenting more than 250 wedding days.
What started as a passion for photography grew into something deeper: a love for preserving not just how a wedding looks, but how it feels.
Over time, that naturally expanded into wedding content creation, helping brides and grooms and fellow vendors capture the in-between moments and real-time memories that often go unseen.
Outside of weddings, my family and I travel to amusement parks across the country, riding and reviewing roller coasters on our YouTube channel.
Storytelling is the common thread in everything I do - whether I’m capturing a wedding day or planning out our next big adventure with my family.
I care about documenting joy, preserving memories, and creating content that feels honest, thoughtful, and lasting.
choose your own adventure
Kara offers wedding photography, wedding content creation, and publishes YouTube content surrouding her family's travels to ride roller coasters. Select one below to learn more!
My style is rooted in storytelling, connection, and the in-between moments that often go unnoticed. I’m there to capture the joy as it naturally unfolds, so your photos feel lived-in and timeless.
My YouTube channel is where I document our amusement park visits, review hotels and resorts across the country, and share the tips we’ve learned along the way. If you love thoughtful travel planning and a good front-row ride, you’ll feel right at home.
My style is rooted in storytelling, connection, and the in-between moments that often go unnoticed. I’m there to capture the joy as it naturally unfolds, so your photos feel lived-in and timeless. I love true-to-life colors, authentic posing, and skip out on trends that will label your wedding as having taken place in 2026.
MY VERY
LATEST
WHAT IS A WEDDING CONTENT CREATOR?
A wedding content creator documents your day in real time using short-form video and candid behind-the-scenes footage.
While your photographer and videographer focus on polished, long-form deliverables, I capture the in-between moments and deliver ready-to-share content within hours.
It’s perfect for couples who want to relive the energy of the day right away and have meaningful content to share with friends and family.
If you’re curious how it works and what it looks like in practice, you can learn more about my approach HERE.
In 2020, I began being very intentional about documenting not only my family's personal life, but our adventures in traveling and riding roller coasters as well. And thus: The Adventuring Abbeys was born.
SOME OF OUR
MOST RECENT ADVENTURES:
BUT LET'S BE HONEST..
IT ALL STARTED WITH A CAMERA
^^ ME CIRCA A LONG LONG TIME AGO..
"You have a nice camera, right?"
And that's how it all started.
My best friend had gotten engaged and she asked if I would take some engagement photos for her.
"Sure! I've never done that before, but let's do it!"
That was in early 2008 - and that experience spring-boarded me into seeking out any opportunity I could, taking classes at the local community college, shadowing any photographer who was willing to let me carry their bags, and finally landing an internship at Walt Disney World.
I photographed my first wedding (solo) in 2009 and well, the rest is history!
18
YEARS
SINCE I BEGAN LEARNING PHOTOGRAPHY
12
YEARS
SINCE I TOOK MY BUSINESS FULL-TIME
250+
WEDDINGS
I'VE BEEN A PART OF CELEBRATING
After photographing weddings for 18 years, I can literally count on one hand the number of weddings I’ve been a part of that haven’t just run on-time all day long, but have actually run early. (Weddings almost always run late, that’s just how things go!) But thanks to how incredibly organized and prepared Chelsie was in planning every little detail of her and Alex’s celebration, their wedding day now officially joins that very tiny list. (And honestly, when things run too early, I always find myself looking around at the end of the night wondering: did we miss something!?)
But that’s what happens when a bride has thought through all the details ahead of time and made sure everything was in place long before the wedding day ever arrived. There was no scrambling, no last-minute tasks pulling people away, and no one rushing around trying to make things happen. Instead, everyone got to simply be there. The day flowed beautifully, the emotions unfolded at all the right moments, and friends and family got to be fully present for every bit of it. And when it came time to celebrate at the end of the night? Let’s just say it was loud and over-the-top (precisely how friends and family should celebrate a newlywed couple!)
See ALL the highlights of Chelsie & Alex`s amazing day on my blog right now (#LinkInProfile) #GreensburgWedding #BurghBrides #JustMarried
CONGRATULATIONS Chelsie & Alex!
Wow, what an amazing day ♥️
@livecasinopittsburgh #justmarried #greensburgwedding
Happy Wedding Eve, Chelsie & Alex!!
T-minus 24 hours until the BEST DAY EVER!
A little Halloween fun, wedding industry edition. 🎃👻
And yes ALL of these are inspired by actual things I`ve experienced after 250+ wedding days in this industry. Because sometimes, the scariest stories aren`t made up.
Wedding photographers, content creators, planners, and other wedding vendors - what would YOU add to this haunted house?
Because I know you have some stories. 👀
LOCATION
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!