Hey there!
My name is Ellen Jalosky and I am a family & portrait photographer located in White Oak, PA. I've been doing photography professionally since 2011 and have photographed over 250 weddings and dozens of families. While my wedding career ended in 2021 due to my growing family, I still love photographing families, high school seniors, couples, and kids.
Alright, enough with the formalities. Let me tell you about my family!
My husband Jonathan is an incredible guy. We technically met at a wedding I was shooting with my sister up in New York. That whole sentence itself is crazy right? It gets better.
Jonathan's dad was my piano teacher for over 8 years. My earliest memory of "seeing" Jonathan for the first time was at his high school graduation party. Don't get ahead of yourself...I was 12 years old. And he very clearly does not remember me at all. Why would a 17 year old boy remember a 12 year old girl? Moving on...
Our paths crossed a few times, also which he does not remember. But then that day in May of 2015, God opened the heavens and I became an angelic being to Jonathan on the day of his aunt's wedding. Really, it was because I walked right up to him and said "Hey, your boutonniere is on backwards. Let me repin it."
Cue the angels singing.
He couldn't take his eyes off me that entire day. But me, being totally oblivious to the whole thing didn't say much to him, and he didn't say much to me either.
My sister and I drove back home to PA later and she said "I think Jonathan's going to ask you out." I said "Why do you think that? He didn't even talk to me." She said "I just have a feeling."
And then 10 long months went by.
One day I was sitting at my day job (Sheetz) on my lunch break. I had just taken a big bite of my sandwich as I opened up my phone. There was a facebook messenger notification. So I clicked on it and read this message:
"Hi Ellen. I would like to ask you out on a date. Think about it. Pray about it. And let me know." - Jonathan
I immediately began choking on my sandwich.
But thankfully, I recovered with the help of a coworker. ;)I said yes to that date and it was the most wonderful time. We spent 5 hours talking about our lives and our shared stories of his father who had passed away two years before.
3.5 months later, Jonathan asked me to marry him at Paradise Overlook in Bear Run Nature Reserve.
6 months after that, in January of 2017, we had a beautiful wedding. We had hoped for snow, but we got a glorious, springlike, sunny and 65 degree day instead.
Here we are today.
The Lord has blessed us with 3 beautiful girls!
Alethea, Layla, and Zoe
Our fairytale story hasn't always been full of music and wonderful roses though.
We've lost a lot through the years. I've had 4 miscarriages. Jonathan's mom passed away. We've lost grandparents and even my nephew.
But if there's one thing we have held firm to in this life, it's Jesus. He has given us hope for every day and strength to keep on going.
Life is hard. But it's also what makes what I do even more precious. I've captured so many families and people through the years. And many of them have passed away. Their families and friends have those precious memories that I captured, to hold on to on the hard days.
Family photos are so important! Even if you only have them done once in your lifetime - Take the photos - Be present with the people you love. They'll never forget it and you'll never regret it.
