Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you’re not already sick of my constant posting….I’m still WAY behind but slowly making a dent in the to-do list as this year’s busy season approaches. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been gathering more details from this year’s brides and am getting really excited to start shooting. Every bride has a unique style planned for her day. And sometimes, some of the most memorable parts of the day happen spontaneously….
Lauren and Josh’s wedding was absolutely perfect. A gorgeous bride. A handsome groom. Beautiful details. Quaint country church. Friends & Family. The bride and groom exiting to the cheers of their family and friends and riding off into the sunset.
It was perfect.
From my perspective, there were a few other things that happened along the way……
I had photographed at this little church before and I love the charm of it. It’s cozy and I love how the pale blue paint behind the ornate altar photographs during the ceremony. It has great light and old church pews. What’s not to love?! And don’t even get me started on Lauren’s amazing Maggie Sottero gown! It was absolutely gorgeous. And heavy.
When I move the gown to be photographed, I am beyond careful with it. Which means I’m back and forth with my gear and I carry the gown alone with my arm fully extended above my head and carrying the train over my other arm. Did I mention it was heavy ;) Being it was an old church without central air and it was August in Ohio, Lauren’s dad had installed a temporary air conditioner in the sanctuary(bless him!) and we tried all day to keep all the doors closed. This meant that I carried this gown from the getting ready area, down through the old kitchen area and up the spiral stairs with a low ceiling (yes, I hit my head) to hang it up in this location. Did I mention it was HEAVY?!!!! I’d do it again…so worth it!!!!!
Such pretty details…I especially loved the shoes! Lauren needed flats and wanted something blue so she and I spent a few cyber evenings together scouring the net for the perfect pair!
What did I tell you…STUNNING!!!!!! As Lauren was walking up this tiny staircase in her gown she made the comment, “This dress is HEAVY!” Really, I hadn’t noticed ;) Seriously though, Lauren gets a gold star for hauling that thing around all day. She worked that train like no other and it was perfect on her!!!!!
We shot Lauren and Josh separately before the wedding as they wanted to wait until the ceremony to see each other. We enjoyed the most beautiful morning outside before the heat set in!
This was actually their first kiss! They stood at the top of the stairs kissing while everyone cheered outside! It was so great!!!!
And this is where the riding off into the sunset happened for Lauren and Josh. They took off for a few minutes in the limo, going around the country “block” (which is more like 4 miles). When they returned, we started family pictures in the sanctuary.
And then it rained. No, it poured.
While we could have continued shooting in the sanctuary, I knew it was so important for Lauren to have images of she and Josh outside of the church. We had quite a bit of time to work with, but as the rain came down the clock kept ticking! We scrambled to pull up the radar (cell signal is not great in this area) and we racked our brains to come up with an alternative location. Just as we had decided to switch gears and shoot everything in the church, the skies started to lighten and we were left to deal with just a few sprinkles. Now remember Lauren’s heavy dress with the long train….can you imagine her taking this outside and how it would soak up all that water? Yeah, so we kept her train inside the doors for this shot :)
We knew we had only a VERY SMALL window of time to work with before it started pouring again. We loaded up the limo and took everyone to our location and I started shooting Lauren and Josh while it was still sprinkling. No, the umbrella was not just a prop…it was a necessity!
I literally took all of these images of Lauren and Josh in 11 minutes start to finish. ELEVEN MINUTES! Seriously, I didn’t know I could shoot that fast ;) As you can see, the skies were crazy dark…I thought we could squeeze in one more shot of the wedding party before heading out….
So, I was in the zone, lining everyone up and when I was happy with it, I stood back and noticed the bigger picture. I could literally see the wall of water coming across the field towards us. I didn’t take a single picture before yelling, “RUN! RAIN!!” If you look to the right of these, you can see the rain coming! Notice the bridesmaid who got the message first ;) It was like a monsoon! Everyone ran for cover. Except me. I kept shooting. And my dress was dripping by the time I got back into my vehicle to head to the reception ;)
The good news, I was the only one who really got wet. And I packed a spare dress. Yay me ;)
The rest of the evening was just as perfect as the entire day had been!
I often tell my brides, if something goes “wrong” on your wedding day, it will make for a great story later. Tim and I have quite a few doozies from our own wedding and I can honestly say that no one has ever forgotten it! And after all my blabbering, I wouldn’t change a sing THING about Lauren and Josh’s day. Lauren and Josh, I was honored to be on the ride with you! I will remember your wedding years from now!!! Hope you’re enjoying your first year of wedded bliss….and on a side note, I just had a thought that it may be ironic to spend your first anniversary visiting Niagra Falls ;)
Justin’s session is one that I’m really proud of. Mostly because I knew Justin was not looking forward to seeing me at all….and I love a good challenge :)
When I first talked to his mom, I think she started with the above warning. It helped that I knew Justin already as I’d photographed him as a younger kid. I knew him to be very quiet. Mom and I discussed locations, outfits, and things that would make Justin as comfortable as possible as he was photographed. Mom’s next comment was, “He wears a lot of black.” My reply: Then let him wear black. That’s who he is and exactly what we want his images to reflect. Dressing him up in clothes he deemed ridiculous would no doubt look the same way.
Justin endured a few clothing changes for us and although I knew he was hating every minute, he was wonderful!!!! We didn’t force the smiles but instead let him relax and occasionally, I said something completely stupid so he would have no choice but to laugh at my absurdity. No worries, I have lots of practice doing the same thing to my husband ;)
Mom has told me since that they were happy with their images because they were “perfectly Justin.” As a photographer, I cannot think of a greater compliment. Thanks Justin for being you…your session will always be a favorite of mine!
Kristin and Mark’s wedding is coming up SOON–as in next Saturday :) We’ve been sending lots of messages back and forth lately finalizing details and timelines, answering last minute questions,etc. What I realized quickly is that with each email, she doesn’t sound more frazzled…she sounds more and more EXCITED for the day to arrive! I am so looking forward to their wedding being exactly the same!
We planned their engagement session in Celina, Ohio, always a favorite place to visit as it is where my dad grew up and where we visited my Grandparents on the lake often. I love any excuse to get over there! We met EARLY to catch some great light which was super bright that day. Kristin and Mark were instantly at ease and laughing it up…so fun to work with couples who love to laugh!
We started at the lake, headed into town and then back out to our starting point at Wright State. The campus is right on the water and we couldn’t resist including a shot with the boat. I also found out that this was actually the place of their very first kiss!
The theatre is another special place for Kristin and Mark…as the story goes, they first met coaching swim team. It wasn’t until four years later that they returned to coaching after finishing college. The fateful night happened when their two teams met to compete and the bet was born…loser buys drinks after (Kristin’s team lost but Mark still paid for those drinks. Already a good sign!) :) The very next weekend, they had their first official date at the movies where they saw Funny People (which they both agree was terrible!). But Kristin’s version also includes Mark falling asleep during the flick. Mark still denies it! After the movie (and Mark’s nap), they drove out to Wright State where they found a bench that faced the water and “made out like high schoolers!” Kristin tells it like it is….I love her!
Kristin and Mark, your wedding is going to be FABULOUS! Can’t wait for the day to be here and celebrate with you!!!
