First of all, HELLO!!! I can’t wait to share Joy and Joel’s wonderful wedding with you..but first a disclaimer: I’m ridiculously behind in blogging. As in…I can’t even tell you how long because I’m too embarrassed! I won’t go into details because they’re all excuses as to why I’ve been sooooo busy…we’re all busy, right?! Exactly.
I’ve posted sneak peeks on facebook so most of you are aware that I’m still here…and shooting..and loving every minute and second I get to spend with my fabulous clients. For that reason, I’m not going to skip ahead and just post the most recent things. I’m going to blog all of those wonderful people who probably thought I’d forgotten them. NOT SO! Their images and the relationships I have with them are all just as important to me TODAY as they were…well….let’s say as far back as August. 2011. Because that takes us to Joy and Joel….. :)
So these two are about as kind, sweet and cute as couples come. And Joy’s maiden name is Nice. She really IS too!
I was thrilled to learn that the church owns a little cottage next door that the girls used to get ready! It was so nice to be in the comfort of a home!
The maids helping Joy walk over to the church for her first look with Joel…
How GREAT is her headpiece? I loved how it tied at the bottom and you could still see the bow there.
See, I told you they were cute :)
One of my favorite parts of their wedding…Joel’s Grandpa was his best man. Oh, melt! Here Grandpa is handing out a little advice before walking down the aisle…
My first time photographing at Goeglein’s Homestead..perfect rustic setting!
A little Footloose action…such a FUN party!
Oh, how I love sharing a great wedding with you all! More to come!
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 ;)
It was such a chore to photograph these two….I mean really….can they look any BETTER together?! Their wedding last July was a special one for me to photograph as it felt like family….and in a way I think they are. When I met and started dating my own husband, I was introduced to Luke’s family. His parents and my future in-laws were the best of friends. Every Friday night was pizza night and it became our ritual as well. We even went on vacations together. Luke was just a kid then so it really feels like I’ve watched him grow up. He’s now a father and husband…and still cute as can be :)
My goodness…flawless!!!! Kylee always looks gorgeous anytime I see her, but her wedding day she knocked it out of the park!
Opting for a first look, Luke and Kylee wore their rings pre-ceremony so that they would show in all the photographs. I love how as Luke was waiting to see Kylee for the first time, he’s already doing the traditional “groom ring twist”…I have yet to see a groom NOT do this at some point during the day!
Their wedding took place in Willshire, Ohio at a church I’ve photographed a number of times over the past few years. Kylee didn’t want many (if any) portraits in the church so we made plans way in advance to use other locations in town. Being that I was born and raised in Willshire, I knew exactly where to start! Kylee was so great allowing me to make suggestions and trusting me to let me follow through on them.
Luke and Kylee’s son, Bentlee, was away for the morning taking a nap. Kylee was so emotional at seeing him for the first time :) He wasn’t too sure about having to wear a tie and tuck his shirt in, but the shoes more than made up for it ;)
The girls couldn’t resist peeking into the sanctuary just before they went down the aisle ;)
One of my favorites…an approving look from his older brother as Kylee came down the aisle!
Into the getaway car, Kylee and Luke spotted her little guy in the crowd!
And this is one of the BEST advantages to doing a first look…being able to add an amazing second location for portraits on the way to the reception!
Such memorable first dances….Kylee and Luke danced to Jason Aldean’s remake of Bryan Adams’ song Heaven. It was the first time I’d heard it and I am still playing it over and over! The parent dances were filled with smiles and tears too…gets me every time!
Such a fun day…and night :) Kylee and Luke, thank you for trusting me with these memories…it was an honor.
