Breathing.

Relaxing.

Taking in the moment.

The sweetness of anticipation.

The wedding I am putting together for the next post was breathtaking. The Chanler Inn is divine & I felt awed by the beauty of such a historic landmark. Being at this European-styled boutique hotel was incredibly inspiring. It gave this modern wedding a vintage feeling & was the perfect backdrop for artistic photographs. I didn’t stay long in Newport, Rhode Island this summer, but I came back with a beautiful collection of images to share {including a sunrise day after session on the beach}!

Stay tuned ♥

Emily & Abby are good friends and were in each others’ weddings in the same month

  Miami Vally Golf Club
Wedding Dress Wendy’s Bridal
Jewelry Swaroski crystal earrings
Makeup Leslie Randall {Facebook @ Ruby’s Traveling Beauty Show}
Hair Brenda Chapman
Shoes Steve Maddon
Bridesmaid Attire Carrie Karibu
Hairpieces birdcage with rhinestones
Groom Suit tan 3 piece from Barclay’s in Piqua
Tie & Cufflinks Tie from Macy’s
Shoes & Belt Barclay’s
Floral Design Oberer’s Florist
Invitations The Envelope
Cake Rinaldo’s Bakery
DJ & MC/Music All the Right Tunes
Catering Miami Valley Golf Club
Cake Balls from Laney Baldwin
Officiant Pastor Marie Smith

Thanks for having me along, I really enjoyed your wedding & your family! It’s been wonderful to get to know you & your sisters better,
and I’m so glad we realized we are pretty much neighbors! All the best to you all! ♥

July heat seems so far away, but I’m sending you some warmth with this lovely pink & charcoal wedding! Emily has a fondness for elephants + the color pink, and I love how she incorporated the two into little tidbits of her wedding. The ballroom affair was still elegant & classy, but fit her perfectly! The first picture is a little pink elephant tattoo she made for herself & her bridesmaids. Nothing like a little {temporary} tattoo to get everyone in the mood to stand with their best friend getting hitched!

Right before their first look, Justin & Emily were both a little nervous {quite understandably so}. When they saw each other, they were instantly transformed into the happiest couple on earth. Really, see for yourself! Their smiles lasted well into the night…

Emily’s beautiful bridesmaids wrote her a song to the tune of Bruno Mars “Just The Way You Are.” They received a standing ovation from Justin.

Justin’s aunt {below} works with Emily & is the one who introduced them! Emily assembled the centerpieces using silver plates and candle holders. Then she topped them with small cakes that were served after dinner. Genius!

Their wedding reception venue was the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dayton, Ohio and some of their bridal portraits were taken at The Dayton Art Institute.

Justin & Emily, thank you so much for asking me to be part of your wedding! I really enjoyed it and just looking at this little glimpse I’m reminded of how much love I felt by everyone supporting you that day. Thank you for putting up with the July heat in order to do portraits at the Dayton Art Institute, it was a hot one! My favorite part, was just watching your parents excitement for the two of you. Especially during the dances, it was pure joy. I always think of my little boys when I see the mama dancing with her son… it’s just a very beautiful moment for me to witness again & again. Thank you, I wish you all the best! ♥

This first post is pretty close to my heart, since it’s the bridal pictures for my sister’s wedding from Valentine’s Day of 2011.
{Oh, did someone just throw the “Rotten Blogger Award” to me? Making that a 2012 resolution…!}

Their story is worth sharing & I really hope it brings a smile to your face the way it does to me when I see this beautiful family…

Rachel & DeWayne married in 2000. {I know this might sound confusing, just keep reading}. I was her bridesmaid & sang a Jaci Velasquez song & {happily} cried my way through her ceremony… as all good sisters should. They were young, madly in love, & excited to share their lives together. Many changes took place over the next few years, including a move across the country & welcoming three lovely kiddos into their family.  The road ahead of them had some devastating twists & turns, including the loss of DeWayne’s beautiful mom to breast cancer. After a very difficult period, they made a very hard decision to separate & proceeded with a divorce.

I know that’s not a word you usually see in a wedding blog and I’ll be delicate with their very personal details. Anyone who has been through a divorce, or is close to someone going through one, knows that the pain is excruciating. I truly wish there were as many resources dedicated to inspiring couples to work through life together as there were sites inspiring them to use mason jars as their centerpieces. I think so many of us could use that kind of refreshing encouragement & hope. Perhaps you may see more of that around here this year…

Back to my sister & her story.

The papers made the divorce final, but their story was far from the end.

Although they were living hundreds of miles apart, a visit over Christmas brought a change in their hearts & they began to carefully reconnect.
“Reconnecting” eventually led to another engagement & wedding!

It was truly a red letter day to see this family sewn back together. You can see it in the faces of each of their three children in their wedding portraits. They had a simple, very heartfelt wedding ceremony to re-marry on Valentine’s Day. It was such an honor for me to capture this special time in their lives. I love that these pictures show so much warmth & love, even during a very cold Ohio February…

Venue: The Patterson Homestead in Dayton, Ohio {you may recognize it from this post last year}

Remember, these kiddos had just recently saw the miracle of their parents coming back together. It was better than Christmas.

Rachel & DeWayne, I love you both! Thank you for being so trusting & allowing me to give you advice on every aspect of setting up this shoot!
I’m so happy for your family!

Hope you enjoy this poster I made especially for them:

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Maria Robinson ♥

Jon & Beverly have quite a story to tell about how they first met! It was truly an act of fate, and is partially because of her son who served in the Army. It was beautiful to see their families & friends come together in mutual excitement for the two of them… even the cat snuggled comfortably in her wedding dress!

Congratulations Jon & Beverly! ♥

Here is a preview from Chris & Stephani’s Miami University wedding in Oxford, Ohio. They are both officers in the Air Force & currently stationed across the globe from each other. It was an honor to photograph the story of two extraordinary people & the celebration of being reunited with their families & each other…

 Congratulations Chris & Stephani! ♥

Abby was the embodiment of a classic vintage bride, I kept thinking she reminded me of the elegant Grace Kelly. I loved how she mixed simplicity & tradition for a stunning timeless style. You might remember Abby & Brett from their lovely garden themed engagement session.

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe…

I love that Abby substituted a penny!

Last week’s weddings began on Wednesday in Newport, Rhode Island at the Chanler Inn at Cliff Walk. My husband, Rocky, joined me for a spectacular, intimate, celebration for Brynn & Ryan with some very close family & friends.

There was also a yummy sunrise day after session just below the Chanler Inn at the beach. An East Coast wedding is perfect for a sunrise session.

We flew back to Dayton & after a few hours with my two sons, I drove to Peninsula, Ohio for Lacey & Brian’s heart pounding DIY {adventure} wedding. They had planned an outdoor ceremony, but a sudden downpour of rain rerouted their plans. They moved the ceremony indoors & it was one of the most heartfelt exchange of vows I’ve ever witnessed. Their families & guests were so gracious & supported them throughout the entire day. When they were announced as husband & wife it was like the triumphant ending of a romantic novel.  We were all rooting for this sweet couple! I posted their engagement session recently too.

I stayed in Cleveland for Yana & Aaron’s sweet DIY wedding at Music Mound, a Berea Metro Park. Their reception was at the lovely & historic Grand Pacific Junction Hotel. Yana & her family created amazing original DIY projects that gave her wedding a unique & personal atmosphere. It was very special to have her culture reflected in the wedding day too. They reminded me so much of Rocky & I as a (younger) couple & it was such a treat to celebrate with them & photograph their beautifuly creative wedding!

Thank you all for allowing me to be part of your weddings, there will be so much more to see in the coming weeks! I was married in August almost seven years ago, this month has a special place in my heart for very obvious reasons.

I want to send a big Thank You to Style Me Pretty for featuring Erin & Pete’s wedding on their blog today! It is such an honor to see my work there!

If you’ve e-mailed me lately, please forgive me for not being in touch while I unpack & get readjusted to being home. I am so excited to share a fortune of images & finish telling these stories I’ve started sharing. I think a run to the grocery store might be necessary first though. ♥

I took their wedding portraits at Dayton’s Carillon Park. It is a historical museum dedicated to Dayton, Ohio history & pride. There are mini museums & vintage replicas of homes. I think everyone who attends school in the Miami Valley has been here at some point. Now as a photographer, I had so much fun with all the backdrops that were steps away from each other. Carillon Park is a perfectly historical & quirky venue for a wedding.

The way he looks at her & lights up around her is what every girl dreams to find… I love that I get to be part of witnessing so many dreams come true.

There were light showers off & on throughout their wedding day morning. When we spoke about it during their portrait session, Pete said with a smile, “If it does rain again, maybe we’ll see a rainbow!” With an outlook like that on life, their marriage will be pretty amazing.

Erin’s make up was done by her maid of honor, Kaitlin. She was stunning, loved her eyeshadow!

From Erin, about the centerpieces: We had everyone we know save their condiment jars for us and I could not have been more thrilled with the result.
My dad and I made the candles (while my mom and Pete supervised). After they were set, I wrapped them with old sheet music we bought at a thrift store.

Her beautiful cake was made by The Cakery. Erin says the lemon cake with key lime frosting was her favorite… I agree! It was hands down the best cake I’ve tasted at a wedding!

Reception: Dayton History | Carillon Park

Wedding Gown: Bridal & Tux Dayton, OH

Jewelry: Earrings borrowed from bride’s mother & necklace gifted as wedding present

Shoes: DSW {Dyed at the local repair shop}

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Yellow Rose Bracelets: Etsy {Gift from Bride}

Groom’s Suit: Price Stores

Men’s Ties: Ties That Don’t Suck {Etsy Shop}

Cake: The Cakery

Flowers: Furst Florist

DJ: Megan Meyers from Party Pleasers {She was fantastic, and very responsive to our wishes}

Catering: Christopher’s
Holly was amazing to work with and incredibly helpful. Not to mention that the food was amazing!

Officiant: Reverend David Turner of Central Christian Church

Invitations: For save the dates we used vintage postcards that we bought on ebay. We had a stamp made with a little picture of us and our wedding date. Our friend Val is an amazing graphic designer and she put together our beautiful invitations for us. She also helped me choose our wedding colors.

Most memorable moment of your wedding day? The whole day was so beautiful and memorable we can’t pick just one!

What song did you walk down the aisle to? The wedding march

First dance song? Here, There, and Everywhere by The Beatles

Pete & Erin, I wish you all the best! Thanks for asking me to capture your lovely wedding… I think you two take some insanely good pictures. ♥

Featured in The Knot Ohio Spring/Summer 2012 Issue

This is Emily & Justin at their first look this past Saturday at the Dayton Crowne Plaza hotel…

They were just as sweet as they look & I had a wonderful time celebrating their lovely wedding with their families!
Congratulations you two!

We are having a little first birthday party for my Damian this weekend.
Good thing he is an easy little man to please, I am so embarrassingly unprepared! ♥

It seems that is all you are getting lately! With a rush of warm, beautiful weather, I’ve had to overlap several sessions into a short amount of time that had previously been rained out. I’ve also continued to work with some gorgeous brides & can’t wait to continue sharing in full what I’ve been up to. I love being able to shoot so much more, {even though I’ve somewhat abandoned this blog}. I am excited that I am doing my favorite part of my wedding photography job- working with happy couples & capturing genuine dreamy moments.

Many of you follow my work on Facebook and have been able to see these previews first.

This is an engagement session in Troy, Ohio with a couple who loves their pups & loves to go fishing:

This wedding was also in Troy, Ohio, with the wedding & reception held at the lovely & historic Troy Hayner Cultural Center.

Finally, even though I have not been able to continue to do family & baby sessions, I have made a couple exceptions lately. Here is one of baby Adalay who’s mama was the first person I ever photographed as a “job.” She saw something in my personal work & design projects that I didn’t see… I’m so grateful for people like her who encouraged me to do what I am doing now!

Our little house is also coming along and also sports a fresh coat of paint. It just seems that spring has been full of growth & change. Two things I welcome wholeheartedly. ♥

P.S. After a very busy month, I am taking tomorrow off to hang out with my family at the Troy Strawberry Festival. Will I see you there?!