Molly + Nick :: Dayton Engagement Photography

I’m struggling to even know where to start with this post. To say the least, Molly is a unique bride. We’ve never had a more thorough, hard-hitting client. She knows what she wants, and is prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s going to be happy with the results. But she’s also one of the friendliest brides we’ve ever met. She’s honest and straight forward, asks questions and can’t wait for her wedding.

Nick… well the first thing that comes to mind, you can tell that he absolutely loves Molly and knows how lucky he is. Again, just such a nice guy, we got along so well! How many clients can I list that I’ve ridden in the car with and simultaneously rapped along with Dr. Dre? Just one.

I’m not sure we’ve ever connected with a couple as much as we did with Molly and Nick. We had a blast shooting and hanging out, and learned so much about them! Nick’s in med school, he used to play wide receiver at Ashland, he ran track, and he drives an Acura RSX. Molly does video production at a church, she loves experimenting with food combinations, and drinks hot water… plain. Don’t judge.

It also doesn’t hurt that they’re both really really ridiculously good looking. (movie?)

They’re totally in love, and I think it really shows. These are some of our favorite photos we’ve ever taken. 

Nick totally working his model face (Molly’s aint half bad either!):

Officially the most fun couple ever!!!

The one on the right here… this was the shot Nick had been preparing for, apparently for weeks. Spinning around in the mirror… exercising his “grey graphite” (which by the way is a notch above the amateur “blue steel”) and doing his male model research. Pretty sure he nailed it.

Allie + Jacob :: Columbus Engagement Photography

Allie + Jacob could be considered “the couple that everyone hates.” They were one of the first weddings we booked for 2011, and their date is September 3. Also known as the date that everyone and their sister wants to get married on. We’ve had numerous inquiries for their weekend, and with every couple we have to turn away we realize more and more how lucky they are that they booked early.

The funny thing is, I’m pretty sure these guys have never met anyone that could actually hate them. They are so fun and friendly! We spent an evening at the Inniswood Metro Garden in Columbus, and really hit it off. After a few awkward minutes of “what do we do… how do we stand…” we got rolling and the rest was easy. A perfect example of why we include an engagement session with every wedding! It’s so nice to get that over with before the big day!

We’re so excited to shoot their wedding next fall!

Sophie + Spencer :: Columbus Ohio Wedding Photography

Remember Sophie and Spencer’s engagement session last fall on the OSU campus? It’s been a long time coming, but their wedding was at the beautiful Liberty Presbyterian Barn Church in Powell Ohio, just outside of Columbus.

Sophie had the day all planned out, and the schedule was pretty tight. They hadn’t planned on seeing each other before the ceremony, and when I saw the schedule, I had to ask. My question was simple, “Why?” This is a direct quote from Sophie’s email after I explained the advantages to her.

“Wow! We hadn’t really thought of the “First Look” from that point of view. I guess it had been more of a superstition, or a thought that no one else does, that was holding us against it. But a little bit of “us” time ahead of time sounds really nice and we definitely want to go for it! It sounds like a lot of stress will be lifted and we will not be rushed— perfect!”

After that I spent some time outlining what I thought the schedule might look like with the First Look instead of waiting. Sophie’s response was just as exciting.

“The schedule looks PERFECT!! I absolutely cannot believe how much more time that we have, and that we are able to get photos in downtown Delaware too! We love that idea and are so happy that you gave us this entire new perspective on the wedding day photo timeline— we already can’t imagine it any other way!”

They day went perfectly, we had the absolutely most beautiful fall day (not too hot, not too cold), and the First Look allowed us to spend some time after the ceremony doing some bridal party photos in historic downtown Delaware Ohio.

Here’s Sophie, some bridesmaids, and some family and friends checking out the same day slideshow. Definite hit.

Dress: David’s Bridal

Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

Flowers: The Flowerman Columbus

Coordinator: Brittany O’Neil

Ceremony: Liberty Presbyterian Church

Reception: All Occasions Catering

Cake: Alice’s Piece of Cake

Sheila + Andy :: Dayton Engagement (& Family) Photography

When we first met with Sheila and Andy, they made it very clear that their families were very important to them, and that they would be a very integral part of the wedding. When we were explaining why we include and engagement shoot with every wedding, we mentioned that we could turn the session into a combo engagement/family shoot. They loved the idea, and we were super excited to shoot it!

As you can see, they have some beautiful kids, and we were so impressed with how positive everyone’s attitudes were! Their family single handedly reminded Mindy and I why we do what we do, and reinvigorated our love for family photography.

We’ll be featuring Sheila and Andy’s wedding in a few weeks!

One thing Mindy and I have been talking about lately is including a little bit more in our blog posts about who we are and how we create the images you see. We’re a team, we actually shoot differently, but complimentary to each other. We have different personalities, and it allows us to approach each client a little bit differently and adapt to the situation. Mindy took the kids while I spent some time with Sheila and Andy, and it allowed us to get some really unique images in a really short amount of time. This whole shoot was finished in less than an hour and a half!

Mindy working the wide angle:

This next shot is pretty funny. As a photographer, I often find myself sitting, standing, or laying in areas I never really thought I would before.

And this is the resulting photo:

Joyce + Tom :: PART II :: St. Louis Wedding Photography

Part Two.

After the Chinese Tea Ceremony Joyce and Tom and their wedding ceremony at North County Community Church. After the ceremony we took the bridal party downtown for photos, and the light was just beautiful. We always love doing portraits just before sunset because the sunlight is soft, warm and just creamy!

The reception was at the Mandarin House, and they served a traditional 10 course Chinese meal. They had everything from deep fried shrimp to duck. Joyce changed back into her Chinese dress and they went around to each table and did a toast with all of their guests. It was really neat to hear individual guests share their love and congratulations with the couple.

Enjoy!

Seriously, how cool is this wall!?!

Joyce + Tom :: PART I :: St. Louis Wedding Photography

Part One.

We always love being able to experience something different at our weddings. Change is what helps get the creative juices flowing, and always seems to make our jobs more exciting. Every wedding is unique, but Joyce and Tom’s wedding was something completely different for us.

We started the day bright and early (great time for photos by the way!) at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. You see, Joyce is Chinese. Tom is not. We had the huge honor of photographing not only their wedding ceremony, but also the traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony. Our first stop was the Chinese Garden, with beautiful morning light spilling over the trees onto an eastern landscape with Joyce and Tom in traditional Chinese attire. Joyce looked absolutely beautiful in her bright red dress!

The Chinese Tea Ceremony is a way for the family to give their blessing and show their approval of the spouse to be. Joyce and Tom presented a cup of tea to each family member, starting with Grandma and working their way through parents and then aunts and uncles. After accepting the tea from Joyce and then from Tom, the family members then gave the couple a gift. It was either jewelry or “lucky money”. Red is a symbol of luck in the Chinese culture, so the family would put money in red envelopes to wish the couple luck in their marriage. It was intimate and emotional, with only family and their closest friends surrounding the events.

We gotta admit, one of our favorite parts was the homemade Chinese food for lunch right after the ceremony… SO GOOD!

Make sure you stay tuned for part two coming soon!