Ashley + Nick // Dayton Wedding Photography

We love traveling for weddings, but I have to admit, it’s nice to be close to home. Ashley + Nick got married in Kettering, about a 10 minute drive from where we live. Can’t complain about sleeping in later and being home earlier! What a great couple. I consider them friends.

Ceremony: First Baptist Church of Kettering

Flowers: Hollon Flowers

Dresses: Altar Bound

Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

Cupcakes: Sneaky Cat Bakery

Salon: 252 West Salon

Erin + Brad // Dayton Engagement Photography

We love shooing in Troy, it’s just far enough outside of the city that it has that historic small town feel, but it’s close enough that it’s not a pain to drive there. It also happens to be about halfway between Dayton and Maria Stein, which is where Erin grew up. Her and Brad live in Washington DC, but they were in town visiting and finishing up some of their wedding planning, so we took the opportunity to do their engagement session. Keep an eye out for their wedding in September!

Becky + Jesse // Dayton Wedding Photography

Becky + Jesse are one of our favorite couples ever, and we like them even more now that we were able to spend an entire day with their families. The whole bridal party was made up of brothers and sisters, and I’ve personally never met a group that was so friendly and cooperative. We had an absolute blast photographing these guys, and despite heat well into the 90s, everyone was so pleasant (and didn’t laugh too hard at my tie-shaped sweat line).

Salon: B. Douglas Salon & Day Spa

Flowers: Krista Brian

Suits: Jim’s Formalwear

Dresses: Altar Bound Bridal

Catering: Mrs. B’s

Cake: Cakes by Jerri

DJ: CSC Special Events & Creative Services

Lily + Joseph // Grand Rapids Wedding Photography

This is the third wedding that we’ve shot in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids has easily been our most popular city to shoot outside of Ohio, and the most interesting thing is that, according to some of our friends from the area, Grand Rapids has the highest number of professional photographers per capita in the country. I won’t say how accurate that is, but it’s fun that people are still inviting us to come up there instead of hiring a local. Lily + Joseph are such a perfect couple, their love is so evident when they’re together. And like their siblings said during their toasts, each one has an infectious laughter. We had a blast wandering through the small town of Lowell searching out some great spots and enjoying the weather.

Which turned sour. We had great partly sunny to overcast skies during our bridal party photos, and almost on cue when we returned to the venue the rain started. That meant packing up all the chairs and moving the whole ceremony inside. I couldn’t believe how great their attitudes remained and how calm they both were about everything. Their friends and family worked with the staff, and the whole thing was set up in about 10 minutes it seemed.

Despite the setback, the ceremony was beautiful, with Joseph washing Lily’s feet and vice versa. What a beautiful picture of humility and servanthood, it was pretty powerful.

Congratulations guys, we had a great time with you and your families, and thanks again for having us come up to the mitten state to be with you!

Ceremony + Reception: Grand Volute Ballrooms

Lauren + Michael // Dayton Wedding Photography

This wedding is a great example of what happens when you plan a perfect schedule with plenty of time for photographs. Lauren + Michael did a first look, and worked with us to plan their day. We had so much time, we were able to get some of the finest photos we’ve ever taken, and they day was stress free, relaxing, and definitely fun. We absolutely love it when we can make friends with our clients, and that’s exactly what happened with Lauren + Michael. Mike even told me at the end of the reception, “We were really looking forward to today. Yes, because of all the wedding stuff, but we couldn’t wait to work with you guys and see what you’d come up with.” Apparently they were absolutely thrilled with their engagement photos, and when the wedding rolled around they left things completely in our hands. They trusted us, and didn’t bat an eye when we asked them to stand behind a dumpster, or under some stairs on the side of a building.

Here at BRAUNphotography, we have a process in place to ensure this kind of bond and trust is developed with our clients. It starts with a face-to-face meeting, which followed by a complimentary engagement session. By the time the wedding rolls around, we’ve gotten to know each other, and there’s a level of trust that just can’t be matched by a photographer who just “shows up.” We do what we do for a reason!

Salon: Michael’s Salon & Spa

Ceremony: Polen Farm

Reception: Polen Farm

Flowers: The Flowerman!

Dress Shop: Sophia’s Bridal

Suits: Kenneth Cole via Men’s Wearhouse

Cake: elé Cake Co.

Catering: Cardinal Catering

Band: Joel Levi

Emily + Steve // Cincinnati Engagement Photography

Rescheduled. Rescheduled. Rescheduled again. All of the rain we’ve had lately has meant lots and lots of rescheduled shoots. The good news is, if we’re patient, God really blesses us with an absolutely beautiful day, even in the rainy spring season. Such was the case with Emily and Steve’s shoot, as you can see. We waited for just the right day instead of risking the rain and clouds, and it was totally worth it. These shots were taken at Ault Park in Cincinnati. It’s a great place for an engagement session, but apparently you have to watch out for 800 small children running around in dresses and suits… (there was some sort of Catholic first communion event happening, and the kids were completely wild!) Oh, and there were probably 30 people there for a wedding rehearsal too. If you can get past the people, there’s some really fun architecture, a great fountain, and a lot of really nice tree covered areas.

These two were so great to work with, they just laughed at all the kids. It took a little work to get some of these shots without people in them, and thankfully they trusted us 100% to get the shots we needed even if it took a little effort. We can’t wait for Emily and Steve’s wedding in August!