Best of 2013 // Wedding Moments

Photojournalism. It's a word that gets thrown around so much these days, and many people have a hard time really explaining what it is, or even why they like it. Couples come in to our office all the time saying, "Oh, we love your work, it's just so…." and they can't figure out that next word. Sometimes it's "natural." Other times it's "real." Every now and then it's "good." But at the end of the day, it's our ability to tell a story as it happens that people are really drawn to. It's the moments, the little details, the interactions between family members, and the tear in a groom's eye as his bride walks down the aisle that really matter most. We absolutely LOVE our portrait time on a wedding day (which you'll see in part three of our Best of series), but the little moments are what really make each wedding unique, and what really make each memory special.

Enjoy some of our favorite moments from 2013.

Best of 2013 // Engagements

2013 was a huge year for us. It may sound cliché, but you could probably define our year with one word: Travel. Geographically it was our biggest year yet. We had trips to Colorado to see our friends and do some snowboarding, a trip to Las Vegas for our annual photographer convention, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Hawaii and Mexico to shoot some gorgeous weddings, and an epic trip to Alaska for an engagement session. This job has literally taken us all over North America, and we've seen places that we never imagined we'd see. We're so thankful, and humbled that people would choose to send us to such beautiful places to take photos. With a new year upon us, it's always fun to look back at some of our favorite photos from the previous year. We've spent a few days going back through all of our work, hunting out our favorite images, but also remembering the love and celebration that we've witnessed, and seeing another year of incredible growth as artists. We had such a hard time narrowing down our favorites, so we've decided to do three posts to recap the year.

This is post one of three, our favorite images from engagement sessions last year. Stay tuned over the next few days for more to come.

Emily + Michael // Washington Memorial Chapel // Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Yep, another destination wedding. We have had such a great time traveling this year, seeing new places, and experiencing cities we've never seen. Emily + Michael live a few blocks from us in Dayton, but Emily is from the Philadelphia area. They got married at the historic Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge, just a quick drive outside of Philly. The weather was absolutely amazing, and these two just ooze love for each other. It's so easy to photograph a couple that shows affection like these two. Of course, a trip to Philly means we were finally able to try a real cheesesteak. We're happy to give your our opinion (and it might surprise you) if you're interested.

Also, this post is a little out of order, but Mike is a captain in the Air Force, and he's being deployed this week. The military influence on this wedding is evident. Servicemen have a bond that's deep, and service to our country is something that Mindy and I have a huge respect for, especially having a dad who was a Marine and a brother in the Army. At the reception all of the people who have served in the military were asked to stand, and more than half of the room was on their feet, the other half clapping and crying (including us!).

Michael, we're proud to call you a friend, and we can't wait to welcome you back home. Serve well.

Kelsey + Andrew // Olowalu Destination Wedding // Maui, Hawaii

We went to Hawaii. Whoa.

We never dreamed of the places this job would take us, and we never imagined how many great people we would meet because of what we do. Mexico, Alaska, all over the continental US, and now this? Kelsey and Andrew brought us with them to the amazing island of Maui, and we will definitely never forget the experience.

There is so much we could say about these two, about their families, and about their friends, but we honestly just want to let the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy.

Neither of us had ever been to Hawaii before, so obviously we had to do some exploring and some relaxing and some adventuring.

Erin + Dave // Denison University Wedding // Columbus, Ohio

One of our favorites things about wedding days is scouting out our location in the morning, and finding awesome spots that might not seem so awesome to the casual observer. Erin + Dave got married on the campus of Denison University, a beautiful school located just outside of Columbus, Ohio. The campus is made up of a variety of architectural styles, and  surrounded with trees. As we were walking around, one of the least assuming buildings on campus, the student union, caught my eye. Even the bridal party gave a weird look when I pointed out this gorgeous slate wall surrounding just one small part of the lower level, next to some trash cans. I instantly knew that the light was perfect, and the color and texture would make for some great portraits. In fact, the photos you see in front of that wall are some of our favorites we've ever taken, and the average person has probably never even noticed.

Jaime + Ryan // Peach Picking Engagement Session // St. Louis, Missouri

I've known Jaime for a very long time, and I've never seen her smile quite they way she does around Ryan. Their wedding is going to be amazing, and we can't wait.

 

Peach picking at Eckert's Orchard in St. Louis, Missouri.