A month or two ago, Scott of Gervasi, contacted us to do some photography for their website and brochures.  After following Gervasi on Facebook for a while I expected it to be nice.  But, I had no idea how nice.  If you are searching for the perfect place to get married (or a date night out for that matter) look no further.  Gervasi Vineyard & Italian Bistro is a new winery, restaurant, and wedding venue this year.  And, I am not exaggerating when I say it is GORGEOUS.

The Piazza.  Everytime I have seen the patio open it’s been packed with people.  You can sip wine and eat while gazing out upon the water, playing a game of bocce, or sitting out on the lawn.

Here is the wedding pavilion.  It is lovely on the outside…and the inside…it’s breathtaking.

I will have more to share at a later date…but trust me when I say that it is just lovely.  See them on our new preferred vendor page.

Last week, I sent my little boy off to Kindergarten.  I never understood why mothers were so upset about Kindergarten…until it happened to me that is.  ;)  I am sad that he’s growing up, sure, but that’s not what gets to me.  The hardest part is realizing that my precious time with him is over.  He is no longer home with me all day (most days anyway).  I no longer spend more time with him than anyone else.  Selfish…maybe, but still how I feel.  I desperately miss my little boy already.

As heartbroken as I truly am, I am glad for a new beginning.  The school year always brings new routines and schedules and I am determined to get it all down this year.

The next few weeks are mega-busy (yes, that is a made up word) and I will have many images to share.  But, tonight, I will share what’s most on my heart.  Say a prayer for this silly mom who is working on letting go…but not too fast.

Thanks {W} family!

Angela had headed out to Indiana to visit some friends.  She had no intention of meeting a guy there.  She lived in Columbus and was just hoping to catch up with friends.  But, despite the distance between them, she and Steve did meet and she got a call from him a few weeks later.  I don’ t think she was disappointed though.  ;)  I think either one of them would have driven much further to be together.

On a trip last year to San Diego, Steve surprised Angela by proposing. The dream was realized this July in Barberton, Ohio (Angela’s home town).  After years of traveling to get there I imagine if feels good to finally just be together.

Some of the wonderful people and places who made their day possible:

Colors: Gray & Yellow

Ceremony Location: Prince of Peace Catholic Church

Reception Location: Prime

Florist: A Blooming Hart

Bakery: Leach’s Meats & Sweets

Gown Boutique: Cincinnati Bridal and Formal

DJ: DJ Crew

Hair Stylist: Erin’s Studio of Hair & Nail Design

Makeup Artist: Fierce About Face {440-655-2208}

I met the girls at the hair salon that morning.  I love this next sequence.  Isn’t Angela radiant?

And Steve looks pretty dapper himself.

Dave always meets the guys while I spend time with the girls.  It’s always fun when the images get merged together and I get a peek at what the guys did that morning.  When I saw this photo on my screen I fell in love.  To me, it conveys so much emotion–excitement, apprehension, even love.  (Of course, Hallmark commercials do make me cry.)

Angela custom made most of the details in their wedding.  There is a big difference between “handmade” and custom made and trust me when I say that Angela’s were custom made!  Just gorgeous!

Her something blue was an etsy find.  The pearl is held by metal stamped with S & A and the date.  Such a cute little detail.  Loved it.

I wish I had been able to hear what Angela and her dad were talking about!  Their laughs were contagious and I have no idea what was so funny!

The send off was adorable with Angela’s flags and pinwheels held by their loved ones.

I love the vibrant yellow.  It’s such a happy color.

Angela grew up in Barberton.  We headed out to Lake Anna for some shots around the town.  I’m not sure what it is about this next one…just a candid moment…but I love it.

I also love these next two.  Probably two of my favorites of the day.  And can I just mention that I love these bridesmaids?  They were so great to work with.

This was a fun find.  ”A great place to chill.”

Steve and Angela planned so much time for photographs.  It was wonderful.  They even scheduled time for the bridal party to stop at David B’s for some appetizers and drinks.  One of the best things you can do to get great photographs on your wedding day (besides hiring a great photographer…ahem, ahem) is to schedule lots of creative time.

More yummy details!  Each bridal party member was welcomed to their seat with a place card that looked like these:

Seriously?  Did you notice that they look like themselves?!  I want one for myself.  No I want one for every member of my family…these may be the most adorable things I’ve ever seen!  Even the Mr. & Mrs. had them:

It’s hard to find enough words without repeating myself constantly…but the photos say it all.

For more of Steve & Angela’s day, click play below to view the slideshow.  Please wait while it loads…I promise it’s worth it.  {If you are viewing from Facebook or an RSS feed, please follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page.}

These first two outfits for the mother are two of the brightest outfits I’ve put together for this What to Wear.  Tuck the pink shirt into the high waisted skirt for a flattering, chic look or add a chunky ring and gladiator sandals for that trendy edge.  The textured blue tank and the flower printed skirt are a perfect match.  Add some pizzazz to this relaxed outfit with the stunning jeweled cuff and ruffled flip flops.  The bright pink and purple of these outfits will bring out the more subtle colors in the rest of the family’s outfits.

All of the items are from Kohl’s and links to each item can be found below.

The third outfit for mom has less color but is still beautiful and eye catching.  The onyx bracelet and sparkling shoes (!) bring out different ends of the black and white spectrum. This is my favorite outfit and I absolutely love the pattern of the skirt.

This first outfit for a little girl creates a summer look out of a jacket and boots.   I would bunch up the sleeves on the cropped jacket and leave it unzipped so she doesn’t look bundled up. The second outfit is a bit more on the girly side with a ruffled tank top that is similar to the pink one above. I think this would look good tucked into the skirt or not. The subtle colors enhance the picture by not taking attention away from her face but still bringing that colorful pop.

The next three outfits for the boy of the family do a great job in accenting the mom and sister.  The blue shirt, the purple pants (!), and the funky jacket design will really stand out and compliment the color scheme.  I would keep the jackets unzipped and put a black or white t-shirt underneath.  These outfits are super cool and are sure to make a little boy look all grown up.

These ‘secret agent man’ outfits for dad are smooth and masculine.  A hint of color in the ties is all he needs.  Let the colors in the kid’s outfits bring out the blue and purple and a eye catching picture will be created.

1. Pink Blouse 2. Silver Ring 3. Pink and Gray Skirt 4. Black Gladiators 5. Blue Tank 6. Jeweled Cuff 7. Flowered Skirt 8. Ruffled Sandals 9. Gray Jumper 10. Silver Bracelet 11. Sparkle Flats 12. Glitter Jacket 13. Geometric Skirt 14. Studded Boots 15. Gray Tank 16. Purple Skirt 17. Silver Sandals 18. Blue Plaid Set 19. Black Shorts 20. Black Vans 21. Striped Hoodie 22. Purple Jeans 23. Black Converse 24. Graphic Zip Up 25. Gray Jeans 26. White Converse 27. Blue Stripe Tie 28. Gray Dress Shirt 29. Black Dress Pants 30. Black Dress Shoe 31. Black Dress Shirt 32. Black Polo 33. Black Pants 34. Purple and Blue Tie 35. Black Shoes

After finally finding a day that would work for everyone…she was not about to let a little thing like the Hall of Fame Game slow her down.  She made a number of calls and finally got permission to use the park.  We drove up to police guarded gates that let us right through.  {It’ s moments like these when I like to pretend I’m famous.}  What was I am sure a pain for Linda turned out to be quite a blessing for us.  We had most of the part to ourselves.  It was a beautiful evening and I think it shows.

I have no idea what kind of flowers these are but I loved how they just popped right out of the ground around the gardens.

This next one was for fun.  We’ve seen a lot of jumping wedding parties and decided to see if this family was up to the challenge.

Thanks {F} family for being such good sports as we traipsed all around the gardens.  And a special thanks to Linda and the Canton Garden Center for making this happen despite the game.

*One part of the family was missing from this session due to starting chemo.  Please keep him and his family in prayer.

Since I am on a roll here {gosh, it is much easier for me to think in the afternoon than at 2am…imagine that…}, can I send out a thanks?  Thanks so much to Melissa, Dave’s daughter-in-law.  Thanks for so many things actually, but thanks for introducing us to some great families and couples.  Like them, and them, and them too.  And last but not least, these guys:

I had to include this next one because she looks just like her dad!

Don’t you think?  Spitting image I say.

One thing I love about little Miss {I} here are the expressions.  She has this look of absolute shock that cracks me up.  Here she is right after she found out she just won the lottery.  ;)

Aren’t those flowers great?  The {S’s} brought them from their garden.

I had to throw this one in too.  This is just after we told her Oprah is giving her a new car.

Thanks {S’s}.  I hope you all have a GREAT time on vacation!

…with spreads like this…

These Art Books are beautifully bound.  Donny & Maris chose a black leather with photo strip option.

I wish I could have kept her forever, but I had to let her go.  Gabby packaged her up and we shipped her to Donny & Maris today.  Goodbye sweet album.  Take care.

Here’a a victory wave with the candle.

…as much as he loved the cupcake, I think he preferred the grass.  {L} does this adorable scoot thing instead of crawling.  He scooted all over the blanket to pull out the grass.

We gave up on the blanket for a bit.  :)

Probably my favorite:

We caught a few shots of the fam before poor {L} got really tired of the whole thing.

Aren’t they adorable?

I rode with the {P’s} to the park and on the way back I think I scared poor {L} getting in the car.  He looked at me like, “haven’t we seen enough of her yet?!”

Thanks {P} family.  It was great to see you and realize we have so many friends in common.  Such a small world!

I have so much to share though.  Here is a small clue of what is to come:

and…

…and so much more.  Trust me.

Check back tomorrow for some fun family shots.  Until then, enjoy the sunshine.