Fun Canton Wedding Photographs {Matt & Erin}

When I arrived at the hotel the bridesmaids sat and watched as Erin’s hair was being styled.  Erin was calm and collected after months of intense planning…this was it.  She looked beautiful.  Gorgeous actually.  Laughter and conversation filled the room as all the last minute details were being cared for.  I can’ t think of many better ways to spend the morning of your wedding day.

Matt and Erin had met at Yankee Peddler but didn’t spend much time together then.  They exchanged screen names and for months spent hours chatting online.  (This was pre-Facebook after all.)  After so much time chatting without moving any further…Erin finally asked what Matt was thinking.  Is this going anywhere or not she wanted to know.

It was.  After seven years together, Matt and Erin were married at First Christian Church in Canton last month.  All of their family was gathered around them and celebrated as they spent the night dancing and enjoying the beginning of their lives together.  Dave and I were happy to be there to photograph the two of them and this wedding that they had poured so much of themselves into.

Kudos to this awesome bridal party.  I felt like another bridesmaid minus a cool silver dress.  They even did my hair.  I had a blast with them!

I’m not sure what it is about this next one that I love.  But I love it.  Isn’t Erin gorgeous?

Matt just after seeing his bride.

Did I mention that this was a cool bridal party?

To view even more images, please click play below.  The slideshow is about 3 minutes long.  Please be patient while loading, it’s worth it!  {Anyone viewing on Facebook or in an RSS Feed, click here.}

Matt & Erin…thank you both so much for allowing us the pleasure of working with you both.  We wish you both the best.

Canton Engagement Session {Brian & Jen}

He was driving like a maniac.  That’s her side of the story anyway.  She was so mad she even asked around town and found his address.  She completely intended to knock on the door and give him a piece of her mind.  She knocked and he answered, but apparently she forgave him, because soon after they were dating.  Then, last December, Brian set out on an elaborate plan to ask Jen to marry him.  To keep her from being suspicious, he worked with 94.1 to be sure that Jen would win tickets to a Cavs game.  On the night of the game, she came home to find a Christmas tree decorated with a box next to it.  She said yes {of course!} and they went to see the game as a newly engaged couple.

We began our session at Silver Park in Alliance.  Brian and Jen brought their other love, Daisy, along and she snuck in a few photos.  :)

She is a cutie, huh?

Jen, you look beautiful!

After a quick clothing change, we headed over to Mount Union…

Here’s Dave’s perspective of the fire escape:

And mine:

Brian & Jen have visited Bubba Gump and wanted a bus stop shot.  We couldn’t find a good bench but this worked just fine.  Daisy seems to like it too, don’t you think?

Thanks Brian and Jen!  We are looking forward to your wedding this September.

Akron Lakeside Wedding Photography {Efrem & Keera}

There are a lot of people who claim to love.  They swear up and down their love…until things get hard.  For better or worse…until the worse comes.  Efrem is not that kind of man.  He’s proven that.  Keera has been dealing with Cystic Fibrosis her whole life and a few months ago her lungs began to fail.  Efrem sat by her side for weeks as she awaited a double lung transplant and then went through the hard work of recovery.  She couldn’t look at him, smile at him, or talk to him for a long while.  Yet, there he sat.

Her friends and family banded together and created multiple fundraising events to help Keera and Efrem with the huge medical bills.  Auctions, tournaments, live bands, dinners…all created and run with love for these two.  I wish I had known them then.  I would have loved to have been there to support them.  This couple has been through more than most.

I wasn’ t there then, but a few weeks back, Dave and I had the pleasure of being there as Efrem and Keera were married.

The day was gorgeous and Spring Lake Party Center was set up beautifully.

Look at this light!

Efrem, Keera, and their friends and family helped with many of the details.  Keera even made her own garters…aren’t they adorable?

Keera took a few minutes to write a letter for Efrem.

Just before the ceremony, I walked into the dressing room and found this:

Could she be any more beautiful?  And the men don’t look so bad either…

I love how Efrem looks at her.  So sweet.

I am pretty sure this next one is my favorite.  I love their faces.

Organ donor cards and information were provided to all the guests.  You can find information on becoming a donor here.

Efrem and Keera…thank you both so much for asking us to be a part of your day.  Blessings to you.

To view the slideshow with even more images, please click play below.  {If viewing on Facebook or an RSS Feed, click here.}

Akron Area Engagement Photography {Donny & Maris}

When he saw her across the dance floor of the ship he was interested.  Very interested.  In fact, he describes it as love at first sight.  But Donny couldn’t imagine ever approaching her to talk….Luckily, he didn’t have to.  Before he could give it much thought, she approached him, mistaking him for someone else.  It didn’t matter why she approached him though, I think they were both just glad she did.  They spoke some in passing throughout the rest of the cruise and then after returning home, Maris gave him a call.

They decided to meet in Washington D.C. since she is from Ohio and he Florida.  The trip went well and their long distance relationship started from there.  Donny & Maris spent the next year or more meeting every other week and talking on the phone in between.  Then, their relationship came full circle when they returned to D.C. where Donny proposed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Dave and I met up with them in Maris’s parent’s garden.  Donny and Maris flew in just a few days before their wedding, so this session took place just before their rehearsal.

Love this dress:

Can’t you just feel their happiness?

Maris, you are beautiful!  Look at those eyes.

Donny and Maris…we hope you honeymoon was just as amazing as you hoped it would be!  I will be posting some of you wedding images very soon.

Classy Columbus Wedding Photography {Brian & Ali}

As I arrived at the hotel, the sky opened up and the rain poured down.  You know…the type of rain that drenches everything you’re wearing as you run from your car…the kind that seems like it won’t ever end.  Soon enough though, it began to clear up.  The sun came out and the day became just beautiful.

I’d never met Brian or Ali before their wedding day, but as I got a glimpse of their lives and their love, the weather reminded me of their story.  It may have been rainy in the past for each of them, but together, the sun is shining.  And, it’s just gorgeous.

If you are getting married in the Columbus, Ohio area, check out the new wedding venue: Scioto.  The service and facilities were amazing.

I love the elegance of the black and ivory.

The setting was perfect…just like the day.

Ali’s brother was the pastor for the service.  I always find it so meaningful when the officiant knows the bride and groom well.

Love this next one.

Fireside Florist created Ali’s bouquet using four different flowers…each type comprised the bouquet for the four bridesmaids.

Scioto has amazing decor.  It’s a bit of a photographer’s dream.

The Cake Studio did a fabulous job.  Trust me when I say it tasted even better than it looks…and that’s saying a lot.

Pastor Jamie shared a quote from the book Mystery of Marriage by Mike Mason that I don’t think I’ll ever forget:

“Love convinces a couple that they are the greatest romance that has ever been, that no two people have ever loved as they do, and that they will sacrifice absolutely anything in order to be together.  And then marriage asks them to prove it.”

With all my heart, Brian and Ali, I hope you live your lives proving it.

Ceremony and Reception Location: Scioto Reserve Weddings (An awesome, brand new venue in Columbus.  The details this place thought of…wow!)

Colors: Black & Ivory

Florist: Fireside Florist

Bakery: The Cake Studio

To view more yummy images, please click play below.  Slideshow may take a moment to load…but I promise it’s worth the wait.  {Facebook and RSS Feed viewers, please click here to view}

Cleveland Wedding Photography {The Story of David & Elisha}

I shared the wedding photographs with you a few days ago here, but I wanted to also share their story:

Elisha wasn’t sure about the whole blind date idea.  Her cousin insisted he was a good guy…but spending the evening with a man she’d never met did not sound like a night she was up for.  She reluctantly agreed to go, but in the end begged her cousin to stay.  That’s how it started.  Dave, Elisha, and her cousin.

In fact their first few dates went this same way.  Elisha’s cousin had a front row seat to a relationship that blossomed to become this bride and groom.  And, fittingly, she had the same front row seat to Dave and Elisha on the day they pledged their lives to each other.

Dave and Elisha…all the best to you both.  Congratulations.

Akron Engagement Session {David & Elisha Sneak Peek}

They decided to go to Stay Hywet for the day.  As they walked around, she noticed that they seemed to keep retracing their steps.  She was content to let him lead though.  Eventually they found themselves inside the English Garden.  They sat and talked and suddenly she realized that he was on one knee asking her to marry him.  She was, of course, more than happy to say yes.

Dave and I met David and Elisha back at the place where they pledged their lives together.  We walked all over the gardens and got some amazing engagement shots {if I do say so myself}.  I am thrilled with the way we were able to capture their love for one another surrounded by the beauty of one of the greatest places in all of Akron.

Here they are on the bench where it began:

Love this next one…

We had harsh sunlight that we tried to avoid, but it worked well for this next one.

Check out Elisha’s gorgeous eyes!

And David’s not so bad himself!

David is convinced that he is not photogenic.  I kept trying to tell him otherwise.  Shoulda bet him on it, don’t you think?

This next one is so sweet.  You can see how David loves her with every touch of the arm.

There’s something about white birch trees that I adore.  So dreamlike.

We’ll be kicking off our wedding season in a couple weeks with Dave & Elisha’s wedding.  If this session was any indication…we will have some great images to share soon.

Quick Sneak Peek

No time to chat…but check this out.  More coming soon.

Inspiration

Every now and then it is so good to reevaluate where I am going as a photographer.  Is this the direction I hoped for?  What can I do better?  How can I be more creative?

I had a great opportunity this week to do just that.  Huy Nguyen, a wedding photographer out of Dallas, travelled to Ohio to hold a workshop for ten of us.  Listening to Huy, I was able to sit back and consider where I am going in my work, and perhaps more importantly, where I want to be going.  He gave all of us so many things to think about.  I am grateful for the time just to be inspired.

Andrew Jordan graciously allowed me to share some of the images he took with you.  Here is Huy during the question and answer period.  I love that he genuinely seemed to want to help each of us.  {By the way, his work is creative, unique, and just plain cool.  Check it out here.}

Below are the eleven of us after a break.  I’ve met some of Northeastern Ohio’s best wedding photographers in the last year or so and it has been a pleasure getting to know them all.

Wedding Wednesday {Best Cleveland Area Wedding Vendors, Tips, & Ideas}

(I know.  I know.  It’s Thursday.  But doesn’t Wedding Wednesday have a much better ring to it?)

Allow me to introduce Ryan to you.  He is one of the DJs at Beach Boyz Entertainment and I asked him to tell us a little bit about himself and the business.  I firmly believe that your wedding entertainment is an essential piece of hosting a wedding people enjoy.  If your guests aren’t having fun you will be disappointed and believe me so will they.

Some DJs in the industry are fantastic and others are just so so.  Do yourself a favor and hire a fantastic one like Ryan here.  :)

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a person who loves to have fun and take life by the horns. I have been married now for 7 years and I have two sons. Austin and Trevor. Austin is 6 years old and in the first grade and Trevor is 3 years old. They are incredible. I just recently bought a home in Firestone Park and loving it. It’s so nice to have the freedom of owning and doing whatever I want, which means, I was able to get a Pet! We have 1 cat named Charlie and a Dog soon to come!

2. Tell us about Beach Boyz Entertainment…where are you located?

Beach Boyz is a wonderful DJ Service. The customers come first. That’s how we separate us from everyone else. It’s not our show, it’s theirs. We want to cater to all that our clients want. We have around 20 guys at the present time working for Beach Boyz. Range from Rookies to guys who have been there for 15 years.

3. How did you become a DJ?

I used to work at Todaro’s Party Center in Akron as a busboy so I got to see DJ’s first hand and got to see how much fun people had. I wanted to be that guy who provided the fun. I loved it when Beach Boyz DJ’d the parties because they made it a night to remember. So that’s why I decided to become a DJ. Didn’t know music too well and was a little quiet, but wanted to try. Now I know thousands upon thousands of songs and have been with Beach Boyz for 11 years. I get to provide the entertainment and provide the smiles as people walk out the door remembering how much fun their event was!

4. What do you think is the most important role of a DJ at a wedding reception?

The most important thing about the role of the DJ is becoming the one to take care of the flow of the night. For Weddings, we make sure that all events are planned, ready to go…and we keep a good pace. If you let the party drag out and check in the guest(s) of honor, then people lose interest and the client thinks “what’s next…” Being able to work the flow of the music is most important too! Anyone can hook up an IPOD and run music off of it all night, but do they really know how to work the crowd. Do they know what song to play next to keep people dancing? No. They usually just have a pre-determined list and just the play button. We don’t do that. We work the crowd off the lists the Client provides plus what we feel would keep the dance floor alive. Also, our DJ Service works closely with all Photographers and Videographers. That’s the last thing a Bride and Groom would want…no pictures for a special event on their Wedding Day…a Father-Daughter dance could be missed. All Vendors know what is coming up. We Emcee the event and Coordinate all events.

5. What should a bride and groom look for in a DJ?

As you look for a DJ, get to know them. Get comfortable with them. The reason I say that is because they are the one’s DJing the night you are going to remember the rest of your life. The DJ makes or breaks your reception. People don’t really remember the food, or the drinks…but they remember the music.

6. What are some unique things you (Beach Boyz) offer?

Beach Boyz offers a variety of unique things. We have basic lighting to intelligent lighting…Fog Machines/Snow Machines/Bubble Machines/the list keeps going. We have props for all kind of events when it comes to Kid Parties (Hula Hoops/Miniature Bikes/Wide Selection) to keep people entertained. We also interact with the crowd. We don’t stand behind the DJ Table with our arms crossed the whole night or sitting down eating and drinking alcohol. We don’t eat and we don’t drink alcohol at events. Our concern is the Bride and Groom…not our party life!

7. Do you have any fun stories or experiences that you can share?

I have tons of stories that could take up pages as to things that have happened in my 11 years so I will keep it short and sweet. The experiences I have meeting new people every weekend are awesome! But the best part is when you run into those people down the road and they remember you! They say they still talk about their reception and how much fun they had. They say that every family gathering they have, their reception comes up as a topic every time and memories start flying out their mouths and they can’t stop talking about it. That is the best experience. I once had a Bride and Groom I DJ’d for 5 years ago…well, their friend got married this past summer and they were guests. They came up to me and said “you were our DJ and I am so happy to see you here tonight. We told them to go to Beach Boyz and get Ryan.” So for couples to remember me that far down the road is the most amazing feeling. I love being a DJ and I will leave you with a quote that I will hold true to and you will see how much I love being a DJ by this quote:  ”The day that this becomes a job is the day that I call it quits”

Thanks for talking to me and hope to see you all soon!!

Here’s a couple shots from a wedding last season where Ryan is keeping the floor hopping:

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