Happy Anniversary Tiffany and Matt!

Well it's hard to believe, but it's been a year ago this past weekend that Matt and Tiffany Ahern tied the knot amidst the warm sandy beaches of Riviera Maya, Mexico.



What a great trip and wonderful experience to be able to photograph your wedding! Thanks again. Matt and Tiffany and I used to practically be neighbors, but now they are living in beautiful Park City, Utah—and apparently loving it. I'm looking forward to seeing Tiffany in January though, as she will be helping me with the Columbus Bridal Show at Veteran's Memorial. Can't wait!

Congratulations both of you as you celebrate your first year of wedded bliss!

Brooke and Tom's Wedding

One of my favorite things about my job (aside from the fact that it's FUN!) is that each wedding is so very different from the next.
Each couple has their own style that really seems to portray their personalities—individually and as a couple. And STYLE is definitely the first word that comes to mind when I think of Brooke Farrand and Tom Kelsey's wedding this past weekend. The ceremony and reception was held at a private residence in Bratenahl, Ohio (just outside of downtown Cleveland). It was an absolutely GORGEOUS home with the most amazing private collection of artwork I've ever seen. Valarie Kirkbride, owner of Kirkbride's Wedding Planning and Design (www.kirkbrides.com) coordinated and designed the event—and no detail was overlooked.










Brooke's veil, jewelry and dress all had a chic vintage feel that seemed to play tribute to classic old-Hollywood glamour. (and did I mention her FAB cranberry shoes??) The fashion certainly didn't stop with the bride though—I looooved the groom's and groomsmen's less traditional but oh-so-stylin' suits!







One of my favorite parts of the day was heading to the Westside Market (via the lovely "Lolly the Trolley") . As the entire wedding crew paraded through the market, we got quite a few cheers and clapping—which made for some great images!





The rain certainly didn't put a damper on the day—as a photographer, I was of course loving the soft overcast light. It required a bit of strategic maneuvering on Brooke's end though to try and keep her dress clean while modeling for some shots outside in the gardens before the ceremony. Brooke—you were a champ! As luck would have it though, the clouds broke about 15 minutes before the ceremony was to begin! Kudos to Valarie and an entire crew of wonderful vendors for some last minute rearranging to see to it that the wedding went on outside as originally planned.






Brooke and Tom—thanks so much for having me as a part of your big day! I hope that you are loving Costa Rica right now and I look forward to sharing the rest of the pictures with you soon on Pictage.com.

Sunny San Diego

After my recent 2-week, whirlwind trek through Italy, I didn't anticipate the wow factor that this laid back, sunny, beach town would have on me. I have been to California more times than I could count, and have even driven most of the Pacific Coast Highway–but never as far south as San Diego. What a gem!

I was long overdue to go out and visit Kim, one of my very closest friends. We go all the way back to junior high, but we don't need to get into how long ago that really was! Anyhow—thanks Kim, for a relaxing and fun weekend! My two favorite spots were La Jolla, (where I had the BEST seafood omelet at brunch on Sunday) and Torrey Pines National Park, located between La Jolla and DelMar. I had Monday to myself to explore, so I hiked around for a couple hours and discovered some incredible views of the coast, along with some local flavor. I attached a few pics, some being my first in several so-so attempts at self-portraiture. Don't laugh. Oh yeah, and there's one in here of an old church in the "Old Town" area of downtown. I love the simple lines and composition.









So my wanderlust generally tends to lead me to places far and foreign, but how quickly I forget (especially being from COLUMBUS, OHIO no less!) how beautiful a country we live in. San Diego has definitely made my list of hot spots and I'm eager to return soon. God bless America!

Italia

Or buona sera, depending on when you are reading this—in anycase that's one of about only ten phrases or words that I used during my 2-week adventure with my friend, Sarah, to beautiful Italy. I was focused more on the scenery, food and vino. (or my new favorite, Limoncello)

And never in my life have I ever seen so many people eat so much ice cream—and I can understand why. Gelato, as Italians call it, is heaven in your mouth. But it's not just the taste that gets you—it starts with the irresistible presentation. Every combination you can think of, and wonderful ones that you wouldn't have.




Our adventure started with a whirlwind 2-day stay in Rome. Definitely an amazing city with so much to see and do. Unfortunately, we were so exhausted the day we arrived that we were wandering around aimlessly in a daze. We saw the Colosseum, got harassed and chased down by a gladiator, ate some gelato on the steps of the Pantheon, dined and embibed at Campo di Fiori, and before we knew it we were off to the Amalfi Coast.

Hands down one of the most unique, beautiful, treasure-filled places I've ever been. It was everything and more that I had ever pictured Italy to be. Character-filled smiling faces, beautiful golden-clad cathedrals, tiny alleys with even tinier cars—a photographer's dream, to be sure!








There are so many more pictures I'd like to post, but I'm going to wrap up this blog for today with a few of my favorite pics from the much less touristy Southern region of Italy known as Puglia. We were lucky enough to stay with our friends, Maggie (a fellow blogster-www.travelingmaggie.blogspot.com) and Paolo. Both were WONDERFUL hosts and gave an "insider's" experience of what I believe to be the "real Italy". The most beautiful coastline I've ever seen, warm people, acres of wild flowers, olive groves, and quaint little markets. Thanks Maggie and Paolo! This has truly been an experience of a lifetime!

Dates still available for Spring 2008!

Hey there brides- and grooms-to-be! I just thought I'd add a post of dates still currently available for this Spring. Especially for the last minute "planners" out there.
As of today, the following dates are still up for grabs:
Saturday, March 8
Saturday, March 29
Saturday, April 12
Saturday, May 24
Saturday, May 31
Saturday, June 7

Thanks to all of the wonderful brides (and a few brave grooms) that attended the 2008 Columbus Bride Show at Vet's Memorial on Jan 5-6, weekend dates for summer and fall 2008 are going quickly! Thanks to everyone who attended! If you weren't able to make that one, I will also have a booth at the Bridal Expo, sponsored by The Knot, this Sunday at the Aladdin Shrine center.
Hope to see you there!