Alex and Beth's Picture-Perfect Day!

So I couldn't ask for a more wonderful couple to photograph! The new Beth and Alex Rousch tied the knot yesterday in a very casual, yet beautiful, sweet ceremony at the Topiary Garden downtown. For being a relatively short afternoon wedding celebration, I still have LOTS of images to go through but wanted to make a quick post of some of my favorites that caught my eye right away.









Oh, and I had to post this shot I snapped of Beth and Alex with a bunch of elementary school kids that were at the park on a field trip. They just thought it was soo cool that they saw people getting married, that they RAN from all directions over to Beth and Alex for a quick pic. Everyone loves a newly hitched bride and groom!



And the getaway car...perfect day for a convertible.



Following the ceremony, we walked around German Village for a really fun and relaxed portrait session. It was so nice because their lunch reception was at Lindey's on Mohawk, right in the heart of the most quaint part of the village. We were just steps away from a zillion great photo spots. Lots of smooches and cuddles in this series!








These yummilicious cupcakes were done by Bakery Gingham, also in German Village. They almost looked too good to eat I thought—but apparently not everyone agreed, as they were gone pretty quickly.



And I think this was the littlest guest of the day...so sweet!



Thanks again Beth and Alex—I couldn't ask for a more perfect way to start my 3-wedding marathon weekend. Have such a great time in England, Ireland and Scotland on your honeymoon!

Rachael and Joe — Fall in Love!

So, I have been wanting to post a few pics from this VERY special wedding since...ummm...October. So I am a bit behind to say the least, but better late than never, right? Rachael has been one of my best friends since she moved here from West Lafayette, Indiana back in 7th grade and sat across from me in Mrs. Merrick's homeroom at Walnut Springs.

The newly wed Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gummersbach met a couple years ago at a party and tied the knot in a beautiful outdoor ceremony up in Cleveland. Although I wasn't the "official" photographer of the day, I was extremely honored to be in the bridal party. This didn't, however, keep me from taking SOME pictures though...not bringing my camera at one of my best friend's wedding would be like cutting off my arm! So anyhow, here are a few fun pics from that gorgeous fall day in early October.

Ok, without further ado—here are some pics of the stunning bride getting dolled up for the big day:







What a gorgeous bride!



and a very cool cake — that's spun sugar draped around it!



Rachael and Joe broke it down to their own choreographed first dance So fun!







And the Jacobs family bustin' a move! I think (maybe to "We Are Family")



The wedding and reception were both held at Sammy's Manakiki Ballroom and Courtyard in Willoughby Hills. No detail was overlooked and everyone had an AWESOME time. Nice work to Valarie Kirkbride of Kirkbride's Wedding Planning and Design for helping pull together an amazing day! I wish I had some pictures from the outdoor ceremony, but instead I was up on the altar this time. Kinda fun being on the other side of things for a change! Thanks Rach and Joe for having me a big part of your day—love you both!!

Bridal Show 2009!

Hey brides and grooms! I just wanted to say thank you so much to all of you that came out to the show, and especially to the ones that took the time to stop by my booth! I had so much fun meeting so many of you and look forward to meeting with many of you again in the next few weeks.

Also, another special thanks to my friends and "helpers" Marit, Tiffany and Laura who helped me out during the show. Tiffany was one of my former brides that I had the awesome opportunity to photograph in Mexico last year for her destination wedding, and came out all the way from Utah to share her wedding experience with brides-to-be.



And I certainly can't forget Brett from Aurora Exhibit Solutions. (www.aurora-exhibits.com) Thank you SOO very much for all your help setting up the display. It all turned out great and the booth certainly wouldn't be what it was without your generosity.

And last but certainly not least, to my parents, (also my number one fans) for helping with the set up, tear down, and daily de-stressing. Ok, you'd think that'd I'd just won an Oscar or something with all the "i'd like to thank all the people that made this possible..."...ha haa. Just so many people helped me out, and it's soo truly appreciated.

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.