Caroline and Stephen's Cincinnati Wedding

  Caroline and Stephen's had a little hard luck right before the wedding.  A car gone missing, dryers blowing up, cell phones breaking.  There wasnt one time during their wedding, even for a minute that I felt any kind of  stress from either of them.  Instead they both were 100% present enjoying every moment of generous love and affection they were surrounded by on their wedding day.  From the moment they saw each other for the first time, which was one of the sweetest moments in the history of my wedding career, they looked at each other and held each other full of pure happiness.  Thank you for the fabulous day Caroline and Stephen.

See Caroline and Stephen's engagement in Rabbit Hash, Ky. session here.

Ft Thomas Florist created romantic bouquets and flower arrangements that were dreamy. Their very sweet first look at each other.  Thank you to my amazing second shooter Andrew for helping me cover it  so well. Their romantic reception was at the Bell Event Centre.

Kate and Erik's Clifton Engagement Session

I met Kate and Erik in the gaslight part of Clifton for their engagement session.  Though they no longer live in Cincinnati, they spent a lot of time in this part of town throughout their college years.  It was nice getting to know them and hearing about how they met.   Kate and Erik met back in the Myspace days. Erik's band  at the time Till Plains had a show and Kate went to see them.   Little did she know she was going to meet her future husband that night.  They spent some time as friends, going to shows and hanging out.  Eventually friendship turned into love.  I am looking forward to their wedding next year. 

Megand Ryan's Bell Event Centre Wedding

Megan and Ryan's wedding at the Bell Event Centre was an elegant affair full of smiles, hugs and amazing red shoes!  The day started out rainy, but that didn't stop them from being happy and optimistic.  It was a real celebration.  Megan and Ryan have known each other their entire lives, their parents are best friends.  Though they grew up together, it wasn't until they were on a family vacation stuck on a cruise ship that they truly fell in love.  I just love their story!

See Megan and Ryan's lake house engagement session here.

Black, white, and red, so classic and elegant. A very touching ceremony at the Bell. There were lots of bird details throughout the space. Cutest cake ever!  

Christina and Brandon's Fall Cincinnati Wedding

This is my last wedding of the year and it is another beautiful one!  Christina and Brandon were married at The Bell Event Centre.  It was a gorgeous fall day full of lots of color and sunshine.  Christina looked stunning in her dress from Kotsovos.  These two currently live in Chicago, but are originally from the Cincinnati area.  Friends and family came from all over the country to help celebrate their love.  It was a classy night filled with tons of fun, I was happy to be part of it!

I started the day at Christina's parents house, where the girls got ready.  As soon as I saw this window I knew I had to use it for a dramatic bridal portrait.

So pretty!  Christina's makeup is by Brideface and Jen Nally styled her hair.   We had to include a little bit of Cincinnati into their pictures. The guys looked sharp in their gray suits and paisley print ties. I love the way the color of the girl's dresses popped with the fall colors. The beautiful Bell.

Sarah and Karen's Bell Event Centre Wedding

"The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was.  Lovers don't finally meet somewhere, they're in each other all along." - Rumi

It all started with a date and a kiss.  They went out for coffee and and then for drinks.  While standing in the bar Sarah leaned over and kissed Karen and for the first time, Karen felt free.  She felt free to be herself, to love without worry.  She saw the strength she was searching for in Sarah and she was in love.  Their love story is so inspiring to me.  I knew the second I met them that I wanted to be part of it.

Sarah and Karen committed themselves to each other on a beautiful fall day at the gorgeous Bell Event Centre.  They were surrounded by 200 of their closest friends and family.  It was a glorious night full of laughter and love.  These two women have the kindest hearts.  Karen is a chaplain at a local hospital and Sarah works for a non-profit.  They are a perfect balance for each other.  Sarah has a carefree spirit and loves to go with the flow, while Karen is very organized and needs order to feel comfortable.  Together I know they are going to do wonderful things in this world.  They have already touched my heart so deep with their kind words and loving spirit.  The quote above was printed on the last page of their programs and I think it sums things up just perfectly. Thank you Sarah and Karen, for not only choosing me to photograph your wedding, but for being my friend, and helping me show the world that as Sarah says, love is love, it has no boundaries.  I wish you two a lifetime of happiness together.

Sarah and Karen made their commitment official in New York, where they got engaged.

Rachel Lisa did a fantastic job on both Sarah and Karen's makeup.  She even came to the ceremony and touched them up for the reception.Karen went from a chaplain to a princess in a matter of minutes. Beautiful.Karen wore Toms wedges while Sarah wore her cowgirl boots.Seeing each other for the first time.The next two crack me up.  Sarah's relative Kevin Brunsman did a wonderful job on the flowers.  When choosing bouquets Karen said she wanted tightly wound...and Sarah wanted loose and wild.  So fitting for their personalities! ;)  You cant see it in this image, but there is a mushroom hiding in that bouquet! The programs were handmade by Sarah, each one was unique. Going over their vows right before the ceremony.Since a marriage certificate in Ohio was not possible, they made their own.  All of the guests signed it.  I love it!The Bell Event Centre, amazing!  Thank you to my awesome assistant Andrew for capturing these. Sarah is also a bee keeper.  For favors they gave honey jars with "meant to bee" printed on them.  Such a cute touch.I always get super excited when I find out I get to eat BonBonerie cake! :)

Christina and Brandon's Cincinnati Engagement Session

Christina and Brandon, both from Cincinnati met while attending Miami University. After college they moved to Chicago where they now live.  While they were in town last week we wandered around Findlay Market and Eden Park to capture these colorful images.  I had a great time getting to know them and hearing the amazing story about how Brandon proposed on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago.  He had all of her friends and family in town to help celebrate after.  I love surprises, it was a super sweet story.  I cant wait until their fall wedding at The Bell Event Centre later this year.   

Cincinnati Wedding at The Bell Event Centre

I feel very fortunate for the opportunity I had to travel to Mexico earlier this year to photograph Shanean and Ryan's destination wedding.  I got another opportunity to spend time with this gorgeous couple at the Bell Event Centre for their reception recently.  The Bell, which is a renovated church/bell and clock museum/event space is loaded with charm; vaulted ceilings, antique clocks and bells, colorful stained glass, marble and terrazzo floors.    The Bell Event Centre offers the option to have your ceremony and reception in the same location.  There is a beautiful courtyard that overlooks the city that is perfect for cocktail hour and photos.  The food is so, so good.   I feel safe saying it is the best I have had at a wedding to date. :)  They can accommodate up to 350 guests and have a full service staff of chefs, servers, bartenders, ect. that are very professional and courteous.   It was wonderful working with such an outstanding group of people. :)

See images from Shanean and Ryan's destination wedding here, their sexy day after beach shoot here, and underwater fun we had in Mexico here.

Shanean is so beautiful.Inside The Bell Event Centre.  There is a huge collection of bells and clocks to admire throughout the venue. Shanean's mother made their cake.  So good!! Time to break it down! Shanean and Ryan have a super fun group of friends! :)I made a slideshow of the images from Mexico so that all of the guests could see the wedding.  I love this image of Shanean enjoying it at the end of the night.  Thanks to my assistant, Justin for capturing it.