Bardstown Kentucky Wedding
I have been brought to tears more than once while editing these wedding photos. Sometimes I get so lost in my camera on a wedding day I don't get to actually soak in all of the emotion going on in front of my lens. I see the a wedding as magical moments that I will later piece together to tell a story. When I look back through the images I get to relive the day as a viewer again. This wedding was special, the love between Valarie and Shawn is so evident in their pictures. I am so happy they chose me to be their photographer.
The wedding was held about 2 hours south of Cincinnati in Bardstown, Kentucky, which is also known as the Bourbon Capital of the world.
We started at a local hotel where Valarie, her sisters, who both served as her bridesmaids, and her mother got ready.
Valarie's sisters wore jewelry they made together with Valarie at The Bellevue Beadery. I like how Valarie dressed her shoes up to match the girl's dresses.
April Christine, did a fantastic job on Valarie's makeup.
All of the guys had personalized cuff links.
Since we were in the Bourbon capital, you have to have a variety of bourbon to choose from. 
Valarie and Shawn opted to do a first look, which is when we set up a very special meeting between the bride and groom before the ceremony. Seeing each other before the ceremony allowed them to spend more time with their guests at the reception. It was very sweet and full of emotion and I was able to capture every bit of it.
I just love LOVE! :) 
Valarie's flowers were arranged by the local flower shop in town, Bardstown Florist.
The ceremony took place at My Old Kentucky Home, an absolutely gorgeous outdoor venue.
After the ceremony we headed to Bardstown Country Club. They prepared a wonderful dinner that was followed by delicious cheesecake for dessert.
Thanks for sending me home with leftovers Valarie. Dave was a happy guy when I walked in, lemon cheesecake is one of his favorites!:) 
This was taken as I was getting in my car to leave.
Perfect! :)
My birthday is July 20th and I am a dork so I made Dave take my picture by a 20 in a parking lot downtown. :)
This is Ashley's nephew, David. I feel like it was just yesterday when we did his 
Ashley wanted her wedding to be laid back and relaxed. I think daisies were a great choice for the carefree vibe.
It was a perfect day for a wedding.
There were so many great spots for pictures.
The cake is by 
Ashley's mother, Kathy and her Aunt Anne made all of the sweets. My favorite part of the wedding, besides all of the love, were the three m&m cookies and one unbelievable brownie I had. So good! Kentucky cooking is something I never pass up. ;) 
I really like the next picture, ALOT! 
Nick and his mother, both looking great. 
This is Audra, one of Ashley's bridesmaids. She was in a 
If you are a fan of my 
The story behind this picture is pretty funny. I got a flat tire at the park. I needed to go get air ASAP. I followed Craig to the nearest gas station since he is more familiar with the area than me. On the way there I was kicking myself in the butt because I didn't take a picture of their feet. I loved that Craig wore his favorite beat up boots, and that Jessica wanted to be barefoot most of the time. We talked about those boots so much. Their feet really said a lot about them and I missed the shot. That eats me up more than anything. Of all times not to get a feet shot, this was not it. So we pulled into the UDF to get air and I asked them to get out and let me get a picture of their feet before they changed outfits. Thankfully they did not think I was too crazy and they did it without hesitating.
Ault Park has gorgeous flower lined paths, wooded trails, and beautiful architecture. It is a great backdrop for photos. 
I thought it was awesome that I was waiting for them on the exact same bench Craig proposed to Jessica on. Of all of the benches at the park, I chose to sit there, magic!
Next we headed to my neighborhood, Main Strass, where Jessica and Craig first met. 
My mom got a new puppy named Guido after her brother Joey who was one of the proudest little Italians I ever knew. Mom always called him her little Guido! ;) 
A little bit of everybody.
Pinata!
This is my first picture of Nina and ALL of her kids. The photos on the right are a good explanation why. It is very difficult to do. I bribed them with cake and we managed to get them all looking. :) My brother-in-law is outside on clean up duty. 
My grandma and mom. This is where my silly genes come from.
Eli does not like the birthday song at all. Nina says it doesn't matter if it is 2 people or 15 people singing it, he always cries. I thought it was sweet the way he tried to hide in his brother's arm . 
Presents!
Nina gave me a tiny gift at the end of the party. It's a camera key chain that flashes and makes a shutter noise. I always say it is the little things that make me happy, and this time it literally is!
Here are some fun iPhone photos from the day.
I really enjoy taking pictures of my family. It is the thing I am proudest to do for my nephews. I want them to have all of these great memories to share with their families when they grow up.