Ohio Wedding Photographer | Wedding Photography | Professional Wedding Portraits
” i love you a bushel, and a peck and a hug around the neck ”
Rustic wood, farmhouse vibes, lace dresses + cold beer… what more do you need for a perfect barn wedding??
If you have yet to hear about The Buckeye Barn in Piqua, OH and are looking for a rustic location to host your wedding, (well goodness) look no further! I was so excited when Stacey started discussing this new-location-to-be back in January. Let me tell you, it meet all expectations. The staff was amazing to work with, the place is decked to the studs with all kinds of details and you can even host your ceremony on site if you’d like. There is even a bridal suite + dude cave!!! (SERIOUSLY?!?)
We’ve done a couple of weddings with Genells Flowers now and their work has seemed to be exquisite each time! Stacey left no room for error with choosing all the delicate greenery and white flowers for her wedding. Lovely, lovely, lovely!
And let’s not forget to mention that amazing bridal dress, as well as the girls dresses. All different and yet timeless + seamless working together in perfect harmony.
{I’ve been drooling over this wedding if you cannot tell!}
Here are just a few of our favorite moments + details captured throughout the beautiful wedding day. Stacey+Devon, thanks for letting us tell YOUR story and be a part of your BIG day. Wishing you all the best as you journey into your future as husband+wife.
“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” – John Wooden
We have been excitedly counting down the days to Aron and Angie’s wedding.
So often we hear people say things like, “why spend all this time and effort in the details for just one day?” Well, it’s because of all those details that make the big day comes together. All the prepping, planning, numerous late-nights and multiple pots of coffee to create the beauty of a wedding day, and this bride was all about the details…
We started the morning off at the Castle home. Aron & Angie chose to see one another before their ceremony. What a more intimate setting is there than to see your bride or groom where you will start your lives as husband and wife?
They are two of the sweetest, funniest people I know! Always willing to share a smile or crack a joke. It was a blessing to be a part of their wedding day.
A ranunculus… just one of the beautifully, interesting flowers Angie had in her bouquet.
How They Met
On Saturday night of Coldwater Picnic 2011, after all the beer stands had been closed, Angie headed to McSober’s with her friends from Columbus, Terri and Brian. Aron hitch-hicked to McSober’s along from the park because his friends had left him.
After several adult beverages, and a conversation where Angie was trying to get her point across to her sister Terri, Angie climbed up on a picnic table and yelled,
“Why won’t anybody listen to me?”
Aron, who had come out back to smoke a cigarette (which he has since quit through the wonderful encouragement of his bride) stood at the bottom of the table and responded, “I’ll listen to you.”
And he’s been listening to Angie ever since.
(How cute is that!! – they had the start of their love story printed in their wedding programs for all their guests to read.)
What a gorgeous couple and what a wonderful group of friends and family they had surrounding them.
Right after their kiss as husband and wife, the flower girl (Miss Corinne) loudly stated, “EWWW” getting an fun reaction from the newlyweds!
Just a few of their wedding details….
A great day, filled with love. We’re so excited and happy for the Castle’s!
What we think when it comes to seeing your bride or groom for the first time.
Let me first start off with saying that there is no right decision. Each and every person is different and we strongly believe that weddings should reflect the personality and character of the bride and groom!
There are always two sides to every argument. On one side, most couples we talk to think that it’s bad luck (wedding blasphemy!) to see each other before the ceremony and that we are crazy for even suggesting it. ‘This is wedding tradition and traditions are not meant to be broken.’ The other side of the argument is that it’s old fashion. Couples want nothing to do with the tradition that is rooted back to the days of arraigned marriages where virgins were sold to men in exchange for dowries (which was sometimes nothing more than a cow!). ” No joke, this is where the tradition came from. Not letting the groom see the bride until the ceremony was a tactic to keep him from deciding she wasn’t worth the price he was paying and backing out.” I think we can all agree this is not why bride & grooms today are still carrying out this tradition!
From my perspective, as not only a photographer but a bride as well, there are a few reasons to consider when choosing the right time to see each other for the first time.
1. Getting the aisle experience.
Most brides want that WOW moment, walking toward her groom in a place full of their closest friends and family. The wedding march is finally playing for you, the church is full, you’re worried about not falling. There is so much going on, it’s hard to focus just on him, the person you’ve decided to share you’re life with. If you want all that, then maybe seeing him for the first time walking down the aisle is right for you. Or if you want to focus just on him, with no distractions, then consider taking a quiet moment for just the both of you. It really doesn’t matter that he’s already seen you in your dress, you coming down the aisle will always be memorable.
2. Nerves.
It’s a BIG day! A lot of couples that I talk with, discuss how nervous or anxious they were until they saw one another for the first time. Whether at the altar or a few hours before, the butterflies just drifted away once they were together. Why be nervous? You’ve spent months planning and organizing in order to enjoy your day.
3. Spend a Moment Alone…
Think this through a little. If you wait until the alter to see one another for the first time, you don’t really have a moment to say anything personal, funny, or heartfelt. You can’t kiss or embrace, you can barely hold hands in front of your guests. OR you can plan a romantic spot to see one another for the first time. You can laugh, cry, embrace. You can spend a moment of your day together without all eyes on you. It’s the most important day of your lives and this might be the only time alone you have all day.
4. Don’t Rush Through Photos
Squeezing photos into the first half hour of your cocktail hour will make you anything but at ease. Less than an hour isn’t enough time for a portrait session; an hour-and-a-half is closer to ideal because you’ll look more relaxed in your portraits.
Spending more time before the ceremony, also allows you more time to socialize with your guests to celebrate the commitment you just made. The day goes by in a blink of an eye. Why not have more time to celebrate with everyone you invited?
5. Memories – Photos
Years down the road when you want to reminisce, chances are you are going to pull out your wedding album. Long after the dancing stops and food is a distant memory, it will be your wedding images that remain as a lasting memory. Having the extra time together creates more photographic possibilities (like driving to a second location). Take the time to make what is most important, important!
6. Spend Your Day Together
If you ask any bride and groom how often they saw each other during their wedding I bet you’d hear, “Honestly not that much, there are guests to entertain and moments to orchestrate.” The whole day is really the bride and groom throwing a huge party, of which they are both hosting and the center of. Everyone wants to talk to them, congratulate them, and dance with them. Personally, the only time I remember talking to my husband was when we saw each other before the ceremony, a few words at the dinner table, and for five minutes during our first dance. I am so thankful for our moments alone together, they were some of my favorite memories.
So what do you think? Still sticking to the tradition or have you started to rethink how intimate and serene your day could be once you see your bride or groom? Of course I want to make the disclaimer that seeing each other before the ceremony is not for everyone. It’s your wedding day not ours. Just be sure to have all the information to make the right decision for you.
Portrait Identity 