Simple. Classic. Timeless.
Two families, becoming one, united through marriage.
Natalie + Carlos’s day was beyond perfect. Surrounded by family and friends, they committed their lives to one another. Their family members toasted them with some of the sweetest remarks and advice one could offer a newly married couple. The joy radiating off Natalie was impossible to miss. And the way Carlos watched his new bride… it’s what girls dream of.
I know we speak for all invited, we had a wonderful time celebrating the de la Garzas!
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.
When all the details finally come together, a bride (+ groom) tend to be very, very happy.
Well in this case, I mean literally every detail…. the bride+groom bought and fixed up their own wedding venue! Umm… how cool is that? Let’s be honest, every bride dreams of a unique wedding and this bride basically got to create her own (with the help of her fantastic groom and family)!
Beyond the beautiful venue, I’ve known Amanda’s family for quite some time. I was extremely honored to capture their day as her mom is a professional photographer as well!
This wedding is laced with details and planned to perfection. You can tell the bride has an eye for planning (she’s an interior designer)! So if you’re Pinterest obsessed or can just appreciate all the time the details take, you are going to LOVE looking at this wedding.
Kelly+Cory are two of the most thoughtful people you’ll meet. From taking the time to socialize with each of their guest and thank them during their speeches for traveling near and far, to making sure their family and friends were involved and a process of their big day, it’s impossible not to see the love and gratitude radiating from them. Kelly was simply stunning in a modern gown. Not every lady call pull off this look, but she wore it like a queen. Cory (+ all his gents) were handsome in their tuxes. Even the details on the bow-ties + pocket squares had me excited. And if you are looking for a florist, The Ivy Leauge just nailed the look and feel Kelly showed me in her early stages of planning. The deep burgundies and pops of green added a flare of drama to the peaches and pink florals!
When all your girls see you for the first time!
Because isn’t it every little girls dream to be a flower girl??
handsome, handsome, handsome
Did I mention how windy it was? You cannot change the weather of your day, so learn to embrace it!
This building had photographic possibilities around the whole property. We were very thankful that the owner allowed us to use the place as our main stomping ground throughout the day!
believe me, they were as good as they looked!
Andrew Worth planned not just one surprise layer for the couple, but three!
The sweetest speech from a bride+groom you ever did hear.
And that folks… that’s how he looked at her all day.
Kelly surprised Cory + had a family friend sing their first dance song live . . . awww!
All the vendors that helped make this day extra special . . .
And this ladies and gentleman is what happens on wedding days when the rain hold off! We had a fantastic day celebrating Maria + Steve. Their day was beautiful, the bride stunning and the girls in a color we haven’t seen in a long time. The groom and his men were super fun and easy to work with. And the groom was a little teary eyed as his bride walked down the aisle. Both families were so sweet to work with! The family property we stopped at for a second location was amazing… I could have photographed there all day! And their first dance was perfection. All in all it was a wedding for the books.
Thanks Maria + Steve for letting us capture your ‘I Do!’
Wishing you many years of happiness together!
And their fairy-tale has officially started. We could not have been more honored to be a part of Holly+Rob’s beautiful wedding day. The weather was perfect, the bride and her gals looked stunning thanks to Brides+Beyond. The groom and his gents looked very dapper too!
It was elegant and classic. It was sweet and romantic. This is definitely a wedding that will have you swooning!
Thanks Holly+Rob. We loved meeting your family+friends and sharing with you your special day.
Earlier this month, my (Tessa) sister got married!!
They decided on a small, intimate destination wedding. So, we all packed up and headed for Mars Hill, North Carolina (about a 1/2 hr outside of Ashville).
Steph + Joe’s story starts in high school. Though they never dated, they were close friends. After high school, when life moved them in very different directions and even across the country, they remained in contact. In early 2013, both Steph + Joe found themselves ending long term relationships. The parallels in their lives, had them turning to each other for an understanding shoulder to lean on. And the rest is history.
I could not have been more happy to stand by her side. And to be able to capture the day (with a lot of help from Mara) was an honor.
The rustic details were so much fun to capture throughout the day.
All the bride’s+bridesmaids’ jewelry was vintage AB Crystal, found at the most adorable bridal vintage store in Cleveland, OH. To the woman that helped us (for hours) thank you, each piece was perfectly unique!
See the three rings? The top ring is mine, her matron of honor. It was her something blue. The middle ring, is Stephanie’s paternal grandfather’s wedding ring. The last and final ring, is Stephanie’s maternal grandmother’s engagement ring. Both served as her something borrowed. What an honor to have a piece from each family.
Steph+Joe decided to see one another before their ceremony. Not only did it make the wedding day a little easier for me (to be in and do all my bridesmaids duties, but photograph too), but it allowed Stephanie+Joe to spend their whole wedding day together. To have a moment to say, “Stephanie, you look gorgeous” and share a hug and quick kiss. Something that is not possible when you walk down the aisle and have everyone’s eyes on you. We LOVE when couples decide on a first glance.
Seriously… how beautiful!!
We are slightly obsessed with all of Joe’s details. Definitely a groom with style.
The wedding venue not only had fantastic cabins and landscape, but cute adorable barns too!
All of the bridesmaids dresses were bought separately from different designers and stores. Not only was it fun to shop for something that you truly felt great in, but it came together BEAUTIFULLY!
Side note – how cute is my daughter+Stephanie’s goddaughter?
Now let’s be honest… what groomsmen wouldn’t want to wear jeans to a wedding?
Love.
Oh… and did a mention there’s a chapel on the property?? The owner, Steve, built it!! If you ever get the chance to meet him, he has many stories to tell. He treats every bride+groom as if they were part of his family.
BUT funniest part of the whole weekend… we momentarily were locked out of the chapel!! Definitely doesn’t happen every wedding day, when at the last minute you are devising a plan B if the owner cannot find the key to unlock the building. Good things come to those who wait (about 20 minutes), Steve found the key and the wedding began.
Joe’s brother-in-law Justin performed the ceremony and did a wonderful job personalizing the wedding to them.
Mr+Mrs SHARDO
Just a short walk to the reception barn.
We could have photographed all day. The details are never-ending.
The cake was a sweet potato spice cake (it was DELICIOUS). Our aunt Joyce made all the pies, which were equally fantastic.
Time to party!!
I cried, go figure. Thankfully Jeremy picked us all back up with a few laughs.
Mara’s dream came true… this bride relaxed, ready to party+in flannel!
This day was perfect. I’m excited to see what the future holds for these two. (Maybe a few little Shardos running around!!)
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.
When all your girls see you for the first time! 
Portrait Identity 