Blog | Columbus Wedding Photographer

Katie & Matt – Summer Wedding in the Valley

I was already amp’d up when I walked into the salon. It was finally time for Katie & Matt’s wedding. I had been anticipating their wedding for months, and planning hard. Initially, it started rather simple. We met at a local restaurant for the first time. Matt and Katie sat side-by-side in the booth, and I was in the chair across the table. Thereafter, we slowly got to know each other. There was an email here, or a call there. Before long, we were shooting their stunning engagement session. Following their summer engagement session, it really felt like I was working with friends. I knew their wedding would be fun, but I was surprised at how awesome it was.

Where do I begin with what I love? The beginning seems appropriate – like the most amazing group of bridesmaids in matching monogrammed shirts. Seriously, they’re the sweetest ladies ever, and fun too. Katie looked drop-dead gorgeous before she even put on her dress. Katie & Matt are also dog lovers, and we found a way to capture their furry friend as well. Speaking of Matt, he and the groomsmen were picture-perfect. The brace of groomsmen were dressed to the nines, mostly brothers, and completely awesome.

And the day was perfect too – with warm weather and a beaming sun. Katie had requested portraits in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which happens to be my favorite. With that setting and the beautiful light, things would normally go well. Add in a really fun bridal party and you get something really special.

Capping off the amazing people was a beautiful design. White orchid & rose bouquets, royal blue dresses, proper black tuxedos, a TALL wedding cake, and a beautiful venue! The ceremony at St. Basil in Brecksville was more celebratory than somber, and the reception at Embassy Suites in Independence was perfect. People laughed and cried during the toasts. Katie gave a wink I’ll never forget, and Matt partied like a rock star! I could go on and on, but I will simply leave you with the following.

Summer Cleveland wedding at Embassy Suites Independence with Katie and Matt

The first thing Katie did after returning from the salon was to greet Buster, a sweet friend who wouldn’t make it to the wedding.

Summer Cleveland wedding at Embassy Suites Independence with Katie and Matt

I love kisses during the recessional! Makes for a killer photo.

Summer Cleveland wedding at Embassy Suites Independence with Katie and Matt

Of course I love the fun moments, especially when caught on film (i.e. the real stuff).

Summer Cleveland wedding at Embassy Suites Independence with Katie and Matt

That look is to die for, and her flowers below are just as stunning.

Summer Cleveland wedding at Embassy Suites Independence with Katie and Matt

And there’s the wink – just above-right. I’ll never forget it.

Summer Cleveland wedding at Embassy Suites Independence with Katie and Matt
I love the party shots at the end as well. Katie and Matt really know how to do it right. Of course we still keep in touch. Since they live in Chicago, we might just bump into each other on a random St. Patrick’s day.

Venue – Embassy Suites Independence
Wedding Coordination – Tricia Dever, Always Eventful
Florals – Countryside Florist
Cake Artist – The West Side Bakery
Bridal party make-up – Lindsay London
Entertainment & Lighting – DJ Mike Alexander, Jerry Bruno Productions
Invitations and Stationary – Noteworthy Notes

Vanessa & Ryan – Wild Weather Engagement Session in Cleveland

Sometimes you just can’t catch a break – literally. As I drove away from the office to meet Vanessa and Ryan for their engagement session in downtown Cleveland, I thought we might catch a break in the weather. It had been raining on and off all morning, but it looked like the weather was clearing. The sun was even shining by the time we started the session. Little did we know, the break in the weather wouldn’t last.

Vanessa and Ryan wanted a mix of urban and pastoral landscapes for their session. The sun was shining and it was a little warm as we started their session along the river in downtown. We chatted about their upcoming destination wedding in Mexico as we moved from location to location. Before long, things started to get a little cloudy. We were flexible though, and worked around the rain. We stopped by a couple sheltered, but outdoor locations so that we could keep the fun going.

As the cold and harder rain moved in, we decided to bag the session for the day. Sometimes you just have to know when to call it quits. We had wrapped up the urban locations, but had yet to capture the more pastoral photos. Instead of fighting the rain, we simply agreed to start fresh on another day. Before breaking, we got everything scheduled and we were off.

A couple weeks later, we met up again, this time in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The park is a personal favorite of mine. Both Vanessa and Ryan were in awesome new outfits and I had my film cameras ready to go. Then it happened AGAIN – rain! It was a light sprinkle, but it was definitely rainy. No worries though – we got what we needed. I had suggested the park because it has sheltered locations in case of rain. In the end, everything still turned out beautifully, thanks to some flexibility. Below are my personal favorites. It was hard to choose, as Vanessa and Ryan naturally look amazing together.

Wild weather engagement session in Cleveland with Vanessa and Ryan

Despite the session(s), I love how everything turned out. By now, Vanessa and Ryan are off to their wedding in Mexico, if not already back. While the engagement session may have been a bit rainy, I’m sure their wedding was gorgeous.

Megan & Pezh – A Perfect Autumn Engagement Captured on Film

How they found me, I do not know. It’s actually kind of strange. Megan lives out of state and they are getting married in her home town, Pensacola, Florida. Still to this day, I’m not entirely certainly why they wanted to do an engagement session at Holden Arboretum, near Cleveland. This is a healthcare city, and they’re both doctors. Maybe they met here. Truthfully, it matters not. The session could not have come out better, and at the height of autumn.

We met at Holden Arboretum near the visitor’s center. My lovely wife Brooke decided to join in, mostly so she could see Holden for the first time. We’ve been members forever, but this was her first chance to visit. Megan and Pezh arrived with their lovely dogs and a friend to handle to pooches. With Megan and Pezh being dermatologists, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn their dogs are named after topical ointments. No seriously, one is named Retin-A. I kid you not. As always, we started off with the furry friends, who were perfectly stars. After the dogs had their moment, it was down to just Megan and Pezh.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Holden, stopping here and there to capture a few frames on film. It just seemed like the perfect day for an all-film engagement session. We chatted about their current work and their upcoming wedding. We share a lot in common. For instance, I’m from a deeply Southern family. My mama has retired to Pensacola, where Megan and Pezh will have their wedding in November. At this point, I know Pensacola pretty well. It’s a gorgeous Spanish-era city and the perfect setting for a wedding.

We even took the time to jump over to Patterson Fruit Farm to capture some rather special photos. On the list was a photo for their Save the Date card. We also wanted a quick photo among the apple trees, all of which you can enjoy below.

Holden Arboretum autumn engagement session with Megan and Pezh

Megan and Pezh really got lucky. The day of their engagement session was also the height of the fall color. Every leaf was so saturated with color that they looked to glow. We had to celebrate a little. The last frame took three tries, but we got it. That is all for today, but stop back soon. More sessions are coming.