Posts tagged Outdoor ceremony | Page 6 of 6 | Columbus Wedding Photographer

It felt like I was returning to an old home. Returning to someplace I had been many times before, yet this was only my second wedding at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. There’s something about Chautauqua that makes it feel immediately familiar. The character is immediately recognizable, the people friendly and the landscape is amazingly gorgeous. When Meghan and Aaron first contacted me about their wedding, I jumped at the opportunity to return once more to this old, quaint community by the shore.

The wedding day started off as normal – with Meghan and Aaron getting ready with their friends and family. Truth be told, there was a slight under-current of nervousness all around. The big moment was approaching and everyone had to be ready. Meghan and Aaron’s private “first look” before the wedding ceremony was just minutes away. A community garden nestled among the Victorian homes was selected as the perfect spot. Aaron walked to the garden with the groomsmen, while a trolly provided by the Chautauqua Institution picked up Meghan and the bridesmaids.

Holding Meghan back for a moment, I walked into the garden to greet Aaron. “Are you ready,” I asked. “Yes, let’s do this,” Aaron replied. I explained what would happen, stepped back and gave Meghan the signal. “Deep breath” I thought to myself.

Below you can find the results – a intimate moment between Meghan and Aaron filled with joy and excitement. Soon I’ll have more from this amazing Chautauqua wedding, but for today, enjoy this most important moment, with a little surprise at the end.

A Chautauqua Institution wedding in New York with Meghan and Aaron

I love that last photo. It really shows how fun Meghan and Aaron are together. Little moments like this are fleeting and hard to catch, but I love each one. More to come soon.

I was standing at the door of Manakiki Golf Course in Willoughby Hills waiting for someone to answer the door. It was nearly a hundred degrees with humidity to match, I was wearing all black and the sun was beating down. In a mere 60 second, I had gone from comfortable to feeling like I was in a swamp. Gotta love summer weddings! Thankfully, Manakiki has really cool air conditioning. Even better, I was working with a really awesome couple. Even though Jessica and Bobby live out of town, we had gotten to know each other threw a few phone conversations and one afternoon meeting. What I hadn’t expected was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.

I had arrived early to do some additional scouting. After some final checks, I still had plenty of time left before Jessica was due to arrive. I was pleasantly surprised to find the reception design already completed, so I set about photographing all the beautiful details. Jessica and Bobby have lived a very multi-cultural life. While they initially met in Brooklyn, they have also lived all over the world. So each table at the reception bore the name of a city in which they’ve lived, either together or apart – Las Vegas, Cleveland, Rio, Bagram and more. Each table was also smartly decorated with one of my favorite flowers – hydrangeas.

Before too long, the Jessica arrived with the bridesmaids, followed shortly by the Bobby and the groomsmen. That’s when the fun really began! It was immediately apparent that Jessica and Bobby’s friends were a really fun group. The whole day was fueled by energy and comedy from the wedding party. The bridesmaids were a walking comedy routine. Jessica’s brother could have been a stand-up comic. The balance of the wedding party kept the dance floor rocking all night long.

More importantly – Jessica and Bobby’s wedding ceremony was filled with family, love and laughter, as you can see below.