Emily & Greg – A Winter Wedding in Mentor

When I arrived at St. John Vianney church, it was drab outside, and completely overcast. The plants had long since died for winter and there was nothing particularly special about the Ohio landscape. The weather for Emily and Greg’s wedding was completely different than their engagement session, when we had mountains of snow. As I walked into the church, I just assumed that nothing would change.

I was the first to arrive. I took a moment to scope out the familiar church and to get some gear ready. St. John Vianney is a favorite for me. Father Johns is wonderful and the church is always filled with gorgeous natural light. Before long Emily and Greg arrived and it was time to get started. What I loved most about their ceremony was the small, intimate nature. It was only the closest family and friends. I think the count was just about 30. Many more were expected for the wedding reception, but Emily and Greg deliberately kept the ceremony personal.

After the wedding ceremony, things had changed. Outside, the snow was slowly falling across the landscape. There wasn’t much snow, but just enough to dust over everything. The change in weather was more than welcome, as it meant for some truly magical photos. It was still cold, but the ladies kept warm under cozy fur coats. I can’t believe how lucky we got. As I came to find out later, Emily was secretly hoping for snow. Bonus!

Something worth knowing about Emily is that she is a skilled cake artist. She does some truly amazing work. She must also be very driven. Before her own wedding, she personally baked, frosted and decorated her own wedding cake. She also took care of all the other little desserts. I don’t normally eat cake at weddings, but Emily insisted I take a slice home. Let’s just say Brooke and I fought over the cake for a good 20 minutes.

Below are just a few highlights, from this first wedding of 2013. Enjoy!