Savannah and Andrew's Downtown Cincinnati Wedding

2017 was a year full of much love and laughter.  The clients who came into my life left me with a deep reminder of the magnitude of gratitude I have for this very special job that has been presented to me.  I document love.  I document the emotion.  I help preserve memories and moments.  The time I spend with the people who come into my life through photography help me become better at living and loving in my own life.  Its pretty damn incredible.  

I have a huge body of work I have not shared.  Time got the best of me last year.  I am still trying to find balance between being a mother, a business owner, an artist, a lover, a friend, an aunt,  sister, a daughter, ....does that ever really happen?   I feel like if I am productive every day,  I am doing IT.  I have just learned to give myself some grace. 

 I vow to spend the rest of February sharing lots of new stories, a new website, a slow integration of my art and my work , and some very big announcements. 

This is Savannah and Andrew.  Before they moved away to North Carolina for Andrew to continue his studies, they had an intimate wedding celebration downtown at The Blind Pig.  The theme of their wedding was fun.  Look at all of these smiles.  <3

Mandy and Landon's Neltner's Farm Wedding

Mandy and Landon were married a few weeks ago at one of my favorite places to work, Neltner's Farm.  It was a hot summer day and everything, especially Mandy's big smile was shining bright.  Mandy and Landon are carefree and fun.  He has a great sense of humor and she loves to laugh.  I can't think of a better way to spend their lives together.  I am very grateful for the opportunity to spend such a special day with the two of them.

Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Mandy and Landon's Autumn Engagement

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year.  The beautiful warm light and bright colors inspire me to no end.  I love when I am able to schedule photo shoots during this time of year.  I would shoot every day if I could.  Mandy and Landon met me at one of my favorite parks for their engagement session.  It was such a pleasure getting to know them while we ran around chasing the sun.  I am really excited about their wedding next year.

Courtney and Sam Mt. Airy Forest Engagement

Back when I was huge and pregnant I got to spend some time in Mt. Airy Forest with these two love birds.  Autumn's beautiful colors provided the perfect backdrop for their engagement photos.  I am  thrilled that tomorrow I get a chance to hang out with them again at their wedding!

See you very soon, Courtney and Sam.  Thank you so much for choosing me to document your day. C

Maddie and Mark's Sunset Session

Remember Maddie and Mark from yesterday's post?  I had the pleasure of photographing this gorgeous couple once again a few weeks after their wedding.  We decided to to a natural photo session since their wedding was in the city.  I took them to one of my favorite locations in Kentucky.  What a perfect day.

I love when I get a chance to book these kinds of sessions after the wedding.  It is more relaxed than wedding day because we aren't on a time crunch.  It also gives us a chance to get a larger variety of looks and go to multiple locations.  The ultimate bonus is being able to run through a field of wildflowers without worrying about getting dirty.  Brides pay too much for their dresses to only wear them once.  :)  

Maddie and Mark's Bell Event Centre Wedding

If you have attended an event or booked your wedding at The Bell Event Centre, you have probably seen Maddie.  She is one of the smiling faces running around making sure everything is running smoothly.  She is the kind of person who makes everyone she is around feel special.  When she contacted me to photograph her wedding, I was very flattered.  I knew it was going to be a very special day.  Maddie, Mark, and all of their friends and family were so gracious.  It was way too fun to call it work.The Bell Event Centre looked amazing for their reception.  I love the look on their faces when they saw it. CSC Special Events lit up The Bell beautifully. 

Jessica and Craig's Colorful Summer Covington Engagement

When I met Jessica and Craig in Covington for their engagement session we got around 15 minutes of photos in before it started pouring rain.  We decided to  wait it out in my car, the rain didn't stop, but it gave us a good opportunity to get to know each other.  They are a fun loving couple who I felt like I had known forever.  I love when I click with couples so quickly.  It makes spending time with them on their wedding day feel like way more fun than work.   We met up again a week later for round two.  This time the weather was perfect and I was able to take them to some of my favorite spots.  I am very excited to spend the day with them at Neltner Farm for their wedding next month.  Here are a few of my favorites from both days.  Look how cute that dress is!

Rachel and Brad's Cincinnati Wedding

As I was going through Rachel and Brad's wedding all of the wonderful memories of the day came rushing back to me.  I was reminded of Rachel's beautiful smile, and the way she lost control of her emotions thinking about Brad in his suit.  I was reminded of the way Brad looked at her not only during their first look, but throughout the entire day, he was so proud to be with her.  I was reminded that being around these kinds of raw emotions, being the person who gets to document and help savor these memories is very important.  I was reminded that my job is very important.  Just like everyone, there are times when I question the career I have chosen for myself.  I struggle with self doubt when I don't get a wedding I really wanted,  it sometimes gets hard for me to balance being an artist and a wedding photographer.  But, when I look at what I am able to give people,  to know that they really appreciate it,  there is no room for doubt and worry.  All that is left is a heart full of love and gratitude.  Thank you Rachel and Brad for sharing your day with me.  I am so happy to share these images with you.

Julie and Jennie's Downtown Cincinnati Wedding

It doesn't matter where you are, what you're wearing, or how much you spent on your flowers, to me the most important thing you can bring to your wedding day is a heart full of love and a smile on your face.  Don't get me wrong, I adore all of the pretty details that make a wedding day special, but it's the emotions of the day that really sweep me off of my feet.

Julie and Jennie's intimate wedding was held at Venue 222 downtown.  About 50 of their closest friends and family came to help them celebrate and support their lifetime commitment to each other.  They presented each other with very personalized vows with promises to not only love each other but to also give each other the space they need to grow, and to be present while enjoying their journey together.  It was so heartfelt and their chemistry together is inspiring to be around.  During the reception I stopped taking pictures for a minute and just let myself really enjoy what I was apart of.  It was overwhelming.  There were people laughing and enjoying themselves in every direction I looked.  The joy in the room was explosive.  During that moment, there was no where in the world I would rather be.  I was experiencing right in front of me nothing but pure love and it felt great.   As I floated back to my car I just sat and soaked in how lucky I am for these amazing people that let me tell a piece of their story.

 Thank you to all of Jennie and Julie's friends who helped make the day perfect for the couple.

This is why I love when couples do a first look.  You get to spend some time enjoying each other alone, and I get to capture it. :)

The cutest ring bearer ever. Julie and Jennie's very talented friend Nuria made the ring bearer bag and designed all of their flowers.