I am so happy to see Aelisa and Brandon's Krippendorf Lodge wedding has a huge feature in the Spring/Summer issue of Cincinnati Wedding Magazine! Be sure to grab a copy and read all about their laid back approach to planning their wedding.
See lots more from this wedding here.
It had been way too long since I had last updated my website. I have been in the process of rebuilding for years now. I would work on it for a few months then get busy and neglect it again. The company I used for my old website was great, but I needed something a little more user friendly when it comes to updates. A friend of mine turned me onto Squarespace. Once I started playing around with it, I knew I found my new platform. It is very easy to navigate and to update which is key for me. I feel like I am a pretty good photographer, but when it comes to web design I need things to be simple. I also need to throw a shout out to GoDaddy. I have been with them since I bought my first domain. Their customer service is out of this world. The representative sat on the phone with me for over an hour explaining SEO and other foreign web lingo to me. Im telling you, I am web illiterate, I feel like I have a basic understanding now. They also made the transition to a new site so easy.
With my new site I decided to have sections for all of my work, not just weddings. I have debated with myself over and over about having a seperate art site. Lately a lot of my wedding clients are mentioning some of the more artistic shoots I have done when discussing what they want for their wedding. I absolutely love that. I decided that all of my work represents me and my aesthetic, so why not just put it all out there.
I added an inspiration blog to my site called The Daily Dose. It is my little place on the web where I can share what inspires me. It's like a my virtual scrapbook. I hope you are able to find it inspiring as well. :) I am still using this blog to share all of the awesome weddings and photo sessions I shoot.
My new site still has the same web address as my old one www.nikitagrossphotography.com. I promise to update it often, so please stop by and say hello!
I am so grateful for the amazing opportunities being a photographer gives me. Last year was by far one of my favorites. I started and ended my 2013 wedding season in beautiful Key West, Florida with great friends photographing the love.
I flew into Key West for Jon and Julie's wedding on Thanksgiving. When I arrived at the airport I was greeted by warm sunshine and smiles from Jon and his family. This wedding was very special to me. Jon has been a good friend of mine for many years. We have had endless conversations about love, life, and relationships. When he met Julie, who I adored from the first time we said hello, I watched him change from a man searching for happiness into a man full of satisfaction.
Jon and Julie had an intimate wedding surrounded by their family. It was a pleasure to be part of.
We spent Thanksgiving at the Casa Marina Resort where we had an amazing dinner. 
Who says you cant have eggs benedict for Thanksgiving?! Anything goes in Key West. :) 
After dinner we headed back to Julie's families condo for wine and music. 
I love this one of Jon. This was right when they picked me up for the wedding. He was so happy. 
Julie's bouquet was gorgeous. Mama's Flowers in Key West did a fantastic job. 
Jon and Julie decided to see each other before the ceremony. I love to photograph this moment. I am able to capture so much emotion.
The intimate ceremony was at the Ocean Key Resort. 
After the ceremony we had a very nice sunset dinner on the terrace at Ocean Key. The food and service was outstanding. 
I had a late flight home, so I spent some time riding around the island on a bike. It was so relaxing.
I photographed Gina and Tanner's intimate ceremony earlier this year. Welcome to part 2 of their celebration, the reception. We started at Gina's parents house, then moved to beautiful Dree's Pavilion in Devou Park. The day started out rainy and gloomy, but not for long. The sun came out just in time for us to capture some really pretty images. Notice how big Gina's smile is in every single picture. The love these two share was wonderful to witness. Thank you for the amazing evening Gina and Tanner!
Caroline and Stephen's had a little hard luck right before the wedding. A car gone missing, dryers blowing up, cell phones breaking. There wasnt one time during their wedding, even for a minute that I felt any kind of stress from either of them. Instead they both were 100% present enjoying every moment of generous love and affection they were surrounded by on their wedding day. From the moment they saw each other for the first time, which was one of the sweetest moments in the history of my wedding career, they looked at each other and held each other full of pure happiness. Thank you for the fabulous day Caroline and Stephen.
See Caroline and Stephen's engagement in Rabbit Hash, Ky. session here.
Ft Thomas Florist created romantic bouquets and flower arrangements that were dreamy. 
Their very sweet first look at each other. Thank you to my amazing second shooter Andrew for helping me cover it so well. 
Their romantic reception was at the Bell Event Centre.
This day was so special. Stephanie and Steven smiled and enjoyed every moment of their wedding. It was one of those beautiful September Saturdays, when the sun was shining and it was unseasonable warm. I met Stephanie and Steven at the Mariemont Inn where they got ready for their gorgeous wedding at Alms Park in Cincinnati. Their afternoon wedding was intimate and relaxed. I am thankful to have been part of it.
See Stephanie and Steve's engagement session here.
I just love both of these images!
The ceremony was officiated by Karen, Stephanie's cousin who you might remember seeing on my blog when I photographed her wedding and engagement last year. 
Rachel Lisa's makeup skills added a special glow to Stephanie's already perfect skin.
After the ceremony we headed to O'Bryonville to The Art of Entertaining for their reception. 
The succulent table decor had me swooning. 
Their thank you gifts to their guests were personal and unique. Steve loves to garden, so he made pickle jars for the guests. Stephanie's father made these cedar succulent containers. They smelled amazing. 
I drove up to Columbus a few weeks ago for Jacqueline and Chip's outdoor wedding. It was a gorgeous day. Jacqueline and Chip both looked fantastic, with huge smiles on their faces from the moment they saw each other for the first time. It was such a pleasure to photograph such a loving couple. Thank you for being so gracious and for choosing me to photograph your big day!
See their Park of Roses engagement session here.
Something old, borrowed and blue. 
This is my favorite! Jacqueline, you are stunning!!
He is smitten looking at his new wife.
The party was so much fun!!!
Last month I had the pleasure of heading back up to Jamestown, Ohio for Carly and Ryan's lakehouse wedding. It was a relaxed day full of sunshine. Carly's mother Shari did a wonderful job designing the event. I love that they used vendors from their hometown of Ft. Thomas, Ky. I have never seen so many smiles at a wedding, it was hard choosing pictures to post because they are all so sweet. Thank you Carly and Ryan for inviting me to be part of your wedding, I left the lake that night with a heart full of love. 
The house was absolutely gorgeous.
Carly looked stunning. Her dress was so perfect for a relaxed wedding. 
Ft. Thomas Florist did a wonderful job with the flowers. 
All of the broaches in Carly's bouquet were given to her by friends and family. Shari made a book with pictures of each broach for her to keep. The flower girls had mini bouquets made out of their grandmothers earrings. What a unique idea and a way to really make it special.
Carly's dad seeing her for the first time that day. He was glowing all day. 
Carly made a very unique entrance in her dad's Corvette! 
Lauren and Justin's Fourth of July wedding was a true celebration of love, family, and patriotism. Justin is in the military and both come from military families, so they decided this would be the perfect day for their wedding. It was one of those crazy, rainy Saturdays we had last moth, but that didn't stop anyone from smiling and having a great time. They had a beautiful church ceremony at St. Clare Chapel followed by an intimate reception at Niederman Farm.
Thanks to all of the amazing people who helped make their wedding fantastic. Coordinator: Shannon Wullenweber Food: Village Pantry Flowers: Holly Schweitzer Cake: Maureen Thie
I always give myself a little pep talk on the way to my weddings. Just a little something to make sure I am present, focused, and positive when I arrive. For this wedding I just kept telling myself, don't worry about the rain, get creative with window light. Ahh the power of positive thinking. I think this might be my favorite bridal portrait to date, so dramatic. 
Remember Candice and Chris from their Riverboat wedding I shot a couple of years ago? Chris is Lauren's brother. I was so happy to see them again!
All of the tables were named after American heroes.
One of the coolest things I have ever seen at a wedding. Lauren lost her grandmother not long ago. She decided to display her gorgeous vintage wedding dress as an homage to her.
Lauren's Dad is one of the most intense, passionate people I have ever met. He gave an epic speech that had the entire room, including me laughing and crying at the same time. 
