Josh and Jen's Cincinnati Wedding

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I met Josh and Jen last year when I photographed Josh's sister Julie's wedding in Florida.  I had a blast hanging out with them.  What I was drawn to about them was the genuine,  sincere love I could see between the two of them.  They laughed a lot.  They were comfortable being emotional together.   Josh has a job that takes him to new cities and Jen is right there by his side providing love and support.  They are a great team.  I am excited to see them grow together as a family.

Their wedding was held at The Madison Event Centre on a gorgeous Spring day.  It was a very laid back just like the two of them.  There was love and laughter everywhere.  I could't be more thankful to have met such wonderful people and to now call them friends.

Jen told me her shoes were her favorite wedding purchase, I can see why.  So cute!

Bob and Louise 68 years of love

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"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

These are the vows many people take everyday.  You find the one person whose life and love fits with your own like a glove.  Entering a marriage, committing yourself to the person you want to spend your life with is a more than a declaration of love, it is a partnership.  You choose to live life as a team.  The beginning of every relationship is so full of excitement and passion.  As a wedding photographer, I am very lucky to be part of this special time in people's lives.  My hope for every couple that I photograph and every couple that I know, is that their love lasts a lifetime, that they can get past the stressful times, the times when they want to give up and remember the vows they took on their wedding day.

Bob is 91 and Louise is 84.   When I walked into their home it was very cozy and comfortable.  I was welcomed with big smiles.  They had 2 boards full of pictures that documented the many years of happiness they have lived together.  They were excited to have me over and to tell me their story and I couldn't have been more grateful to be there.

Louise's family was from Italy and Bob was an American.  They met through family members when they were young, but it wasn't until Bob returned from the Navy and saw Louise again that their relationship began.  They fell in love young.  Like many young couple's at the time, because of their age, they snuck over to Kentucky to elope since Ohio's laws were more strict.  Their life together gave the world  3 children,  who then  had children, who then had children, and now their clan is up to over 50 people strong.  Their love and a marriage is a solid foundation for their children and grandchildren to look up to.  I admire that so much.

The love and partnership these two share is beautiful.  It was nice seeing how they balance things out.  Bob is a retired firefighter.  He is a giver by nature.   He likes to stay busy and fix things, he sews, does yard work, he even cuts Louise's hair.   Bob adores his wife,  I could see it every time he looked at her with admiration.  He still surprises her with gifts, and tells her he loves her every night.  Louise is a strong woman with the most beautiful smile and skin.  She spent her life as a caretaker for her family, but also worked different jobs throughout the years.  I imagine Louise was a fun woman in her youth, someone I would like to hang out with.  She used to go to Vegas every year with her girlfriends.   In all of the pictures they showed me, she was laughing and having a good time.  Once the children were grown they spent a lot of time traveling together.  When I asked them what they liked to do for fun they told me how much they loved to dance and spend time on their boat the named the Bob-O-Lou.  Though they can't dance much anymore, they still play cards every Saturday night and try to get out whenever they can.  Louise has some back problems, but Bob is always right there to help her out.

I am a born romantic, I love love more that anything else in the world.  I was lucky to get this amazing opportunity to spend time with and photograph Bob and Louise, a couple who is celebrating 68 years of love and marriage.  I hope their story inspires you as much as it did me.  Their lust for life is what keeps them young and their love for each other is what keeps them strong.

 

Bob holding a picture of his wife on their boat, The Bob-O-Lou. Louise saw this bear she really liked on T.V.  Bob saw the bear while he was out one day and brought it home to surprise his wife.  What a sweetheart.  Guys,  take a lesson from Bob's book.  After 68 years, he still makes sure his wife knows he is thinking of her.  I always say, it's the little things. Here Bob is telling me the reason he doesn't wear a wedding ring because it got caught while he was working.  

Louise was telling me how Bob showers her in gifts.  Here she is showing me a necklace he got for her. I really liked this part of the day.  Like every couple, Bob and Louise went through some rocky times when they were young.  There was a time when Louise got her own apartment for a short time.  Bob was always over visiting, he couldn't stay away from his love and children,  so their split didn't last long.  In the picture below she was saying "we were like, what are we doing?  It was silly, we wanted to be together, we had our family to take care of. "   She made sure I knew it wasn't always roses,  but they stuck it out through the tough times and they couldn't be happier about the life they have had together.    I would like to thank to my friend, Suzanne for introducing me to her these two beautiful souls.  She is very lucky to call them her grandparents.

New Website!

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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!

Jon and Julie Key West Wedding Photographer

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  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.

Gina and Tanner's Drees Pavilion Reception

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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 Cincinnati Wedding

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  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.

Stephanie and Steve's Cincinnati Park Wedding

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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.   

Jacqueline and Chip's Columbus Wedding

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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!!!