Becca and Greg's Ohio Wedding

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of driving to Jackson, Ohio for Becca and Greg's wedding.  The forecast called for rain, instead we got a glorious sky perfect for pictures.  Their wedding was laid back and fun.  Their friends and family were such a pleasure to be around.  I have really enjoyed getting to know Becca and Greg through their wedding planning process,  and I love that Facebook allows me to keep up with their lives.  They will start their new life as husband in Texas where Greg just got an awesome job opportunity.  I am sad to see them go, but so excited for their new adventure together!  Becca and Greg, thank you so much for allowing me to share in this special day with you two.

Fall Mini Sessions

Since weekend dates for fall photo sessions are very limited, I have decided to set aside a day for fall mini sessions.  This is a great opportunity for an updated family portrait or headshot.

The session will take place on Saturday October 4 at one of my favorite local parks.  The session will be 20 minutes.  You will get 10-15 edited images available for downloading and printing all for $150.

Session times are below.  I will update the times as they are booked.  Please email me for more info and to select your time nikita@nikitagross.com

2:00 Booked

2:30

3:00

3:30 Booked

4:00

4:30

5:00 Booked

5:30 Booked

Nia and Spencer's Intimate Ault Park Wedding

I leave every wedding I photograph with a happy heart.  Spending time with people on such a special day is something I am truly grateful for.   Nia and Spencer were going to have a huge wedding celebration, but when they started thinking about it, they realized that isn't their style.  They decided to have an intimate ceremony at Ault Park surrounded by their their immediate family.  There were 16 of us gathered to witness their love.   The weather was perfect and the couple was glowing.  Their love for each other along with the support of such amazing families will make them unstoppable together.

See Nia and Spencer's East Walnut Hills engagement session here.

Nia's father was so happy for his daughter.  Here he is helping her get into her dress. A beautiful bouquet by Courtenay Lambert. In honor of Nia's mother. After the ceremony we headed to Moerlein Lager House at the Banks for a wonderful lunch. 

Sara and Jeremy's Wedding at The Barn at Cedar Grove

Alright so this is the longest blog post I have ever done, but I just can't help it.  This wedding is very personal for me.  Sara and Jeremy have been very good friends of mine for many years.  When I heard they got engaged I knew I had to be the one to photograph it.  Anyone who knows these two can tell you they are the kindest souls you will meet.   Being part of their wedding celebration was an honor.  All of their close friends and family headed around 3 hours to The Barn at Cedar Grove for their wedding.   We spent the weekend sharing stories about Sara and Jeremy while enjoying  a break from the city.  We drank, we danced, we sang, we laughed, we saw stars, we almost sunk a boat.  It was a spectacular wedding weekend.  The wedding had so many personal touches.  Sara made most of the decor.  She has been saving bottles for what seems like forever preparing.  Their good friend Rich officiated.  Music was provided by their friends Stuart and Maya.  Jeremy and his band The Tongue and Lips performed a special song for Sara and her dad.  Everything was full to the brim with heart.  I came home with the biggest smile on my face.  I am still smiling as I go through and relive the day through these pictures.  Thank you so much for your love and friendship Sara and Jeremy.  And thank you for letting me be the one to capture your wedding.  I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together!

See Sara and Jeremy's super fun engagement session here and the behind the scenes video we made here. 

Sara found two dresses she liked on Etsy.  She worked with Ashley from Casablanca Vintage to create something that totally fit her style. Sara's Free People headpiece was the perfect accessory to such an awesome dress. Jeremy spent his time before the wedding rehearsing with his band. Sara's best friend/maid of honor, Emily made the fabric alter decor.  So pretty. Sara's friend Lauren designed this beautiful cake for the couple. Seriously though, Have you ever seen a bride play wiffle ball at their wedding?! Sara and Jeremy's friend Brent (pictures above left getting down) made this awesome marquee.Sara and Jeremy are both artists.  They gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted with their pictures, so we made lots of art using Polaroids and my iPhone. More polaroids of a little bit of everything. This is an iPhone picture shot by my awesome assistant for the day, my boyfriend Chris.  It still blows my mind.  So dreamy! 

Tina and Joe's Devou Park Engagement

 I fell in love with Tina's spirit when she joined a friend and I for a night out last year,  she has a very comfortable personality, like someone I have known for years.  I met Joe soon after when they invited me out for dinner.  We talked for hours about life, love, and following your dreams.  We also talked about their wedding...I was blown away when they said they want to have a very intimate destination wedding in Asheville, North Carolina and they wanted to bring me with them.  WHOA!!  It is a dream for me to be able to photograph people I connect so well with.

For their engagement session we hung around Devou Park where they live and spend a lot of time.  It was late in the day, the sun was shining and their love was a breathe of fresh air.  Joe adores Tina, she is the gentle spirit that completes him.

  I am so happy to be part of their love story.

Samantha and Heather's Backyard Wedding

Samantha and Heather's intimate ceremony was held in the backyard of a beautiful home owned by dear friends.  It was a gorgeous afternoon full of laughter and love.  Their close friends and family helped make the day extra special for the girls by helping with the food, flowers, and decor.  Samantha and Heather walked around with huge smiles on their faces all day.  At one point in the day I noticed Samantha tearing up, Heather asked her if she was ok.  As Samantha looked over at all of the faces of support and love she replied, "I am just so happy."  It was a moment I never want to forget.  It was a moment that reassured me, that I was right where I needed to be.  Celebrating love, documenting it, being part of something so special is the best feeling in the world.  Samantha and Heather, thank you for letting me be part of such an amazing day.  My hope for you is a lifetime of the happiness you felt on this day.Samantha and Heather are both teachers who love to read.  They used books for their table decor.  The guests were invited to take them home at the end of the day. 

Sara and Jeremy's Super Awesome Engagement Session

Sara and Jeremy are two very good friends of mine.  I cannot wait for their Fourth of July wedding coming up  soon.  For their engagement session they wanted to do something fun and different.  One night while we we were hanging out on their porch we came up with the idea of having a pool party in the their backyard with their good friends, Seth, Jamie and Emily.  Everyone dressed up and really got into the theme.  We cranked up the music and ran around the yard dancing and singing, it was so much fun!  Here are a few of my favorites.

See a behind the scenes video from out shoot here

Jeremy always has great stories.  These boots came from his dad.  He won them in a pool game, how perfect! 

Nia and Spencer's Cincinnati Engagement

Happy Monday everyone!

It has been an insanely busy past couple of months.  Though most of my time is spent at my computer when I am this busy, I really look forward to the time I get to spend getting to know my clients during their engagement sessions.  Last week I headed to East Walnut Hills for Nia and Spencer's laid back engagement pictures.   I first met Nia at a bridal event.  She was planning a huge winter wedding.  After lots of thinking,  she and her fiancé Spencer decided they were planning a wedding that did not fit their personalities at all.  They are both super chill.  They decided that is how they want their wedding to be...They changed the date, location, and cut their guest list down to immediate family and friends.  I love this so much.  Your wedding should be about you and what you want, not what you think you are expected to do.  There are no rules.  As long as you two are there, that is all that matters. :)

I walked away from this session smiling ear to ear.  I felt like I just hung out with friends I have known forever.  These two laughed, and laughed, and laughed.  Spencer is full of jokes, but he is also a total sweetheart who kept telling Nia how beautiful she looked.  Every time she looked at him, she would tell him how pretty his blue eyes were.  It was very sweet.  They like each other a lot and they weren't afraid to let me see that.  My favorite!  I can't wait to see them again next month!

Spencer proposed to Nia at Eden Park, they were surrounded by their close friends.  He got down on one knee, but then he froze up and didn't say anything.  Nia was just staring at him, like "do you have something to say?"  He is very animated, this was when he was telling me the story. 

Rebecca and Greg's Downtown Cincinnati Engagement

When I met Rebecca to talk about her wedding we hit it off right away.  I knew I really wanted to be apart of her wedding after just a few minutes of talking to her.  She smiled a lot, and she was very enthusiastic about the details of her wedding.  She is from a small town in Ohio and is heading back there later this year to marry her best friend Greg.

I met Rebecca and Greg downtown Cincinnati for their engagement session.  We hung around one of my favorite spots talking and getting to know each other better.    Greg told me the story of when he knew Rebecca was the one.  They went to college together.  It was Halloween and he wasn't feeling good.  Instead of going out with friends, Rebecca cancelled plans to stay home to take care of him.  He appreciated her giving heart, he said he knew she was the girl he wanted to be with.  They were both cracking up the whole time he told the story.  I am so excited for their wedding later this year, it's going to be such a good time!