Kristy & Matt's Summer Wedding Reception at the Embassy in Youngstown, Ohio
It was back in 2015 when I first met Kristy and Matt. I knew Kristy's aunt, Shirley, through my time volunteering at the Mahoning County Dog Pound with Friends of Fido. She and the family wanted to gift the couple an Engagement Session while they were in town visiting. Kristy is from Youngstown, but Matt is from Wisconsin, which is where they currently live. The session was beyond perfect, as we explored The Rose Gardens and practiced twirling on the Cinderella bridge in Mill Creek Park. As we said our goodbyes, I told Kristy to make sure she posted her wedding photos on Facebook so I could see those two glowing on their wedding day, since they were planning their wedding in Wisconsin. But that isn't where our journey ends.
As it turned out, Kristy and Matt were planning a wedding reception for her family and friends in Youngstown, and she wanted me to be a part of it! I was so excited to reconnect with these two! They threw dreamy heart eyes at each other during the entire engagement session, so I was thrilled to see those loving gazes again! Let me tell you, no amount of chaos can stop these two from feeling so in love. The day of the party was wild. Between thunder and lightening, power outages and hours of complete downpouring, we definitely had our fair share of stressors. That didn't matter though! We made the best of our time together, photographing under the awning at The Embassy in Struthers, Ohio to keep dry. When there was a break in the clouds, we were able to sneak out back to take advantage of the greenery for a few more shots.
There were so many friends and family members that greeted the bride and groom with huge smiles and big, long hugs. There were teal and pink touches on the decor, with their engagement session photos as centerpieces. That might have been my favorite touch! They also had the classic Youngstown cookie table (OF COURSE!!) and a gorgeous three tiered cake decorated with blue and yellow flowers, accompanied by two framed e-sesh photos. Aside from everything else, the thing that stood out to me the most was the amount of love I witnessed that day. Nothing else mattered - not losing power two hours before photos, not the rain, not the decorations. Love was the reason we were all there that day, and it showed. Congrats Kristy and Matt!! I can't wait to see where our paths will cross next! :]
