Elaine and Gary's Backyard Microwedding | Cortland, Ohio

Backyard weddings??? I’m here for them!!! Especially when the wedding is one of my family members. When my cousin, Elaine, contacted me last year about her springtime wedding, I was so excited to have her wedding date open and honored to get the chance to photograph this wedding. The goal was to keep things simple, which really made for a relaxed day. She got ready at her mother’s home, with her children and her mom by her side. While the getting ready portion wasn’t high on her list of important shots, there was one specific photo Elaine asked for that might be one of my favorite photos of the whole day…

Planning a Wedding During the Coronavirus

There is no doubt that this global pandemic is absolutely insane. I never expected the beginning of my wedding season to be in the midst of coronavirus, but here we are. Some of you are planning weddings and, I’m sure, freaking the eff out. Wedding planning is already stressful enough, but this curve ball doesn’t mean you need to throw in the towel….

Julie and Jared's Romantic Summer Garden Engagement Session at the Rose Gardens in Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio

“We’re really awkward,” she said as we walked into the gardens. If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me before I took their picture, I’d be rich by now. But just look at Jared and Julie! They are far from awkward! They were absolutely wonderful models and went along with all of my crazy ideas. They even threw in a few ideas of their own, which I absolutely love! We had the most beautiful golden light for their session and the Rose Gardens was really putting on a show with all of the beautiful blooms. I said it before and I’ll say it a million more times - photographing in the Rose Gardens in Mill Creek Park never gets old!…

Planning for Unexpected Weather on Your Wedding Day

Spoiler alert - weather in Ohio is unpredictable. Obviously that's the case in many other places. My wedding rehearsal (October 3rd) was 70 degrees and thunder storming. My wedding day weather was calling for rain until 10am and overcast and chilly throughout the rest of the day. WELL. That isn't how it happened...