Sean and Laura - Puerto Rico Destination Wedding

Emotional.  Tender.  Breathtaking.  Elegant. 

All of these words describe Sean and Laura's unbelievable wedding ceremony in Puerto Rico.  It is a weekend I will never forget.  You will have times in your life where the honesty and the emotion of a situation are so raw, so real, that you feel blessed to be a part of it?  To know that kind of love exists, and exists in abundance, touches your heart in such a profound way.

I have known Sean and Laura for a few years--we've played on the same softball team for a while.  But knowing them in this casual capacity did not prepare me for the incredible time that Nick and I were able to spend with them in PR.  To meet their families, to celebrate their marriage, and also to look back and reflect on those that have gone before.  You see, both of Laura's parents were tragically lost in an accident several years ago.  But you could feel their presence through the whole weekend, and bathe in the comfort of such an amazing family presence.

Sean and Laura, we were honored to be able to spend your incredible wedding weekend with you.  To let us share in your special weekend is something that will stay with me for a long time.

Enjoy your preview!

First, the shoes:

In the words of Barbra Streisand, "Hello, Gorgeous.":

Hello, lovely ladies!

Guys, you clean up well, too.  (and check out that street!  Amazing!)

Sean and Laura chose not to see each other before the ceremony.  This is the look that Nick captured of Sean seeing his bride:

 Laura's 3 brothers took turns walking her down the aisle.  I'll admit it: it's the first time I have bawled like a baby in a processional since my own wedding!

Look at this venue!!  Are you kidding me??

 

 

This is the reception area at Hotel El Convento.  Again...seriously??  This is tooo beautiful!

Their dance entrances set the tone for the rest of the night.  PARTY TIME!

Best. Dance Party. Ever.

Want to see more pictures?  Head to our Facebook page!

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Pets!

This week's I Heart Faces photo challenge fit perfectly with my dog's photo session yesterday!

Steven and Beth - Dayton Area Wedding Photography

Let me say it again: I LOVE fall weddings!  Steven and Beth had the most beautiful, perfect fall day!  But before I get to the beautiful fall photos, look at some of the fun details that they had.  Including I think Nick's favorite detail of all--a candy bar at the reception!

Beth wanted to make sure we got pictures of the shoes.  In her words, "I'm paying money for these shoes that I'm only going to wear a half-hour--we'd better get pics of them!"

I LOVE when we don't have to shoot on a plain wire hanger--Beth's mom had bought this fun hanger to hang her dress on!

This patch that was sewn into Beth's dress was handmade, and included scripture verses in it.  I loved all these little details that are so personally significant.  Nick and I had a lot in our wedding, and I love it when couples have them in theirs, too!

Steven and Beth chose to have a First Look.  Have I mentioned before how much I love First Looks?  It gives the bride and groom a chance to have some time together ALONE before the rest of their day commences.

It also gives us plenty of time to get some good couple picture time in before the big events start.  Which in turn, gives us a chance to get images like this:

How CUTE are these flowergirls??

A lot of people think that the First Look detracts from the bride and groom's emotions as they walk down the aisle.  I am her to tell you from personal experience, and from all the brides and grooms that I have seen, this is not true!  Here's photo proof:

Hooray!  The kiss!  They are married!

And here is the pastor, apologizing, because he forgot to tell the bride and groom that they COULD kiss!  And Beth said, "Umm...we're going to kiss now."  SO FUNNY!!

Steven and Beth set up this photo guestbook, using chalkboard paint and a poster.  Such a cute idea!  I particularly loved this couple:

Steven and Beth, thank you so much for having us be a part of your day!  We had a blast--Nick especially thanks you for the Mike and Ike's.  :)  Hope you enjoyed your Mediterranean cruise, and enjoyed this preview, too!

Jessica and Tim - Part 2: Love, Love, Love - Dayton Area Wedding Photography

Now, on to the people!

I loooove First Looks!  It gives the bride and groom some time before the ceremony to see each other, and relax.  It also gives us plenty of time to do portraits before the ceremony so we aren't rushed afterwards.  And, we're able to get moments like these:

The Country Club of the North provided us with some stunning backgrounds!

How cute is the ringbearer?

Did anyone notice that the ringbearer isn't in the photo above?  That's because he didn't quite make it down the aisle.  He took about 5 steps, turned around, and ran back into the foyer!  It was so cute.  He spent the rest of the ceremony like this:

Tim repeated his vows faithfully, including the part where the pastor said, "Let's Pray".  They both couldn't stop laughing!

Presenting....Mr. and Mrs.!

Details:

Church: Xenia Church of the Nazarene
Reception: Country Club of the North
Cake:
DJ:

Jessica and Tim - Part 1: Life is in the Details... Dayton Area Wedding Photography

I LOVE a wedding with details.  And Jessica and Tim's October wedding was FULL of them!  They got engaged in Vegas, and are spending their honeymoon in Vegas, so what better than to have a Vegas-themed reception!  I'll post more about them soon, but here are some pictures of their amazing details!