This shot is a little more cluttered than I prefer but time was of the essence. The next image shows the ladder I climbed up on to get the shot.

One of my favorites, Brad’s brother and best man made sure he was well cared for by pinning on Brad’s boutonniere and folding his pocket handkerchief JUST SO.

Words of motherly wisdom or just telling her how gorgeous she looks?

Christine reflects back that throughout the entire day they were either apart, surrounded by many people, or had other responsibilities that took their attention away from each other. “The first look was the only time we were alone, could take a breather, and just get really excited about what was about to happen. We could have a moment to ourselves.” For this very reason, I encourage couples to consider a “First Look”. It’s an emotional moment that allows you to connect before the energy of the day takes over. Not to mention, it makes the photography schedule a heck of a lot easier for everyone too.

The Taft Museum of Art is now home to a unique fantasy experience brought to life by world-renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty. Dougherty has taken six tons of willow tree saplings and twisted and turned them—with the amazing help of more than 150 community volunteers—into whimsical, whirling shapes. You’ll notice these structures through out several of the images. They were just too cool to not incorporate.

Sure, we got the serious posed shot too, but these are way more fun!

Gorgeous! And I’m so crazy about the choice of beautiful flowers in Christine’s bouquet. The peach color flower is a David Austin garden rose named Juliet. (The florist told me this. I thought is was some kind of peony.)

The Taft Museum of Art offers all kinds of places to take great portraits, from formal areas like this to gardens and cityscapes.

Rain on your wedding day is good luck, right?!

One of my favorites…

This imperfect photo is full of joy. I wish I could remember what made Brad laugh so hard.

Reflecting back on the day, Brad said his favorite moment was walking through Washington Park after the ceremony, and all the people saying, “Congratulations” and their looks of genuine joy for them. People love “love”, and witnessing couples at this stage of love brings out joy in everyone around them. What’s not to love about genuine well wishes from total strangers?!

Take a minute and really look at this image. There is clear, focused love in the middle everyday life. Surrounded by the chaos of BLINK and MANY well wishers, they both stay tuned in to each other. There’s another image similar to this that we managed to take when no one was walking by, and while it feels more perfect, this feels more true.

Brad and Christine danced to “Grow Old with Me” by Adam Sandler from the Wedding Singer for their first dance. The image on the left is their “Wine Box”, which was sitting on a table during the ceremony. This box contains their favorite bottle of wine, and letters written to each other reminding each them of all the reasons they fell in love. During the ceremony other significant people were invited to include their letters in the box also. The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, reasons they fell in love, and reasons for choosing to marry. The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and they have not seen what the other has written. Should Christine and Brad ever find their marriage facing hardships, they open the box, sit and drink the wine together, then read the letters they wrote to one another to be reminded of the reasons why they are together. The hope is, however, that they will never have a reason to open this box. And if this is the case, the wine is shared and enjoyed on their 5th year wedding anniversary. Then they replenish and open on their 10th anniversary, and so on.

Nestled in the Over-The-Rhine (OTR) neighborhood of Cincinnati, what appears to be a gorgeous German gothic church on the outside has been transformed into an amazing, unique and historic Cincinnati event venue on the inside. Formerly Old St. John’s Church, the first German-American church in Cincinnati, this fully restored building is now a proud feature of Washington Park in OTR. The Transept’s interior is rich with history, grand staircases, hugely unique features and standout characteristics, such as a 50-ft. vaulted ceiling with original wood beams, giant chandeliers, exposed brick, private entrances, ornate windows and stained glass. This is also where Brad and Christine got ready, before the ceremony.