Columbus area Rainy Wedding at Irongate Equestrian Center: Croton, Ohio

When Lindsey contacted me about her wedding, I was so excited! I’ve gotten to know her and her family over many years of photographing them, so not only was I personally excited for her to have found her soulmate, but also because her wedding was going to be at one of my bucket list venues, the Irongate Equestrian Center. As a horse girl, it just doesn’t get any better than a beautiful horse farm! I’ve eyeballed this venue for several years.

We had a beautiful drive through some serious back country roads to get there from where I live (thankful my husband came along for the trip - I have no sense of direction. I might not have made it otherwise!) It wasn’t long after I got there that the storm clouds rolled in. Our schedule of taking photos prior to the ceremony got completely squashed, but sometimes you just have to roll with what Mother Nature hands you. I was hopeful that it would clear out prior to sunset and we would be able to still utilize the beautiful property (spoiler: IT DID!!!!!)

It was time for the first look when the sky unleashed. We had grand plans to just go out on the balcony, be sheltered from the rain, and still be able to be take photos outside. Great plan….unless the rain is coming down and blowing sideways! It rained so hard it was actually pooling on the balconies…..yes, there are two and both were under water! Time for….Plan C?!?! Indoor balconies! Thank goodness for the ample indoor areas. We had so much space to still get portraits in ahead of time, without being in the way of setup or guests arriving.

As luck would have it (for the guests at least), the storms moved through quickly and stopped just in time for the ceremony. Which fortunate for us, gave it time to also dry out a little so we could sneak outside for photos of Linsey and Kyle during cocktail hour.

With the “formal” portrait time wrapping up, next comes party time!!!!

The rain stayed away, so we went back outside to catch a few sunset pictures. It was beyond humid from the rain, but the beautiful sky made it well worth getting a little sticky!!! Through the roller coaster ride of a weather day, bride Lindsey stayed positive and excited. This entire wedding will forever be a favorite, in spite of the rain!

Sarah and Josh's Summer Fun Wedding at Nickajack Farms: North Lawrence, Ohio

Let’s get this out of the way first….every groom should look at their bride the way Josh looks at Sarah. The adoration he has for her is written all over his face. You can’t help but smile at him, smiling at her.

Now onto their wedding day: I don’t remember the last time I had such a beautiful summer day for a wedding, especially in July! Not too hot, a little bit of a breeze (ok, maybe a little too much breeze at times), and the most beautiful blue skies with puffy white clouds. We don’t usually get skies like that until early fall! As an added bonus, I was at one of my favorite venues, Nickajack Farms. I think a day of good weather at this particular venue is long overdue to me….the last time I was there we had 60+ mph winds, and the time before that it was about 30 degrees colder than it should have been. If you’re looking to book your wedding at a modern farm venue, look no further and check them out - I really do love it there!

Oh Merlot….

If you know me at all, you know I love any opportunity I get to take photos with animals. Weddings are certainly no exception! Sarah, also an animal lover, arranged to have one of the farm horse’s be in her photos. And Merlot was determined to make the experience a memorable one! He wanted her flowers in the absolute worst way! And, I’m fairly certain her dress would have been an added bonus if he could manage to actually get ahold of either. He reminds me so much of my very own Secret (if you follow my page, you see the “unicorn’s” antics often!

The best way to wrap up an evening for me is with some sunset portraits. At the end of the night, every couple is more relaxed and these always end up being my favorites from the day! The sunset sure didn’t disappoint, either!

Okay, wait a minute….

I take it back. The best way to end a night is with a giant slide!!!!

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And as always, thanks to a great team of vendors!

Venue: Nickajack Farms

DJ: Kevin Ward

Bridal Attire: JJ House

Hair & Makeup: Jennifer & Co.

Rings: Kay

Decor: Etsy

Merena and Charlie: Gorgeous Wedding at Thunderhead Pines in Smithville, Ohio

Charlie & Merena’s Big Day 6.1.24

This was actually a new venue for me! Surprising, considering my business is in the same town, but there are just so many venues nowadays. I am always excited to go somewhere new, and it seems more often than not, that is what I do anymore!!!

We had an absolutely beautiful June day. It was the kind of summer day that just couldn’t get any nicer - moderate temps, a little bit of a breeze, blue skies and just enough cloud cover to soften the sunlight. Well, I guess technically we aren’t quite into summer yet, but close enough!

I have to say, I felt welcomed right away when facilitator, Caden, gave me the rundown of the venue layout and schedule. He is absolutely fantastic at his job and made this an easy place to work. (The lovely doggy that greeted me was a close second.)

Like usual, my day started with what we call ‘flat lays’ in the industry….most of the rest of y’all call them detail shots. The bride’s Momma made really cute little bags for all the bridesmaids, some of the jewelry was family heirlooms, plus the bride’s perfume was a gift from her brother and the boots from her Grandmother, as well as a family bible that the ringbearer would carry down the aisle, so we absolutely needed to capture those! Family was a big part of this day, even when it came to the little things, and I loved that about their day.

The next part of my day normally focuses on candid shots of everyone getting ready. Every wedding is different (of course!) but this is usually one of my personal favorite parts of the day to capture.

Merena and Charlie wanted to keep things traditional and not see each other before the ceremony, but did want to exchange written vows in private. Having that special time together beforehand always helps ease a nervous bride or groom.

The main event of the wedding was up next - the ceremony! This was a special family affair as well, as Uncle Phillip officiated.

What happens next after the ceremony? Usually lots of chaos, lol!! Family photo time…sometimes we (very lovingly) call it “Herding of the Cats” (c’mon, you have to have a sense of humor about your job…and family). No doubt, someone will try to hide or continue to walk away no matter how many times you tell them not to. It happens at every wedding. So future brides and grooms, take note….its going to happen, roll with it, and let me worry about getting them all gathered as quickly as possible. Then we head onto bridal party, and finish up with the very best part, portraits of the bride and groom, before heading on to CELEBRATE and PARTY TIME!

I was so excited to see that Merena and Charlie are fellow Godzilla fans! Best cake table, hands down (although I probably would have had to add a Mothra and Hedorah in there somewhere).

No wedding is possible without a great team of vendors.

Venue: Thunderhead Pines and Instagram

Floral: Colonial Florists

Baker: Miss Amy’s Bakery and Instagram

Catering: Village Catering and Facebook

Bridal Attire: Ivory Room Wooster and Facebook

And don’t forget to follow Perception Studio on Facebook and Instagram

How to Write the Perfect Wedding Vows (Because I needed this article)

About a week before our wedding, my now husband let me know that we were writing our own wedding vows (he just assumed I should know this because I know him, and in hindsight, yes I guess I should have). I immediately felt butterflies in my stomach. I felt overwhelmed, frankly, panicky. A knot formed in my stomach. And he didn’t understand why I was on the verge of a panic attack, but I was. I immediately locked myself in my office and set to complete the task at hand.

After a short time passed, he came to ask me how things were going. They weren’t. I had nothing and I told him that. His response, “I can’t believe you don’t have anything nice to say about me. It shouldn’t be that hard.” No, it wasn’t that, and no it shouldn’t be.

It was that I felt so much pressure to say the EXACT right words. Nothing but perfection would do for something like this. So, I froze. I’m normally someone who has every task checked off well in advance, so this last minute curveball was added pressure I wasn’t prepared for….therefore, my nerves took control.

I’m sure you’ve seen it more than once….the scene in a movie where the groom sits down to write his vows the night before, and freezes with nothing to say. That was me. So what does one do when they’re totally clueless? Reseach.

Do you know how many articles are written about writing your own vows? LOTS. Do you know how many are helpful? NONE. Or at least I couldn’t find them. Nobody had the perfect words already written for me. I was kind of wishing they did. I certainly did enough searches that I thought someone would have the answer. No love quote perfectly summed up what I wanted to say; no song or poem either. But, I had taken several writing courses in college, so I started with what my teacher recommended for writer’s block….free writing.

I wrote down memories, moments that I associate with Reno, characteristics he has that made me fall in love with him - I just wrote to get pen on paper. It felt kind of good to get something down, and I began to feel less stuck.

Ideas began to form; words finally began to flow. In the end, I settled on a simple format that when broken down, went something like this:

Start with a specific moment in time and tell a story. For me, it was the very beginning (after all, it was the 7th anniversary of when we met on the day we got married, it seemed pretty obvious to start there). But maybe for you, it is when you first knew you were in love, the day of your proposal, a favorite memory together, your first impression….if in doubt, free write until the perfect moment stands out, or use these prompts to get started. People love to listen to stories. So just start with a crowd pleaser.

I knew I was in love when ____________________.

When we met at ________________, I felt ________________________.

When you/I proposed, I ___________________________________.

Connect that moment to traits you admire. It turns out, I did have a lot of nice things to say about Reno, even though he was in doubt.

I admire that you _________________________.

Your ____________________ has made me ________________________.

We share ____________________________.

Together we __________________________.

You are _______________.

Make a promise. These are vows after all, so a promise is pretty important.

You make me want to ______________________________.

Marriage is ________________________________.

Because of you, now I ________________________________.

I imagine our future life together ______________________________________.

I know that when things get tough, you and I ________________________.

Before I met you, I ________________. Now I _________________________.

I promise to always ______________________.

Close with a loving last line.

Quotes, favorite phrases….bring it all together with something that summarizes your relationship.

My love for you is _______________________.

I look forward to _________________________.

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Tip: Consider whether what you have to say is best said in your vows, a personal letter, or a speech. Something you put in the scrap pile, may be good to include in something else. And likewise, something you plan on including, may not be appropriate for sharing to the world. Your vows should be personal. Avoid sounding perfect and rehearsed, and please, I beg you, when you say your vows, LOOK AT YOUR SPOUSE. I photograph so many weddings where the bride or groom never looks up, or says their vows to the officiant. Don’t be that person.

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And when all else fails, and you’re still stuck, mad lib it out!