At just about every wedding we photograph, I find myself thinking about all the beautiful moments and  details of the day and how I can relay the beauty in my blog posts.  Sometimes I worry because I know as I begin to write, I’m usually in a hurry and end up leaving many things out of the blog.  This wedding was even more worrisome!  There were so many amazing details, but more than anything else, it was so uniquely Kimberly and John. I loved everything they did for the wedding and we had so, so much fun with them!

The day started with John and I traveling to Put-in-Bay on the Jet Express.  We initially thought we would take our boat over, but then decided against it.  We actually met the videographers as we were waiting for the boat, which made a great start to the day. Their wedding was being held at the Put-in-Bay Winery (Doller Mansion) and Kim’s preparations started there.  Her custom wedding gown was beautiful among all the vintage decor and antiques.  Photographing her little details was fun, as she had blue champagne, intricately made garters, gorgeous wedding invitations and groom decorated shoes…cute little sayings on the bottom of her beautiful pumps. I’m keeping those private ;). As Kimberly was getting ready, I watched Lowes Greenhouse setting up for the wedding.  I have to say, I was a bit mesmerized as they placed all the gorgeous flowers into a stunning arch on the gazebo and then preceded to adorn the chairs, tables and other locations.

Let me tell you a bit about the details of this wedding.  A lot of of work and thoughtful planning went into everything about this wedding day. The 10 farmhouse tables that their guest dined at, were handmade by John (no he isn’t a carpenter by any means)!  Not only the farmhouse tables, but also the tables for the sweets, the welcome table and even the swing were hand made and assembled!  They knew what they wanted for their wedding and making those dreams come true (without totally breaking the bank), took a lot of effort, but more than anything, lots of love!  John helped make Kimberly’s gorgeous visions come true. As you can see from the pictures, flowers decorated the birdbath, the swing, the couple’s chairs and all the tables and bar area. There were even chandeliers over the head table (insert happy hearts here)! It was truly so beautiful and showed Kimberly’s personality and style perfectly.

As guest entered for the ceremony, they were greeted with custom signage and on each chair (I just loved those chairs) was a bag of lavender for tossing on the couple as they exited!  The ceremony began with their little dog, Foxie, (flower dog) happily pulling John’s daughter Chloe, down the aisle.  Then after the other bridesmaids, Kimberly was escorted by her mother.  The view of the bride approaching with the lake in the background was just what the couple had envisioned. The ceremony was beautiful under that floral arch and Chloe even sang to the couple!

After the ceremony and family portraits,  John and Kimberly, the video team and us,  took off on golf carts to a location that was special to Kimberly and John.  We had actually met with John and Kim  a month before the wedding to view locations on the island and just spend some time with them.  When they brought us to the somewhat secluded bed and breakfast, called The Vineyard, that had once been a winery, we were excited to see so many possibilities and also a beach front on the property!  So when we arrived, we had a good idea of where we would be photographing.  Being prepared, Kim and John were happy to climb into some crazy locations, but hey, they wanted some unique and beautiful pictures too! The beach area ended up being way too windy, but we still captured some fun moments there as well. From the Vineyard we headed back to the wedding location, but found a few quick minutes to capture a few shots of the always amazing Put-in-Bay bay!

Back at the Put-in-Bay Winery, the quest were enjoying cocktail hour, with freshly made brownies, cookies and an assortment of beverages  at the adorable outdoor bar. The dessert table was set up with the beautiful cake by LaLa Custom Cakes, center stage!  There were also pink macaroons, cake pops and other yummy sweets that almost looked to pretty to eat!  Dinner was served and then the rest of the evening included fun speeches, recognition of John’s parent’s anniversary, a dedication to loved ones by lighting candles hung in the trees and a special slideshow projected on the side of the barn. We also had a great sunset session, where we were invited on a beautiful boat to photograph. When it came to the bouquet and garter toss, John and Kimberly decided to do something a bit more elegant and fun.  Kimberly and John had a bit of dance beforehand and then ended it with John removing the garter. I loved it! Very classy way of doing an old tradition.

The night ended with sparklers and John and I taking the last Jet Express home! I can’t end this post without saying what an honor it was for us to photograph Kimberly and John.  We were well aware of the long search they had for the right vendors and we were excited to be photographing a wedding on Put-in-Bay, but we really had little idea, just how much fun we would have with them!  From every beautiful detail, to the special relationship they had with each other and their family and friends, John and I were so happy to there!!  Thank you John and Kimberly for a beautiful day and for trusting us to capture it all!

Dress Designer-LaceMarry

Venue-Put-in-Bay Winery   

Florals-Lowes Greenhouse

Picture location-The Vineyard, bed & breakfast

Cake-LaLa Custom Cakes

DJ-King’s Reign Entertainment

Video-Vows To Video