Alexa + Isaac | Birchwood Meadow | Swanton, OH

I've been looking forward to this wedding for a long time. Not just because I knew it would be beautiful, but because I've known Alexa for a while now. I photographed her senior pictures, then I got to photograph her engagement session with Isaac, so by the time their wedding rolled around, we had already spent quite a bit of time together.

I know I say this a lot, but that really changes a wedding day. You're not spending the morning figuring each other out. We already know how each other works, we already have jokes, and it just feels comfortable. I love that.

And can we just talk about Alexa for a second?

I knew she was going to be a gorgeous bride. I mean...look at her. But when she put everything together, I was speechless. The dress, the veil, the flowers...she looked like a dream.

Then there's Isaac, who is honestly just one of the nicest people. He has such a calm way about him, and you can tell within about five minutes why these two work so well together.

Now...let's talk about the weather. Because it was HOT. Heat wave in July hot.

Their ceremony was right out in the sunshine and I think we were all thinking, "Please let there be a breeze." There wasn't much of one, but once they started reading the vows they had written for each other, I don't think anyone was thinking about the temperature anymore. It was one of those ceremonies where everybody was just…present.

Then somehow everything lined up perfectly. We were actually ahead of schedule after family photos, which almost never happens, and the clouds rolled in at exactly the right time. We wandered around, took our time, and got some of my favorite portraits of the day.

Until the wind.

Imagine a veil in a 60mph wind gust…yeah...now picture me chasing it with two cameras bouncing off my hips trying not to eat it in the middle of a grassy

field. 😅🤣 I caught it though, so we're calling that a win.

Then it rained.

Then it stopped.

Then we got the prettiest little sunset glow later on and snuck back out one more time because how could we not? Honestly, if I had tried to plan that weather, I couldn't have done a better job.

But, there is one thing from this wedding that has absolutely nothing to do with pictures, though, and it's probably my favorite part of the whole day.

I remember really early on, like way back when we first started planning, Alexa mentioned that she really wanted a few minutes alone with Isaac before the reception. She wanted to sit down, eat some appetizers together, and just soak in the fact that they had just gotten married before the party started.

As timelines evolved, that little pocket of time disappeared. Which happens. Wedding days are a puzzle, and sometimes things get squeezed out. But I never forgot that she wanted this.

So when I realized we were ahead of schedule after portraits, I remember thinking, "Wait...I think we can get that time back." I walked over to Alexa and told her that was my goal. And we did it. Nobody lost photo time. Nothing got skipped. They just got those few quiet minutes together exactly the way she'd pictured them over a year earlier.

And honestly...that's one of the parts of this job I'm proudest of.

Obviously I want you to have beautiful pictures.

But I also want you to have the day you imagined when we first sat down together. If you tell me something matters to you, it matters to me too. Sometimes it's a photo with your grandma. Sometimes it's sunset portraits. Sometimes it's ten minutes alone with your brand new husband and a plate of appetizers.

Those little things stick with me.

Alexa and Isaac, thank you for trusting me with your day, your moments, and your memories. It has been so much fun getting to watch your story unfold and to celebrate this day with you.

Their amazing vendors:

Venue: Birchwood Meadow

Planner/Coordinator: Blissfully Organized

Make Up: Courtney Black MUA

Hair: Roots and Waves

Dress: The Wedding Shoppe

Florals: Beautiful Blooms by Jen

Bartending: Uncommon Cocktail

Catering and Bakery: D&J Catering

DJ: The Class Act by Bob Norris

Videography: Fairytale Productions