Family Wedding in Ohio

The lanterns floated up and away; the only stars on a cloudy night. They truly did look like stars, floating up by the moon that was shining through a break in the clouds. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful wedding filled with special moments. You could see the intentional touches in so many places throughout the celebration.


My cousin got married a week ago today and I had the honor of photographing her special day. This was my first wedding, so it was nice that it was family and a low-stress situation. I'm very thankful for all the help my grandmother was in directing people, because I had no clue what I was doing!


The day was beautiful and warm. As you can see from the pictures of the bride, we were outside without coats in December in Ohio. But trust me, it got cold in the evening. They had a lantern release, which was amazing and beautiful, but definitely cold. I’ve never seen a lantern release in real life and I’ve always wanted to experience one. Since I was doing the pictures, I didn’t get to actually participate, but that was fine. The experience was enough.


Everything was beautiful. The couple wrote each other letters that they read before the ceremony. The ceremony was simple and so sweet and wonderful. The pastor gave a fantastic sermon and the couple read the vows they wrote. There was so much thought put into every element of the day.


Christian and Cheyanne, thank you for trusting me with your wedding day. It was an honor and privilege to serve you. I hope the images will remind you always of the love that brought you together in the first place. When times are tough, may you think back to this moment in time and let it strengthen you to push through. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "From now on, it is not your love that sustains the marriage, but your marriage which sustains your love."