Category Archives: Uncategorized

A bride and groom kissing on their wedding day

The Ellis Columbus Wedding

Hello, blog! It’s been a while! 2022 was one of the craziest years I’ve ever had and by far my most successful at Jessica Miller photography. I got to meet some amazing, amazing people. I got to shoot some of the most beautiful events I’ve ever been to. The events industry came roaring back, and I soaked it all up one weekend at a time.

Today I am sharing Lindsay and Scott’s showstopping wedding. From beginning to end, this wedding was relaxed and fun with a hint of glamour. When I walked into the room and saw Lindsay, her hairstyle took my breath away. Even though it was extremely hot and windy outside, it stayed put all day, and I’m still not sure what kind of voodoo magic took place to make that possible.

They both got ready at the LeVeque hotel autograph collection, which also happens to be one of my favorite hotels in downtown Columbus to photograph. The lighting in the suite is so editorial. I just had to take advantage of it for some shots of Lindsay after she got her dress on. those photos are still some of my favorites from the day. I talk a lot with my couples about how less can be more; this is a perfect example. Give me a neutral room with great window light and I’ll give you magic.

For their first look, we shot right outside the grand entrance overhang of the LeVeque Tower. It’s the place where chic art deco dreams are made. This location is so show-stopping to photograph, so it’s no surprise that Lindsay and Scott looked like absolute royalty.

After their first look, we took so many glamorous shots inside the LeVeque. Then with the whole bridal party, we went across the street to city hall. The bridesmaids’ dresses matched the windows of city hall and I love happy accidents like that. Our last stop before leaving for the venue was the rooftop of the LeVeque parking garage. It not only has a great view of the Columbus riverfront, but it also makes a killer backdrop for some champagne popping. Scott made everyone run away from him with the way the champagne was sprayed everywhere. It was so so funny and I just love the photos from this moment.

When we arrived at their venue, The Ellis, guests were greeted with a Champagne tower. The way the light hit each glass made the whole display so enchanting. Scott and Lindsay said their vows and “I dos” on the back patio in the warm afternoon sun.

The Ellis is in Italian Village and right in that area is so beautiful that we decided to do just a few more photos after Scott and Lindsay’s ceremony. The rest of the evening was such a beautiful blur. These two we’re surrounded by so much love, laughter, and friendship. Cheers to you both and thank you a million times over for trusting me with this perfect day!

Hotel: Hotel Leveque Autograph Collection
Venue: The Ellis
Suit: Pursuit
Florals: Fiori Florals
DJ: D and M DJ Entertainment
Dress: La Jeuene Mariee
Hair and Makeup: 614 Beauty
Cake: Sauer Cakes

Schiller Park Engagement

This Schiller Park engagement was so sweet and loving. January and February are generally considered engagement season in the wedding world. To celebrate, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite engagement sessions from last year! Today I’m excited to share Erin and Joey‘s fall session.

To be around these two is to feel their mutual love for one another. The way they interact is so sweet and genuine. There were so many genuine smiles and laughs this day!

Erin also has the most perfect curly hair. My hair is also very curly and I’m always in awe of those who can manage to make it look incredible. I’m also in love with her cool style. The skirt she wore is definitely a piece I want in my own closet!

Erin and Joey were supposed to have their big wedding in 2020, but when COVID hit, their plans changed like so many of my clients. They ended up eloping in their backyard and I’m so excited to join them later this year for their big celebration!

Congratulations are in order to these two! If you can get through planning a wedding in a pandemic, you can do anything!

Delaware OH Family Photos

There have been so many great moments to 2020 and seeing this family was one of my favorite parts! I love Christie and Ingmar. I did their wedding a few years back and since then have had the privilege of documenting their extended family every couple of years. Getting the email that they are coming into town is the best email of the year! This was the first time I had met their baby girl and I couldn’t stop staring. She is so beautiful and sweet. Her older brother is so proud of her! My favorite photos were when he played duck-duck-goose around her. He has so much energy so asking him to run was 100% ok with him!  Thank you to this beautiful family for becoming such a wonderful part of my life! XO J

NACE ONE AWARDS 2020

I am so excited to announce that Mike and Laura’s Columbus Museum of Art Wedding has been nominated for the National Association for Catering and Events Wedding Photography of the year award! I was lucky enough to win this prestigious award last year and am so excited for this year’s competition! Typically there is a large gala where NACE members from all over the country attend and are treated to entertainment and a VERY gourmet meal. I think plans are changing due to COVID 19 so I currently don’t know when winners will be announced. A special thank you to Mike for trusting in me and pushing me past my comfort zones. I will keep you all updated when I know more!

German Village Engagement Photos

Today is the day these two say “I do!” To say I’m excited for them would be the biggest understatement of the year. Keep an eye out in the coming days for some sneaks!

Last year we met up on a ridiculously warm December evening for their engagement shoot. Spending this hour with Laura and Mike in German Village left me with a natural high. It’s always refreshing to see two people in love, but even more so when you know them personally.

Everything in the village was alive and bustling with holiday spirit. There were lights around every turn, and people were getting ready for the Village Lights that evening, an event where everyone puts luminaries outside of their homes. As the evening continued, the most dynamic sunset tucked under the horizon to make way for a vibrant blue hour. We finished the evening in Schiller Park for some silhouettes and by then all of the streets around us were speckled with dancing luminaries.

Columbus Coffee House Family Session

Welcome to Babypalooza day 4!! I have been excited to share these photos since the day I took them. Alison and Mark have grown to be friends and I couldn’t wait to photograph their son Rhys as he turned the big ONE! This session actually turned into an all-morning hang-out session where we talked about everything from babies to life and got jacked up on way too much caffeine (basically my dream shoot). We started downtown at the Roosevelt Coffeehouse. For those of you who have never been there, they serve not only coffee but all sorts of coffee “mixed drinks” and flavored teas. As we sat and talked, Rhys loved to play with keys and make faces at his daddy. He just loved sticking his tongue out and it was so cute! His whole face would light up and he gives new meaning to the phrase “baby blues”. Gah, I love this age!

From The Roosevelt, we went over to The Joseph and had a mostly photodocumentary shoot of Rhys scurrying all over the place! He’s right at the moment of life before you can walk really well but you can crawl like a torpedo. Pretty soon there’ll be no containing him! I left this shoot feeling a natural high (In addition to all the caffeine). I feel so lucky to know these three and I can’t wait to watch as Rhys grows up and see how their family evolves. So without further ado, here is Rhys and his amazing parents!

roosevelt coffee house family photos

Celebrate Life Free Session Giveaway!

As some of you know, our son was born with Tetrology of Fallot, a series of congenital heart defects. Two weeks ago we watched as he had open heart surgery for the second time in his little life. Going through an event like that really puts everything in perspective. It gives you a new clarity on what it means to deeply love someone and the importance of cherishing every moment.
⠀⠀
Today we celebrate life! And I want everyone out there who has a beautiful loving family to celebrate with us! That’s why I’m offering a free 1 hr family session in the Columbus, OH area to one of my facebook or instagram users! To enter, like my page and tag two friends who you think have a beautiful loving family worth celebrating in the comments below. Winner will be announced April 2nd! In addition to the contest, I’m also offering $150 off any family sessions booked for April, May and June (only $350 for an hour session including all edited images!)

bride and groom smiling at eachother in front of brick wall

Via Vecchia Reception

Emily and Rob’s late July wedding had it all! Perfect weather, smiling faces, stunning surroundings and so much love throughout the day. From the church to the reception venue, there were stunning surprises around every corner.

Emily’s dress was just perfect for her. The A-line dress had delicate lace sleeve accents which were striking with her dark hair. The dress dropped softly into lots of alternating layers that floated away from her as she walked. Each bridesmaid wore a different cut of a soft pink or dusty rose colored flowy gown. Madison House designs provided the florals that tied the whole look together. Rob wore a blue suit, which you don’t see often but I wish more men would opt for it. It is so sophisticated and dapper.

Emily and Rob were married at the Church of the Messiah in Westerville. This church is incredibly cool inside. It has soaring modern stained glass windows. They line the center aisle with lit taper candles which makes everything inside feel warm and romantic.

From the church, we went to the spot that Rob asked Emily to marry him- the center of the OSU oval. Right nearby the Thompson Library made a stunning classical backdrop for some more photos. Afterward, we headed over to Via Vecchia for more romantic alley photos, one of the biggest perks of having your wedding there!

Inside, the scene was set for an elegant wedding that featured gold and candlelit table settings accented with greenery. The party got off to an amazing start with some wonderful and funny speeches. After, Emily and Rob performed a fairytale-worthy choreographed first dance together for all of their guests. When the open dancing started you better believe that dance floor was full of some of the best moves I’ve seen in awhile! Thank you so much Emily and Rob and I hope you love these as much as I loved taking them! XO Jess

caroline and matthew on a bridge

Jorgenson Farm Wedding

I lovingly call this wedding my fairytale dream wedding. And for Caroline and Matthew, this was just one of their two wedding celebrations! Caroline is from England, so a couple of weeks after this, they ventured over the pond to celebrate with some more of their friends and family who couldn’t join them stateside.

Caroline had a lot of friends and family who made the trip over, including a very pregnant maid of honor (I think she was 37 weeks!). I loved seeing their hats and fascinators, a tradition I wish you saw more of in the U.S.

Their ceremony took place at Worthington Presbyterian. In the summer, Worthington offers free community concerts on the lawn out in front of this church which my family and I attend, but I had never been inside. It has tall ceilings and an airy and happy vibe, as light spills in from the side windows. When their service was over, the two exited the church to a flurry of bubbles and smiles.

From the church, we went over to their venue, Jorgenson Farms. I had never had the pleasure of shooting there before, and boy it didn’t disappoint. It was like walking into a storybook! The grounds had soft rolling hills with hay bails stacked on one end, a large rustic barn that led to a venue space, and a quaint owners home complete with a back garden. The evening July sun mixed with the bright blue wedding colors were breathtakingly striking to photograph.

Inside the reception, tables were adorned with candles, flowers and rustic lanterns. Cookies overflowed on plates in the corner (of course I would point that out, as I tried one of each flavor). My favorite part of the night was the speeches, especially the one that Carolin’s father gave. He was beaming about his daughter and you could just see how proud he was of her.

Pickup Truck Engagement

Caitlyn and Adam are simply over-the-moon crazy-in-love. It’s so much fun to just be around them. You can see it in the way the just look at each other. Those smiles are more than genuine- they come straight from the heart.

Caitlyn said she wanted to get some photos taken with Adam’s truck, and I jumped at the chance. It made for such a romantic, casual fall setting. The wildflowers were out in a colorful tour-de-force and the sun was warm and low in the sky. Days like this one take my breath away and make me glad to be able to have a camera in my hands.

After some photos at the park, we headed to the Short North to take some photos near Marchella’s, where they had their first date! As it turns out, a lot of my couples have their first date at this Italian Restaurant, and for good reason. It’s romantic, bustling, and alive with energy inside.

Caitlyn and Adam, thank you for the sweetest, most genuine evening. It was so much fun and I feel so excited for your wedding next year! XO Jess