Kelly and Jason’s June wedding was one for the ages! Everything from start to finished went smooth as silk and the weather was perfect. The couple both got ready for the day at the downtown Columbus Westin, however they opted not to see each other until their first look. They had their first look in front of Brewer’s Gate and it was so sweet and heartfelt. Kelly was a dream in here Lea-Ann Belter Gown and her Badgley Mischka shoes. After the first look we took photos around the Via Vecchia property and then hopped on a Trolley over to Schiller Park for some bridal party shots.
And what a bridal party it was! There were 12 bridesmaids and 11 groomsmen. Madison House Designs provided the florals with accents of soft pink that matched the maid’s dresses.
Half way through the portrait session, Kelly casually mentions she has this amazing lace parasol and brings it off the bus. It was all I could do not to drool over it- and OMG the dreamy photos it made- just perfect for a summer wedding! By that time we had driven over to the docks at the Audubon center which had wildflowers in full bloom around the wetland area. The soft white flowers accented her dress in a way that you couldn’t have planned even if you wanted to. Next it was time to make our way back to Via Vecchia and get these two hitched!
Molly and her team at MStyle made sure everything was absolutely perfect both inside and outside of the venue. The ceremony took place in the Alley and to say it was romantic would be an understatement. You could really see how in love these two are. Kelly and Jason would hold each-other in their arms as they listed to their family give the readings during their ceremony. It was a small detail, but I noticed it because you usually don’t see such a tender interaction like that.
When the ceremony was finished, the wine started flowing. The reception was overflowing with the most stunning florals, delicious cookies and smiling guests. I can’t thank Kelly and Jason enough for having me with them on this spectacular day. I hope you love looking at these as much as I loved taking them! XO Jess
Heather and Kyle were married earlier this summer at Berlin Presbyterian Church in Lewis Center, OH. This church might look unsuspecting from the outside, but the inside has the most magnificent stained glass focal point behind the main altar. They were surrounded by family and friends as they said their “i-do”s. A family member was even the officient.
After the beautiful ceremony, the party made its way over to the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center for photos and the reception. The bridesmaids wore long pale purple gowns that accented the delecate Madison House Designs bouquets perfectly. The men wore purple striped ties and grey suits to finish the look. Heather is one of those people that is just naturally beautiful. She has gorgeous long flowing hair, expressive eyes, and a smile and laugh that can light up a room. Needless to say, she made for a stunning bride. I loved watching them during the speeches soak up all the love. Their first dance was so intimate. It was sincere and heartwarming as they softly sang just to each-other as they danced.
The evening really picked up and the dancing was awesome! Dessert was provided by Nothing Bunt Cakes, and I swear to you my eyes rolled into the back of my head when I tried the chocolate-chocolate chip bunt. I loved it so much I’m asking for one for my birthday later this month. Anyways, I hope you love these photos! It was an honor to spend the day with such amazing people.
Sarah and Jon were married on a hot but beautiful late spring day in downtown Columbus, OH. The wedding was an inspired mix of Modern and rustic details. The couple both prepared for the big day in separate rooms at Le Meridien hotel downtown. The ceremony and reception both took place at Dock 580 with a trip to the Short North for photos in-between.
Sarah’s Paloma Blanca dress fit her like a dream. It had a plunging backline that was accented with delicate rhinestones. In other words, it was business in the front, party in the back. Her long veil was the perfect accent to her all-white look, which was punctuated with bright red lips. Sarah’s bridesmaids were all stunning in long and elegant navy gowns. Jon was as handsome as it gets in his fitted navy suit and white bow tie. His groomsmen finished the look with gray suits and navy ties.
The ceremony was in a tent located on the side lawn of the venue. The isle way was adorned with gold bottles and white flowers and petals. Bistro lights were strung across the tent for added romance. A funny story- I ducked under one of the tents cross-beams for a photo during the ceremony, and when I went to come back, I totally forgot it was there and my head hit it, causing a “DONGGGGGGGG” echo during the ceremony. Luckily only the kid sitting next to me heard it. It was pretty embarrassing.
After they said their “I-dos”, we ventured to downtown Columbus for some eclectic, quirky and inspired urban backdrops. We even stopped at Marchella’s, where they had their first date. When we returned, the family cheered their entrance and toasted to their new lives together. The moment open dancing started, the moves just got better and better as the night went on.
One of the mainstay features of the photography profession’s landscape is photo conferences. They used to all be very similar- in a large hotel’s ballrooms, a trade show in the hall, and downtime in a typically awesome location. Now, there are infinite options for what and where a photographer can choose to learn more about their profession. What it boils down to, is what do you want to learn?
New to the industry
If you are new to the industry or just starting out in photography, a photo conference can be invaluable. It can act as a boot camp for all aspects of photography. I would highly suggest WPPI or Imaging USA for the all-encompassing experience. You’ll leave with a lot more knowledge of what industry standards and practices are, which is important if you’re going to open up a wedding photography company.
When I first wanted to start my business, I read a book about owning your own LLC. The writer right off the bat said in no uncertain terms, typically what you set out to have a business doing (such as photography), is what you end up doing the least. And boy that couldn’t be truer. I spend my days editing, writing, charging equipment, scheduling, answering emails, social media-ing, and planning wedding days with my clients. Photographing couples literally is the thing I do the least in my day-to-day operations. But, as it turns out, I actually love all of the stuff that comes with owning a business. Without those larger conferences to help me along in how to operate a company efficiently in all aspects of the game, I couldn’t imagine where I’d be right now.
I see a lot of new photographers signing up for styled shoots to improve the appearance of their portfolios. A styled shoot is basically a wedding without guests, and the bride and groom are typically models. These usually take place during nice overcast days in stunning locations. In other words, it’s pretty hard to take a bad photo when the cards are stacked for you. Why does this matter? Well, if you’re opening a wedding photography company, have an awesome dreamy portfolio filled with styled shoots, what happens when you get into a dark ugly reception hall when you’re hired by your first client. The bride and groom aren’t models, the flowers are all artificial, and the walls are all covered in dark wood paneling. You’re going to have an Oh-sh*t moment. One that could probably stop your company before it’s even started. I think going to styled shoots as a new photographer is having tunnel vision, and it’s not being honest with yourself or your clients. Going to one of the larger photography conferences very well might help give you a much-needed reality check- one that could prevent that Oh-sh*t moment down the road.
TIPS for the conference goers
Don’t pretend to know it all. I attended a lot of classes where I already knew most of what they were teaching. But I had an open mind, stayed until the end, and almost always left with a little tidbit I either needed reminding of or learned something new. No, all classes aren’t created the same, so make sure to talk and network with other photographers while you’re there. See what classes they’re excited about. It’s an easy way to start a conversation and make a new friend.
Bring a notebook and write, write, write. Remember, be thorough. When you’re writing, it all makes sense. A day or two later, not so much. Make sure to go back and expand on thoughts in between sessions. Use this notebook to take what you’ve learned and strategize on ways you can implement the new-found knowledge. This book can and most likely will become a launchpad for amazing ideas and inspiration.
Talk, Talk, Talk. One of the biggest advantages of going to a large conference is gaining other people’s wisdom. I have learned so much from my peers just by hanging out and talking shop.
Don’t be seduced by location- get your ass to class! If you’re traveling across the country, try to make the most of your experience, even when the days seem long and the pool looks amazing. You are a sponge- soak it all up!
Ok, I’ve had the big conference experience, now what?
Get nit picky- be your own worst critic! This wasn’t hard for me at all! I knew exactly where my weak points were when I wanted to take my business to the next level. It all starts with being honest with yourself. For me, I needed to work on lighting and business strategies. Because I knew these two very specific problems were something I needed to focus on, I sought out tailored programs just for them.
I consider myself very lucky because I happen to live in the same city as a master lighter, and frequent contributor to Strobist articles all over the web, Nick Fancher. He along with Chris Keels teamed up and offered an amazing two-day lighting course in 2010. I couldn’t sign up fast enough. Because it was the class’ maiden voyage, it was reasonably priced (especially considering it changed my whole practice). I loved it so much, I took it again the very next year. Even though some of the stuff I learned the second year was redundant, it was a great technical reminder, and I still learned plenty of new techniques. Having it local was another advantage regarding cost. If you can’t find a course, just reach out to a local photographer who can do what you want to learn and beg them to teach you… and this should go unsaid, but pay them. It will be worth it, I promise.
For the business part of photography, I had heard Jerry Ghionis speak at WPPI and instantly knew he was a one-in-a-million photographer and businessman who lived up to every aspect of the word success. I ended up taking a full day, all intensive class from him, and honestly, I try to hear him speak every opportunity I can get. The class changed a few fundamentally small ways I shoot every.single.wedding….and just that alone was worth the cost of admittance. His business strategies will also leave you clinging on to every word that comes out of his mouth. Ok, I admit it- I’m a groupie. My friend and I even made Jerry t-shirts when we last saw him. *nerd alert*
In 2015 I knew I was going to make the leap to quit my other full-time job and go full-time exclusively with photography. I was really worried about working from home. Mainly, the seclusion, lack of interaction (which I guess is also the definition of seclusion), and how that can toy with the mind emotionally. I have anxiety, and most of the times I feel that helps me have an edge over my competition. But would this anxiety turn into depression when I was all alone each day? Again, I was getting honest with myself. Naming what I thought I needed to work on the most, or in this case, what I was most worried about happening and tackling it head-on. My husband and I were wanting to start a family, so logistically that was the perfect year to pick a conference and travel if I was ever going to do it. I picked Field Trip, out in El Capitan Canyon, California, because I was impressed with the mix of classes that focused on the emotional and “real” aspects of business and business practices. This ended up being a reset button experience for me. It was cooler than any summer camp I attended as a kid, but everyone was pretty much talking photography, so it was perfect. The incredible views, the classes where people could break down and cry, completely exposing their shortcomings and fears, it was real and it was just what I needed. I came back and have been working as a full-time photographer for almost two years later this month (although this is my company’s 9th full year). I can honestly say there have been very few days that have felt uncomfortable, and I have a lot more interaction with the outside world than I ever expected.
PICK your future
Photo conferences are tools that will directly impact the path of your business. Be mindful in choosing them. You can take cool pictures anywhere, but what are you LEARNING? What are your shortcomings? What do you need to improve upon? Make a list of 5 things right now, and under each one, three steps you could take to work on them. Make conferences and classes a part of your plan. The rewards far outweigh the investment if you choose wisely.
Jessica and Misti are so laid back, down-to-earth and quick to joke with each-other- From our very first time meeting, I knew I was in like company. Jessica is an avid OSU fan, so we naturally had their engagement shoot on a beautiful fall day last year on campus. It was a Sunday, so everything had already been cleaned up after tailgating and partying, but there was a really cool chalk drawing still right in front of the Stadium. It was a forced perspective drawing, so when you lined up with it just right, it seemed to pop out at you. Because it was fall, all of the bushes were bright red in front of the stadium, not a coincidence I’m sure! All the Buckeye trees were as golden as the afternoon sun. Even though it was the weekend, campus was still somewhat alive, which brought a fun energy to the session. Fall in Ohio is simply the best- I need to get more timely with these blog posts, as it’s totally spring now. I was just so energized by spending time with these two. They are so fun…and I think it’s pretty amazing they even laughed at my stupid jokes. Were they just being nice?
I can’t wait for their wedding later this year. They are so beautiful inside and out. I hope you love these Jess and Misti! XO Jess
So I totally lied on my last post- THIS wedding was my second to last wedding from 2016. And HOLY SMOKES what a wedding this was! It’s even been featured on Fab You Bliss last month.
Amanda and Aaron are anything but traditional. When it came to their wedding, the same held true. Unique details like succulent bouquets provided by Lynette Higginbotham of Madison House Designs and a non- traditional line up of music for the wedding and first dance (Game of Thrones theme song and “Ride, Ride Little Sebastian” for the first dance….sung by Chris Pratt, and when he was informed they danced to it at their wedding, Chris re-tweeted their wedding video). The wedding and reception were held at Vue, columbus’ unique warehouse meets loft venue. Between the two, photos were taken around the city of Columbus, and we were able to take advantage of the changing fall leaf colors. Mostly the couple wanted to celebrate at the bar with their friends between the ceremony and reception, which provided ample opportunity to highlight what meant most to this couple- their friendships and being in the moment. Amanda is a graphic designer, so all the invitations, signage and even coozies were designed by her for their event. Val Semick, the wedding coordinator, was the glue that held it all together. And the night wouldn’t be complete without a little sugar- a stunning cake provided by Alice Dreischarf, of Alice’s Piece of Cake. Thank you so much Amanda and Aaron- thank you for being true to yourselves, thank you for having me with you on your wedding day, and especially thank you for being awesomely awesome in every way! XO Jess
So I would consider Crystal and Greg’s wedding my wild card wedding of 2016. I think Crystal contacted me maybe only a month out from their big day. She was somewhat stressed out because the photographer she had been talking to didn’t work out, and wanted someone dependable that could take the reigns. I’m not going to lie- when someone shows up at your doorstep, literally, and starts telling you about the wedding she was describing, it’s hard to imagine it’s real. In fact, on my way there, I still wasn’t even sure if I was on my way to a real wedding. Low and behold, it was real, and everything she had envisioned turned out so perfectly. Why was it so hard to believe? Mostly because it was so fabulously unique and inventive. It’s hard to surprise a wedding photographer with something “new”, but they did it!
Crystal told me on the day we met that they were going to get married in the middle of the river on pontoon boats. I thought that meant the traditional kind with walls and seats. When I got there, I saw that it meant two of them without walls and seats were tethered to one traditional pontoon. To get the best angle, I was going to need to position myself of the ones without support, which I’m not going to lie, had me shaking at certain points. I could literally see myself along with my cameras falling into the river and making a huge mess of the wedding. This never happened, but boy did I feel the heat the whole time we were out there. That’s kind-of saying something, too, because I grew up boating and on the water. After the ceremony on the water, I had really never been happier to be on dry land. Their reception was held in a party house that they had finished construction on their estate literally two weeks before the wedding. The whole property was stunning and I still can’t believe what a wonderful experience I was asked to document. I’m also super happy my cameras made it water-free as well! Enjoy! XO Jess
I am so excited to be writing about this wedding today. I am only to my September weddings as far as blogging weddings and shoots from last year, so there is lots of sunshine in today’s post. There is actually a lot of sunshine out the window right now, too, coincidentally, which makes it all the better.
On the day of their wedding, I was headed down the church stairs to the basement bathroom where Lydia and her bridal party were getting dressed. On my way, I was stopped by a man who had a very friendly smile and a HUGE book in his hands. He asked me for a moment to show me what he wanted from that day’s photography. I had no idea who he was, or what exactly he was talking about, so I just went along with it. It turns out this gentleman was Brian’s father, and that was HIS wedding album from when he was married. He explained to me that three generations of his family had been married in this church, and he wanted to re-create one of the shots from their wedding album with Lydia and Brian. The whole idea was so heartfelt and wonderful, and of course we were up for the challenge. It was so cool to be standing in a place that meant so much to their family, and to be tasked with such a cool request. Re-create it, we did! It’s the photo below of the two of them at the front of the church, back-lit with my flash.
After the ceremony, we headed over to Heritage Golf Club were we took some more photos and continued on to the festivities. Is it just me, or does Lydia look like a Disney Princess? I just thought she radiated the whole day- it made for a super easy portrait session with the two of them. Anyways, thank you to Lydia and Brian for allowing me to spend this day with you and your amazing family! I hope you love these photos. XO Jess
Sarah and Joe are both very soft spoken people. I would consider them like an onion- the more you get to know them, the more layers you uncover, all very exotic and sweet (I think you have to know how much I love onions to know this is the ultimate compliment from me) . Joe met Sarah while he was working in a tattoo shop. From hearing the story from both of their perspectives, it seemed very much like love at first sight. Sarah basically kept getting more tattoos to keep hanging out with Joe. From there their love blossomed.
Last year I had the honor of shooting their engagement shoot. Again, because of le bebe, I didn’t blog as much as I had wanted last year. Alas, you’ll have to trust me that those images were faboosh. You can see some of them in my instagram archives. My profile name is JMillerPhotos. Please look me up and add me!
Joe oozes creativity. First of all, he’s an incredible tattoo artist. He even tattooed their wedding date on Sarah’s forearm. Second, his passion for Sarah is so beautifully evident when you’re around them both. He MADE her bridal bouquet. He literally watched a youtube video on how to make a bouquet and then whipped up this spectacular creation like it was nothing- oh, and he fashioned a wooden holder for it, so that it could sit upright because it was so heavy from its awesomeness. Joe also studied Sarah’s Persian heritage and designed their wedding sofreh, which was no small task.
Sarah wore the world’s most beautiful gown and veil. She had her veil flown in from London from designer Agnes Hart. It was nothing short of spectacular, and to quote Sarah , “this veil is everything.” She incorporated her love of animals, especially rabbits, into their wedding details. The reception had a vegan buffet that was so incredibly delicious. There were also vegan desserts provided by Pattycake Bakery, one of my all-time favorite dessert shops in Columbus.
I think what I loved most about Joe and Sarah was just how deeply in love they are. It’s such a beautiful thing to sit back and watch, and watching people in love is pretty much my job. Even after the last guests had left and the catering had cleared the tables, Sarah and Joe were still dancing in each-others’ arms- blissful in the moment they were sharing. Savoring every second of the special day they poured their heart and soul into. I feel so lucky to have been a part of it, and I hope you love these photos as much as I do! XO Jess
Amber and Thomas had a romantic Columbus wedding at Scioto Reserve Country Club this past summer. (Yeah, I’m that good at blogging on-time, seeing as it’s late November) The country club itself has lovely getting ready spaces for the bride & groom, and beautiful grounds for dreamy romantic photos. We never went off-property the whole day. The ceremony and reception were adorned with red roses, baby’s breath, candles and colorful floral wedding programs. Amber’s form fitting Wtoo Pippin dress was show-stopping with its intricate geometric details and a back that softly flowed behind her when she walked. The day was sunny, bright and windy. The couple was laid back, quick-witted and genuine. The venue was filled with natural light and tons of family love. The cake was stacked with awesome layers of icing. (lol) I think my favorite part of the day was when Amber and Thomas played the “shoe” game at their reception. The Bride and groom each get one of their own shoes and one of their partners’ shoes. They are then asked a series of questions that give the whole party humerus insight on their relationship. Each of them raises the shoe who they thinks matches the answer to the question (like, “who made the first move”). It was really fun watching Thomas try to resist looking at how Amber was answering. Anyways, I’ll stop my jabberin’ so you can get to the photos. I hope you love these! XO Jess
