Tag Archives: Couples

Downtown Westerville Engagement Photos

Sometimes it’s so easy to see right off the bat why two people fell in love with each other. Today’s blog is about one such couple, Kristen and Adam. It is very obvious just from hanging out with them how much fun they have together. They were one of the last shoots I did before this whole lockdown occurred. I have backlogs of a year’s worth of shoots, but I just wanted to go out of order and get this one out into the world.

They say in business If you say out loud what it is you like to do most, then you’ll naturally gravitate towards doing the most. I often say how much I love to do engagement shoots. So you will see an overwhelming amount of engagement shoots on this blog in the coming weeks. They are my all-time favorite shoots to do and that’s why I include a free one with each wedding photography package I offer. They are so fun and relaxed and I always feel like I leave them with two more friends than I had before we started.

I met Kristen and Adam in downtown Westerville, the city where she grew up. She really wanted to include graters ice cream in the shoot because Adam loves ice cream so much. Even though it was February, it was still temperate enough to not wear coats and to eat ice cream outside! We casually walked up the street and back down again and got some killer shots along the way. I’m so excited to show you these today and can’t wait to celebrate with Kristen and Adam later this year! XO Jess

Downtown Columbus Engagement Photos

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What a stunning evening this was! I can’t get over how fun Bryan and Ryan are. Some of my past brides and grooms may recognize Bryan because he has been in the Columbus wedding and hospitality industry for years. When a fellow vendor chooses me to photograph their most important moments, it’s one of the highest compliments I can get.

One of the best parts of my engagement shoots is when pets are included! Bryan and Ryan have two adorable dogs who were very excited for their close-up. The sun was setting quickly, but wow the light did not disappoint. There were so many opportunities for golden hour lovey-photo goodness. Everything glowed like it was washed with golden honey. I especially liked some of the silhouettes we got against the dynamic Downtown Columbus sky.

We ended the engagement shoot at the Leveque Tower cheers-ing to the future in a big way! Little did we know late last year as we walked around the Scioto Mile talking and laughing, that this year would be so challenging. These two have unfortunately moved their wedding to 2021 because of this whole COVID-19 mess. I have now re-booked 8 of my weddings. My heart goes out to all those who are having their weddings delayed and rescheduled. Luckily, time moves so quickly and their wedding day will be here before we know it. Thank you so much, Bryan and Ryan and I cannot wait to get you back in front of my camera early next year! XO Jess

Columbus Fall Engagement Photos

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When Cassandra wrote to me about getting a family and engagement session, she mentioned that she’d love to have it at her home because her backyard was really beautiful in the fall. What I didn’t realize was that her backyard had a river, sweeping cliffsides and vibrant honey colored soaring trees. I felt like I had stepped into a dream-scape. And seriously, how cute is this blended family? Now that fall is giving way to winter, I thought a little more autumn color would be just perfect on this Thanksgiving weekend. XO Jess

Grange Insurance Audubon Engagement

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Jaimie and Dwayne were married last weekend, so I just have to share their romantic engagement session we did last fall at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center in Downtown Columbus. These two both have a very soft and laid back presence, which makes them really fun and easy to be around. The night we went to the Audubon, the lighting was nothing short of magical. As it happens often, I saw another photographer friend of mine shooting there that same night. Fast forward to Jaimie and Dwayne’s wedding, that same photographer was second shooting with me. It’s such a small world sometimes!

Be on the lookout this year for a blog post about their wedding! It was so breathtakingly gorgeous and everywhere you looked there were details galore. They even had printed out some of their engagement photos and had them on display at their reception! (which I of course loved!)

I’m so excited to finally get this out into internet land today. I’ve been sitting on it far too long. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did taking them! XO Jess

Tartan Fields Engagement Photos

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When I first met Kendra, I felt like I was hanging out with the cool kid from school. She has fun hair and an awesome sense of style and self. Also, her middle name is Joy and just to be around her is to understand why. When I met Jacob, I felt like I was meeting a better-looking version of Prince Harry. They are both so laid back and easy to photograph together. They have a playful and loving way of interacting with each other.

Some of my brides might actually recognize Kendra, as shes a wedding and events coordinator for Tartan Fields. It’s actually where she and Jacob first met when he worked there as a golf instructor! So naturally, we started their engagement session on the golf course. Woods, wispy romantic grasses and two smiling faces, what’s not to love about this place. That mixed with some perfect lighting and I was in heaven! Speaking of perfect lighting, I adore having the opportunity to do a cool silhouette, and an embankment on the golf course provided the ideal opportunity. Big pillowy clouds offset against a bright blue sky were a stunning backdrop for these two. From there we went across town to German Village where everything was just the right amount of evening sun-kissed. I can’t wait for these two to say I do this November. Until then, I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did taking them! XO Jess

German Village Engagement Photos

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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.

Engagement Shoot on Miami University’s Campus

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This was such a fun little adventure for me! I had only been to Oxford, Ohio one other time for a triathlon and was too tired to even look around when I was there. So I was super excited when Tanner told me she had her heart set on having their engagement shoot there.

Tanner and Justin met while working at the local Bagel and Deli when they attended Miami University. Naturally, that’s where we started our shoot! I love the electric neon sign behind the adorable smiles we captured. The weather was just raining enough to create a romantic foggy mist. It made all the colors around us so much more rich and saturated. The brick buildings on Miami’s campus was really impressive. I went to Ohio State which is just a hodgepodge of building designs. On Miami’s campus, it seems as if everything is planned out and cohesive visually. We stopped under the Upham Arch, where according to the Miami folklore, couples who kiss under the arch will get married. On the Miami website, they refer to this as a “Miami Merger” and the university alumni association sends Valentine’s Day cards to these couples!

We walked all over, including this beautiful garden area called the Arthur F. Conrad Formal Garden. There was a really cool greenhouse we snapped a couple of shots in front of that I loved. It had so much texture and the shots looked killer in black and white.

I think my favorite part of the whole shoot was when we found a field of tall grasses. It started to actually rain a little harder and it was just so romantic. Thank you so much to Tanner and Justin for an amazing afternoon filled with laughter and genuine, down-to-earth conversation. I can’t wait for your wedding later this year! XO Jess

Columbus Ohio Engagement Shoot at Franklin Park Conservatory

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One of the things I love most about being around Terri and Liza is they act like a new couple even though they’ve been together for years. Both of their faces just light up when they see each other. To have such a palpable love I think is pretty rare. It also made photographing them extremely easy.

We shot their engagement session at the Community Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory on the most beautiful September evening when the golden sun was low in the sky. The warm glow of the universe only made Terri and Liza that much more beautiful together. A couple of weeks later, these two tied the knot in an intimate German Village ceremony which I will blog about in the weeks to come. Until then, I hope you enjoy these as much as I did taking them! XO Jess

Engagement Photos in Downtown Columbus Ohio

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Ok I feel like a part of myself has been missing and this is because I haven’t written a blog in a couple of months. I set the craziest goal for myself this year to do 100 blogs. I am at 50-something, so obviously I didn’t make that goal. But it did train me to write and write regularly. So much so I really missed it when I stopped. I missed sharing all these amazing stories with you. I missed going in-depth visually and sharing all these fun moments we’ve had together. So even though I’m still on the crazy train of editing, I’m making time for a quick blog so I can get my fix.

This is Mike and Susan. When I met with them they mentioned they had this special cat that started hanging around them and basically adopted them. I told them they should bring her to their engagement shoot, and sure enough when I saw them pull up in their truck, there was their cat on their dashboard. I was excited like a little kid. I had never done an engagement shoot with a kitty! This was a very special cat, though. When we did photos of just Mike and Susan, Mike put the cat down to the side and it just waited for them to finish getting their photos taken. It was incredible. They theorized that the cat knows she has it good and wouldn’t dare leave them for life in the streets again. My brother always claimed that cats were super intellectually smart, and this might have proved it to me.

Mike and Susan’s evening shoot led us to the Scioto Mile bridge downtown where a fire red sun greeted us with the most spectacular rich lighting. From there the sun was pretty much gone but we stopped at the Columbus sign behind 16-bit arcade downtown. A couple of weeks after we took these photos, these two tied the knot in a stunning fall wedding which I can’t wait to share in the coming weeks! XO Jess

Engagement Photos at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center

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I met Traci at a wedding show! I never really do wedding shows, but I was so excited to be asked to be a part of the one at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center and I couldn’t refuse. There was only one issue- it was exactly one week before I was supposed to give birth to our daughter! I looked like a beach whale. I was standing on chairs to get my booth set up- I’m sure I made more than one person nervous, lol. In walks Traci, cute as can be. She’s by herself because she came straight from work. We just started talking and I swear just talked and talked for a couple of hours like we had already known each other for years. She told me about the love of her life, Andrew, and how much they had already been through together. She confessed at the time she wasn’t yet engaged, but she accidentally found the receipt for the ring he bought, so why not start planning the wedding, LOL.

Fast forward to their engagement session date. I was driving to the Audubon center when I got a phone call from her. It was hailing golfball sized hail where they lived and was moving right towards southern Columbus. Needless to say, we decided to reschedule the shoot. And oh my gosh people, the weather on their re-schedule date was amazing. These photos couldn’t be more perfect! I just had to call a rain date on a couple this past weekend, which I rarely do. But it’s very much worth it sometimes.

I am so excited for your wedding in a couple of weeks, Traci and Andrew! Getting to know you both has been one of the highlights of my year, so getting to know your family also will be so much fun!

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