WOW. I’ll admit… I was overwhelmed and nervous about taking on the big job of going through all of our best Cincinnati wedding and engagement sessions from the entire year, but I am SO glad I did it! I have loved every minute of reliving my favorite moments from each day!

Honestly, when we think back to our first wedding of 2019, it feels like yesterday. The whole year was a bit of a beautiful blur from our full calendar of Cincinnati weddings to the busy-ness that comes with the territory of raising three little girls. We were blessed to be awarded both Best of the Knot and Wedding Wire Couples Choice awards again this year and to have our work published multiple times. We even got to capture destination wedding and engagement pictures in Anna Maria Island, Colorado, and Michigan. But even in the midst of the whirlwind that 2019 was, we can honestly say time flies when you’re having fun!

We LOVE our jobs because it’s about SO MUCH MORE than pretty pictures. It’s about being able to permanently capture the fleeting emotions and quiet moments that take place the midst of a jam-packed wedding day. It’s about pinning boutonnieres and bustling dresses and wiping happy tears. It’s about meeting your families and being welcomed in as a friend. We have fond memories of every wedding we have ever done, so I’m so excited to share some of the most precious moments that stuck with us from each of these couples! We are so thankful for the friendships that 2019 brought us and for the gift of being allowed into some of our clients’ most intimate and important memories. I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for our couples, but for now, enjoy taking a walk down memory lane with us as we recap our favorite Cincinnati weddings and engagements we got to be a part of last year!

Michelle and Travis won our award for best wedding hashtag of the year – #partyintheuseh was a nod to her Canadian roots – our first international couple 😉 When her entire family moved back to Canada, Michelle opted to stay in America to see where things would go with a boy. I’ll never forget when she said, “Parts of wedding planning had me stressed and nervous. But I was never once nervous about marrying Travis. I’ve always known he was the man I wanted to grow old with.”

Mallory and Shane are our first Cincinnati wedding of 2020 in just a couple weeks, and we. can’t. wait. They had their first date at Cock ‘N Bull in Mainstrausse near where Shane lived when they started dating, so it was a blast walking down memory lane with them and exploring their old stomping grounds!

These two met as a bridesmaid and a groomsmen in a mutual friends’ Cincinnati wedding, which is still one of our favorite “meet cute” stories of the year! More about Sam and Kevin in a minute. 😉

Felicity and Mitchell got married at a chapel on Thomas More’s campus where they met and fell in love. To make it even more special, Felicity’s father actually got to be the deacon who married them! My favorite was listening to Felicity talk about her grandma trying to set her up with a handsome boy she knew… only to find out she was actually trying to set her up with Mitchell who she had just started dating!

These two don’t take themselves too seriously, and that makes our job so much fun! We know they will have a killer party at their Leap Day Cincinnati wedding this year!

We loved that we got to take engagement pictures of Candice and Kyle in Cincinnati where they first met on a blind date! More on their Michigan beachfront wedding below…

Stacie and Randy were an extra special engagement session, because Stacie’s daughter Emily was also one of our 2019 brides! Their family laughs so hard together – it’s contagious. We loved getting to celebrate with these two in Anna Maria Island, Florida!

We had a near-death experience on a golf cart on their Cincinnati wedding day (don’t ask!), but that actually wasn’t the most memorable moment. What stands out most when I think of their day was the way Lindsey’s eyes welled up with tears of anticipation thinking about her man just around the corner, waiting to see his bride for the first time. And the way Eric knew just what to do to make her laugh so his bride wouldn’t cry. They also hold the record for the most men we’ve ever seen dancing to an Enrique Iglesias song (because “Escape” was Eric’s ultimate frisbee song). 😉

Samantha and Kevin are one of the most LOVED couples we have worked with. Sam got one of the most precious wedding gifts we have seen – not only had her mom saved Samantha’s grandmother’s wedding shoes for her, but she also gave her the note her mom had given her on her very own Cincinnati wedding day. My favorite moment from their day was Sam’s walk down the same aisle five generations of her family had walked down to get married. Kevin got emotional at the sight of his bride, and some of his groomsmen got choked up at his reaction. It was a beautiful picture of just how loved these two are!

Caleb’s first look at his beautiful bride was one of the best moments of their day. There’s nothing like being around two people who KNOW how blessed they are to be signing up to spend forever together! These two place a premium on both family and faith, and that was evident in every moment of their day from sweet moments with their grandmas to their two families coming together to pray for them before the ceremony.

Ariel and Dustin are both way cooler and in way better shape than we are! 😉 From snow skiing to mountain biking to hiking, they have the most active hobbies ever. He flies airplanes and proposed by spelling “Marry Me” in the sky… does it get any cooler than that? These two showed us around their gorgeous home state of Colorado and we got to explore Red Rocks with them at sunrise for their engagement session. We made poor Ariel change shoes from heels to hiking boots about 15 times, but we laughed a ton and got some epic pictures! We are so looking forward to celebrating with them this summer in Boulder!

Maria and Nick had maybe the hottest engagement session of all time, but they laughed so hard and were the best sports about touching sweaty foreheads and walking through fields of long grass. Super excited for these high school sweethearts’ Cincinnati wedding in May!

Sarah and Calvin are actually photographers themselves, so it was an extra big honor to get to capture this season for them. Most couples take a few minutes to warm up since they aren’t used to being photographed, but we couldn’t stop talking about how perfect these two are together. They didn’t stop laughing for one second of their session, and we honestly can’t wait to get them officially married up this spring!

Emily and Joe are two lawyers who met in the courtroom where she was the public defender and he was the prosecutor. They had thunderstorms the entire time they were inside for their ceremony and not a single drop during outdoor portrait time – we thought that had to be a good sign! These two threw one of the best parties with a packed dance floor and plenty of laughter – we loved getting to be a part of it!

Candice got to surprise Kyle with the news that they were expecting on their wedding day, and it was such a sweet moment to be able to capture! Their little girl, Ellie, was a perfect sweetheart who is the first baby we have met who loved Chris more than me (my heart is still recovering!). Honestly, we have never seen a lake that looked so much like the ocean and it did our hearts good to get to celebrate with them in their new home state and see how many friends and family made the trip to come support them!

Emma and Andrew are college sweethearts who met at UK, so it was perfect to do their engagement session around the city of Lexington where they made so many memories and fell in love!

Jill and Latonio are Felicity and Mitchell’s neighbors, and we get SO excited to shoot weddings that give us an excuse to meet a new couple AND reconnect with an old one! These two are so natural together and were total troopers on a 95 degree fall day. Hotel Covington is going to be a gorgeous backdrop for their April wedding!

Abbey and Sam did their engagement pictures at the same place her parents got engaged! I love thinking about their kids coming back to visit P&G Gardens where so much love was celebrated in their family!

Rachel’s son, Chase, stole the show at this one with his killer speech and his sweet emotions getting the best of him as his mom came down the aisle. We absolutely loved the special bond he and Josh share – and the groomsmen dance they both surprised Rachel with was one of the books! They have the best sense of humor and fun – we had a blast at their Honey Locust Farms wedding!

I’ll never forget the way Dania lights up around Andy – it’s impossible to be around them and NOT smile! They met at a restaurant where they used to work together. Andy told a mutual friend and coworker on Dania’s first day, “I’m in love with that new hostess.” Turns out he really was! From her family traveling in from Lima to celebrate from their beautiful garden Cincinnati wedding ceremony and rooftop celebration, their day couldn’t have been more perfect!

Dan and Danielle were nervous about getting pictures done, but they absolutely crushed it! Their Neltner’s Farm wedding is going to be perfection this summer!

Katie and Riley met at the Washington Park dog park on their first date, and Riley later proposed there, so it was a no-brainer to do their engagement pictures there. You can tell in about 2 seconds flat how much fun these two have together, and they bring the party with them wherever they go, so we have no doubt their Cincinnati wedding will be one for the books! Plus, they are celebrating at our all-time favorite venue – Ault Park… bring on May!

These two were made for each other. Drew kept Kerry laughing and did his best to keep her warm during their chilly fall session – August should bring some warmer weather for their Cincinnati wedding celebration!

Kate and Kevin met at a friend’s wedding, but shortly after they started dating, Kevin moved to New York to pursue a finance job and they began taking on the challenge of long distance dating. They are finally back in the same state, and we couldn’t be more thrilled for them. If they are half as positive, easygoing and sweet as they were at their engagement session, their summer wedding at The View will be perfection!

Matt and Emily are elementary school sweethearts, and my favorite part of their day was when the best man described Matt calling him and telling him he was finally officially dating “THE Emily”… the one he had spent his whole life loving. Both their proposal and their wedding took place at the church and school where they grew up and fell in love, which just added to the romance of the whole day. Even though it rained the entire day, we got just enough tiny breaks to sneak in some pictures on Twin Oaks’ gorgeous golf course showcasing the fall colors. We couldn’t possibly find two sweetest people than these two – one of our favorite days, for sure!

Jessica and Ethan are getting married on their own property next year, and it’s going to be so special! Their engagement session was filled with puppy kisses from their adorable pup, Ella, and we are counting down the days until we get to celebrate with them this fall!

We hope you’ve enjoyed walking down memory lane with us. If you’re getting married in 2021, we would love to chat about your Cincinnati wedding day and get to know each other to see if we might be the right fit to capture this season for you to look back on forever!

Need some wedding planning tips? Check out our Wedding Tip Wednesday Series!

After dating long distance for five years, these two are so happy just to be together. It’s infectious! Their Devou Park engagement session was the perfect blend of city views, killer tall grass, and the last little bit of fall color here in Northern Kentucky.

Anytime someone reaches out to us after being in a bridal party for one of our other weddings, we KNOW it’s going to be a good fit. Not only are they friends with a previous couple we love, but they have already seen us in action and know what to expect from our crazy, loud, mile-a-minute selves. (Check out Jessica in Felicity and Mitchell‘s wedding party!) We were so excited when Jessica reached out to us after Ethan popped the question on vacation with her family in Charleston. They hadn’t set their date yet, so even though they are getting married in the busiest photography month of the year (I see you, October) they were able to select a date we were available. Pro move!

On another note, can we talk about their sweet pup for a minute? Ella, you’re invited to all of of our photoshoots. Puppy kisses, snuggles, and park strolls… What could be better??? Ella may have enjoyed exploring the Devou Park overlook even more than we did! If you have a furry friend who is like family, we would LOVE to meet them and include them in your session!

Jessica and Ethan, we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate with you. From the way you laugh together to the fact that your ceremony will be taking place at such a personal and special spot (on their own acreage!), we know your day will be filled with joy. We are so thankful to get to be a part of it!

Just a few years ago, Kate was celebrating her friend’s wedding at the Renaissance Hotel as a member of the bridal party. She had no idea that the stranger she was walking down the aisle with was a close friend of the man who would become her husband.

Kate and Kevin met that night through his friend and hit it off immediately. Shortly after they began dating, Kevin moved to New York City to pursue a job in finance. Kate stayed at her job in Cincinnati and they loved each other long distance for two years. When he knew she was the one, Kevin worked to include both of their families when he popped the question, even bringing his parents in from Florida to celebrate with them. In romantic fashion, he decided to propose back at the downtown Renaissance Hotel, right where it all began.

We were so excited that Kate and Kevin lucked out with one of the last fifty degree days of the year for their Smale Park engagement session. Even though we had to contend with Bengals game crowds and some crazy parking, there was sunshine streaming through the gorgeous fall leaves and it couldn’t have been better! Kate and Kevin, we are so thrilled to celebrate with you two at The View next summer. If you’re half as positive, easy going, and sweet as you were at your engagement session, it will be the best day ever!

Want to see another gorgeous Smale Park engagement session? Click here!

Kerry and Drew had the most gorgeous fall engagement session at Eden Park. The fall colors showed up super late this season, which turned out to be perfect for these two since their session wasn’t until November!  (Seriously. I’m obsessed with the way nature was showing off for their session!) Here in Cincinnati, you never know what our crazy weather is going to do, so when it all comes together perfectly, you just roll with it!

Even though the park was swarming with weddings and portrait photographers vying for a spot to sneak in one last fall photoshoot before this week’s snow, these two only had eyes for each other. Drew kept Kerry laughing (and did his best to keep her warm!) as we doubled back and forth to hit the best spots and avoid the crowds. They have such a genuine, natural, made for each other kind of love. You can’t help but smile when you’re with them!

Kerry and Drew, I had a blast exploring Eden Park with you two for your fall engagement session! I don’t want to have to wait until August to hang out with you two again!

Want to see more beautiful engagement sessions?  Check out Jill and Latonio’s Ault Park Engagement or Katie and Riley’s Washington Park Engagement Session!