And the weather cooperated!
Of course planning a wedding at the end of January is a gamble. When I woke up that morning and looked out the window, all I saw was grey and snow drifting. As I drove, I saw more of the same as I honestly tried to stay on the road. I couldn't believe we were having a wedding today! ...And then something beautiful happened. The sun came out. The wind stopped blowing. This first look was going to happen where it should, in the beautiful nature of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Alex got out of his car to prepare for his first look. We positioned him on one side of a very long snow-covered section and we got to chat with him a bit while we waited for Sarah to show. What struck me the most seeing Alex was how excited and confident he was to get this day rolling! It's always great shooting with Tamara from Sacred Heart Foto. Sarah pulled in with the help of her parents about 20 minutes later, and the stage was set for them.
Into the woods.
After an awesome first look, we ventured further into the woods for some classic and intimate shots of them riding the high from their reveal. I'd be hard pressed to find a couple more naturally in love with each other, as once we found our locations, the rest just fell into place. We were also able to get some great detail shots of Sarah's dress. We moved with purpose as we had so many beautiful places to pick from, and only so much time as we still needed to get back to Happy Days Lodge for wedding preparations.
Let's get them married!
After buttoning up some small details, we got their intimate ceremony underway. Happy Days Lodge is one of my favorite places to photograph, and one of the most challenging. Surrounded by windowlight and with high dark ceilings, it can be a challenging exposure. Fortunately I had photographed here before and was ready, and found a nice place behind the wedding party to get great angles of their ceremony.
Dance the night away.
Riding the high of an awesome ceremony, we got into dinner and speeches before really getting the party started! I've never seen the guests so engaged with a first dance. Sarah and Alex had the attention of everyone! Once the lights dimmed, the wedding really let loose. At one point there was a live limbo game in the middle of the floor. The surprise at the end to everyone (including me) was a live performance from Sarah in front of the crowd. It really ended up being a wedding to remember.
