Category Archives: Engagement

Brian & Lacey invited me up to a park near their home in Columbus, Ohio for their engagement session. They both enjoy being active outdoors & running, so they were very familiar with this local metropark. It was really cool to walk the trails & get to know them better. They are the kind of people who help you feel at ease the moment you meet them & are still very sweet on each other… as you will see. Their wedding is in just a few weeks, I am so excited to see them get married!

 

I love walking & hiking, so bringing my camera along to photograph a very happy couple is a perfect way to spend an evening for me! I try to “shoot light” which means that I am very versatile & carry everything I need easily in one bag… so we can walk wherever you want to go 🙂

Brian & Lacey, thanks for letting me have a peek into one of your favorite places!
I especially can not wait to meet all of your favorite people on what will be your new favorite day! ♥

* Thanks for all your sweet comments & notes about Damian! He is doing wonderful & has been back to himself!

 

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I’ve been trying to feed my family & myself more fresh, organic foods. We have been so excited to grow a little vegetable garden at this “new” house. Something about summer makes it effortless to crave healthier foods. It felt so easy & natural to incorporate these everyday practices into a styled engagement session. I wanted to romanticize something that so many of us do. I happen to think spending time outdoors gardening is a fun way to hang out with your best friend.

When I came across this book, Soil Mates by Sara Alway, at Anthropologie, these little pieces came together & all I had to do was find a couple willing to cooperate. Abby & Brett were perfect! She listened to my concept & enthusiastically selected the perfect wardrobe for each of them. It was a great way to get to know them better & practice for photographs before their wedding that is coming up later this month!

I wanted to showcase ideas for a lovely vintage table of some healthy munchies. That is where my dear friend, Wanda, of Sugar Maple Weddings & Events came in. I showed her my (Pinterest) inspiration board, and she was set! I was “oohing & ahhing” the whole time I photographed her beautiful vegetable & fruit display. It would be perfect for an engagement party or bridal shower in addition to wedding reception inspiration! She is a Dayton area wedding planner & event stylist. She is very familiar with vintage design & showcasing rustic elegance. I’ve always loved any project that she is part of!

I found this little DIY Hummus & Baby Carrot in terra cotta pots garnished with Parsley at this sweet blog {via Pinterest}.

Wanda made this beautiful ribbon backdrop, that inspired my own DIY Ribbon Chandelier for my office.

This watermelon cake is just a creative way to serve watermelon! I found it on Pinterest too. The original idea is Martha Stewart. Of course.

I have been obsessed with pinwheels & fabric flowers lately. They are actually easy to make & a simple addition to a plain cake that adds a lovely touch! I was nervous to try this, because it goes against the idea of icing or fondant flowers on a cake. I felt a little more courage when I saw Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine {Summer 2011} had a cover spread about this very thing. You should read it if you are interested in having a DIY wedding cake! Choosing your own fabric is a perfect way to tie design together in a new way!

 Makeup was done by another talented friend, Leslie, of Glamour Make-up Art by Ruby Randall.
She is AMAZING & {understandably} in demand, so snatch her up quick for your wedding or portraits!

Abby’s dress & apron were from Anthropologie.

The egg shell planters were another Pinterest inspired idea.

Beer & Peonies were from Trader Joe’s {the Peonies in my yard had already died :(}.

Wanda & Leslie, you two were incredible… THANK YOU!

You can also see this shoot featured on Green Wedding Shoes.

 Thanks for coming out for a sunset engagement shoot Abby & Brett! I can’t wait to see you on your wedding day! ♥

 

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  • sarah - July 6, 2011 - 4:27 am

    love LOVE the wedding ring in the cactus!! and planting the little egg plant! adorable!

  • Belkis H - July 6, 2011 - 7:33 am

    Beautiful and inspiring as always!!!

  • alli - July 6, 2011 - 8:44 am

    this is A-mazing. that watermelon cake and those terra cotta veggies.. SO much cuteness! you and Wanda are two talented ladies.

  • Miami Valley Golf Club Wedding | Abby + Brett » Andrea Dozier Wedding Photography based in Dayton, Ohio - January 22, 2012 - 11:58 am

    […] from Dayton, Ohio was a very classic, elegant event. You might remember Abby & Brett from their garden engagement session that was featured on Green Wedding Shoes. Abby emulated vintage taste & also added playful […]

Last winter when I met with Kara to talk about her wedding, she already knew what she wanted to do for her engagement session.
Since Kara & her fiancé Kyle enjoy fishing together, she wanted to capture that.
I was definitely on board for an engagement session that was a personal hobby.
It works on so many levels.
You will enjoy your “date” during your portraits and feel more comfortable to show who you are in front of my camera.
You will feel more confident in what to wear & what accessories to bring.
My favorite part, is that it romanticizes something that is otherwise somewhat ordinary.
You will always have photographic proof of a moment in time when the world was pretty spectacular & that ring still felt so new on your finger.
♥

 

I photographed them at a local park in Troy, Ohio & Kara brought everything she needed for fishing & flirting…

While I was shooting Kara’s ring she told me she had sidewalk chalk. I put her to work drawing us a background * high five Kara! *

 

I’m so excited for your September wedding! I think it will be here before we blink. ♥

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  • Jen O - June 23, 2011 - 6:32 am

    Lovely work Andrea. Those sidewalk chalk ones are rad.

  • Andrea - June 25, 2011 - 12:14 am

    Thanks Jen! She had the cutest ideas, I love it!

  • Brancoprata - June 27, 2011 - 9:59 am

    Gorgeous!!

Ally & T.J. met me at Aullwood Farm this past weekend. Finally, for once, a Dayton engagement session didn’t get canceled! We have had a very cold & rainy spring, but Saturday was gorgeous. Ally chose the perfect location to have her pre-wedding pictures taken, there are a lot of photographic backdrops at Aullwood. Her Grandma works in the herb garden, so she had a personal connection with the farm. It made shooting there feel so much more special.

Brides, if you are having a hard time selecting an engagement location then take inventory of what is meaningful to you. Even if it seems unexpected or ordinary. Pretty places (mansions & parks) are wonderful, but somewhere you have a history or connection with can be so inspiring & unique.

My mama always had dried herbs in her kitchen…

My Grandma’s recipe for waffles include a strong flavor of Anise. I must grow this in my garden this summer, it is one of the most recognizable smells of my childhood.

You might have noticed that Ally & T.J. are holding dandelions. I have to give credit to Alayna, who came along & styled portions of this farm engagement session…

The beautiful Alayna made some cameo appearances when she wasn’t busy exploring the farm & following cats.

Last year I shot this DIY Teacup Centerpiece inspiration at the Audubon section of Aullwood. This time I enjoyed the rustic & organic farm as a change of scenery. There is a lot of construction at the entrance, so if you plan on visiting or having your pictures taken at Aullwood, then don’t be afraid to enter even though it looks like you shouldn’t. Ally, thanks for picking the perfect Saturday morning for an engagement session! You are both so sweet, it makes me even more excited to capture your wedding this fall! ♥

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  • Kristen Gray - May 29, 2011 - 2:51 am

    Ally-

    The pictures turned out so good! Can’t wait for your wedding, you are going to be bueatiful!

  • Andrea - June 25, 2011 - 12:20 am

    Thanks Kristen! Me either, it will be such a wonderful day! 😀

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS:

Anna & Chris!

I am so overwhelmed by the support of all of you who took time & voted! I just really did not even expect such a passionate response, there were over 1100 votes on my Facebook page! I just really want to thank all of you for participating! Since each and every couple is very deserving of a gift, I would love to extend a complimentary portrait session OR 20% off wedding photography packages for all the contestants. You all are incredible & I’m honored to have such a wonderful military family! Thank you so much for sharing your stories!

Since today is Valentine’s Day, I’d love to share a special session.

I’ve been finding that it is becoming more & more common for married couples to express their desire for styled sessions, but there is still a slight stigma associated with having “engagement” pictures taken after they are already married for any length of time. However, I think that is one tradition that we should all consider an antique relic.

After the wedding, traditionally you unwrap your china & move into a phase of life that isn’t celebrated quite the same way as the season leading up to your marriage. You settle into new routines & the magic of dreaming about “the perfect day” is replaced with the hum of un-romantic reality. It’s not to say you don’t love each other a little stronger every day. It’s just not usually documented the same way it is in the beginning. As you age together, you find that the connection you thought you had in the beginning was more like a preview of the real thing. I think it’s wonderful to have a portrait session that gives you a glimpse of the happy ending that you are living.

I would like to introduce you to “Unending Love” sessions. This is how I will be referring to any session that involves two people in love, whether they are engaged or already married…

This past weekend I had the immense honor of photographing some very special clients. Kate & Preston were married this past fall, but expressed a desire to have photographs taken before he leaves to join the Navy. I was so excited for this session, because I sincerely connect to their situation as an Air Force wife. I know just what photographs I would want if I had the opportunity to get them taken before Rocky left for basic training. I know what they are feeling & how much they will treasure these images. I asked Caitlin to style this session, inspired by a hint of vintage & classic romance.

We took these photographs at The Patterson Homestead near the University of Dayton. Caitlin knew exactly how I wanted to capture this shoot & “Mac Gyver’d” the set to work for us! 😉

Kate is so pretty, I loved her vintage curls!

Navy Engagement Session

Their pup, Peyton, came and did a cameo for some portraits.

The night before our shoot I came across this beautiful embroidered calendar on Etsy. I knew there would be no time to order it, but since I had similar materials I made one. I think that you should check out SaraLynn’s Etsy shop, because it would be a perfect gift to a wife/fiance/girlfriend of a deployed soldier. She makes them to be “perpetual calendars” so you can move the dates each month. I was inspired by the theme of “time” for this shoot because of my experience with staring at clocks & calendars when my husband Rocky has been TDY & deployed. Anyone else who has ever gone through a similar experience can definitely relate!

Caitlin’s Grandma lent us this vintage pillow with a prayer from a navy spouse during WWII. The picture is Preston’s dad, who was also in the Navy.

Did you know that there is a Gigi’s Cupcakes in Beavercreek?! I tried them for the first time in Alabama & was so excited to see they opened a local shop. Here we have Italian Cream Wedding Cake & Hunka Chunka Banana Love… they have the best flavors!

Thank you Preston & Kate for allowing me to photograph you all before Preston left… we wish him all the best in the Navy! Loving thoughts go out to Kate, I know you miss him {but it will get better}. ♥

Don’t forget to check out Sarah Lynn’s Etsy shop for the embroidered perpetual calendars!


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