Category Archives: Vintage

Hello world!

Here is a preview from Chris & Stephani’s Miami University wedding in Oxford, Ohio. They are both officers in the Air Force & currently stationed across the globe from each other. It was an honor to photograph the story of two extraordinary people & the celebration of being reunited with their families & each other…

 Congratulations Chris & Stephani! ♥

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I’ve been a little bit of everywhere & just got home today. I don’t typically book more than one wedding a weekend, so this week was an epic exception. Here are some previews of them, plus a bonus little tidbit from Abby & Brett’s local Dayton wedding from just a couple weeks ago:

Abby was the embodiment of a classic vintage bride, I kept thinking she reminded me of the elegant Grace Kelly. I loved how she mixed simplicity & tradition for a stunning timeless style. You might remember Abby & Brett from their lovely garden themed engagement session.

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe…

I love that Abby substituted a penny!

Last week’s weddings began on Wednesday in Newport, Rhode Island at the Chanler Inn at Cliff Walk. My husband, Rocky, joined me for a spectacular, intimate, celebration for Brynn & Ryan with some very close family & friends.

There was also a yummy sunrise day after session just below the Chanler Inn at the beach. An East Coast wedding is perfect for a sunrise session.

We flew back to Dayton & after a few hours with my two sons, I drove to Peninsula, Ohio for Lacey & Brian’s heart pounding DIY {adventure} wedding. They had planned an outdoor ceremony, but a sudden downpour of rain rerouted their plans. They moved the ceremony indoors & it was one of the most heartfelt exchange of vows I’ve ever witnessed. Their families & guests were so gracious & supported them throughout the entire day. When they were announced as husband & wife it was like the triumphant ending of a romantic novel. We were all rooting for this sweet couple! I posted their engagement session recently too.

I stayed in Cleveland for Yana & Aaron’s sweet DIY wedding at Music Mound, a Berea Metro Park. Their reception was at the lovely & historic Grand Pacific Junction Hotel. Yana & her family created amazing original DIY projects that gave her wedding a unique & personal atmosphere. It was very special to have her culture reflected in the wedding day too. They reminded me so much of Rocky & I as a (younger) couple & it was such a treat to celebrate with them & photograph their beautifuly creative wedding!

Thank you all for allowing me to be part of your weddings, there will be so much more to see in the coming weeks! I was married in August almost seven years ago, this month has a special place in my heart for very obvious reasons.

I want to send a big Thank You to Style Me Pretty for featuring Erin & Pete’s wedding on their blog today! It is such an honor to see my work there!

If you’ve e-mailed me lately, please forgive me for not being in touch while I unpack & get readjusted to being home. I am so excited to share a fortune of images & finish telling these stories I’ve started sharing. I think a run to the grocery store might be necessary first though. ♥

 

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  • Renee - August 9, 2011 - 7:45 pm

    Thank you Andrea for coming so far to be with us!! We enjoyed your presence with us and look forward with anticipation to all you have for us! We are still so excited! 😀 Thanks for all your extra effort, work and time!! love from the Hartzler and Biloval families.

  • Michelle March - August 17, 2011 - 10:34 am

    Brynn’s dress is so dreamy! Wow! Congrats on all these fabulous weddings! From the teasers, you did {as usual} an amazing job! I can’t wait to see them each in depth. 🙂 xo

  • Andrea - September 4, 2011 - 8:54 am

    Renee, thanks so much! I truly enjoyed being there! It was a beautiful day, but I keep telling Yana that my favorite part was just how much love was felt by everyone. It was such a celebration, the way a wedding should be! I hope you all enjoy the pictures! Michelle, thanks for always being so encouraging! I love that we get to keep up with each other and share our work. I hope we actually meet someday 😀

  • Emily A. - October 12, 2011 - 4:54 pm

    Seriously gorgeous, Andrea! Those brides are all very lucky that you were there to capture their weddings! 🙂

When I met Erin & Pete, I could see how sweet they would be to work with. She shyly told me that they weren’t photogenic, then they burst out in laughter over some hilarious memory of previous self portraits. I completely disagreed. When two people really care about each other & feel comfortable together, it will show.

I took their wedding portraits at Dayton’s Carillon Park. It is a historical museum dedicated to Dayton, Ohio history & pride. There are mini museums & vintage replicas of homes. I think everyone who attends school in the Miami Valley has been here at some point. Now as a photographer, I had so much fun with all the backdrops that were steps away from each other. Carillon Park is a perfectly historical & quirky venue for a wedding.

The way he looks at her & lights up around her is what every girl dreams to find… I love that I get to be part of witnessing so many dreams come true.

There were light showers off & on throughout their wedding day morning. When we spoke about it during their portrait session, Pete said with a smile, “If it does rain again, maybe we’ll see a rainbow!” With an outlook like that on life, their marriage will be pretty amazing.

Erin’s make up was done by her maid of honor, Kaitlin. She was stunning, loved her eyeshadow!

From Erin, about the centerpieces: We had everyone we know save their condiment jars for us and I could not have been more thrilled with the result.
My dad and I made the candles (while my mom and Pete supervised). After they were set, I wrapped them with old sheet music we bought at a thrift store.

Her beautiful cake was made by The Cakery. Erin says the lemon cake with key lime frosting was her favorite… I agree! It was hands down the best cake I’ve tasted at a wedding!

Reception: Dayton History | Carillon Park

Wedding Gown: Bridal & Tux Dayton, OH

Jewelry: Earrings borrowed from bride’s mother & necklace gifted as wedding present

Shoes: DSW {Dyed at the local repair shop}

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Yellow Rose Bracelets: Etsy {Gift from Bride}

Groom’s Suit: Price Stores

Men’s Ties: Ties That Don’t Suck {Etsy Shop}

Cake: The Cakery

Flowers: Furst Florist

DJ: Megan Meyers from Party Pleasers {She was fantastic, and very responsive to our wishes}

Catering: Christopher’s
Holly was amazing to work with and incredibly helpful. Not to mention that the food was amazing!

Officiant: Reverend David Turner of Central Christian Church

 

Invitations: For save the dates we used vintage postcards that we bought on ebay. We had a stamp made with a little picture of us and our wedding date. Our friend Val is an amazing graphic designer and she put together our beautiful invitations for us. She also helped me choose our wedding colors.

Most memorable moment of your wedding day? The whole day was so beautiful and memorable we can’t pick just one!

What song did you walk down the aisle to? The wedding march

First dance song? Here, There, and Everywhere by The Beatles

 

Pete & Erin, I wish you all the best! Thanks for asking me to capture your lovely wedding… I think you two take some insanely good pictures. ♥

 


Featured in The Knot Ohio Spring/Summer 2012 Issue

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  • Amy Gleeson - July 27, 2011 - 5:04 pm

    Absolutely fabulous photos Andrea!! And what a cute, photogenic couple! =]

  • Chloe - July 27, 2011 - 6:28 pm

    Gorgeous. I love the use of condiment jars as centerpieces. Very eco friendly yet still so pretty =) Congrats to them and such great photos of a very memorable day!

  • Amy-Jo Tatum/Bride Chic - July 28, 2011 - 8:49 am

    I love your light-filled photography, especially in B & W which you don’t see too often. They are a very sweet and chic couple . . .

  • Marcella Treybig - July 28, 2011 - 9:48 am

    OMG! Love the brides hair! soooo cute & very Lykke Li. Great photography!

  • […] want to send a big Thank You to Style Me Pretty for featuring Erin & Pete’s wedding on their blog today! It is such an honor to see my work […]

  • Guadalupe - August 9, 2011 - 9:39 am

    Absolutely beautiful photos Andrea! And a very beautiful wedding!

  • […] that wasn’t enough, I received the pictures from Erin & Pete’s vintage wedding featured in The Knot Ohio’s Spring/Summer 2012 issue! I’m really honored to have their […]

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.

  • […] 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 […]

I know it’s been quiet around here. I’ve been busy as a bee working behind the scenes on some sweet images that I can’t wait to share.

Here is a preview of Erin + Pete from their Carillon Park vintage wedding that I photographed last week:

This brightens my rainy day. ♥

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  • Anna @ IHOD - May 18, 2011 - 2:17 pm

    Wow!! Her dress is amazing! Can’t wait to see more!

  • sarah - June 4, 2011 - 12:07 am

    i love this one! love it!