Michaela & Addison Wedding at Crimson Lane

Michaela & Addison had an absolutely beautiful day for an outdoor wedding. Although it was windy, we had a perfectly overcast sky and gorgeous greenery everywhere! If you are still looking for a new wedding venue near Columbus, Ohio, I have one for you! Crimson Lane is STUNNING and there are so many photo opportunities right there on site! With some water in the backdrop, greenery, and a naturally lit white indoor reception area, this place is all you can ask for.

These two were so stinking cute throughout the entire day, and trust me when I say you will want to scroll down to see Addison’s reaction to Michaela walking down the aisle. His reaction was priceless and may have caused some tears in my eyes. Not to be overlooked is Michaela’s first look with her Dad. This too was pulling at my heart strings as did many other moments from their day. Although it was too cloudy for a sunset, we went outside with the string lights and took some more portraits. I had these two dance together under the lights and finally have some alone time on their wedding day to take everything in. I was so honored to capture these moments for them and loved to see another Lindsey Zitzke Photography couple in the bridal party too!

Below are some of the vendors that help made this day come together!

Venue: Crimson Lane

Makeup and bride's hair: Shannan Rebold

Hair (bridesmaids and MOB): Heather Wolfe

Flowers: Gina Lynne design

Dress: Twirl

Earring: Dillards

Suits: Haggar

Styling Surface: Elysian Market

Exceptional Wedding Series II

If you remember back to my first 2019 wedding in February, I decided to start this exceptional wedding series. Since I love to focus on creating a unique wedding experience for each of my couples and pride myself on sharing their personalities in my photos, this blog series has been a great way for me to showcase these unique details. I am sharing something specific that stood out to me from each wedding which I thought was special to the couple.

Natalie & Jason had a beautiful day filled with a lot of unique details including a wood burned letter box, the OSU band introducing them into the reception, and my favorite… sharing a last dance together. Many couples have a last song where all of the guests come together and sing their hearts out to end the night, but these two wanted to share a last song together with just them. I thought this was amazing and loved the idea, so I asked Natalie a few questions about it.

Where did you get the idea of sharing a "last dance" together?
While consulting with our videographer Mark Batke, we asked him what kinds of ideas he had. He mentioned a last dance. The idea is to have all the guests leave the venue and leave the dance floor to the new husband and wife. He explained this as the perfect time to soak it all in and reminisce on the night. We loved the idea! 

How did you feel in that moment?
The last dance was the most memorable part of the night for us! It was such an intimate moment for us after the rush of the wedding. It was just what we needed, to take a breath, look at each other as husband and wife, and feel the love between us. It was so nice to be able to relax and be held in my husband’s arms swaying to the music, just us two. 

Would you recommend this to future couples?
Absolutely! Wedding day can be so overwhelming and it all happens so fast. While taking a minute here and there throughout the night to step back and watch as everyone enjoys themselves can be helpful, the last dance is something I think all couples should do! Believe me, it’s so worth it! And not to mention, it’s the perfect time to have the guests gather together for your sendoff. 

Natalie & Jason Jorgensen Farms Oak Grove Wedding

We could not have asked for a more beautiful spring day to have an outdoor greenhouse wedding at one of my favorite Ohio venues, Jorgensen Farms- Oak Grove. The sun was shinning and we had a perfect sunset in the evening behind the gorgeous tree line. Even though there were stunning views and every detail was literally perfect, my favorite part was seeing how happy these two were together. You could just see the pure happiness in their eyes when they first saw each other. After a beautiful ceremony and some fun photos in the field, Natalie & Jason had a little surprise for their guests. They were intorudced into the reception by the OSU band! After a few songs by the band and a wonderful dinner, we partied all night long until it was time to send them off with some sparklers!

I am so grateful to have a part in their big day and can’t wait to share many more photos with them!

Below are some of the vendors who helped make this beautiful day happen!

Venue: Jorgensen Farms Oak Grove

Florals: Bear Roots Floral

Dress: White of Dublin

Suit: Studio Suits

Hair: Haley Garber

Makeup: Rachel Hodnett

Cake: Capital city

Rings: Jared

DJ: Party Pleasers

Videographer: Mark Batke

Summer Strawberry Field Session

Summer is quickly approaching and I’ve been wanting to do a couples picnic session for quite some time now. Blooms and Berries Farm, just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio is currently ready for Strawberry picking season. As soon as I heard of this, I knew it would make an adorable photo session. Kaitlin & Tim were up for the adventure and after a toasty day of picking strawberries, we cooled off in the shade with some champagne and a cute little picnic. As you will see below, we had so much fun during this shoot and I fell in LOVE with this idea and plan on using it for future sessions!

The Pros and Cons of each wedding season

Trying to decide which season to get married? I’m laying out a quick breakdown from a photographers point of view when it comes to each wedding season. Here you will find a few of my pros and cons for each season and by the end you will be able to decide which is best for you.

Winter

Snow flurries, cute fur coats, and pops of red are a few of the things that make winter weddings absolutely gorgeous! One of my favorite weddings I’ve ever shot was in the winter and we lucked out with the first snowfall of the year! Being in the Midwest, weather is always a concern and is the biggest issue when it comes to having a winter wedding. You can prepare for the cold with some cute coats, but we never know if we will just have a plain gray winter backdrop for our photos. I suggest finding a venue with some gorgeous naturally lit indoor areas or a location with some pine trees nearby to add some color. The sun also sets at around 4pm which means all of the portraits will need to be done before the ceremony. A first look is also a must if you want any portraits together in the daylight. Please don’t forget the sun sets way early when scheduling your ceremony time!

Fall

The perfect chilly weather, gorgeous tree colors, and bon fires are a few of my favorite things when it comes to fall weddings. There are so many creative wedding ideas for the fall that I just absolutely love. There is just something about a chilly night and the smell of guest roasting up some s’mores outside that makes me all feel all warm and cozy. Fall is a very popular wedding time and will book up quickly. If this is a time you are wanting to choose, I suggest you get all of your favorite vendors booked asap so you can make sure you have who you want for your wedding day. Keep in mind the trees turn at different times each year and may not last if there is a big storm beforehand. I also suggest to prepare for football season. I’ve seen guests on their phones watching big games during the reception. I suggest brainstorming ideas on how to possibly include this at your wedding day to allow guests to still be there in the moment.

Summer

Summer is defiantly my peak of wedding season. Prepare for heat, sweating, and gorgeous colors for your wedding day. I’m a big fan of greenery in my weddings and love the summer because of it. Outdoor venues are my favorite, (click here for my top Ohio wedding venues) and utilizing this in the summer can be awesome! Who doesn’t love to be at a wedding when the sun is shining?! Indoor backup plans are not a bad idea given the chance of a pop up storm and bug spray should be on and around you at all times.

Spring

Spring can typically be considered off season for some wedding photographers and availability can be more open compared to the summer or fall months. Consider when the trees are still brown and when they are starting to bloom when choosing your spring date. If the trees are in bloom, allergy medicine should be kept on hand. Also keep in mind the midwest loves to throw a lot of rain down in the spring and you should have indoor backup plans for the ceremony and portraits. But don’t fear the rain! Clear umbrellas make for some really fun photos!

My biggest recommendation is to try to visit your venue during the season you plan on getting married. This always helps you get a better idea of what the landscape is like and what you can expect for your big day.

How to prepare for your engagement session

So you’ve never had professional photos done before and you’re kind of freaking out for your engagement session. If you’re worried about being embarrassed in public, how your fiancé will react, or just flat out afraid of being awkward in front of the camera, I’m sharing a few tips on how to prepare for your photoshoot.

Finding a location

Some things I like to suggest when choosing a location for your engagement photos is to brainstorm several places that have a significance in your relationship. Is there a favorite park you guys always go to? A brewery? Where did you first meet? Where was your first date? Do you have a cute home together? Do you both love ice cream, hiking, and your dog? I love the challenge of making strange places look beautiful, so even if you feel it’s odd, I definitely want to hear your ideas so I can help tell your story.

Finding a time

The time of your session will most likely depend on what season you are looking to have your engagement photos. I like to suggest at least booking 3-6 months before your wedding day. If you are planning on using these photos for save the dates then I would encourage these photos to be done even before then. I tend to shoot sunrise or sunset golden hour engagement sessions because the light works really well with my style of photography. Consider when the sun rises and sets for your time of the year. Please also keep in mind that many photographers are busy during the weekends, well, because they are photographing weddings of course!

Figuring out an outfit

Try not to be too matchy when it comes to your outfit choice. Find outfits that compliment each other rather than look exactly the same. Solid neutral colors tend to photograph the best in my opinion and try to be cautious with choosing something with a lot of patterns. Consider the weather when choosing your outfit and please make sure you are comfortable!

Day of preparation

Show up on time so we can make sure we get as much use of the sunlight as possible. Schedule a lot of getting ready time too so there is no stress as you’re walking out that door. You can even plan a little date night after to make the most of getting all dressed up together!

Sometimes I will suggest for you two to have a drink together beforehand to loosen up. I love capturing those silly candid photos where your TRUE selves come out, and it definitely helps after you have some liquid courage/giggles in you. I have several other techniques to help with this to make sure you both are comfortable so we can get those cute effortless moments. You do not need to be a pro at this so you can relax and let me work my magic!