SLOAN + HAYLEY / SHARE WHAT YOU WANNA SHOOT!

I should know this, I’ve been doing this for long enough that I’ve definitely been through this cycle of learning before. Now giving it a permanent place on the blog will hopefully remind myself not to lose sight of it again!

What’s the lesson? Making art for art’s sake, that’s the goal! My newest reminder came in the form of reconnecting with Hayley over, what else? flowers! and ended with a late summer night spent with their dahlia patch.

I’m endlessly inspired by my couples - and it sounds silly because everyone is just a little bit the same, aren’t we? But getting to come into a space, and read your vibes, energy, love - it’s the thing that changes from shoot to shoot.

so the point, beyond the awesome time I had shooting with them is that mid summer I decided, I’m going to share what makes me happy - not the algorithm, not what I “should” share….and that’s what got Sloane, Hayley + me reconnected.

Rachel + Ryan | married at Alum Creek Farm

I loved Rachel + Ryan’s wedding - always love getting to experience a new (to me) shooting venue. We had shot there engagement session at Alum Creek Farm back in summer 2020, when the sunflowers were in bloom - it was amazing, and their wedding day certainly didn’t disappoint.

Shanda + Kayla | married at Brewdog USA!

K I have to just touch on having a safe wedding during a pandemic, because like, if you’re getting married? There should be some level of gratefulness + sense of respect to the fact that there are a great great deal of people in the USA who have lost their lives, and many more who have lost someone they love. So, showing up for your love, for me, for MANY vendors I know, is absolutely an honor. I’m grateful that I have work right now. Glad our economy can support workers in many fields on many levels when it comes to weddings….but, I just have to take a single moment to remind the couples + bridal parties that this is a privilege. No doubt to see it any other way. Your wedding is my workplace. Your guests are the people I am so happy to serve. stepping off soapbox

As you’ll see, Kayla + Shanda were lovely, graceful, and beyond caring about being respectful to those family + friends + vendors around them, they absolutely shone on their wedding day. Thanks for having me, ladies! I’m glad to have witnessed your love.

Kathy + Jason | married!

Kathy + Jason were married at St. Francis of Assisi church in Victorian Village, and then had their reception at the High Line Car House in the Brewery District of Columbus, Ohio. Their day was just...easy. (ahem, after the torrential down pour that happened as their ceremony ended. A common trend this June!) They have an easy kind of love that welcomes, and brings everyone around them together in the most natural way. Their time at the reception was filled with warm embraces, welcoming friends and family who had come to celebrate with them. 

Enjoy a few favorites from their wedding day!

another new blog. another new intro!

Every few years, I get this wild idea that I need a new style. A fresher, and cleaner way to display the love and stories I get to capture....and when I do that, it means I lose everything I have posted over on any other blog. And, that sucks. A lot. 

So today, I'm here, to say hi! Here's a bit of a formal introduction, as well as a start to this blog, and the way I hope to be able to tell wedding stories to the world. 

Here we go! 

HI! HEY! HI! I'm Jess, the one who's always doing the writing. Normally it's my husband, Mike, and me as your photographers, but this year has been a little bit different. I've taken on an amazing, talented associate, Savannah (if you follow me on Instagram (@_jessicalovephotography), then you already saw Savannah when we took over livecolumbus's instagram feed back in July!). The timing with bringing on Savannah worked out perfectly, as we welcomed our third baby, little Miss Colette, this January, and she's been a bit difficult - (she refused a bottle until about 5 months old), and we just wanted Mike to be able to stay home with her when I wasn't able to. 

Fast forward to now, Colette is 7 months old, Sawyer 3 years, and Finn 5 years old. My number one job in life is to be mama to my babies. Life is starting to get easier again, and you've largely not seen much wedding work blogged over here, yet, because I decided to take action this year, and book my wedding schedule to give us some time to be together as a family this summer. A big perk, besides the obvious (GETTING TO BE A PART OF PEOPLE'S BEST DAY'S EVER!!) is that I get to make my own schedule, and in that, I've definitely learned the power of just saying no sometimes. This is normally time,  in a wedding photographer's life, that is just absolutely insane. Well, I chose to book 2 weddings (instead of the typical 4-5!) in each July and August, and it's been amazing! I feel so lucky I get the option to make my own schedule, and make my kids, and my family my #1.

Why am I writing all this? I want my potential clients to know me. And, the things that are important to me. I'm passionate about everything that matters in my life. I work hard to make your memories as natural, candid, and emotional as I can, and I also work equally hard to make my own life full of what I want to look back on and be proud I was a part of. I won't spread myself too thin, and as a result I'm able to fully devote the time I'm away shooting to being fully present of what I'm doing, and completely immerse myself in your day. It's a great balance, and it's taken years to realize how important this is to me, and how much it helps me be so happy in both work and home life!

Without further ado, meet me, and my family, in photos. And see some of the awesomeness why I chose to take a few extra weekends off. (it's a slider gallery, click and it'll slide to the next photo)

Now onto the business side of things. I'm absolutely loving all that I'm shooting this year, and the direction that my business is going. Bringing Savannah along has opened up some new opportunities for next year - including allowing someone who shoots "like me" to take on weddings on weekends that I'm already booked for. I can confidently send along potential couples to Savannah, and know that they'll be treated just like I would treat them, and come away with amazing photos that they'll treasure for forever. As far as MY 2016 goes, I'm about half way booked, and really really  stoked about all the weddings I have. I need to get better about blogging all the awesomeness - but you can find ways around my site to see some previews. I have many of my current images on my portfolio page. But here's to public pronouncements that I'll be better at this whole blog thing (see above: I'm kind of stuck in family mode right now ;) . 

For now, here, I'll leave along some little teasers so you can get a great look at lots of goodness 2015 has brought to me!

thank you for being here, whatever reason brings you here. I'm excited for this space to fill up with personal stories, as well as stories of the lovely couples I get to photograph, AND the families who allow me to freeze time for them. Come back often! I have LOTS to share and LOTS to say!