Hannah and Bryan. Married.
Everyone just brace yourselves for one of the most beautiful brides you ever did see. I mean really…
Hannah’s dad passed away last year. A week before the wedding her Aunt sent her a letter with a picture of him and a “lucky penny” he had given her on her wedding day in 1969. Hannah glued the penny in her shoe as a way to have him with her during this special day.
It rained. Oh boy, did it rain. 
But it didn’t rain on her parade! We found a tree to hide under, laid down a sheet to protect her dress and I covered my cameras in plastic bags. Bingo.. look how stunning!
Right before Hannah walked down the aisle, her family and bridesmaids gave her a beautiful blessing.
And her beautiful mother had the honor of walking her to the man of her dreams.
Here’s Bryan. So proud and full of emotion.
I just love the connection here. Their wedding day really was so elegant, emotional and memorable. You could sense their nerves, but when they locked eyes, all the people, all the wedding day chaos, all the rain, it was all forgotten.
Right after the ceremony, the rain stopped and the beautiful sun covered the sky. Hannah said she was happy it rained because she wouldn’t have cute umbrella photos without it. Oh, and rainy wedding days are good luck! I think it was that lucky penny Hannah had glued to her shoe. Yes, the lucky penny making the day ever-so-perfect for his beautiful daughter. 
There are MANY reasons why I think it is important to have two photographers on your wedding day. And this right here shows one of of them. Roberta’s angle on the left. Mine on the right. Completely different and both SO beautiful. 
CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!
We stumbled upon this really cool stage in the middle of the park. HOW FUN?!
I’d say Bryan is COMPLETELY happy!
The heart locket had photos of her Daddy. And she wore a special wedding band on her right hand. 
The stunna’s.
CHEERS! HANNAH AND BRYAN ARE MARRIED!
The most dapper fella at the wedding, right here. He was so sweet opening the door for guests arriving at the reception.
Rather than a traditional guestbook, friends and family signed these rocks. Cute idea!
(Great ring shot, Berta!)
The reception was at a downtown ballroom called, “The Vault”. It is an old bank featuring the actual safe and vault which you can walk into and order your cocktail from the bar.
(A shout out to this pretty bridesmaid, Ellen. I did not photograph her wedding but she was a bridesmaid in another wedding and told Hannah she HAD to book with Crystal Jo Foto. Thank you, Ellen. You are so very sweet and I can’t wait to watch your little family grow. XO!)
This photo was taken of Hannah and Bryan sharing their first dance. I’m inside of the vault. 
Bryan’s personality is definitely one for the books. Just look at him here as Hannah cuts the cake. And soon after they share a little pinky promise and a kiss. SO THEM.
Fun Foto Booth!
And it wouldn’t be a wedding post without some behind the scenes photos with Crystal Jo. YOU KNOW…where ALL the fun happens!
This wasn’t my usual wedding with my sidekick, Ana. (Who had to run off and get married. GEEZ!:)) It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Roberta behind the scenes. (Who had to run off and have a baby. GEEZ!) Always with a such a BIG glowing smile and I’ve missed you SO! Love you, Berta! 
And meet Jaime. She tagged along to learn the wedding ropes. We put her to work. 🙂
I just love this photo. This is probably (for SURE!) my last pregnancy. I love how I’m holding the baby while having some kind of SO SERIOUS talk with the groom. 
Where’s Waldo? Er, Roberta?!
Hannah and Bryan, photographing your wedding was nothing shy of fun and ease. You both celebrated a perfect day for two people who deserve nothing less in life. I wish you a lifetime filled with good times, great memories and lots of stunning babies who look just like you. MMMmmmkkay? Mmkay.
Wanna see a beautiful slideshow? CLICK HERE. Wanna see all 600+ wedding photos when they are ready for viewing? CLICK HERE to register your email address.
their creative team..
Ceremony Site: St. Brendan’s Church
Reception: The Vault
Photography: Crystal Jo Foto
Caterer: Boardwalk Catering
Cake: Cakes Creatively by Crystal
Flowers: Madison House Designs
DJ: Josh at Sound Dynamix
Hair and Make up: Hair: Leigh from Phia Salon Makeup: Robbie Banks
Invitations: Amanda Leimbach (friend of the bride)
Jewelry: Richter and Phillips, Cincinnati, OH
Rehearsal dinner: Montgomery Inn Dublin
Wedding gown designer: Essence of Australia
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their songs….
processional: Trumpet Voluntary
recessional: Wedding March
Grand entrance: “I Like It” Enrique Iglesias
First dance: “Patience” Guns N Roses
Cake cutting: “I’m a Believer” Smash Mouth
mother/son: “Somewhere Out There” Linda Rondstadt & James Ingram
last dance: “Two Tickets to Paradise” Eddie Money
……………………………
their memories…
What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Hannah: The couple of seconds Bryan and I had alone before making our entrance into the reception. I felt like my heart would burst from being so happy and so excited for the party we were walking into!
Bryan: Seeing Hannah for the first time that day as she walked down the aisle!
What was your favorite detail?
Hannah: My dad passed away in March of 2012, and the week before the wedding my aunt sent me a letter in which she enclosed a picture of him and a “lucky penny” he had given her on her wedding day in 1969. I glued the penny in my shoe for the wedding day as a way to have him with me during the day.
Bryan: We took pictures after the ceremony in German Village which is where I lived when Hannah and I first started dating. It represented everything coming full circle and bringing our relationship to both an old place and a new place.
Any advice for future bride/grooms?
Hannah: Let people help you when they offer!
Bryan: Have fun with it, even if it is stressful.
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
Hannah: We flew out for our honeymoon at 6:45am the next day after about 2 hours of sleep. I would change it to leaving a little later because we had to leave a lot of stuff for our families to take care of. We were exhausted and ended up falling asleep at 6:30pm on the first night of our honeymoon.
Bryan: Ditto.
Where did you go on your honeymoon? San Juan, Puerto Rico
How was your experience with Crystal Jo Foto? If you have a favorite memory with her, please share it.
It was great! Crystal Jo was so easy to work with, and I can’t wait to see the pictures. She showed me just a couple during the day and they were beautiful! We are still laughing at her repeatedly yelling, “Hey, Tall Guy!” at Bryan’s brother, Cole, during the photo session.
Henry. 3 Months Big.
His little piggies are just the sweetest!
Love, love, love that smile! I think mom might have a little ham on her hands.
Another bow tie. So cute!
Gavyn and Dylan.
Seriously. Adorable.
They are ACTIVE. And fast. And WILD LITTLE THINGS. I think this represents them perfectly.
Dylan is flying HIGH. Yes, that’s TWO Mommas with TWO boys. I love it! (And Gavyn just saw the park. He REALLY wanted to go.)
Session fave. I just love how Gavyn is looking down at Dylan’s hand to see if he’s coming. Brotherly TWIN love.
You guys have to CLICK HERE and see the last time I photographed these two little guys…
Neda. Maternity.
STUNNING!
Reflection.
Behind the scenes with Crystal Jo Foto. Neda is only about 3 weeks ahead of me in pregnancy so you can guess what we talked about the WHOLE time! Pregnant woman photographing pregnant woman. COOL!
PS – ALL of these photos were taken AT their house. AMAZING! They will never need to go to a park for family photos!
Let’s hear some fun facts from the parents-to-be….
Tell us how you found out you were expecting.
We found out that we were pregnant just one hour before our infertility appointment! That was crazy and exciting at the same time! 🙂
If you know the gender/name and story behind the name and would like to share it, tell us.
We decided to pick out a Persian name for our baby girl. It’s “Armita” which means pure love. It also means the Goddess of blessings.
Is there a nursery or shower theme you’d like to share?
Her nursery theme is princess (of course!) 🙂
A baby is coming! What are you looking forward to the most?
We can’t wait for our baby’s arrival in September. She is our first baby so we are a little nervous not knowing what to expect.
What’s your favorite thing about being pregnant? Least favorite?
The only thing that I love about my journey through pregnancy is when I feel her moving and kicking. That is an absolute joy!
How did you find Crystal Jo?
I saw Crystal Jo’s pictures at the “Harville Chiropractic Center” and I really liked them. What I love about Crystal Jo besides her work is that she has a very happy and free spirit, which gives me positive energy. 🙂 (Thank you, Neda! XO)
Ox. One Year Big.
That face!
And he’s a gymnast. After my heart!
Yay, Ox is ONE!!!!
And I jumped in a photo for fun. 🙂 Thanks for the capture, James. 
A look back at this little man’s first year…
In Mommy’s belly.
3 Months Big.
6 Months Big.
9 Months Big.
And today…
I love you, little man! Thank you for letting me document your first year of life (and such BIG milestones for Mommy and Daddy! See their wedding HERE.) I can’t wait to watch you grow! XOXO, Crystal Jo
And a little glimpse into Ox’s first year…
What is your favorite memory during his first year of life?
The memories we created by taking a slew of pics and vids and the many trips we made to visit friends and family. Also for two of his great-grandfathers to have been able to meet him, play and laugh with him, and take pictures with him before they passed away. (RIP Grandpa James & Pops).
Do you have a funny story or something that happened in his first year that you’d like to share?
Everything Ox does is funny. He was taught to headbutt the week after he arrived home from the hospital and everyday since, so now he headbutts people AND babies! He got his G-ma real good one day. Lol. He also doesn’t like ANYBODY in his hair for ANY reason….likes he’s a T-bird from the movie Grease or something. He’s also a champion climber and has been videotaped & photographed climbing things such as: the bookshelf, the high chair, back inside the playpen, the shelves inside the refrigerator, gates, furniture, the entertainment tower, luggage, and stacked toys.
What age/month has been your favorite and why?
His first month was our favorite because as new parents we were learning a lot and everything Ox did was soooooo exciting! Not to mention he surprisingly rolled completely over during this time, which prepared us for what was soon to come…
One word to describe your baby is…
“Uh-freakin’-mazing”
Favorites…
Character: The Baby Einstein Puppets & Eebee
Food: Gerber Graduates Yogurt Drops
Toy: Electronic Race Car Track
Deanna and Andy. Married.
When bride’s meet with me about capturing the BEST possible wedding photos, I always tell them for the “getting ready” portion of the day, you’ll want a space that is free of clutter and has beautiful natural light with windows and nice clean lines. Most of the time, this means a hotel room. And sometimes they’ve booked more than one room for the day. If that’s an option on the wedding day, we’ll move our bride’s from the space where all of the chaos of bags and clothes and drinks and clutter to a fresh hotel room where everything is picture ready. This wasn’t necessary on Deanna’s day. She took my advice seriously. She rented out the newly renovated Tyler Valley historical center in her hometown. It was just divine for photos and had the best locations for the bride and groom’s first look.
Here’s the First Look between Deanna and Andy. Top left photo is one of my all time faves of a groom. I just love his anticipation. Waiting for his bride. He surprised her with the lei’s. A family member that lives in Hawaii and is a florist sent these beautiful handmade leis. It was such a gorgeous sentiment.
Then we headed off to chapel where these two became one.
And celebration commences!
The reception was at The Lake Club, a beautiful country club in Poland, Ohio. BEAUTIFUL!
And the bridal party was fun, easy-going and up for all of our shenanigans.
A little cousin came around to help us make some magical photos.
My wedding fave!
The decor and attention to every detail (including the pink water in the vases) was exquisite. 
The desserts were even suspended from the ceiling! HUNDREDS of cookies and treats.
Andy gets a sweet treat from his new wife.
And we snuck out of the reception for some quick golden light photos right before the sun set.
Andy is one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met! He stole one of our cameras and made Deanna blush with his paparazzi ways.
One of his shots. I LOVE IT!
Light Girl (Ana) found this ball as we were walking. She put it in her pocket and later photographed the couples rings. COOL! (You’ll see a behind the scenes photo of Light Girl doing a downward dog to get this shot.)
Cheers!
The father/daughter dance was the most emotional I’ve ever seen. He cried, Deanna cried, I cried, EVERYONE cried. Not a dry eye in the house.
It’s not a party without Hang on Sloopy!
… and row, row, row your boat. (Dea, you’ll have to tell me the story behind these rowing shenanigans because it was HILARIOUS!) 
Foto Booth FUN!
Thank you, Deanna and Andy, for a wonderful day. We had such a great time surrounded by your wonderful family and friends. A special shout out to “my girlfriend” (Dea’s cousin).. you were TONS of help and a great reflector holder. 🙂 We wish you all of the love and happiness this wonderful world has to offer! Xoxo, Crystal Jo
Light Girl, thanks for rockin’ it out once again. Now my belly is BIG and you have to carry EVERYTHING. Your job is no easy task and you always execute with a smile. Love you!
Here’s some behind the scenes with Crystal Jo Foto. Where all the fun happens!
If you would like to see an AH-MAZING slideshow with even more photos, click HERE. If you would like to register your email address to view ALL 700+ wedding photos when they are ready for viewing, click HERE.
their creative team…
Ceremony- Tabernacle Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Reception- The Lake Club
Video- Carroll Video
Caterer- The Lake Club
Flowers- Rose Floral Shop (Groom’s cousin)
DJ/Band- The Music Man
Ceremony Music- Friends and Family
Hair and Make up- Sarah Hale (Hair) and Lauren Eddy (Make-up)
Wedding Planner- Bride and Bride’s Mother
Invitations- Birchcraft
Jewelry- Mom’s pearl earrings (she wore on her wedding day) and Aunt’s pearl bracelet
Rehearsal dinner- The Holiday Inn, Boardman, Ohio
Wedding gown designer- Alfred Angelo
……………………………
their songs….
processional- Trumpet voluntary
recessional- Wedding March
grand entrance- Crazy in Love by Beyoncé
first dance- Love of my Life by Jim Brickman
father/daughter- I loved her First by Heartland
mother/son- Over the Rainbow by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo`
……………………………
their memories…
What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Deanna: Doing the first look and having a few moments with Andy before the craziness of the day.
Andy: Turning around to the congregation and hearing those words “It is my pleasure to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kies”
What was your favorite detail?
Deanna: My favorite details were the flowers and music at the church. They added so much to the entire day.
Andy: The flowers at the dinner. “Amazing!!”
Any advice for future bride/grooms?
Deanna: My advice would be to try to soak in as much of the day as you can, as the day flies by.
Andy: Get some rest the night before so that you can spend as much time when the day starts to take in every minute of the day.
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
Deanna: Nothing, everything came out as I hoped.
Andy: Nothing
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Deanna: St. Lucia (Sandals)
Andy: Caribbean, St.Lucia
How was your experience with Crystal Jo Foto? If you have a favorite memory with her, please share it.
Deanna: Working with Crystal Jo Foto was the best decision we made! I would do it all over again! My favorite memory was Crystal laying on the ground to get a photo and when she came up off the ground she had Goose poop on her. She does anything to get a great photo! (Eww, I forgot about that until you mentioned it Dea! Now I need to go see if it came out of my dress!)
Andy: Grabbing the camera from her assistant and taking pictures of Crystal Jo in action and then my beautiful bride with Crystal Jo and her assistant taking photos of me. Crystal Jo is so fun and energetic and makes photography so exciting and easy. No worries no problems. (Thank you, Andy! You guys make it SO MUCH FUN!)
—
Parker Jason. Just five days new.
This beautiful rosary was made special for little Parker. Out of rose pedals. How neat?!
Proud big sister! Wanna see if they look alike? You can see her newborn session HERE.
Bottom left, my session fave. I just adore the soft blue and his little smirk. I love that they brought his first “stuffy” to the photo session. 
About half way through the session, I look over and notice Parker’s diapers. Carrie’s friends had written funny messages on his little nappies. I want friends like these! Hilarious.
A little behind the scenes with a big belly. Thank you, Timko’s, for always trusting me with your babes, for driving so far for these sessions, and for entertaining me with your fun banter and joyful spirit. Xo, Crystal Jo
Some fun facts from the new parents of TWO…
How long have you been married and how did you meet?
We’ve been married 3 years, together 7 years. We met at a kegger in college!
Did you find out the gender? How did you come up with his name?
We decided to find out he was a boy, and we tried to pick a name that looked good on a resume and he wouldn’t get made fun of. We gave him his dads first name as his middle name. But really, it was the first name we agreed on!
Is there a nursery or shower theme you’d like to share?
Our family threw a surprise robot themed “sprinkle” and Jason is in middle of painting pictures for his nursery, something he can hand down to his kids.
A baby is here! What are you looking forward to the most?
We are looking forward to him and his sister playing and being close. They’re 19 months apart.
You are a new parent. Give us the scoop. What has surprised you the most about parenthood? Any funny stories or first times, share with us.
You have to have a good sense of humor to be able to get over the mental exhaustion. Do not take yourself too seriously, things will be fine. Everyday something funny happens, you just have to let yourself go and laugh out loud!
How did you find Crystal Jo and how was your newborn session?
We found her through family and friends, and she couldn’t have done it any better. A true “baby whisperer”! Don’t ever second guess her, she WILL get the shot!
The Hayes Family.
I adore them so.
And Happy Anniversary to these very special people. I photographed their wedding on July 4th, 2009. Fireworks, sparks and love always surround you. Thank you, again, for letting me join you in watching your beautiful family grow with so much love and joy. XO, friends.
The Miller Fam. Adorable.
Momma and Daddy didn’t know what was coming when they brought these two monkey’s into the world. 
But something tells me it has brought them pure JOY…
My session fave. 🙂
Kim said this photo reminded her of the “Sound of Music” and didn’t look like they were in a little field on Orders Road.
A very BIG THANK YOU to Jaime for assisting me. It was ninety degrees and this pregnant girl wasn’t as mobile as usual. Jaime was ON IT! Thanks, doll!
Kinley. 3 Months Big.
I mean SERIOUSLY…
(Court, that running is paying off. You look FAB!)
Pups wanted some sweet Kinley love!
Kinley’s Momma made this hair bow about two seconds before we snapped this photo. 🙂
