When asked to shoot Melissa and Travis’s wedding at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio (my alma mater ), I jumped at the chance! Plus, after the wonderful engagement photos we got of our beautiful friends in Asheville, NC, how could we say no. I loved the Cleveland area–and if it weren’t for the masses of snow–I wouldn’t mind living there long term. Plus shooting this wedding would mean a trip to Ohio where I would get to see my mom and pay homage to the my hometown pizza place, Great Lakes Brewery, the West Side market (YAY pastries), and a finally get to eat at MELT (TOTAAALLLYYY amazing and worth it–gourmet grilled cheese and Dogfish head Punkin’ Ale on tap–need I say more). So we made the drive with the two puppies and all the equipment to capture every moment of this wonderful wedding. And we couldn’t have been more happy to be there and take every last photo.
Melissa and Travis met on Baldwin-Wallace’s campus when a sorority sister’s boyfriend was coming up from NC for an Alpha Phi formal and decided to bring a friend. Well that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship for Melissa and Travis. They went to the formal together and dated long distance until Melissa graduated from undergrad. Melissa decided to get her Masters at Appalachian State University in Speech-Language Pathology, they would still be apart, but a couple of hours is bearable coming from states away. Eventually they got to live near each other when Travis got a job as an assistant golf pro at the Mountain Air Country Club near Asheville, NC and Melissa also landed a job working with kids doing speech pathology.
So because of their beginnings at Baldwin-Wallace College, the beginning of their marriage would too start on that campus. The weather wasn’t what any of the North Carolinians expected we went from 85 to 45 degrees in a matter of days. Cloudy and rainy, but what could you expect from Cleveland? One thing for sure is it didn’t get Melissa down, not that I ever thought it would. The day began with Melissa getting ready with her bridesmaids at a local salon. She was relaxed and ready to soak in the day she had planned. The girls and boys got ready at the hotel and I kept peering out the window hoping the weather would let up. The rain finally stop just as the ladies were ready to board the Party bus and it never came back. Once we got on that bus, it seemed like the day flew by! The ceremony was beautiful and it had a lot of personal touches, probably because Melissa wrote the ceremony. After the ceremony we stopped to get some beverages and then headed over to Coe Lake to get some group shots and romantics. The wind was blowing and the temperature didn’t help, but the whole party and especially Melissa stuck it out to get some amazing photos. The reception was decorated in a wine theme with beautiful purple and burgundy accents. The tables were named after locations that meant something to the couple. Once we arrived at the reception, the fun never stopped. As soon as dinner was finished the dance floor was full of people and never really stopped the entire night. Some fun and hilarious dance photos will definitely be showcased at the bottom (Watch for one of the bridesmaid’s—Lindsay you win the award for best dance photos!)
Congratulations Melissa and Travis, we are so happy for you and wish nothing but a lifetime of joy.
.jpg "Getting ready")
.jpg "Getting her hair done-")
