I am absolutely thrilled to have shot my first Trash the Dress session!!!

We didn’t go all out – no pictures in a fountain, no mud, no food fights, etc. We didn’t need it! By the end of our session, the bottom of Jimae’s dress was definitely “trashed” after walking through downtown Cincinnati! And we had an absolute blast!!! In fact, I think this is the type of shoot that the average bride is looking for. Nothing that will risk really ruining their dress, but something different and creative!

I am so up for doing TONS of Trash the Dress sessions in the future – both mild and extreme!!!

For Jimae and Nick’s session, we started in Fountain Square. The sun and sky were fantastic, which was such a blessing since it was supposed to rain that night! After getting a bunch of shots there, we stopped for some Graeters!!! Yum! After the ice cream, we made a stop outside Tiffany & Co. and then headed towards Great American Ballpark. Apparently, this is the fourth year in a row that Jimae and Nick have attended the Reds’ game on August 5th! How cute is that?! We went into the shoot thinking that we would take as many or more of our pictures in the stadium as we did on our way there. That was a nice idea, but by the time Jimae and Nick made it to our seats (3 rows from the TOP of the stadium), we were all exhausted! It’s a good thing we got so many throughout downtown!

For us, this shoot was not only the first Trash the Dress we’ve done, it was the first session in which we “wandered” instead of staying in one location. We really, really enjoyed it! We already have several ideas about more spots to wander! Any volunteers? = )

Jimae and Nick :: You are both absolutely fabulous!!! It was so hot and we had so many ideas – you dealt with all of it so well! We know you were melting faster than your ice cream and we appreciate your willingness to do as much as we were able to pack into our time! Thanks for including us in your annual trip to the game! It was a great opportunity to spend some time with you guys and have a lot of fun! I’m glad your trip back to CA went well! We’ll talk soon! HUGS!!!

- Annie

I’ve seen several shots from weddings that some of the photographers I admire have done that are on the “hotter” side. They are always so amazing because they really capture that passion that I think every bride and groom have. I have always wanted to try it and so I asked Jimae and Nick about it when we were talking about ideas at the beginning of the shoot. Jimae’s face immediately lit up. Nick looked a little skeptical. We decided to give it a try. These next several pictures are the result. The first four are outside Tiffany & Co., followed by a couple that were taken in an elevator!!! How awesome is that?! They were such good sports and I am thrilled with how they came out!!!

How could they not be great when they started with Jimae saying, “Ok, Nick, do me on the Tiffany’s wall!” It was hilarious!!!

This is just so… well, Jimae!!! I love it!

Toby’s favorite. I love it, too…

Toby and I shot my good friend Jimae’s wedding this Saturday and it was a blast! Jimae and Nick met through MySpace, went on their first date (lunch… that turned into dinner… that turned into a night just hanging out together…), and the rest is history. I can honestly say that I could not be happier for them. In each other they’ve truly found their soulmate and anyone who knows them can see how amazingly in love they are.

To give you an idea, here are the vows that they wrote together. They said the following in unison after asking the other to be their wife/husband… It was really beautiful.

[I ask you...] To live with me and laugh with me; to stand by my side, and sleep in my arms; to be joy to my heart, food for my soul, and to bring out the best in me always. I promise to celebrate with you in good times, to struggle with you in bad; to share with you all my riches and honors; to play with you as much as I can until we grow old. I promise to accept you the way that you are. I fell in love with you for the qualities, abilities, and outlook on life that you have, and won’t try to reshape you in a different image. I promise to respect you as a person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own. I promise to be patient, always honest and compassionate. I promise to live a life that will honor the vows that we have spoken and make you happy to have married me today. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone. My heart will be our shelter and my arms will be your home. As I have given you my hand to hold, I give you my life to keep.

I was extremely nervous about doing this particular wedding because I was also a bridesmaid, but Toby did an amazing job covering the ceremony on his own. Both the ceremony and reception were at Jimae’s sister’s home right next to the Licking River. Their backyard is huge and provided a great space! We faced some complications… The maid of honor’s dress decided to malfunction and she had to be sewn in!!! There were lots and lots and lots of bugs because of the river, so the scent of the evening was bugspray! = ) We ended up starting 45 minutes late, which meant losing a lot of our light for portraits… Thank goodness they turned out pretty great anyway!

You would think that things were crazy, but Jimae and Nick handled everything fabulously!!! They made everything so much fun!

On a side note, Jimae was the bride that I did the Boudoir session with back in May! For Nick’s wedding gift, she gave him a Romance Album of the shoot! Now that Nick knows, I’m free to post some pictures, so I’ll be doing that soon!

Also, we’re planning on doing a Trash the Dress session today!!! I am so looking forward to it and am praying that the weather cooperates! Hopefully it will! = )

Jimae and Nick :: We have so enjoyed spending the time with you guys and being a part of your wedding day! Nick, I am absolutely blown away by what a great guy you are. It’s been fantastic to really get to know you – especially this week! Jimae, I love you tons! Lots to say, but right now I’ll just leave it at HUGS!!!

- Annie

Jimae and Nick had their rehearsal dinner at Buca di Beppo in Rookwood Commons. I had never been there before and the food was amazing!!! The atmosphere was great, too! I loved the Italian feel to the tablecloth and snapped the above shot after dinner.

Jimae had her hair done by Cassie at Mi Salon and Spa in Florence. Well done Cassie!

Jimae’s dress was stunning…

The girls got ready outside in a tent next to the ceremony site. I have to admit I was a tiny bit skeptical about getting ready outside, but it worked out perfectly and was a lot of fun!

This was right after Jimae had her legs sprayed with bugspray because of the bugs crawling IN her dress!!!

Jimae’s “something blue”. She had something else, too, but I thought it best not to post that… = )

Jimae and her dad…

I love flare like this…

The ring exchange…

The first kiss…

A toast to the couple!

This is, hands down, my favorite of the day. I LOVE how this one turned out.

This one’s another of my favorites. How gorgeous is she?! WOW!

Nick’s toast to his wife…

They were too nice… = )

The first dance…

Jimae and Nick’s champagne flutes were from Tiffany & Co.. I liked the flutes, but for some reason, I really like this picture that we got of the box that they came in…