A Winter Wedding | Hannah Barlow Photography | Ohio Wedding Photography

Hello, everyone!  It’s four days before Christmas! EEEKKKKK!  As you can probably tell from my recent posts, we’re coming down the home stretch for weddings this year!  This was my 13th wedding to photograph for 2017 and second to last wedding for the year!  I put “photograph” in there because I wasn’t a “guest” at any of them! HA!  2018 goals!  I actually haven’t been a guest at a wedding since summer of 2015! Craziness!  I wouldn’t even know what they feels like anymore! HA!  That’s ok though because I get to spend more time with the bride and groom than anyone else…for real!! It’s actually an amazing spot to be in and I REALLY had some great couples to spend all those hours with this year!  To top it all of, I still have one more to go this Saturday!  So, let’s get this party started!  Check out this BEAUTIFUL winter wedding and say “CONGRATS” to the new Mr. and Mrs. Cattran!

Kassandra and Derek were a dream to work with!  If you don’t remember their summer, country engagement session we did in St. Clairsville, Ohio…you really need to see it here.  Not only did we do their engagement photos on their family farm, but we swung back around after their wedding ceremony to take their formal photos there, as well!! It’s a must see wedding!  You can probably already tell from these details though! WOW! 

Kari and I started out the day at Kassandra’s childhood church in the teeny town of Harrisville, Ohio.  So teeny that I couldn’t get the address to show up on my iphone! HA!  It was a chilly day but a clear day with no bad weather in the forecast! Yea…yea…I originally thought I’d want snow but their photos turned out SO GREAT even without it!  It really was perfect and I don’t think we would have changed a thing (ok…it could have maybe been a few degrees warmer but beggers can’t be choosers and all that…).

The monochrome colors of these detail shots below are making my heart happy.  I love how clean and elegant and beautiful but simple these detail shots are!  Kari took some of these.  At this point, I can’t even tell you which ones are mine and which ones are hers except I know the macro shots of the rings are mine!  I gotta keep SOME tricks up my sleeve, right?!  I’m one proud friend, photog, teacher…she BLEW ME AWAY this year!  I can’t WAIT to see what 2018 has to bring us! 

This wonderful couple opted to exchange vow books.  It was a sweet and intimate gesture and I loved capturing all the details!

There was no fuss and no stress at this wedding!  We arrived early and took the detail shots and then the girls arrived ready to go and ready to get down to business!  It was so easy!  Like…too easy!  Well, except one of the bridesmaids had a zipper completely blow out of her dress while getting dressed!  FOR REAL!  I was running around with vow books and my camera and finding the guys and finding the girls…ok, so maybe it was a BIT hectic at one point looking back now but I honestly don’t remember it being too crazy.  I definitely wasn’t sweating so that’s saying something!  As Kari was getting my sewing kit ready and I was running in and out getting ready to get my sewing skills on, Kari ended up saving the day and actually got the zipper back on track and zipped up! WOOOOO!! I pinned in just in case….JUST IN CASE!  No one wants the back of their dress coming open during an inopportune time, right?! 

So, after that little mishap (which I must say no one freaked out about!) it was then time to get the beautiful bride ready!  Kari always gets the good angle and it’s ironic because I always pick my spot first!  She took the bottom photo of the beautiful bride loving every second of getting dolled up for her big day!  See that necklace?  Kassandra wasn’t going to wear one but Derek surprised her with a TIFFANY necklace! 🙂

Seriously, isn’t she stunning?  She’s just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside…I can promise you that!  She’s sweet and kind and I’ve never heard her get worked up about anything!  She also knows how to pick the details!! I also wore a ballgown on the second weekend of December nine years ago.  If I had to do it all again, honest to goodness, I’d pick this dress!  We must have the same taste because I was dying (in a good way) over this ballgown!

And as I mentioned in the sneak peek, a poofy white dress calls for a poofy shoe photo! 

Then, it was about time for the ceremony!

Here comes the bride!  Talk about a packed house!  There was standing room only!  I asked a kind gentleman in the front if it was ok for me to literally climb over him after the bride walked down the aisle!  He was totally cool about it.  Maybe it’s not the first time a photographer has asked if she can monkey climb over top of him to get from the front to the back? HA!  Nevertheless, Jay (the videographer) made a quick bolt down the aisle and I was all about it… “Well, ok…I’m coming too then!”….HA!  It all worked out!

It was a wonderful ceremony and I found myself smiling and laughing during the whole thing!  I was shoulder to shoulder with Jay Morris (of Jay Morris Video Productions).  I already mentioned him above!  I REALLY need to learn to keep my volume down though…I sure hope he didn’t catch me giggling on that video!  No one wants to remember their photographer that way! HA! 

Kassandra could even be caught laughing here and there during the ceremony and then they were announced Mr. & Mrs. Cattran and Derek got to kiss his beautiful bride! 

I love this photo Kari caught from the side and look at mom (Janet) in the background!! PURE JOY!  Seriously, there was nothing but pure joy for this couple as they were announced husband and wife and it was definitely a PACKED house full of family and friends!

Another kiss under the mistletoe! ‘Tis the season!

Now, ladies and gentleman, please check out my biggest bridal party to date!  30 people…34 if you count the four children we didn’t drag out in the cold!  Holy moly!  Honestly though, they really cooperated and even though I had to yell a lot simply so they could all hear me…it wasn’t bad at all!  I definitely needed my wide angle lens though! HA!  Glad I had that baby with me!  These were the ones we took at Derek’s family farm!

…and now some very chilly but ooOoooo so pretty formal photos!

These three were shot by Kari!

Not sure how Kassandra managed to not look cold but WELL DONE!  I definitely wasn’t cold.  As you probably saw in the behind the scenes, I came armed with my Carhartt’s while Kari was wearing both her jacket AND my other jacket! HA!

Seriously, the light and the angles and the outfits and the details…it’s just all so great!

Derek was such a trooper.  He definitely put in the effort to put up with me and I appreciate all of of it becuase look at these photos! GAH!

A little romance on the farm…a little dipping!  Derek might not love having his photo taken but he took his role very seriously!

…and some walking and some snuggling, of course! GAH! I can’t say it enough!  I LOVE that ballgown.  My winter brides are killing it!  They both were NOT afraid of getting their beautiful dresses dirty and that makes for some really amazing photos!

…especially when the bride suggests she get UP on a round hay bale! For real!  I honestly didn’t know how it was going to happen but it did…it was amazing!!  Some of the bridesmaids (and me) were yelling “you’re going to have hay stuck all through your dress!”.  She just ignored us!  Not only did we get some great photos but this is a great memory!  I also have to applaud the guys.  They didn’t even hesitate to hoist her up there!  I think Brian did most of the lifting! Thanks, Brian!

I am so glad they did it though and it was so worth it!  These are unique to this couple and you just don’t see this anywhere else!

…but getting down was a little more interesting! HA!  She trusted these guys completely and they got her up and down safely all while we stood back and took photos of it all! HA! See, Derek…I’m not the only one who took your beer!! It became our inside joke the whole day…I kept making Derek hand me his beer and then he’d come back for it as soon as we were done with that particular set of photos! HA!

I insisted on a few more of her by herself because really…how could we not?!  I really had to cheat for these photos too.  It was almost dark!  For real…it looked nothing like this! HA!  Thank goodness for amazing equipment because I NEEDED these photos of this beautiful girl!

Ugh.  For real.  Isn’t she stunning?!

Then, it was off to the reception at the Skyliner in Bridgeport, Ohio where it was much warmer!  All the Christmas themed things made me so so so happy!! If you didn’t know, I’m Christmas CRAZY!

For their first dance, I was able to play a bit with my flash!  It’s amazing what a little more or less flash power can do!  These were only taken seconds apart!  It also helps when you have a gorgeous couple like this!! EEKKK!!!

I think that bottom one is my favorite but it’s SO HARD to decide!

THEN, it was time to REALLY get this party started!! With almost 500 people, it was REALLY a party!  It didn’t matter who you were or how old you were or who you came with, you were getting down and having a grand time!

Seriously, it just kept going and going!  Even grandma got in on the action!

Right before we left, Kassandra took me to “the couch”.  I had heard about this couch all day and was so pleased to finally see it!!  Her whole dress covers this couch and little things like this make me so so so happy! EEEKKKK!!  My daughter hasn’t seen these yet but she’s going to LOVE them when she does!! She often gives some constructive four year old criticism on each wedding I photograph…I can assure you she’s going to LOVE this dress! I mean…it’s fit for a princess after all!

And last but not least…Derek gave me one more opportunity to take his photo and I’m forever grateful!! ACTUALLY, I do believe he was the one who came and got me and said “let’s do this”…but probably to get rid of me! HA! Look at these two!!!  Genuine love.  It’s such a beautiful thing!

The happy couple honeymooned in Jamaica immediately after their wedding.  Kassandra told me she made Derek take MORE photos and hired another photographer while they were there! HA!  I couldn’t stop giggling because I can just hear his response now!

Congrats to the Cattrans!  I can’t thank you both enough for letting me a part of this!! It really brought so many memories back of when I was the bride on this same weekend nine years ago.  It was also amazing to be with such a loving (and large) group of family and friends!  I also got to see sooooo many familiar faces including a former bride and groom of mine (Hi, Jane and Zac).  I also got to meet up with some old high school buddies (Hi, Lindsey and Brian) among other people!  It was amazing and I hope it was everything you all wanted it to be!  I’m not really sure how it could have gotten much better!  Well, done, you two! <3 May you have years and years and years and this same happiness and love surrounding you!

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Of course, this amazing winter wedding I photographed wouldn’t have been nearly as pretty on my camera if it wasn’t for these amazing vendors!  Feel free to click the links provided for more information!

Bride’s Gown – Allure from Sorelle Bridal Salon

Bridesmaids’ Dresses – David’s Bridal

Mens’ Attire – Men’s Wearhouse

Pearl Rings – Kay Jewelers

Hair/Makeup – Forever Young (Shannon Young)

Wedding Planner/Decor – The Bride 🙂

Florist – The Bride 🙂

Videographer – Jay Morris Video Productions

Cake – Riesbeck’s

DJ – Gene Mozena

Live Singer – Jackson Gardner

Reception Venue/Catering – The Skyliner – Bridgeport, Ohio

Transportation – Trolley – Wheeling Transportation