Summer Barn on Enchanted Acres Wedding

Real Weddings

OooOoOo my goodness me! I know you all probably know how excited I’ve been about this wedding…but there’s so much more to the story you haven’t heard yet! Julie and Tanner’s wedding may have given us everything we could have ever wanted in a wedding – a rainbow, elegant meets rustic vibes, golden hour, sunset, etc. but what you don’t know is that there were guests scrambling for cover at one point and the potential for a cancelled outdoor ceremony. I ruined two pairs of shoes and a lens at this wedding. This wedding also tested all my technical knowledge and nerves plus more. It tested Julie’s patience and proved how strong she can be…brides, please take notes! If you all remember, it POURED on their engagement session. You can see it HERE! Beautiful, right?! Even despite that rain, we made good memories and then we joked since then and for about a year that it could NOT rain on their wedding…and it did…ONE annoying cloud on an otherwise perfect day. So, let’s talk it out! Let me show you how a couple’s worst nightmare on their wedding day became a wedding that many of us will NEVER forget! Enjoy!

Congrats to the Schoens!

Big Rustic Wedding Invitation

So, Kari and I started the day off like we usually do when heading to Dennison, Ohio (it’s apparently our new thing) – Dunkin’ Donuts and Taco Bell!! Yes…all at one time! I knew I wanted to be fully fueled up because I had big plans for Julie’s wedding and that was even before I knew what the day was going to entail. I checked the forecast like a crazy person that morning. There was only ONE hourly slot that was calling for maybe 20-30% rain so I didn’t even bother to throw my umbrellas in the car. BOY WAS THAT A MISTAKE! You’ll see more on that later! So anyway, we arrived at the beautiful Barn on Enchanted Acres in Dennison, Ohio. I’d shot weddings at their other venue, Bella Amore, but not The Barn! Julie originally thought I may be disappointed but she was so wrong!! I need some newness and freshness in my life and nothing gives that to me more than a new venue with all new places to shoot!! And I mean…IT’S A BARN! YAY! We met up with the ladies and the AMAZING venue owners and then we got right down to it!! Getting ready, reception AND bridal details!!! I’m ALWAYS happy to see Brianna Otto from Legal Hair!

WOOOOOHOOOO! Kari nailed this dress shot!

Dress Hanging Outside Barn on Enchanted Acres

You know, we get a lot of “safe” color palettes for our weddings and I totally get that because I’m a “better be safe than sorry” kind of girl myself. Muted colors tend to be more romantic and all around easier to photograph but Julie’s a risk taker and OoO my goodness, look at this color palette!! COLOR! COLOR everywhere! Weeeeeeee!!! What more could a wedding photographer want coming into the end of summer?! Give me ALL the color! How in the world she managed to take rustic and romantic and throw in a crazy amount of color to make it all work is beyond me!! I’m clapping over here!

Bright and Vibrant Pink and Orange Wedding Detail Photos

“Blooming Bouquet” perfume by the bridal bouquet. Get it?!

Pink and Orange Rustic Bridal Details

…and while we’re at it…can we PLEASE just take a look and talk about The Barn on Enchanted Acres and all the details and greatness?! Seriously, I’ll admit something. Back when I first heard “enchanted acres” years ago, I was skeptical. They have since proved me wrong over and over and over again! This place is enchanted…or magical…or whatever you want to call it. I mean…can you imagine having your wedding at a place like this? I don’t think many couples ever dream of a place like this or even knew one could exist until Celeste and Ryan came along! And not only is it beautiful, the owners are a one-of-a-kind team and treat not just their couples with the best customer service possible but also their vendors! More on that later! They’ve definitely become cherished friends of ours and wedding buddies, that’s for sure!

The Barn on Enchanted Acres Reception Details

So yea…we were PUMPED UP about this day! It was another one of those weddings I had to take nice, long, deep breaths so I didn’t get myself too worked up! The gals were hanging out having a grand old time. I never want to miss these kinds of wedding photos before it gets wedding crazy!

The guys were hanging out too and even welcomed Julie in for some hugs and best wishes. Then, they proceeded to serenade her while she was pouring drinks and it about made my heart jump out of my chest! You could totally tell how close this group was and it definitely had a fraternity vibe to the whole moment!

THEN, I took the guys out! I asked them to pin the boutonnière on Tanner and they took this job VERY seriously…or maybe not so seriously because we all had a really great laugh over this moment! HA! I figured I had my hands full with this group but despite the “warning” I had been given regarding this “group of fraternity guys”, they couldn’t have been more kind and they put up with me while I figured out my game plan and snap, snap, snapped away!

They meant business too. When I asked them to come outside originally, they were totally game except they made sure to bring drinks (which I insisted) AND music along with them! Wherever they went, the party went, as well! It wasn’t just any speaker either. Check that baby out!

THENNNNN, it was time to get this beautiful bride ready! Julie doesn’t have a bad angle. This dress was MADE for her…I mean..AHHHHH!! You just wait until you see it more here in a minute! For now, here’s a big group of black and white photos of the girls helping the bride put this beauty on!

Black and White Photos of Bride Getting Ready at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

So, yea…it’s going to become very obvious throughout this wedding blog but I could take pictures of Julie all day long and every day! Seriously, about these angles…she doesn’t have a bad one! Feast your eyes on her, this dress…the barn!! It’s all SO GOOD!! SOOO GOOD! Julie even joked with Kari about this dress telling Kari she was going to hate it because she knew Kari doesn’t usually prefer lace. Here’s the thing though, Kari loves non-traditional! This dress didn’t disappoint!

Bride Posing for Wedding Photos at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Now, I’d like to introduce you all to “the baby”. CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING BOUQUET! Celeste not only co-owns and operates these amazing venues but she also does the flowers! Crazy, right?! We call it “the baby” because Julie wasn’t sure how she wanted to hold it. Someone told her to hold her bouquet like Miss America would hold her flowers. That didn’t work. We all made a few different suggestions and I even tried to physically hold it myself to show her how I thought would look best. Nada. Julie was struggling and we were all dying laughing about it. FINALLY…someone said, “HOLD IT LIKE A BABY!” and THAT, my friends, is how the bouquet’s name was born and we called it “the baby” for the rest of the day AND night! OooO memories!

Meet “The Baby”, everyone AND the beautiful bride!

Bride with Vibrant Bouquet at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, we headed over to a different part of the barn and did some photos there. It was at this point I felt rain drops. Seriously, I was panicking a bit. Julie and Tanner did NOT need any more rain on any more important days. Somehow, Julie remained calm. I even pointed out how calm she appeared and she told me she’d already discussed it with Tanner and had already mentally prepared herself for the rain. I even asked her if she wanted to go inside to take a break but she insisted we just keep going with photos…while it sprinkled!! Alright then! Let’s do this!

So, Julie was kind of loving all over the bridesmaids bouquets too. Decisions…decisions! So, she switched it for a minute!

Nope. We switched back! Back to “The Baby”! I’ve NEVER seen a bridal bouquet like this one so it was worth the little bit of extra time to switch back and forth for lots and lots of photo opportunities. I mean…I did already say I could photograph Julie for days. Throw in an amazing set of bouquets and I’ll live up to that statement over and over again!

The rain quickly came and went (wheww) so we headed back around to the other side of the barn again so I could photograph all the ladies together! OOoooo my goodness gracious! These colors make my wedding photographer heart so so so so so happy happy happy happy! We had SO much fun with these ladies too!! BONUS! Aren’t they a gorgeous bunch?!

Let’s pause for a moment too so we can have another comparison of the “group hug”…gals vs. guys! HA! I don’t think this will EVER get old…but you tell me!

Then, I knew I needed JUST a “few” more of this beautiful bride so I asked Kari to go grab me a pretty chair! AHHHHHHH!!!! Julie, girl…I love you and I love these!

Bride Posing on Chair in Field at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

And just like that, it was time for the ceremony. The ladies went into hiding. The guys got ready to walk. The guests took their seats and Kari and I took our test shots and got into our positions. Isn’t this set up just to die for?!

So, I was waiting and I looked up. Kari looked up. We both saw it at the same time. *cue the doom music* . There was a beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds above us. It had been that way all day…but then there was a very dark and heavy grey cloud coming right at us. Apparently, Kari had already peeked at the radar (she’s pretty amazing like that). She looked at me with BIG but CALM eyes and said under her breath, “Radar says it’s coming right at us.” I think I just stared at her for a minute. So, I walked calmly over to my bag. Back when I was a new photographer, I had bought a bulk box of cheap, plastic ponchos. I threw three in my bag and they’ve been there now since the beginning in 2015…not even kidding. They kind of just became a good cushion for one of my larger lenses. Well, I whipped those babies out for the first time ever. I nonchalantly tucked one in Kari’s bag and one in mine…”just in case”. So, we got back into position. Guests were getting a little nervous about the clouds too and we all giggled about getting wet…and how it’s good luck on a wedding day (who made that up anyway?!)…and all that jazz. Well, one big rain drop hit me. Two more hit me. I took my poncho out and put it over my arms and my camera. The guests sitting closest to me had a chuckle over it. I told them, “Not my first day and I even have an extra dress in my car!” and they laughed again. THEN, the clouds opened up and it started to down pour. The videographers were scrambling. The DJ was scrambling to pack up. Guests were running for cover and all I could think was, “Julie doesn’t deserve this again”. One lady even took off in the wet field along with me because the line was so long to get to cover! Ughhhhhh.

Of course, I had to document it (photo above). That was when it first started raining and while I could still be outside. I then went to find Julie and see how she was doing. I found her back in the bridal suite and she said, “Someone just get me a drink.” She was calm as could be, I tell ya! I thoroughly expected to find her in tears. I know I say it over and over again but the owners at The Barn on Enchanted Acres are amazing and I think our teamwork (especially theirs) had a lot to do with Julie remaining so calm. Ryan was already sitting in there with Julie. He asked her if it’d be ok to open the bar early so guests could get a drink while we decided what the heck to do. So, guests were covered…CHECK. Then, he made sure the staff got Julie a drink. Bride covered…CHECK. Then, we were all discussing what to do!

I watched Ryan go out and check the clouds over and over. Then, together we checked the radar. Then, we went back outside again and stared at the clouds. We needed to make a decision. I’ll be honest…I’m not as brave. I was totally thinking we were going to move the ceremony indoors, but not Ryan!! He wanted to go for it. He prepped his staff to go get all the large garbage bags they could find and start putting them on the seats so guests could sit (clever man). Then, he went to double check with Julie. She definitely wanted to go for it…so we went for it! About a 35 minute intermission was all we needed for a little part in the sky! Let’s do this! Back out we went!

Ryan came down to make sure we were all set and ready and then told me he was going to “rapid fire release” the bridal party so we could get this done before more rain came! We were ready!! The bridal party marched and then the doors were closed. I love these doors! AHHHH!! This moment was so great!! SO GREAT!

Bride Grand Entrance Down the Aisle at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Weeeee!! This is one of my favorite moments of the day at every wedding but is was especially sweet this time because we were outside and it wasn’t raining!

I’ll admit I kept looking up…and it kept looking good! Julie was getting emotional and Tanner kept giggling at her! Look at those colors too!

The Barn on Enchanted Acres Wedding Ceremony Photos

Julie was soaking up every moment. I couldn’t believe it all worked out and her laughter filled my heart to the top!

Bride Laughing During Ceremony The Barn On Enchanted Acres

The ceremony was short and sweet without feeling rushed (well done) and we all stayed dry (bonus)!!

Mr. & Mrs. Schoen, everyone! By the way, it’s pronounced “Shane” or “Shain”…crazy, right?! I’m sure Kari’s already looked up the history on that last name! She does things like that! HA! Kari, enlighten us!

Bride and Groom Kiss at Ceremony at The Barn On Enchanted Acres

With a successful ceremony behind us, we moved on to family formals. We did them in the same place as the ceremony, of course. It was just too pretty to not use again! Someone had mentioned earlier during the downpour that it would be really neat if we got a rainbow. I totally agreed but didn’t think it’d actually happen. So, there we were taking family formals when Julie’s mom exclaims, “LOOK! There’s a rainbow!” It sounds exaggerated but I swear time stopped for a moment…and then I started screaming and yelling like a crazy person with excitement! “HURRY! FAST! GO OVER THERE! RUN! RUN! RUNNNNNN!!!” I 100% realize I probably looked (and sounded) like a lunatic BUT you all know how fast a rainbow can come and go and I still needed to get reset for that kind of lighting! AHHHHHHHHH!!!! RUNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!! We did it though!! AND this is a Hannah Barlow Photography wedding moment that will go down in time and one I’ll NEVER forget! I mean…we even threw a dip in there!! That’s it! I’m done! I’ve gotten everything I ever needed as a wedding photographer! HA! I promise you this is 110% legit. It was NOT added in Photoshop!

The Barn on Enchanted Acres Wedding Photo of Couple with Rainbow

Even thought my photographer heart felt complete, more photos needed to be taken so we finished family formals and then got the bridal party photos done too!!! This bridal party put up with a lot with me moving them around! I love the personality photo at the end!! Makes me smile!

Seriously, they were so fun!

Alright, people. It’s time. It’s time for some of the most unique and fun and memorable bride and groom wedding photos I’ve ever taken!! The variety is off the charts! The Barn on Enchanted Acres gave us everything we could need and mother nature just kept throwing us more bones and we made magic!! SO, sit back and relax because I have A LOT of wedding formal photos to show you!! Enjoy!!

First things first, we borrowed a stool! The owners totally encourage us to do this and we love it so much!

Bride Sitting on Stool with Groom at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, we took a walk and the videographers stopped them. I’m not one to miss an opportunity! NOPE!

Bride and Groom Kissing by Door at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, we headed on over to another swing! I’m telling you. This swing is NOT easy! HA! I can’t even wait to show you the outtakes but somehow the Hannah Barlow Photography wedding couples keep making it look easy peasy!

Bride and Groom Sitting on Swing at the Barn on Enchanted Acres

Here’s a good combo of Kari’s photos and my photos below!

Bride and Groom Sitting on Swing at the Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, we started heading back and I saw these flowers!! Yep!! I needed some photos here too! Kari’s photo is the top right (below). She was the ultimate foliage creeper at this wedding!! You’ll see what I mean here in a little bit!

Wedding Photos in Front of Flowers at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, some walking and snuggling was encouraged by the side of the barn!

Bride and Groom Walking at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

More snuggling was needed in the front too! Tanner said he couldn’t dip!! PPPPFFFTTTT! I don’t think he remembered that he’d already perfectly executed a dip earlier during that rainbow! We let him slide though and we had a great laugh! He looks like he’s missing his leg!

Bride and Groom in Front of The Barn on Enchanted Acres

They even did a sign for their Thank You cards. Mark, one of the videographers, said, “That’d be great for a Thank You card” and I totally didn’t catch the sarcasm and we had a hilarious laugh as I realized his comment went right over my head! Oy!

Bride and Groom Holding Thank You Banner in Front of The Barn on Enchanted Acres

While driving earlier, I had told Kari I definitely wanted to get some field photos with Queen Ann’s Lace. Well, there wasn’t any in the fields by The Barn BUT there was some across the road! So, we crossed the road and made it happen! Tanner was kind enough to get Julie to the spot we needed them to be! Thanks, Tanner!

Groom Carrying Bride Through Field at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

…and then we told them to just start loving on each other like husbands and wives do!

Bride and Groom Kissing for Wedding Photos at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Any time you see grass or something in the way of the photos, that’s Kari’s photo! HA! She was totally creeping in the grass like a tiger!! I think at one point she said she was practically lying down! I love it! I’m sad I missed it though! That would have been a fantastic outtake but I was too focused on this goodness happening!

Bride and Groom Dancing at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

See what I mean?!

Bride and Groom Cuddling in Field at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, I totally bailed on Kari and the videographers so I could go start getting set up for the reception and Kari just kept on shooting!!! YAY!

Wedding Photos in Field at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, it was time TO PARRRRTTTTTYYYYYY!! I always say that statement in my “DJ Voice” when I type it on every wedding blog! HA! I’m so weird…I know it! I absolutely love when the parents are united like this!! Tanner’s parents clinked glasses for a “cheers” when they were announced!! These little moments make my heart sing!

…and I don’t know whose idea it was but as the bridal party was being announced, each pair would stop and do a shot. Becca (former Hannah Barlow Photography bride, in case you recognize her) wasn’t so happy about it and she let us all know!! HA! I can’t quit giggling! All the guests giggled too. They weren’t the only pair but their facial expressions were the best! Enjoy!

…but the bride and groom had no issues and couldn’t have been more excited to get their reception started!

First dance as Mr. & Mrs. Schoen!

Bride and Groom First Dance at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

The emotions during the father/daughter dance were flowing…and mother/son dance soon!!! My heart was so full…SO FULL!

Another one of my summer couples just went for it!! Look at the seriousness on Tanner’s face! Bahahahahhaha!

Cake Smash at The Barn on Enchanted Acres

Then, speeches were said. Dinner was served. At this point, Kari and I walked around The Barn and started rounding up all the stuff we had left behind throughout the day. It was CRAZY leading up to this between the amazing day…the rain…and all the photos! Julie also requested sunset photos and I was determined to give the gal everything she desired and more (*cough*rainbow*cough*). So, I did what I always do. I went scouting for where the sun was setting. I took a photo so I could show the couple. We grabbed all our stuff and ran in for a quick bite while they finished up their dinner too!

Then, we went back out to check again and things had drastically changed! Typically, I would have waited a little longer for it to set again but the videographers were pumped and they were right!! The more I thought about it the more I wanted something a little different. So, we went and grabbed the couple for some golden hour photos! P.S. I want to talk to the power company about those lines. #priorities HA!

…and MAGIC started happening! So, take a deep breath and sit back and relax AGAIN! You’re about to get slammed with even MORE amazing bride and groom wedding photos! Enjoy! And yes…I photographed the power lines out of every single one of these. Oy. I was seeing them in my sleep, I tell ya!