Paul's Journal

Luke and Erin

2009-01-07T16:08:00.003-05:00

Luke and Erin have been planning this day for a long time and the date finally came! They were married at St. Joseph's church and had the reception at St. Nicholas Hall. Luke is a firefighter and was able to use a firetruck for transportation. They are both avid hunters and they incorporated that into the theme of the reception. They packed the hall with 400 of their closest friends and everyone had a fantastic time!

Congress Lake Country Club Hartville

2008-12-30T17:33:00.007-05:00

What a great way to end the year! Tana and Nate wanted either some light fluffy snow or a reasonably nice day. We ended up with a beautiful warm winter day. After the ceremony at Queen of Heaven Church, we went to Congress Lake Country Club. We went out on the golf course and took advantage of the golden glow of the setting sun to create some gorgeous images and some great memories!

Union Club in Cleveland

2008-12-23T10:51:00.004-05:00

Since Gretchen and Brian wanted a late evening wedding and didn't want to keep all their guests waiting, we did all the photographs before the ceremony. They met for the first time on the gorgeous marble staircase at the Union Club in downtown Cleveland. The club was built in 1872 and was beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and poinsettias. There were so many beautiful areas and the architecture was just amazing. The dance floor had tiny lights embedded in the floor that made their first dance even more spectacular. The ceremony was at the Franklin Square Christian Church and was especially meaningful as Gretchen's grandfather officiated.

CLASS OF 2010 MODELS WANTED!

2008-12-17T13:19:00.007-05:00

I'm starting a Senior Model program to help get the word out about the exciting things happening here at the studio. I've had so many happy seniors here this past year I wanted to start a program so their friends can get the same amazing experience and quality of photographs they received. I am currently taking applications and you can find the application by clicking here .
After you save the application and fill it out, you can email it back to me with a recent photograph of yourself. If you have any problems please let me know and I will send it to you directly.

Some of the benefits of the program are: 3 FREE sessions, model cards to hand out to all your friends and being featured on my website or blog and possibly next years image catalog. I will also give you customized images for Myspace or Facebook. The biggest benefit is having senior portraits all your friends will be jealous of!!

Here's a few sample Model cards.

Marriott Courtyard Hotel

2008-12-12T14:00:00.007-05:00

I love weddings around the holidays because the churches are always decorated nicely and many times you get some gently falling snow that adds a nice touch to the photographs. Lisa and Adam had it all on their special day! The church was covered with poinsettias and they had some snow falling and beautiful decorations at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel. In case you didn't notice the "ears" in the photographs, they are going to Disney World for the honeymoon.

Family Memories

2008-12-05T10:43:00.008-05:00

I've taken the past 4 weekends off to spend some time with my wife and kids. I also had the opportunity to see my parents over Thanksgiving and it was great to visit with them again. I haven't seen them in a while so it was really nice to be able to spend some quality time with them. When I returned home, I received an order from Jessica and Kristopher's wedding that I did back in May. This is an image of grandma proudly holding her grandson's hand and walking around the church and me trying to capture the moment without being seen. This image unleashed a range of emotions - it's a wonderful reminder of how important families really are!

Raintree Country Club

2008-11-06T11:34:00.004-05:00

Thankfully the beautiful fall weather carried over into November for Katy and Seth! They were married Saturday at Saint Paul's in North Canton and Seth's grandfather performed the marriage ceremony. It is a beautiful church with wrap around seating so you can see from every angle. After the ceremony we went to Raintree Country Club and took advantage of the beautiful day. The hall looked amazing and the food was really tasty!

Alison and Bryan

2008-10-29T17:58:00.004-05:00

Alison and Bryan met at Ashland university. They spent their first date sitting on a bench talking all night in the beautiful park-like setting. They wanted to meet for the first time on their wedding day and spend some time walking around campus before the ceremony. We met at the bench where they had their fist date and they exchanged gifts and Bryan gave Alison a necklace that complemented her gown perfectly. After the ceremony they walked through their crowd of friends and managed not to get burned by all the flaming sparklers! The reception was in the campus convocation center.

NEOUCOM Weddings

2008-10-25T09:27:00.005-05:00

Saturday turned out to be another perfect day for a wedding. The trees were in prime color and the temperature was comfortable. Seth and Valerie met at Princeton where they both attend. The day was really cool because we celebrated two ceremonies. The first ceremony was at Immaculate Conception in Ravenna and the Jewish ceremony was at NEOUCOM medical college in Rootstown. The reception was in the main ballroom which was decorated beautifully and had really romantic accent lighting.

St. Matthews in Ellet

2008-10-24T07:49:00.003-05:00

I am way behind on my postings! The leaves have been beautiful and it seems like everyone wants their photographs in the fall leaves so I have been super busy. Marsha and Gary were married on the 11th at St. Matthews church. It was great to work with the Holcomb family again as I had photographed Gary's brothers wedding a few years ago. It's always nice to see familiar-friendly faces. After the wedding we stopped at a park and then stopped by their house to capture a few images of them in their "new" Belvedere convertible.
The reception hall was decorated beautifully and since they were engaged at a lighthouse, the decorations reflected that theme. They even had a ice sculpture that looked just like it!

St. Georges Hall Akron Ohio

2008-10-10T11:51:00.003-05:00

Jen and Scott were married Saturday and had the reception at St. Georges Fellowship Centre in Fairlawn. Their first dance was a samba and they looked fantastic! It ended with a low dip and a kiss and cheers from the large crowd. St. Georges is a great place for a party as the family run business makes their lasagna from scratch and it was tasty! The long walkway down the side of the building has a row of arches that makes a great spot for photographs. We went out to the arches right before sunset and later when it was completely dark and created some really cool images!

NEOUCOM Weddings

2008-10-09T11:45:00.006-05:00

It was a another great weekend for weddings! The weather cleared up and turned out beautiful. Friday night Brittany and Craig were married at NEOUCOM medical college in Rootstown. Since the ground was still wet and it was a little chilly the ceremony was held in the atrium. Their first dance started out with some traditional music and then they started a "dance revolution" that included about every dance craze that I have seen over the last 20 years. It ended with a dip and a kiss and rousing applause from all the guests! They really cut loose with some moves and you could tell they were having a great time. They were very playful and a lot of fun to work with!

Nikole and Jon

2008-09-25T09:02:00.004-05:00

I had fun working with Nikole's family and it was great to be with Jon's family again as I had photographed both his sisters weddings years ago. The church was Trinity Lutheran in Kent where Nikole had a beautiful cloth aisle runner with their names and dates painted on it. They are a very family oriented couple and you could tell they loved sharing the day with all their close family and friends!

St. Haralambo's Hall Canton

2008-09-23T13:35:00.004-05:00

Ashley and Joe were married Saturday at Little Flower Catholic church in Canton. It rained all morning and all during the ceremony but when it came time to walk out through some bubbles, the rained stopped! It stayed clear long enough to spend some time with them and their bridal party at the park. The reception was at St. Haralambo's hall. The hall was decorated beautifully with some curtains and nice accent lighting that made great backgrounds. The band "Jimmy and the Soulblazers" provided he entertainment for the evening. Joe's father played guitar in the band and that made the music even more special.

Spring Lake Party Center

2008-09-11T13:57:00.003-05:00

There must have been a lot of people praying Friday about the weather for Jenifer and Fernando's wedding because it rained all morning then cleared up for the wedding and then started raining again as they lined up to be introduced at the reception. They were married at Spring Lake Party center at the gazebo right in front of the lake. It is a beautiful spot for a wedding and it's nice because everything is right there. Since it was a Friday wedding they wanted to do most of the photography before the wedding so they could spend the rest of the time with their guests.

Roses Run Country Club

2008-09-05T13:29:00.004-05:00

What a great ending to the summer wedding season! Michael and Victoria were so great to work with. The weather was perfect and they picked a great location for an outdoor wedding. The ceremony was at the Hines Hills Conference Center in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It is a beautiful place with an old stone cottage, a pond, and several other buildings. Victoria was very emotional before and during the wedding. You could just see how much this day meant to her just by looking in her eyes. When Michael wiped away her tears during the ceremony I knew it was going to be a great day! The reception was at Roses Run Country Club where they partied and danced with all their closest friends.

Occasions Party Center

2008-09-04T13:17:00.006-05:00

Saturday's wedding turned out to be another great one! Laura and Dean were a very sweet couple and Dean really impressed me when he told me this was the proudest day of his life that he could do all of this for Laura! We started the day at the salon where Laura's mother did all the girls hair. Their ceremony was at the Hartville Brethren Church and the reception was at Occasions Party Center. We were able to sneak out right after dinner and have some fun in the fading glow of the late summer sun.

Stan Hywet

2008-08-25T10:34:00.007-05:00

I love working at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. It is always a pleasure to work in such a beautiful place. Since the wedding party was small we were able to use some places I hadn't been to before. The Japanese gardens are beautiful with low overhanging trees but fairly dark even in the middle of the day. Lauren and Kurt and their families were fun to work with and it was great working with Kurt's family again. We did most of the photography before the ceremony so we could use most of the grounds and be at the reception early without making the guests wait too long. Hats Off Entertainment got the reception rolling and we ended the evening with Lauren and Kurt walking past all the guests as they blew bubbles for the get-a-way.

Our Lady of Cedars

2008-08-25T10:24:00.007-05:00

Angie and Ben were married Friday evening at Saint Augustine's in Barberton. It is a beautiful church but is currently undergoing a major repair project to fix the brick exterior. It was a challenge working around all the scaffolding without seeing it in the photographs. After the ceremony we stopped briefly at Lake Anna for a few photographs before rushing off to the reception at Our Lady of the Cedars. We all had a great time at the reception but they had to get up at 4:00 a.m. the next morning to go on their honeymoon! Thanks to everyone in the bridal party that so many nice things about us....we had a great time working with you too!

Occasions Party Center

2008-08-20T15:41:00.008-05:00

I knew Nate and Irene were going to be fun and they didn't let me down! They weren't nervous at all before the ceremony and had me laughing all day. When Irene saw her father she lost it and Nate's mom Becki cried briefly when she saw Nate in his Tux. You could see in her eyes how proud she was! They were married at the Greenwood Christian Church in North Canton and the reception was at Occasion's party center.

Occasions Party Center

2008-08-19T16:15:00.004-05:00

Friday night weddings are always fun but they go by quickly! Erin and Tom were married at the Louisville Church of Christ. The Church was decorated with rose petals and looked beautiful. After the ceremony we stopped by Tom's church by Lake Anna for a prayer and then a few photographs by the lake. We arrived at Occasions Party Center right before being introduced. The hall looked great as usual and the party got started right away. We were able to slip away briefly for a few moments of fresh air and a couple of photographs by the brick pillars. It was completely dark by then but I used my video light to add a nice touch of warmth to the end of a fantastic day!

Greek Orthodox Hall Akron

2008-08-17T16:04:00.003-05:00

Saturday was a beautiful day for Rob and Amanda. They were married in Grace Episcopal Church in Ravenna. Amanda was very emotional as she came down the aisle but was very happy and all smiles afterward! We went to Buchtel Commons after the ceremony for a few photographs as it was only a few blocks from the Greek Orthodox Hall where they held the reception. They had been taking dance lessons for their big day and when they slipped off into a quiet place to practice I was able to capture a few images of them dancing alone in the dark room with some small colored windows that let in just a little of the setting sun.

St. Nicholas Banquet Center

2008-08-15T11:58:00.005-05:00

Daniel and Christine were married at the Dewald Chapel on the Mount Union campus where Daniel was "man of the year". Since it was a Friday night wedding and they wanted a lot of photographs around the campus we did all the photography before the ceremony. We spent several hours walking around the area with their closest friends and had a blast!

Sheraton in Independance

2008-08-06T07:07:00.006-05:00

I'm back after a short week off to rest and get recharged and Jake and Stephanie were a great couple to come back to! They were married in the Church of the Assumption in Broadview Heights. Her father Ray got a little choked-up as they came down the aisle but that always makes for great emotional, story-telling images! After the ceremony we went to a Gazebo in the center of Brecksville and then to the Brecksville reservation. The reception was at the Sheraton in Independance where lots of natural light flooded the hall and made for some beautiful images. I have never heard a funnier speech than Carl (the best man) gave for a toast! A leopard print booth in the adjacent dining room was a great place for Jake and Stephanie to share a quiet moment and finish up the evening.

Life's a beach!

2008-07-26T14:44:00.005-05:00

I just got back from the beach where I took my family and 2 of my sons friends. We had beautiful weather all week. As soon as we got there a storm was clearing and a rainbow appeared and I had my camera ready. We all had a great time and ate a a lot of good seafood. My son is a going to be a senior this year so I thought some photographs of him on the beach would be a good way to start his session.

Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls

2008-07-15T18:23:00.005-05:00

What another great day! We just barely beat the rain again this week. We were in the back of Seiberling Naturealm when it started to sprinkle and Katie took off running because she didn't want to get her beautiful gown wet. I took a shortcut through the grass so I could catch a few images of her running but she caught up with me in no time even with the dress and heels on! I managed to get one image before we got to the limo bus and when I saw a pink umbrella I knew what I had to do. The reception was at the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls in the ballroom. It was decorated with white linens and some unique centerpieces. In the dark with the twinkling lights it looked amazing. After a great meal the band Grand Avenue kept everyone dancing the entire evening. It was great to see a lot of familiar faces again this year and thank you to all the family members who came up to us throughout the day and said so many nice things! We loved working with you again too!

Nicole and Ben

2008-07-02T09:30:00.005-05:00

I love local weddings! Not only do I stay close to home but I get to see familiar faces again too. Nicole and Ben were married at the Community Bible Church in Rootstown and had the reception at the K of C hall in Randolph. Nicole said the only things important to her were a beautiful dress, a good photographer and fresh roses on the reception tables (and of course.....Ben!) We all prayed a storm wouldn't but a damper on our plans for the day and we weren't let down. We were able to go the the Grotto behind St. Joseph's Church for a few photographs without getting wet.

Seiberling Naturealm

2008-06-27T14:05:00.008-05:00

Stash and Lisa have traveled extensively and wanted their wedding day to reflect some of that. Instead of the unity candle they poured sand from their travels from two containers into one. At the reception, each table was named for a different country and had a photograph of them on it. The wedding favors were bottle openers from Orval Abbey in Belgium and corkscrews made by the monks at the Moselle vineyard. These two loved to dance and spent the entire evening on the dance floor with all their close friends and family.

Akron City Centre Hotel

2008-06-19T10:43:00.008-05:00

Kelley and Barney met at a softball game at Harrington field in Cuyahoga Falls and have been together ever since! After their ceremony we went to the ballfield for some photographs of the place where it all began for them. They held the reception at the Radisson in Akron where all their close friends helped them celebrate. After a few hilarious toasts the party got under way. All the big windows overlooking downtown allowed me to create the first dance and cake cutting photographs in natural light.

North Canton Civic Center

2008-06-16T11:46:00.006-05:00

Friday the 13th turned out to be Jennifer and Todd's lucky day! They were married in a candlelit ceremony Friday night at Christ United Methodist Church in Louisville. After the ceremony they made their way through a gauntlet of friends and were pelted with huge amounts of rose petals. The reception was at the North Canton Civic Center and we were lucky to have just enough time to take some photographs of them and the party outside right before a big thunderstorm hit. A couple of their friends that I had photographed over the last couple of years were there and it was great to see them again!

Firestone Country Club

2008-06-12T08:50:00.007-05:00

Another beautiful day for a wedding! Although it was a little warm the weather was great this past weekend. We started at Sheri's house and her nieces and nephew were there as they were part of the wedding party. They were so cute and cooperative and made my day even more interesting. We continued on to Saint Mary's in Massillon. I love the old Catholic Churches with the fantastic architecture and old stone work. The high ceilings and pillars make dramatic images. After a ride in a huge Hummer with convertible seating in the back we made it to Firestone Country Club. The room was completely decorated in their colors and it looked awesome!

Natatorium in Cuyahoga Falls

2008-06-03T08:49:00.006-05:00

I had photographed Heidi as a bridesmaid in two of her friends weddings and now it's her turn! It was great to see Kelly and Katie again and all their friends. Someone said I was like part of the family now and that really meant a lot to me. Thank you for that! Jon and Heidi were married in Trinity Church in Springfield and had the reception at the Natatorium in Cuyahoga Falls. They had a 1937 Rolls Royce to chauffeur them around in and we stopped at the Riverfront Park for some photographs.

Coe Lake in Berea

2008-05-29T09:57:00.007-05:00

Sunday turned out to be a perfect day for Nicholas and Rachel. They were married at St. Paul's in North Royalton and the reception was at the Airport Marriott. In between we stopped at Coe Lake in Burea for some fun with their huge bridal party. An Arabic band provided the music for some lively dancing and set the mood for the evening. Just about everyone was on the dance floor at some point having a great time!

Hudson Community Chapel

2008-05-28T15:54:00.005-05:00

I always enjoy being at the Hudson Community Chapel. It is such a beautiful church with a lot of interesting architecture and great locations. Ashley and Steve were married there Friday evening. Ashley was a bridesmaid in a wedding I photographed last September so it was good to work with her again and to see Allison and Adam too! We went to downtown Hudson for some photographs by the gazebo and then on to the Hilton in Fairlawn for the reception. After their honeymoon they will be moving to Marietta Georgia and I'm sure they will be missed by everyone!

Hilton in Fairlawn

2008-05-20T09:24:00.007-05:00

Saturday was very windy but at least we didn't have any rain to deal with! We started at Bethany's house for a hair and make-up session and proceeded to the church for the ceremony. It was too windy outside for the girls so we used the lounge area with wall to wall windows that let in lots of natural light. The ceremony was at Greensburg United Methodist Church where the dark wood and rows of stained glass made a beautiful setting. After the ceremony we went to a local park for some fun with the bridal party. Someone thought it would be fun to play on the swings and the groomsmen wanted to shoot some baskets. After being blown around for a while we went to the Hilton in Fairlawn and had a beautiful wind-free location to create a few more images of Bethany and Anthony. They had a lot of guests from out of town to help them celebrate the special occasion. The band Special Blend was fantastic as usual. They packed the dance floor and really got the crowd going!

Engagement Photographs

2008-05-16T10:49:00.002-05:00

An engagement session is a great way to get to know the bride and groom before the wedding. I can spend an hour or so with just them and create some beautiful images. This helps them build confidence in my skills and lets them know they are going to look great! I have had the opportunity to work with some great couples lately and wanted to share some images with everyone.

Wyndham at Playhouse Square

2008-05-13T19:20:00.006-05:00

Kristopher and Jessica met while working at the U.S. District Court in El Paso Texas. After a whirlwind romance, Kris flew to Cleveland to ask Jessica's father for her hand in marriage. He surprised her when she returned home that evening and found out the good news! They were married at Brooklyn Reformed Church and held the reception at the Wyndham Playhouse Square Hotel. We all got in the huge limo and stopped by the Art Museum and the Cultural Gardens for some photographs. Jessica and Kris were so animated and having such a good time I was able to capture some fantastic candid moments. I can't wait to create their album!

2008 High School Seniors!

2008-05-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

I've had the pleasure of working with some of the coolest seniors this past year and I wanted to share a slide show of what we created together. Congratulations and best of luck in the future!!

Occasions Party Center

2008-04-29T16:34:00.005-05:00

I was concerned about the weather forecast for Saturday since Carrie and Jason were planning an outdoor wedding but it turned out we needed sun glasses! They had a beautiful ceremony at Occasions Party Center by the fountain. All the parents were busy setting things up and making sure everything was perfect. Everything did turn out perfect, the weather was great, the ceremony was meaningful and the food was fantastic as always! We took a few moments in between the ceremony and reception and walked around the beautifully landscaped grounds and created some beautiful images.

Lake Forest Country Club

2008-04-09T11:45:00.006-05:00

Wow!! It's great to be back -especially with a couple like Karmen and Thad. I had photographed Karmen's friend Megan last year and she did Karmen's hair for the wedding. They were married March 1st on the island of St. Lucia. This past Saturday they had a brunch to celebrate with their close family and friends at Lake Forest Country Club. The dark wood room was decorated beautifully with flowers and had a pianist playing music the entire time. Karmen came down the grand staircase and made an amazing entrance in her gown! The food was fantastic and the weather turned out great for early April. I loved working with you two and can't wait to show the album!!

What a vacation!

2008-03-27T14:13:00.011-05:00

11 days away from home is too long! I had a great time at WPPI in Vegas and got to meet and study with some of the top photographers from around the world. I learned so much I can't wait for my first wedding this year to put into practice all this new knowledge! Fortunately I get to work with an awesome couple next weekend, Thad and Karmen.

My trip wasn't all work and no play -- my wife, Holly, flew out to meet with me on Friday and we went to Zion Canyon to take care of some unfinished business. We were there last year and attempted to climb to the top of Angels Landing, however, we chickened out about 1/2 mile from the top. It is such a steep and narrow climb that the national park service put metal poles with chains in between for people to hold onto. At one point you walk a cross a path that is 3 feet wide and over 1000 feet down on either side. That's where we stopped last time. This year we made it to the top safely and back down in about 4 1/2 hours. The next day we went to Arches National Park in Utah. There are so many amazing hikes there you could spend a week and not do them all! As we were hiking we came across a magazine fashion shoot on the edge of a canyon. The wind was blowing pretty good which made for a dramatic image. The model was from Germany, the photographer was from New York and rest of the crew was from England. It was exciting for me to just happen across the scene with the camera in my hand.

We decided to be adventurous and signed up for "canyoneering." We hiked across a mile of petrified sand dunes and then rappelled down a 90' cliff into a grotto! It was terrifying at first -- especially when we had to 'lean back' into the rappel, but then it got easier. After another mile or so we did a jaw-dropping 120' rappel into an alluring green canyon below via an enormous natural stone bridge! It was such an amazing adventure and we are so glad we took the opportunity to give it a try!

Happy Valentines Day!!

2008-02-14T11:29:00.004-05:00

It's Valentines Day again already. It seems like this year is flying by so fast! I want to dedicate this post to my beautiful wife Holly who has given me so much. She has given me 3 wonderful children and almost 20 years of marriage. This July we will celebrate our 20 year anniversary! Wow, it goes by so fast you need to savor every minute of every day with the ones you love. Our plan is to go to Mexico and lay on the beach and do some exploring in the Mayan ruins. It would be nice for us to go alone but my son will be a senior next year and it will probably be his last vacation with "mom and dad" so we are going to go as a family. It will be a blast I'm sure!!

Roses Run

2008-01-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

Jessica and Aaron were my last wedding of the year and what a way to finish off a fantastic year! They were married in Saint Stevens Church surrounded by their closest family and friends. There was a banner in the sanctuary that was at Jessica's parents wedding that spoke about growing together in love which is what marriage is all about. They were a fun couple and had a lively reception at Roses Run Country Club with the always great D.J. Geoff Cox from Hats Off Entertainment. Good luck with your move to North Carolina and I hope to see you soon!

Greystone Hall

2007-12-27T15:44:00.000-05:00

I've had the last 4 weekends off and took the time to spend with my family and friends. I couldn't wait to get back to doing what I love though and had the privilege to work with Melissa and Tony this weekend at Greystone Hall in downtown Akron. There were flowers everywhere and the hall was decorated beautifully. The band Special Blend provided the entertainment for the evening. They were fantastic and it seemed like there wasn't anything they couldn't play.

Pavilion Hall in Cuyahoga Falls

2007-11-24T10:42:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! I went to visit my parents in Indiana over the Holiday so I am a little later than usual with this post! Katie and Kurt were married the Saturday before Thanksgiving in the First United Methodist Church in Cuyahoga Falls. It was a cool rainy day so we didn't have many outdoor opportunities for photographs at all. We made the best of it though in the bridal lounge which is a huge room with beautiful stained glass windows. The reception was in the Pavilion Hall on Front Street. We were able to go outside there after dark under the overhang and create some more images in the rain without getting wet.

Hudson Country Club

2007-11-14T10:13:00.002-05:00

Saturday was a little chilly but couldn't put a damper on Ron and Gabrielle's day. They were married in the Historic Tallmadge Church right in the middle of Tallmadge circle. We still had some color in the trees and the whole circle area is a beautiful area for photographs. They left the ceremony at dusk in a flaming glow of sparklers and had a beautiful reception at Hudson Country Club.

La Pizzaria Canton Ohio

2007-11-07T12:15:00.001-05:00

Something goes wrong at just about every wedding. This week "someone" was repairing a bridesmaids earring and accidentally super-glued it to their finger! Everything else was perfect though! They were blessed with great weather and some beautiful Fall color. The ceremony was at St. John's in Canton and the reception was at La Pizzaria. The Bill Foley band provided the live entertainment for the evening. Thank you to all the family members who came up to us throughout the day and said so many wonderful things! We loved working with you too!! Enjoy the show.

Emidio's Party Center Cuyahoga Falls Ohio

2007-10-31T10:22:00.002-05:00

Even though it drizzled a lot last Saturday, Angela and Justin took advantage of the beautiful Fall color and went down by the Kent waterfalls for some time alone and a few photographs. They got married in the First Christian Church in Kent and held the reception at Emidio's Party Center in Cuyahoga Falls. The ceremony was pretty emotional for Angela and the reception was a lively party! Since Justin had been involved in tackling a fellow officer at a previous wedding, Justin got tackled by several officers at his reception. Congratulations Angela and Justin.....I can't wait to share the albums with you!

Martin Center Akron Ohio

2007-10-23T07:36:00.002-05:00

Saturday was a perfect fall day for Stacy and Jason's wedding. We met at the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls and went to the Riverfront Park for some fall photographs. They met each other at the McDowell Law Center so they wanted to go there for a few photographs as a remembrance. The ceremony and reception were at the Martin Center by the University of Akron. The ceremony was a moving experience for both of them. They really cut loose with all their family and friends later and danced the night away.

Congress Lake Country Club

2007-10-17T07:31:00.003-05:00

I love local weddings! Saturday Rick and Tiffany got married at St. Joseph's Church which is 2 minutes from my house. We started at her parents home where the bridesmaids and family and all their children who were involved in the wedding were getting ready. There were several handsome young men and a lot of adorable little flower girls in the party. The reception was at Congress Lake Country Club and we had great weather to go along with the beautifully manicured golf course. The reception was a blast and everyone had a great time, even the kids who got fueled up at the very laid out candy table!

Paula and Mace

2007-10-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Due to a very busy week and an unexpected power failure I am very late in getting this posted! Paula and Mace got married last Saturday in a beautiful ceremony at Trinity United Church of Christ in Akron. It was a nice sunny day and surprisingly warm for October. The reception was held at Greystone Hall in the old theatre which has been completely restored to its old glory. The Wanda Hunt Band provided music for the reception. All their friends and family were there to help celebrate the good time.

Coe Lake Berea Ohio

2007-10-03T06:58:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I took the day off and took my wife biking and hiking and leaf watching. There weren't many colors yet but we just enjoyed a peaceful day together outside. Those days may be coming to an end fast! I couldn't wait to get started today on Christine and Brad's images because we went to several beautiful locations and created some great images! We went to Coe Lake in Berea and then to a covered bridge and waterfall. Since the waterfall area was being used by another bridal party we made good use of what was around us. After a long walk up a beautiful trail we headed to Saint Michael's Woodside for some food, fun and dancing!

Stan Hywet Hall and Tangiers Restaurant

2007-09-27T13:15:00.002-05:00

We met Colleen at her house to start the big day and when her parents saw her for the first time the tears started to flow! We continued on to St. Matthews for the ceremony and then to Stan Hywet for some beautiful outdoor photographs. They threw a great party at Tangiers where everyone had a blast. It was a big family affair and there were lots of children there. They rode off in a 1940 Buick and are in Ireland right now on their honeymoon!!

Spring Lake Party Center Lakemore Ohio

2007-09-18T09:10:00.001-05:00

Saturday at Spring Lake Party Center the wind blowing off the water was cool but the sun felt good and the sky was beautiful! It was a beautiful setting for Kyle and Leah to get married in. Leah looked radiant in a gown handmade by her mother. After the ceremony they definitely got warmed up walking around the gardens while I captured some images of them laughing and walking and kissing in the sunset as a flock of gulls flew over the water.

The Chapel in Akron Ohio

2007-09-13T08:57:00.002-05:00

During Allison and Adam's ceremony they had the best man and maid-of-honor read letters to their parents that really brought on the tears and laughter. Adam's parents thought his search for the perfect mate was like finding a needle in a haystack. In his letter he stated that he finally found his "redheaded needle in a haystack"! They are perfect for each other and it's obvious to anyone who spends any time with them. They wanted to do all the photographs before the ceremony so they could spend more time with their guests at the reception. Since he helped coach the basketball team at Akron University, the James A. Rhodes Arena was a great place to create some memories.

Silver Lake Country Club in Stow Ohio

2007-08-29T12:20:00.002-05:00

Saturday night we just missed the rain at Silver Lake country Club and were able to capture some great images of Leslie and James. The reception hall was well lit by a wall of windows so I was able to photograph the first dances with just available light. I enjoyed seeing the range of emotions from Leslie and her father as they walked down the aisle and on the father daughter dance. I know she will be missed after she moves to Atlanta. Her sisters toast and her sorority sister's dance really got the tears flowing!

St. George Greek Orthodox Church

2007-08-24T06:25:00.001-05:00

Saturday I had the pleasure of working in a very beautiful and ornate church, St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Cara and Nick are very involved in their church so the ceremony meant a lot to them and it included some very unique traditions. The church photographs very well and the priest allowed me very close to the altar so I was able to capture everything as it happened. The reception was very lively and had many traditional dances that got everyone involved. It was a great chance for families from all over to come together.

St. Bernards and Guys Party Center in Akron Ohio

2007-08-22T17:03:00.001-05:00

Friday night Megan and Brandon were married in St. Bernard's Cathedral in Akron and I had the pleasure of capturing the whirl of emotions surrounding the day. The church is a pleasure to work in and the families and friends were fun too. After the ceremony we went to Buchtel fountains and then on to Guys Party Center for some food and fun.

Spring Lake Party Center Lakemore Ohio

2007-08-16T08:25:00.002-05:00

Spring Lake Party Center was the perfect location for Sarah and Neal's wedding Saturday Evening. The gazebo and lake made a beautiful background for an outdoor wedding. I was capturing images of the ceremony from behind a purple bush to create depth and drama when a butterfly landed right in front of me! It made a great image and a lasting memory for them. Shortly after the ceremony the party started inside and continued into the night. A beautiful sunset finished the night for me!

Guys Party Center Akron Ohio

2007-08-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

Friday's wedding with Andrea and Dave went perfectly. We started at Salon Kisha and watched as Andrea became a radiant bride to be!
After picking up the dress at Andrea's parents house we stopped at Rockne's for lunch with all the bridesmaids. The ceremony was beautiful and they had the longest line of guests throwing rose petals I've ever seen. Afterwards we went to Buchtel Fountains for some fun and got some great images of them and their party. The reception hall at Guys Party Center was packed with all their friends and family and they danced the night away!

St. Matthews Ellet Ohio

2007-08-02T08:41:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday was beautiful but really hot and humid....especially if you were in a wedding gown! Rachael and David got married Saturday and fortunately no one passed out or melted from the weather. They had a beautiful ceremony at St. Matthews in Ellet. Rachael's mother made the pew decorations which included hanging lanterns that looked amazing! The decorations she made for the tables at Occasions were so nice, another bride from an upcoming wedding wanted to buy them for her wedding.
I get to spend this weekend with my family again so we'll see you in two weeks!

St. Bernards and Stan Hywet Gardens!!

2007-07-25T17:40:00.001-05:00

I love working at both St. Bernards and Stan Hywet but to be in both places in the same day with some really cool people--that's a rare treat! Sandra and Jared had a fun bridal party with some great ideas and we had a blast walking around Stan Hywet creating memories. The reception was at the Akron University Student center which presented some fantastic opportunities too.

The Club at Hillbrook

2007-07-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to go to The Club At Hillbrook in Chagrin Falls. What a beautiful place for Brian and Stephanie to get married. The weather looked questionable for a while but it only rained for about 3 minutes. We started at the hair salon and then went to the club for the wedding and reception which were both outside. The place is absolutely gorgeous and has a lot of places to create beautiful images. Above are some of my favorites.

Our Lady of Cedars Hall, Akron Ohio

2007-07-16T15:46:00.001-05:00

I took some time off to spend with my family and I am finally catching up with everything! I photographed a wedding on June 30th and I finally had time to do a slideshow for Mark and Christie just this week. They got married at Fairlawn United Methodist Church and had their reception at Our Lady of the Cedars hall. It is a very modern looking church and they had a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful day. The reception hall had a lot of natural light which was great for photography!

7-7-07 Most popular wedding date of the year!!

2007-07-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday was the biggest wedding day of the year but I got to spend the whole weekend with my family! I took my wife biking on the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. Played some basketball with my children....it was a good weekend. Now I am all rested and ready for another amazing weekend!

I just got an email from someone in New York that I wanted to share with everyone....... see you next week!!

Hi Paul -
Friends of ours sent us your link to look at their sister's wedding. I am in awe of such beautiful work!
I love the personal touches, the video slideshow and the wonderful stories that you prelude those with.
Your heart and soul are truly expressed in all that you see when visiting your web-site.
What a pleasure to be able to share in these photos. I felt like I was at each wedding!
You are truly blessed with an amazing gift from God!
May you continue to bring joy and wonder to every life that you touch!
Kathy
New York

Anthe's Restaurant Portage Lakes Ohio

2007-06-27T09:49:00.001-05:00

I photographed Kelly last year as a bridesmaid in Katie and Cliff Holcomb's wedding. This year it was finally her turn! It was a beautiful ceremony and just as I suspected, Lennie was a little emotional as Kelly came down the aisle looking radiant! They rode in a Hummer to Portage Lakes then onto Anthe's for some good food and dancing. They only thing that could have made their day any better was to have a bigger dance floor! If you were there you know what I mean!

St. Nicholas Hall Suffield Ohio

2007-06-21T08:02:00.001-05:00

It was great to work with the Eichler family once again! It seems like we have one getting married every year. The Hagan family was a lot of fun too. John and Jessica were married at St. Joe's church in Randolph and the reception was at St. Nicholas Hall in Suffield. Jessica looked absolutely gorgeous in her gown and John barely kept it together as he saw her walking down the aisle with the bagpiper leading the way. It was a moving experience!

St. Bernards Akron Ohio

2007-06-12T19:46:00.001-05:00

Saturday, doctors Jeff and Kelli Peiffer were married in Saint Bernards church. The bridal party was a fun group and kept the mood lively all day! We stopped for lunch at Swenson's before going to Seiberling Naturealm for some photographs. I would like to thank everyone in the Bridal Party who said nice things to me throughout the day! I had a blast spending the day with all of you. Thanks for making it so much fun!

Saint Michaels Canton, Ohio

2007-06-08T13:41:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to photograph 2 weddings this weekend. Saturday Celeste and Dan got married at St. Michael's in Canton and had their reception at Greystone Hall in downtown Akron. In between we went to a park in Canton for some photographs. I was able to ride in the back of their convertible to the park and got some really cool images. Enjoy! This is my favorite from the car.

Williams-on-the-Lake

2007-06-06T17:37:00.000-05:00

Friday night Angela and Chris got married at Williams-on-the-Lake in Medina. I photographed Chris's brother Ryan's wedding so it was good to see so many familiar faces again. The location was beautiful and the big Moongate circle made a great spot for a wedding. We did a lot of romantic photographs around the lake before the wedding and then had a blast at the reception. I hope I do another wedding there soon! The image above is one of my favorites from the day.

Limo Crashes and Raindrops

2007-05-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

Even though the limo got hit on the way to the church and it rained at times, we still had a fantastic day! Fortunately no one was hurt when someone rear-ended the limo on the way to the church with Jim and the groomsmen in it. The ceremony was at St.Raphael's in Bay Village and the reception was in the Holiday Inn. In between we went to the Cleveland Metro parks for some beautiful photographic opportunities. Even though we got rained on some we had a blast walking on the beach. The image above is one of my favorites from the beach.

Roby Lee's in Newton Falls

2007-05-14T07:58:00.001-05:00

Saturday afternoon I had the pleasure of working with Mike and Kelli, a local couple who booked me about 2 years ago. I don't get to do a lot of local weddings so this was a lot of fun. They got married at the Community Bible Church in Rootstown and the reception was at Roby Lee's in Newton Falls. We stopped at a park by the waterfalls for a few more photographs. The bright overcast sky made for a comfortable day and some beautiful images. The image above is one of my favorites from their day.

Guys Party Center Akron, Ohio

2007-04-30T09:02:00.002-05:00

What a blast we had Saturday working with Matt and Nicole Meyer! It started out cool and drizzly but turned into a beautiful afternoon. Matt and Nicole were married in St. Augustine's church in Barberton right across from Lake Anna. The ceremony went off without a hitch and then we went to the lake where the sun came out just in time. The bridal party rode around in the limo for a while then headed to reception at Guys Party center. Today they headed off to Punta Cana for their honeymoon!

Back from vacation!!

2007-04-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

I just got back from an awesome vacation out in the desert! I took my wife Holly and 2 of my sons, Brett and Jeremy to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Zion Canyon. There wasn't much for the kids to do in Vegas so we took them out into the desert for some exploring and climbing. About 40 minutes from Vegas is a State Park called Valley of Fire and it looks like a martian landscape. It was really different and the kids had a great time climbing around on the rocks. It wasn't too good on my nerves though:)

We left Las Vegas and went to the Grand Canyon for some serious hiking and we weren't disappointed. We got up early and hiked about 2 1/2 hours down into the canyon and it took another 3 1/2 hours to get out. We took lots of water but clearly weren't prepared as we ran out with two hours left to climb. I could barely walk when we got out and rested a lot the next day by Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon dam.

The next day we rested up and I took this self portrait on the edges of Lake Powell. I am glad my camera has a self timer on it because a lot of the places we went in the desert........no one else was there. The last place we went was Zion Canyon in Utah and I think it the most beautiful place I have ever been! Every time you turned a corner there was just one amazing view after another. We hiked 1 1/2 hours to Angels Landing where the last half mile was so narrow and dangerous the park service put pipes in the stone and draped chains between them for you to hold onto. Some sections were only a foot wide and it was a 1200 foot drop straight down right next to your feet. This is my youngest son Jeremy sitting near "chicken-out" point near the top of Angels Landing. The narrow ridge on the left is the last half mile of terror to the top!

As you can see by the next couple of images Zion is one amazing, beautiful place and I feel blessed to have been able to take my family there and share it with them.

Well, I'm glad I got the travel bug out of my system because I have a full year of weddings ahead of me with some of the coolest brides and grooms on the planet!!

First entry

2007-03-27T03:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my wedding journal!

This is my first entry and look forward to sharing more from the many weddings I have this year. It's a few weeks to my next wedding this year but I just had the pleasure of creating engagement portraits for Kelli and Jeff. They are getting married June 9th of this year. Kelli's mom was so excited she called me the same day she saw the images and booked her other daughter's wedding for July, 2008. (That only leaves 2 open Saturdays in July!) I can't wait to work with them this summer!! Here are a few of my favorite images of them.