Dayton Weddings | Echo by Design | Wedding + Portrait Photography

..Beavercreek Engagement Session | Jordan + Stephanie..

Stephanie + Jordan love ice cream!! So while we searched everywhere for the perfect little ice cream parlor, we ultimately decided to head to Kilwins at The Greene. It is a Mackinac Island family favorite of mine, and they recently added a store here in Beavercreek! It’s the perfect little spot to grab some treats, ice cream, or the ever famous…fudge!

They sure needed some ice cream, to celebrate their “small victory.” {I know I would have needed some!} Just a few weeks prior, they had to re-find a wedding + reception location, as their initial venue construction came to a halt. Obviously, not anticipating this at all, they prayed that something new would arise and they rallied their friends to come alongside them. Their prayers were answered when a family friend then came forward and opened up their property! A huge weight was lifted and a sigh of relief overcame them. They could finally get back to working on the rest of the things that needed their attention. No couple ever wants to have that stress, just a few months before their wedding!

So on an ever-gorgeous evening, we perused the shopping center and it’s wonderful light. We even strolled past the spot where the Christmas tree stood in the center square. The very spot where Jordan chose to ask Stephanie to be his wife. He recalled, We were out with two of our best friends for pizza and ice cream, and it was pouring down rain. While Stephanie was being distracted, we used the umbrella to hide the ring exchange as we walked towards the lit tree. They captured the moment while I got on one knee. Stephanie said, He got me real good! I had not seen it coming at all!

They initially met at a small church group in May of 2015. A few weeks later, Jordan asked Stephanie to help him paint a deck for a “couple” of hours. He remembered, Afterwards, we went to Chipotle and stayed until it closed. It didn’t take long for Jordan to realize Stephanie was the one, and according to him, She couldn’t keep her hands off me.

Jordan + Stephanie! Thank God for the power of prayer! I’m so happy that we were able to have a relaxing evening full of sunshine, some ice cream, and reliving your engagement story! I am very much looking forward to capturing your upcoming wedding here in a few weeks! You are on the countdown and it’s going to be beyond wonderful! Thank you for allowing me to capture this sweet time in your lives!

..SMALL VICTORY..

love, echo

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echoes of love

..Dayton Engagement Session | Josh + Devon..

After a few months of emails, I was SO excited to finally meet Josh + Devon here in Dayton!!! They champed the 3 hour drive one way for their downtown engagement session, and then afterwards, turned around and drove it again!! They are having their wedding in Northern Ohio, and I have the amazing honor of heading back “home” in August to capture it! I couldn’t be more pumped, as it is at one of my favorite venues…dun dun da dun, Lyman Harbor.

It all started in April of 2011, Josh + Devon’s paths crossed in Columbus. Our story began through endless conversations about similar interests, Cleveland sports, and life. It was not until Josh insisted on taking me to an Indians game, did I know how fun, charming, and how much of a genuine guy he was. From arriving to the game, sitting in the rain, rallying in the 8th inning to come back and win, and hitting big {a few bucks} at the casino…It was the best “first date” ever! And we have been inseparable ever since.

Yes, these two are truly Cleveland sports fans! They love everything from watching sports together, taking long car rides to nowhere {sounds familiar,} to being outdoors, playing golf, and spending quality time with family. They are just one all-around awesome match!

So after 4 years together, Josh was ready to make it permanent. On August 7th of last year, they went out golfing together on their favorite golf course, Thunderbird in Huron. {Which so happens to be one of my favorite as well!} Joshua challenged me to a putting challenge on the 18th hole. This is where he cleverly replaced my ball with a Nike ball saying “Devon will you marry me?” He was already on one knee by the time I realized what the ball said. Little did I know, the restaurant overlooking the 18th hole was filled with our parents and siblings applauding and cheering! I have never been that genuinely surprised in my entire life!

Having been there myself, and watching my husband play the course multiple times, I can just imagine the whole scene! <3

So after making their trip to Dayton, this stunning couple faced a crazy spring afternoon, where the skies were grey and the winds were in full force. But.They.Rocked.It. Not just a little bit, like a lot of bit! And I personally think the wind actually worked in our favor!

Sitting down, they were nervous, We’ve never done this before. {Which, most of my couples haven’t.} As their trusted professional, I reassured them to trust me and that all they had to do was just “be” with one another. Sometimes this can be easier said than done, but these two just fell into place. It was like their hearts were beating as one. I couldn’t help but melt away every time Josh looked at Devon. The way he pulled her hair out of her face, and the way he made her laugh. It was truly magical as the wind whipped around them, and it had me all sorts of giggly anxious for their wedding day!!

Josh + Devon! It was truly my pleasure to spend the afternoon with you in Dayton, and I hope you had one fantastic time!! Congratulations once again on your engagement and I am so blessed, honored, and overly stoked to spend the day with you! I believe in all my heart that you guys are a perfect match, and the best is yet to be!

..GENUINELY SURPRISED..

much love, echo

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echoes of love

..Hocking Hills Engagement Session | Tommy + Meredith..

Eight months ago, I was the honored photographer of Katy Jo + Charlie’s wedding in Dayton, where I had the pleasure of meeting Tommy. Tommy was Katy Jo’s brother and we created a friendship throughout the day. One that included rocking out on the party bus, looking over my shoulder during a very special ring shot, and asking me to photograph him and his girlfriend Meredith. He wanted to see the city skyline view, and the Dayton Racquet Club does not disappoint. Katy Jo had let me in on a little secret that afternoon that Tommy was getting ready to propose to Meredith, so it was extra hard for me to not go “engagement session on them” without Mere knowing something was up!!

Following the wedding, I provided the requested image for Tommy to propose to Meredith and waited for the news to surface!! On November 22nd, I received an email that said, Let the Festivities Begin! Everything worked out and she said YES!!! We will be in touch. Plan for a Jan-Feb 2017 wedding. I sent out a congratulatory email and couldn’t wait to hear all about it!

Tommy had taken Meredith on a walk with their pup, Cobalt. It was on a sunny afternoon and Meredith hadn’t expected anything. As they sat talking on a bench, Tommy slowly dropped to one knee and all she could do was gasp in total surprise. The moment was perfect and Tommy was ready to celebrate with cake and cigars!! Cobalt oblivious to all of it, but his parents were over the moon excited!

At the time of their engagement they were living in Memphis. Meredith was originally from North Carolina with her parents living in Mississippi. Tommy’s family had done their fair share of moving too, but all were mostly living in Ohio. So it was a tiny challenge deciding on where to get married. Ultimately, they chose to meet in the middle and landed on having a Nashville wedding!! And if that wasn’t crazy enough planning a destination wedding, they moved to Fort Wayne just a few months ago! It will most definitely be an awesome spot to celebrate them becoming husband + wife!!

With both of them having some down-home-country up bringing’s, Tommy + Mere wanted to break up the mold by having their engagement session near Tommy’s family land. His parent’s home backs up on Wayne National Forest not far from Hocking Hills country. But after planning, and then realizing their spots would take an ATV to get to, Meredith wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to get muddy in transport. So we opted to explore Hocking Hills, which was only 30 minutes from Tommy’s parents home. They had never been and I was in complete shock!! Having grown up visiting the area frequently as a kid, I couldn’t wait to show them around!!

Tommy invited my family in for the weekend, and it was a treat to bring my husband and kiddos along. That evening, Tommy, Mere, and I caught the edge of sunset from the top of the cliffs at Hocking Hills. We hiked to the top and most definitely got our workout in for the day. It was more than a treat, when we came back to the parking lot to discover an astronomy club checking out Jupiter with their insanely huge telescopes! We crashed their party and learned a thing or two.

The next morning we were up and out the door at the break of dawn. They braved the chilly morning hours to catch the sunrise through the trees, and it was worth every minute {and the extra coffee.} We had the trails mostly to ourselves for a while and it was pleasant to be out exploring and showing them all of my favorite spots, including a little grocery carry out called Grandma Fayes! {Ironically, Mere has a Grandma Faye.} It was one of our little go to spots in between trails to grab some drinks, snacks, and whatever else we needed whenever we stayed!

All in all, I took wayyyy to many photos, had entirely way too much fun, and I showed Tommy + Meredith my sweet little Ohio honeycomb getaway.

Tommy + Meredith, it was my absolute pleasure to come photograph + adventure with you in Hocking Hills! An extra special thank you to you and your parents for your hospitality, putting food in our bellies, sending us home with plenty, and filling my heart again with exploration! January will be here before you know it and we are going to have a country awesome good time spending it together in Nashville! Congratulations once again on your engagement and enjoy all of this special goodness!

..OHIO GETAWAY..

much love, echo

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echoes of love

..Charlotte | Dayton Lifestyle Newborn Portraits..

Just a little under two years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to capture Ron + Hannah’s first daughter, Eleanor, as a sweet little babe. Ron was on deployment in Afghanistan when he heard that Hannah was going into labor. Because of his duties half way around the world, he was unable to make it home before Eleanor made her debut a few weeks early.

Ron + Hannah are a dual military family stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. With Ron on deployment during both of their babies due dates, and Hannah originally from the Dayton area, she knew it was best to come home for the births of her daughters. I knew I would never be able to make it to the military hospital by myself, so I determined on both births to deliver at Wright-Patt Air Force Base, which is close to my parent’s home. My first daughter came quickly, so I knew number 2 would likely come just as fast.

I began having contractions around 6:00 pm, and my parents rushed home from church. I went directly into the hospital when my parents got home, arriving around 8:00 pm. Once at the hospital I discovered I was only 2 cm dilated. The nursing staff advised I walk around for about an hour to see if I could progress my labor. After walking around the hospital for an hour, talking to my husband on the phone who had just returned to Fort Bragg after a 12-hour flight, I returned to discover I was still only 2 cm dilated. They sent me home, but I knew I would return home soon. I arrived home around 11:30 pm and sat through the contractions until I could no longer handle the pain. We left again for the hospital around 3:00 am. I called the hospital to let them know that we were on our way back, and was advised that I probably didn’t need to come back in- but I had a feeling she was on her way. Once we arrived and got back to Labor and Delivery, I had enough time to sign a few forms and welcome my baby girl into this world.

She made her appearance at 4:55 am on 14 April 2016, weighing in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 19 inches long. Ron was able to catch a flight and meet daughter #2 the next day. At the time of her birth, Hannah + Ron had not landed on a name. They were between two that they loved, but ultimately landed on Charlotte.

I love both of the girl’s names. They are classic and timeless and perfect for Ron + Hannah in every way! I even love that they have chosen to nickname her Charlie, and my heart skipped a beat when I heard Ron whisper her name to her as she began to fuss.

During Charlie’s session, all she wanted to do was suck on Mom or Dad’s finger. Ron exclaimed, I could see how that can leave some bruising. I cried. I was rolling laughing, because it sure is the truth when Mom + baby are learning how to work together during a feeding. And it truly is a whole new learning experience when you learn how to juggle your newborn baby with a toddler, who also equally needs your attention. It takes some adjustments, but overall–speaking from experience, it is worth every minute!

When asked what she loves most about Charlotte, Hannah replied, There isn’t one thing that is my favorite about Charlie. I love thinking about the person she is going to become. I love knowing that she and her sister are going to be best friends…someday. I love looking at her and knowing she makes me a better person. She completes that final piece of my heart.

And this is why I crumble into a million pieces, because I see what love brings into this world.

Ron + Hannah, a huge congratulations to you both on the birth of Charlotte, she is perfect in every way! Secondly, as we enter into this Memorial Day weekend, I’d like to thank you for your service to our country. Lastly, as you continue to adjust to having two beautiful children, remember to soak in every moment and literally some days, take it one step at a time! Thank you for allowing me to capture Miss Charlie, and I can’t wait to see you all so very soon!

..CHARLIE..

love, echo

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echoes of love

..Chase + Arnota | Oakwood Lifestyle Maternity + Newborn Session..

Chase + Arnota are one adorable couple nestled into their lovely Oakwood neighborhood. So when they emailed me about photographing their lifestyle maternity and newborn photos, I was more than pleased to capture their story. Their sweet little home was filled with character, a warm fire, and their two cats! One who was tucked warmly underneath the bed duvet, while the other just couldn’t get enough attention! He joined us in the kitchen, and even made himself at home in the baby’s new crib.

We chatted through their coffee, and I of course loved sharing pregnancy stories. It’s always fun relating with a first-time mom, and it honestly gave me so much joy to hear what Arnota was experiencing. At 32 weeks, she was feeling great! In her words, I would say my pregnancy was pretty cliche, First Trimester was Dreary, Second Trimester was Cheery and Third Trimester was Weary. Much like my own pregnancy, she stated, I could not get enough Peanut Butter, but other than demolishing multiple jars I was pretty normal. I mean, who doesn’t love peanut butter?

I loved hearing about their plans for the nursery, and all the sweet details from the prints they found with all of the baby animals to the stool with their little guys name already printed on it! They had plans to work on putting the rest of it together that afternoon. Such a perfect way to spend an afternoon, preparing! Preparing baby’s room just shows so much waiting and expectation, and may have been one of my favorite parts of nesting!

Of course Arnota’s favorite part about being pregnant was, Feeling the little guy move. It gave me such a piece of mind that he was safe and happy. My not so favorite part was all the extra attention and unsolicited advice from strangers.

Take heed people! Just saying’. Here are a few from the maternity portion of their session!

A few weeks later, Arnota went into labor a little early. After almost 15 hours, and a little stubbornness on baby’s end, he made his way out nose first! With a little bruising on his forehead, and one tired momma, Jack came into the world at 3:46 p.m. on April 4^th. His precious little soul weighed in at 6 lbs 15 oz, and I couldn’t wait to cuddle with him!

I popped in the door with a bag full of donuts and dropped everything when I saw Chase holding him. My heart melted seeing him hold his new bundle and it was as if a little fire had been started inside of Chase. He was a proud new father, and every right to feel so!

A whole new world of baby had been opened up to them. I can remember them joking about how parents show everything online from every cute new smile, to the first bite of food, and Chase + Arnota admitted they will now be “those parents.” They love the new baby smell and, never really understood it until now. It’s just an indescribable feeling.

We laughed through our session, and they shared how they just put the car seat in the night before Arnota went into labor. They cracked me up when they said, We can’t believe they let you bring this baby home unsupervised! We have been learning a lot, trying to figure out our new life. Luckily, each Grandma spent a week with us helping us with the transition. Jack is a very sweet baby and we are incredibly lucky he is patient and quiet {most of the time.}

To watch the transition from the first session to the second, I can tell how their hearts had immediately imploded. What’s not to love? Their home was perfect and neat during the maternity session, the fire was lit, and they cuddled on the couch talking about what he would be like. And when I returned, I walked into the same lit fireplace, this time with baby blankets on the couch, a jug of water on the stand next to the chair, adorned by a nursing pillow, burp clothes, and a mamaRoo on the floor. Jack’s room had been completed, and Arnota laid peacefully on the couch while Chase serenated them both to sleep. A lot had changed in a few weeks time, but nonetheless, it was perfect.

Congratulations Chase + Arnota, you both are going to be fantastic parents!! Jack is one absolutely beautiful babe, and I hope you continue to soak up each moment, including him stretching his toes out towards the fireplace! I pray he continues to be the sweetest of babes, and that he lets you get some much needed sleep from time to time! Parenting looks wonderful on you and enjoy every second of it. Thank you for allowing me to capture these precious and fleeting moments, and until next time, XOXO!

..A LOT HAS CHANGED..

love, echo

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echoes of love