Melissa & Michael | Wedding

Friends, you may want to grab a mug of coffee and cozy up for this one. It's a long and fun one. :) Every wedding I document is a happy one, but this one in particular was so happy. I've never seen so many joyful people in one place at one time. Everyone was having the time of their lives. It was a party!

These two put their families first. It's evident in the way they lead their lives, but when asked, they said they knew they had found the right one because of the other's relationship with his/her family.

"I knew I found a good one when I felt like I was at home with him," Melissa said. "Michael fills a space in my heart and completes my family."

Michael and Melissa had a Serbian Orthodox wedding to honor Michael's family's heritage. This was an especially meaningful one for me because my grandpa was full Serbian, and although we aren't Serbian Orthodox, I thought of him all day.

Melissa and Michael, you know how much I adore you. I'm so excited to see where life takes you. Congratulations!

My fantastic second shooter, Emily, started out with the guys ... or actually Michael's entire family. This is how Serbians get ready for a wedding. :)

Meanwhile, I hung out with the girls ...

Melissa's best friend, Sam (on the right), is the sister of Callie, whose wedding I second shot with Amanda. Got that? Sam's the one who referred Melissa to me. Hi, Sam! Thanks, Sam! :)

One of my favorites from the whole day! So much emotion during this wedding!

Melissa, you're gorgeous!

Then it was off to the church! St. Sava is beautiful!

Ohmygoodness! Thanks for this picture, Emily! :)

So, in the Serbian Orthodox tradition, the groom stays turned around for most of the bride's walk down the aisle. This is how it went ...

Married! And then there was literally a party on the church steps!

These next pictures are too funny not to share. They drank this (strong) Serbian liquor that's name I can't remember. Melissa? Michael? Someone Serbian? What's it called again? Obviously, it's pretty tasty. Ha!

Then we headed to Squire's Castle for portraits. I was SO happy to see the sun. It's been a rainy fall!

Haha, I told them to "walk towards me" and this is what they did. Studs.

Ah, the light!

They left lots of time for portraits, which was fabulous!

There was so much dancing, including traditional Serbian dances. Emily and I decided that we need to learn them. :)

To see more (yes, more!) from Melissa and Michael's wedding, click here to view a SLIDESHOW or watch it here:

Ceremony: St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral Reception and Catering: Sava's Event Center Florist: Heather Keating McCoy Videographer: Kosta Bokjanc Makeup: Stephanie Kolarovsky Cake: Stacey's Fabulouscakes DJ/Lighting: Rock the House Entertainment Paper Goods: Great Lakes Integrated Limo: A-1 Mr. Limo Bride's Dress: Casablanca Bride's Shoes: Steve Madden Bridesmaids' Dresses: Alfred Angelo Tuxes: American Commodore Photobooth: Clear Choice Photo Booth

Kelly & Josh | Wedding

Remember Kelly and Josh? Well, I got to shoot their wedding with the lovely Amanda Donaho. She's pretty awesome and gave away a wedding last year (where I got my giveaway idea), and Kelly and Josh won! It was fun having her in my territory and second shooting alongside her again. Check out her blog post here, and enjoy a couple photos from my perspective.

I hung out with the guys while Amanda stayed with the girls.

Meet Emily

I'm so excited to introduce you to my lovely second shooter Emily. She is sweet and joyful and has a great artistic eye. Emily will be accompanying me to lots of weddings this year, and I know you all will love her! And with that, I'll let her tell you a little more about herself ...

1) Tell us a little about yourself.

I was raised in a military family, so I spent my childhood here and there. (I even lived in England for 4 years!  Unfortunately, I was young, so I only remember the important things like the park and our house … not all the great castles I saw from my stroller. Alas.) I spent a majority of the “growing up years” in North Dakota though, and I loved it.  If people knew how absolutely beautiful the land is (and they could survive the winters) everyone would move to North Dakota. ;)

I went to Kent State and majored in Middle Childhood Education. I’m not using every facet of that major in my current job for a marketing company, but that’s OK. I’m still figuring it all out.

I have a lovely set of parents, one sister and one brother. My family holds a crucial place in my life. They warm my heart, make me laugh, and support my every dream.

I am recently engaged and getting married to a brilliant guy named Keith Schmader on June 23rd! (Look out for a name change: Emily Schmader. I’m not having too much trouble getting used to it!)

2) When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?

30 minutes is the perfect amount of time to simultaneously eat a bag of 100-calorie popcorn, read a few of my favorite blogs, and watch an episode of The Office on DVD: the ideal half hour.

3) If you had an extra $1,000 that you could use any way you wanted, how would you use it?

(Let’s disregard the realities of wedding/marriage expenses and pretend for a second that I wouldn’t be practical.) With an extra $1,000 I would probably hit up an antique mall and outfit my entire house with a plethora of great antique finds. I would also buy a couple new pairs of glasses. I love glasses and I’m always wearing a pair. One for every mood, you know? (I actually just fell in love with some Ralph Lauren’s…but they were pricey! Shoot.)

4) What’s something you know you do differently than most people?

I have a very strange reaction to the “hungry human.” For whatever reason, when I see someone who is clearly hungry and eating to satisfy that need, it makes me cry. I feel this surge of emotion because I can relate to the feeling. We all know that horrible, worn out feeling of being hungry. It’s a basic need of every human. People are vulnerable and unmasked when hungry. I’ll often tear up, and if you catch me at the right moment, I may even have a really good cry. My family and friends have adjusted to this reaction.

5) What inspires you most about photography?

There’s a "hazy dreamer" inside me that feeds off of beauty, art and life. Photography has proven to be one of the best ways to fuel that little dreamer. It captures a short moment in time. One records that brief moment in the likes of a picture, and it lives on as long as the picture does. I enjoy finding those moments through the lens. And I LOVE seeing the fragments of time that others have caught.

Isn't she cute?? Make sure you leave Emily some love, and check out her BRAND-NEW BLOG "Once Upon a Parcel."