Uncategorized | Weddings & Portraits

Dreamy Italian Destination Wedding in Tuscany

Italy Destination Wedding in Tuscany by the Carrs Photography

Cait and Jon gave us not one, not two, but THREE completely amazing wedding shoots. We kicked things off with their engagement session – a peaceful sailing adventure on the Pacific. Then, the virus that shall not be named threw a wrench in their plans to get married in Italy in 2021 and they had to postpone. Not wanting to wait, they opted to keep their original date and do a small wedding with family near Seattle.

Thankfully the world is opening up again and they finally got their dreamy Italian destination wedding. Tucked into the Tuscan countryside, this wedding was a picturesque display of love and beauty. They had a beautiful Persian ceremony and the traditions woven throughout the day that only enhanced the beauty of the property around them. A quaint Italian villa, rolling hills, some of the best wine in the world, and loved ones all around created the perfect setting.

Both Cait and Jon talked about how easy it was to work with the Staff at the Località Villa Cini, they were helpful, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to make their wedding perfect. If you’re looking into a destination wedding, this is the place for you. There were several wineries nearby, Rocca di Castagnol,Castello di Albola, Radda in Chianti. that the guests thoroughly enjoyed! Not to mention it is centrally located, only 40 minutes from the Florence airport!

Moody Jewel Tone Wedding | Dayton Arcade Wedding

Dayton Arcade Wedding by Carrs Photography - Dayton Wedding Photographer

Every single wedding we shoot is unique and special in its own way. Ian and Megan’s moody, jewel-toned wedding at the Dayton Arcade was no expectation. I absolutely love that they played with a less traditional color palette. Using black as an accent can be intimidating, but Ian and Megan incorporated it beautifully. Plus, the deep jewel tones looked incredible against the light and airy space at the Dayton Arcade. Have we mentioned how much we love shooting at this venue? The light and architecture create an amazing backdrop.

Ian and Megan did a fabulous job with the details, each piece reflecting their unique style. The florals created by The Flowerman were stunning. The color and textures combined to create a dramatic and whimsical bouquet, unlike anything we have seen before. Ian knew exactly what he wanted when it came to music, hand-selecting everything that was played at the reception. And the black accent on Megan’s veil? Perfect!

If you are planning a wedding, be like Megan and Ian! Your wedding is the only one of its kind, so make it what you want. In fact, their only request was that they didn’t want anything to be “fake” (which we don’t do anyway, we are all about authenticity and real moments), but we understood what they meant. They didn’t want any manufactured moments. They just wanted us to capture it and let the real shine through in the images. Which we love! When you embrace your style and who you are, you wind up with a beautiful and unique event.

Timeless, Elegant Stories In An Uncertain Time: The Best of 2020

It’s hard to overstate the challenge that 2020 was for all of us. It was a year full of uncertainty, instability, and unrest. For a lot of our friends and couples that meant postponing important life moments, or preparing for conditions they had never expected on the biggest days of their lives. For others it meant facing incredible tragedy and hardship.

As photographers it is years like 2020 that we feel the weight of our jobs most clearly. Photos can be so dear, and sometimes their importance is only understood long after they could be replicated or repeated. We’re so grateful that you trusted us with those moments this year. It is hard to overstate what that means to us, and it’s our prayer that these are photos that you carry with you for a lifetime.

We got to hear so many of your stories in 2020! And despite the conditions: It was a year full of bold love, joyful bonds, and beautiful creativity! Check out our favorite shots of the year below!

In Memory of Aidan Clay

In February I had the amazing opportunity to take some photos of a local musician and artist: Aidan Clay. Aidan was one of the nicest, most generous, people I have ever met. We connected over music and songwriting and he gifted me the beautiful 1920’s grand piano we used for the shoot.

In December of 2020 Aidan passed away. It’s hard to overstate the light that the world lost with him. I experienced a great deal of joy over the course of our brief friendship and I know that so many others felt the same. I was blessed with the chance to do a session with him and his fiancé a few weeks prior to his passing.

Sharing in Aidan’s story for those few months highlighted, to me, the importance of being a person of grace and generosity. His was a life well lived and I look forward to the chance to pick up where we left of on the other side.

-Alex

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Dark Romantic Fall Elopement | Jessica & Henrik

With most of the normal wedding traditions getting tossed out the window: Jessica and Henrik eloped with a simple focus: Capture Love. Capture Joy. and Be Together. In their own words:

Having a big traditional wedding was never something we dreamed about and COVID pushed that possibility out of the picture entirely. I think we landed on the idea of elopement after thinking about our love languages. I feel the most love through quality time and physical touch. Being able to spend our whole wedding day together was important to me. I loved that I could do my own hair and make up myself at the kitchen table as Henrik watched video game live streams on the couch within arms reach. We fulfilled my physical touch needs by being able to hold hands and dance and snuggle up in the rain instead of feeling the pressure of pleasing everyone else at a traditional wedding. Henrik feels the most love through acts of service so we made our own wedding cake and cook a delicious dinner together that evening.

As for the vibe we were going for, we wanted an edgy, moody look! We leaned into breaking traditional hard with my black dress and doc martens. Our lives as military doctors is so structured and well uniform, we wanted anything but that!

Check out some of the shots below!

Flowers by: Sherwood Florist

Cake By: Jessica & Henrik

Shoes: Doc Martins

Skeleton Hand Flutes by: Pottery Barn

Alt Alternative Covid Covid-19 Dark Elopement Gothic Halloween October Punk Relaxed Wedding

Nautical, West-Coast, Engagement Session | Kate & Jon

Looking for some engagement Inspo? Check out these shots we got of Kate and Jon sailing out on the Pacific Ocean! We are obsessed! Got a dream engagement session? Let us know!

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Boho Wedding | Steam Plant Wedding | Dayton, OH

Check out some highlights from Tori and Ben’s amazing wedding at the Dayton Steam Plant

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The Best Photos of 2019 | Wedding & Portrait Photography

The following are some of our favorite images from 2019. They can only scratch the surface of the incredible stories we’ve been blessed to be a part of this year. We are endlessly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the biggest moments of your lives this year and in all of the years to come. Here’s to 2020!

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