For these New Yorkers, planning a wedding meant one thing and one thing only. That being? It was time to return to their roots. Swapping the concrete jungle for the Ohio Countryside, this lovely pair headed to the Midwest to celebrate their truly beautiful beginning. With Studio Elle Photography behind the lens snapping up every stunning second, we’ve got it all waiting for you in The Vault!
From the Bride…Nathan and I have known each other since 7th grade! Nate played on the Junior High basketball team and I was a cheerleader for the team. We met and the butterflies began! We dated the summer going into 8th grade in one of those classic teenage romances! I can even remember him at my 13th birthday party and have pictures to prove it! We had a wonderful summer together, but like most teen romances, we soon came to an end. Our young love was short and sweet just like other young love summer romances. We went on to continue Junior High and High School together. We were friends, but not in the same “groups”. We both went our separate ways and different colleges, in different states. The day after college graduation, I moved to NYC to start my career in the Fashion Industry. I didn’t know a single soul in New York and dated around. A few months later I got a Facebook message from my long lost teenage love Nathan Spoden! Nate was living in NYC during a consulting job and saw that I was living in NYC by a post I had written on Facebook about Central Park. Moments later, he Facebook messaged me asking to go out for drinks. The next week, we met at Jack Dempsey’s Pub in Midtown and haven’t left each other’s side since. That was almost 6 years ago! We both knew that night that this was it. We immediately felt the chemistry and connection. My friends and family even nick named Nathan “Chemistry” because that’s all I could talk about!
One of my favorite things to do is plan vacations. I had planned an incredible trip to France where Nathan and I would visit Paris, Loire Valley, Provence, and French Riviera. We started the trip in Paris, which had been one of my life long dreams! On our second night, we decided to have a late night picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower. We had wine, cheese, bread, all of the fixings! We laid our blanket directly in front of the Eiffel Tower, and Nate poured me a glass of the white wine. I laid down, belly to the ground and couldn’t take my eyes of the tower. He then just sat, crouching in front of me with the biggest smile I had ever seen! At the time, I thought he was just taking in the moment! I continued to just look up and gaze at the beautiful Eiffel Tower, while sipping my wine. It was then that Nate decided to do a photo shoot of me. He took multiple pictures and I casually posed while keeping my eyes glued to the Tower. He then crouched back down with a massive grin. I continued to sip on my white wine. I didn’t think anything of it. Then, at 1am the back lights to the Eiffel Tower turned off. We thought the night was over! But then!
All of the shimmering lights eliminated the Eiffel Tower! My mouth dropped to the ground, and then before I knew it, Nathan was reaching into my glass! I looked down in the white wine and saw a ring!! He grabbed it out of the glass and I immediately jumped up! He got down on one knee and asked if I would spend the rest of my life with him! I instantaneously started balling my eyes out! I had no idea this was going to happen! Weeks before our trip, Nate told me that we probably wouldn’t get engaged for another two years! I even told my mom! He tricked me! He completely caught me off guard and it was absolutely incredible! I had no idea! After I obviously said yes! We ran to the nearest restaurant to drink champagne! It was one of the best moments of my life and led on the most magical engagement vacation!
Living in NYC, I tend to really miss nature. When I envisioned our wedding, I wanted to get back to our roots. I wanted to be in nature and surrounded by trees, grass, and flowers. I envisioned a beautiful rustic barn. The setting of our venue was pretty much the complete opposite of what we see on a daily basis living in New York. It was incredible and it felt like home. The Conrad Botzum Farmstead was exactly what we needed! Being directly in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we couldn’t have asked for a more rustic, green venue! It was incredible and everything I could have ever dreamed of!
Our photographer, Studio Elle Photography was probably one of the easiest decisions I had ever made! When looking for a photographer, I knew one thing. I wanted someone who could capture honest, pure, moments, and the beauty of nature. Renee does just that! After looking for photographers in the northeast Ohio and seeing Renee’s work, I simply knew! She was and is incredible! The abundance of pictures that we had to pick from was incredible! We are so blessed to have had such a wonderful, talented, photographer! Picking out our videographer was a long process. I decided to pick a day and just sit in front of the computer and watch wedding videos. I grabbed a box of Kleenex, and got started. As I watched dozens of videographers, I just wasn’t getting the looks that I was hoping for. Then, I looked at the photographers that Renee, our photographer recommended. JFray Photography was on that list. I pulled up the website and began to watch the films. I immediately started sobbing! Jessica’s films are absolutely incredible! I didn’t even know the people I was viewing, yet I couldn’t stop crying in joy for them! She truly captured raw moments that will last a lifetime! I can honestly say I picked my videographer by who made me cry them most!
One of my favorite memories of planning is talking with my mom. She helped so incredibly much, I will never be able to repay her! Or thank her enough! We would talk daily on planning, and things we needed to do and it was just such a fun experience to share with my mom!
One of my favorite day-of memories, was walking down the aisle. I realize that is very cliché, but it is something that I will never forget. The second I turned the corner, I didn’t see a single person in the room except Nate. It was like everything around me went dark, except him! It is a feeling that I will never forget.
Photography: Renee Lemaire Photography | Cinematography: JFray Productions | Floral Design: Bleil's Secret Garden | Wedding Dress: Bliss Bridal | Cake: Cakes by Maria & Joe | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Weddington Way | Catering: A Taste Of Excellence | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Venue: Conrad Botzum Farmstead
