Mr. and Mrs. Wood's | An Elegant Wedding at Ault Park • kendrarphotography.com

Last week’s Cincinnati wedding was one for the books! I have had the privilege of capturing the Thomas girls for years and seeing them grow up. So capturing Kaylee’s wedding was so sweet after knowing her and her sister, Lauren since they were in elementary school. I just adore this family and they all made me feel so welcome. Not to mention, the wedding took place at the gorgeous Ault Park, where I got to venture around exploring with Nick and Kaylee earlier this winter for their engagement session. The wedding party was filled with their closest friends and family from church and law school, so they made the best hype party of course. Kaylee had moved near Cincinnati for law school and her community just surrounded her with the best atmosphere of support and celebration. Kaylee’s whole family loves disney so there were many nods to this hidden throughout the day, as well as some other fun elements unique to her and Nick.

We started out the getting ready portion of the day at a nearby hotel where the suite just had the perfect amount of light pouring into the room. Kaylee got ready with all her girls and sweet junior bridesmaids. They had a whole spread of delicious fruit and some other sweets like smiley face cookies her grandma always made for them as kids. When it was finally time for Kaylee to get into her dress her beautiful sister and momma helped with all the bridal prep moments. There were so many sweet details Kaylee had from her sparkling Cinderella heels to her unique black ring band since that’s her favorite color.

Next, we headed to my favorite destination on the agenda- Ault Park. The elegance and European character of this venue is truly unmatched. We took advantage of all the spots for bridal party photos from the cascading steps alongside the fountain to the gardens and greenery galore found on the grounds. The groomsmen spent their chill morning playing a game and had their own unique details for the day. A game called Dungeons and Dragons was very important to Nick and Kaylee, so the groomsmen’s boutonnieres were custom made to include the dice from this game as an added touch; the game would continue to show up more throughout the day. For bridal party photos the girls and guys headed to opposite sides of the garden that felt like it was out of a fairytale. When the time came for the ceremony set up in front of the towering fountain and stairs, some talented vocalists from the couple’s church began singing songs from the greatest showman and Disney, the perfect soundtrack for this day. During the ceremony Nick and Kaylee even incorporated Dungeons and Dragons into their vows and more, since it was a key element to the start of their relationship. They filled a glass jar with the game dice for another special and unique moment.

After taking some family photos, it was time to focus on Nick and Kaylee. We really wanted to highlight the key features of this venue, but even more importantly the love this two just lavished on each other. We started with some portraits in front of the water fountain that resembled a scene you might see while strolling the streets of Rome. As Lizzie McGuire would say, this is what dreams are made of! But really, after taking the utmost advantage of the fountain, steps and surrounding areas we decided to head up to the overlooking point/rooftop area at the top of the reception space. As if things could not get any more perfect, just as Kaylee began to ascend the steps she lost her glass slipper in true Cinderella fashion. We all squealed with excitement at the astounding irony of the moment! The small trek up to the little rooftop place and losing a shoe was more than worth the AMAZING sunset photos we got. The glowing horizon line even showed a glimpse of Cincinnati’s city skyline.

The goodness of this day didn’t stop there, but perhaps built even more momentum as the reception began under the beautiful white tented area. Nick and Kaylee’s people just brought the best atmosphere of fun and love. Kaylee’s Dad brought almost everyone to tears with his speech, myself included. The hints of Disney continued, since the Thoms family may truly be the biggest fans of Disney World I know. Since Kaylee loved Lilo and Stitch, her dad had personalized coins made and a message of Ohana.. That means family in case you didn’t know. Lauren also shared such good words about Kaylee and their relationship over the years with all the sweet memories they shared at disney and clogging together. Their relationship as sisters is one I admire and desire for my own girls someday! The speeches from some more bridal party members continued to fill the room with warmth, sharing stories of surviving law school with the couple; to building community at church; and relating their love story to Tangled, another favorite Disney movie of Kaylee’s. One of Nick’s best men jokingly referred to him as a nerd– a label he and Kaylee proudly claim together. This could explain the dinosaur balloon that made an appearance later at the reception, a fun touch! The evening just became a fun celebration with perfect weather, music, and the best people. Kaylee’s parents even pointed out the iridescent full moon shining over the whole event, Kaylee’s dad apparently always pointed the moon out to the girls growing up, which made it even sweeter. The finishing touch was the paper lanterns mirroring the ones from Tangled. What made it even more special is that Nick had proposed to Kaylee in front of the lantern scene at Disney World.

I cannot think of two people headed for more success, as both Nick and Kaylee are now on their way to be incredible lawyers, except now as husband and wife! I love this couple and family so much. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your perfect fairytale day where a million dreams really did come true. Please enjoy a few of my favorites!