Genevieve Nisly Photography Blog - Cleveland Ohio Wedding Photographers

For all those that took the time to write and send in an application to win free wedding photography: Thank You! It was VERY difficult to narrow down all the entries to just 3 even with over half the applications being for dates already booked.

What impressed me about the couples I chose is how the couples are giving of themselves by their choice of career, putting the other person first and in their values. It’s nice to see that these couples value FAMILY, from the one they are marrying into to the one they are about to start through the act of marriage itself. These couples also show how their love stood the test of time despite distance or developed because of maturity. Finally the locations for their weddings are personal and unique making a beautiful backdrop to a significant union.

The 3 final applicants are posted below. Read their story and vote for your favorite couple by emailing me at genevieve@genevievenisly.com Submit your vote by 11:59 pm on Sunday January 21st. One vote per person please.

Couple #1: Jennifer and William (Bill)

We are getting married on September 14th, 2007 at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron.

My fiance and I want an amazing day, like every couple planning a wedding, however we don’t want to be in debt and to have a bundle of bills to pay once our special day is over.

We met at the South Bend Regional Airport in Indiana. I was working for an airline while I was in college and he began his first airport management job out of college. I quickly learned when his work hours were, so I would know what days not to show up to work a total mess! Before we even exchanged pleasantries, I undoubtedly knew he was the total package…he was the type of man you took home to meet your family, and I was RIGHT! We were introduced by a mutual friend who also worked at the airport. As soon as I took a good look at his beautiful blue eyes and his charming smile, I was head-over-heels. We began going out on dates and spending time together. I knew almost immediately that he was who I wanted to share my life with.

Bill and I had traveled to Vegas the prior year and not only fell in love with the lights and the city, we also fell in love with each other! Bill’s family planned a trip to Vegas after his brother graduated for Penn State to celebrate in May of 2006. I had a feeling it was coming because we had realized that we were in love on top of the Stratosphere out on the observation deck overlooking the city and felt that it would be amazing if Bill would propose where we fell in love. We all went to dinner, following, Bill and I left the group to go up top to the observation deck at the Stratosphere to share a romantic moment, I had a strong feeling because Bill had very few things to say that night and he is hardly a man of few words! It was a nervous ride up the elevator and I had large butterflies in my stomach by the time we reached the top. Here we were overlooking Vegas where we fell in love a year earlier, when Bill began to nervously ramble on, he began to talk about our lives together and before I knew it he was down on one knee asking me to marry him! I of course said yes! When we came down to meet up with his family, his mother was crying and his grandfather was teary eyed as well. I spent the rest of the evening floating on a cloud, constantly staring at my beautiful husband-to-be and my amazing ring. It was perfect!

I feel that Bill and I would be a deserving couple because we not only want our day to be about us, but to be about our families. Bill and I cherish our families more than anything and one day look forward to having our own. We want our guests to walk away from our wedding knowing the true connection that Bill and I have, as well as to have a genuine idea of who we are and who we are going to be as husband and wife. To have beautiful pictures to share with our family and friends, as well as our future children that would ideally capture the setting of our day, as well as the emotions, tenderness, and elegance would be priceless and something that we would cherish always.

Couple #2: Jodi and Larry

June 23, 2007 - The Oak Grove at The College of Wooster - The Wooster Inn

How we met: Larry and I met years ago. In Junior High, I think. We grew up in the same town, but never really knew each other until I moved back about 8 years ago.

While in Junior High and High School, Larry and I didn’t “run with the same crowd”. I knew who he was and he knew me, but that was about it. After High School, he and I took on two totally different directions. I was headed to college and he was newly married with a baby on the way. As time passed, and people and circumstances changed, our paths crossed again. This time we were about 28.Larry had 3 kids and was in the process of a divorce and I was “lost” in life and decided to move “home” in search of some answers. I began working at my uncle’s restaurant and I would see Larry almost every weekday at lunch as he and his co-workers usually ate where I worked. We developed a friendship since we saw each other frequently. I eventually started to work for Larry part-time. He owns a tanning salon and I agreed to work a night each week for extra money and free tanning.

We were friends for a long time. It seemed like the “right time” for he and I to be together took way too long to get here. Finally, last June, he asked me out to dinner. I agreed and we’ve been together ever since. It’s funny how love is within your reach for years, but it takes so long for you to reach out and grab it. He says he wanted to ask me out for years, but didn’t have the courage. I’m glad he finally did, though because he is the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me.

How we got engaged: Larry and I had only been dating for four months when he asked me to marry him. We both feel like it was more like four years seeing that we had a friendship first. My birthday was October 5th and Larry and I met my brother and his wife for dinner that night. We had a great dinner and out of no where on the way home, he asks : “What would you say if I asked you to marry me?” Without hesitation, I said : “I would say yes with no second thoughts.” His reply was “I want to ask you right now, but I don’t have enough money for the ring I want to get for you.” I told him that the size of my diamond didn’t matter to me. I think my exact words were :”You could give me a ring out of a crackerjack box and I’d be happy.” So, we agreed to go ring shopping soon. The next evening on October 6th, I was sitting on the couch and jokingly said “Do you want to go ring shopping now?” A huge grin appeared on his face and he presented me with the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen.

Why I think we should win:

Larry and I want Genevieve to shoot our wedding regardless. She shot my brother’s wedding and the pictures are gorgeous. We don’t have a big budget, but we both came to the conclusion that spending a little more money on the photos is worth it because we’ll be looking at them for years and we want our special day to be done well.

Larry’s oldest daughter is graduating from High School a month before our wedding. I want her to have a nice graduation party, so receiving a free wedding shoot could save us more money for her party & college tuition etc…

Larry was married before, but he didn’t have a “wedding.” I want this day to be so special for him just as much as I want it to be special for me. I want it to be special for his 3 kids, as they will be a major part of my life when we’re married. Plus, they’re just great kids and I’ve developed a wonderful relationship with them that I hope will continue to grow.

Heck, we should win so my parents can be happy for their 36 year old daughter who is FINALLY getting married. (It will save them the money.) I don’t think they thought this day would ever come.

Yeah, we should win for all the cheesy reasons, too. We are so in love and I feel that no one could ever experience the amount of joy that I have in anticipation of becoming Mrs. Lawrence Davis

Couple #3: Faith and James (Jamie)

07.21.07 - Linwood Park in Vermilion - Cleveland Yacht Club in Rocky River

Herstory . . .

It was the summer of 2002 and my first day on the job; I was home from college at Miami University of Ohio, looking to make some cash. I was greeted by my new boss, Barb, when a clamorous pair bounded through the doorway, laughing, and I was then introduced to a tall, grinning guy – “This is Jamie and he’s a big joker,” said Barb. We flashed smiles at one another, our eyes lingered for a moment, and then moved on. In the weeks to come, I found myself looking forward to going to work – looking forward to seeing Jamie. I liked his jokes, his ease of communication with others, the way he cried a few teardrops every time he laughed really hard. He was different than anyone I’d ever met – he was an artist, a painter, and he listened to music that was too cool to be on the radio. He wasn’t sure where he was going with life, but he was having fun and this fun was infectious. I liked him.

Before I knew it, Jamie and I began taking drives and walks in the park. We held hands the first time on the 4^th of July, kissed the first time shortly thereafter, and decided to give dating each other exclusively a try just in time for me to return back to school – as in, moving four hours away to Oxford, Ohio. The distance was hard, especially in the beginning, especially since we really hadn’t known one another that long. Neither of us were sure why we didn’t just break it off and make it easier on ourselves, but there was something that felt different – unique – he was something worth holding on to.

The years flew by. Before I knew it, I was graduating from Miami with a degree in Adolescent Language Arts Education, and was Cleveland-bound. Over the past two years we had learned to love each other more than we knew was possible. We had both changed so much! I had learned to become a teacher, made the best friends of my life, and had learned to love someone else unselfishly. Jamie had left serving at Westwood Country Club, gone back to school for a Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling, and was now working for Parmadale Child and Family Services.

The next year went by quickly, and on May 31^st, 2006, I found myself being led back into Westwood Country Club with Jamie. It was dark, the members were gone, and we were taking a book to his cousin, Wes, who worked there as a manager. “I feel really uncomfortable with this, Jame. I mean, what if a member sees us here – I think we could get in trouble,” I whispered as we climbed the front steps to the door. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” Jamie reassured me. “Wes said he’d be right in here,” he quivered as he pulled me into one of the party rooms. As the door closed behind me, I stopped, and looked with wonder around the room. Candles and flower petals had been scattered throughout the entry way, and soft music hummed out of the speakers. The glow of the candles matched the glow of Jamie’s face as he took my hand and led me farther into the room. His voice wavered and his hands trembled – just a little bit – as he began talking and kneeling onto one knee. While I have no recollection of anything he said leading up to this, I know he concluded with, “Will you marry me?” as he opened a tiny, white box. The ring and the room and the secret of this whole situation were dazzling. Without any doubts, I said, “Yes.”

History . . .

I wanted my asking of Faith to be a complete and total surprise. Knowing full well that: A…I am miserable about keeping secrets and surprises and, B…Faith is famously independent (she reminds me of a house cat)….somehow this still seemed like brilliant idea. I went into clumsy secret agent mode, trying to measure her finger while we were watching movies and making clandestine phonecalls from the bathrooms of restaurants. The diamond was smuggled (o.k., just regularly driven) in from California and the ring was built by a close friend of ours’ father. When I was able to finally pick it up, he repeatedly asked me if I thought I would be alright to drive. My shaking hands and knocking knees put me somewhere between a jazz dancer and a person who’s about to pass out.

Hiding the ring for me was like hiding a roaring fire engine in my kitchen. I changed its location just about every five minutes. When Faith came over, I sweated like I was on trial. I had made plans to sneak back into the very place where I had first seen her and ask the question there. My best friend had put together a week long window of possible times the place might be empty and we could sneak in.

The call came and my accomplices were setting up a field of candles and pirating the overhead speakers, which usually droned elevator music, to play some of Faith and I’s favorite sappy couple songs. All I had to do was get her there. I mentioned that Faith is impossibly independent. She’s that and she is also very good. (I’d imagine she always got smiley faced stickers on her report card). Somehow I hadn’t figured that the combination of those two things might make it hard for her to want to go with me to: the country club we hadn’t worked at for years, almost after hours, and for no apparent reason. In the end I almost had to throw her over my shoulder or drag her in. I tried to cleverly lead her in that direction…

“Hey…uhm…look honey, a big closed door…uhm…we should..uhmm…go inside there and check it out.”

Well, she did make it in. The room was gorgeous and the music started exactly on time. We danced together…alone in that banquet room. We danced in the first spot I had seen that vibrant, engaging, and impossibly alive nineteen year old girl burst into my silly, green-vested workplace. We danced where I had watched her win over cantankerous old members and odd Russian waiters with a personality that seemed to flood out of her and fill up the room. I was supposed to be cutting ties and moving to Boulder, but one night I turned around instead of walking out the door to go home. I had to ask to her out. It was like a biological imperative, I didn’t have any choice in the matter. It was the first of the two most important questions I have ever asked in my life. They were both in the same spot….of the same person…and both have made me ridiculously happy.

1. First, our wedding ceremony is in a very unique setting: Linwood Park in Vermilion, Ohio. Linwood is a small community of cottages on the shores of Lake Erie, and the tiniest cottage of all the homes belongs to my Grandma. The cottage is more important to me and all my family members than I can put into words. Quite simply, Linwood is in our blood, and when I announced that I’d like to get married there, but aunts and grandma cried with joy and surprise (I’ll be the first to be married there). Linwood houses a rustic tabernacle – white, painted beams, stained glass and simple pews are its composition, and Jamie and I are excited to begin our married life in a place so special to our family. In addition to the ceremony being in a unique place, we are working to make sure that the ceremony itself is unique as well. Jamie’s uncle will marry us, my sisters will sing, and my friend Katie will play her cello. We want the entire thing to involve people that are important to us. We want our wedding photographs to reflect all of these people, and this beautiful setting, in addition to Jamie and myself. We want the day to be captured candidly and realistically.

2. Secondly, your photography talents would be a huge blessing to us financially. Our budget is around $15,000 (please, please God let it be lower than that!), and we are striving in every way to cut corners. Our parents are helping us out as they can, but Jamie and I are responsible for a great deal of the wedding costs – including the photography! All in all, money is very tight. I work as a Catholic high school teacher in downtown Cleveland, and Jamie works with young male sexual offenders. Needless to say, our work in the social service industry leaves much to be desired in terms of salary. Your generosity of photography would be priceless – cutting corners on photography is not something that is easy to do.

3.I had near to given up on hiring a wedding photographer. We are quite broke, they are impossibly expensive, and by and large…wedding photographs come out impersonal, stiff, and kind of corny. I was calling my buddy Adam to see if he could maybe put us in touch with some art school kids or band photographers who could do it on the cheap. He tossed out your name, just as something to check out. When we did we fell in love with your work. Forgiveness was granted to wedding photographers everywhere. We just could never afford it. Finding the contest on your blog shortly thereafter just seemed to smack of fate. It was just too random and too perfect for us not to win.