My first wedding of 2019 was so so special because Miranda + Ben have become dear friends to me throughout getting to know them back in 2016! It was such an honor to not only photograph such a special day in their lives but celebrate with them!! Below you will find their beautiful day at the Strongwater Events Venue in Columbus, Ohio and a mini interview about their wedding day!!

Side note: I photographed their epic engagement session in Colorado as well, which you can find here!

What was your favorite moment of the day?

The ceremony is obviously always amazing, but everything that took place between our actual ceremony and the reception was our most favorite moment of the day. We chose to take 30 minutes directly following our ceremony to spend time on our own as a newly married couple. It was a perfect and special moment that allowed us to slow down, take in everything that had just taken place and reflect on it all. After we were done, we chose to go and mingle with our guests at our happy hour and we would highly recommend this to other couples! We were able to move through the room, snack on the hors d’oeuvres and see everyone in a fun setting! Because we did this, we felt no need to go from table to table during the dinner to greet and speak to everyone because we had already done so!

What surprised you about your wedding day?

We had been a tad worried about the timeline being a bit tight, but everything happened just as it should and somehow we actually ended up ahead of schedule when it came to taking photos! We had plenty of time and didn't need to rush at all. We even had a larger gap than we had planned between finishing up photos and the beginning of our ceremony.

What advice would you give to other couples planning a wedding?

This is going to sound a little crazy, but please hear us out! If you are writing your own vows, READ THEM TO EACH OTHER BEFORE THE WEDDING! We know it sounds like it defeats the purpose, but trust us, it didn't. We sat down a few days before the wedding and took turns reading our vows to one another. We had previously agreed on some sort of order/flow as well as one specific promise that we would both make to each other "I promise to take on any challenge with you, to fight any battle, and to conquer any mountain we may encounter." So we went our separate ways and wrote, before coming back to together to read them. It was so special to have a moment for just the two of us that we could hear what the other was planning to say on the big day. It helped us to be sure that our vows matched in some sort of way in terms of flow and context. It's kind of similar to the whole first look vs. seeing them walk down the aisle for the first time. It wasn't any less special to hear the vows before, it helped ease any worries or nervousness (which Ben had a lot of), and made it more special because in the moment, we knew what the other was planning to say, and it was so special because we weren't trying to understand in front of 100 people.

What made you want to hire riutta images as your wedding photographer?

We were looking for someone willing to travel who we could connect with. It was important to us both that our photographer be a real, down to earth person and not someone just looking to get the perfect shot at all costs (because honestly we just aren't the kind of people who can give a person that anyhow!). We wanted a way to remember the day in the way that it truly happened, not in several posed shots that someone else created. Through looking at her work, we knew Bryana could deliver that. And then we met her, and Bryana made us feel comfortable being us, was so communicative through many avenues, and felt like a friend. At the end of our engagement shoot we knew we had chosen the right photographer when Ben, who despises taking pictures, said "That was so much fun.”