Andrew + Heather

|| Elegant rustic lakeside wedding at Hickory Lakes in Pickerington, Ohio ||

 

We started the day at Heather’s parent’s house where everyone got ready before we headed to Hickory Lakes for their ceremony and reception. I had never been to Hickory Lakes in Pickerington before. Scott had been there many years ago, so for once, he was more familiar with the location then I was! I fell in love with Hickory Lakes, though, the minute we got there. The fields, the lake, the tree lines, they were all so gorgeous and perfect for Heather and Andrew’s late summer wedding.

 

I always enjoy having our brides and grooms get ready in either private residences or in hotels. One of the reasons is because the colors, lighting and décor is always perfect for weddings versus a nursery room from a church where most likely you will end up with orange colors and Noah’s Ark images on the wall. I am not knocking Noah’s Ark, the animal paintings are always adorable, but not really something you want in the background of your wedding pictures. Getting ready at either a private residence or a hotel is always ideal since the backgrounds are more neutral. A lot of my couples will actually clean up the clutter and redecorate the bedrooms a little bit if it is a private residence since they know pictures will be happening in the room. We love natural light and we might even take you outside to finish getting ready. Wait…What? Yep! We have before, and I love it when our couples trust us to know that sometimes getting the best lighting and a clean background means putting your groom’s jacket on outside, or buttoning up the top set of buttons on your dress outside!

 

We stepped outside for some candid and formal pictures before the ceremony at a little park that was nearby the location where everyone was getting ready. I love going to different locations throughout the day and especially if they are meaningful locations to the couple. This little park was where Heather and her mom would take long walks and talk about life. I loved hearing about how they walked and talked on the very same path we were taking pictures on. Having a special location makes your pictures that much more meaningful to you when you look back on them years after the wedding. After we finished up at the park we headed to Hickory Lakes for Heather and Andrew’s ceremony and reception.

 

The day for Heather and Andrew couldn’t have been more perfect. All their family and friends were there and they were married by a willow tree overlooking the lake at Hickory Lakes. They had an elegant, rustic wedding theme that was perfectly tied into the landscape of the lakes. One of my favorite times of their wedding day was when we snuck out for sunset pictures. We went over to a little field that was right in front of the venue and they had tons of wildflowers growing in the field. The wildflowers mixed in with the golden, sunset light and it was just so perfect. I am so happy we scheduled sunset pictures into their timeline! After the sunset pictures, we all went back into the reception to party the night away. Their family and friends had so much fun at their wedding! They were there to celebrate Heather and Andrew, and we all had a blast!