Valerie Hawkins Photography: Joanna & Joel | Birch House, Yellow Springs

Joanna & Joel were both students at Cedarville University in the winter of 2010. At midnight on a cold December night, students gathered in the student center for the annual Campus Christmas tradition of cookie decorating, enjoying a hearty breakfast and a showing of the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. Joel describes it as being magical and when a brunette with long curls and the face of angel walked in, he was captivated. He was completely smitten and thus began his long, steady courtship of Joanna.

Four and a half years later, family and friends gathered at the historic Birch House in Glen Helen Reserve just south of Yellow Springs to witness their marriage. The magnificent estate is nestled near a creek at the end of a secluded tree lined lane, and it was the perfect location for their romantic, woodland wedding.

I discovered this old telephone built into a plaster wall and created an old photograph with it. Not my usual style of imagery, but oh so charming.

Joel is a video journalist, so I knew that wedding photography would be important to him. The only image he specifically requested was of him and his guys at the ball field. Joanna said that because this was special to him, we'd make it work with the timeline. So the fellas and I jumped into two cars and drove to Xenia.

And the boys played a little ball.

Their ceremony was filled with beautiful music performed by many loved ones. Friends, siblings and even the father of the groom had important roles during the ceremony.

Joanna & Joel gave me a quite a bit of time for their portraits. I'm so thankful when clients give me their precious time on wedding day to see the light, work the scene and take full advantage of the location. Creating imagery of the bride and groom is one of my favorite parts of the day.