Kevin Lush Photography Wedding Photography Blog

My first wedding of 2024 and my 235th overall took place in January at America’s Packard Museum in downtown Dayton, Ohio. This wedding couple chose to have a Great Gatsby themed wedding surrounded by vintage Packard automobiles in an intimate setting. The groom was dressed in his Army formals and the bride was in a beautiful champagne colored dress which sparkled all over. Traditionally, most of my couples are 22-35 years old, but this couple was much older. It is always fun to photograph different types of people and to capture their love no matter what the age.

Planning a Dayton area wedding is an exciting but sometimes overwhelming experience. One decision you’ll need to make (and I can help) is choosing the perfect wedding photographer. After all, your wedding photos will last a lifetime, so you want them to be absolutely perfect. To help you find the right Dayton photographer for your wedding day, here are ten valuable tips:

There are several questions you should ask your Dayton wedding venue before booking. Throughout my 230+ weddings I have photographed, certain venue quirks have become visible. From air conditioning to parking to allotted time.

Over the 16 years of being a photographer, I have been asked hundreds of questions. I began to amass a collection of frequently asked questions to help future wedding couples. With the ubiquity of social media, I thought I put my links in obvious places. Because I have been asked so many times, I decided to put the in the footer of my website as well as in every email. As an additional service, I am placing them in this blog post. I even remembered to update Twitter’s name to X. Please let me know if you have any questions or can’t find something. Thanks!

On a misty Autumn Saturday afternoon in October, I photographed my 233rd wedding, and my second at Cox Arboretum MetroPark this Fall.  The wedding would take place in the glass-walled atrium “Huffman Gallery with the reception taking place in the Fifth Third Conference Center to the south.  One of the most interesting getting ready areas at any wedding venue is the MeadWestvaco Theatre.  The Arboretum staff was available to assist throughout the day, and their “private event” signs kept non-wedding guests away.

It’s a major wedding day dilemma that many couples grapple with when planning their wedding: whether or not to see each other before the ceremony. Traditionally, it was considered bad luck for the couple to lay eyes on each other before saying their vows. However, times have changed, and more and more couples are opting for a “first look” (or at least a “first touch” on their wedding day.

Let me start by saying that I can’t say enough about this classy couple and their wedding planner (sister-in-law). This couple was a little older and very eager to spend the time necessary to capture beautiful wedding images. I was eager as well but then throw in the fact that the Cincinnati wedding venue was the Tri-State Warbird Museum! For 6 hours I was able to combine my love of wedding photography and my love of aviation photography. My mind was blown!

A 10 hour wedding day timeline is perfect for couples who want their wedding day documented by their photographer but don’t need the full day. Having multiple locations on your day works really well with a 10 hour package too. Couples that choose the 10 hour wedding package often have better photos because they have enough time built into the day for all the required photos as well as impromptu photos.

I have put together 19 helpful questions you should ask your wedding photographer before booking. These are applicable to wedding photographers in Dayton, Cincinnati, and beyond. Feel free to use these when comparing wedding photographers prior to boking.

In September 2023 I had the pleasure of working with Jena and Chantelle of Blush and Bloom Wedding Planning in Dayton Ohio. They communicated effectively prior to the wedding and left no details to chance. They were both detail oriented, friendly, and fun. As for the pieces of the wedding day I was part of, Blush and Bloom did an excellent job completing their duties as wedding planners.