Erin & Andrew - Hines Hill Campus Wedding

Erin & Andrew were married Sunday May 18th, 2056 at Hines Hill Campus in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park of Ohio. Planning a wedding in Ohio while living in Texas can be a challenge, but Erin and Andrew planned a beautifully intimate, nature centric wedding day in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We asked them for some of their favorite moments from their day and this is what they had to say:

A moment that made them smile:

There were so many moments, it's hard to choose! I think the one that stands out the most is our First Look. I was so excited for Andrew to see me in my dress, I couldn't wait for his reaction! It was so much fun getting to show off my dress for a few minutes.

A moment that made them laugh:

Making s'mores! I had Andrew make mine for me, so I wouldn't get too close to the fire in my dress. I remember sitting back in my chair, feeling like a queen, demanding him to make my s'mores! It was delicious, and it was fun relaxing by the campfire for a few minutes late into the reception.

A favorite moment from their wedding day:

My favorite moment was when we exchanged our vows during the ceremony. We chose to write our own vows. It was so sweet and heartfelt hearing what Andrew had written for me, and I was so excited to share what I had written with him. We kept our vows in a notebook, so we can always look back on them in the future. Our ceremony will always stand out as my favorite part of the day.

Something they would 100% include in their wedding plans again:

If we had to plan again, we would absolutely keep our choreographed first dance! We decided to do this in the final month leading up to our wedding, so there were several late nights spent learning the dance. We chose a short dance from Hadestown, a musical we saw together a few months before the wedding, and found a recording of it on YouTube. We would watch the video over and over to copy the steps until we had it right. While it took some effort, it was so much fun surprising our guests with the dance! Their laughter and cheers made it so much fun!

Wedding planning tips for future couples:

Keep it simple, and look out for good reviews! We kept our wedding small and simple, and had all the more fun for it! It was great getting the chance to really spend time with all of our guests. Having a smaller venue made the ceremony and reception feel more intimate and enjoyable. You could really tell that everyone was having fun! We also had to plan our wedding long-distance, which seemed daunting at first, but relying on recommendations and good reviews made planning so much easier! Even though we never met most of our vendors until the wedding day, phone calls, emails, and especially Zoom meetings made it easier to keep more connected than we thought it would be. A lot of vendors have their own recommendations for other vendors they've worked with in the past, so be sure to ask them for their suggestions! It would have made planning so much more difficult if we were blindly searching on wedding websites for options, without having the vendor recommendations to narrow our options down.

Additional Comments:

Make your wedding as personal as you can to yourselves, and you'll have so much fun! Our wedding day was perfect, I couldn't have asked for anything better, and I absolutely loved every second of it. I couldn't stop smiling the entire day! It will always hold a special place in my heart and memories.

Thank you Erin and Andrew for trusting in Justin Gamble Photography for your wedding photography at the Hines Hill Campus in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park! Our team at Justin Gamble Photography would like to thank the rest of the vendors who helped to make their day so special.

Vendors

Hair: The Studio Collective

Makeup: The Studio Collective

Dress: Radiant Bride

Menswear: Mens Wearhouse

Florist: Countryside Florist

Caterer: A Taste of Excellence

Cake/Dessert: N/A (Family)

Venue: Hines Hill Campus, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Officiant: Rev. Jeff Jackson, First Congregational Church of Akron

DJ: The DJ Crew