We love getting to photograph weddings for a living together! We are witnesses to so many joyful moments & that is not lost on us no matter how many weddings we’ve photographed (it has to be over 200 now, but we haven’t counted in awhile). Love is beautiful. Marriage is such a gift. We’re honored to be able to document so many amazing couples & we’re so grateful to everyone who entrusted us with their important memories in 2018! In case you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to photograph a wedding day, here are our Behind the Scenes moments from 2018! This job takes us many different places, but we are often in the same venues & we love both the excitement of the unfamiliar & the comfort and the familiar. Even when we’re at the same venue a few times in a row, it’s always different because each couple is unique.
Setting up group shots looks like this . . . 
And the finished product! 
When Josh catches me like a deer in headlights. haha.
When Josh needs a haircut pretty badly. lol! Sorry, Husband! 
Josh was testing the ambient light here & then he decided he wanted to use off-camera flash. But the test shot, though. What is my face? ha! 
You have to get every detail right in portraits like these . . . 
That “Oh my goodness, we look amazing” moment! 
Because WOW. They did look amazing! This was one of our favorite bride & groom shots all year! 
This is what happens when I’m crossing through & realize at the last second that I’m probably in Josh’s shot. Ahhhh! (Don’t worry, we still got a shot of this). . . 
We got quite a few actually. It was just too cute! 
We had so much fun with Brittany & Steve! They are goofballs so we got along really, really well! I know this is a far away shot, but you can tell I’m laughing.
Josh test shotting away as I creepily make my exit from frame & still can’t stop laughing.
I was picking little leaves off of her dress. 
Our DJ friend Damon from D&R Audio did not know I was taking this. I couldn’t resist shooting him as he was hard at work next to Homer. Doh! lol.
Deep in thought waiting for the grand introduction? Putting out the vibe?
Then I caught him taking my photo.
Then Damon caught me taking his photo. 
Sometimes we rock climb on wedding days! 
I just can’t even come up with a proper caption for this nonsense. I saw a bear in the forest?
I mean. . . the cuteness! 
I had a pep talk with this awesome group before their acting debut that day. The groom really wanted a photo with Doodlebob chasing them all. Josh & I told them we could make that happen as long as they all sold it! 
Nailed it.
Me- “Oh please don’t let her break any bones on her wedding day. This looks like a questionable idea.”
And the resulting image! Don’t worry. . . we do not suggest this pose to most couples! This was all Kayla & Randy. Adventurous souls they are and we love them for it.
Yes, Josh often pins bouts and always does so with that winning smile on his face. Gosh, I love him so much.
I am usually the test subject before family formals to make sure the flash is adjusted properly. And I usually can’t help cheesily smiling or making a weird face.
It was EXTREMELY windy that day! And sometimes I have to move chairs/drinks/random stuff. Details, friends, details.
That dress “fluff.” I will admit I’ve gotten really great at it over the years. 🙂
This is just too good and embarrassing not to post. My face. Squinting/mid-sentence. I think Troy was airing it out in the breeze lol.
The groom making the call that they were doing the outdoor ceremony despite the impending rain showers. It was worth it! The Vineyards at Pine Lake is beautiful. . . rain or shine.
Josh is the meteorologist on wedding days. 
Yup. It rained. 
When we first started out in wedding photography in 2011, I was often hesitant & timid when it came to directing large groups for photos. Josh generally took the lead on that then. Now we work together seamlessly & big groups are a breeze.
Josh’s trick for wiping makeup off the groom’s shoulder when enthusiastic guests leave their mark: 
Always & forever loving that veil toss.
When I see something sparkly I can’t help but shoot rings on it! 
Josh being all stealthy and shooting me through the trees.
Testing the exposure on his face. I can’t even. ha!
See me? 
We’re always smiling behind our cameras. Life is grand. 
Sometimes I solicit his help to set up dress shots. 
Josh must’ve thought this was funny, but Jason (groom) was so tall compared to Jennifer that the knee bend was necessary. . . 
See! 
Maid of Honor Abby is the cutest. . . aaaaaand I’m in the mirror reflection.
This was a fun ride to Natalyn & Joe’s first look! 
My smile behind my camera really says it all for me. Love what you do & you won’t work a day in your life.
Oh, and our daughter was a flower girl in this wedding so we snuck a few photos during a little bit of downtime. 
My parents were guests & my mom was Tenley’s keeper & babysitter when we couldn’t be since we were shooting.
Flossing. 
hahahaha! 
I tried a few angles on this mobile bar to get one that my reflection was not in. 
Yes, I wear shorts under my dress on wedding days. For this exact reason.
And sometimes I wear a veil. I’m fancy like that.
Shoutout to Acclaim Videography for always being AWESOME to work alongside! 
Don’t worry. He got a shot without me in it. We have a system. 🙂 
And I got shots from the side and from the back! 
And the groom’s reaction! A lot happens during those few precious moments & Josh and I have perfected the dance of capturing it all! We love working as a team.
I promise I don’t always look like this. LOL! I just have to squint a lot on wedding days because I don’t wear sunglasses & yeah I’m not sure what else to say for myself. I’m happy, I promise! 
We had fun working with Jeremy Scott Films for Ashley & Brad’s wedding day.
How could I ever resist him?! hahahahahah!
Yes, we use our reflector for many purposes- one of which is a fan on smoldering wedding days like this one.
Love these ladies! They were photographing a different wedding on the other side of Mr. Anthony’s. Hey, Mae & Christy! 
There’s a story behind this. Should I tell it or just let the photo creepily speak for itself? Ehhhh, I’ll tell you. Troy (as you’ll probably recognize from earlier in this post) is a past groom of ours. He was a guest at this wedding. I was finished photographing for the evening & I was telling him goodbye when he told me he was going to get some cake. This particular cake is irresistable (it’s funfetti from Bake Me Treats). I can count on one hand how many times I’ve eaten wedding cake at weddings we’ve photographed, but this time he talked me into having a piece before leaving. But the forks were not out there with the cake yet for some reason (even though the venue staff had cut it). So this happened & we got Josh to document it. The girl behind us is a little skeptical of our behavior. Whoopsie! The bride & groom thought it was funny? 
I got a gold star that day from the wedding coordinator at the church for helping her pick up rose petals. 
It’s all about the dress, y’all.
Josh likes to take photos of my derriere (eye roll haha). 
Pep talk and. . .
The adorable result! 
Okay, I can’t even with this little guy! His mommy & daddy are our past bride & groom from 2016. Gahhhh! 
When the bride’s earring is really stuck in her hair. Don’t worry, we got it out without incident. 
Test subject again.
When you’re packing two cameras under your coat.
Looking back through these brought back a flood of happy memories & we want to thank every couple who chose Menning Photographic in 2018! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your support means the world to us! We love you all & we thank you for being the best!
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If you’re new to our blog, we’re Josh & Danielle Menning, a husband and wife wedding photography team based in Youngstown, Ohio & photographing weddings in all kinds of fun places for joyful couples who believe in the beauty of marriage! You can learn the most about us as wedding photographers from our gracious & wonderful clients’ kind words & reviews HERE.
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