Michelle & Mike are married! This day had been almost 8 years in the making and these two were definitely extremely excited to be marrying one another. They were so adorable during their first look; the emotions pouring out of them was truly something special to witness and to photograph. We absolutely loved Michelle’s Matron of Honor’s toast at the reception & our romantic hearts can’t help but to share it with you (paraphrased). Meredith met Michelle during Meredith’s sophomore year at a new public high school; up until that point she had attended Catholic school. Meredith knew from the first moment she met Michelle that she wanted to be best friends with her. And that worked out perfectly. They’re BFFs! Then one day during lunch at YSU (where they went to college), Meredith saw Michael come & sit at a table nearby her and Michelle. When he stopped over to say hello, Michelle definitely noticed him. 🙂 And when Michelle mentioned something later to Meredith about Michael, Meredith wholeheartedly agreed that Michelle & Michael should date; Meredith had known Michael since he was young & he was a reliable, honest, smart, hardworking, kind person. She said if she had to allow her best friend to spend time with someone else, at least he was someone she enthusiastically approved of! Then Meredith said in her toast, (and we’re paraphrasing here)- “Everything happens for a reason. It was not by chance that I went to Catholic school with Michael all of those years. It was not by chance my parents chose to send me to public high school. It was not by chance that Michelle & I met and became best friends. And it was definitely not by chance that Michael came to sit at the table right next to Michelle and me in college. And we’re all here to celebrate what happened a result!” We are so happy that all happened because Michelle & Michael bring each other so much joy. We’re grateful we get to share our favorites from their Drake’s Landing wedding day with you! 
Oh and, hey! Turquoise! You know I’m going to love this wedding! 
Michelle’s gown was from Doreen Leaf Designs in Hartville. The designer is Essence of Australia.
I can’t even handle the cuteness of Michelle with her flower girl Mabel. They have the same beautiful red hair! 
Magnolia’s on the Green in Canfield traveled to St. Rose in Girard to do hair and makeup for the bride and her bridesmaids. They did a fabulous job. 
While I was with the bride, Josh was with the groom at his hotel with the groomsmen getting ready for the day. 
Michelle wanted to do a first look with her dad. It was so sweet! 
One tip we have for brides who wish to do first looks with the special people in their lives is to plan ahead and make room for these moments on your timeline. Clear communication with your hair and makeup team and your photographers will help this all happen seamlessly. We did this first look with Michelle’s dad and Michelle & Michael’s first look with plenty of time to spare before the wedding ceremony because we didn’t want early arriving wedding guests to sneak a peek at the bride before she was walking down the aisle. This all came down to careful planning & sticking to the timeline. It was great! 
Michael & Michelle wrote letters to one another to read before the ceremony. Mike wrote Michelle a 2 page letter and we joked it was because he knows she loves to read. And, of course, his sweetness brought her to tears. 
Then it was first look time! They were both really happy that they chose to share this intimate moment together before the rest of the day swept them away. 
Mike walked her to the door and snuck a final kiss before they went their separate ways to meet again at the end of the aisle.
Okay with the cuteness Kent & Ruby! This brother and sister duo was ADORABLE! 
We had the luxury of plenty of time between the ceremony and reception so we stopped by Poland Library with the bridal party. These people were a riot. We loved hanging out with them all! 
I won’t try to narrate these bride & groom portraits too much, but oh my goodness, their cuteness and chemistry together are so.dang.special! They’re too sweet! 
Michelle! You are stunning! 
We had to include the fur kids! If you saw Michelle & Mike’s engagement session in Cleveland, then you already saw Lyra & Felix. Aren’t they cute?! Felix was a little intimidated on the wedding day, but we still tried our best to snap some quick photos of him. 
Drake’s Landing weddings are always beautiful, but Michelle & Mike’s is an instant favorite for me- a fellow book lover! Check out their creative and beautiful centerpieces! Books! 
The Cake Boutique did a gorgeous job with this cake. And the Wuthering Heights quote- yes! Plus, those flowers! Love it all! 
And these two did not mess around with the Youngstown cookie table tradition! They had an entire ROOM of cookies & sweet treats! 
They surprised all of their guests with a choreographed first dance. 
Aforementioned Matron of Honor killing her speech. 
And Mike’s brother making everyone laugh. 
These adorable people won the anniversary dance for being married the longest.
Guess what Michael’s wedding ring is made of in the blog comments below. I bet you can’t! 
Michelle & Michael, THANK YOU! We are grateful to have gotten to know you two & wish you a lifetime of love, joy, and laughter as you grow even closer to one another on this journey called marriage. We had a great time with you & your family and friends! Cheers & thanks again! You two are an amazing couple!
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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