Endless Love, Endless Views & One Hell of a Party | Ashlynn + Zach at Canopy Creek Farm

Written By Sheldon James

What a memorable experience at Canopy Creek Farm in Miamisburg, Ohio.

I've photographed plenty of weddings throughout Miamisburg, but this was one of those wedding days where I walked onto the property, started looking around and immediately thought...

Yeah. We're going to have some fun here.

Canopy Creek Farm gives you a little bit of everything.

Garden-party vibes.

A touch of rustic.

Timeless and romantic spaces.

Wide-open scenery.

And views that just seem to go...

and go...

and go.

But as beautiful as the venue was, Ashlynn + Zach and the people surrounding them are what made this day what it was.

These two were simply loved endlessly.

From the Moment I Arrived, I Was at Ease

I always like getting to a wedding venue with enough time to settle in.

Unload.

Set up.

Walk the property.

Check the light.

Figure out where we might want to create later.

Meet with the bride.

Connect with the coordinators and other vendors.

Get a feel for the family and wedding party.

And sometimes within those first few minutes, you can already tell what kind of wedding day you're about to have.

This was one of those days.

Starting with hair and makeup and moving through those early getting-ready moments, there was already a great energy surrounding Ashlynn.

People were excited.

People were relaxed.

And most importantly, you could tell everybody genuinely wanted this couple to have an incredible wedding day.

That's when I knew:

We're about to VIBE today.

Ashlynn + Zach Were Loved Endlessly

Some couples have a way of bringing people together.

That was Ashlynn + Zach.

Throughout the day, I kept noticing how much love surrounded them.

Family.

Friends.

Their wedding party.

Their vendors.

Everybody was invested in making sure these two enjoyed their moment.

And as a wedding photographer, that's the stuff I love documenting.

Yes, I'm going to create the portraits.

We're going to use the property.

We're going to find beautiful light.

We're going to make sure you have those timeless photographs that deserve to live on your walls.

But I'm also watching your people.

I'm looking for the reactions.

The hugs.

The laughs.

The little interactions happening behind you.

Because your wedding isn't just a collection of pretty details.

It's part of your love story.

And the people who showed up to celebrate with you are part of that history too.

And Somehow...The Rain Stayed Away

Ohio wedding weather.

You already know.

We had a heavy pop-up shower in the forecast, and of course it was threatening to arrive right around ceremony time.

Perfect timing, right?

But somehow...

It stayed away.

Instead, we got this beautiful overcast sky that completely changed the feeling of the afternoon.

Everything became soft.

Serene.

Chill.

Relaxed.

And from a photography standpoint?

I'll take that ALL DAY.

The ceremony space at Canopy Creek Farm already gives you this beautiful countryside feeling, and that soft overcast light made the entire scene feel even more romantic.

For a little while, everything just slowed down.

You had the scenery.

You had their people.

You had Ashlynn + Zach standing there together.

And Mother Nature decided to cooperate.

Thank you to the heavens above!

Canopy Creek Farm Gives You a Little Bit of Everything

One thing I really enjoyed about photographing this wedding was the variety.

Canopy Creek Farm doesn't feel like you're limited to one little corner of a property.

You can create.

You can move.

You can change the entire feeling of your photographs without having to leave the venue.

You've got the countryside.

The garden feel.

The water.

Open fields.

The barn.

Covered areas.

And plenty of room to step away with the couple and create something that feels completely different from what we were photographing 10 minutes earlier.

That's my kind of venue.

Especially for couples who want their wedding gallery to have some variety.

You can have something soft and romantic during your ceremony.

Something timeless during portraits.

Something a little more rustic around the property.

And then...

You can walk inside and completely lose your mind at the reception.

Which brings me to the next part.

Then It Was ON Like Donkey Kong

Once the ceremony and portraits were handled and we transitioned into the reception...

It was time.

This wedding party had absolutely NO limit on the fun.

And the DJ?

KILLING IT.

That's one of my favorite kinds of receptions to photograph.

Give me a DJ who knows how to read the room.

Give me a wedding party that's ready to have a good time.

Give me family and friends who didn't come to sit at their tables all night.

And let me get in the middle of it.

I'm not trying to photograph a party like I'm watching it from across the room.

I'm coming onto the dance floor.

Camera in hand.

I'm looking for the expressions.

The movement.

The people singing at each other.

The ridiculous dance moves.

The moments that nobody could have possibly planned before the wedding.

Because that's what it actually felt like.

And when Ashlynn + Zach look through this gallery years from now, I don't just want them to see that they had a reception.

I want them to remember how much FUN they had.

That's What I Want Your Wedding Photographs to Do

This is something I've been thinking about even more as this wedding season continues.

I'm documenting history.

Your history.

Your wedding photographs aren't just for Instagram next week.

They're not just something to post while everybody is still excited about the wedding.

These are photographs you're going to come back to years from now.

Eventually, they'll become the old family photographs.

And when that happens, I want you to remember more than what everything looked like.

I want you to remember what it felt like.

I want Ashlynn + Zach to remember how peaceful that ceremony felt under the overcast sky.

I want them to remember how much their people loved them.

I want them to remember the energy in the room.

I want them to remember the jokes.

The hugs.

The dancing.

The craziness.

All of it.

That's why I don't want to spend your entire wedding day manufacturing photographs.

Sometimes I'm going to direct you.

Sometimes we're going to intentionally create something beautiful.

And sometimes I'm going to leave you alone and let life happen in front of me.

There's room for both.

Looking for a Wedding Venue in Miamisburg, Ohio?

I've photographed quite a few weddings in Miamisburg, and if you're looking for a venue that gives you a good mixture of styles and experiences throughout your wedding day, Canopy Creek Farm deserves to be on your list.

Especially if you're considering wedding venues around the Benner Road area near Magnolia Estate and Rosewood Manor.

Canopy Creek Farm has its own personality.

It's country without feeling like you're limited to a traditional barn wedding.

It's rustic without losing the elegance.

It's romantic without needing to be overly formal.

And there's enough space and scenery to give your photographer plenty to work with.

For couples who want that garden-party-meets-country-estate feeling while still being close to Dayton and Cincinnati, this is a really interesting option.

And after photographing Ashlynn + Zach's wedding here?

I'd definitely come back.

Wedding Season Is in FULL Effect

You can feel it happening.

The evenings are starting to change.

There's a little crispness beginning to show up in the air.

The light is changing.

Fall wedding season is getting closer.

And I LOVE all of it.

This is one of my favorite stretches of the year to create.

So if you're planning your wedding in Miamisburg, Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Northern Kentucky or anywhere throughout Ohio...

Let's talk.

If you want somebody who will help create the beautiful photographs but also understand when it's time to get out of the way and document the story...

Let's talk.

If you want timeless portraits, real emotions, a little editorial energy and a photographer who's probably going to end up on the dance floor with you...

We should DEFINITELY talk. 😂

Ashlynn + Zach, thank you for trusting me to be part of your day.

Thank you to your families, wedding party, coordinators and vendors for making the entire experience such a good one.

Your people showed up.

The weather showed us some love.

The party DELIVERED.

And your story gave us plenty worth remembering.

Another beautiful Miamisburg wedding in the books.

Wedding season...

We're just getting started.

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Sheldon James
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