We were asked to photograph a small wedding in Mt. Airy park in Cincinnati. This brought me back to the way I first started capturing weddings, small intimate weddings in a beautiful nature setting. When I lived in St. Thomas, USVI, most of my wedding bookings were for an hour. A lot can happen in that hour when you have it well planned and with few guests. In these small intimate weddings, the wedding couple would have their ceremony, their family photo shoot, their intimate couple session and even their wedding cake with champagne. All within the hour! I can totally see this happening this spring and summer in Cincinnati, Ohio while still keeping with the social distancing restrictions. If you were planning on having your wedding in 2020 and with the current situation are unsure of having your wedding then consider having a small wedding instead.
Listed are the steps to having an intimate wedding in Cincinnati, Ohio however these steps can be used anywhere in the United States when planning your small wedding. Check with your local parks and facilities to see if there are any restrictions.
Make sure to read to the bottom to see our special limited offer for small intimate weddings in Cincinnati, Ohio for 2020.
STEP ONE-- FINDING A WEDDING VENUE
Starting on May 12, 2020 we can start having weddings again in Cincinnati. You are allowed to have up to 10 people for your wedding and must follow the 6 feet guidelines of social distancing if the members are not living with you.
For this wedding that I photographed back in August, I loved that it was outside surrounded by the trees. We are blessed to have so many beautiful green spaces in Cincinnati with 70 neighborhood parks and 34 nature preserves. I highly suggest having your small intimate wedding in one of the many Cincinnati Parks. Normally you would reserve your spot and pay a small fee to reserve it. However due to the current situation the city is not issuing permits and the spots are on a first come basis making a little bit of a challenge. I like to think of it as an adventure. I would pick a couple of spots in a park and then on your wedding day make sure you have everyone's phone number. If the first spot is taken then head out to the next.
Here is the link of the different parks Cincinnati has to offer. If you want to call to see if there are any changes on reserving a spot here is the number to call. Phone: (513) 357-2604 (Currently Cincinnati Parks are not taking reservations and the park space is first come first serve.)
Having a gazebo was essential in this wedding because you can't plan around the rain. It poured down right when we arrived to the gazebo in Mt. Airy Park. Thankfully the sun shone as the wedding couple shared their first kiss giving us the opportunity to capture some nature shots with the beautiful landscape that Mt. Airy has to offer.
STEP TWO -- FINDING AN OFFICIANT
After you find a location, now it's time to find a person to perform your wedding. In Ohio, not just anyone can perform a marriage ceremony. The officiant must be an ordained minister registered by the Ohio Secretary of State. When choosing an officiant you want to make sure they are a good fit for you as well as they understand how a wedding works. This is especially important if you are having your ceremony photographed and/or videotaped. An officiant that understands the flow of the ceremony and how to make sure you are positioned correctly to get the best views for your photographs is equally as important as someone that is going to remember all the steps of the ceremony. There are so many different styles of ceremonies, some more religious, some more spiritual. My good friend, Karie Gipson has been performing weddings for a few years. I highly recommend her because she not only will put you at ease with her great fun personality but she is very professional and organized. You can reach her at 513-257-1622.
I also recommend calling Pastor Eastman or visiting his website. He has a list of officiants on his website that you can choose from. On his homepage he has a quiz that will help you decide which officiant is right for you. I spoke to him and he is practicing social distancing and is keeping the 6 feet distance when performing weddings. There are many different packages to choose from. With many years of experience performing weddings he is a wealth of information. Check out his website by clicking here.
STEP THREE -- GETTING YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE
I am happy to report that you can still get your marriage license in Hamilton County, Ohio. This is great news! As you may know we also photograph and film weddings in the Miami Dade area and they are not issuing any marriage license.
Where do you go to get your marriage license? There is a process and you will want to file at least 14 days before your wedding date. Once you get your license you have 60 days to have your ceremony. There are some steps on how to file and all this good information is listed on the Probate Court's website. I have the link listed here for you to read. You will want to follow the instructions carefully.
STEP FOUR -- HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER
I feel now more than ever hiring a photographer and videographer is so important when you are having a small intimate wedding. This is a great way for you to include your guests that you could not invite due to the restrictions. If you are planning on having a reception later when we are allowed to gather you may decide to show your wedding video and a slideshow of your photographs at the party.
Together As One JB is offering a special during this restricted time. We have a package that includes photography of your ceremony, family portraits, and some intimate photographs of just the two of you. The photographs will be edited and uploaded to an online gallery where you will be able to download the high resolution photographs or have them printed through the site. The web gallery even has an app where you can design a wedding album. We also will film your entire ceremony in high definition video and give you the edited video file with titles for you to share with your friends and family. The icing on the cake is that we will also live stream your ceremony at no extra charge so that you can have your guests at your wedding virtually. All of this is included in a very reasonable price of only $1000!
If you book us for your small intimate wedding and decide to have a reception later and want us to film/photograph that as well then we are taking 20% off our packages.
If you have any questions on any of the steps on how to have an intimate small wedding please reach out to us. We will gladly help you with the coordination of your intimate small wedding. With over 15 years of experience, our creative brains will help you have that magical wedding that you have dreaming of.
Contact us today by clicking here
Or give us a call at 513-544-0270.
Let's get you married!
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