I could photograph these two everyday for ever and ever 💕 Veronica and Mark are one of my amazing past bridal clients and nothing makes me happier than documenting the growing families of my all my brides and grooms! Baby Rhylee is here now but I still had to show off this gorgeous couple that makes my job so so easy!

You guys... I swear I just photographed her senior pictures like yesterday!! When Jenna reach out to me about photographing her wedding I was SO excited! Like, I actually don't take July weddings anymore due to a crazy summer schedule, but I just knew I had to make an exception for these two 💕 In exactly one month I get the honor of photographing one of the biggest days of their lives and I am stoked! Thanks for choosing me you two! 😘

Caity's bridal preparations were nostalgic for me. 14 years ago this August I was doing the same thing, in the exact same place. Ebenezer is my childhood church and I spent A LOT of time in that building.  When my original wedding location got flooded 3 days prior to our wedding, Ebenezer graciously opened their doors for us to have our ceremony there.

When we arrived at the church, Brent, Caity's father, was hard at work setting up the elaborate back drop he had created for the ceremony, Wes and his guys were chilling in one of the nurseries, and Caity was munching away on some delicious smelling Subway with her girls. We got started right away on detail shots, hanging Caity's gown on a gorgeous set of doors her father had created for them to walk through. About 45 minutes before "dress on" time, Caity asked me, "Can I get my dress on now?" She was SO ready to get her day started! When the time finally came she slipped on her beautiful, cream and blush, lace, A-line gown.  Her gown was sleeveless with the most delicate beaded straps I've ever seen, the back dropped mid-way down her back where a line of buttons started. Caity wore her short curly hair down with a fingertip beaded veil. Now there are three types of brides in the shoe department, the ones that don't care if their feet are screaming 2 minutes into their day, the ones that pick middle of the road heels, but are still gonna be hurting in a bit, and the ones that are ALL about comfort. Whatever category you fit in... I'm here for it and respect all of you. Caity was in the comfort category and chose a pair of white Birkenstock sandals... you go girl, it's your day, you do you!

Dallas and I originally met in high school at a county fair through mutual friends where we exchanged numbers and began dating shortly after. After dating about a year, we broke things off and went our own ways. In college, Dallas reached back out to me often to see how I was doing--mostly on birthdays or holidays--and one year asked if I'd get coffee when back in town. Since I went away for college, we did not see each other much at all after high school. Well, winter break 2017 I agreed to get lunch with Dallas one random Monday. We spent three hours at the restaurant catching up. We planned another day to see each other, and a year and a half later, he proposed. The rest is history :-)

I love when the bride and groom get ready at the same place so we can pop in and see both.

The ladies, in their matching jammies, were getting ready in the beautiful newly renovated bridal suite while listening to music, sipping on mimosas and munching on snacks. When the time came, Brook slipped into her stunning sleeveless trumpet gown. The bodice was sheer lace on the back and sides and was covered in little white beads. The back plunged to her waist where a small row of buttons continued till the skirt. Brook wore simple pearl earrings and her hair half up. Her look was completed with a gorgeous bouquet from the talented Bartz Viviano crew.

The gentlemen were getting ready a floor below the ladies sipping on some beers. The groomsmen that came up to visit the ladies were very jealous of the "party" the ladies had with their music and food spread and decided to hang out a little longer up there. When it was time, Dallas in his custom made Brook face socks, put on his suit with the help of his brothers. This was hilarious 😆 after Dallas was dressed the rest of his crew decided they needed to recreate the classic bridesmaids fluffing the dress pictures, but with Dallas and his suit. Oh. My. Goodness. I love these guys they made the day so fun!

Several months ago my best friend of 27 years (gosh that number can't be real 😬) called me up and said "Hey... do you want to go on a vacation, just the 4 of us? We are thinking we might just get married on the trip."  UHHH, vacations are my FAVORITE thing and weddings are like my second FAVORITE thing... plus my bestie??? YES PLEASE!! We started making plans right away. However, just like most plans made in 2020, ours ended up changing too. Originally we were headed to Cancun. A month before we were supposed to head out the CDC put in place the policy of testing to get back home. None of us could risk being stuck in Mexico for 3 weeks (although if I had to quarantine that is the place I would choose!!) We ended up pushing their wedding date out a few months and changing our location to be states side. Turned out for other reasons that kept popping up this was the perfect timing and everything turned out beautifully. 

Bridal preparations started EARLY! We had decided on an early morning ceremony to catch the sunrise. This meant we needed to be out on the beach by 6:40 am!! I think we made it by 7:00 lol. Sarah wore a stunning flowy gown with a sheer lace bodice and lace up back, gold dangle earrings, and a gorgeous bracelet. Her hair was pinned up at the nape of her neck and finished with a vintage looking jeweled and feathered hair piece. For the ceremony she kept her feet bare and put on gold sandals for photos outside the hotel.

May 16th is a date that will forever be special to Sarah and Keith but it is also Sarah's late grandmother's birthday.  This is her grandmother's delicate ring that she wears all the time.

They could have had a really romantic story and been High School Sweethearts. Instead they were just goofy kids, that became friends after three long years of Travis’s corny jokes and Nicole’s impatient banter. They developed something deeper in late night talks on the swings at St. Charles, through prom dates senior year. After LCC graduation, Nicole and Travis took separate paths to separate colleges. But they kept their friendship alive by reconnecting on Christmas and summer breaks, with the occasional school year visit....Then it all changed in fall of 2017. Any true Ohioan remembers the game: the Buckeyes faced a heart wrenching loss to Oklahoma. Nicole, always pretending to be a sports fan, was at Little Bar watching the game. Travis, being a real fan, was at the same bar drinking his sorrows away. So, fate had it that they ran into each other. And just like that, Travis and Nicole found their way back to each other. Drunken nights out and long text conversations soon melted into calls and FaceTimes and regular weekend visits. And somewhere between the talking and laughing, real life and love started to happen. It’s a simple story really: Boy and Girl become friends, then Boy and Girl fall in love. So, no, they aren’t high school sweethearts. But their hearts stay young and their love continues to grow. And that’s the best kind of story in their book. Oh, and remember those late night talks on the swings at St. Charles? That’s where Travis proposed to Nicole. Where the next chapter of their lives together begin, in a story they will write together: Travis adding those corny jokes, and Nicole editing them out. It's a love story that practically writes itself, with the ending we were all rooting for.

Bridal preparations for the ladies took place between Beauty by Jill Salon and The Studio on High. I can't sing enough praises about both of these vendors! The Beauty by Jill team is always quick and professional. This time Jill even called me to make sure we were all set for our EARLY and tight timeline. The Studio on High is a new AMAZING space in Lima created by a photographer friend of mine. It is a gorgeous space with beautiful natural light that can be rented by the hour. When she announced she was opening this space a few months ago I knew it was going to be the perfect place for Nicole to get in her dress! Nicole wore a stunning flowy gown, with a intricately beaded, shear bodice with a high neck line. Her shoes and earrings were a beautiful dark green. She wore her hair pinned up at the nape of her neck, finished with two delicate hair pins and a beaded fingertip veil.

Laney is hitting the blog today! She is another senior that opted for the split season 2 hour session. Pretty sure the first session felt colder than the snow session 🤔 it was allll kinds of cold, windy and misty that first session but Laney rocked it both times and her snow session is to die for 😍

Every year I have at least one client that is adventurous, brave, (and maybe a little crazy) that wants snow pictures 😄 This year I had 4 on my waiting list!!! The last few year have been tough in the snow department. But not this year!!!!!! As I type, most of us are snowed in from the foot of snow we got last night 🥶 Thankfully all my snow clients have been taken care of so I can just post my beautiful clients instead of romp around in this craziness lol. 

This is Bayli class of 2021.  The best snow is the morning snow, so you have to be ready to go at the drop of the hat! The morning Bayli called me it was the gorgeous kind of snow that sticks to everything. We decided to go for it, but by the time we got out there it was transitioning to a wet snow. Thankfully we worked super fast and got everything in before it started to melt all around us! Thanks for be my adventurous type of client Bayli!

Olivia || Senior Model, Class of 2021 🎓 Olivia opted for the 2 hour split senior session with her model package. That meant she got to do 5 different senior shoots and by the 5th shoot I asked her, "Are you tired of me yet?!" She smiled big and said NOPE! 💕 If you like to be in front of the camera and want 5 different shoots for your senior year now's the time to apply! Only 8 days left till the applications close. Hop on over to www.capturedbylydia.com/2022-senior-model-call to learn more and fill out an application!

Did you know our 2022 Senior Model Call is open right now??? Cierra was one of our stunning 2021 models. If you want to model for Simply torn, not once but TWICE, and have a fun paint shoot in addition to your personal senior session(s), now is the time to sign up!! Visit www.capturedbylydia.com/2022-senior-model-call by Feb 24th to submit your application.

How can I be photographing this gorgeous woman's engagement session and wedding coming up??? It feels like I just did her senior portraits yesterday! This coming year I actually get to photograph 3 weddings of my past seniors and I can't believe it! Time really does fly.

I met up with Ashley and Jonathon in downtown Van Wert before hopping out to a sunflower field where we captured the sky turning a crazy dark blue before our eyes as a massive derecho approached. It was so cool but I definitely felt like I had been dropped straight into the movie Twister as I pushed us to the very last second of shooting! Right as I hopped in my car and closed the door the first gusts of wind carrying a dust wall hit and rocked our cars...whew!! These two are so sweet and fun,  I can't wait for their big day at the gorgeous SoSerene venue!

Matias and I met in undergrad. I was his laboratory assistant for his freshman Zoology class. I immediately noticed how handsome he was but tried to keep everything strictly professional. It wasn’t until he asked me for help on his Organic Chemistry homework that things really sparked. After I sat with him at the library helping him with O-Chem, we stayed and talked until the library closed. We then moved to continue talking in the student union and talked there until it closed. Needless to say, we hit it off. He walked me to my apartment that night and asked to meet up again. Over two years quickly rolled by with countless nights laying under the stars on the soccer field just to catch up on our day, adventuring while rock-climbing and hiking, and studying hard for our future professions.

A lot changed in our relationship once I went off to medical school in 2019 while Matias was still finishing his undergraduate Biology and Chemistry double-major. Yet, his intentionality in our relationship never wavered. If we could not see each other on a weekend, we Skyped. If we could not Skype, we called. We began to talk about a forever future together pretty early on in our relationship. Honestly, it just felt like a match made in Heaven <3

Valentine’s Day 2020: Matias and I had been talking about getting engaged for some time now but I KNEW it would not be Valentine’s weekend. I told Matias on Friday night that I was absolutely sure he would not propose this weekend. I told him, “I know you are not cliche enough to propose on Valentine’s Day AND I have a medical school exam on Monday. You would not be cruel enough to make me miss a day of studying.” I was wrong! Matias knew that this was the weekend I least expected, so Saturday morning (February 15), I woke up to my best friend, Kristen, knocking on my bedroom door in my apartment. She walked in and told me to “Drop everything because Matias is taking you on an adventure today!”

Matias had left my apartment early that morning to create the first story of our forever future. He left notes at locations that were meaningful to us and sent me on a massive scavenger hunt to find all of the notes. Kristen was my chauffeur. Kristen gave me the first “clue” and it led us to a rock climbing gym. I had to climb a problem to get my second note. Next, the clue sent us to a public library where Matias had left a copy of the same Organic Chemistry homework that I helped him with on that first day we had talked. After that, he sent me to my favorite coffee shop and had a table reserved with a bouquet of flowers. He sent me to a local chocolate shop to treat myself and set up an appointment for me to get my nails done!! The next clue after getting my nails done lead Kristen and I to a park in Columbus, OH. He had included pictures of the area I was to find in the letter. I found the location, found my last letter and opened it. It said, “STOP! Do not open this letter. Put on a blindfold and let Kristen read the letter.” I put on the blindfold and Kristen started to read the letter. A few lines in, I felt someone grab my hand and Matias began to say his proposal to me. Kristen took off my blindfold and I was able to see the love of my life down on one knee promising to love me always and to stand by me even in the challenges that life brings. Of course, I cried, and of course, I said “YES!!”

I am beyond blessed to have this man as my partner in life, forever fellow adventurer, and the man who always points me back to realize what is most important in life. I love you earnestly, Matias.

Crimson Lane is such a beautiful venue! It also makes bridal preparations easy for the whole crew with ample space and beautiful suites to get ready in. The gentleman lounged in the men's suite, sharing stories and  listening to and singing worship songs. The ladies wore matching robes and  worked on each other's hair and makeup, laughing and chatting away. 

Madison wore a stunning sleeveless, A-line, lace gown with a plunging v-neckline and beautiful white fur stole. Her hair was pinned elegantly at the nape of her neck and finished with a delicate beaded hair piece and cathedral length veil. She wore nude heels and silver dangle earrings. Her something borrowed and blue was a sweet ring that belonged to her momma. Madison and her bridesmaids are incredibly talented and made their own bouquets. Madison finished hers off with a rosary that was given to her by a late dear friend.   

Who has 2 thumbs and has been terrible at blogging ... it's me... I have 2 thumb and have definitely been terrible at blogging 😬... Caitlyn + Wesley are so sweet and are going to be one of my 2021 bridal couples! For their session we visited my hometown. It was a little rainy at the start of their session but that didn't bother them one bit!

The ladies gathered in matching robes on the upper floor of the Stone Ridge Golf Club to get ready, sip mimosas, munch on pizza, and open their gifts from Allison. Allison wore a stunning long sleeved, a-line gown with a plunging lace lined back that met a small row of buttons. Her hair was pinned up at the nape of her neck and finished with delicate beaded hair pieces. She wore silver strappy heels, dangle earrings and a tiny blue & silver anklet . Her look was completed with a cascading bouquet filled with burgundy, cream and white flowers.

Jordyn requested a sunflower field for her first session and it was PERFECT timing for the new field in Lima. I adored her outfit and I am a TOTAL sucker for a hat 😍Love love love how these turned out!

I was so excited when Dan reached out to me about photographing a surprise vow renewal at his parents house! Holly and I cheered together in college and I was honored to be able to document their love <3

In exactly 2 months I will be joining this exceptionally sweet couple at their Crimson Lane wedding!!! These two.... oh man... what a joy to photograph! Madison will be my first bride that is ALSO a photographer 🤍 I didn't know what to expect going into their engagement session knowing this fact... I mean no pressure right?! HAHA any pressure felt, melted away 2.5 seconds into photographing them. They are natural cuddlers and posers and made my job so incredibly easy. I know their day is going to be exceptionally beautiful and just as easy and full of love as this engagement session was!

What a gorgeous fall day this couple had! Preparations for the day were split between Jordan's brother's beautiful home for the men and the Kenkade building in downtown Delphos for the ladies.

The ladies lounged around in matching jammies and the little ladies ran around and played in their matching robes with their adorable tiara hair pieces. Reece wore a gorgeous long sleeved, fitted lace gown with a sheer tattoo back and jeweled button details on both her back and sleeves. Her hair was elegantly swooped up and finished with a cathedral length veil perfect for the stunning church she was about to be wed in. Her look was completed with champagne heels, drop jewel earrings and a stunning bouquet full of  flowers in light pinks and whites, berries, and eucalyptus.

After preparations we headed to the church for a sweet first look with her dad <3

Umm these girls killed it AGAIN. If you all haven't shopped at Simply Torn... YOU NEED TO! She has the cutest stuff and her new shop located next to Tractor Supply in Lima is so stinking cute I just want to pack it all up in a bag and say here's my credit card bye lol. Check out some of her cute fall looks and then hop on over to her brick and mortar (3035 Elida Rd) or just shop online (thesptb.com)! She has a rewards system and even offers payment options through Sezzle!

I have never seen anything like Amber's dress! She wore a stunning sleeveless fitted gown that was covered in lace. The sweetheart neckline, straps, and plunging back were lined with a thick row of gorgeous beading and at Amber's waist was a short row of buttons. The most unique feature of her dress was the string of beads that draped down her back with a hanging pendant 😍 Amber wore her hair partially up with a beautiful hair comb, nude heels, and a set of matching pearl jewelry.

For the first time I am offering Christmas Minis!!! 🙌🙌 These will take place at my home studio. Of course I needed to show you what I have in store so I recruited my children and my niece. (My kids were really suffering from photographer's kid syndrome this day... sigh 🙄)

Sessions are available during the week between the hours of 10 + 3 from now till Christmas. If you need a weekend session I will be offering sessions the weekend of October 17 + 18 between 10 + 4 (only 10 sessions per day available on the weekend)

You can wear whatever you want but I thought jammies were fun for the bed! Each session is $100 and includes 30 mins and 5 digital images with print release. You will receive an online unedited gallery after you session to select the images you'd like. Additional images may be added for $15 per image.

A digitally signed contract and 50% retainer will be required to reserve your session time and must be submitted within 24 hours. Email me today to reserve your spot! capturedbylydia@gmail.com

Spencer and I are high school sweethearts. We have known each other for as long as I can remember, we both attended Allen East High School and were in the same grade. I remember when we were in elementary/middle school and someone told me that Spencer Miller had a crush on me. I instantly dismissed the thought, thinking it was so weird because we had the same name, you can't "date" someone with the same name as you (little did I know)! Spencer asked me out right before our freshman year in high school. There's not been a day since that I ever doubted he wasn't the one for me or that we wouldn't get married. It was never a matter of "if" but a matter "when" for us. Spencer (finally) proposed to me on March 5, 2019 on Fort Myers Beach, Florida. I have waited for years to marry my best friend and could not be anymore excited to do just that!

The bridal suite at Crimson Lane was a buzz when we arrived. Full of bridesmaids, moms, and of course the bride all getting ready. The ladies sipped on mimosas as they lounged around in lace trimmed robes in varying shades of pink. Spencer's gown was light and airy, perfect for an outdoor wedding. It was ivory with a lace covered bodice, tulle skirt, and the most delicate shoulder straps that also crossed her back. She wore her beautiful long hair partially pinned up with delicate hair combs. Her heels were stunningly covered in jewels across her toes and she wore simple pearl earrings. Her look was completed by a beautiful full bouquet of pink and white flowers.

Bridal preparations for the ladies took place at Natalya + Mark's lovely home in the presence of Natalya's favorite pups. Natalya hung out with her friends and family in her cute Mrs. Swetich jammies while they munched on Chick-fil-a and had hair and make up done. When the time came Natalya's mother helped her get into her stunning ivory gown. It was sleeveless with a plunging V-neckline, full tulle skirt with train, and delicate floral accents. She wore her hair up elegantly at the nape of her neck, completed with a live floral comb and beautifully beaded fingertip veil. Her look was finished with champagne sparkly heels, long jeweled earrings, bracelet and a stunning bright bouquet.