Elizabeth Schwering

Avelina + Sean: Drees Pavilion Wedding Day // Covington, Kentucky

I’m so happy that I was able to kick off my 2022 wedding season last month with Avelina & Sean’s beautiful wedding day. Everything about this day was an absolute dream and I still can’t get over how much I love all of these photos. From the laughter Avelina & her bridesmaids shared while getting ready, to the gorgeous winter wonderland we were able to take photos in, everything about this day was incredible. I am so excited to finally be able to share these photos with you and tell the story of Avelina & Sean’s wedding day.

Bride and groom stand in the snow in front of a giant evergreen tree and face one another as the sun shines through the tree behind them on their winter wedding day at Drees Pavilion in Covington, Kentucky.

I started my morning off by meeting Avelina and her bridesmaids at their hotel in Covington. Avelina’s detail items were so dreamy and I am absolutely in love with the simple yet elegant invitation set she chose. As the group got ready, they laughed and chatted while the countdown to the ceremony began. Avelina got her bridal party matching socks and we had the best time trying to get a photo of everyone’s feet together (just look at those genuine smiles!) Once everyone was ready, Avelina’s mom & Maid of Honor helped get her into her dress. Just look at how absolutely STUNNING she looks! Truly radiating joy!

While I was with Avelina & the girls, my incredible second shooter Sam spent her morning with Sean & his guys. I always love going through the photos my second shooters take. It’s so funny to see how differently each side of the bridal party spends the morning together before the wedding. It looks like the guys had a ton of fun getting dressed up and heading to the conference room for photos. How awesome are these group shots?! What a neat space!

Once everyone was ready, we all met at Drees Pavilion. I always absolutely LOVE shooting here. Not only is the venue beautiful with an amazing view, but their staff is always on top of things and so unbelievably kind. When we arrived, they were finishing up setting up the the final touches in the ceremony space and oh my, it was so stunning. Once we settled in, we headed into the ceremony and started first looks. Avelina and her dad had their moment first. This was so sweet and I love how these photos show so much love between them, without using words. After they had a few minutes, we brought Sean in for his turn. Avelina & Sean's first look together was SO cute and I love how they both made the exact same face when seeing one another for the first time, my heart melted! After both first looks were done, we started taking couples portraits!

I still can’t believe how lucky we were to have such perfect weather throughout this entire day. In the days leading up to this wedding, it wouldn’t stop snowing in Cincinnati. A lot of Avelina & Sean’s guests (including the two of them) came in from out of town and I was nervous that the weather we had leading up to their big day would alter our plans. Luckily, the snow stopped falling, the roads were cleared, and we had a STUNNING snow coated, sunny day. I was a winter bride myself, so I have a soft spot in my heart for winter weddings. This day was beyond anything I could ever dream of and I still can’t even believe we actually got to take photos in the snow! So pretty!!

Even though the snow was beautiful, we were thankful to get back into the warmth inside for the ceremony. Aside from one small fire (literally), everything went so smoothly! Avelina & Sean read their own vows and we had a gorgeous view of the Cincinnati skyline behind them as they sealed their new marriage with a kiss. After the ceremony, we took a few family photos (but those are for Avelina & Sean to share!) before it was time for the reception!

Avelina & Sean threw an incredible party. We started off the night with an awesome dinner before braving the cold one last time to take a few photos with that gorgeous Cincinnati skyline. This was right before the Bengals headed to the Super Bowl, so it’s fun to see all the extra orange inside of Paul Brown Stadium. Once we were back inside, we celebrated with speeches & dances before getting the party started. I always love anniversary dances at weddings, but this particular anniversary dance was extra special. Once it got down to the final two couples, they both forgot how long they had been married for! We couldn’t stop laughing and this ended up being such a sweet moment. I absolutely love capturing receptions and all the fun they include, and this night sure was awesome. Avelina and Sean, thank you so much for trusting me to capture such a special day for you two! Everything came together perfectly and ended up being so unbelievably dreamy!