Hailey Lauren Photography

09/08/2026

Getting to watch this sweet girl grow over her first year has been such a joy 🤍 We took a little time to quack at the ducks, play, explore, and celebrate ONE whole year of her.

Happy first birthday!

09/05/2026

From the very first time I talked with Kamerine about her wedding plans, she knew exactly how she wanted the day to feel: classic, formal, and timeless.

As we talked about wedding venues around Columbus, she mentioned that so many spaces lean modern, and she was drawn to the places that carried a sense of history and tradition. The Athletic Club of Columbus immediately stood out. With its beautiful architecture, rich interiors, and unmistakable old-Columbus elegance, it was the perfect setting for the wedding she and Jake envisioned.

And when their wedding day finally arrived, it was every bit as timeless as we had imagined—with one particularly memorable appearance from the Ohio weather.

Tradition was important to Kamerine and Jake from the beginning, especially when it came to their ceremony. Their wedding day began separately, with all of the anticipation that comes from waiting to see one another for the first time at the church.

Their ceremony at St. Brigid of Kildare was beautiful and meaningful, surrounded by the family and friends who had come to celebrate them. And then, almost as if it had been waiting for the perfect moment, the sky absolutely opened up.

There is something wonderfully memorable about a wedding day that refuses to follow the weather forecast.

The rain poured during their ceremony, but somehow, just when we needed it to, it paused. That little window was all we needed.

We stepped outside and were able to photograph Kamerine and Jake together before heading downtown to continue the celebration. After watching the rain come down so heavily, getting that break felt like such a gift.

And almost comically, the moment we were safely back inside, the skies opened up all over again.

Wedding days rarely unfold exactly according to plan, and this one was such a perfect example of why flexibility matters. We watched the weather, took advantage of the moments it gave us, and still created the timeless portraits Kamerine had envisioned from the very beginning.

Once everyone arrived at the Athletic Club of Columbus, the setting could not have felt more fitting.

The Athletic Club has the kind of character that is difficult to recreate in a newer venue. The historic architecture, formal spaces, and elegant details create a backdrop that already feels timeless before a single wedding detail is added.It was exactly what Kamerine had described when we first met.

She wanted a wedding that felt polished and traditional rather than trendy, and seeing everything finally come together inside the Athletic Club felt like watching those early conversations come to life.

After months of planning, Kamerine and Jake could finally settle into the evening, celebrate with the people they love, and enjoy being newly married.

I also love knowing that such a formal, beautiful wedding celebration began with something so simple and personal.
Before they were engaged, Kamerine and Jake already knew where their relationship was headed. When it was finally time to make it official over Easter weekend, Jake took Kamerine on a walk through Grandview, where they used to live.

Going for walks together had always been something they enjoyed, which made the proposal feel completely true to them. They were able to have that moment privately before later joining their friends and family in Grandview to celebrate.

There is something so sweet about having both: a quiet moment that belongs entirely to the two of you, followed by the excitement of getting to share it with everyone you love.

And now, they have another Columbus memory to add to their story.

Kamerine and Jake, it was such an honor to document your wedding day. From your meaningful church ceremony and perfectly timed break in the rain to the elegant celebration inside the Athletic Club of Columbus, the entire day felt unmistakably you: classic, intentional, joyful, and surrounded by the people who mean the most.

Congratulations, you two!

Venue: The Athletic Club of Columbus

Florist: Madison House Designs

Dress Shop: Gilded Social

Dress Designer: Antonio Gual

Menswear: Men's Wearhouse

Hair: Hair by Ciann

Makeup: Esthi Bestie Aesthetics– Kayela Lamneck

Invitation Suite: Avant-Garde Impressions

Cake: Cakes and More

Videography:

DJ: Sensational Sounds DJ Brad Corbett

09/05/2026

08/24/2026

The skies opened up during Kamerine and Jake’s ceremony, paused just long enough for us to sneak outside for portraits, and then started pouring again the minute we stepped back inside. 🤍

It felt like the universe gave us the exact little window we needed. Such a beautiful day celebrating these two and their elegant wedding at the Athletic Club of Columbus.

Venue: Athletic Club of Columbus The Athletic Club of Columbus
Photography: Hailey Lauren Photography
Florist: Madison House Designs LLC
Dress Shop: Columbus Bridal Shop & Wedding Day Styling
Dress Designer: Antonio Gual
Menswear: Men's Wearhouse
Hair: Ciann Jade|OH Bridal Hairstylist
Makeup: Kayela Lamneck
Videography: Ezra Kim

08/23/2026

The skies opened up during Kamerine and Jake’s ceremony, paused just long enough for us to sneak outside for portraits, and then started pouring again the minute we stepped back inside. 🤍

It felt like the universe gave us the exact little window we needed. Such a beautiful day celebrating these two and their elegant wedding at the Athletic Club of Columbus. Congratulations, Kamerine and Jake!

08/20/2026

There is something extra special about getting an inquiry from someone I’ve already had the chance to photograph. I first met Kenzie earlier this summer when she was a bridesmaid in Courtney and Hunter’s beautiful wedding at The Dempsey Event Center. Not long afterward, I was so excited to see her name pop up in my inbox—this time because she and Kenny were planning a wedding of their own.

It is always such a meaningful compliment when a bridesmaid reaches out after experiencing a wedding day with us firsthand. Kenzie had already seen how Cody and I work, how we guide our couples and wedding parties through portraits, and how much we genuinely love celebrating alongside everyone. Getting to step into this next season with her and Kenny feels incredibly special.

An Ohio Statehouse Engagement Session
For their engagement photos, we met in downtown Columbus at the Ohio Statehouse. The Statehouse will forever be one of my favorite locations for engagement photos in Columbus. The beautiful stone architecture, tall columns, sweeping steps, and neutral tones create such an elegant backdrop without ever taking attention away from the couple.

It was the perfect setting for Kenzie and Kenny. Their session felt timeless and romantic, but still completely relaxed and true to the two of them.

Kenzie absolutely radiates happiness, and watching the way she and Kenny interact made the evening so much fun to photograph. There were plenty of those polished, classic portraits that I love creating, mixed in with the little laughs and natural moments that happen when two people are simply comfortable together.

A Love Story Years in the Making
Kenzie and Kenny’s story actually began long before this engagement session. They knew each other in high school, and over the years, their paths continued to cross.

There is something so sweet about two people continually finding their way into one another’s lives. Eventually, the timing was right, and all of those little connections led them here—to planning a wedding and an entire life together.

Knowing that history made photographing them feel even more meaningful. This isn’t just the beginning of their story. It’s another chapter in one that has been unfolding for years.

Sunset Over the Columbus Skyline
As the evening went on, we wandered around the Statehouse grounds and took advantage of the beautiful downtown light. We finished their session as the sun began to disappear over the Columbus skyline, giving us the prettiest ending to an already wonderful evening.

One of my favorite parts of engagement sessions is having this uninterrupted time with my couples before their wedding day arrives. There are no timelines to keep moving and no guests waiting for them—just space to talk, laugh, get comfortable in front of the camera, and celebrate the fact that they’re getting married.

After spending the evening with Kenzie and Kenny, I am even more excited to photograph their wedding next fall. I already know it is going to be such a beautiful celebration, and I feel incredibly lucky that our paths crossed at Courtney and Hunter’s wedding and brought us here.

Kenzie and Kenny, I cannot wait to celebrate you two again next fall!

Blog: https://haileylaurenphotography.com/2026/08/20/kenzie-kenny-ohio-statehouse-engagement-session/

08/19/2026

A sweet morning spent searching for turtles, stopping to admire the flowers, and soaking up all the little moments in between. 🌸🐢 These are the kind of family memories I love getting to capture.

08/17/2026

There are some couples who make it almost impossible to stop smiling behind the camera. Madi and RJ are absolutely those people. Their Park of Roses engagement photos took place on one very, very hot summer evening in Columbus. Even in the heat, these two had the best energy from beginning to end.

Madi and RJ have such an easy sense of humor together. They are constantly making each other laugh, and pretty quickly, they had me laughing too. You can also immediately tell how comfortable they are together. Our evening felt more like hanging out with friends, just with a lot more wandering through roses and stopping for photos along the way.

The Park of Roses was so beautiful for their engagement session. Everything was lush and green, with roses blooming throughout the gardens. It was also hot. Thankfully, Madi and RJ were completely unfazed and ready to have fun with it.

We wandered through the gardens, talked about life, and laughed a lot. We also talked about their wedding next summer at Swan Lake Event Center. Somewhere along the way, we discussed their dreams of eventually adding a puppy to their little family. We even ended up attempting the “Titanic” pose before the night was over.

Madi and RJ met during the pandemic. By the time we met for their engagement session, they had been engaged for just over a month.
Their proposal story felt perfectly them.

They were heading out golfing with their best friend, who also happens to live with them. The plan was supposedly to “get a picture of Madi’s swing.” RJ would stand nearby and cheer her on for the photo. Instead, that little golf course photo op turned into RJ proposing.

Madi told me it had rained right beforehand. I immediately thought that actually made the whole story even sweeter. The rain cleared, their best friend was there to witness it, and Madi thought they were simply taking a golf photo.

Sometimes the sweetest proposals happen right in the middle of ordinary life. A regular day suddenly becomes a story you’ll tell forever.

That same playful energy followed us throughout their entire session. There was never a shortage of genuine laughter between these two. Photographing them felt effortless because so much of their connection happens naturally.

That is one of my favorite things about engagement sessions. There is time to wander, talk, be a little silly, and get comfortable in front of the camera. By the end, it often feels less like a photo session and more like a really fun evening together.

Madi and RJ, I had the best time sweating through the Park of Roses with you. Your sense of humor together is infectious, and I love how easily you make each other laugh. If this evening was any indication, your wedding day is going to be an incredibly fun one.

I already cannot wait to do it all over again at Swan Lake next summer.

Blog: https://haileylaurenphotography.com/2026/08/17/park-of-roses-engagement-photos-madi-rj/

08/16/2026

There is something extra special about photographing a wedding when I already feel connected to the family. I first met Jenna and Joey at Joey’s sister Erica’s wedding to Tyler, and I was so happy when they reached out to me about photographing their own wedding day. From the beginning, I knew this was going to feel like getting to spend another day with people I already loved.

When Jenna and Joey first contacted me, they weren’t even sure what their wedding would look like. They were considering something much more intimate—perhaps a beautiful dinner with a small group of their favorite people. As their plans evolved, though, their celebration grew right along with them, eventually becoming a gorgeous wedding at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio.

And I’m so happy it did. Jenna and Joey deserved every bit of the grand celebration they ended up having.

The Ellis was the perfect backdrop for their day, with its modern black-and-white space transformed into something completely their own. I remembered Joey’s mom, Jill, and her incredible decorating skills from Erica and Tyler’s wedding at their residence, so I already knew what she was capable of. Still, seeing what she did with The Ellis was incredible. She completely put her touch on the room—and even did all of the flowers herself. From the florals to the thoughtful details throughout the space, Jill took an already beautiful room and made it feel personal, intentional, and completely reflective of Jenna and Joey.

The weather kept us watching the sky throughout the day, with thunderstorms threatening to roll through Columbus. Somehow, though, we kept finding the perfect little pockets of time to sneak outside.

We headed to the Ohio Statehouse for portraits, taking advantage of its classic architecture before the weather could change its mind. I love wedding days that require us to be a little flexible, because sometimes those quick decisions lead to some of my favorite photographs.

But more than any location or backdrop, what stood out to me was Joey.

There is absolutely no hiding how enamored he is with Jenna. Every time he looks at her, his entire face changes. That huge smile showed up over and over again throughout the day, and getting to document a love that is so easy to see is one of my favorite parts of what I do.

One of the greatest gifts of this wedding was simply getting to spend more time with both of their families. Having photographed Erica and Tyler’s wedding before this one, there were already familiar faces throughout the day. This time, I got to know even more of the people who surround Jenna and Joey with so much love.

And the nieces and nephews absolutely did my heart good.

By the end of the night, I had a tiny entourage trailing behind me as I photographed the reception. They were checking in on what I was doing, following me around the room, and stopping to give me hugs. Those are the kinds of moments that never make it onto a wedding timeline, but somehow become some of my favorite memories from a day.

I keep thinking about how this wedding began as the possibility of something small and intimate and eventually became this full, joyful celebration at The Ellis. And somehow, it still maintained that intimacy. The room may have been bigger and the guest list longer, but the day remained centered around the people Jenna and Joey love most.

It felt like exactly the celebration they deserved.

Jenna and Joey, I am so grateful that Erica and Tyler’s wedding brought you into my life and that I got to come back and celebrate with this family all over again. Joey, never stop looking at Jenna exactly the way you did on your wedding day. And to the tiny crew who followed me around the reception and gave me hugs—I hope I get to see all of you again someday.

I cannot wait to see what life brings Jenna and Joey next.

Blog: https://haileylaurenphotography.com/2026/08/16/jenna-joey-the-ellis-wedding-columbus-ohio/

Venue: The Ellis in Italian Village
Photos: Ohio Statehouse
Planning and florals:
Hair: Cactus Hair Salon
Makeup: Blythe Egbert

08/15/2026

Kenzie was a bridesmaid in Courtney and Hunters’ stunning estate wedding this summer, so I was thrilled when she reached out to celebrate her and Kenny’s engagement!

From knowing each other in high school to finding their way back to one another again and again, it feels like these two were always meant to end up here. 🤍