Rick + Brenda | Pool Party Wedding | Columbus, Marysville, Ohio Wedding Photographer

An intimate, backyard, pool party wedding. Before leaving, I high-fived the bride & groom while they stood in the pool, and told them it was the best wedding I'd ever been to. I could tell by their reaction they thought I was joking, but I've been to over 100 weddings and this was by far my favorite.

It was seriously the best! We arrived at their house and were greeted by the groom. We chatted for a bit until they announced the ceremony would be starting soon. A few people sat, but most guests stood. The bride came out of the house with her Dad, and there was a mixture of smiles and happy tears amongst family & friends. As she was walking down the sidewalk to her groom, and he smiled at her, I couldn't help but get choked up myself. These two found each other, and witnessing this official union was super special.

After the short service, the groom "kissed the bride" and the bride pointed in front of her and said "to the pool!" People started swimming, ate appetizers, drank beverages, and just hung out while requesting songs from "Alexa". After dinner (which was out of this world) there was an adult cannon ball contest where I'm pretty sure the water level in the pool went down at least a foot. Some of the older folks got drenched, which made for quite the entertainment. You could look around at any given moment and see a smile on every person's face; whether they were swimming or observing from the deck. It was a fun, non-traditional, super laid back wedding. The day couldn't have been more perfect!

If you're planning a wedding, just remember there are no rules. In my opinion, the more unique the better! Mix it up and make your day even more memorable by being a little creative. When I lived in Charleston, SC, a lot of weddings didn't have sit down meals at the reception. They didn't even have a seat for every guest! Instead there were bar-height tables and stations of food around the venue, where you could pick your cuisine and eat small plates throughout the night, while mingling the entire time! I remember loving the freedom to roam around and converse with all of the guests.

My best friend chose to have her brothers stand by her side at the alter, instead of the Groom's side, which is the traditional choice. I heard over the weekend a Groom had their Dad be their best man (so cool!). And I can't handle how cute it is when a Bride's grandmother is a flower girl; or a bridesmaid! You get to make the call, for every part of your day. If you don't want to have flowers, don't have flowers! If you don't want to have a dance, don't have a dance! If you want to serve pizza at the reception, start picking your toppings! Your guests are there to celebrate your love, in whatever way you choose.