A few times a year I like to do a personal project just for me. This keeps photography fun and stretches my creativity in new ways. My new sweet friend and fellow photographer, Sierra, helped me bring this elegant wedding portrait session to life. She and her husband, Seth, drove up to Cleveland and we had so much fun creating together.

The goal for this styled session was to make the portraits as magical as possible without spending much money. The biggest expense was the gown Sierra is wearing. I purchased it from an Etsy shop called Veils by Rebecca. Everything she creates feels very romantic and high-end. I purchased the florals at my local grocery store for about $60 and made the bouquet myself. I also attached a floor-length peach silk ribbon I bought in a bundle of discarded ribbon for $15. The final expense was the suit jacket Seth is wearing. I bought it at Goodwill for $5.

The locations I selected also helped elevate the look of the portraits. We began at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The large white columns, old trees, manicured lawn, and great lighting of the art museum make this a lovely and refined backdrop. After the museum we headed to the Italian Cultural Garden for a few more portraits of Sierra. Those turned out to be some of my favorites. Both locations are gorgeous and completely free to use. I’m thrilled with how these images turned out. I’m even more thrilled they didn’t break the bank!