Cindy & Matt did a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic and then came home to have a big celebration with their friends and family here in Michigan.  (They did something most brides in their last month of planning wish they would have done!)    I am so glad that they asked me to cover all the fun of the day, starting with group portraits at Bay City State Park.  It was great starting portraits so relaxed, no rush to get to the party, just very chilled out….

Thanks Cindy & Matt for asking me to be there for you!  You were great to work with!   CONGRATULATIONS!

When I was greeted at the rehersal on Friday night by a wedding party dressed as pirates, I knew it was going to be a great wedding. Erin & Adam are supported by so many amazing family and friends who were an absolute blast to be with. The wedding day was totally easy-going and full of moments of belly rolling laughter.
They couldn’t have ordered weather any more beautiful than what they got on this October Saturday. 80 degrees and sunny is so incredibly unusual for Michigan, so to have that great weather on top of the gorgeous colors of the fall was a total blessing! I was very excited to take advantage of all the beauty of Apple Mountain’s grounds too!
They had planned lots of special touches within their wedding which really made it totally theirs- always great to see a couple do that! In their ceremony they had their maid of honor and best man do poetic readings which were both funny and inspiring, their nephews were “men in black” presenting the rings in locked briefcases, and they also did a Celtic hand fastening ceremony. It all added up to be a very unique celebration of them.
Apple Mountain was a perfect location for their special event- such accommodating staff and awesome food! I was really impressed with how smoothly everything ran throughout their day.

Congratulations to Adam & Erin! Thank you so much for selecting me to be your photographer. I was honored to play such an important part in your wedding day! I wish you amazing blessings on your adventures ahead!

Salon: Shear Legends, Saginaw, MI (Jessica did Erin’s hair)
Catering/Location: Apple Mountain Resort, Freeland, MI

There was something extra exciting about a wedding right in the midst of all the Christmas celebration. It was a busy week for sure with all the parties and family time and extra worship services… but having an additional reason to celebrate right in the midst of it all was a very special experience.

I am so happy to have met Stephenie and Mike last June when she was a bridesmaid in Emma & Chris’ wedding. In just meeting them then, I could tell they were fun, so I was very excited to get an email from her this fall asking me to be there for their wedding too! They both just recently graduated from college to be elementary school teachers and were planning a mid-week Christmas wedding so that they could be married before starting school in January. With the way the holidays fell this year, Tuesday turned out to be the day for them and it really seemed to work out great in the end! It will probably be my only Tuesday wedding ever, but will memorable for so many more reasons than that!

They were lucky to have good December weather with no crazy snowstorms blowing in, and actually we were very lucky to have a bit of snow to work with since just 2 days later Michigan got a big thaw and was pretty yucky looking for a bit. With all the sweet details they had planned and the beauty of the Christmas decorations all around, the whole day was just beautiful from start to finish. Although there is nothing that can quite be compared to the beauty of the way they can light up a room with their love and excitement!

Congratulations Steph & Mike! I am so pleased that you asked me to do this for you, I really enjoyed every minute of it! Good luck to you in your new jobs and your new home. May God bless you immensely with every happiness and success along your way!

(A special thanks to my friend and assistant, Sarah Watson, who was a great second photographer and caught some great shots of the day- a few here are hers. It was so nice to have you along for the day to help and hang out with!)

Notes on their vendors
DJ: Jammin DJ’s of Lansing- Adam was their DJ and he was fantastic! He was great at picking the right songs to keep the dance floor full!

Ceremony location: Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church

Reception location: Lexington Hotel in Lansing. Beautiful location, great food and I was impressed with their service too!