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Skyin and Barret were married at the Grand Ledge Opera House. I loved watching their families connect, despite the fact that they live halfway around the world from each other (Skyin is from China, and Barret is from here in Michigan), and they speak different languages.

From Skyin, the bride:

“I love sky, in all kinds of forms, with favorites being clouds in the big blue sky or sunrise or sunset. That’s also I name myself “Skyin” as my English name. Barret sometimes behaves like a bear to me and also his name sounds like bear so sometimes I refer him as my Bear.

Our wedding line is ‘Love has no boundaries,’ and much of our signage and decor [was] travel/world map/postcard themed. It is from the facts that we are from different countries and I work in the international education field, and I am always promoting intercultural understanding and communication. We are a living example that love connects people and breaks barriers. Love is magical…it will translate whatever or whenever we can’t or won’t understand each other.

I want to celebrate our relationship since it is a truly an amazing thing, and we have been through a lot, and I am so proud of us. At the same time, we used this as an opportunity to provide that intercultural experience for some of our guests who otherwise may not have that. Hopefully they will be inspired to travel, to meet someone who are different from them and to be more adventurous, open, inclusive and welcoming.”

Scroll to the bottom for vendors.

The Grand Ledge Opera House has a great place for a full group photo out back.

Wedding Vendors:

• Venue: Grand Ledge Opera House
• Planner and Florals: Barb Joseph
• Catering: Wanda Lee Catering
• Makeup: Crystal Drake

Learn more about Allie & Co. wedding photography

Learn more about wedding photography

I kicked off my 2019 wedding season with Kim and Tony’s wedding at Planterra Conservatory in West Bloomfield last weekend, and was absolutely jaw dropping.

Every detail was a dream come true, from the long, sweeping tables filled with candles and garland to the impeccable service by the staff at Planterra and so so many friendly faces that made the day a joy.

Kim and Tony never seemed stressed – they were both such a joy to spend the day with, and they seemed to be having the best time every time I turned my camera their way.

Thanks to absolutely everyone who made this day special. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for a full list of wedding vendors who helped make Kim and Tony’s wedding day what it was.

Wedding Vendors:

• Wedding venue, styling, florals, and planning: Planterra Conservatory, West Bloomfield (David DiVincenzo)
• Catering: Forte Belanger
• Wedding Dress: The White Dress (Stella York)
• Bridesmaid Dresses: JJs House
• Wedding Shoes: Kate Spade
• Hair and Makeup: Stephanie Holmes Hair
• Groom’s Suit: Ted Baker
• Groom’s Shoes: Undandy
• Pocket Squares: The Tie Bar
• DJ: DJ Joey A
• Photo Assistant/Second Photographer: Ryan Grenadier

Learn more about Allie & Co. Wedding Photography >

I spent about four years living in Chicago—it’s where I first discovered the Chicago Photography Center, the nonprofit where I took just about every photography class that I could on the evenings and weekends while I worked for a large PR agency in a high-rise downtown.

Chicago is where Jeff and I originally planned to get married (before our venue went out of business, and rearranged our entire plans to get married in Mexico instead). It’s where Jeff proposed, where I met many dear friends as I started my new life after graduating from MSU, and where I spent a summer working as a second photographer before someone took a chance on me and hired me to photograph my very first solo wedding (which, lucky for me, was at an amazing wedding venue that instantly took my portfolio to a new level).

Chicago was the place where I first went out on my own as a business owner—leaving behind the relative certainty of a steady job to discover the rush of working for myself. It’s also the place we visited before hopping on a plane with only two carry on suitcases to move to Washington DC for nine months back in 2013.

I don’t get back there nearly as often as I used to, but we met some of our closest friends while we were living there (friends who convinced us to go skiing in Colorado, take a 13-month-old to Hawaii to celebrate the new year in 2014, to take two kids to Costa Rica for a week, and to go on all kinds of other travel adventures). They’ve moved outside of the city since we moved away, but it’s still a treat to get back there when we can.

Erin and Alex gave me just the excuse I was looking for last summer when they mentioned photographing their engagement session in Chicago a year ahead of their Michigan wedding. I originally convinced myself we’d be able to sail our boat across Lake Michigan from St. Joseph for the session, but I quickly realized how impractical that idea was, and so I made plans to drive in.

If you’re looking to plan an engagement session at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, make sure that you get a permit ahead of time.

And one more quick note—this is a full session (60 minutes), which is usually enough time for two nearby locations and two outfits.