I’ve been obsessed with Southern Exposure Herb Farm near Battle Creek ever since I photographed Courtney and Mike’s wedding there in 2015. Brittany and Mike loved all of the gorgeous gardens they have there, so when it didn’t work out for them to host their wedding there, they asked if it was okay to shoot their engagement photos there. The whole team at Southern Exposure is so giving—they were completely up for the idea (by the way, check out their themed dinners if you ever want to plan a date night or a night out with friends that will blow you away).

Brittany and Mike’s two bulldogs added so much personality to their session. If you’re thinking about brining your dog along for your engagement sessions, absolutely do it! Just be sure to bring a friend along to help out when it comes time to get a few photos of just the two of you together.

Check back next Tuesday for a brand new blog post.

Learn more about wedding photography

Kelly and Murphy live in my old city (Chicago), and Kelly grew up in my current city (East Lansing), but Kelly’s parents moved up to Elk Lake recently, so they decided a destination wedding at the Garvey Barn in northern Michigan would be just the right fit for them.

There was so much creativity in this group—from the custom flag that Murphy designed (check it out above flying over the lake) to the house on the lake that Kelly’s sister, an architect, designed for her parents, to the wedding flowers that were custom designed by Murphy’s dad’s partner, Scott.

We got a bit of rain around ceremony time, but both Kelly and Murphy were so laid back about moving everything inside. Kelly was definitely a “bride-chilla,” and I loved her for it 🙂

Here’s a bit more from Kelly about how they planned their day:

“I grew up visiting my Grandma in Traverse City every summer, and more recently my parents moved onto Elk Lake, so the area has sentimental value to me. We were looking for a venue that could be semi-formal but still have a casual relaxed feel. Murphy designed and made all the signs and printed materials for the wedding (invites, save the dates, etc). His Dad’s partner Scott prepared all of the flowers for us, my friend Mary made all the vases for the centerpieces and my brother in law was our officiant! We were so excited to share this moment with our friends and family!”

Scroll all the way to the bottom for more details on Kelly and Murphy’s wedding vendors.

Wedding Vendors:

• Venue: The Garvey Barn
• DJ: DJ Them Flavors
• Catering: Catering by Kelly’s

Check back next Tuesday for a brand new blog post.