Briana+Ben: Wedding at The Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, Michigan

February 21, 2017

I’ve joked that Briana’s bridesmaids would make other photographers jealous. Amost half of her bridesmaids work in the wedding industry, so whether I needed a helper to get her dress just right or someone to grab a reflector and help out with lighting, they were always right there for me. It was pure luxury as a wedding photographer 🙂

Briana may be an only child, but she is clearly loved by so many. Ben reminds me a bit of Jeff—he may seem a bit quiet to begin with, but he’s absolutely worth getting to know once you start peeling back the layers.

This was my first wedding at The Inn at St. John’s, and I’ll tell you what—if you want a venue where you can have everything in one place, this place is worth checking out. Check the bottom of this post for more vendor details.

Here’s the Storytelling Frame that Briana and Ben ended up putting in their home to show off their favorite photos.

Wedding Vendors:

Hotel, Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Inn at St. John’s, Plymouth (reception in the Atrium)
Wedding Planner: Cecelia Ash, Orchid Events
Flowers: Silk Thumb Florist
Mariachi Band: Mariachi Juvenil Detroit
DJ: Bee Entertainment
Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses: The Dress Shop
Cake: Cakes by Stephanie

Check back next Tuesday for a brand new blog post.

Danielle+Cory: Beacon Hill Golf Club Wedding

February 14, 2017

I met Danielle and Cory in the fall of 2015 when they reached out to me to put together a fall engagement session before the weather turned too cold. We did the session in November, and it was NOT warm, but they had such a great attitude, and we ended up with photos that really reflected how sweet they are together. Danielle even did part of the session in a sleeveless dress—that is some major dedication!

When I arrived at their wedding at Beacon Hill Golf Club in September, it was like reconnecting with old friends (along with new friends with their incredibly sweet bridal party). The day was full of both sweet and bittersweet moments—tributes to a dear friend lost, a surprise reunion among friends who live across the country from each other and celebrations of love and friendship.

And I still can’t get over that golden light on Danielle’s red hair. I’m telling you, all of these gorgeous red heads are going to make me want to dye my hair red one of these days.

Check out the vendor list for this wedding at the bottom of the post.

These photos show the gallery wall collection and Linen Signature book that Danielle and Cory picked out for their home together. The 5×5″ books were gifts for their parents.

Wedding Vendors:

Getting Ready Hotel: The Baronette Renaissance Hotel, Novi
Venue: Beacon Hill Golf Club
Hair and Makeup: Primp Beauty
Flowers: Viviano’s Flower Shop
Invitations: Paul Krupp
Wedding Dress: Maria’s Bridal Couture
Bridesmaid Dresses: B. Ella Bridal
Cake: Buttercream Bakeshop

Check back next Tuesday for a brand new blog post.

Cassie+Mike: Ciccone Vineyard Destination Wedding, Leelanau Peninsula

February 9, 2017

I think I met Cassie when she was about six years old. Her sister, Nicole, and I have been friends since elementary school, and I spent a good deal of time over at their house. I also went to school with Mike’s older sister, Jill. Knowing the whole family for so long made it that much more special to be a part of their wedding. And when you add the fact that they got married in the Leelanau Peninsula, one of the most beautiful places in the entire world (plus my Grandma lives in Northport), and then you add the fact that the wedding was at a vineyard overlooking the Grand Traverse Bay, you find me in my happy place.

Here’s their wedding story from Cassie:

“Mike and I have always had a special place in our hearts for Northern Michigan, especially in the summer! We’ve vacationed to Suttons Bay numerous times and it just feels like home to us. We wanted a very small intimate wedding with very close friends and immediate family as this (was) one of the most sacred and special moments of our lives. Mike and I both love to be outdoors and explore new and beautiful places together and that’s exactly what we felt when we visited Ciccone Vineyard and Winery for the first time. Mike and I spent a lot of time working on every small detail of this wedding, and what was so great about it is that we were able to do it together and give each other feedback. We made sure that before we started the planning process last year that we would hold true to make this day exactly what we wanted. It was hard to make certain decisions as there are obviously other people involved on this day but ultimately we wanted to make sure it was everything that we both had always dreamed of in every way!”

And because so many people have asked about vendors in the Traverse City area, check out my list at the bottom of this post for specific vendors from this wedding.

Cassie and Mike didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony, so they did a “first touch” back to back in the vineyard.

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception: Ciccone Vineyards & Winery
Flowers: Field of Flowers Farm
Band: Oregon Dream Child (SO GOOD!)
Invitations: Cabin Fever Crafts, Lauren Walter
Catering: Chef’s Pride Catering
Wedding Dress: Becker’s Bridal
Cupcakes: The Salted Cupcake (Grand Rapids)
Cake: All Cakes, All Occasions (Suttons Bay)

Check back next Tuesday for a brand new blog post.

Erin+Joey: Martha’s Vineyard Destination Wedding

February 9, 2017

When Erin and Joey asked me to come to Martha’s Vineyard to be their wedding photographer, I’m pretty sure I only had one thought – how soon can we go?

Erin’s aunt and uncle live on the island, so even though it was a destination wedding for most (Erin and Joey live in the Chicago area), the whole long weekend was filled with feelings of home and family. I’ve known Joey’s brother, Paul, and sister-in-law, Jess, for years, and I had a blast staying in a big family home and catching up with the whole extended family (Paul and Jess were married in the Domincan Republic, so this side of the family is used to traveling for weddings by now).

Martha’s Vineyard takes a little work to get to from Michigan – car, plane, bus and ferry – but it has so much charm and warmth once you’re there. I had a few opportunities to bike into Edgartown by myself while I was scouting out locations, and you can bet that I also scouted out the ice cream, coffee and breakfast shops while I was there. Oh, and lobster burgers. And lobster rolls…mmmm I couldn’t get enough. Maybe I’ll take Jeff back there someday for a little sailing adventure.

Jess took this photo of me on her iPhone—it’s a great summary of how we spent our free time.