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.

When we needed to cut the boutonnieres and didn’t have scissors, Paul got a bit creative.

Check back next Tuesday for a brand new blog post.

Jenna+Derek: An Intimate Beach Wedding in Muskegon

August 24, 2016

I’m obsessed with Michigan beach towns. I’ll drive as far as I possibly have to if it takes me to a wedding on one of Michigan’s gorgeous lakes. Jeff and I have been scoping out places to keep our distant future dream sailboat, so I always—no joke—go early to beach weddings and shoots to scope out the local marinas.

Jeff and I were married in Mexico with 40 of our closest family and friends, so intimate beach weddings have an extra special place in my heart.

Jenna’s parents were married on this boardwalk in this exact place.

Check back next Tuesday for a brand new blog post.

Molly+Matt: A Sentimental Backyard Wedding

August 24, 2016

Molly and Matt live in California, but Molly dreamed of getting married in her childhood backyard. Their ceremony was extra sentimental, because it wasn’t just about joining together the couple. It was about joining a new family, including Matt’s kids, Ashley and Josh.

I love it when couples transform their own homes or childhood homes into the perfect backdrops for weddings. My sister was married at home, and it’s so cool to see the celebration in a place with so much meaning.

Wedding Vendors: