If you are a casual visitor to this blog, you may be under the impression lately that all we shoot is engagement sessions!  I have been a very, very, bad blogger, and I apologize.  I’m quite behind on my wedding blogging, mainly because wedding posts tend to be HUGE, and very time-consuming, and it’s just so much easier to throw up a “quick” e-session.  But rest assured, YES, we photograph weddings.  And we’ve done a lot so far this summer.  And with a bit of luck, they will start showing up on the blog much more frequently.

That said, I invite you to settle in – you may want to grab a cup of coffee, or possibly a snack, because this is a long one!    Heather & Tom’s  April wedding was nothing short of amazing.   I know that’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, especially on wedding blogs, but it’s appropriate here.  They chose a magnificent location – River Birch Lodge, in Hartland, MI – which is rustic and beautiful and completely fitting for a couple who loves the outdoors and lives in Colorado.  And they had the most lovely details to compliment the setting, including a lot of handmade, DIY touches that really set their wedding apart.

Heather wore a Nicole Miller gown, and her jewelry and gloves were vintage.

Her earrings were handmade to go with her necklace and other accessories.

Heather’s engagement ring was custom made, in clay, by Tom and then cast.  I believe Tom made the bands too.  (Random Trivia: This is the second couple we’ve photographed at River Birch Lodge who made their own rings!)  Aren’t the beautiful?  They are sitting on a sweet little package of tree rings that served as a favor for the guests.

How handsome is this groom?!?  We love when we can photograph the groom getting ready as well as the bride.

Heather’s accessories were gorgeous.  She has amazing style.  And because I know someone will ask, she got the birdcage veil on Etsy.  (Etsy has so many fabulous wedding accessories – whatever you can dream up you can probably find there.)

Heather, you are STUNNING.

Heather & Tom chose to do a First Look before the ceremony.  I am sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I cannot emphasize enough how fantastic First Looks are.  We always, always, get amazing photos, the couple still has their moment, and it makes for a much more relaxed day.  It also makes your timeline a breeze, as your photography and formals can be completed before the ceremony, so you are free to enjoy your reception and spend time with your guests afterward.

…And that is why you do a First Look! 

Married! 

River Birch Lodge is an intimate venue, with a sprawling layout, and lots and logs of rustic details.  Picture a log cabin you’d find after driving up north for 5 hours, except it’s within an hour from Detroit.  The home is full of fantastic architecture and details, including an arched door imported from Europe, supporting beams made from real tree trunks and two fieldstone fireplaces.  The lodge also serves as an Inn, with a master suite and guest rooms to sleep up to 20.

The wine in the photograph above was made by Tom’s late grandfather.  He made a bottle of wine for each of his grandchildren to open on his/her wedding day.  I thought this was such a beautiful idea.

How charming was their wedding cake with the love birds on top?  The orchids on the cake are the same kind that are on the side of Heather’s ring, and they grow natively where they live.

Heather & Tom surprised their guests with a choreographed swing dance – they were great!

Whew!  That’s it!

Heather & Tom – we had such a blast documenting your day.  Thank you!

If you’d like to help this couple win a print credit, please leave a comment below!   (details here)   If you’re a guest and want to see all the proofs, click here!

I had to take a quick breather from editing though to share an image that caught my eye while editing Stacey & Fred’s wedding.  Their wedding was beautiful and we’ll be posting their slideshow and proofs shortly.

Until then, here’s a teaser:

Happy Monday everyone!  I wanted to share some images from Dorothy & Peter’s winter wedding which took place this past Valentine’s Day.  It was a beautiful, elegant day, and Dorothy was a stunning bride.  :)  This couple was referred to us by one of our June grooms, thanks Jeff!  (If you’re a relative of Dorothy & Peter’s, you might want to check out Jeff & Amanda’s engagement session images as well!)

I love how in the image on the right you can practically hear Dorothy saying “yay!”  

Here’s Peter getting all handsome.  He told us later in the day that this was the first wedding he’d ever been to.  His own wedding!  Crazy!

Loved all the pretty details! Dorothy had great accessories!

The church Dorothy & Peter originally wanted to get married in (Church #1) was booked for their wedding date, but luckily there was another beautiful church just across the street.  They were able to get ready at Church #1 and have an First Look in the chapel of Church #1 and receive a blessing before heading over to Church #2 for their actual ceremony.  It worked out great and allowed them to include their church in some way on their wedding day.  :)

First look.  :)

From there it was across the street to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for the ceremony.  It was a stunning church!

And….married!

Did I mention that Dorothy is an officer in the Navy?  Yay, sword arch!  :)

The reception immediately followed at the Flint Golf Club.

The entire family was pretty photogenic!  Made our lives easy!  :)

As Dorothy is currently stationed overseas, we didn’t get to actually meet her and Peter until their rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.   That’s a little unusual for us.  We like to photograph engagement sessions so we can kind of get a “sense” about each couple we work with.  But I was so charmed by how Dorothy & Peter interacted all evening.  They are so obviously in love and just so freaking cute together.  Case in point:

They were like this the whole evening when they thought people weren’t watching them. Adorable.  

Navy tradition is that the bride cuts the cake with her sword.  How awesome is that?!?

First dance, still being all adorable.

I sometimes leave the bouquet toss out of blog posts, because they tend to be fairly standard.  BUT, our June bride Amanda caught the bouquet!!!!    That’s a first for us.  :)

These two images make me smile.

I have a hard time picking a favorite here.  I love the look of joy on the little boy on the right’s face, but the suave & debonair pose the little guy on the left is striking just kills me.  What a little lady’s man.  OMG.

Couldn’t pick my favorite ring shot either, so here’s three.  :)

Thanks again to Dorothy & Peter for allowing us to document this day for you.  Your wedding was absolutely beautiful and we had a great time.

If you’d like to help this couple win a print credit, please leave a comment below! If you’re a guest and want to see all the proofs, click here! Or you can check out their slideshow here.

Happy New Year everyone!  We hope everyone had a great holiday.  :)  2009 was a great year for our business, and 2010 looks bright.  We were excited to have weddings all the way through to December last year.  Rachel & James were our last wedding of 2009.  They were married on December 19th at Saginaw Valley State University.  Their ceremony was in Founder’s Hall, with their reception at Curtiss Hall.

Rachel & James’ flower girl was a professional. She is the daughter of a pastor and has been a flower girl several times.  This is SERIOUS BUSINESS to her. OMG, she was so funny.  She was bossing Rachel and the bridesmaids around in the getting ready room, telling them to line up, making sure everyone was getting ready, practicing her facial expressions, etc.  So hilarious.  She also helpfully demonstrated her “bored” face, so they would know when she’d had enough of the ceremony.  Not kidding.  It was too funny.  :)

Also, I forgot to mention that one of the bridesmaids, Elisha, was one of our very first clients ever.  We photographed her wedding back in August of 2008.  Thanks Elisha!  :)

I totally forgot to mention that one of the things the flower girl took most seriously was that the bow on her sash be tied perfectly. She then immediately untied it as soon as she got down the aisle.  :)

Love the way she’s looking at him here.

In case you were wondering, this was the bored face.  LOL  :)

Rachel & James – we had a great time!  Thanks so much for letting us be part of your big day!  :)

Please make sure you leave a comment to help this couple win a free enlargement. (Full details here.)

Are you kidding me? Gorgeous!

If Donna’s dress looks familiar it’s because it’s the same style worn by Caroline Bessette Kennedy – it was an amazingly delicate silk creation and it was so Donna.  She looked amazing!

These bridesmaids were so cool – they were so fun and ready for anything.  :)

Does anyone else think Donna looks like Sandra Bullock’s twin sister?  I mean, damn.

So let me tell you a little bit about these next few images.  Donna did NOT want the typical wedding (in case you couldn’t tell by her choice of venue!) She specifically forbade the DJ to play the Wedding March.  She hates the Wedding March.  Paul knew it.  Her bridesmaids knew it.  Her family knew it.  But what they didn’t know, is that Donna secretly told the DJ to go ahead and play it anyway – and abruptly cut into For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica!  OMG! Coolest walk down the aisle ever people!  It was epic!

I love this sequence – Paul’s reaction when the Wedding March comes on…and then when he recognizes the Metallica song.  Awesome.

This is one of my favorite “formals” ever:

Shoes.  Epic.

After the ceremony, the guests (and us!) boarded the Ovation and took in the sights of the Detroit skyline.

I must talk a little bit about photographing a wedding reception on a yacht, and in particular, working with the staff and crew of the Infinity and Ovation Yacht Charters. This was a first for us, and going into it, I have to say I was a little nervous.  I grew up on the water. My parents had a couple different trawlers over the years and they served as big playhouses for my brother and me growing up.  Ironically, I loved going on the water, but was was insanely fearful about drowning because I can’t swim at all.  My parents were all big into the swimming class stuff, since we lived on a canal, but it had totally the opposite effect on me – it left me completely traumatized.  (Really YMCA, do you think it’s a good idea to carry a fearful kid to the end of the diving board and unceremoniously dump them into the deep end?  REALLY?)  So anyway, I was a little concerned that this might be scary for me.  I hadn’t been on a boat in years, and the last time, I was very alarmed at how the guardrail is much lower when you are 10 years older.  And my heart did skip a beat upon boarding – that’s always the worst part for me, I’m always afraid I will be overcome with dizziness and fall in and drown in negative 2 seconds before anyone notices.

I’m happy to report that I had a breakthrough of sorts, because I LOVED being on this boat.  It was absolutely glorious, and I was completely fascinated at the skill of the captain and his ability to back this huge yacht into a slip from a mile out into Lake St. Clair when it was time to return to the marina.  It always amazes me how people are able to “park” boats at all.  Every time we returned from a boat ride as kids, I was always poised for us to ram into something.  Not because my dad wasn’t skillful (he was!) but because the physics of it just makes my brain  hurt.  It just doesn’t seem possible to maneuver a big floating heavy object into a confined space.)

Anyway, I digress.  What I really wanted to get across is the fact that the staff and crew of the Ovation were outstanding.  They treated us wonderfully, and I really think you can judge the quality of a venue by how they treat the other vendors.  Just little things, like moving out of the way and letting us get down the stairs quickly as we lugged gear up and down the three decks,  rather than banging into our gear.  Or asking us if we needed water (always appreciated!!)  Jackie, the Ovation Coordinator, was on top of everything, made sure everything stayed on the timeline, and was a pleasure to work with.

One other thing, the food was amazing.  As we came back to dock, a round of late night snacks were served, including these dainty mini-grilled cheese sandwiches dunked in the richest tomato soup ever.  A guest came up to me and asked what people were eating, and when I told her, I think she may have run someone down to get to a server.  And I don’t blame her.   Andy is still talking about those sandwiches. 

Donna & Paul – your wedding was seriously a blast and we are so happy we were able to document it.  We wish you both the best!  :)

If you’d like to see more, we also have a vimeo slideshow up here – which frankly is one of the coolest slideshows we’ve done to date.  So you should check it out.

Finally, don’t forget that you can help this couple win a free enlargement by leaving a comment below!   All commenters automatically are entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card as well.    (Read details here.)

Meredith’s dress = glorious!  It was an amazing couture find that she got for a steal thanks to some good luck and great timing.  It was meant to be, because it was utterly perfect for her.

Meredith & Mike were high school sweethearts, so it was only fitting that their First Look was at Grosse Pointe South.  Andy met up with the guys while I was hanging out with the girls.  He got some great shots at the school baseball diamond.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again.  I love First Looks.   Seeing each other before the wedding allows us to set up a very special moment, and you are free to laugh, cry, hug and kiss and talk – which you can’t do in the formal atmosphere of the church.  It is way more intimate and joyful.  We’ve also found another added benefit – our couples are noticeably calmer and more relaxed going into the ceremony when they’ve seen each other first.  So it’s good for the nerves too!

On to the ceremony!  Meredith & Mike tied the knot at St. Ambrose in Grosse Pointe Park – another location within walking distance to our house.  :)   This church is beautiful inside.  The stain glass windows bathe the entire church in this pretty purple light.  This was our first time working in this church and the staff was very gracious.  Meredith’s uncle from Boston officiated the ceremony, which made it even more meaningful.

The reception was held at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.  The couple was welcomed into the ball room under an arch of baseball bats – a playful and fun way to spice up the introductions.  :)

Finally, the rings.  More lovebirds, and more obliging creatures to hold the rings!

Meredith & Mike – thank you for letting us capture this beautiful day.  Meredith – you looked absolutely gorgeous and you and Mike’s happiness was palpable throughout the entire day.  We loved working with both of you.  :)

Finally, don’t forget that you can help this couple win a free enlargement by leaving a comment below!   All commenters automatically are entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card as well.    (Read details here.)

A little over a year ago, I used to follow the blogs of some really fabulously successful “big time” wedding photographers.  (Those of you not as intimately acquainted with the bridal/photography world are probably thinking “Big time wedding photographer?  Are you kidding me?” and while I can certainly understand that sentiment, I promise you they do exist and are sort of celebrities in our field. )  But, I digress.  I would follow these blogs and these people would take FOREVER to post stuff and I just always thought that was a little snotty, as in I am too busy being fabulous to blog recent events.  And now, close to the end of our 2009 season, and having photographed twice as many weddings as last year, I sorta get it.  I don’t know about the fabulous part, because half the time I am so exhausted that I forget to brush my hair, let alone get it cut, but the busy part I get.

And let me just state for the record, that neither myself or Andy is complaining.  We feel so grateful to our couples for giving us the opportunity to do something we love, and it has been a privilege.  But unfortunately the blog often suffers the most from our crowded schedules.  It doesn’t help that I really need a few hours to do a post because deciding which images to use is a long process for me.  I guess the good part is that despite entering the slower part of the year, we still have lots of eye candy to share with our blog readers!

You may remember Amanda & Dave from their rather epic 2-part engagement session post (here and here) on our blog earlier this year.  We visited them in Chicago and had a nice long photo session, so we felt like friends by the time their wedding rolled around.  Amanda & Dave got married at the Pine Knob Mansion in Clarkston, MI this past August.  Gorgeous, gorgeous venue!    But I’m skipping ahead of myself.

How adorable is Amanda? 

Dave cleans up pretty well too. 

Amanda & Dave elected to do a First Look before their wedding.  We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE when couples do this.  It’s a beautiful, emotional moment for each couple and it’s also a wonderful photographic opportunity.  It also allows us to get the formal photographs done early in the day, when everyone is looking fresh, and then later on, it’s straight to the party!

The other great thing about Amanda & Dave seeing each other early?  We got photos outside before the rain started!  All day, the weather had been looking pretty iffy – it was uncertain if the ceremony would take place outdoors as planned.  At the last minute, the decision was made to risk it…..and…it rained!    Amanda & Dave weren’t going to let a little rainfall spoil their day though!  They, and their guests, carried on like troopers and proceeded through the ceremony.  It’s actually really hard to tell in the photos, but it was sprinkling lightly the whole time.  I bring it up only to reassure other brides that a little rain on your wedding day is NOT the end of the world.  We’ve now photographed several weddings under less than ideal weather conditions, and every time, things worked out.

She may or may not have been giggling at her guests who were covering their heads about this time in the ceremony. 

Everyone sprinted for cover as soon as the ceremony ended, all in good spirits, and ready to celebrate!

The Pine Knob Mansion was just completely beautiful.  Definitely one of the nicest venues we have photographed.  The achitectural details are amazing.  The style is considered “English Manor” but it looks more like “Tudor Castle” to me.  Absolutely lovely.  We also have booked a wedding at the nearby Carriage House for next year, and we are excited to go back. 

Finally, I’ll wrap this post up with two ring shots that I loved.  We saw this awesome suit of armor in the hallway, and it seemed like it was just sitting around waiting to play ringbearer.

Seriously, a new favorite.  I mean…it’s a knight!

And finally, we had to get a shot of these lovebirds,  which were on display at Amanda’s mom’s wedding.  I left Andy in charge of the rings while I went to grab a piece of equipment and came back to find that he had perfectly balanced them like this.  This took skills people!

Amanda & Dave, thank you for letting us be a part of your beautiful, rainy, laughter-filled day.  We had so much fun documenting your wedding and we wish you both the very best.   Please let us know if you are ever in town! 

If you want to see more, you can check out their vimeo slideshow here. 

Finally, don’t forget that you can help this couple win a free enlargement by leaving a comment below!   All commenters automatically are entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card as well.    (Read details here.)

We arrived at Amy’s house and discovered lots of fun decorations and details.  Amy’s mom hosted a cocktail hour while we were out taking photos…so I’m glad we got a chance to take a peek, because she did such a great job.  The dress on the left was out on display and was Amy’s grandmother’s.  Isn’t that awesome?  There were old wedding photos on display from past generations as well, which was really neat.  The photos were awesome and it was such a COOL idea.

Pink Kate Spade shoes.   Awesome.

Amy wasn’t the only person there with cool shoes!

Do I even need to explain at this point how cool this couple was???

I’ll top this off with two of my favorite detail shots of the day.

Yes, it’s the shoes…again.  They deserved to be featured twice.  :)

Amy & Dennis – you both were such a blast and we had a great time working with you.  We wish you much happiness in Georgia and the best of luck to Dennis in his first year of medical school.  You guys rock!  :)

Help this couple win a free 8×12 or 11×14 print!  30 comments = 8×12, 50=11×14.  See the fine print here.  Everyone who comments is automatically entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card.  (Speaking of which, I think we need to announce some winners from our other weddings soon, so stay tuned!)

I’m sooooo far behind on blogging!  We’ve just been slammed.  August was a very busy month for us, with three weddings.  But I’m getting back on track.  And I am SO excited to finally share these images from Heather & Chris’ stunning and sophisticated Detroit wedding.   You may remember this couple from their earlier e-session, with their adorable golden retriever.   They picked some fantastic locations for their July wedding.  The ceremony was held at the historic Old St. Mary’s Church in Greektown.  What a breathtaking place!  I’ve passed by that church so many times and was stunned when I walked through the door.

The bridal party got ready at Greektown Casino, just across the street.  And this has no bearing whatsoever on anything, but I LOVE the wallpaper in the bathroom in the hotel lobby.  It’s like a metallic weave and it looks like it’s a quarter-inch thick.  It’s so awesome.

Of course the bathroom isn’t the only thing fabulous about the lobby….there’s also this:

I took a photo similar to the one on the right during Cara’s bridal session, but I had to do it again because 1.) I LOVE that purple couch, and 2.) I LOVE the Chihuly chandelier.   (Do a google image search for “Chihuly chandelier” to see more awesomeness.)

Okay, where was I?  I feel like I’m channeling my good friend Sarah Brown who writes the most awesome stream-of-consciousness style posts, because I’m very tangent happy today.   Anyway.  The guys.  Yes.  Let’s talk about them.

The guys and Andy walked down to the Riverfront for some photos while the girls were getting ready.  I love this image of Chris with the iconic Ren Cen behind him.  Meanwhile, Heather was being SO cute and spying out the window on arriving guests and trying to catch a glimpse of her husband-to-be.

Here’s Chris, waiting for his bride to arrive.  Now I know the image on the left is probably one you get or don’t get. I saw Heather’s fingers about to open the door and I just loved that moment.

Married!  :)

Here’s the bridal party at the Riverfront, and in front of the Casino, respectively.  :)  We also hit all the major Detroit landmarks, like Comerica Park and the Fox Theatre.  This is one of my all time favorite group shots:

We had to stand in the street to get that, which is a little scary on Woodward.  But it was totally worth it and we didn’t even get run over.  :)

Chris & Heather’s reception was at the Colony Club – which we love, and it’s near a lot of great eyecandy, including this fire station.  Just so you know, if you are wearing a white dress, people will let you pose just about anywhere.  :)

And, this is seriously just an alley, with a lovely bit of ivy.  I love Detroit because you can find places like this across the street from a nondescript parking lot. Score.

Okay, so shooting at the Colony Club was just a treat.  It’s an absolutely gorgeous venue.  It is an amazing place for a wedding reception.

I really had a hard time choosing my favorite first dance picture, so I’m posting two.  :)

Okay, I know this is a lot of photos, but I just have one more left, and it’s easily one of my all time faves.  Here’s Heather being awesome.  :)

Heather & Chris – we had such a great time at your wedding.  It was elegant and sophisticated and a joy to photograph.  Please give Griffey a kiss from me!

Help this couple win a free 8×12 or 11×14 print!  30 comments = 8×12, 50=11×14.  See the fine print here.  Everyone who comments is automatically entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card.  (Speaking of which, I think we need to announce some winners from our other weddings soon, so stay tuned!)