Anna and Will

Last but certainly not least…this was my last wedding of 2015. Anna and Will tied the knot at North Blendon Church in Hudsonville. I met Anna through her dad. Her dad and I have been on some of the same group bike rides, but had never formally met. He asked some of his riding friends for recommendations on a photographer for his daughter's special day and they referred me! It was such a pleasure meeting both families. Anna and Will were so easy to work with and so calm. I don't think I've ever seen a couple so relaxed on their wedding day.
It was a little dreary in the morning but, about an hour before the ceremony…the sun came out and it turned into a beautiful day!
I asked what made them want to be married in December and Anna told me she knew the church would be decorated for Christmas which takes the guesswork out of decorating. How brilliant!

Here's a few shots from this weekend

Rick & Phil!

My very good friends Rick and Phil told me they were getting married next year and wanted me to be their photographer! Eek, I was so ecstatic, words cannot describe. We met up for an engagement photo session this weekend and, honestly, I wasn't sure I was ready. This was the first time I've ever photographed a same-sex couple and I adore these two so much…I didn't want to screw this up. However, they compliment each other so much that as soon I arrived at the location, I immediately started shooting and I found ways to capture their personalities and love for each other without being too cheesy. 

After spending a bit of time in Eastmanville, we worked our way to downtown Grand Rapids to a really cool spot that Rick suggested and I think it will be my favorite urban backdrop from now on! I forgot my step stool, so I improvised and used the trunk of my car to stand on to get just the right angle!

Through the lens, I learned about them that day and feel honored to be a part of their journey. I am so very excited for these two and cannot wait until September 2016 when I get to be the photographer for the best wedding ever!!

Holly - senior session

Every once in a while, you get someone so photogenic, you don't want to stop shooting. That was me today working with Holly. I don't do senior photos often so I was excited to me this young gal and even more excited when I saw her. She's naturally gorgeous and full of life.

I tend to schedule most of my photo sessions in late afternoon because of the variation and direction of the light. Well, tonight, I was shooting until after the sun went down because I enjoyed working with Holly so much. She did not have an agenda, she just let me do my thing. I had so much fun. We walked around downtown and made a pit stop at the Amway Grand so she could change outfits and fix her hair. At one point, I insisted on this a pose that I am fairly certain she was not in favor of but, I finally talked her into it. A few shots later, I turned the back of the camera toward her so she could see a preview and she lit up. I think, at that point, she became as excited as I was. 

Normally, I don't post a blog the same day of a shoot but, I couldn't help myself.

Mr. and Mrs. Newman

My very good friend, Teresa got hitched this weekend and I was honored to be the photographer for her very special day. It was so touching, being there for her. There was a couple of times that I was really glad that I could hide my watery eyes behind the camera. When her mom pulled the dress over her head, we all gasped! She looked so beautiful! They had a quiet little ceremony at a little park here in town. (It's been a while since I had the chance to work a wedding in Grand Rapids) During the minister's sermon, I couldn't tell if it was nerves or excitement but, the bride and groom fidgeted their hands in one anthers'. It was so sweet. I immediately took the bride and groom over to Riverside Park. Passers by kept congratulating the newlyweds and they just glowed with excitement. I couldn't be happier for these two…I just had to share a few of the shots from Saturday.

Not a typical small town wedding!

It's rare that I get the opportunity to photograph a wedding in my home town, nearly 200 miles from Grand Rapids but, it's even more rare that I am impressed by a wedding in Cass City, the middle of the Thumb of Michigan. There's not a lot going on there EVER. One day last year, Sara, the little sister of one of my best friends, contacted me to photograph her big day. She lives in Spokane, Washington but, wanted to be near her whole family fro her wedding.

To my surprise, from the moment I arrived to when I left the reception…I was amazed!

They did such an AWESOME job setting the scene for the day. Nothing too crazy yet, no detail left out. The ceremony took place at Grandma's farm. I barely remember meeting Grandma only once before…Then, Saturday I showed up a little early, so I promptly introduced myself and proceeded to wander around to check the place out. They had old wooden benches for seating and antique bottles with white roses dangling from the trees. There was even a small chandelier hanging from the big old tree under which the happy couple tied the knot.

The forecast called for rain, so I was prepared for the worst. I kept looking at the sky but the rain held off, all day. I was so happy it didn't rain. I was a little bummed that we didn't get the usual big puffy clouds that are so common the east side of the state, but at that point, I didn't care.

The ceremony was so…personal…it was like we weren't there. They wrote their own vows and only momentarily glanced at their notes to recall what they wanted to say. There was a moment, or two, when I got a little teary eyed but, thankfully it was behind a camera! 

Then, I was again surprised at the reception to find an outdoor dance floor, china plates, and fabric tableclothes…no plastic here. 

This has been, by far, my favorite Thumb wedding! Here are a few of my favorite shots…