The day started off perfectly....the sun was shining, the temperature was nice and I was excited to go into our last wedding weekend of the year!  We met Christine and her bridesmaids at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids to photograph her preparations and beautiful details.  From the time that they opened up the hotel door, we felt welcome!  Christine was smiling from ear to ear and so excited to see her groom.  The bridesmaids were making sure every last detail was in place and ready to celebrate their sister's big day!  Terra and I had our cameras in hand, ready to capture every moment of it!!

Christine's Alfred Angelo dress was so pretty.....and very detailed. 

Yes!  Purple shoes.....in love!

I love when couples incorporate details that are meaningful to them.  Here is Christine holding her grandmother's handkerchief.

Christine made a gorgeous bride!

One of her sisters even made these cute hangers! 

On the way to meet her man.....

Rob's expression is priceless!  LOVE!!

Christine's bouquet was so pretty!  Shelly from Shelly's Designs is ah-ma-zing! 

Romantic shots like this make me swoon! 

After photos downtown, we headed to Thousand Oaks Golf Course for a few more photos and the ceremony and reception!  What a stunning venue!! 

The ceremony room was so pretty.  I just love these chairs!

This image of Christine entering the ceremony with her father gives me goosebumps.  It is dramatic and exciting all at the same time!

Mr. & Mrs.!!

Thousand Oaks did a great job with the cake!

Congratulations Rob & Christine!  We had so much fun with you!  We hope your honeymoon to Hawaii was a blast!

 

Here are some of the vendors who helped make their day so special:

Ceremony & Reception Location:  Thousand Oaks Golf Course - Grand Rapids, MI

Caterer & Cake:  Thousand Oaks Golf Course

Florist:  Shelly's Designs - Walker, MI

Music & Entertainment:  Music Host Productions

Hair & Make-up:  Design One - Grand Rapids, MI

Bridal Preparations:  JW Marriott Hotel - downtown Grand Rapids, MI

Wedding Gown:  Alfred Angelo - Grand Rapids, MI

Photographers:  Us!!

What a little cutie!  That is what I kept on saying all throughout this session.  Chase was about 2 weeks old during this session and wide awake!  You can just feel how much he is loved by walking into his home.  His happy parents, Elizabeth and Mark, and I were able to meet before the little man made his grand appearance into the world during their maternity session this fall.  They are a super sweet couple who are head over heels in love with their new addition!  Congratulations you two on this handsome lil' guy!  He is perfect!!

 

I have been soooo lucky with fall weather this year!  The sun seems to be following me around and making me smile!  I definitely can't complain about that :) 

Clint and Kandis are friends of mine, so I am super excited to be able to photograph their engagement along with their wedding next summer.  They have a cute little man, Gage, who doesn't want anything to do with having his photo taken!  You can't tell by the photos below.....which is a result of me running around making a fool out of myself!  Oh well....what's a girl going to do? 

We met at The Shack Country Inn in White Cloud, MI and walked around their beautiful property looking for neat places to stop.  We started with some family photos....but those didn't last long, then finished with engagement pics!  I am in LOVE with the results!

 

Tyler & Erica were married at Remembrance Church in Grand Rapids, MI.  The wedding was absolutely stunning!  Tyler's mother, Shelly, is the owner of Shelly's Designs....and she is an absolute amazing florist!  She pulled out all the stops for her only son's wedding.....with gorgeous floral arrangements everywhere in sight....focusing on an earthy/natural feel.

Tyler and Erica are so sweet and so happy in each others presence.  Their first look on their wedding day was so special and so emotional.  I was definitely brought to tears!  After their "I Do's" were said, we headed to English Hills in Grand Rapids, MI for a crazy fun party and more of Shelly's breathtaking floral goodness!  After dinner, the couple and their guests munched on delicious cupcakes prepared by Cake Connection and candy!  Did I mention that their cupcakes were displayed on a large cupcake tree created, again, by the groom's mother? 

What a perfect day!!

 

Joe & Libby are such a sweet couple!  I was so excited when I found their location for their engagement session.  It had everything that I love about locations.....lots of color, texture, fun backdrops, etc.  I was even more excited when Libby showed up in her cute, mustard yellow dress.  It fit the scene perfectly!  The weather even made it better!!  I have been so lucky this fall with these gorgeous days filled with warmth and sunshine!  I am just loving it!!  Next summer, Joe & Libby will be getting married in gorgeous Traverse City....and I cannot wait to photograph their special day!

I don't even know where to start with these two!  They are one of my all time favorite couples!  They are sweet, genuine, kind and happy!  Just great people to be around!  I met Alyssia and Ian this summer at Sean & Lauren's wedding.....where they both were in the wedding party!  We hit it off instantly and are now so excited to be photographing their wedding in Lansing in 2013!  (yes....we are already booking in 2013!) 

Not only are they one of my favorite couples....but we were able to shoot at my favorite location!  My grandpa's farm!!  I had no idea that it would be such an amazing place...until I showed up with my camera and this gorgeous couple!  I am thrilled with the results and hope you enjoy them too!! 

(thankfully the weather was perfect...because we only had this one Saturday to use.  It was the only day that Ian agreed to since U of M didn't have a football game!  haha :)  Men and their football.........  )

 

I just love this family!  They are all so kind and down to earth....my kind of people!  I photographed their family a couple of years ago at this same location, but this time we ended up with very different results.  I would like to say that this is due to my increase in talent....but it mostly had to do with the gorgeous sun that we were given!  :)  It was a gorgeous evening with a gorgeous family.  I can't wait to photograph them again in the future!!

We met on a cold, windy, dreary fall day.....but Kyle and Lisa were up for anything!  They only get to see one another every couple of weekends because they live in different states, but hopefully that will change soon after their wedding!  I just absolutely love this location.....the old barn, the pretty trees, lots of fields.....heaven! 

Kyle & Lisa - good luck with your wedding!  I hope everything goes smoothly and it is everything you ever dreamed of :)

 

Kyle and Alison are so sweet, so easy going and so perfect for each other!  They live far apart, so it made our time together extra special....and extra easy for those cuddling pics :)  They will be getting married this winter in Muskegon....and I am so excited to be able to photograph their day!  I cannot wait to see Alison in her wedding dress....she will make a beautiful bride!  Only a couple more months!!!

 

Fun, energetic and totally in love ...... that is how  I would describe Joe and Sarah.  They are so much fun to be around and always the life of the party!  I know I have been saying this all year long....but 2011 was the year of photographing old friends from high school!  Sarah and I have been friends for a long time!  Our dads even worked together back in the day!  When Sarah was born...my parents had to quick choose another name for me b/c they planned on naming me Sarah.....how funny!  Once Sarah contacted me about engagement and wedding photos...I was so excited for them!  Once I got to know Joe, I could see how right they are for one another!!

We had plenty of time for pictures in Muskegon because Sarah and Joe decided to see each other prior to the ceremony.  This always allows for more photo time!!  The rain held off until the second they stepped back into the limo...what luck!  The rest of the day went quite smoothly....ending the night by celebrating with good friends and family.

Joe & Sarah - I wish you all the best!  I cannot wait until you have little babies for me to photograph :)  Good luck with everything in the future.  I hope you had a blast on your honeymoon!

Here are some important vendors from their special day:

Ceremony Location:  First Congregational Church - Fremont, MI

Reception Venue:  All Saints Catholic Church - Fremont, MI

Catering:  Moondance Cafe - Fremont, MI

Cake:  Judy Wallace - Fremont, MI

Florist:  Newaygo Floral - Newaygo, MI

Transportation:  Lakeshore Limo

Music: DJ Mystery

Hair:  Snipperz - Fremont, MI

Photographerse:  Us! :)

All I can say is.....what an adorable family!  These 6 were full of life, spunk and lots of energy!  It was fun interacting with the 4 kiddos ...... going from not wanting their photos taken to coming up with their own poses!  And their outfits!  I loved every one.  Jonice did a great job pulling their outfits togethers, but keeping each one in their own individual style!  Perfection!  Here are some of my favorites!

If you want to see some previews the day after the shoot .... like us on facebook!

 

This has to be one of my favorite engagement sessions ever!  I love the setting, the amazing lighting, the gorgeous couple, their outfits....everything!  We wandered around downtown Grand Rapids for the afternoon and found so many perfect places to use for their photos.  I go downtown often, so I am always looking for new areas to shoot so that all of my sessions look different!  We had to stray away from the main area of downtown b/c there were so many people due to ArtPrize!  It is a fun event, but not very helpful to me during an engagement session :)

Corey & Adriana are planning their beautiful August wedding from Chicago and we cannot wait to photograph it!  Enjoy a preview of their pics!!

 

Michael and Andriea are the sweetest couple!  They love the Lions and their cute little dog YJ....so of course we had to incorporate them into the session!  When photographing pets, I always seem to be barking, meowing, chirping or making any other weird noises to keep their attention.  This shoot was no different :)  We had beautiful weather and even some color from the fall leaves!  We are beyond excited to be photographing their wedding next year! 

It all started back when a friend of a friend of a friend introduced them.  Well....there may not have been that many friends involved, but whatever happened work!  Who knew that a couple years later Nick and Katie would become husband and wife. 

Both, Nick and Katie, were so excited to marry one another.  Katie anxiously waiting to see Nick for the first time at the end of the aisle and Nick excitedly anticipating his first view of Katie as his bride!  What a perfect day!  There were lots of happy tears and non-stop happiness from friends and family, making their day all the more enjoyable. 

Katie & Nick - Thank you for asking us to be there on your special day.  We felt so welcome with your families and cannot wait to see what the future holds for you two.  We hope you had a blast on your honeymoon in Italy!

Here are some of the amazing vendors that we worked with on Nick and Katie's wedding day:

Ceremony Location:  Faith Covenant Church - Manistee, MI

Reception Venue:  Little River Casino & Resort - Manistee, MI

Caterer:  Little River Casino & Resort

Cake:  Sheer Delight

Florist:  Stacey's Flowers - Manistee, MI

Trolley:  American Classic Luxury Transport

Music & Entertainment:  Northern Michigan DJ

Hair & Make-up: Fiesta Hair Salon - Manistee, MI

Photographers:  Us!

Ben and Carlie has such a fun, energetic, adorable little girl!  Riley is full of life and not a big fan of having her photo taken.  After a lot of playing and chasing....we ended up with some awesome shots!  It was so much fun to watch the three of them interact....showing Riley little bugs and trying to grab pine cones off of the trees above.  Even a game of ring-around-the-rosy.....what a wonderful way to spend an evening!!