Granddaughter Roan

I'm in Denver now, having escaped the darkness of December in northern Michigan to spend lots, and I do mean LOTS of quality time with my son-in-law's family for the holidays. (Well, that's another story) But, the holidays have always been special. Oftentimes for me, the pleasure and magic of Christmas settles around the joy of the "little ones". There are lots of "little ones" in my life, and Roan our granddaughter, is a vibrant and larger than life "little one". This is a special Christmas portrait of her.

When the KISS fits!

Sarah and Rick are a couple that fit together like puzzle pieces. They were he and she, left and right, up and down and yin and yang. When they move towards each other to kiss, their faces line up to form one face, one familiar "Place". Their kisses were sincere and beautiful and I've never seen two faces that meld together so well.
When the kiss fits so well, the marriage is off to a glorious beginning! Congratulations Sarah and Rick!

Eagles, Hawks and Owls

How often do you get the opportunity to get up close and personal with an eagle? Not too often, I'm sure. But this weekend, with the assistance of Alison from NorthWings and the first ever workshop called Bird's Eye View, I was able to spend a few zen moments with some very large birds of prey.

When your best friend can't come to the wedding...

What do you do when you find out that your best friend can't come to your wedding? Well, the short answer is... you make sure that you have a really good photographer that can capture all of the beauty of your day so that you can share your pictures with them on some other occasion! (hint,hint)
Amy and Marcus' best friend Andy could not come to the wedding, even though he really wanted to be there. He even tried to hitch a ride on the train of Amy's dress at one point during her formal portraits.
You see, Andy is their dog. OK... their BELOVED Fur child- and even though they love him dearly, he still couldn't come to the wedding.
So, Andy, these pictures are for you!!

Shawna and Torry get married at Metro Park

When I learned that Torry and Shawna were planning their celebration for the beach at Metro Park, I had crossed my fingers, spun around two times for good luck and prayed to heaven almighty for good weather, for what good is a beach park wedding if the weather is gray and crummy. Michigan in August is generally pretty dependable, but a last minute thunder storm or a cool dreary day is not unheard of.
So, it was with great appreciation that I photographed Shawna and Tory exchanging vows on a sparkly clear day under the gazebo next to the water at the Metro Beach Park on August 29th.
The wedding celebration was fun and festive. Guests and the wedding party even got to ride to the gazebo on the park train. What fun!

It's all about ... THE GROOM!

Those of you that have been reading my blog know that I write about all sorts of things... but, I don't think that I have highlighted a Groom ever! But, if a groom should be mentioned it would surely be Chris Terry. Chris and Bobbie Anderson married each other at The Crystal Gardens in Southeast Michigan last weekend and had a lovely wedding. Chris was an especially handsome and gracious groom, who truely loves his bride. Bobbie wore a frilly pink wedding dress, yes pink! Their colors for the wedding were a stately pink and black. And even though not many men would care to be seen in pink, Chris and his groomsmen looked like a polished group of gangsters- which added to the frivolity of the evening. But the coup d' etat was the gift that Chris gave his groomsmen. Personalized bobbleheads! A delightful surprise!

Soccer, Acorns and Paper Parasols

What do soccer games, acorns, and paper parasols have in common?
If you had been at the Lost Lake Woods in Lincoln, Michigan over the past weekend then you would know that what these items have in common is...
Diane and Marshall!

Diane and Marshall met each other while playing soccer.
They got married on a misty Saturday evening under an oak tree.
And Diane provided paper parasols for her guests to carry while walking from the Pfahler family backyard over to the Lodge at Lost Lake Woods Resort.
I loved the paper parasols that Diane and Marshall included in their celebration. They were colorful and just the right touch for a bright, sunny afternoon or a misty, sprinkly evening. It was a lovely celebration. A perfectly meaningful northern Michigan summertime "love at the lodge" affair.

Eat, Drink and be Married!

I was anticipating this wedding for a while. In speaking with Megan, I understood that Bernie was a police officer, that the wedding was in downtown Detroit,(I hadn't been there in a while), that she was Irish, and that funny, unexpected things could happen at their reception.
Most often, unexpected things do happen at a wedding! In this instance, Megan had hired a lovely classical trio to play Pachabel at the ceremony. What she didn't expect was that the Reggae Rap Music Party Boat was anchored just feet away from her ceremony location! But horror of horrors aside, she and Bernie stayed focused on their love for each other and thoroughly enjoyed the unique moments of their celebration!
Moral of the story: Go with the flow. It makes for a more stress free day!

Sara and Nick

I think that some of my favorite photos from Sara and Nick's celebration, were their preparation photos. I loved the house that we were in for Sara's preparation photos, I think that it was Nick's parents' house. There were mirrors and gardens and lots of space to move around. And I love this photo of Nick's groomsmen- they look like a gangster mob! Oh, but how handsome!
The preparation time is often where some of the most beautiful portraits originate. Everyone looks fresh and at their best, emotions are high and intense, and the anticipation for the rest of the day makes for a uniquely special time. If you are getting married in the future, don't skimp with your photographer's time and limit the preparation photos. Though it is often overlooked, the preparation time before the wedding ceremony is a key time for beautiful portraits, beautiful moments.

It's All in the Details

All weddings are beautiful but sometimes it's the details that make a particular wedding stand out for me. (OK, the details... and maybe if i see a full technicolor rainbow sometime during the evening!)
Lauren and Mike celebrated their wedding at the Greystone Golf and Banquet Center in Romeo, Michigan. Their celebration included rich colors of pink and orange sprinkled throughout the details of their wedding. There were the flowers, big pink peonies with roses and orange daisies and the party favors. Even the meal incorporated Lauren and Mike's desire to celebrate with a loud punch of color. It was a beautiful celebration for a wonderful couple!
And one could say that God blessed this union too. Around 6:30 or so, a bright and beautiful rainbow could be seen in the eastern sky.

MidEast meets the MidWest

When Nourim and Mateen decided to get married, they wanted to celebrate their marriage with the customs and traditions of their parents, but they also embraced their american life and wanted the wedding to reflect their modern choices. So their wedding was a three day celebration, combining their cultural heritage wedding along with a modern American wedding. On July 11, they made it official- Nourim and Mateen are now married!

Red, White and ZOO!

Mary said "What if we did our photo walk at the zoo?" "The ZOO??" I replied... "Yes, the zoo!"
Hmmmm. I thought about animals and crowds and cages of course... could it work? Would it be the right backdrop for formal wedding portraits?
Well, you be the judge. I think that our walk through the park was a beautiful setting for this brightly colored bridal party. And of course, it provided just the right and mostly fun backdrop for our lovely bride Mary and her handsome groom Derek.

Do you have a wedding in your future? Take Mary and Derek's advise and think about the possibility of shooting your bridal party shots in a location that is special and unique to you.