Clearwater Place Wedding Photographer
BLAKE + JESS
These two are just so sweet together. They actually met because Jess played softball with Blake’s sister, which I think is really sweet. Blake would attend games and couldn’t help but notice what everyone sees in Jess, a gorgeous, athletic, and incredible fun woman. This wedding was an absolute blast to shoot, I had so much fun hanging out with them and their friends and family, who are all so welcoming and loving.
Clearwater Place - September 7, 2019
Florist: Stems Market
Donuts: Robinettes
DJ/Band: Main Street Dueling Pianos
Videographer- Austin Lenar
Catering- West Michigan Caterer
Second Shooter- Whitney Quillan
Engagement Session - Sara + Raleigh
Sara and Raleigh are a West Michigan couple through and through. They love going out to breweries and trying new beers, and one of their first dates involved floating down the river with a case of PBRs. What’s more Michigan than that? And when they told me they wanted a fall engagement session somewhere in the woods, I knew just the spot. We hiked down trails, sipped beer, and enjoyed the fall colors. I’m writing this in February, and oh how I miss those beautiful autumnal hues!
Here are a few of my favorite photos from our session. I am so excited for their September wedding at Something Blue Berry Farm!
Muskegon Elopement Photography
Muskegon, Michigan Elopement - Muskegon State Park Wedding
Northern Michigan Wedding Photographer- Chris + Stephanie
Chris and Stephanie had an absolutely beautiful and intimate wedding ceremony in Houghton Lake, Mi this last April. This wedding is especially close to my heart. I first met Stephanie when we were in kindegarten, but it took us a couple years to become friends. Once we hit third grade, a friendship formed, and by fourth grade we were BFFs along with our friend BriAnna. Skip ahead twenty or so years and Stephanie meets Chris, her other half. They are SO great together and I just love watching them be a team and do life together. I still remember when they got engaged, and BriAnna came over to talk about it, and she caught me just SOBBING on my couch. It is so amazing seeing someone you’ve known and loved for so long having everything come together. I honestly couldn’t be happier for them. I love that she did her wedding HER way, even if other people didn’t like it. That is how all weddings should be! It’s about the bride and the groom, and you can do your day however you’d like.
Chris and Stephanie (literally) tied the knot at her grandparents house on Houghton Lake where she spent so many of her childhood days running around and playing. It was the perfect backdrop for the wedding of their dreams. Their baby, Phoenix, crawled around during the ceremony, playing with rose petals and sitting on his mom’s dress. It was laid back, personal, and absolutely perfect. BriAnna officiated it (her first wedding, and she did amazing!) while close family (and their dog) watched. I even got to be a witness and sign the marriage license for the first time!
A couple of fun facts about this wedding. 1. Stephanie wore her mom’s veil for the day, and had a seat set aside for her photo since she passed away when we were young. It was such a beautiful touch! And 2. after they said I do and shared a kiss, they played “Forever” by Chris Brown (a la The Office) and danced around with their wedding guests. It was such a fun way to celebrate!
Big thanks to Michelle at Bliss Salon in Gaylord, Mi for the hair and makeup! The dress was found at To Have and To Hold in Traverse City, Mi.
Goei Center Wedding Photographer - Jeff + Sara
Jeff and Sara were married last May at the beautiful Goei Center here in Grand Rapids, Mi. It was a beautiful, although slightly chilly, day as spring crept its way in. Jeff and Sara are just the most kind, genuine, and down to earth people. One of my favorite parts was their table names. Every table was a different National Park, and even the name cards looked like park signs! Both of them love traveling and hiking, and wanted to incorporate that into their wedding day. They even put me at the Zion National Park table because they knew how much I loved it there. How thoughtful is that?! I loved it so much that I kept my name card and I still have it now!
Huge thanks to everyone who made this day come together so perfectly!
Flowers- Eastern Floral
Cake + Desserts- Dream Scape Desserts - Julie Couturier
DJ- Moments in Time - Mike
Makeup- Urban Obsession Day Salon - Stephanie Kasnowicz
Catering- Applause Catering - Tyler Haaksma
Wedding Dress- Essense of Australia, purchased from Fantastic Finds in Lansing, MI
Bridesmaid Dresses- Heartloom Haley Lace + chiffon gown, purchased from nordstrom.com
Jewelry- Jeff's ring: Triton from Kay Jewelers.
Sara's rings: Zeghani from Azzi in Lansing, MI.
Bracelet: Banana Republic. Earrings: Selovo from Amazon
Groom’s Suit- Men's Wearhouse
Ada, Michigan Wedding Photography - Tim + Haley
As soon as Haley and I met for Mexican food, we just clicked. She didn’t know that tacos are the way to my heart, but they are. We sat at the Downtown Market in Grand Rapids and talked all things wedding, photography, family, and her fiancé, Tim. When I finally got to meet Tim at their engagement session, it was so apparent that they were made for each other. They’re both so kind and compliment each other so well.
A few months later in September, during a hot Indian summer, they wed. As soon as I got there, I could feel the love and the joy from everyone in Tim and Haley’s life. Getting ready was CHAOTIC, but I mean that in the best way. That’s how it goes when you have so many people around you excited to see you marry the love of your life. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a family of all boys, but I just love a big family with a bunch of sisters. It was so fun to watch them all get ready together, running around making sure everything was done. Haley’s mom finishing the wedding dress while her daughter curled her hair. Haley’s other sister doing her makeup with the other sister did her hair. Everywhere I looked was a train of women helping women and it was so beautiful. Haley’s mom even gave me a cutting of her Christmas cactus to take home and propagate! (I’m happy to report it’s doing very well.) They kept apologizing for the mess, the chaos, the timeline being way behind, but to me, that’s what makes a wedding day memorable. That’s real life. It’s not perfect. It’s messy and you can’t control everything. And that’s marriage too. But when you can smile through the madness and say “It’s fine, don’t worry about it! We’ll get there when we get there.” that’s how you know you found the one. Because things like being 20 or so minutes late to your own wedding, or a less than perfect, magazine quality getting ready room, mean nothing when you get to marry the love of your life.
Vendor Love!
Florist: Cheryl Mast
Cake/Dessert: Lynn Meyers
Second Shooter- Courtney Klok
DJ: Micah Vandermuelen
Hair & Make-up: Elizabeth Ackert at Phases Hair Salon
Catering: Family
Wedding dress: Renee Austin
Jewelry/Rings: Custom engagement ring by Dave Kamp
Groom's suit and shoes: Men’s Warehouse
Two Hearts Barn Wedding Photography
Natalie and Taylor married on a beautiful August day at the Two Hearts Barn in Hastings, Michigan. It was such a perfect Michigan summer day, warm and breezy. You could feel the love and excitement from all of their friends and family, showering Natalie and Taylor with kind words and affection. Oh, they also roasted a pig on site, which filled the air with the most delicious scent! And delicious it was!
Bar- Kate Phillips Private Bartending
DJ- Jon Anderson with Muzic on the Run.
Dress- Davids Bridal
Floral arrangements and Desserts- Friends and Family
Kate Phillips and Jon Anderson! Jon was SUCH a fun DJ and Kate was so kind!
Grand Rapids Boudoir Studio
Okay, this is something I’ve been working on a LONG time! Back in January I teased about some announcements coming this year, and finally, here is one of them! I turned my spare room into a boudoir studio so I can have a space just for my amazing girls! I’m so excited to be able to host clients in my home. This room has seen a lot of long hours and anxious late nights. I have rearranged it way too many times and second guessed every little thing. I’ve put nails in the wall to hang up a mirror, only to take it down and fill the holes with mud two days later. Indecisiveness is an understatement. I really love interior design and I’ve always prided myself on having a cute, cozy home, but with this room there was a lot of second guessing. I just wanted it to be perfect and complete, but I realized I’ll always be moving stuff around in here, and it will never be totally finished. One of my favorite things to do is have a glass of wine and start reorganizing and moving my house around. Having a new, fresh space just feeds my soul. So, I bit the bullet and photographed it how it is now, and here I am finally showing it off. I found it really difficult to make a room that is aesthetically pleasing but also photographs well! I can’t have anything on the walls that is too distracting, I didn’t want any bold colors that would reflect on people’s skin badly (not that I’ve ever been one to decorate in bold colors… I’m an all white/black/grey/brown kind of decorator.) But, I found the key, and that’s plants! I love learning about plants, and though I have a long way to go, I’m getting there! Luckily this is the room that gets the most natural light, so it’s perfect for greenery. I can’t wait to add more to the space! Alright I’ve gone on long enough, scroll down to see photos of the room as well as parts of the rest of my house.
Shout out to Bradley Blair for the sweet astronaut print! He carves images on wood, hand inks them, and presses them onto clothing. They are amazing! I had this blank canvas laying around and he was kind enough to put his art on it. Check out his stuff on instagram at @blairwich.project ! His Etsy shop is on vacation for the summer, but you can find his stuff at lots of upcoming festivals. He will have booths at Founders Fest, Buttermilk Jamboree, Blissfest, Hiawatha Music Festival, Art on the Rocks, Grand Marais Music + Arts Festival, and Hoxeyville.
I will also continue using my own room for sessions (not as much, but it will give a nice variety to galleries!) So I figured I would show that too. I just got this awesome tapestry from society 6 and I can’t wait to get a client in front of it!
I’m also showing some photos of my living room/office area! I always encourage my boudoir clients to bring friends if they’d like. When I’m actually shooting, I prefer to keep that more private. I think it can be easier for someone to open up when they aren’t being watched. But, friends are great to have to around. It’s a fun experience to share with your best friend, they’re great for giving outfit advice, and they are super encouraging! So they are welcome to hang out in the living room, drink mimosas with us, and eat some snacks! (I always provide drinks and snacks!)
My office space
That big black wall is my chalkboard wall. It makes a really cool background for photos. I would post them here but they were nude yoga shots and not to be shared across the internet. ;)
So there it is! I’m so excited to finally announce this and get the ball rolling! I’ll be doing some boudoir mini marathon days coming up this year, so keep an eye out for that announcement! If you’d like to hear boudoir announcements first, as well as be a part of a really awesome group of girls who uplift and encourage each other, send me a message and I’ll add you! If you’re interested in a session, send me a message and I’ll forward over the details! I have smaller “Boudie Short” sessions, or bigger packages that include hair and makeup.
Below are some recent sessions in the room. Thanks so much to the fierce women who let me know their photos! Warning: extreme sexiness ahead.
This amazing red piece is also apart of my client closet! I have it in S/M and L/XL. It’s gorgeous and compliments all body types.
Makeup by the AMAZING Gabriella Stratton Galore.
Grand Rapids Engagement Photography - Kasey + Kourtney
Kasey, Kourtney, and I met up at the Kent City Lounge (dive bars are kind of my jam) before the session to loosen up some of those pre session jitters. I always love guiding my clients to cool locations, but I really love when they have their own ideas and I get to shoot somewhere new! Both of their parents have some really cool property, and the sunset was KILLER. They were so giggly and comfortable around each other, it really made the whole session fly by. I CANNOT WAIT for their wedding next summer, it’s been a long time in the making and I know it will be a beautiful day. OH and take a second to read the sign their daughter wrote…. It’s like really cute.
Saugatuck Engagement Session- Jeff + Sara
Sara, Jeff and I met up in Saugatuck to hang out a bit and get some photos to celebrate their engagement! We gathered for a couple beers at Saugatuck Brewing Company to talk weddings and life and warm up before heading out into chilly, windy west Michigan. We walked around the cute downtown area before driving a little north to Saugatuck Dunes State Park. It’s about 2/3 of a mile walk from the parking lot, and once we got to the shore we were met with the most amazing sunset. We ran around the dunes and danced along the shore, running away from the freezing waves crashing on the shore. I just love October in Michigan!
Michillinda Wedding Photographer - Tim + Kendra
I was so excited to shoot another wedding at Michillinda Lodge in Whitehall, Michigan, and this time for my good friends Tim and Kendra! These two need to have a movie made about them because they are that cute. They started dating in MIDDLE SCHOOL, how crazy is that? They’ve already spent half of their lives together, but that doesn’t mean there is any shortage of butterflies. You can just feel how in love they are. For instance I’ve never had a groom stop so many times to take a photo with his phone. Not because he didn’t trust me with my job, but because his wife is just that hot and he knows how insanely lucky he is to have her. Tim and Kendra, thank you so much for having me come along to capture your love. I love you guys so much, and I can’t wait to see the rest of your love story!
Thank you to all of the amazing people who helped pull this day off!
Florist: Ann and Staci Wylie
Cake/Dessert: Ann Wylie
DJ/Band: Dan Plew, Soundtastic Entertainment
Hair & Make-up: Kyni-Rae Denton
Catering: Hearthstone Catering www.hearthstoneresturant.com
Wedding dress: The dress was actually her moms! Great Lakes Wedding Gown Specialists tailored and did a beautiful job!
Bridesmaids dresses: Azazie www.Azazie.com
Bride's Shoes: David's Bridal
Brides ring: Kay's, Grooms ring- Staghead designs
Grand Haven Wedding Photographer
You might remember Adam and Renae from the blog I posted about their engagement session last fall at Kirk Park in Grand Haven, MI. These two are just so sweet and have always trusted me and my vision for photos. They chose a church near their home for the ceremony and the reception was at the Grand Haven Community Center, right next to Central Park which was a perfect portrait spot (the sunset photos we did there are my fav from this whole day so make sure you scroll to the end to see those!) Honestly I can’t say enough good things about Adam and Renae. Congratulations you two, I’m so excited to see where life takes you!
Vendors!
Florist: Spring Lake Floral www.springlakeflowers.com/
Cake/Dessert: Rykes Bakery https://rykes.com
DJ/Band: Greg Martin, Entertainment on the Move
Hair & Make-up: Reds Salon www.reds-salon.com/
Catering: Anything Goes Catering www.ardelligrandhaven.com
Wedding dress: Renee Austin reneeaustinwedding.com
Bridesmaids dresses: Tamis Bridal tamibridalsllc.com
OF THE LAND Wedding - Michigan Wedding Photographer
Chad and Zoie wanted a less traditional, more intimate wedding day that was unique and helped support local Michigan businesses. How cool is that?! From everything to the venue to the bartenders, they chose local, family owned small businesses. Their venue was Of The Land in Battle Creek, Michigan. It’s a new venue that was actually still in the kickstarter phase when Chad and Zoie chose it for their wedding, and I’m so happy they trusted the owners’ vision because the space is truly amazing! There was a farmhouse that was available for Zoie to get ready in, and the ceremony was held in a field on the property close to the greenhouse where the reception took place. It was the perfect location to fulfill their ideas of a genuine, intimate, and relaxed wedding day. Here is what Zoie had to say about her ideas. “
“We tried to make almost everything by hand- with love and love and some skill...mostly love though. For all items that we could not make, we gathered from our homes, antique shops, and side of the road freebies. All of the lantern cans were donated from people at work and family and friends and almost every can was made by my Mom- the one - the only- the forever super woman and best friend to all who know her- Cathy Maczala.”
(Also I can attest that her mom is actually a super woman.)
Vendors!
Flowers- Viavi Flower Farm and Florist
Hair + Makeup- Hiedi Maczala
Catering- Off the Cuff Catering
Wedding Dress- BHLDN
Bride’s Shoes- Famous Footware - she altered them herself with gold acrylic wash and coffee stains!
Bar- Tiffany’s Wine and Spirits
Long Road Distillery Wedding Photography - Lucy + Kyle's Wedding
Lucy and Kyle decided to tie the knot at my FAVORITE distillery, Long Road. They have an event space above the bar area and it is to die for. Lucy said she chose Long Road Distillers because they wanted a place that people would walk into and say “Wow, this place is SO Kyle and Lucy!” It was filled with gorgeous string lighting, green succulents, and my favorite part, delicious food and drinks. They wanted their day to be intimate, fun, and memorable, and that’s exactly what it was. Congratulations, Kyle and Lucy!!
Vendors!
Flowers- Wyoming Stuyvesant Floral
Sweets- Dreamscape Desserts
DJ- Dream Productions DJ- DJ Shane
Hair- Emily - A Davis Brown Salon
Makeup- Laura - A Davis Brown Salon
Catering- Long road distillers
Bride's Dress- Between Brides
Cheney Place Wedding Photographer - Steve + Krysta
I've known Krysta now for almost a decade, and anyone who knows her will tell you she's one of the sweetest people. (I feel like I say that a lot in my blogs? But I'm not lying, I just have been super super fortunate to have the BEST brides to work with!) Anyway, she has truly found her match in Steve. They are such great people by themselves, but as a couple they are giving us all some real #relationshipgoals.
This was actually my first wedding at the Cheney Place, and I don't know how I survived before. As someone who loves vintage furniture and plants, I was in photog heaven! The Cheney place is the perfect Grand Rapids venue if you’re looking to have your ceremony and reception all in one gorgeous location!
Steve and Krysta, thank you so much for trusting me to capture your wedding day! I had the best time, and I hope you love your “little” preview! (There’s over 100 photos, sorry I couldn’t help but go a tad overboard!)
But first, vendor shout outs!
Bouquets- Eastern Floral: Molly Tiesma: molly.tiesma@easternfloral.com
Sweets- Donut Conspiracy: Brooke and Paola: donutconspiracy@gmail.com
DJ- Adam Wild: awildx@gmail.com
Hair + Makeup- CW Bridal and Beauty: Courtney Worden: courtney@cwbridalandbeauty.com
Videographer- Eric Dimmick
Catering- Distinctive Catering: Nicole Hartman: nicolehartman@distinctivecatering.com
Wedding Dress- One Oak Bride: oneoakbride.com
Bridesmaid Dresses- Davids Bridal: www.davidsbridal.com
Engagement ring: Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/PenelliBelle?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Groom's suit- Men's Wearhouse: https://www.menswearhouse.com/
Michillinda Wedding Photography - Kiara + Dominic's Michigan Wedding
Dominic and Kiara have such a fun energy about them. These two might be a little familiar if you keep up with my blog or social media. I shot their engagement photos on Lake Michigan at sunset, and the more I got to know them the more I was excited for their wedding. They are both so warm and welcoming, I think they could make anyone feel comfortable. This was one of my favorite first looks this year, Dominic's reaction is everything! I don't think I've ever seen such a giddy groom, he ran around all night with hearts in his eyes, and she adores him just as much. They picked such a perfect place to get married, Michillinda Lodge 100% matched their fun, free spirited love. Scroll away to see for yourself, but first, a shout out to everyone who made the day happen!
Florist: Jan Carr, Weesies, jancarr@weesies.com, www.weesies.com
Cake/Dessert: Mary Wiebenga, Woodland Farm Market and Bakery, woodlandfarmmarketandbakery.com
DJ/Band: Peter, Paradise Entertainment Service, www.paradiseentertainmentservice.com
Video- Cassie, Paradise Entertainment Service
Hair: Hair by Makena, Continuum Salon, continuumsalon.com
Make-up: Kendra, Eden Esthetics & Lashes by Kendra, continuumsalon.com
Catering: Rusty Morningstar, Bone Ends, www.boneends.com
Groom's suit and shoes: JOS E. Bank
Invitations and programs: Etsy
Special shout out to Lea Shampo, manager at Michillinda Lodge!
Thanks so much everyone for helping create such a perfect day!
Hawk Hollow Eagle Eye Wedding Photography - Bo + Chelsea's Lansing Wedding
Before I ever met Chelsea I knew that she was one of the sweetest people there is. She just radiates warmth and happiness, and that glow was only made more abundant when her and Bo interacted. I first met her at the Artisan Company Salon, which is definitely one of the coolest salons I've ever photographed. Everyone working there was incredibly kind and helpful, and then the decor made for some amazing detail photos! As for the ceremony, they decided to tie the knot at the Chapel at Hawk Hollow, a really adorable little (air conditioned!) white chapel in Bath, Mi, right by Lansing. Their gorgeous reception was just down the road at Eagle Eye, which has amazing views of the sunset which we took full advantage of.
Vendor shout outs!
Florist: Woodbury's - St. Johns
Cake/Dessert: Shelly Steinacker
DJ: Rodeny Page - Full Entertainment Experience pagerodn@gmal.com
Hair & Make-up: The Artisan Company Salon
Catering: Eagle Eye Banquet Center
Wedding dress: Fantastic Finds - East Lansing
Bridesmaids dresses: Fantastic Finds - East Lansing
Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade Keds & Betsy Johnson Heels
Jewelry/Rings: Kay Jewelers
Groom's suit and shoes: Fantastic Finds - East Lansing
Invitations and programs: Shutterfly (invitations), Vistaprint (programs)
Guest favors: Truffles for a Cause - Mary Ludwig
