by admin | Jun 14, 2022 | Church Ceremonies, Summer Weddings, Weddings
Sarah and Michael’s Indianwood Golf Club wedding was just the most perfect day for the nicest couple. These two are truly genuinely the sweetest, both to each other and to me! Their wedding day at Indianwood Golf Club was truly magical.
We started the day with getting ready photos at the venue. The guys were downstairs and the ladies were upstairs. I know getting ready photos aren’t for everyone, but I think they add context to the day in telling the story of the day. I really love the photos of Sarah and her mom and sister in the getting ready space.
Getting married in a church was important to these two and they ended up using the space at St. Paul Community Lutheran Church in Pontiac. Before the ceremony, they did a first touch moment around a door. They had written letters to each other and read them privately. I really recommend including moments like this in your day if you can – it just makes it all the more special.
After a beautiful ceremony – yay they’re married – we did a few portraits at the church before heading back to Indianwood Golf Club for the majority of the portraits. This wedding party was super kind and cooperative – which is always appreciated when the timeline is a little tight!
We got the MOST amazing sunset for this Indianwood Golf Club wedding. I don’t know what it is about golf clubs but they usually have the most amazing spots for sunset photos. Indianwood was no different! I loved the quick sunset session we got in. There’s never any pressure from me to do sunset photos, but I do think it’s nice to step out for a hot second and just take a break together.
My favorite part of the reception was the Greek and Polish dancing that happened right before I left, honoring both Mike and Sarah’s heritage. Seeing their friends and family join in was super fun! I am Polish and I wish I could polka like Sarah and her mom!
vendors:
venue: Indianwood Golf Club
ceremony: St. Paul Community Lutheran Church
dj: Memory Makers
by admin | Apr 12, 2022 | Church Ceremonies, Summer Weddings, Weddings
Angela and Michael’s Goldner Walsh wedding was unlike any other. I say this because it was the first time I can remember it raining the entire day in June in Michigan. Yes, it rained the ENTIRE day for their Goldner Walsh wedding.
These two had waited a LONG time for this day – a long relationship and a long engagement complicated by the pandemic – so they didn’t let ANYTHING bring them down. Even when the venue (a greenhouse) started to take on some water – see below. They were pouring champagne and just enjoying gathering with family and friends.
These two are truly the nicest couple I’ve ever worked with. Their summer engagement session with their sweet pup Maggie, who makes an appearance at the wedding of course, just got me so excited for their wedding day. Their Goldner Walsh wedding was filled with so many personal touches – sunflowers (the bride’s favorite), cocktails reminiscent of the city they got engaged in (New Orleans), a choreographed first dance (they actually take dance classes), a personalized belt given to the groom as a gift from the bride (he’s a huge wrestling fan), Polish food for dinner (so delicious!), the list goes on.
The saving grace of having a Goldner Walsh wedding is that they have greenhouses to use for photos! Though the grounds are a mix of indoor/outdoor, there is indoor, covered space. This made for a less stressful experience when the weather called for rain all day! When it finally stopped, we were able to take some gorgeous nighttime photos to make up for the lack of a sunset – make sure you scroll to the end to see!
From the couple: We were recommended to Madalyn and couldn’t of been more happy with our overall experience. Madalyn is not only professional but also caring and now a great friend! Madalyn took our engagement pictures and blew us away with our wedding pictures. It was pouring rain and she kept us so positive, and the pictures she captured were magical. We already have a seasonal session scheduled and feel we found our forever photographer!
vendors:
venue/floral: Goldner Walsh Garden and Home
video: Trifoot Productions
ceremony: St. Lawrence Catholic
cake: Shatila Bakery
dj: JAC Entertainment
Hair: Andrew Marke Salon
Makeup: Sheila Rossetti
Catering: Soprano’s Catering
paper: Designed with Amore
choreography: Vita Dance Studio
mensware: Wesner Tuxedo
gown: “Galatea” Willowby by Watters
bridesmaids: Eshatki
by admin | Feb 15, 2022 | Church Ceremonies, Weddings, Winter Weddings
January isn’t a popular time to get married in Michigan, but if you’re going to have an intimate winter wedding, this is probably the way to do it! Kaitlynn and Ben had originally planned on a larger backyard type wedding day in June but decided to move their date up and just tie the knot in January right after the holidays.
I have known Kaitlynn for many years – we met through my college roommate – and we have shared some fun adventures together, including the infamous Manitou Island backpacking trip that I took Josh on three months into dating. Spoiler alert: it didn’t end well. Kaitlynn also made our wedding cake – she is an incredible baker.
Their intimate winter wedding came together with the help of their families and I think it turned out absolutely beautifully. They were married in Kaitlynn’s dad and stepmom’s church, St. John’s Lutheran in Fowlerville, Michigan. The family helped decorate their reception space, with the absolute best element – a neon light right behind their sweetheart table. That light is now in their bedroom at home!
We were lucky to have a dusting of snow that morning which made the portraits all the more magical. No wedding party, under 30 people in attendance, it was the perfect way to celebrate in a low-key way. Winter is so underrated and I understand why people avoid it but when you get beautiful snow like this, it just makes all the difference.
My favorite part of the day was watching Kaitlynn and Ben read their vows to each other after their portrait session. So sweet!
I have to say, Kaitlynn insisted I go home with a doggy bag of food and it was some of the best wedding food I’ve ever had!
I feel like this day proves your intimate winter wedding doesn’t have to be super extravagant to be beautiful. Sometimes it can take a little more DIY, but simple is often better.
From the couple: “My husband and I have used Madalyn twice now and both times we have felt so comfortable in front of the camera. She has fun little tricks to get you out of your shell which has captured some pretty awesome genuine laughs. Our most recent session was our wedding and everything went so smoothly. She was so quick and kept things moving right along on the day. Our album also came out amazing and she was so easy to work with to get exactly what we wanted. We are using her again for a newborn session at the end of this year and I cannot wait to use her more as our family continues to grow!”
by admin | Aug 10, 2021 | Church Ceremonies, Downtown Detroit Wedding, Fall Weddings, Weddings
I was so fortunate to not only capture Jordan and Nathan’s engagement session, but also their St. Joseph Shrine wedding last October. St. Joseph Shrine is one of the most gorgeous churches. I cannot believe the light we got during the ceremony – some of the prettiest I’ve ever seen in a church!
Jordan and Nathan are so sweet and I loved working with them. They were just so happy to be married at their St. Joseph Shrine wedding and to celebrate it in a simple way. After a full mass ceremony, they welcomed family and friends to the church hall for a meal and some wedding festivities.
We captured their engagement session at St. Joseph Shrine as well. This church is important to them as a couple so using it was super special! I just love both the engagement session and wedding images we were able to create – your girl is a sucker for those big doors and archways. Love using architecture when we can!
I feel like a wedding gallery like this just goes to show that you don’t need to go to all the trendy places or even that far to find good portrait locations. We literally used the exterior and interior of the church, as well as a tree that was colorful across the street. Getting creative like this is one of my favorite parts of the job. Of course I love a skyline shot as much as the next wedding photographer, but it’s not NECESSARY!
vendors:
makeup: Rosa Alcantara
floral: M. Dawn Floral Design
Catering: Lazybones Smokehouse
Cake: Milano Bakery
Hair: Danielle Cassimy
Gown: Maggie Sottero
Veil: The Veiled Beauty
by admin | Apr 28, 2021 | Church Ceremonies, Summer Weddings, Weddings
After rescheduling their Odin’s Owl wedding from May 2020 to September 2020, Jamie and Trevor were very very ready to get married! I think this gorgeous day was truly worth the wait. They were the first couple to book me for 2020 back in January 2019, so we spent many many months planning together.
These two met at Michigan State University, which is where we did their engagement session in fall 2019. This spring, Trevor graduated medical school (anti-climatically without a ceremony) was matched into an ER residency in Cleveland, Ohio. Jamie, who is a speech pathologist, followed him there this summer. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know these two and really enjoyed working with them. They balance each other really well, which I always appreciate in a couple.
After separately getting ready at local airbnbs, Jamie and Trevor said their vows at the gorgeous St. Lorenz Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The church was the perfect backdrop for Jamie’s stunning dress (that train, my goodness! so long and so beautiful!). We made sure to make use of some of the church’s architecture for photos.
After the ceremony, we headed to the reception venue. This Odin’s Owl wedding warded off the rain until we were safely inside the custom-made barn. I loved the interior of Odin’s Owl! Such a beautiful property and unlike any other barn I’ve visited.
We didn’t have a perfect sunset, but we were able to take some beautiful nighttime and blue light photos to end the night. Carving out a few minutes for this is highly recommended and gives you a chance to take a breather together before the night is over!
vendors:
venue: Odin’s Owl | ceremony: St. Lorenz Lutheran Church | cake: Sugar High Bakery | florals: Haist Flowers | dj: Rusch Entertainment | hmu: Bridal Beauty Couture | catering: Black Forest Catering | gown: Piera’s Bridal | bridesmaids: Joani’s Fashion Boutique | jewelry: McKenzie Jewelers | men’s attire: Eli of Troy Mensware | paper: Minted | bartenders: Slingin Sisters Event Bartenders
by admin | Apr 6, 2021 | Church Ceremonies, Summer Weddings, Tent Weddings, Weddings
Lisa and John originally did not plan to have a summer Detroit backyard wedding, but the pandemic had other plans. Instead of postponing their celebration, they decided to make some changes to the guest list and venue so that they could have their wedding on their original wedding day.
Lisa and John met in a kickball league, believe it or not! I think that’s the most unique way to meet and have never had a couple meet that way. John proposed at Acadia National Park in Maine. They love spending time outdoors and at breweries….my kind of people. We did their engagement session on Belle Isle and in downtown Detroit; it was honestly a blast!
This summer Detroit backyard wedding was graciously hosted by John’s sister and brother-in-law in their beautiful backyard. And I think it turned out wonderfully!
The ceremony took place at Lisa’s childhood church, First Presbyterian Church of Northville, which is right in downtown Northville. The church is smaller and quite beautiful inside! The stained glass just is my favorite. I loved the moment when Lisa’s mom walked her down the aisle. Super emotional for both of them!
Originally Lisa and John were not planning a first look, but they made a last minute decision to have one, and I don’t think they regretted it! It was such a cute moment and let them relax a little before the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, the wedding party and I headed over to Maybury State Park for portraits. I love Maybury for sessions and was so excited we were able to use it for their wedding. We had gorgeous lighting – literally perfect for a summer wedding.
To cap off this Detroit backyard wedding, we took some nighttime portraits with the lights hung just outside the backyard. They are some of my favorite of the day and so MAGICAL. String lights just make a space, let me tell you!
Vendors:
ceremony: First Presbyterian Church of Northville | florals: Westborn Market | cake: Cantoro’s | dj: Rusch Entertainment | hmu: Studio 170 | catering: Italian American Banquet Center | gown: Essense of Australia | bridemaids: David’s Bridal | shoes: Badgley Mischka | jewelry: Blue Nile | men’s attire: Men’s Warehouse | transport: Millennium Limo | invites: Vistaprint | favors: Recycled Ideas Favors
