by admin | May 31, 2022 | Downtown Detroit Wedding, Fall Weddings, Intimate Weddings, Weddings
A great way to celebrate in Detroit, The Whitney wedding of Shannon and Sam was a perfect way to celebrate in a low-key, yet beautiful way.
Shannon and Sam are a super groovy, cool couple. Their fall engagement session at the Dequindre Cut was such a fun expression of their personalities. I loved chatting with them about all of their interests as a couple.
The Whitney is one of my favorite spots in Detroit for an intimate wedding because it is gorgeous inside and out. I’ve photographed another wedding at The Whitney back in 2018, but Shannon and Sam’s day started early because it was a brunch wedding! I kind of loved it – I got up early, started early, and then ended early! This is kind of weird for a wedding photographer who is used to working afternoons and evenings.
Shannon and Sam got ready separately and then had a private first look on the stairs of The Whitney. They read private vows to each other and then we had a portrait session both inside and out in the garden. Their ceremony took place in The Whitney’s garden, which is a gorgeous spot tucked into the back of the home.
One of the things I love to do at an intimate The Whitney wedding is to take a photo of everyone present. When you have a smaller gathering, it’s easier to make this happen. When you have lovely steps like The Whitney does, it’s even easier to get done!
After a cocktail hour outdoors, everyone filed inside to enjoy a brunch, complete with cake. I loved the adorable details, including the couple’s cats as part of the wedding favors and decor.
Looking for a photographer for your own The Whitney wedding? Contact me today!
Vendors:
venue/catering/cake: The Whitney Detroit
florist: Floribunda Flowers
officiant: The Rite Officiant
gown: Maggie Sottero / Bombshell Bridal
by admin | Apr 26, 2022 | Intimate Weddings, Outdoor Ceremony, Summer Weddings
On a perfect summer day for an Ann Arbor elopement, Heather and John were married on a bridge in Gallup Park. The sun shined across the water as they said their personal vows amongst their closest friends and family.
Gallup Park is a lovely spot for an Ann Arbor elopement, but also for sessions. It’s one of my favorite spots in Ann Arbor. Many go to Nichol’s Arboretum, but I like Gallup for the simplicity and scenery, it’s perfect for an intimate wedding. There are a few bodies of water, lots of bridges and a really cool kayak sculpture.
After the short ceremony and family photos, we visited a few of my favorite spots in the park for photos. It was the perfect golden hour light for their portraits. I loved Heather’s simple champagne dress and her bouquet – so beautiful! The flowers are from the Michigan Flower Farm.
After portraits, Heather and John joined their guests at Mani Osteria for an intimate dinner.
I love intimate weddings and enjoy photographing them so much! See other intimate weddings here.
by admin | Apr 5, 2022 | Intimate Weddings, Weddings
Sarthak and Jayne’s wedding plans, like many, changed a few times before deciding on their intimate Holland Michigan wedding day, in two parts! I haven’t had a two part wedding until theirs. On Friday, they held a small ceremony and brunch reception for family and close friends at Jayne’s mother’s home. Then on Saturday, they welcomed more friends and extended family at an afternoon reception at New Holland Brewery in downtown Holland.
Sarthak and Jayne are absolutely wonderful people and they actually booked me before they even got engaged (made me feel so special)! They heard about me at work – I did coworker Kelsey’s wedding in 2019. These two met at work in the same department at a major automotive company; he’s an engineer, she’s a designer, it’s a perfect match for making cars! And well, I have to say these two are so suited for each other. Both are so sweet, soft, and kind. I appreciated how much they trusted me to do my job and they also made sure I was taken care of and felt comfortable as it was my first wedding back after having my son. I will always say it – I have the best clients in the world!
This intimate Holland Michigan wedding has a special place in my heart because Holland is where I spent four years in college. I’ve always wanted to do a Holland wedding and this was the perfect fit. I have a soft spot for small wedding days that just feel laid back.
There were so many details of this intimate Holland Michigan wedding day that were specific to the couple, including beautiful centerpieces with personal wedding photos of family, Sarthak wearing his dad’s tie at the ceremony, even some Two Lads wine at the bar – the winery where the couple got engaged. Being a designer, Jayne has impeccable style – and you can tell!
The day two New Holland Brewery reception was a relaxed open house type vibe. Eating, drinking, celebrating, it was the perfect way to cap off a wedding weekend! No big pomp and circumstance, just chill vibes.
From the couple: “Working with Madalyn is dream a come true! I will say that a hundred times over. Throughout our wedding planning process, especially in this time of change and uncertainty, we couldn’t help but to compare all our other vendors to Madalyn and the way she runs her business. No one else even measured close! Madalyn is organized, proactive, supportive, honest, and obviously has an eye for both detail and aesthetic. Our communications with Madalyn leading up to our day were a perfect balance of face-to-face conversations and seamless digital interactions. When our wedding day finally arrived we felt like we really knew her and completely trusted her. I thought we couldn’t love Madalyn any more, but then we received the final product -our gallery. Madalyn captured a thousand memories so perfectly that we’ll truly treasure forever. A particular photo is so classically beautiful that we exclaimed, “That’s it! That’s the photo we’ll show our grandchildren someday.” Thank you again, Madalyn!”
Vendors:
florals: Picket Fence Florals
cake: Cakabakery
hmu: Andrea Torres
catering: Farmhouse Deli
gown: Spring Sweet / Halseene
shoes: Everlane
paper: Artifact Uprising / Rachel Marvin Creative
veil: BHLDN
venue: New Holland Brewing
by admin | Mar 10, 2022 | Fall Weddings, Intimate Weddings, Weddings
Like so many of my couples in 2020, Samer and Jamie made major changes to their wedding day. Their Simply Married Chapel Elopement in Toledo, Ohio was very different from their original plan of a Halloween wedding at the Detroit Historical Museum. I hope to make it to a wedding there one day, but this elopement was still so sweet and I’m glad I got to be a part of their day!
I met Jamie and her mom and sister at the Simply Married Chapel in downtown Toledo to get her dress on. The ceremony started soon after that. About 20 or so people gathered for the Simply Married Chapel elopement, all family. After a short and sweet ceremony, Samer and Jamie were married!
A few simple toasts were given in their honor, and after a quick exit, we headed out to our portrait session. I think the best part about having an elopement style wedding is how much time we have to do portraits of the two of you. It’s low key and so much fun! I think it was the best weather Halloween day I can remember – I mean look at the sunset! I’m pretty sure I didn’t even have a coat on. We took some beautiful portraits at Middlegrounds Metro Park, which was a super quick drive from the venue.
Samer and Jamie are such genuinely nice people and I’m so glad I got to work with them. I’m glad they were able to get married even if it wasn’t the original plan. It was still a gorgeous day that celebrated them!
by admin | Feb 24, 2022 | Intimate Weddings, Outdoor Ceremony, Spring Weddings, Weddings
The pandemic changed a lot of plans, including those of Taylor and Rachel. They reached out in early 2021 to see if I’d photograph their intimate spring backyard wedding. They had to postpone their big day but didn’t want to prolong their marriage any longer. I, of course, said yes! It was the last wedding I photographed before Myles was born and honestly the perfect day to go out on.
When I first spoke to Taylor and Rachel, it felt like I was talking to two friends. They are super down to earth people with pithy senses of humor and great style. They got ready in the house they purchased together and said their vows right on their back deck. They were incredibly lucky with the weather for a spring backyard wedding – sunny and warm for March!
Their closest family were present for the vows, Taylor’s sister Paige married them. Others tuned in via Zoom. It was a very pandemic wedding, but honestly, I think a small spring backyard wedding felt perfect for them. They laughed, they cried, they smiled, it was grand. I know it wasn’t what they planned but something just felt very right about it. I thought that about a lot of pandemic weddings. We really got back to basics…back to the meat of what weddings are truly about. How special it was to witness their commitment to each other literally in their home surrounded by those dearest to them. I don’t take these things lightly at all.
These two happen to live on a golf course which made portraits easy, we literally stepped out of their backyard. Their beagle Scout joined us for a few photos – she is adorable. You know I welcome all dogs at weddings.
Vendors:
floral: Blumz
HMU: Salon Bliss
invite: Zazzle
by admin | Apr 14, 2021 | Intimate Weddings, Summer Weddings, Weddings
Though many of my clients decided to move to a backyard wedding in 2020, Shelly and Michael planned on a weekday intimate Smiths Creek backyard wedding. On a beautiful August Wednesday, 20 or so of their closest family and friends gathered in Shelly and Michael’s backyard to witness their marriage. Though large weddings are fun, the simplicity of getting married in your backyard really can’t be beat.
After getting ready separately (Shelly’s look by the amazing Ashley MacPherson) these two had a first look (again, right in the backyard), and we used their property for portraits – no wedding party or anything, just the two of them. Usually I don’t get so lucky with so many different spots in one place. It all made for a very relaxed and fun time.
For this Smiths Creek backyard wedding, I was lucky enough to work with one of my favorite videographers, Katie from 97 Films. Shelly works alongside Katie which is how we all met! I was super honored when Shelly reached out to ask me to photograph her wedding day.
After taking some family photos, everyone gathered in the seats on their newly finished deck, and the pair shared personal vows overlooking their backyard pond. Their good friend presided over the ceremony, which I always find very special and personal. There wasn’t anything NOT personal about this day and I think it made it absolutely perfect.
After the ceremony (check out that rose petal recessional – super fun!), there was an informal cocktail hour, culminating in an Irish whisky toast with a special connection to their love story. This West Cork whisky, which was hard to obtain in the US from what I understand, was the whisky they drank after they got engaged in Ireland. Sharing it with their friends and family at their wedding seemed like a special way to start this new chapter of life for them.
A Smiths Creek backyard wedding maybe isn’t for everyone, but I really enjoyed being a part of such a laid back, chill day where the focus was on getting married rather than all the extra stuff that can come with weddings. That stuff is great and fine, but sometimes getting back to the basics feels good.
