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 | 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 | May 10, 2022 | Ballroom Weddings, Downtown Detroit Wedding, Summer Weddings, Weddings
I was so excited way back in early 2020 when Matt and Nicole booked me for their Detroit Masonic Temple wedding! The Detroit Masonic Temple had been a dream venue for me. When the pandemic hit, they postponed (twice actually!) but they still were married in a small courthouse ceremony on the anniversary of their first date. So when their big wedding came around, I was so excited for their Detroit Masonic Temple wedding!
It was a very warm day in downtown Detroit – typical August. Everything was taking place at the Masonic Temple, except the couple really wanted to do a first look at a beloved bar – the Bronx Bar, just up the street in Midtown. I was totally on board as anything you can do to make the day more personal is amazing in my eyes.
I met the couple for getting ready (separately) at the Masonic Temple. I loved both of their details – Nicole gave Matt some really cool cufflinks – the Millennium Falcon. It’s always cute when you can personalize parts of the day – especially attire.
When these two had their courthouse ceremony, I asked Nicole if she was going to wear her original wedding dress. She chose not to, and once I saw the dress (a Jenna in White!) I totally understood. It was gorgeous and perfect for this venue!
I really did adore the Detroit Masonic Temple. It really shined in the portrait session and the ballroom there is truly gorgeous. Nicole really wanted to showcase the venue – they choose it for a reason- so we took all the portraits on site, except for the first look. We even got to take some twilight photos on the roof – which was a special treat as I guess there is a bird that hates humans living up there! Doesn’t have to be a perfect sunset to get some gorgeous shots.
I loved working with these two and am so happy they got to have their amazing day, just a little later than anticipated!
Are you planning a Detroit Masonic Temple wedding? Get in touch!
From the couple: “I was nervous about finding a photographer for our wedding as my now husband and I don’t necessarily love being in front of the camera, but as soon as I met Madalyn I knew we had found our perfect match. Madalyn was so much more than just a photographer. She helped keep me organized and provide direction in so many more aspects of the day than just the photos. She provided calm in stressful times and was also flexible beyond belief when it to came to scheduling, re-scheduling, and scheduling again due to our ever-changing timeline as an outcome of the pandemic. I would absolutely recommend Madalyn, and have done so to multiple of my friends already, and plan on returning for future photo sessions for our newborn and capturing family photos through the years to come.”
Vendors:
venue: The Masonic Temple
floral: Maple Lane Florist
gown: Jenna in White
hmu: Configure Beauty Detroit
invites: MintyPaperieShop
dj: TJ Monte Productions
by admin | Apr 21, 2022 | Couples, Weddings
Like many couples, Samantha and Chris had to make changes to their 2020 wedding. To celebrate their marriage, they decided to have a downtown Plymouth bridal session. Downtown Plymouth was the location of their original wedding venue. A bridal session was the perfect way to celebrate – the couple got to wear their wedding attire and we got plenty of time to take some gorgeous photos without the tight timeline of a wedding.
We started this downtown Plymouth bridal session with a first look. I love the brick wall and wrought iron fencing. Then, we walked over to the movie theater and down the street to where these two met – Sean O’Callaghan’s.
To get a more nature-feel, we headed over to Maybury State Park in Northville for the sunset. We got some gorgeous photos with the most perfect July sunset.
I’m so glad I was able to celebrate these two with a downtown Plymouth bridal session!
See another Maybury State Park session here.
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
