Levi & Allison {Married!}

Kevin and I had the incredible privilege of working with Levi and Allison after they reached out to us from their home in southeast Texas.  They are both originally from Michigan and came across our work after doing a Google search of their ceremony venue, Planterra Conservatory. We had photographed a wedding at Planterra two years prior with videographer Johnny Waller. Kevin and I loved the conservatory and were thrilled to have the opportunity to shoot a wedding there again.

Levi and Allison's wedding day dawned gorgeous and sunny, which made for some cheery and bright images. It's always nice to wake up to a wedding day filled with sunshine!  We started off the day at Pure Salon in Commerce Township, Michigan. After the girls were all dolled up, we then made our way over to the ceremony which was held at the Planterra Conservatory in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The sunshine made for a warm and toasty service, but one nice thing about a wedding in a greenhouse is that it's always warm and toasty!  :)

After the ceremony, we all climbed into the party bus and made a portrait stop at Heritage Park in Farmington.  We were grateful for plenty of time to capture a good variety of bridal party images, as well as romantic images of the newlyweds.   A well-planned schedule is always a key for a low-stress day, and Levi and Allison embraced the idea and plan completely.  Because the schedule was so well laid out, we were actually able to conclude the portraits early and head over to St. Mary's Cultural Center in Livonia, Michigan for the reception before we were officially due. Since we had a few minutes to kill, Allison decided she wanted to play a spontaneous game of tag with her bridesmaids to pass the time! It was so much fun to see them all laughing and running around together. The rest of the night went wonderfully. The dance floor was always full of guests dancing and having a good time, which resulted in some hilarious and lively images. 

Venue: Planterra Conservatory 

Officiant: Keith Horstman 

Reception Hall: St. Mary's Cultural Center 

DJ: Mary Ann Ross of Mary Ann Productions 

Dresses: Unique Bridal 

Tuxedos: Men's Wearhouse 

Transportation: Dream Limousines 

Cake: Mrs. Maddox Cakes 

Florist: Planterra Conservatory

Stephen & Allison {Married!}

We have been blessed to work with some pretty amazing clients, and it is always great when they become more like friends, rather than simply clients. Stephen and Allison are definitely two people that we count as friends. This wonderful couple entered our 2013 Wedding Giveaway contest on Facebook and, through a lot of hard work and dedication by their friends and family, were winners! The contest included 2 photographers, 10 hours of wedding coverage, 2 locations, an exclusive engagement session and digital files of the images - an over $3400 value - for free!

Stephen and Allison met while at work. He was a welding teacher and she worked with special education students in the Saline Public School System. While at work one day, Allison noticed this really cute co-worker and discovered he had a love for coffee, so she would sneak into Stephen's classroom and leave a cup of coffee on his desk when he was not there.  She was successful at being sneaking for a while, but one day she was caught in the act. From then on their friendship grew to the love that joined them on their wedding day. 

We had already struck up a friendship with Stephen and Allison during their engagement session, but on the day of the wedding we hit it off with the rest of the bridal party as well. Everyone was great to work with and super sweet people to be around. There was even a comment made by Allison that I was more of a bridesmaid and Kevin was more of a groomsmen than us being photographers.   She said it was as if we 100% belonged there that day.  Wow!  That is one of the sweetest things said to us and it was truly an honor to be able to be an important part of their wedding day.  <3

Church: St. Andrews Catholic Church 

Reception: Wellers 

Hair and Make-up: Trichos Salon & Spa

Kyle & Kristy {Married!}

It is always special to photograph a wedding and capturing the love of the couple. Yet, it is extra special when you know the bride and/or groom personally, because you know that you are not just attending as a guest, but as a guest who will be able to give them images of their perfect day. Kristy and I had gone to and graduated from high school together, and it was wonderful to see her marry her true love, Kyle. However, since she now lived in North Carolina and it is hard to plan a wedding out of state, she had much of her planning done by wedding coordinator Hannah Hopkins of Upstairs Events. Coincidently, Hannah also graduated from Franklin Road with Kristy and I! It was one big class reunion! The wedding and reception took place at the Dearborn Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. The venue was gorgeous and perfect for a cool spring day because when it got too chilly we were able to go inside and the images were just as wonderful. The ceremony was beautiful; it incorporated worship as well as a small tribute and explanation of the lantern girls. Kristy chose to incorporate lantern girls in addition to the bridal party. The difference was that the lantern girls were friends from growing up, where her bridesmaids were mostly friends from North Carolina. Overall, it was a wonderful day full of love, laughter, and old friends. The images turned out perfect and the fellowship was even better! 

Don & Sherry {Vow Renewal}

Don and Sherry Lauer have been friends of ours for years, starting back when we photographed their eldest son’s senior portraits. They are members of our church, Brightmoor Christian, and are a strong couple to look up to. Don has recently struggled with multiple health issues and Sherry has never left his side even in the slightest. This past February was their 25th wedding anniversary, and they decided to renew their wedding vows. When Don and Sherry approached us and asked us to capture their special day, we were honored to say yes. The special day was held at Brightmoor and was filled with the overflowing love that this couple still had for each other even 25 years later. It was touching to see the support and encouragement expressed by their friends and family. 

Alyssa & Caleb {Married!}