Summer.Time

I know it's been a slow posting week for me. Believe it or not, I didn't schedule any shoots this week so that I could concentrate on getting caught up, rejuvinated and ready for my amazing August weddings I have coming up. During the past few weeks I've had my final consultations with all of my brides for August and I must say...I can't wait for all of these fabulous weddings! I have super sweet couples and I know I'm going to enjoy this busy month. This weekend I head to Daisy and Greg's wedding in Glen Arbor at The Homestead which I am TOTALLY looking forward to!

Last weekend I went camping. I had scheduled myself this weekend off since last year and fully intended to indulge in summertime activities. Camping and me don't normally go together but I thought for the sake of going outside of my pampered comfort zone, I would pack up my sleeping bag, forgo my blow dryer, and be one with nature.

We camped on Kelleys Island...a small island in the western basin of Lake Erie, about four miles north of Marblehead. I loved this island and the state park had it's own beach and was surrounded by beauty.

I didn't take many pictures, choosing instead to be part of the adventure instead of always documenting, but what I did take, I share with my loyal blog followers.

A sand artist with a sense of humor.


Glacial groves on Kelleys Island. An amazing site. I wish I had brought along a wide-angle lens on this trek. Unfortunately, I had my longest zoom lens so couldn't quite capture how spectacular these were to see.

This island had some adorable old stone houses. I loved this one.
Monday was my friend and second-shooter's birthday. Happy Birthday Angie!
Tuesday I headed to have lunch with my mom. A place where I can relax, unwind and feel refreshed. My parents live on 15 acres of beautiful land and I love grabbing my camera and walking the property to see what I find. That day, dragonflies and hummingbirds.



So that, my friends, is my week in review. I look forward to posting pictures from this weekend's wedding and all of the fabulousness in store for August!

Lisa + Danny : : Engaged!

Thursday evening, Lisa and Danny made the trek over from the east side of the state for their engagement session at Lake Michigan. They knew they wanted their engagement session at the beach and this was Danny's first time ever seeing this great lake! It was a perfect shoot with beautiful summer evening light. It was wonderful to spend time with this couple again and I am greatly anticipating their fabulous wedding in September!






Enjoy your preview you two!

Alexandria + Brett : : Wedding Preview!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Alex and Brett were married this past Saturday, and I know I say this a million times, but I have amazing clients. Alex and Brett were no exception and were the absolute sweetest couple to work with.

The day started with Angie and I meeting the girls at the Panopoulos Salon in Standale. Alex was sitting there, calm as can be, sipping her coffee and laughing with the girls.

The ceremony was held at Grand Valley University's Cook DeWitt Center, followed by a reception at The University Club in downtown Grand Rapids. The entire day flowed seamlessly...everyone was so great to work with. The amazing Julie Strating was there to work her makeup magic with her assistant Amanda and Barb Hoek created the one-of-a-kind cake.

Just to warn you...there are a lot of pictures. I had the hardest time narrowing them down.




Can you find me in this picture?
So while we were waiting for Alex's finishing touches on her hair, her bridesmaids and I had a little fun with the posters on the wall...each interpreting a different model. The result...quirky fun!
And of course we couldn't leave out the beautiful bride!






Alex had two fabulous and amazing shoes for her day. The ceremony pair:
And one for the reception. As a girl who loves her shoes, I definitely felt a kindredness with this bride!


This girl is gorgeous



Brett isn't so bad himself! He doesn't show it here, but he was being eaten alive by mosquitos here. We didn't stay out long.



Sealed with a kiss!











The shoes...they are fabulous!


Earlier this year I featured a groom with Scrabble cufflinks. This couple is also a lover of Scrabble and Brett was sporting them for his wedding. Love them!







The guest book featured the engagement pictures taken last year at the U of M campus. I loved their session.


For this design, Alex gave Barb one of her invitations and said have fun. I loved the result.
They had cupcakes for the guests and they were snatched up in about five minutes flat!
And I just had to throw this series of pictures in because this truly shows the character of this lovely couple. After they cut their cake, Alex and Brett took the microphone and presented each of their parents with their own little monogrammed cake in the cake flavor of their choice. So unique and so sweet!





Alex and Brett - you were a pleasure to work with and your wedding was incredible. Enjoy your preview and best wishes on your life together!

Annual Trek to the Blueberry Fields

Last year, my friend Kari and I decided to take her children blueberry picking. The tradition continued this year and I hope it's one that will last with little Allison and Chase because I totally love doing this with them! Both Chase and Allison were totally diligent about picking these little berries and we filled up our buckets pretty good before leaving to head over to the Farmer's Market downtown.

We lucked out with the perfect summer day, not too hot yet, but sunny and warm. I've been eating blueberries all week and can't wait to plan our trip for next year as well.







Can't wait to do this again next year. Love you kids!

Free Blissings

Brides and Grooms to be - You do not want to miss this opportunity...Bliss Weddings is having a contest for a 'Day of Coordinator' package on their blog. I blogged about them earlier this week and they do amazing work. Plus, who doesn't like a freebie...planning a wedding is expensive.

Best of luck to all of you! Be sure to check out their site soon...the contest is ending next week!

Little Andrew : : Six Months!

Many of you remember seeing the pictures of when little Andrew was born. Can you believe it was six months ago already? How did that happen?! It feels like just yesterday, but this evening he was in my studio again, totally adorable and ready to have his picture taken...now as a six month old little boy.



I love this picture of Mary smooching on his kissable little cheek.






Andrew was all smiles and happiness today and without his three older sisters around to distract him, he was all mine. The best part...having chinese food goodness with him and Mary afterwards. A perfect evening!

Generations

Yesterday evening I drove out to meet with this amazing family...four generations of beautiful and strong women. I loved photographing them all together, seeing their similarities and differences, and being able to capture this for them.





This little one is the only girl out of four children in her family...she's also a twin! Adorable.





And I couldn't leave out the other girl...Carly. I have such a soft spot for dogs.
Thanks for a great shoot girls! Enjoy your preview!

Through My Lens : : Colorado

Last week my friend and second-shooter Angie and I threw our gear, our bags and our many shoes in our rented convertible and headed west to Colorado. It was a chance to get away, to recharge, to enjoy the drive, and to take pictures. This was my first trek to this beautiful state and although there was a lot of corn along the way (Iowa and Nebraska are loooong states of farmland), we were excited to get off the beaten path and discover places that didn't have signs pointing us every 50 feet to the next tourist trap.

Angie.



One day we took a drive up to Pike's Peak in our little convertible. I learned that I'm not comfortable driving on hairpin turns with no guardrail up a mountain. I also learned to take a sweater.




As close as we got to our Thelma and Louise moment.Can you see the snow in this picture? Hence the need for a sweater.

We also drove around Manitou Springs, at the base of Pike's Peak. We walked around, did some shopping, had some lunch. I loved this little town.





Random Colorado Springs scenes.




This is a bit backwards, but we drove around Winterset, Iowa on our way too Colorado on Monday last week and did a tour of some of the Bridges of Madison county. Like from the movie.








Playing with sunflare. This one's Angie.
This one's me.


This doesn't look like Colorado. Can anyone identify this?
Random scenes we took in and captured.




We discovered a local brew and drank a few. I didn't know about Fat Tire until it was too late and we were out of dodge. Next time.
We made friends that were furry along our way.



We made human friends along the way too. This was a group of kids biking down Pike's Peak. They actually stopped wanting a picture with Angie and I (awww), but we ended up doing a mini photo shoot with them, their leaders and their group. Guys...email me and I will send you the pictures!
We met Jeff Brown, traveling all over these 50 states, accepting donations and following his dream.


He encouraged me to do the same.
We met friends that played football with us. They laughed while we ran in our heels to catch the ball.
A wonderful trip with a wonderful friend. I feel recharged. Mission accomplished.

Blissed

Today I was totally excited to be mentioned on the Bliss Weddings blog for Karina and Nate's amazingly colorful wedding. Such an honor!

If your not familiar with the Bliss Wedding blog, add it to your Google Reader today. Based in Southeast Michigan, they offer coordinating services, planning help, and a must-read blog. Thanks for the mention y'all!

Alexandria + Brett : : Married!

So I am officially back from my Colorado road trip and am so excited to share some of the pictures that I took out there...a blog post I promise to have up soon. Angie and I got back late Friday evening only to get home long enough to unpack a little and get all of our gear together for Alex and Brett's seriously phenominal wedding on Saturday. It has definitely been a whirlwind of activity and I do apologize for not blogging sooner. In fact, I think this may have been the longest break I have ever taken from this blog! I promise I won't let this happen again. At least not for a while ;)

I will also be blogging about Alex and Brett's wedding later this week. You won't want to miss this preview. Their wedding...stunning!

Karina + Nate : : Wedding Preview!

On Saturday, July 12, 2008, Nate and Karina were married at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, just a block away from my own house. A beautiful church I pass each time my husband and I walk down to the courts to play some tennis. All summer long I have walked by this church looking forward to Karina and Nate's wedding.

When I woke up that morning, the first thing I heard was rain beating against my windows. I immediately thought about the wedding I was to shoot that afternoon and my heart sank. But thankfully the clouds scattered and the sun shone through and the day couldn't have been been more perfect. Even with the 10 children (really!) they had as a part of their wedding, things ran just as planned.

The thing I loved the very most about this couple is not only the love they have for each other, but the love they so graciously extend to those that are closest to them. And I loved Karina's laugh! She laughed so easily and so fully that it was infectious to all around her.

The reception was held at Glen Eagle Golf Club in Jenison. Both the ceremony and reception details were color color color! The theme of bright color matched the couples personalities and matched the festive vibe of the day.

Karina and Nate - enjoy your preview! I hope the honeymoon was truly fabulous!



When Nate and Karina saw each other for the first time that day, Nate awaited his bride with her wedding bouquet...I thought this was totally sweet!
Right before the ceremony began, Karina and her bridesmaids put on these colorful Indian bindis...a nod to Karina's Indian heritage. Karina was adopted as a baby from India but remains true to her roots and was excited to include this into her ceremony, along with some beautiful silver bangles she wore on her arm. This was a surprise to her husband-to-be, and she couldn't have looked more stunning.




The girls each wore a small bindi to match the bride...so fun!
The procession of the many adorable children. I was blown away at how well they all did.



This ceremony was a touching one...towards the end, the entire wedding party surrounded the couple, blessing them and praying with them. This part had me in tears...it was so touching, so personal. A tribute to this amazing couple.
And then afterwards, a trip to a beautiful farm where Karina and Nate had their engagement pictures taken by Karina's sister. I'm always game for a beautiful rustic barn!








The laughing...it was genuine.


Notice that the polka-dot ribbon matched Karina's polka-dot shoes!

During the reception, Karina and Nate's pastor explained a part of the ceremony many casual observers may have missed...after the unity candle was lit, the couple braided these three strands of ribbon together, the blue stood for Nate, the pink for Karina and the yellow for God signifying the verse from Ecclesiastes 4:12 about a chord of three strands being not easily broken. I thought it was a great testament to them and their faith to incorporate this into their ceremony.

On Vacation!

Just a little note to let everyone know that I will be out of town starting on Sunday, July 13 and back sometime on Friday, July 18. My friend and fabulous second-shooter Angie and I are headed out of town on a Girl Only road trip to Colorado. We've rented ourselves a convertible all Thelma and Louise-style and plan to take as many pictures as we can. It's actually a trip that we hope inspires our photography and a great time to get away from the busyness that summer brings to those in the wedding biz.

If anyone needs to get ahold of me, I will have limited email access and will get back with you if the matter is urgent.

Have a great week everyone! Enjoy Alicia and Troy's wedding preview below and stay tuned to the blog as I will try to update throughout the week.

Alicia + Troy : : Preview Gallery!

When Alicia and Troy first were engaged last year, their first thought was they wanted a destination wedding somewhere tropical. But through the planning process, they changed their minds and decided to be wed on the beautiful Windmill Island in Holland. But they their original destination wedding was never far from their minds and their planning made their guests feel as if they had all gone to a fabulous vacation spot.

With an open tent, festive colors and amazing food, details, love and emotion, they had the perfect wedding day. What I loved about the wedding the most was just working with this amazing couple. Alicia had me laughing on more than one occasion...she burst into song, laughter and tears throughout the day and it was a joy to work with them both.

Also on hand was the ever-organized Aletha of Pearls Events, overseeing all of the many details of the day. It's always a fun wedding when we get to work together!

Alicia and Troy, I hope you enjoy your preview. It's a long one. I had a very hard time narrowing down the pictures!



The flower girls all had on these amazing tutu's...I adored them! So did the girls...the flounced all day long in them.






These were Alicia's something blue shoes for the reception.
Seeing herself all dressed for the first time...I love this part of the day!
Honestly, my favorite part of the day is when the bride and groom see each other for the first time. The emotion is overwhelming. I can't help but tear up.




Are her eyes ridiculous or what?!




















Can anyone guess what kind of beer is in these glasses?



The reception was amazing...full of tourquoise, greens and crisp white flowers.

And a dessert buffet...completely fabulous sweet treats from Til Midnight.

This couple left nothing to chance and had a super fun kid's table set up at the reception.



Another killer first dance...these two had the moves down!

Alicia and Troy...I wish you nothing but happiness and love in your futures together.

Invitation Goodness

As I opened my mail the other day, I was delighted to open the invitation of one of my August couples, Sandra and Michael. I literally squealed I loved these invitations so much and immediately emailed Sandra to find out where in the world she found such fabulous designs. She happily shared the site which is www.papelvino.com.

When I see invitations like these, I immediately get even more excited for the wedding day! The theme of their wedding day is a "Cottage Garden Wedding" with an organic, natural overall theme and I think they selected the perfect invitations to convey that.

This beautiful map was actually hand-drawn by Sandra mom and they matched the same beautiful paper to print them on. Amazing!

Lauren + Eric : : Engaged!

Yesterday evening Lauren, Eric and I headed to Holland State Park for their engagement session. I have many clients ask to have their sessions done at the beach because, well, it's a romantic spot...walks along the shore, out to the pier...but for this couple, this is a spot they visit on a weekly basis. It has meaning to them and they enjoy spending time together out here.

What also made their session extra special was that yesterday was exactly one year from the date of their wedding next summer! It was fun to think that a year from last night, they would be husband and wife. Can't wait until that day!

Enjoy your preview guys :)

Simrat + Arvinder : : Shooting with JK Photography

On Saturday, I awoke very early, and to be truthful...very nervous. Months ago I excitedly agreed to second-shoot with Jen for Simrat and Arvinder's wedding. There is so much going on during the day that she knew that she would need two photographer's there to cover it and I was excited at the opportunity to shoot all day with Jen again! I was also looking forward to the opportunity to second-shoot...to be the one sitting back catching the details, expressions, etc.

But as I woke up that morning....nerves set it. It would be a long day, what if I didn't understand what was going on, what if I missed something? As soon as I arrived to the hotel that Arvinder and his family was getting ready at though, all of my fears were disspelled. What a warm and generous family! Everyone helped to let me know what was happenening, what ceremonies they were performing and why. It was like that all day...the generousity, the warmness, and...the food! Oh my goodness did I eat well that day! We had an amazing breakfast before the main ceremony at the temple in the morning, lunch afterwards, appetizers for cocktail hour, and dinner...all amazing Indian food. I was in heaven! And as I walked around getting my shots, people would come up to make sure I ate. I didn't need to be asked twice and greatfully took the opportunity to sample all of the cuisine.

I hope that you enjoy the pictures...the colors, the tears, the happiness of the day. There were so many times that Jen and I commented that we didn't feel like we were in West Michigan that day with all of the sari's, colors, beautiful gold jewelry...I did feel like I was in India. I hope to really be able to visit the country some day!

To see even more amazing pictures, visit Jen's blog to hear about the rituals in more detail. Click here to visit.



















































Simrat and Arvinder, I wish you a long and happy life together. Jen, thank you again for asking me to be a part of this! It is a celebration I will never forget!

Family Love

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of working with this wonderful family. The parents had received a gift certificate for this session at Christmas and I truly hope that these pictures are a gift to them.

What I loved about this session was the laughter...this family was up for anything and we mixed it up a lot. I think there is a misconstrued idea about family pictures...that they are stuffy, boring, etc....I try to break those stereotypes!






















Loved hanging out with you all last night! Thanks for a great shoot!

Happy Birthday Little Allison!

Today is my little god-daughter Allison's 5th Birthday. Yesterday Jason and I had the fun of attending her pool-side birthday party. It's hard to believe that time flies and she will be starting kindergarten this fall. Where does the time go?

It was a great afternoon...lounging by the pool, jumping on the trampoline and opening presents. After a busy weekend working, this was the perfect way to wrap up the holiday weekend.

Is there anything more blissful than being a kid in the summertime?

Ok, I just had to share these with all of you...this is my husband holding Allison and her little brother Chase's bunny, Honey.



This is little Chase, who will be four this fall. He's a lover.



This is what makes gift-giving fun...these faces.
Chase was just as excited about Allison's presents as she was. Good thing she's good at sharing.

But as it seems to go with kids, the packaging was more fun than the actual gifts.


Love you Allison!! I hope today is your best birthday yet!

A Day to Remember

I totally intend to blog more about this amazing wedding that I had the opportunity to second shoot with Jen, but with so many amazing pictures, I simply need to spend more time looking through them first. So I'm leaving you with this teaser until I have a chance to get the rest of my thoughts and pictures together.

But what an incredible celebration and opportunity not only to be a part of this, but to have the fun of shooting all day with Jen! That girl is amazing and not only did we work 15 hours on Saturday shooting this wedding, she photographed the night before and then had a wedding all day on Sunday. Girl needs a spa day stat!

Kelly + Brad : : Engaged!

Last night I headed out to the lake to meet Kelly and Brad, a recently engaged couple from Champaign, Illinois. They were up visiting Brad's parents who were camping on Lake Michigan and we took the opportunity to shoot their very fun engagement session on the beach. It was a perfect Michigan evening and I totally loved getting to know this couple. I can't wait for the wedding next summer in Joliet!

Little Marissa

This morning I had a fun visit from little Marissa, who is just three months old. Not only did I get to see this little cutie, but I also got to see her parents again, who I first met at Sarah and Dan's wedding last October! Poor Jennifer was just in her first trimester and so sick, but a total trooper in her bridesmaid duties that day. I'd say the payoff was worth it ;) What an adorable little girl you two have!

And what fabulous jewelry...I had no idea baby jewelry was this cute. I was totally loving her little bracelet!


Getting a little snuggle love from her daddy.


Thanks for coming in today guys! It was so great to see you both again and meet your little one.

Amanda + Matt : : Engaged!

Last night I met Matt and Amanda at Tunnel Park in Holland for their engagement session. When we made the appointment, they mentioned that they'd like to have their session here, but it wasn't until last night that I learned that the reason they chose this lovely beach was that Matt proposed to Amanda here! I love doing engagement sessions in places that have particular meaning to a couple.

These two were so super sweet and I absolutely loved working with them both. I hope the wedding next month is amazing!






This was the very spot that Matt proposed to Amanda...so sweet!