John and Amanda’s proposal at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan was one for the books. The combination of surprise, laughter, love and a little bit of patience, made their proposal unforgettable. I was so excited when John contacted me about putting together their proposal, he wanted to propose at Oval Beach which is somewhere special they had spent time together. The plan was for me and him to meet at the beach and set everything up while Amanda was out to dinner with friends. Her friends would then drop her off at the beach and she’d walk down to where we were. One thing to note about Oval ..read more

Aaron and Brian’s fall wedding at Bay Pointe Woods was a HUGE highlight of my 2022 wedding season. Before the wedding, talking with Aaron and Brian, I knew they wanted less focus on them and more focus on the people around them. They wanted their non-traditional wedding day to be a to be a big party, and just be in the moment. Spending time with them and their wedding party, it was easy to see how tight knit this group is and the love they all have for each other. Bay Pointe Woods, which is a secondary venue to Bay Pointe Inn is located at 5100 Oarie Dr, Shelbyville, MI 49344. Bay Pointe Wood ..read more

Ciara and Joseph’s May destination wedding at Shepherd's Hollow Golf Club in Clarkston, Michigan exuded an atmosphere of timeless elegance. In keeping with the venue's overarching theme, the couple chose to embrace a black attire wedding. Throughout the day, numerous special touches and meaningful details added an extra layer of distinction to their wedding celebration. From including their dog Dakota at the bar, to fun fact napkins and even a cigar roller at their reception, every element of their day was well thought out and beautifully executed. Shepherd's Hollow Golf Club can be found at ..read more

I was so excited when Alex contacted me about photographing his proposal to Hannah. He wanted to propose to her on the beach at Lake Michigan, and decided that Kirk Park would be the best place. They have together a pup named Zeke, so telling Hannah that they were checking out the dog beach before bringing him was the perfect way to make sure she didn’t expect a thing. During our planning process, Alex had the idea that I’d follow behind them as they walked the beach. His signal to me that he was ready was stopping to ask me to take a photo of the two of them. On the day of the proposal, I s ..read more

Being a wedding photographer, I've seen and learned a few things about weddings and wedding day prep. There is usually an aunt or grandma who has a big box full of random items that end up being needed. With any wedding day you never know what is going to happen, here are 20 items that most people don't think about when prepping for their wedding day. Wedding timeline and the numbers for all your vendors. Having your timeline on hand as well as any vendor phone numbers is key for wedding day success. At one of my past weddings, the limo broke down and I ended up calling the bride after 20 m ..read more

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to photograph an editorial shoot for a new venue. Rose House Pgh is an original Victorian mansion built in 1903 that just started offering events and weddings. Once inside the Rose House, you immediately get transported 1903, with ornate details in every room. For events, Rose House Pgh can hold up to 30 guests for indoor events and up to 75 guests in the courtyard. The courtyard has an artificial grass lawn, surrounded by an English garden - giving you a private and intimate feeling in the city. The editorial was ..read more

  Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan is always one of my favorite places for engagement photos. There are so many beautiful buildings and places to take photos within a quick walking distance or drive. I met Carley and Zack at the Blue Bridge, where we walked around to The Amway Grand and Monroe Center. We ended the session at one of my favorite walls just outside of downtown. Carley and Zack were so much fun to photograph, they wanted a modern and classy engagement session in the city. We embraced the full sun of Sunday mid morning, before the city started buzzing. Hands down, my favorite ..read more

  Elizabeth and Joe’s summer wedding at Downtown Market in Grand Rapids was one of my favorites of 2022. Their wedding took a lot of trust and communication, with everything being planned from over 8000 miles away!! Elizabeth and Joe are both teachers in Thailand, Elizabeth teaches third grade, and Joe teaches middle school sciences and high school Biology. Their wedding day started with getting ready at City Girl Farmhouse, with the ladies inside and the guys getting ready outside and in the bunk house. Since we were taking all the wedding party photos before the ceremony, Elizabeth and ..read more

  Amy and Nathan’s February wedding at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth Michigan was my first wedding of the 2022 season. Their original date was May 2021, but with them both living out of state, they decided to postpone. Saint John’s Resort has beautiful hotel rooms and hallways that made it easy to do most of the portraits indoors, including Amy and Nathan’s first look! Their ceremony included the Indian traditions of the thali and manthrakodi. The thaali is a leaf shaped pendant with the threads from the Manthrakodi. The Thaali symbolizes mutual trust, love and commitment, and thus sig ..read more

  Hannah and Josh’s summer wedding at CityFlatsHotel downtown Grand Rapids was one of my favorites from 2021. I photographed their engagement session earlier in the year and I knew their wedding was going to be AH-MAZING. Both the ceremony and reception were at CityFlatHotel’s ballroom, which is a gorgeous space with historic architecture. The day started with getting ready in the hotel suites; Hannah’s Bella Bianca dress was absolutely stunning! Before the ceremony, Hannah had a first look with her dad and with Josh. We also took the time to take the majority of the family portraits bef ..read more