Take a look at how their wedding day unfolded (And get comfortable. I had SO many favorites and, instead of narrowing them down, they’re all here for you)…

Marella was absolutely radiant. There’s no other word.

This moment just melts my heart. The couple’s dog, Bruno, was so happy to give Marella a little pre-wedding smooch!

My second shooter, Erin, was able to get some great shots of Ben getting ready as well:

I love when a couple chooses to build a “first look” into the timeline for their day. I really do believe it lends itself to a moment in time that only belongs to the bride and groom and makes for some delightfully emotional photographs. I also think it tends to calm any nerves before walking down the aisle. We arranged for a first look on a grassy knoll on the outskirts of South Haven overlooking Lake Michigan. It was a gorgeous place where time seemingly stood still.

Ben and Marella had a such a fun bridal party and we had a great time taking photos around the area. Thanks for being so great you guys! Marella, you are beautiful. Not many dry eyes in the church when Ben was saying his vows to Marella. Thanks to Erin for this great capture! And, now, on to the jaw-droppingly awesome details at Foundry Hall where the couple celebrated for the rest of the night. I couldn’t stop taking photos of the bird cake topper that Marella handmade!

Ben and Marella: I haven’t been able to stop thinking about your wedding. From start to finish, you had an amazing day and I feel honored to have been a small part of it all. The love and appreciation you both have for each other and for your friends and family was completely palpable and I know I am lucky to have been there to capture it. Thank you for trusting me throughout the day and for being so dedicated to your wedding photography! I wish you both days that only get happier for the rest of your lives. Big hugs,

nicole

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Well, in an amazing turn of events, as Eric and I relaxed on Max Patch, up walked Christine and Tracey. In their wedding attire. On the Appalachian Trail. With a camera. They hiked up that mountain together just a few days after their official wedding ceremony to soak in the mountains  – which they told me they loved – and get some amazing photos. Seeing this, I couldn’t just sit there as they took pictures of each other and worked so hard to get some with both of them in the frame. After all, I carried superfluous gear up and down those hills for a reason!

So, I crossed the top of the bald mountain, congratulated them, and asked Christine and Tracey if I could take a few photographs to send to them later. They happily obliged and I spent the next handful of minutes photographing a bride and groom. In their wedding attire. On the Appalachian Trail. With my camera. It had all come full circle for me. I felt like the world was shining down on me and saying I was in the exact place I needed to be at that moment. Thanks, world.

Here are just a few favorites of this amazing couple:

Tracey and Christine, it was SUCH a pleasure to meet you both – and in such an amazing place! Thank you for allowing this total stranger to spend a few moments of precious time with you and chat about the mountains and your wedding. I can tell you are an amazing couple and I wish you a lifetime of happiness. I hope you will hike the trail one day and let me know about it so I can send a little trail magic along the way! All the best to you both!

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Their wedding day was gorgeous with a bright sun in the sky and the temperature hovering around 50 degrees. As the guests gathered and filled the church, I could sense nothing but excitement from Angie and Larry. His kids greeted her with hugs and smiles and sweet questions, “are you marrying my dad today?” So precious.

Their reception at Cobblestone Farm in Ann Arbor was a great time – lots of great dancing and even a few moments to sneak away for some romantic photographs where, in true Angie and Larry form, they defaulted to kissing each time.

Angie and Larry, thank you for letting me be a small part of your day. It was an honor to capture your family come together and to see your faces light up throughout the day as you interacted. I hope you have a lifetime of happiness together and you default to kissing forever!

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Lori and Dan chose to see each other before the ceremony which allowed a great amount of time for some wonderful relaxed portraits of just the two of them interacting as well as allowing them more time with their guests after the ceremony. That was a brilliant idea!

The ceremony, in Genitti’s theater, was perfect and was peppered with bouts of laughter as Dan’s son, Carter, joked around on stage while Lori and Dan took their vows. The dinner reception was full of well wishes for the newlyweds…and the smell of amazing soup! These two had a beautiful day and I feel honored to have been a part of their intimate celebration.

Dan and Lori, thank you so much for allowing me to capture the emotion and love on your wedding day. It was a true honor to be around as your little ones made us all laugh and the two of you celebrated the love you’ve found in each other. I wish you all the happiness a lifetime has to offer!

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Their day started with everyone getting ready at Weber’s Inn and then a ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi Church. This wedding party was SO brave about the cold and John and Lindsay were complete troupers the entire time as we headed to the  U of M Law Quad, Nickels Arcade, and to Ashley’s for some quality photo time. It was a beautiful February day in Michigan and it was so great to be part of John and Lindsay’s day. Thanks, Mishelle, for bringing me along!

Lindsay’s dress made me want to get married all over again (but my husband, Eric, would tell you I say that all of the time)…simple and breathtaking.

Lindsay was a BEAUTIFUL bride.

And check out the eyes on John!

The inside of St. Francis of Assisi Church was really inspiring. I loved how small the ceiling made you feel…

And then over to the Law Quad where you can barely tell how cold it really was that day:

I think this is the moment when Mishelle and I both sort of stopped and melted. Gorgeous light. Gorgeous couple.

Mishelle was snapping away at Lindsay and I noticed that John was standing off to her left looking at her with the biggest smile on his face … priceless.

And off to Nickels Arcade:

Congratulations to Lindsay and John! And another big thanks to Mishelle, it was so great to work with you!

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Lauren was absolutely stunning:

So happy together!

And who doesn’t love a bride who plays the air guitar at her own wedding?

Thank you, Sarah, for having me and all the best to Matt and Lauren!

Their day was filled with blessings right from the start. On any given November Saturday in Michigan, you might be wrapped up in fleece and working to stay warm, but not that day! It was sunny and warm outside and allowed us to get some beautiful photographs around the Linden Presbyterian Church grounds before the ceremony. Heather was a totally relaxed bride and Ken was the picture of calm. When I asked if he was nervous, he said, “Oh no! There’s nothing to be nervous about now.” And it was totally apparent…for Heather and Ken, there is nothing to be nervous about now.

Heather and Ken, I feel honored to have been there to witness the blessing of your love and to be able to capture it for you both to enjoy with your family and friends for years to come. I could definitely feel all of the happiness that surrounded you both that day and I hope it continues to surround you for the rest of your lives together. Thank you for letting me be part of your experience, you are beautiful people inside and out.

So…Heather’s dress was stunning and I could barely stop photographing it!

The adorable Linden Presbyterian Church:

There was something about the entrance to Linden Presbyterian Church that I just loved.

Heather getting ready with her maid of honor and one of my wonderful September brides, Jody, and laughing with her mom. Good times! Jody sent me a note on Facebook that morning saying, “I think you are the lucky charm for perfect weather.” And now that I’ve had my last wedding of the season, I can say out loud that I did have amazing luck this year with beautiful weather at every wedding – amazing!

Ken and his men owned the place.

GQ, here they are if you need them:

And the ladies were full of beautiful smiles too:

I just love this exchange between Heather and her mom:

Heather, you were absolutely radiant.

And just after the series above, Heather said, “Let’s go get married.” So we headed back to Linden Presbyterian Church to find her dad…

I love these faces in the first moments Heather and Ken saw each other:

Toasts that night at Spring Meadows Country Club were exceptional and had the guests both teary-eyed and laughing at the same time!

Amazing rings:

Heather and her dad had an awesome moment to dance together. I may or may not have gotten a little teary-eyed myself during this dance as I photographed all of the emotions that went with it.

And, finally, the first dance as husband and wife! You guys look so at peace and happy. Cheers to the newlyweds!

To add to the relaxed feeling of their day, they chose to see each other before their wedding ceremony at the White House Wedding Chapel in Warren and we were able to capture some great emotional moments between them as they anticipated saying, “I do!” Their wedding day was a perfect fall day – beautiful colors and the rain stopped just for them (I swear I have good luck!). AND – their MSU Spartans even won against the University of Michigan so there was plenty to celebrate! Here is just a small bit of their awesome day…

We stopped at a local park in Sterling Heights for about forty-five solid minutes of photo fun, a total dream for a wedding photographer! Look at the amazing detail on Suzy’s glowing dress as she walks into the park:

Both Suzy and Vince knew how to be fierce. Without even trying.

I just love the closeness in this image. Aren’t they cool?

Cool and hip. I love seeing different colored shoes under those beautiful white gowns!

This is way high on my list of favorites from their day. I love the pure emotion and the huge smiles on both of their faces. Yay!

Here’s Suzy waiting for the ceremony to start. Everywhere she went, the room just glowed around her. It was gorgeous.

After the ceremony at the White House Wedding Chapel in Warren, we headed outside for some shots of the newlyweds. The light was just getting beautiful…

And then the good times began at Mac&Ray’s Banquet Center in Harrison Township. They had such a fun reception with so much dancing and even the MSU fight song to rally the crowd. Here’s an image from their first dance. Everything they did, they did with flare I tell you!

Thanks Aruna for bringing me along, it was a pleasure to be there!

When I met Georgina she was getting the last bits of her hair curled, something she said she may never have seen her own hair do before. Shortly after that, I left to meet up with John and the rest of the guys at Captain Lou’s right on the water in South Haven. I immediately knew this was going to be my kind of wedding – relaxed and full of laid back appreciation for the celebration and the people who were there to celebrate with. John and his friends were super kind and treated me like one of their own.

Soon, we headed to South Haven’s Sleepy Hollow Resort where the ceremony would later take place. In the meantime, there were relaxed games of ping pong, laps in the pool, and folks lazing on various benches around the resort grounds. John likened it to being at camp with everyone you love. How appropriate…

I just loved the beachy feel on the patio at Captain Lou’s.

What better than to have all of your wedding guests in town to help you get ready for your day with a ping pong tournament or a time out on a blue bench?

John getting ready with the help of his sister. And then the short walk to the beach at Sleepy Hollow Resort, where he and Georgina would soon marry!

This little guy stole my heart right away. He was a little shy at first but, just like is dad warned, he soon became the mayor of the place!

Georgina and John had arranged for all of their guests to wear blue sandals down to the beach so the sand could run through everyone’s toes. It was definitely a small detail that totally added to the relaxed feel of their day.

Melt. My. Heart…

Georgina and her dad. And John’s reaction to seeing his breathtaking bride:

After the ceremony, we headed to the pier and to the South Haven Lighthouse for some photo fun:

As they walked down the pier, they were greeted with honks and waves from the boats and people passing by. It was like a celebratory stroll with everyone congratulating them!

They were simply radiant together:

And a total blast to be around. This group had us laughing all day!

I loved their cake!

I’m pretty sure this is my super duper favorite from the day. It summarizes everything they had going for them that day – fun, lightheartedness, and love!

The sky was amazing! And I felt so fortunate to be able to watch the sun go down from the tent where the couple’s reception took place.

And while I’m talking about the reception…well, the reception was a downright blast. Can’t you tell?

Thank you, Jessica, for inviting me out! It was a pleasure – truly – and really felt like a miniature vacation!

The weather that day had been iffy – on and off drizzle – and the ceremony was to take place on the east steps of the Michigan State Capitol Building in Lansing. But the skies cleared just in time for an intimate ceremony surrounded by family and friends. I’m always amazed how that happens on a wedding day. I always think it’s a sign!

Kattie and her dad as she walked toward Richard. I love how her dad is helping her with her dress in the image on the left. So sweet.

Doesn’t the look on her face just say, “finally!”?

Their reception was such a great celebration of their day – with lots of dancing and fun!

Kattie and Richard, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. It was a true honor to be entrusted to capture your happiness and commitment so you’ll always be able to reflect on your day. I wish you a lifetime a happiness together!