WINTER WONDERLAND WEDDING- MCKAY BALLROOM

Grand rapids, mi
mckay tower
basilica of st. adalbert
JWMARRIOTT

Congratulations to Lexi and Josh!! What a beautiful winter wonderland wedding! It was gorgeous— just as gorgeous as these two.

They met through Bumble, but actually met a few years prior. Two years ago, they had their first date at Maru, in East Lansing, and have been together ever since. On their one-year anniversary, Josh set up the surprise proposal. They went on a carriage ride that stopped on the Blue Bridge. It was decorated with rose petals, candles, and wooden blocks of their initials. After Lexi said yes, they were dropped off at the Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, where their families were waiting.

You can see that the Blue Bridge was in full view at the JWMarriott, where Lexi was getting ready. I also loved that we got to stroll through where we had their engagement session! If you missed that, please check it out here:

https://lookatthebiggerpicture.com/blog/forty-pearl-wine-date

Best wishes to you both on your new adventures together! Thank you so much for choosing me to document your story. Enjoy this preview of your big day!

Apple Blossom Chapel and Gardens

Fennville, MI
Fenn Valley Vineyards
Apple Blossom Chapel and Gardens

Congratulations Tara and Caitlin!!

These two met at work, when Caitlin fell in love with Tara’s sweet dance moves and great personality. Their first official date was at Founder’s Brewing in Grand Rapids.

Did you miss their adorable engagement session at Founder’s? Please check it out here:
https://lookatthebiggerpicture.com/blog/founders-brewing-engagement

For the proposal, Caitlin was sneaky and invited Tara’s best friends to The Detroit Zoo during the holidays, making it look like it was their idea. Caitlin found the perfect spot in a somewhat secluded part of the zoo in front of purple Christmas lights (Tara’s favorite color), and Caitlin (in her very awkward manner) got down on one knee and proposed, not knowing that Tara also had an engagement ring waiting for her at home!

Their shared interests include Batman, craft beer, Harry Potter, and exploring new things together.

My favorite parts of their wedding day:
—Tara’s animated facial expressions- a photographer’s dream!
—They were so easy to shoot because they were laughing and interacting with each other the whole time!!
—We snuck off to the winery to get some really great shots and give them some alone time
—Tara’s veil. It glowed the whole sunny day!
—I love the Calcutt family! I got to see Erin (Caitlin’s sister) and Bryan, who I photographed over 4 yrs ago! I was so honored to continue to document new adventures in the Calcutt family.

—A huge thank you to Maria Lewis Photography for her talent, skill, fun personality, and knowledge of what is needed without me even saying anything. I absolutely adore working with her!

Tara and Caitlin are so fun and I loved this oh so much! Please enjoy the preview:

Wine Picnic Spring Grove Park- Cheryl and Marcus

Grand Rapids, MI
Spring Grove Park
Engagement Session

Congratulations to Cheryl and Marcus!! What an amazing and sweet couple! They met their last year of college through mutual friends. Many friends had graduated, so Cheryl and Marcus started spending more time together. After being chased by Marcus for almost a year, they graduated and did the long distance thing for a couple years.  Marcus lived in Ohio and Indiana to pursue his teaching career, and Cheryl stayed in Michigan and started working in Grand Rapids. After almost two years, he realized he couldn't stand being without her everyday and moved to Grand Rapids. He proposed at a friend's cottage up north last May. He asked her to come sit on the dock and started talking about how they had been together for five years... and then he pulled a ring out of his pocket.

I am honored to document their story. For this engagement session, at Spring Grove Park, in Grandville, the light was so beautiful!! You know I like the sun flare. I couldn't stop shooting, which made it very difficult to cull and edit this session! Marcus is actually a wine rep, so they had a little vino while the sun was setting. Beautiful day, beautiful people. I love my job.

I cannot wait to photograph this wedding in June!! Stay tuned.

Here is a sneak peek. Enjoy!