Mr. & Mrs. McKendry

On New Years Eve of 2016 I had the honors of photographing Bailey and Adam’s wedding. The first time I remember meeting Bailey was a few years ago when they came to me wanting some photographs done before their high school prom. Then next thing I know, Bailey reached out to me and asked if I could photograph their wedding! They are a cute young couple with an adorable little boy so I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to work with them and their families.

The wedding took place at the Grand Volute Ballroom in Lowell MI. Its a gorgeous ballroom with a set of elegant stairs coming down right as you enter the building. Their ceremony actually took place right on those stairs! It was beautiful.

We started our pictures of the girls getting ready and then proceeded to take some group shots at Fallsburg Park. We also did their first look right there in a little patch of woods while a few snow flakes were falling from the sky. It was magical! I love doing first looks and being able to capture the faces of both my couples when they see each other dressed up for the first time. My second shooter/ partner at Brick Street Studio was there with me allowing us to capture every little moment throughout the day.

Any who, enough with the chatting. Here are some lovely images from the McKendry wedding. Brick Street Studio is taking on 3 more weddings in 2017. We are also booking for 2018! Book in the month of February and get 15% off your entire wedding package.

Brown to Bailey

As some of you know, I am getting married this year. We are getting married on October 13th, 2017. It falls on Friday the 13th so I know it seems kind of weird but hey, we’re weird so I think its ok.

I met my fiancé when I was a junior in high school. He was the new kid in school and had moved to Ionia from Sault St. Marie. I thought he was oober cute and we instantly became best friends. We didn’t start actually dating until after I graduated high school, two years later. We have been together ever since and I couldn’t be happier that I get to marry my best friend. He means the world to me along with our three fur babies. By the time we get married we will have known each other for over 8 years and have been dating for over 6. This has been the most amazing 6 years of my life.

Yesterday, my partner over at Brick Street Studio, Marisa, took some engagement photos of us. We just went to one of the county parks in our small town of Ionia, Bertha Brock Park. We did a few shots in the woods and then Logan and I braved the, what we hoped was frozen, pond on our ice skates. I clearly lived to see today and didn’t fall through so needless to say everything turned out just fine. I edited all of the images but I wanted to share some that we took. I cannot wait for our big day to get here, it sure is approaching us quickly!

For those of you that may want to see more, feel free to check them out here.

Brick Street Studio is only booking 3 more weddings for this year!

Mr. & Mrs. Hall

Casey and Chris reached out to me in 2015 looking to book their fall wedding for 2016. We did a little family session for them in the fall of 2015 when I was able to meet them for the first time. I felt we instantly clicked. I loved working with them and they are just such wonderful people. They came back for some holiday pictures as well as some mommy and me pictures in the spring. I was definitely looking forward to their September wedding at the Hydrangea Blu Barn.

The wedding came around on September 10th, 2016 and it was a rainy day. Not quite what your bride and groom are hoping for on their wedding day. It was raining on and off throughout the day but we definitely made it work. I remember my second shooter, Jordan Parham, and I took the dress outside to get some shots of it hanging up by the barn. We were out there for maybe 5 minutes and of course it started pouring, like really pouring! So of course we went back in and tried to find another suitable place to hang Casey’s gorgeous dress from.

The day went on to be quite rainy so the couple ended up having to hold their ceremony inside the barn instead of outside how they initially wanted. That’s alright though, they made it work and the staff at the barn was quick to act to get everything set up and perfect for the bride and groom. 

By the end of the ceremony, the rain had let up and people were able to be outside enjoying the entire grounds of the Hydrangea Blu Barn. The sun ended up coming out for a couple hours and we were able to get some wonderful shots of the couple sharing their first dance right outside the barn. It was so beautiful!

We had a blast photographing this couple and being able to work with them throughout this process. I am so glad I was able to get to know them. Thank you Chris and Casey for everything!

I will be taking on 3 more dates for 2017 weddings and am now booking weddings for 2018.

A Winter Engagement

Anastasia and LaKmal live in New York but when they were in town visiting family for the holidays they asked me to take some engagement pictures for them! Anastasia and I went to school together all throughout elementary, middle, and high school. We even showed our dogs together at the Ionia Free Fair. I was so happy to have been asked to photograph their engagement while they were back home. It was so nice to meet Anastasia’s fiancé!

Here are a few images from their session. Their session took place in Portland MI. We did some images along the board walk and one way bridge that looks over the Grand River as well as a few in the downtown area.

Hurlbut Wedding

Well I know I said I would try to start blogging again once the studio was finished but time of course got away from me this busy season. Now that things are slowing down, I am hoping to stick with this!

With this post we will share some great images from the Hurlbut Wedding. I have known Kali since we were in 6th grade. Her, our friend Jenna, and I were pretty much inseparable in middle school and even into high school. I couldn’t have asked to grow up with better friends. She is amazing inside and out and I am so happy that she has Brad in her life. They are just such great people and I was so honored to photograph their wedding day!

Their entire day took place at Shadow Ridge Golf Course in Ionia MI. It was a rainy day but we definitely didn’t let that stop us. They decided to do a first look, I find first looks to be so romantic and intimate! I definitely recommend doing a first look to future brides, I know I’ll be doing a first look myself when I get married next October.

We had a great time getting some intimate shots of the two of them around the golf course. What a beautiful setting it is out there

 

When the rain decided to come we moved our photos inside to the dance floor bar area. One great thing about this venue is it is surrounded by windows so we were even able to get some great shots with the natural light in front of the windows.

The rain stopped just in time for their ceremony to begin outside. It was a beautiful ceremony and ended up turning into a lovely night, rain free !

How gorgeous are they?! I can’t believe one of my best friends is married and I couldn’t be happier for the two of them ❤

 

I am booking weddings for 2017. I only have a few dates available! Packages start at $1450.

Website

Brown to Bailey

My fiancé and I just recently had our first photo session done that wasn’t by me or my best friend. These images were taken by our wedding photographer, Marisa Henry, she allowed me to edit them but she did a wonderful job shooting! Check out Marisa’s work on her website.

I wanted to share these because I honestly cannot stop looking at them and I cannot wait to get some of these enlarged and hung up on the walls in our new house. For those of you that don’t know, we have officially moved to Ionia. We have been living here for about a month now and we absolutely love it. I must admit, I was so nervous to move back to Ionia. I loved living in Grand Rapids, having everything I could ever need right at my finger tips. However, now that we have been here I realize I truly missed that small town living. I just love that there is not much traffic to deal with!

I was nervous moving my business back to my home town but I think it will turn into one of the best decisions we have made! My studio space is roughly the same set up, its a tad smaller but hey we are making it work out just fine! My office however, is a bit larger and it is so nice being able to have a nice little set up that people can come visit. The end goal is to be able to have clients come over and see all of their photos how I see them, on my giant computer screen in full color! I can’t wait to have my first client over once the office is completely finished (its so close!).

Any who, onto these images that I love so much. These were taken right outside of our new home. To me, that makes these even more meaningful. This is Logan and I’s first official home that we own and having images near by really makes it special. I can’t wait to marry my best friend next October.

10.14.17 #browntobailey2017

Photos taken by Marisa Henry

Make up by Cydney Robinson

All images were edited by myself, does not directly represent Marisa Henry’s image style.

Love Is All You Need

Meet Ashley and Elizabeth!

Elizabeth came to me a couple months ago asking about wedding packages. Ashley and herself really enjoyed my work so I was excited to get them their welcome packet. They came to visit me at my office to discuss some questions they had and they decided to book with me.

The next day we were chatting about their engagement session. They both attended GVSU so they really wanted to include some photos over there in their session as well as downtown Grand Rapids. Their session was beautiful! The amount of love these two shared between them was amazing. They were so full of laughs and so comfortable with each other, it really shows in their images!

Their wedding is coming up in August and I cannot wait! Its going to be gorgeous.

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. These two were great to work with!

Where Am I?

Hey everyone!

It has been quite some time since my last blog. It looks like its been about two whole weeks! That is far to long for me. However it has also been a CRAZY two weeks. We are officially moved into our home in Ionia! The studio is coming along nicely as well as all the other things that come with home owner ship such as painting, remodeling, and what not. I’m sure you could believe that we still have so much to do! Heck, I’m not even into my office yet, still working at my desk out in the cluttered studio space. Oh well, I’m just happy to officially own my own home!

I’m sorry if this blog becomes a bit lengthy but I wanted to share with you a little snippet of all the things I have been doing the last two to three weeks! I have had some wonderful sessions including two weddings, some prom photos, graduation photos, and more! I must say that all of my clients have been amazing during the session and with their patience while waiting for their final images.

Here are just a few of my favorites from different sessions!

 

Apple Orchard Wedding

Hey there everyone! I know lately I have been slacking quite a bit on blogging. It has been a crazy couple of weeks though!

It’s official, Logan and I will be moving back to Ionia. My old home town. I was going to wait to announce it but who knows how many of you will even read this so if only a few of you know thats fine with me! We have already taken about half of our things over to our new home, we even started painting the new studio space. Woot woot! I can’t wait to share some pictures once we get all settled and everything looking the way we want.

Any who, enough about myself, I want to share with you some gorgeous photos from the McKeown wedding! These photos were taken at Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm in Jackson MI. It was a gorgeous day and we got so lucky that it didn’t rain!

Nicole got her dream of being married in front of the apple trees in full bloom and let me tell you, it was absolutely stunning! Nicole and Chad met at a church in Belding and they had the cutest little proposal story!

In the words of the bride herself when I asked about their proposal “THIS IS MY FAVORITE STORY. Chad proposed by taking me on a ‘surprise picnic’. He blindfolded me in the car until we reached the picnic spot. It turned out to be the marina in Holland (I have ALWAYS wanted to go sailing). I was shocked beyond belief, and still expected nothing. After about 2 hours of learning how to sail on Lake Michigan with our captain, he suggested that we sit on the edge of the boat and enjoy the view. While sitting, he started his speech and asked me to marry him. :)”
How cute right?!

Well, lets get on with it as I am sure you’re all dying to see some of their images!

How awesome that a rainbow appeared right before their ceremony!

The amount of love between these two was amazing! You could just tell every time they looked at each other that they were meant to be. It was such a beautiful day!

I had so much fun working with these two and their families, they are just all around great and wonderful people. The entire day was planned out wonderfully and everything was so easy!

I am now booking weddings into 2017! If you are interested in a digital welcome packet, don’t hesitate to ask!

Mr. & Mrs. Hardin

I had the privilege of photographing this adorable couple on their big day two weeks ago!

Kelley and Travis met in Greenville, MI in 2005. They dated & lived together for 5 years (2005-2010)…separated for a year/traveled ect. We reunited in 2011 and have been together ever since. We met April 2005 and having our Ceremony April 2016. They also have a beautiful little boy who came into this world not to long ago!

Kelley shared with me the story on how Travis proposed to her. It is just so sweet!  “Travis proposed on our property (We had recently purchased 12 acres of totally undeveloped land to “start our life on”). One day, we had to mark out the ‘intended driveway placement’ for city/building approval & permits… and Travis proposed there as I was placing the marker-flag. It was a big symbol of our future ‘path’, and I was totally surprised!”

Their wedding was held at the Ionia fairgrounds where they have worked most of their summers running their concessions stands. I first met Kelley and Travis as a couple at the fair when they had asked me to take photographs of them around the fairgrounds to remember their time there.

The fairgrounds is a beautiful location that the Grand River runs though. They got married right on the river with the bridge in the back ground. It was a gorgeous ceremony!

“Travis proposed on our property (We had recently purchased 12 acres of totally undeveloped land to “start our life on”). One day, we had to mark out the ‘intended driveway placement’ for city/building approval & permits… and Travis proposed there as I was placing the marker-flag. It was a big symbol of our future ‘path’, and I was totally surprised!”

Kelley and Travis decided to do a “first look” on their wedding day. The first look really gives the bride and groom a chance to be completely alone (aside from photographer of course) when they first see each other. It allowed them to have a private moment during the day where they could just talk to each other and have those special moments when the groom first see’s his bride.

In the words of Kelley “Those of you that know Travis and I, understand that ‘tradition’ is less important to us than doing what is actually best given the time and situation! Our Wedding ceremony held true to that also! We did a “First Look Session” with our Photographer and I’m so glad we did! A couple hours prior to the Ceremony, Travis and I met eachother to capture the intimate moment of seeing eachother all dressed up. These are just a few photos from the preview… I’m excited to see the rest ♡”

I can’t wait to share with them their entire album! I had a wonderful time photographing these two. You can really see how much they truly love each other. Its such a beautiful thing!