Viewing entries tagged
joy
As a father of daughters, I am just beginning to witness the deep love and connection between sisters. This past week I have the privilege of photographing Natalie’s wedding, nearly three years after I had the honor of documenting her sister’s wedding on the shore of Lake Huron. It felt like family all over again, stepping into the joy and celebration of this union, seeing familiar faces, shedding a tear or two at all the beauty that surrounded me.
i am so excited to share this wedding! i am pretty sure cassie, tom, and their families single handedly helped me fall in love with charlevoix. i have had the privilege of shooting weddings all over the state and yet i hadn't shot in this stunning little costal town yet...i have been missing out! from the engagement session along the water, to their wedding among the spires of castle farms, i was blown away by the beauty of it all*
with the very best of vendors helping make this wedding all of what it was, cassie and tom celebrated alongside friends and family from all over. speeches that make you cry, details that make you swoon, and a couple who lived in the moment...every minute of the day!
thank you c&t - i hope i was able to capture the beauty of the day that was all around me. you two and your families have been so very gracious to me, and i count it a true blessing to have shared in your wedding celebration with you. congratulations again - here's to a life of joy, journeying together!
all the best,
-npe
sooooooo....last saturday was my last wedding of september, and it was spent in indiana with lindsay and JR!
i met lindsay a few years ago as she was in the wedding party of another couple's wedding that i was shooting. she is a photographer herself and the fact that she kept my info over the years and sought me out once she was engaged was amazing to me! it was a great reminder that even the simplest of interactions can leave an impression, for good or bad..and i was fortunate enough to have her call me in preparation for her own day - what a compliment!
to be honest, i haven't spent a whole lot of time in indiana..as it usually is just the state through which i travel to visit my brother and his family in tennessee or get to a shoot in chicago. but wow, did valparaiso surprise me in the very best way. my assistant james and i had very few words to exchange when we walked into the chapel on the university's campus. like so many locations with stunning beauty..words, and even photos do not do it justice. and it was in the beauty of such a room that JR and lindsay shared their vows.
and not only did the chapel and even the reception site deliver all sorts of eye-candy..but the late september weather was the stuff of dreams! from start to finish it was a wonderful day*
l&jr - you guys...it was such a great day! thank you for your trust and for making my job never once feel like a job during the day. blessings to you two..i hope you enjoy the preview as much as i did working on it!
-npe
sometimes there is a little distance between my clients and i, and as much as meeting in person is something that i love to do as often as i can...sometimes a skpye chat with my couples is the next best thing.
such was the start of my relationship with mike and marci, getting to know each other a bit via the wonder of technology. and when the day came, the physical distance we had shared before their wedding seemed to fade away instantly. i felt like an old friend, reunited for the privilege of witnessing a new chapter in their lives.
marci looked absolutely stunning in her dress, and mike wore his suit like a pro, channeling his inner model to make one gorgeous couple, inside and out. every detail in the day sung...stretching views of the lake...vibrant shades of green and blue...rolling hills of northern michigan splendor...a perfect day!
thank you again m+m...so very happy for you two. love each other well, as i know you will...always putting the other first, in everything. blessings!
- npe
i remember meeting andy for the first time...drum sticks in hand, ready to blaze the rhythm section for sunday morning at church. being that we are both gingers, there was an immediate brotherhood understood and established - 'hey, you have red hair...so do you! sweet!'
over the past few years, jana and i have had the privilege of getting to know both andy and his beautiful bride emily...seeing them grow in love and affection for one another. the two are so incredible gentle and compassionate, and it was incredible to watch as andy grew in wisdom and courage...leading emily in a relationship that found its way to a spectacular late spring day this past saturday, hand in hand...vowing their lives to one another.
from start to finish, it was a day of joy and celebration, with almost too many stories to tell packed into a saturday. i had the incredible privilege to photographing two friends promising their lives together, while also spending the day with a wedding party full of dear friends as well...not to mention several other professional photographers in the mix! nothing like a potent mix of creative awesomeness!
while shooting full wedding party shots on the outside wall of what appeared to be an abandoned building, a man walked up and asked us if we wanted to go inside to take pictures. as he had never let anyone else in, he wasn't sure if the building had anything to offer, but mentioned that he thought there was some cool light...
wow.
talk about a crazy stroke of providence and perfect timing...and the visual treasures that building had to offer weren't even close to tapped in our short time inside.
needless to say, it was an adventure of a day, and a wedding i will look back on with fondness for years to come.
congratulations a&e! jana and i love you*
- npe
its not every day that you can say you got married and almost experienced a tornado in the same day!
well, that was this past saturday for eric and nikki, even losing power at the church! certainly an exciting start to my weddings in 2014! thank you friends for the privilege and honor it was to share in this celebration with you.
from the early morning hints of sunlight, to the dance party that ended the night, it was one fantastic day, all wrapped up in the beauty of witnessing these two promise to pursue each other for the rest of their lives, so awesome!
blessings my friends,
npe
when nick and katie first met, they told me they both shared a common vision of their own respective futures. marriage was not in the forecast. and yet, for these two...it seemed as though there was little either could do to steer away from the gift that stood before them...each other. i was moved to tears as nick read his vows to his stunning bride. truly a man of strength, stricken to the heart with an overwhelming love for the woman that walked down the aisle to meet him. and katie, with her honest joy, beautiful smile, and uplifting spirit...it was a gift to witness her take in every moment of her wedding day...from the sleet and downpours of the morning, to the magnificent golden sky at sunset.
i don't think i could work through this preview fast enough. every image jumped out at me and helped cement in my mind two great truths. One, Petoskey is a remarkable place. And two, Nick and Katie are the type of clients that win my heart every time.
Blessings to you n&k...it was a privilege!
-npe
for a photographer shooting a wedding...i have to say, there is no better feeling that to have your clients just as excited to see you, as you are to see them! when i opened up the door of elizabeth's suite at the hotel this past saturday, her infectious smile and joyful hug reminded me why i do what i do...its all about the people. i felt like i had my own little cheering squad all day, and that cheer section was the bride and groom themselves. i could not have imagined a better compliment than pj telling me that if elizabeth got stressed out about the planning process for her wedding, she would go to my blog and remind herself - 'at least the photos will be great!'
are you kidding me! i am so very honored and humbled to have the chance to do what i do*
and trust me elizabeth, if these photos are beautiful, it is because and and pj are beautiful, and your wedding day was one for the books. st. joseph hosted quite the celebration on saturday..and yes...i got to be there!
- npe
it was an absolutely perfect september day. crisp morning. clear blue skies. the ceremony on the edge of the lake. it was one of those days that has the ability to stop you just admire it's beauty and serenity. and the funny thing was, it rained for their engagement session. but that didn't stop drew and katie then. we used the rain as a character in their story...but that character was far from returning as saturday showed not a cloud in sight!
i cannot say enough about these two friends and their incredible trust in me as an artist. i felt like just another member of the wedding party, with drew and katie up for any of my sometimes crazy ideas. and for that, I am truly grateful! once again, it was an honor to be a part of this incredible chapter in a couple's life.
from our meetings at vivant and engagement session in the rain, to the last dance on the rocking dance floor - it has been a privilege d&k. thank you. rich blessings to you two.
- npe
it is certainly a privilege to journey with couples...to have the opportunity to join in the adventure of a 'destination' wedding and witness vows beneath new breathtaking sky tapestries. saturday led me to the homestead resort in glen arbor, mi. with stunning views of lake michigan and the warm invitation of a charming resort village, the homestead offered the perfect backdrop for patrick and lizzie. from their home among the skyscrapers of chicago, these two ventured around the lake to northern michigan to promise their lives to each other. it was a day full of vibrant joy and honest emotion...as pat and liz did an amazing job of living completely in the moment and taking in their wedding day, for all the beauty that it was.
and there was i, a humble but thankful guest at the table of a jubilant celebration. i have so much sincere gratitude for the work i am given.
p&l, you were beyond gracious and generous, offering me the very best compliment i could have asked for. blessings to you two. always strive to love each other more than yourselves. you have reminded me once again why i love what i do.
-npe
