It always feels like I never have enough time in Ann Arbor. I didn’t attend the University of Michigan but over the years I have photographed a handful of weddings and engagements in the city, and I have grown to love the town immensely.
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Ceremony
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
as autumn begins to settle in for west michigan, the air cools and the colors begin to change...one of my favorite seasons in the mitten state. weddings in the fall are especially beautiful and this past saturday was no exception! when we were living in oxford last year, i enjoyed the privilege of meeting lin and sara in boston for their engagement session. these two graciously showed me around the city they had come to love and i knew that when their wedding day arrived, it would be a special one!
there was plenty of emotion to capture..from sara's father seeing her for the first time in her dress, to the incredible speech lin's mother gave at the reception. and the way these two attended to one another throughout the day..you could tell that this day was being appreciated for all that it was, two best friends overjoyed to begin their married lives together!
thank you sara & lin - it seems like just yesterday we were in boston on a beautiful early summer day..and now you are married!!! it was an honor to share in the day with you*
all the best,
-npe
where to start with these two? giovanna and daniel were some of our first friends in oxford..introducing us to a true sunday pub experience, welcoming us into the community of our little church in the city, and befriending our children. daniel had grown up near san francisco, not far from where my parents currently live..and we immediately realized that we had a lot in common surrounding photography, sound engineering, and all the geeky details in between. granted, daniel is a biochemist with a phd working with dna sequencing in oxford...so there is quite a large gap on the intelligence spectrum between us, but that didn't seem to hinder the friendship, ha!
when d&g got engaged in paris, they talked about a wedding in italy and i was so very honored to be welcomed into that conversation with the possible privilege of documenting the day. with plans in place for the wedding to be back near giovanna's hometown, we worked to nail down details for the few days i would be in country..which we realized was no small task! giovanna took on a great deal of trust in me, having to rely on her own knowledge of traditional weddings in italy, with the perspective i was bringing along with daniel's vision for uniting two cultures on such a special day.
in the end, it was an incredible day - through and through! all the hard work and attention to detail, timelines, logistics, and possible roadblocks...daniel and giovanna truly settled in and lived in the moment, a hope and prayer i have for each of my clients. they bridged the cultural gap between america and italy with grace and it was such a delight to watch these two families become one. and i have to say, italian weddings are amazing! to watch giovanna's friends and family welcome daniel in with plenty of kisses and even language barriers in great abundance..it was incredible.
thank you giovanna & daniel...i know you put a great deal of trust in a person who was so far from the planning and details of the day, and i don't take that lightly. i was able to watch your wedding unfold in all the honesty and beauty that it was, recognizing that at the center of it all was your mutual and passionate love for Jesus, and His design of what marriage was made for. jana and i hope and pray to come visit you sooner rather than later, but in the meantime...all grace and peace to you two as you begin your married lives together. we love you dearly!
blessings,
-npe
these mountains know me. they tested me from a young age. they are etched into my memory...and continue to remind me of the wilds of my youth. and when i have the chance to return, i count it a privilege and joy!
i had that very privilege when thomas and alissa asked if i would join them in the snowy mountains of washington, and it was such a gift! alissa's family have been dear friends since I was young and the honor of shooting her wedding was something that i sincerely appreciated and enjoyed. i don't think leavenworth could have been more perfect...from the sun breaking through at seemingly orchestrated moments, to the base of snow that has been falling on the valley for the past month..i was wide-eyed at nearly every turn. it certainly didn't hurt that these two looked incredible amid the white wilds of the cascades.
t&a, thank you so very much for such a wonderful day. i replay the day over in my mind and still cannot believe how fortunate we were to have such stunning beauty surround the beauty of promising your lives to each other. may God richly bless you two in the years to come, through the difficult and the encouraging, the joys and sorrows. much love to you too!
all the best,
-npe
this past saturday was wonderful in so many ways. when you have clients who express to you time and time again how excited they are to have you shoot their wedding, you recognize you have been given a true gift. sam was so very gracious week after week, reminding me that she was following the blog and couldn't wait to have me be a part of her wedding day. and so when saturday arrived, i was thrilled to be a part of the celebration.
with the ceremony and reception set against the stunning backdrop of a gorgeous september day here in michigan, i witnessed joy and laughter and had the privilege of capturing those moments to remind these two friends of a day that began their new adventure together. and the sky, that was something to remember too!
thank you so much s&c...you honor me by offering me the chance to serve you and your families and document such an amazing day. thank you for the privilege and may God bless you and keep you as you seek to love each other and the world around you well. blessings*
- npe
time and time again, i am reminded that this work that i have the privilege of doing is very much a balance of artistry and relationship. those two elements collided in fabulous, joyous fashion up north this past saturday.
angela and andrew's stunning celebration was through and through an incredible day. not only did their families go out of the way to make the whole weekend special for our little family with a condo on lake michigan, but they made us feel welcomed into the weekend festivities while allowing me to really enjoy the last weekend of summer in such a beautiful michigan city! from the very first images on the wedding day to the saturday morning session we had with a gorgeous sunrise, these two were the epitome of the perfect clients! and i simply cannot say enough about the gift they and their families were to me, going out of their way to encourage me in the very work i was doing for them. this is why i do what i do!
thank again a&a...everything about last weekend was a gift. may God bless you in your marriage and may these images remind you of those in-between moments of your wedding...and take you back to that joyous day, time and time again!
much love,
-npe
it was a great day indeed.
for quite a few of my weddings i am out of town, often up in northern michigan. don't get me wrong, i love everything about shooting at the stunning destinations that our beautiful state has to offer as you head north...but it is something sweet to savor when i have the privilege of shooting in my backyard. not only do i know this city well, but grand rapids never ceases to amaze me at all the vibrant nooks and crannies it offers up to us photographers.
for sarah and zach, they picked a pretty perfect line up...with the wedding ceremony at frederik meijer gardens and their reception at the stunning thousand oaks golf club. and every moment in between was truly wonderful. these two couldn't wait to see each other, and their passion for one another and the joy they were exuding on saturday was so easy to see. when the bride and groom's laughter and beaming smiles are completely infectious..you know you are in for a great day.
thank you z&s for inviting me to join you this past weekend! it was my honor and i couldn't be happier for you two! blessings to the newlyweds*
- npe
in an industry where we are often judged on what people see...i am reminded time and time again that at the end of the day, when the wedding celebration comes to an end and memories are gathered up in our hearts and minds...my work is so much more than a visual display of moments, but an investment in people and their hopes, dreams, prayers, and joys. its the subtle interactions, gracious words, common experience...that allows me to recognize what a privilege and honor it is to join each and every bride and groom on their wedding day.
and this past saturday pushed that truth to forefront of my mind, as i watched allison and kevin on their wedding day. these two were so incredibly gracious to me, encouraging and uplifting, serving me while i served them. the unique bond i was honored to share with them made my day all of what it was...responding to the relentless display of beauty and love that my camera tried to capture in an honest fashion. so many bright moments, so much gorgeous light, so many beautiful details.
thank you, a&k...for your trust in me. i do not take it lightly that such trust is given, and it truly allows me to be my very best for you and your families. may God richly bless you in your marriage as you learn to love one another well, laying down your lives for one another. thank you both for making my job more than worth it*
much love,
-npe
often during the busy summer months of wedding season, i am shooting in northern michigan...and while the beauty of the north is undeniable, having the chance to photograph a wedding here in grand rapids is a treat...especially when you combine the spectacular frederick meijer gardens and beautiful new ballroom at watermark country club!
the story of kyle and stephanie is pretty great, i must say. stephanie won an engagement session from me last year and i was so excited when she decided to not stop with the first session, but hire me for her wedding. i still laugh to this day about their engagement session, as these two have such a brilliant, hilarious sense of humor, and some of the photos truly captured that. all i can say is head to themountain.com to get a taste of the epic apparel worn for part of the day, just awesome!
this past saturday was the culmination of a lot of communication and organization, and it was absolutely lovely* sure it was a bit warm, but the dramatic sky only heightened the beauty of the day. i had such a blast and laughed often, which is always good for my soul on a wedding day..documenting these two and their love story. k&s, thank you for such a great day and for enduring the heat with me. i hope you enjoy your wedding preview as it was a joy to capture these moments!
blessings,
-npe
