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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Romance
here it is...my final wedding of 2016. and what an awesome couple to spend it with! drew and rebecca were married on saturday in grand rapids surrounded by friends and family, and it was beautiful!
when i have the chance to sit down with couples and chat about their wedding day, we often talk about scheduling and how they envision their wedding day playing out. usually the topic of a first look comes up and i really make a point of trying not to influence a couple's thoughts prior to them making a decision one way or the other. there are certainly good reasons for both a first look or waiting to see each other until the moment the bride walks down the aisle.. i say all of this, because for these two...a first look was absolutely perfect. when both the bride and groom cry seeing each other for the first time, you know it was a special and powerful moment, made even more special because of the intimate privacy they were able to share.
and the wedding day was truly full of those moments! from the early morning stylings in the salon to the late night sky lanterns being lit, it was a stunning day* thank you d&r for helping me to finish out my shooting season on a high note! may God bless you you two in your marriage - it was a gift to be a witness for your wedding!
much love,
- npe
i don't often have the opportunity to shoot on the east side of the state...i figure that there are plenty of incredibly talented and capable photographers in the greater detroit area that couples look to hire when planning their east side wedding. but this past weekend i headed east to join rachael and andrew for their wedding celebration, and it was awesome! my wife and i first officially met rachael while on a trip to israel last summer. although we attended the same church here in grand rapids, we hadn't been introduced. and i must say, experiencing israel in the way that our group did has a way of making everyone family. we depended upon one another and grew close as we spent two weeks in the summer heat of the holy land.
so when rachael got engaged and asked if i was available for her wedding, i was so excited to share in the next chapter of life for her and andrew. it was funny, because andrew even told me on the wedding day that initially he wasn't totally sure about me, haha...as that makes sense because often the first point of contact for my couples is with the bride. but it didn't take long for us to hit our stride as friends on saturday. it was beautiful to see these two interact, completely infatuated with each other but even more...a desire to pledge their very lives to one another.
a&r - thank you for the joy of sharing in your day. i know you two are currently enjoying the beauty of the hawaiian sun, but i hope this wedding preview allows you to enjoy and relive such a wonderful day!
blessings,
npe
so i'll tell you right away..i am pretty sure i broke every rule for the reasonable number of portraits for a bride and groom in one blog post. but hopefully once you scroll down, you will understand why! when a couple is this easy to photograph, and the light is this wonderful all day, you just can't help yourself!
i met whitney a few years ago as a guest at another wedding i was shooting and had the wonderful privilege of photographing her mother's wedding in 2014. when couples ask you to capture their wedding day after witnessing your work, especially for family members, it is probably the highest compliment i can receive. and the day was so much fun, seriously. ben and i could totally pass off as long time friends i am pretty sure, with the fact that we couldn't stop laughing at the awesome awkwardness that photos can sometimes be!
thank you b&w, for the gift of celebrating beside you two and your beautiful families. leland will always hold a special place in my heart, and the fact that your wedding was there makes it all the more magical! lets relive this past weekend, what do you say? i loved working through these images...pretty sure i cried while editing your vow photos. love you guys!
- npe
i realized it at the very start of my career, even if i didn't fully understand the weight of it....wedding photography is just as much about relationship as it is about art.
now, it goes without saying that the artistry of a photographer stands tall in a world of social media and visual overload, but the subtle threads of real relationship behind the photos are what bring those images to life in an honest and captivating way. the great honor of sharing in the wedding day of a couple is something that settles on my heart with a weight of gratitude.
and this past saturday was yet another wedding where the esteemed role i had been given was a gift all in itself. jordan and matt have quite the story, both individually and together as a couple...and to join them in this moment in time at their wedding was truly a privilege. quite moments and prayers among siblings, a ceremony rich in humble love and purposed vows, joyous celebration and beautiful details...it was a dream day, and i am pretty sure everyone who attended would agree.
thank you matt & jordan. i know the choice of photographer was a question heavy on your hearts, and i am so grateful to have walked beside you two on your wedding day. may God bless you and keep you...and remember, never stop dating. but you already knew that, didn't you? haha
much love,
- npe
it was another one of those wedding weekends where everyone is watching the radar. trust me, i was watching too...the addition of severe weather and soaking downpours certainly can add a whole new level of needed creativity and spontaneous reorganization to a photographer's task. but saturday i saw play out the reality that i have come to know when it rains on a wedding day...the way the bride and groom go, the day goes.
the temperament and response of a couple to the unpredictable uniqueness that becomes their wedding day will always set the tone for the day.
and it must be said, that michelle and nick responded to the weather with clear eyes and full hearts, and the day was perfect. no amount of rain could dampen the spirits of these two, with friends and family surrounding them as they pledged their lives to one another. the venue was stunning. detailed beauty everywhere you looked. and to top it all off, these two even received a personal congratulatory video message from their favorite red wing, nicklas lidström...talk about awesome!
it was an honor to share the day with you, nick & michelle. thank you for your trust in light of the weather woes we worked through. you two and your joyous spirits were an inspiration to those around you and i am grateful to have witnessed your beautiful day!
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
i could hardly wait to get this post up! a week ago saturday, korrine & ben had the most lovely wedding day and unfortunately this past week held a great deal of happenings for our family so i was unable to blog as soon as i would have liked. but with our move to oxford slowly settling in, i was finally able to revisit this incredible day and i am delighted to share with you just a peek into what was most likely my last wedding for 2015. and what a wedding it was to close out the season!
i had been up to the homestead a few times already for this summer and it was wonderful to be able to revisit the stunning views that glen arbor has to offer just one last time. from the moment you meet korrine and ben, you know you are in for a fantastic day. these two were such incredibly joyous people with a great deal of laughter and fun to spread around. i remember mentioning to korrine that i felt her flowers captured her and her personality is such a perfect light, bursting with stunning colors and beautiful uniqueness.
the weather decided to cooperate in gorgeous fashion with the ceremony being held at the top of the mountain, overlooking the vastness of lake michigan. and the light all day was wonderful to work with...it truly was a great wedding to bid goodbye to michigan for a season.
b&k, thank you so very much for inviting me into your day and for the privilege it was for me to document it. i wish you two all the very best as you step into married life. love you guys!
blessings,
nathan
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
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
