It is always a special gift, to play even a small role in the wedding celebration of a dear friend. This “off-season” has truly felt full of such gifts with friend’s weddings being on the whole all that I have documented this winter. Tyler and Ashlynn’s story is pretty amazing, and I know they both would testify to God’s grace in their lives, drawing the lines of their individual stories to intersect in such a providential way. I have known Tyler for several years now, really ever since we started attending our church. Playing music with him and watching him grow into the man I witnessed this past Saturday was inspiring. And to meet and befriend his lovely bride Ashlynn has been a delight!
I have rewritten this sentence so many times, trying to find the right words to express how I feel. Ally and Jon’s wedding was a special one for me…probably because with all the couples that I have had the privilege of documenting on their wedding day, I have witnessed Ally grow up in a way that brings me so near to the experience of being a father myself. Knowing Ally’s family for the past decade has given our family a front row seat for witnessing the Smith kids grow and mature before our eyes. Watching her dad Kevin walk Ally down the aisle gave me a powerful glimpse of what my future might possibly hold, if either of my dear girls ever choose to get married.
Sometimes you just have to dance in the rain. I know, I know…cliche saying for sure. BUT! Sometimes I think it really is true, and we just have to take what we are given and still get groovy amid the clouds, and the rain, and the cold. This past Saturday began with clear blue skies and ended with a down pour…and the fact that Stephanie and Sasha’s photos pay tribute to that is a testament to their willingness to stop at nothing to enjoy their wedding day to the fullest!
Meeting for the first time at a local coffee shop just South of the Golden Gate Bridge was such a wonderful way to jump into friendship with Bridget and Luke. The incredible blend of city sophistication and outdoor recreation that San Francisco has to offer fit these two so well. We decided to document that part of their journey with an engagement session in the city by the bay. And just this past week, we came full circle to their wedding celebration at the village by the lake.
I don’t think you could have asked for a more perfect September day in the windy city. This past Saturday began downtown at a private residence just a block from the lake. With sun bursting in, Ryan and Amanda began their day together with a first look and a quick getaway with the wedding party for some photos. It really was as much fun hanging out with this crew as it looks in the photos, haha.
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
this past weekend saw the third saturday in a row that it rained here in michigan. and it just didn't matter!
amanda and jeff handled the weather the same as my couples the two weeks before...with smiles, joy, and a relentless pursuit of embracing the beauty of their unique wedding day, downpour and all. and what a beautiful day it was. i actually don't get the privilege of shooting on the east side of the state that often, so a&j's wedding was a special treat. and even though the skies opened up in the middle of the day, things cleared to make way for a beautiful evening full of wedding celebrations!
jeff and amanda, thank you for letting me tag along on your wedding day. it was such a breath of fresh air in so many ways. blessings to you two as you start this new chapter of life together. i hope you love your wedding preview!
- npe
it is always exciting when you get the chance to shoot at a new location, especially when it is for such an awesome couple like mallory and brian. even with a bit longer commute to this past saturday's wedding, it was so worth it to document these two and their beautiful wedding celebration.
and you could totally tell that this wedding..well, it was all brian and mal! from the unique and super cool antler woven into the bridal bouquet, to the stunning backdrop of the northern michigan wilderness..it was a wonderful day*
thank you so much m&b for inviting me to come along and share in the celebration. it felt like we had known each other for years, and that is such a gift to me as I strived to capture all the details and beauty of your wedding. blessing to you two!
much love,
-npe
its not every day that you have a couple hire you two years out. i know i may not have been as excited as these two for this past saturday, but i can say that two years certainly does build up the anticipation...and their beautiful day did not disappoint!
i could sense their authenticity and kindness right away when we first met over coffee. its the type of meeting i leave, truly hoping that the couple hires me, simply and selfishly because i want to be their friends and see first-hand the impact they have on those around them. yes, they are that cool, haha! and what do you know, i was given that incredible gift!
katie & zach's wedding was about as perfect a michigan summer day as you could get. and it was wrapped up in love and affection, with a wedding party that adored these two, and family and friends that knew how to shower a bride and groom with love. from the incredible details that katie and her mom worked tirelessly on, to the tears zach shed as his bride walked down the aisle to him..it was moment after moment of beauty.
zach & katie, thank you for the honor of joining you on your wedding. thank you for your testimonies and for beginning your marriage on the foundation of the gospel. you two are an inspiration and encouragement to everyone around you. much love you two!
blessings,
-npe
