Silver Lake Sand Dunes

Last week one day, I spend a week at Silver Lake.

Really.

We were shooting for the local visitor bureaus' promotional literature, and literally took in a week's worth of the area in a mere 12 hours.

And for your benifit, I not only recommend enjoying the Silver Lake area, I recommend doing so in a week, and not a day! :)


















- Jon

A Few Random Wedding Shots

When we first started the blog, we blogged nearly every wedding. It's sometimes difficult to keep up with all the excitement of everything we shoot, and decided it is finally time to blog some wedding shots.

Here are a few random shots from a few random weddings.















More awesome wedding photography samples at Grand Rapids Wedding Photography.

- Jon

Destination Wedding in Saugatuck for Jake & Cathy

Friends and family came together from around the country to celebrate. The Bride and Groom chose a destination wedding in Saugatuck.



As Cathy says, "Saugatuck is one of our favorite places on the planet, Lake Michigan is my favorite body of water, we're taking everyone to our favorite restaurant..., then we're surprising everyone, which is one of our favorite things to do for people we love."

A key element of the whole day hinged on the secret surprise. Could the surprise be kept secret?

We had the opportunity to get to know Jake and Cathy a few months ago when they traveled from Chicago to Saugatuck for their engagement session. They are super laid back with a great sense of humor and you can imagine our excitement as we looked forward to their surprise and the ensuing reaction.







Their ceremony was at the Douglas United Church of Christ. Then a trolley escort to Everyday People Cafe'. Kudos to Co-Owner/Executive-Chef/Mayor Matt Balmer on the excellent fare. He really is also the the mayor of Douglas. Great food, drink and toasts were enjoyed by all.

After dinner Jake and Cathy announced to everyone that they were to hop back on the trolley for a surprise dessert. Everybody loved trying to guess where they were going!

Through a megaphone, Cathy announced to the guests their destination: the Star of Saugatuck for a 3 hour sunset cruise. The trolley erupted into enthusiastic cheers! Keeping this a secret was no easy task. Literally, nobody knew. Not the Maid-of-Honor, not the Best Man, not even the parents knew of the secret surprise.

Truly a night to remember on an authentic paddle boat, complete with a breathtaking sunset over Lake Michigan, dancing under the stars, and yummy desert!

Congratulations Jake and Cathy! Not merely for the detailed planning, not only for the successful secret, but congratulations on the beginning of a life filled with love and joy together.



- Lu

Lake Michigan Beach Wedding

A hearty congratulations to Rex & Monica.








The entire sneak-peak can be seen here. Turn up the volume and click play to start the slideshow. It's about three and a half minutes with 77 images.

The entire day was picture perfect! I'll let the pictures do the talking.





- Jon

Visit Grand Rapids Wedding Photography for more information!!

And special props to the Michigan DNR's State Parks for sharing their beach fire with us.

Congratulations Brian & Jen!

Not sure what it is about Jen & Brian, but the whole day shooting their wedding I had this Bonnie Raitt song rolling through my head.

A destination wedding of sorts, all the guests were from out of state. Even the Bride & Groom have been living in West Michigan for just a couple of years. No better destination than Grand Haven! It was a small celebration, spanning several days actually. Very intimate.

This is the sort of couple that may occasionally enjoy an enchanting glass of wine el fresco in Grand Haven, or an affectionate walk on the pier on a warm evening. And this is exactly how they enjoyed part of their wedding day!

Is it romance in the air or just the warm autumn breeze? If you know Jen & Brian at all, that's just love sneakin' up on you.

- Jon

Lake Michigan Beach Wedding

A big congratulations to Jesse and Jeanne. We had great weather for the wedding on Saturday! Awesome ceremony on the beach! Awesome that I got to shoot barefoot! :) Family and guests enjoyed an breath-taking view, a wonderful quartet and then the exchange of vows on a warm, sandy beach in Muskegon.





After the ceremony the couple spent some time alone along Lake Michigan. This allowed for some wonderfully photojournalistic and unique shots before heading off to the reception.





We had a great time and enjoyed meeting your family and friends and being part of your day!

Jesse and Jeanne met at Michigan State University. So ... it seemed practical that we do their engagement shoot in the place which they met and fell in love. Jon and I met them at State for their engagement shoot last month as they braved the wind, cold and rain. We were able to get special access to Spartan Stadium for some of the shots!





We're glad you had a warm, sunny day for your wedding!

- Lu