Wedding day at Meijer Gardens and Mangiamo's

Congratulations to Jaime & Dennis!!

... at the Amway Grand Plaza

Naturally, we were thrilled when we learned the reception was going to be in the Imperial Ballroom at the Amway Grand Plaza.
But this celebration is really about a couple of artists in their own right. Brian, into not only photography, but the Culinary Arts. And Tara, into the Performing Arts, has a singing voice that makes the heart melt.
Okay, I must admit, I was cool that we had access to Cygnus for a Wedding day photo shoot; Brian works at Cygnus.
Congratulations! It was a great celebration, and what a tremendous group of family and friends that helped out with the festivities!
- 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

Amway Grand Plaza Pantlind Ballroom Wedding Reception

Congratulations Greg & Holly!


From the vows to the honeymoon, WE'RE THERE!


Okay, seriously, the entire day was way amazing, from the ceremony at Mayflower in EGR to the opulent recepion in the 95-year-old Pantlind Ballroom at the Amway Grand Plaza. The Pantlind Ballroom is one of our favorite place to shoot!

Click the PLAY icon to enjoy the sneak peak Greg & Holly's friends and family enjoyed.

As you can see, it was a day filled with joy, romance, fun, adventure, and even a unique opportunity to renew vows. I mean really, how many can say they did THAT on their wedding day!

- Jon

Wheatfield Inn Wedding

Tying the Knot on the Muskegon River

Well it's a Labor Day Weekend -
Not sure what to do.
How about tubing the Muskegon River with a downstream heading
and while we're there we'll crash a wedding!



Okay, so I'm not a poet.

That Wedding would be Matt & Leigha's. I joked with Matt before the ceremony, "you should have had the reception here too, with a cash bar. You'd have made a fortune!"







These shots are just a small handful that portray not only the love and romance of Matt & Leigha, but an exciting evening of dining, dancing and celebration with friend and family. Congratulations Matt & Leigha!

More awesome wedding photography at Muskegon Wedding Photography by Picture Michigan!

- Jon

Saugatuck Wedding for Justin and Kristyn

Congratulations Kristyn & Justin!



What can we say about Justin and Kristyn. Anybody that wears hot-pink heels and orange Converse high-tops for their wedding day just may be cool enough to spend part of their engagement session in a shopping cart. For the record, Justin is the one in the Converse. And yes, this is the same couple in the shopping cart a few months ago. Really, these two ROCK!











The ceremony and reception were held in the suburbs of Saugatuck at The Laketown Golf and Conference Center (we have officially declared Laketown a suburb). Laketown has such an incredibly beautiful room there.

Before the ceremony, we had the opportunity to walk around downtown and even hang out on a 42' sailboat. Everything surrounding the celebration was picture-perfect. Even this little one gave everything a thumbs up. That, or she's trying to tell me something.


Yep, another satisfied customer!


A special thank you to Tom VanHowe for loaning his Catalina to us for a few moments. Pictured from l to r is Justin, Kristyn, Fr Tim (from the Kevin Matthews Show), and Capt Tom (also occasionally from the Kevin Matthews Show). Tom runs a charter from slip 11 in front of Mermaids called Ragtime Charters.



- Jon

Inn at Stonecliffe Manor - The Essence of a Mackinac Island Wedding

Congratulations to Dr. and Mrs. Salas!

They had complete confidence we would document their wedding day in the splendor for which we are known. The only thing Chris and Lynda requested was to capture the essence of Mackinac Island for their wedding day. Well, I've been capturing the essence of Mackinac Island all my life, so this was a piece of cake. Or a piece of fudge in this particular instance.


Making fudge on Mackinac Island


We prefer our Brides like we prefer our fudge; really sweet and a little nutty! :)
(disclaimer: Lu does not think Lynda is nutty)
(disclaimer: Jon dissents -- she's a LITTLE nutty -- I mean really, she's mixing fudge!)

The ceremony and the reception were held at The Inn at Stonecliffe, a beautiful and remote location of Mackinac Island. The front porch overlooks the blue waters of the Straits and the mighty Mackinac Bridge.


Inn at Stonecliffe



Ceremony at The Inn at Stonecliffe



Ceremony at The Inn at Stonecliffe



The Inn at Stonecliffe



Strolling the porch of the Grand Hotel


It was a beautiful and glorious day for a Mackinac Island Wedding! The Bride & Groom were super cool for letting us take them in a fudge shop and traipsing down Huron Street where the horses leave their little deposits.

Did we capture the moment? Well, we captured the essence. And after the capture, we barbecued it over an open flame and wrapped it up in a flour tortilla!

The entire sneak-peak slideshow can be seen by clicking the PLAY icon.





- Jon

Go to Mackinac Island Wedding Photography for more information!


A couple of random vendor reviews:

Mackinac Island is my absolute favorite place on the face of the earth! We always enjoy returning to the Island -- meeting up with old friends and making new friends. There are a couple of old friends we need to give a special shout...

The Inn at Stonecliffe:



Michelle at The Inn at Stonecliffe


What can we say about Michelle! There are good site coordinators and great site coordinators. Michelle is one of the few truly great ones! This particular weekend was a hot and humid one. The Bride and Groom requested some water as they were leaving the site for the night. Within sixty seconds, Michelle was there with ice-cold bottled water. Such an uncommon gesture that could have otherwise gone unnoticed in any situation. And this is just the tip of the ice burg.


The Mike Davis Trio:


The Mike Davis Trio

Professional. Versatile. Talented. Way-cool. I love jazz and I love classical music. Mike specializes in both. It's amazing how the trio changes gears so easily from the structured sounds of classical at the ceremony to the improvisational mood of jazz at the reception. And not only are they a mainstay on Mackinac Island, they are based in Traverse City. The Mike Davis Trio is the perfect addition to any event in Northern Michigan.

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

Less about luck, more about love.

The biggest day in a lifetime on the biggest day of a lifetime. Of course we mean 7-7-07. Even the vows were scheduled to begin at 7:07pm.

And yes, this is the same couple you may have seen on the front page of yesterday's Grand Rapids Press.



Press photo by Adam Bird. Here's Adam in action earlier in the week.



Even Fox 17 News was there covering the Ceremony.



On any other given day, it's Sgt. Santiago and Sgt. Hildebrand. But from July 7, 2007 through forever, it's Mr. & Mrs. Hildebrand.

Between all the planning and the media blitz, Aurora and Mike found time Saturday to exchange wedding vows at the Frederick Meijer Gardens and celebrate with friends and family at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel's Pantlind Ballroom.

Upon returning to their home in Tennessee, our Sergeants-in-love will soon be deployed overseas -- to different countries -- for two years!

In the mean time, Aurora and Michael have a day to truly remember. And an anniversary date to never forget.













Congratulations Mike & Aurora! Thank you for faithfully serving our country, and it was a true pleasure serving you yesterday!

- Jon

Castle Farms of Charlevoix -- A Fairy Tale Wedding

Her dream came true. Literally! Based on a premonition, she had the airline ticket before he called, inviting her to North Carolina.

And here we are in Charlevoix, at the French Renaissance Revival chateaux, among the green grass and field-stone walls and guests from around the world. It's not Tony & Eva. It's Jeff & Kristy beginning their lives together in an historic castle this weekend!







Click on the Play icon to view the entire Sneak Peak slideshow.

When Creative Professionals commission Picture Michigan for Wedding Photography

Bill & Marie's wedding ceremony was at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Grand Rapids and the wedding reception was at the University Club in downtown Grand Rapids.



Is it any wonder that a creative professional such as Marie entrusts Picture Michigan for wedding-day memories?

Marie, an art director for an advertising agency, is the second creative professional (Rex, a graphic designer at a different agency, was married two weeks ago) to be featured on the Picture Michigan BLOG this month.

It is an incredible honor to have participated in this event and especially with clients that have exceptional taste and a meaningful appreciation for the arts. Clients that allow us to articulate our creative and artistic expression. Clients that will forever remember with style the day they threw one helluva party. Absolutely!

Turn up the volume and click the PLAY icon to view the slideshow. And as always, it's a good idea to have a tissue ready!






Random wedding vendor reviews--

Wedding reception: The University Club.

This venue is such a gem! Bill and Marie reserved the entire tenth floor of the Fifth-Third building in downtown Grand Rapids. Cocktails and Hors d’œuvre were served in a lounge-like setting away from the main dining room prior to dinner. In lieu of a receiving line at the ceremony site, Bill and Marie greeting guests as they arrived.

The staff was not only courteous and attentive, the staff was plentiful! The guests never had to wait for the next tray of cocktails and Hors d’œuvre. The Beef Wellington was mouth-watering. Dinner was even better!

The layout of the University Club is such that while there are separate rooms for mingling, these areas are all interconnected, allowing guests easy movement throughout the facility.

Music: Junior Valentine and the All-Stars.

On behalf of Junior and the guests, I would like to personally thank Bill and Marie for hiring a live band. Especially this band!

In the day, I enjoyed Junior Valentine and the All-Stars at the old Rhythm Kitchen Cafe in downtown Grand Rapids. I always knew Junior to be a fine entertainer, and the band rocked each time I saw them. Not only is Junior an accomplished blues and jazz guitarist, he is also a phenomenal MC for the evening's festivities.

Plus these guys are versatile. The opening number was the Beer Barrel Polka for the Father-Daughter dance.

Photography: Grand Rapids Wedding Photography

What can I say. They're the best! Okay, all modesty aside, that would be us, Picture Michigan Wedding Photojournalism. :)

- Jon

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.

Oakhurst Golf and Country Club Wedding

It was a privilege and honor to participate in the Wedding of Kyle and Tanya. The last time we met up with Kyle and Tanya was at the wedding of Doug and Jackie last fall on Mackinac Island. Interestingly, Kyle and Tanya were introduced as a result of Doug and Jackie meeting five years ago!

It’s cool when things like this go full circle.

The celebration on Saturday was intimate with less than fifty guests but shared the energy of a rock concert. A testament of the guest list. The closest friends and family attending made the night what it was. From the open-mic toasts to a dance floor that cranked!

But I think the festivities of this particular gathering hinged on Kyle & Tanya’s biggest fans: each other.

- Jon

Random vendor review: Oakhurst Golf and Country Club, Clarkston MI.
(about a mile from Pine Knob and DTE Music Theater)

A new take on Murphy’s Law. Everything that could have went right went right, and everything that could have went wrong went right. The club’s manager Rich noted to me this was the first time they hosted two weddings at the same time. The staff performed exceptionally.

As photographers for one of the weddings, and inadvertently chatting with the parents of the bride and groom at the other wedding, we observed everything functioning perfectly. The staff was very attentive, conscientious to the needs of the wedding parties and guests. The facilities are not only beautiful, but very functional.

Congratulations Marty & Amy

What a story Marty and Amy have of their wedding day. They began their lives together as Husband & Wife at the Church of the Dunes and celebrated at Porto Bello in Grand Haven.

As we do for Brides and Grooms that elect to see each other before the ceremony, we arranged a secluded special time for Amy and Marty to see each other privately. This time alone is almost a ceremony in itself. Seeing each other for the first time on this special day. No crowds. No Pressure.

Amy and Marty chose to exchange gifts at this time. They gave each other watches. If they turned their watches back an hour at midnight, their wedding day was extra special. It was 25 hours long.

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

Congratulations Dennis & Lisa!

Some things are meant to be. Dennis and Lisa are meant to be! I mean, they grew up in the Grand Rapids area without ever having met. They respectively move to North Carolina. And on a chance encounter while each are briefly back home, they meet. Huh?

Did I get that right? What planets aligned for that? Staggering! Let's talk about the infield-fly rule instead.

(just kidding) :)

Saturday, Dennis and Lisa were married in Grandville and celebrated in Zeeland. They both now live, work and play back home in West Michigan.

It's impossible to define in words, but these two are truly in love. It's not just in the way they look into each other's eyes. It's not just in the way they smile at each other. It's not just in the way they crack open a can of beer together. The defining moment I observed of these two on Saturday, was the way each dropped a tear together when they first saw each other.

Priceless!

Plunger -- $7.28
Assorted PVC -- $5.61
Snorkel -- $14.99
used "granny" underwear found at a garage sale -- Priceless

Wedding Photography by Picture Michigan

Congratulations Tim & Holly!

I was not really all that optimistic when eight days before Tim & Holly's outdoor wedding, the weather folks were already calling for a 60% chance of rain. Maybe I was a little optimistic. And there's still that 40% chance on the other side. Right? Plus weather forecasts can change in eight days.



Yeah, it changed. It went from 60% to 70% to 80%. By Saturday I was thinking, "that 80% chance is a bit of an understatement!" A 200% chance of rain would not have been hyperbole.

So here we are, on location between the ceremony and reception for a shoot. The location is that wonderful business park at Kraft & The Paul Henry near Caledonia. And perhaps this is the soaked photographer in my saying this, but was I disappointed that we didn't get a picture of the Bride & Groom with the tornado in the background.

Unfortunately, we never learned of the tornado warning until we returned to the reception location. It touched down just a few miles away. I'm guessing that the torrential downpour prevented us from hearing it and would have impeded our view.



I predict that there is an 80% chance that this wedding will never be forgotten by Tim & Holly. And I may be understating that a bit. :-)

The only true glitch was the rain, and maybe the guests enjoying the beverage service early and quickly. I say, those two cancel each other out, so it was a picture-perfect wedding celebration!

When it was all said and done, the happy couple was, well, happy, the food was delicious, the dance floor was swingin', the fireworks were breathtaking, and oh, what a marvelous night for a moondance!

- Jon

Click Play to view slideshow

Congratulations Tim & Steph!

I think if there is one item that makes us unique, it is the relationship we build with the Bride and Groom. In this case, it is Tim and Steph.

Saturday, in between the ceremony and reception, the Pastor was talking to Lu about a conversation he had with Tim. Tim was asked by the Pastor, "who will be taking care of your photography?" Tim proudly responded, "we hired Jon & Lu of Picture Michigan." The Pastor followed up with, "oh, are they friends of yours?" Tim, replied, "no, we didn't know them before, but we are friends now!"

Hearing the Pastor convey this back to us was such a warm-felt experience. We enjoy participating in the wedding celebration and interacting with friends and families of the Bride & Groom. It is indescribable and priceless when we hear the same as it relates to us.

Congratulations Tim and Steph! It is evident of your love for each other!

- Jon

A Mackinac Island Wedding for Ben & Kristen

Rain rain, go away ... okay, thank you!

They say it never rains on Mackinac Island. I think what happens, is when the sun returns, you forget it ever rained. Such was the case this past weekend for the wedding of Kristen & Ben.

It will be one of the most memorable weekends for friends and family celebrating the union of two great families! We met a number of great people from around the country enjoying Mackinac Island for the first time ever. Thank you to all that celebrated. It will truly be memorable for us too. In fact, we even met some cool Secret Service guys too! (thanks for holding the ladder for me) :)

Looks like dry pavement to me!

Click the PLAY icon to view a slideshow complete with music!

Random vendor reviews:

Mackinac Island is our favorite place on earth. We love traveling there for whatever reason. It's always a pleasure running into old friends and making new friends.

Coordinator: Carole Erbel is second to none on the Island. Perhaps the top coordinator in the entire state! We cannot recommend her enough. For The Love Of Mackinac

Flowers & Cake: Weber's Floral and Bella e Dolce always exceed already high expectations!

Some new friends along the way are Omega Video and Life Support. Both exceptional talents and we enjoyed working with them. Life Support, by the way, is a musical band based out of nearby Lansing! That is, nearby to our home base of Grand Rapids.

And it wouldn't be right to forget a special thank you to Greg at the Mackinac State Historic Parks. Though not involved in this particular wedding, he was a tremendous help two weeks ago at Mission Church and Fort Mackinac.

Disclaimer: It is important for us to note that Picture Michigan passes along such reviews only because we believe these vendors are worthy to hire because of excellence in multiple areas. Not only are their services and/or products superior, but we believe you will find them a pleasure to work with, and we enjoy working with them. Absolutely no considerations were exchanged for these reviews!

Wedding at The Cathedral of St Andrew for Chris & Nancy

Family and friends came together to celebrate the marriage of Chris and Nancy this past weekend in Grand Rapids. Their ceremony was held at the beautiful Cathedral of St. Andrew and their reception celebration at the Crowne Plaza.

Look at you two, you just got married and you're already fighting over the t.v. remote!

Thanks so much for inviting us to capture your special and exciting day! We had so much fun getting to know you and your family & friends!

- Lu

Mackinac Island Wedding for Dave and Keisha!

This past weekend Dave and Keisha celebrated their marriage on Mackinac Island! It was a wonderful weekend for their wedding and for their family and friends to enjoy Mackinac Island and all it has to offer. A big congratulations to you both and we so enjoyed being part of your celebration!

Congratulations Fatma and Abdullah

Fatma and Abdullah celebrated their wedding on Saturday at the Amway Grand Plaza. Here are a couple shots displaying the beauty and pageantry of this colorful and exciting celebration!

Congratulations Tim & Jordan

Our second of two celebrations this past weekend was that of Tim & Jordan. Yeah, it was hot on Friday. Saturday was a new definition of HOT! I don't just mean 93 degrees hot. I mean this is a great looking couple! Yes? (sorry guys and gals, they're taken!) :)

The reception was held at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts. The gallery featured tapestries, including this incredible work of art; a wedding dress woven from the paper of books.

Rock on Jordan! Rock on Tim!

Congratulations to Josh & Lisa

Josh & Lisa exchanged vows on Friday in Middleville and celebrated just the way we like it. At the BOB! This wedding and celebration was the first of two for the weekend, and we couldn't have asked for cooler couples! Congratulations guys!

Random Vendor Review:

The BOB - I cannot say enough about The BOB! We highly recommend them.
Take 1 Production (videographer) - If ever you consider a videographer, it's these guys. Just like us, they are a husband & wife team, and we enjoyed working with them. We've already seen the "teaser" from Josh & Lisa's wedding and it is very impactful! Well, impactful isn't really a word, but if it was a word, the "teaser" would be impactful!
Here is the teaser (should open in your media player)
Check out their site: http://www.capturingthemoments.com/

Congratulations Jason & Brittany

So, it's Saturday, and how do you squeeze in some Foosball, golf, dancing, and fireworks? Well, have a wedding of course!

The boys relax a little before the ceremony. What is it about boys and foosball? I don't know. We just like it.

Oh yeah, there was a little exchange of vows and some smooching too! :)

Not a lot of golf. Just a little at the driving range and a bunker's worth of picture taking.
Special thanks to Mines Golf Course.

The reception was a lot of fun! Instead of clanging glasses, guests had to sink a putt. Here, the Groom misses a putt for a chance at smooching with his wife!

These are perhaps the coolest centerpieces we've seen this year.

What's a day of recreation without dancing?

And Fireworks!

You two did an incredible job, and not just by throwing a great party for your friends and family, but for finding each other! Congratulations! Enjoy Treetops.

An intimate celebration for Dale & Kelly!

Phew ... what a hot day for Dale and Kelly's wedding on Saturday! We did get some interesting photo's with the bride attached to the fan, but we'll save those for Dale! ;)

The bling!

Dale and Kelly are big "Buffy" fans...

Cutting the cake in-style

"What have I gotten myself into?"

You may now kiss the bride.

Good throw Kelly! The girls put up a fight for the bouquet!

Congratulations you guys! Have a great honeymoon!

- Lu

Wedding Ceremony at St Adalbert

Saturday's wedding was beautiful! Beautiful day, beautiful bride, beautiful Basilica...
Here is one of our favorite shots in the Basilica.







We had extra time between the wedding and reception for multiple location shoots. The wedding party was a lot of fun and we were able to get super creative!





While I was at the reception hall capturing the detail before guests arrived, my husband was on location with the wedding party.



"Your crazy husband went on top of a bridge to take our picture! Awesome, we're going to make the website with that shot!"...quote from Shannon, bride's sister and Matron of Honor.

Brandon and Katie celebrated their wedding with their reception at The Bluff. They surprised their families with authentic Polish Dancers!

Congratulations you guys and have a wonderful honeymoon!

- Lu

Holland Wedding for Andy and Kylee

Congratulations Andy & Kylee! Beautiful day on Saturday for a wedding! Tons of sun and just enough of a breeze for this playful shot of the bride in front of Pillar Church in Holland.

- Jon

Congratulations Jesse & Heather

Rain rain, go away. Well, at least let up a little. Please?

The worst of the rain was during the ceremony. The day was going to be beautiful with or without the weather. And indeed it was beautiful! And oh what a celebration!!

- Jon

Doug and Erica's Grand Haven Wedding