Rachel & Andrew’s Cherry Creek Wedding in Shelby Township, Michigan

"Just a minute, folks... I'm not quite done yet!"

Sometimes, both the bride and the groom are pretty darn playful!

And sometimes the groom is just plain silly!

I really do hate to sound like I’m cutting and pasting my wedding blogs, but really.... what is up with this weather!!! Each and every Saturday is moody, broody and would give most couples the willies! With thunderstorms predicted and downright gruesome clouds moving in half an hour before the ceremony (I know... this all sounds hauntingly familiar!), neither Rachel nor Andrew gave the thunderclouds more than a cursory “gee... I hope it doesn’t rain” sort of off hand remark! Ten whopping raindrops later, it blew over, the sun came out for the entire ceremony and as soon as we started taking group shots, in rolled more gruesomeness (nothing like making a group hustle like an imminent downpour!). Again, those blew away and we were left with gorgeous, puffy and cool clouds for an awesome portrait! Andrew is SUCH a ham, so ridiculously silly (as were all of his groomsmen... go figure!), I’m sure all his high school students love him! Rachel was very glamorous and once she got into it... loved playing to the camera and the camera sure loved her right back! We moved into Cherry Creek’s banquet hall which is a beautiful venue in all seasons and easy to photograph to make it look as gorgeous as it is. My only beef (and lack, thereof!) with Cherry Creek is that they treat their vendors very, very shabbily. They insist couples buy us dinner and then give us what ever is left over (always seems to be chicken stuffed with the mushrooms  that I’m allergic to... and never the mushroom free beef!) and always serve us last (which is tough when your food arrives just as the bride and groom are ready to rock and roll!). The management acts like we’re totally in their way and putting them out. Most often halls know we’re all a team with the same goal... making the day 100% smooth and fabulous for our bride and groom! I suppose it really doesn’t matter how they treat us as long as the bride and groom are treated perfectly. Then it doesn’t matter. I just know when I pull up to Cherry Creek that I’ll be pulled six ways to Sunday by the staff and treated like a third class citizen.  I’m hoping all of this never, ever rubbed off on the bride and groom and I don’t think it did... they seemed to be having a GREAT time! If you'd like to see more photos from this wedding, check out my other blog at www.themichiganweddingphotographer.blogspot.com.

Watch Those Fake Eyelashes, Ladies!

Hi Brides & Brides to Be.... I know it is all the rage to have false eyelashes applied for your wedding. They're long, they're thick, they're gorgeous and they're also really heavy on your lids! It took me an inordinate amount of time to figure out why SO MANY of my brides were excessive blinkers this year. I'm chucking out over half my photos from some wedding simply because the bride either has her eyes closed or looks very, very sleepy. Turns out, in each of those cases, the brides are wearing fake eyelashes which are literally weighing their eye lids down and making them blink much more frequently. So a word of caution to all you would be doe eyed ladies out there. Try to get used to wearing them well before your wedding (can you really build up eye lid muscles I wonder?) or try several more coats of mascara before you plunge right into the extra layer of lashes! You'll have 100% more photos to choose from and that's a pretty good reason to lose the lashes! 

Can you top this????

One of my brides for next year sent me this and it's hilarious! Anyone game? I think they've set the bar for grand entrances! Take a peek...... and enjoy!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

Photographer's Lament....

Here's a little heads up to all brides... when you've hired a photographer and want to meet up before the wedding to go over your plans, DON'T bring sample of other photographer's work as examples of  "styles and photos you'd like us to take". I know you're just trying to show us what you like and by all means, feel free to print out stuff from my site that you do and don't like, but I've always been under the impression that you hired me because you like MY style and the photos I take! Every couple is unique, their surroundings are different and the timelines are individualized. So it seems a little odd when a bride who is having an outdoors country wedding shows me photos she loves that are taken indoors at a posh museum. If you see photos taken from the location you're getting married or the reception hall, I'm okay taking a look at it for inspiration. I just get worried that brides are setting themselves up for disappointment when I can't possibly recreate what they've shown me! So if you've already hired us, know that we're going to do everything within our power to create our own wonderful, one of a kind images that are totally skewed to reflect YOU and your wedding party!

Amanda & Brian’s Detroit Wedding

Amanda and Brian have to be just about the luckiest couple ever. They got married at the beautiful, old and non air-conditioned First Congregational Church in downtown Detroit and it was a nice and cool 68 degrees. We got some of our photos beforehand (with a huge wedding party, plenty of time and decent weather it was an opportunity I  just had to take). About half an hour before the ceremony these huge, ominous clouds started rolling in which would’ve ruined Amanda’s grand entrance, but the dreaded rain never materialized. What a bizarre streak of Saturdays with potentially horrible weather we’ve had. I think we’ve had one worry free Saturday this entire wedding season... weird! Anyway, the ceremony was super quick (they’d kept in mind that it certainly could have been 90 degrees in the church) and we finished up our photos pretty quickly. They had two cheeky little boys in the wedding party and decided to let them where nice polo shirts and shorts and sandals. They fit right in and were very comfy in their cool clothes. I think some of the groomsmen would’ve liked the option to wear the same! Their reception was at the Sterling Inn in Sterling Heights. Another wedding party arrived at the same time, so we think that’s why dinner took a whopping hour and a half to serve family style. The staff was really hustling and sweating, but I think the kitchen staff was overwhelmed with two huge weddings being served simultaneously. Needless to say, we got everything fit in before the videographer and I needed to leave. I just wish Amanda hadn’t had to worry about those details on her wedding day. She and Brian were so much fun and really enjoyed their day! I'm pretty sure their relaxed and fun natures come through loud and clear in the photos! For more photos from this wedding, check out www.themichiganweddingphotographer.blogspot.com

Stephanie & James wedding at the Whitney in Lovely Detroit!

I officially got to meet Stephanie last week at her boudoir shoot the week before the wedding. She was surprising James with the photos and flew into Detroit early just so she could get these done in time for the wedding. Needless to say, I’ve never had a groom thank me for their wedding gift quite as profusely as James did! I hadn’t been back to the Whitney in downtown Detroit in several years since they’ve remodeled. I love the new brighter, non pepto bismol colored walls, but apparently many things remain antiquated; no working elevators, very inadequate air conditioning (it was over 90 degrees on the third floor where the ceremony took place) and their manager wasn’t responsive to the bride’s e-mails or calls and didn’t show up on the wedding day, much to their chagrin. That aside, the day of staff was very helpful and attentive and Stephanie was able to pull off her dream wedding which included a friend performing the ceremony who was ordained online and their wonderful place card markers which had a photo of every guest in a small photo holder/coaster. Very cool! Skye ran her photo booth in the “music room” and Stephanie and James provides a whole bunch of great hats and wigs to liven it up!

Dan & Debbie - Adat Shalom Synagogue Wedding -

This had to be one of my most laid back, go with the flow couples I’ve had in a while. One of their friends, Rabbi Hearshen (who is a dead ringer for actor Michael Cera) performed the ceremony and kept it informative, and provided key moments of humor (by calling Dan’s mom the wrong name not once, but twice which brought the house down!). It’s nice to see a couple take such good care of each other and see them surrounded by such a supportive family. Skye ran the photo booth station at the reception which entertained the kids and helped out with family group photo needs. Thanks for letting us be part of your journey and best of health to you both.

Jim & Christie - Walnut Creek Country Club Reception -

Christie and Jim’s wedding took place in the wonderfully new and totally photo accessible Oakland Community Church in Farmington Hills.  Lots of nervous jitters on Jim’s part and that’s always fun for me to key in on the person who is most not like themselves just before the wedding. They chose to show a wedding slideshow prior to Christie’s grand entrance which led to lots of laughs and tears. It also seemed to pull Jim back to the moment of the day and I could see him starting to relax just by watching the photos of their lives. Afterwards we commandeered golf carts at the Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan and took wedding party photos out on the golf course. The most hilarious moment came when the girls wanted to pick up Jim. Not exactly sure what to do, they promptly dumped him headfirst (he’s okay, folks!) once they couldn’t quite get it. Needless to say, Christie was quite a sport when the boys then wanted to lift here up! Her brother kept her from the same fate! As the wedding photographer, I often ask for wedding party input for group photos once I’ve got the standard shots out of the way. This group was young and vibrant and gave me a couple of great wedding party jumps! The day ended with a live band performing fun, classic rock tunes that kept the place hopping well into the night.