Graycen + Tom: Grand Ledge Engagement

Adventures through the woods on a sunny fall afternoon with two childhood friends turned high school sweethearts. Does it get much better than that? Only when those sweethearts are Graycen + Tom!

We all drove to Grand Ledge for the day because this little town has been Graycen and Tom’s meeting spot for the last several years while Tom has been away for school at Spring Arbor. Almost every weekend they’ll drive half way and spend the day together, exploring, planning, and dreaming out the rest of their lives. If this day was anything it was a perfect glimpse into that future.

We cannot say enough how special sharing this day of exploring with them was, and as if we weren’t already excited for their wedding next summer, now we are hardcore swooning.

Graycen + Tom go hiking in style.

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Courtney + Chris: Glen Arbor Wedding

The best part of being a storyteller isn’t the adventures you get to go on. It isn’t the “art” or the final piece you produce. It isn’t even the ability to tell stories. The best, most fulfilling aspect of being a storyteller is the relationships you create with the people you meet as you go through this life. The types of relationships that go deeper than just a one-day event, the kind where you thank God for bringing them into your life, the kind where you can’t wait to see them again. We didn’t know Courtney and Chris prior them reaching out to us about their wedding, but we can say with every fiber of our beings that these are two humans whom we are so thankful to now have in our lives.

They are so kind, so loving, and so beautiful inside and out that everything they do just radiates this wonderful life that fills you right up. We prayed for the absolute perfect day for them because honestly, they deserve nothing less. Looking back I’d say they got just that. Being surrounded by their amazing friends and family, overlooking Lake Michigan as they exchanged their vows, promising themselves to one another for now and always, it brought us to tears.

These are just a few moments from a day we wish we could go back and relive over and over with them, and we are so blessed to have been able to share in such a perfect day with these two dear friends of ours. We cannot wait to see them again, but for now, we’ll just get lost in looking back through these memories from the most perfect wedding of the most perfect people. Here’s to the gorgeous Mr + Mrs Bowen!

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Merisa + Ryan: The Heeke Wedding Trailer

Over the years we’ve been to many a wedding, danced on seemingly endless dance floors, spent countless golden hours in fields, by the shore, and on rooftops with some pretty awesome couples, and pay witness to moments that remind us what real, honest love looks like. In all these moments, through all these years the thing that we’ve found marks a truly perfect wedding is one where the entire affair - the preparations, the ceremony, all the way till the end of the reception - is one giant celebration for two people completely and incandescently in love with each other. Merisa+Ryan’s story and day is just such a wedding.

These two have been by each other’s side for years (literally since high school) so it’s no surprise that this day, the culmination of their journey together, would bring their entire family and all their friends together to cheer these two on and turn into such a beautiful outpouring of joy and love. From the moment we stepped into the bridal suite we could feel the ecstatic energy as the girls all got ready and began putting on their gorgeous dresses. Then, if we weren’t already completely swooning over these two, the first looks had us tearing up hard as Ryan saw his beautiful bride to be for the first time. It was one of those moments where you just step back and realize, ‘yep, this is LOVE.’

Everything about their day was an amazing reflection of who these two are as individuals, but most importantly as a couple. It definitely makes our list for weddings we’d easily go back and relive in a heartbeat if given the chance. Unfortunately, until time machines are invented we’ll have to rely on trailers and pictures like these to remember what this day was all about - celebrating this brilliant, beautiful, and perfect couple, Mr+Mrs Heeke.

Cinematography: Shadow Shine Pictures

Photography: Guys and Dolls Photography

Wedding Event Design and Coordination: Modern Day Events and Floral

Florist: Modern Day Events and Floral

Wedding Dress: Bridal Gallery

Menswear: Jos. A Banks

Hair and Makeup: The Amway Grand Plaza Salon & Michelle Houston with A Scott Harris Salon

Ceremony String Quartet: Ed Clifford

Reception Band: Mainstreet Soul

Wedding Cake: The Amway Grand

Catering: The Amway Grand

Venues: The Amway Grand - Ambassador Ballroom & Ridgewood CRC

Claire + Rex: South Michigan Wedding

If you asked us to name two people who are equal parts thoroughly caring and utterly hilarious, guess who would be at the top of our list? Yep, that would be Claire + Rex.

We’ve found that the most memorable weddings are those that reflect perfectly the couples that are at the center of these incredibly important days, and you’ve most likely heard us talk about how these are easily our favorite types of stories to be a part of. But when these weddings also include two of your dear, dear friends, well you basically walk around on cloud nine the entire day trying to choke back tears because you’re so excited and overcome with joy for these two humans that you love so deeply.

Claire + Rex’s wedding was everything we could have ever hoped and dreamed for them and we will never be able to say enough how thankful we are to have them in our lives, or to have shared in their day with them. These are just a few moments that get us tearing up when we think back to this beautiful summer day. Here’s to all the Patagonia, camping adventures, and years of storytelling ahead for you both, Mr+Mrs Pickar!

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Taryn + Zak: Chicago Engagement

Chicago in late August. Lake Michigan on a misty day. Taryn + Zak, always.

Exploring the Windy City is always a weekend pastime we’ll gladly road trip for, but when you get to have these two as your companions, well, the adventure is made significantly more fulfilling. The entire weekend was the perfect prelude to all of the magic and excitement that is going to make up their wedding next May and, truth be told, it’s going to be one of the major highlights that gets us through the cold Michigan winter that is before us.

But until then, we’ll have these precious moments to remind us of what summer love looks and feels like.

Taryn + Zak take Chicago.

My Sister's Closet: Upscale Thrift

It takes an extraordinary amount of courage, perseverance, and gusto to take a leap of faith, set out on your own path, and chase a goal you’ve been dreaming about for years. Earlier this summer our amazingly talented friend, Lauren Manzer, did just that. Back in July she officially opened her passion project and storefront, My Sister’s Closet Thrift, and we had such a wonderful time being part of the celebration, helping document this incredible important moment in her, her sisters’, and her family’s collective story together,

We’ve had the rare honor of being by Lauren’s side these many months leading to this milestone, and it has been nothing short of inspiring to see how fervently she has pursued this new chapter in her live, and the vision she has for this store as a whole. Sure, chasing your dreams can be scary, demanding, and at times exhausting, but Lauren is the perfect example of what dedication, heart, and family can truly lead to - a place where sisters of any kind can come together and be empowered together through the clothes they wear.

My Sister’s Closet: Upscale Thrift.

Janet + Alex: The Hinckley Wedding Trailer

It’s no secret that weddings require giving a lot of yourself. You sacrifice most of your weekends in the summer and spend days on weeks carefully constructing the story of the day in editing. Sometimes you even find yourself filming on the hottest days of the year, drenched in sweat as you bear the heat and humidity because love is too important, dang it. By the end of the wedding day, you are completely exhausted.

And yet there is no question that it is worth every single moment when you are able to spend the day with a couple that is as madly in love as Janet + Alex! While their wedding fell on easily one of the hottest days of this year no one noticed because we were all so ecstatic and overjoyed to celebrate these two. Their infectious laughter, their sweet kind words to one another, their adventurous and goofy souls - this wedding had us swooning hard from the very beginning. From Janet's dreamy veil, the beautiful sanctuary where they exchanged their vows in front of all their loved ones, to two of the most kind and fun-loving families around, nothing could have made this day, their day, more amazing.

Looking back, we can think of no better way to have spent our Saturday and if given the chance we'd relive this day with these two over and over again - even with the same weather! We are praying for every happiness for this couple and the journey they are setting out on, so please join us as we send our love and very best to the new Mr + Mrs Hinckley!

Cinematography: Shadow Shine Pictures

Photography: 430 Studios

Wedding Event Design and Coordination: 1928 Planning Co.

Florist: Flowers by Anna

Wedding Dress: Bella Bianca Bridal Couture

Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo Collection

Menswear: The Black Tux

Hair and Makeup: Reva Salon and Spa & Erick Gerson

Band/DJ: Drew Behringe

Wedding Cake: Bit of Swiss Bakery

Catering: CK Catering

Venue: Zion United Church of Christ Barod & The Veranda at the Whitcomb