One would think that Leandra and I would go into a wedding day with wisdom to give the bride and groom–dozens of wedding days’ worth of experience, plus three years of marriage to our favor. And it’s true, we do know the ins-and-outs of wedding days more than the average bride, and as far as post-wedding day life together, yeah, I have healthy amounts of  the “make sure you remember to do this,” or the “never, ever, ever say that” sort of advice. But when we photographed Amanda and Jason’s wedding day, and witnessed how present they were for every bit of their day, it made me realize that I had something to learn. About appreciating life, and people, and those times and instances that always go by too quickly.

So, thank you, Amanda & Jason, for going through your wedding day so well. I pin a mad boutonniere (and I spelled it without a dictionary! Booyah!), and Leandra might know what makes stubborn zippers give in (candle wax!), but we were humbled by how you took it all in on that beautiful, beautiful wedding day of yours!

So, our favorites from the day:

We both loved the first look. Their expressions were priceless.

The floral work, by Procedo, was absolutely perfect.

After the first look, we rode the trolley to a beautiful little marina for pictures. The location was arranged by Amanda’s planner, Cindy Crocoll. She was a joy to work with–the day was in part so enjoyable (and beautiful!) because of the exhaustive preparation and expertise she brought to it.

Love these two.

Yuki and Asti, the ringbearers.

I love these “behind the scenes” pictures. The self-named “ring bearer bearer,” the flower girl (and mom), Amanda, and the maid of honor.

I love this moment between Amanda and her mom.

And… back on the trolley!

…with a little stop in downtown Saugatuck for Amanda and Jason.

Two of my favorites.

The ceremony and reception were both at the Laketown Conference Center. It was a beautiful, bright, open reception, with beautiful flowers, and delicious food (by the Gilmore Collection).

Later in the evening, Amanda changed from her Priscilla of Boston gown to a shorter dress  to enjoy dancing into the night.

We were honored to be a part of this day, and enjoyed ourselves so much. Thanks, Amanda and Jason!

We had such a blast with Lauren and Jason last Saturday, photographing their wedding in South Bend. You’ll be seeing more of their beautiful faces (and that beautiful car!) very soon.

I woke up this morning and realized that it was July, that summer is well underway. Wedding season is officially on, and we couldn’t be happier with it.  In the past few weeks, Grant and I have looked at each other every Saturday night and exchanged tired, happy smiles. We have the best clients in the world. No, really, we do! Each Saturday we get to show up to a beautiful wedding and be part of the flurry of activity surrounding two people who are so in love that they want to commit to each other for forever. It’s pretty cool.

Emily and Jarrod are a perfect example of this. They are two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and couldn’t be more perfect for one another. They had an afternoon wedding and reception at the Oliver Mansion before leaving to spend two weeks together in Europe. Later this year they will be heading to Calcutta, where Jarrod will be doing education research under a Fulbright Scholarship. I can only imagine the adventures in store, and I think their wedding day was a fitting send-off for the next chapter in their life together.

Emily, you looked so effortlessly beautiful. (Also, I loved the necklace!)

The ceremony was planned for the gardens outside, but rained forced them to change plans and hold it inside the mansion. It was still a gorgeous venue, with beautiful light pouring into the room.

Emily did such a wonderful job pulling together the afternoon tea reception. She made the cake toppers herself! I especially loved the red hearts theme… does it remind anyone else of Alice in Wonderland? (Oh, and props to Grant on the fun ring shot!)

Something blue: Emily embroidered their initials on the back of  dress (from J.Crew!).

Favorites!

After a quick dress change, Emily and Jarrod left with bag in hand. I loved that. So classic.

Emily and Jarrod, we couldn’t have been happier that you chose us to photograph your wedding. Thank you! It was a pleasure, and we enjoyed getting to know you both. I hope Greece was amazing, and that your upcoming year in India brings you even closer together. Best wishes!

We couldn’t be more excited to find ourselves in the middle of wedding season once again. Here’s a peek at another recent wedding… plenty more photos are on the way!