I had not met Emma and Evan in person prior to their wedding day. We were contacted by Evan’s mother, Rose, who had been referred to me by a local vendor. My wife received the call and after hearing her name, asked if her daughter was a figure skater. Sure enough, Evan’s sister Brianne was a wonderful figure skater we had known almost ten years ago in Holland, Michigan. My own daughter, who was just beginning to take a serious interest in skating at the time, was a big fan of Brianne and was one of her early inspirations in her young skating career. So, it is definitely a small world!

It’s not very often that I get to photograph a January wedding in Michigan! Most bride and grooms prefer Michigan’s warmer months, though I have had my fare share of December weddings over the years. Emma and Evan’s wedding was the first Friday of the New Year. Exactly one week prior – New Year’s Eve – a wedding you can see in my blog post, the weather was fairly balmy! The temperature hit the 50′s and we had a little rain! Unusual for this time of year! Well, Emma and Evan’s big day was Michigan was not unusual for January! Not only did the mercury not quite reach the freezing mark on the thermometer, but the snow decided to fall as well! In it’s own, kind-of-Michigan way, it was quite beautiful!

I began photographing Emma getting ready at Weber’s Inn in Ann Arbor. We had planned in advance to photograph a few portraits of the couple at the historic University of Michigan Law Quad and a couple of wedding party photos in front of the State Street Theater, before arriving at First Baptist Church for the ceremony, another historic icon of the Ann Arbor area. After a beautiful and emotional ceremony, we were shuttled back by limousine to Weber’s to celebrate the couple’s reception. From beginning to end, it was a beautiful wedding, filled with love, laughter and emotion! Enjoy some of my favorites of the day above and below. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post to view a highlight slide show set to music!

I had been looking forward to Carolyn and Matthew’s wedding since they commissioned me last winter! Their wedding was to be held in one of the most beautiful cities in America, Santa Barbara, which also is the home of my alma mater, Brooks Institute of Photography.  I spent over three years there in the mid-eighties, and have only been there a few times since.  How fulfilling it was to return to the town where I studied and trained to become a professional photographer, only to use these skills and photograph a beautiful wedding!  In addition, their wedding was to be held at the historic Santa Barbara Polo Club, one of America’s oldest polo clubs dating back to 1894.

I had booked Carolyn over the phone last winter because she was living in New York City.  We only met about a month before her wedding date but I knew from our conversations that she was going to be a great bride!  She was always beaming with excitement about her wedding!  I had not met Matthew until the day of their rehearsal, the day before the wedding, but he was as charming and friendly as Carolyn described him to be. They contracted me for eleven hours of photography on their wedding day, as well as having the luxury of contracting my good friend and wedding photographer, Asgeir Bollason of Asgeir Fotographica to provide second shooter coverage for most of the day.

It was a perfect, sunny and moderately warm September day! It began with getting ready photos at the Santa Barbara Inn. Carolyn’s suite had full views of the ocean and the Channel Islands in the distance. The families and wedding party were shuttled to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church near downtown Santa Barbara. The church was splendidly built with Spanish style architecture so famously prominent throughout the city. After the ceremony, the wedding celebration convened at the Polo Grounds for an open-air reception, accented by a full moon and the Motown sounds of Side Effect. I must add that Carolyn and Matthew’s first dance was the best I have ever witnessed in my 18 years of wedding photography! The day was a complete success! It couldn’t have been more perfect, which is due to the distinct choice of vendors made by Carolyn and her family. They include:

Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club – reception & catering
Bobbe Vagell – Florist
Emma Petievich – coordinator
Pronovias – wedding gown
Priscilla of Boston – bridesmaids dresses
West Coast Music – SIDE EFFECT
NY Wedding Dance – private dance lessons
Solvang Bakery – triple chocolate cake
In n Out – amazing snacks
Santa Barbara Inn – hotel for wedding party & guests
Elements – rehearsal dinner
Classic Chassis – get away Bentley
Classic Party Rentals – rentals

Enjoy some of my favorite photos of the day below as well as the highlight slideshow at the bottom of the post: