I met Leann and Michael this past summer, about five months before their wedding. Every so often, I meet clients who you can tell are a perfect fit. They are in-sync with one another about everything, including what they are looking for in a wedding photographer! This was the case with Leann and Michael. They were happy to be meeting with me, they were excited about their wedding, but mostly, they just seemed happy being together! Those are a great combination of qualities that tip me off to knowing that a great wedding is on the horizon and these are great people to have as my clients! From that meeting to the end of the wedding day, I was right. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of their New Year’s Eve wedding! It also gave me a chance to end 2010 working with Carolyn Hefner of the China Closet, the top wedding coordinator in Michigan and my wonderful friend!

The wedding day definitely required two photographers. Rudy Ortega, a photographer that has worked with me now for several years, was assigned to photograph Michael and the groomsmen before the ceremony, and I photographed Leann and her side. We all began the day at The Henry Hotel, the former Dearborn Ritz Carlton for all of the getting ready photos. From there, we traveled to downtown Detroit for the ceremony at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is interesting how I end up with clients using the same churches and venues one given year, and then I don’t photograph a wedding there for another two or three years. That was the case this year with the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. I can’t remember the last year I had been there, but Leann and Michael’s wedding became my third ceremony at that church this year! It definitely felt like I was in familiar territory!

After the ceremony, the wedding convened at the historic Lovett Hall in Greenfield Village. This venue is such a great place to have a wedding reception! It is a huge, ornate ballroom with beautiful chandeliers and columns, a hard wood floor and dripping with history! It also gave me a chance to work with the Henry Ford Museum’s wedding coordinator, Christina Dodge, my friend from other Henry Ford weddings of the past! One of the benefits a couple receives is the use of the village for additional portraits. Leann and Michael jumped into their own horse-drawn carriage and my team and the video team followed behind in another. After the romantic photos – it was time to get inside and let the partying begin! The photo above is of the couple dancing in the open ballroom without any guests. We were able to sneak into the room so that Leann and Michael could see the ballroom before the guests were seated. You can see how beautiful it is decorated by the extraordinarily talented Ralph Bellisario of Bellisario Florists.  Finally, the guests were seated, and the band, Scoot Magoo, MC’d the introductions and kept the party dancing the whole night long. I had never worked with this band prior, but I was very impressed! They were perfect for a New Year’s Eve celebration! They were not the typical wedding band at all. There music was polished and fresh and they performed as if they were giving a concert. I loved them just as did the guests! If you are looking for something a little different, definitely check these guys out!

Finally, midnight came, the party favors in place and the first kisses were given to bring in the New Year! It was a very memorable wedding celebration to say the least! Check out some of my favorites from the day above and below as well as scroll down to the bottom to check out the highlight slideshow set to music.

When I was first commissioned to photograph Abigail Klarr and Clay Bebee’s wedding, they secured my services at my starting package which allowed for six hours of photography. We knew that this was going to be modified once the picture was more clear of what would be needed as the wedding celebration became more defined. Knowing that Carolyn Hefner of The China Closet would be coordinating these events, it definitely had the potential of becoming one of my biggest weddings of the year!

Clay’s family is from Texas and Abigail’s family had many out of town guests as well. The Klarr’s made sure that everyone coming to town would have a wonderful time! First on the list of events was a Thursday welcoming “Hoedown!” Friday followed with three fun and celebratory events as well: a morning “hunt” for the men, a bridal luncheon for the women, and the Rehearsal Dinner in the evening. We provided photography for each of these, thanks to my main associate photographer David Yarnall who attended three of the four events. The wedding day itself needed three photographers for twelve hours! I brought along my good friend, Los Angeles-based photographer Asgeir Bollason of Asgeir Fotographica, who filled in as my second shooter for the wedding day. What started out as six hours of wedding day coverage, evolved to three days of events! The Klarr and Bebee families are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and, boy, do they all know how to party!

If you check out the wedding I photographed on 10.01.10, the day before this wedding, you will see why we Michigander’s love our Fall season. However, Michigan in the autumn is unpredictable regarding the weather, and, well, you just don’t know what you’re going to get day to day. On Abigail and Clay’s wedding, a day later, it rained all day! You will see the umbrellas in the photos below, but I can assure you: the ground may have been damp, but the celebration was far from dampened! As far as I am concerned, the misty weather just added character to a beautiful day for a beautiful couple. It could not have been as successful had some of Michigan’s finest wedding vendors not been hired. They include:

Deyo Studio for face and body
Bob Hardwick and His Orchestra
The Townsend Hotel
Christ Church of Cranbrook – wedding ceremony
Cranbrook House and Gardens – wedding day reception
Cartoleria – custom invitations, programs and place settings
Special Events Rental
Bellisario Florists
Hunter’s Creek Club of Metamora

Check out some of my favorite images from the wedding day. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the complete highlight slideshow set to music.

I had been looking forward to Samantha and John’s wedding, from the moment I said good-bye to them in Boston back in May. They flew me out for the weekend to photograph their engagement session, spend a few days to get to know them, and sight see around Boston and the coastal town of Rockport. That weekend allowed me the opportunity to see them as a couple, as lovers, as friends and as special human beings! I knew that they were destined for a very special wedding just a few months away! The wedding day finally came and it was as fantastic as I had imagined!

The day began with my meeting Sam at The Townsend Hotel for her getting ready photos. You need to see the getting ready photos below! I am convinced that building a friendship with Sam gave her the confidence and trust in me so that I could wander and find these unique moments. I absolutely love the results! We then headed over to St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church in Troy, Michigan, where we met up with John for the first time of the day. He was already dressed and ready to go, so the photo coverage centered around him preparing for the ceremony and greeting guests as they arrived. After a very celebratory and emotional nuptial ceremony, the couple, their families and guests moved onward to Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield for the reception. You will see, from my favorite photos below and the wedding highlight slideshow at the bottom of this post, how lively, fun and energetic the celebration was. Samantha even made sure that I didn’t leave without joining the fun on the dance floor. This is one wedding I will remember for a long time!

The All Star cast of vendors included some of Detroit’s very best, including Carolyn Hefner of The China Closet for planning the day, Ralph Bellisario of Bellisario Florist, Mel Ball and Colours provided their top-notch American music, the band Happiness provided the festive Chaldean music, and Two Penny Productions were there for video.

Jennifer and Harry are a special couple to me.  They will always be remembered for the unique experience we endured together last May when I met them for an engagement portrait session out at Kensington Park near Milford, MI.  We met despite the signs of oncoming rain, but we thought we could get the session done before any chance of getting wet.  Boy, were we wrong!  Not only did it begin raining, but it down-poured!  We were at least a half mile from our cars and all we could do is hug the trees for shelter!  We were all soaked to the bone!  Soaked and with the rain still coming down hard, I still captured a few memorable photos that never would have been captured had we given up before getting started.  Those photos are some of my favorite e-session photos ever!

A few months later, and I photographed them again.  Only this time was there beautiful wedding day!  It was so terrific to see this couple in their wedding attire, dry and beautiful!  The wedding was held at two of Detroit’s most treasured historical jewels:  The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament Church and The Detroit Athletic Club. Their flowers were provide by the super talented Bellisario Florist, their beautiful cake was made by the DAC, the guests were entertained by DJ Mike Dembs from Mike Staff Productions, and their dining room linens provided by Linen Hero.

Enjoy some of my favorites of the day below and scroll down to the bottom to view their highlight slideshow of the day set to music.

I first met Annette and Robert only three or four months before their wedding date. They had hired the world class artist of floral designs, Ralph Bellisario, my dear friend, of Bellisario Florists. Ralph sent them my way to photograph their spectacular, upcoming wedding at the pristine and historic Pine Knob Mansion in Clarkston, Michigan. Upon meeting them at the my showroom in Birmingham, I knew they would be a great couple to photograph. Annette with her beautiful smile and gorgeous hair, was obviously going to be a beautiful bride. Robert, so obviously in love with Annette, was beaming with ideas for their engagement shoot, so I knew that I had a romantic on my hands and that he would have all kinds of surprises on their wedding day! Well, he did not disappoint! The day started with Robert surprising Annette with a helicopter picking her up at her home to fly her and her family to Pine Knob! Not only was the Pine Knob Mansion beautiful, but the grounds were equally stunning. The ceremony took place in a superbly decorated gazebo overlooking the beautiful valley below. The floral arrangements inside and out were to die for! Robert delivered a stirring and emotional speech to Annette and, after sunset, surprised his guests with a fireworks display. After the fireworks came to an end, that party was just getting started. Annette changed into a sexy, black party dress, and she, Robert and their guests danced the night away to the talented and versatile band: Skyline and the Backstreet Horns. Check out some of my favorite photos from the day below. Remember to scroll to the bottom to see the entire slideshow set to music.

Michelle and Bobbys wedding was my first booking for 2010. We originally met well over a year prior to their date and I also had the opportunity to photograph their engagement session last summer. It was during this photo session that we really had a chance to get to know one another and to have fun. Boy did we ever! You can see the results by clicking here. The reason I bring this up is because I believe that session directly impacted how well the wedding day would photograph! We became friends and we had a chance to work together prior to the wedding day. The results of Michelle and Bobbys wedding are stunning. I was in sync with them throughout the whole day and I think you can see that from the photos below.

I met Michelle for getting ready photos at her parents home. The ceremony took place at popular St. Hugos Catholic Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and the reception was held at the elegant Royal Park Hotel in nearby Rochester. The wedding day ended with the biggest surprise of my eighteen year wedding career: three of the Top Ten finalists from the television show American Idol crashed the reception! I made a blog post of several photos shortly after the wedding and you can see them by clicking here.  Check out some of my favorite photos of the day below and scroll down to the bottom of this post to view the entire highlight slideshow set to U2s Magnificent.

The wedding day could not have been successful without Michelle and Bobbys superb cast of Michigans top wedding vendors. The list includes:

Wedding Planning – The China Closet
Floral Arrangements – Bellisario Florist
Printing Services and Custom Invitations – Cartoleria
Band – Intrigue
Videography – Lee Thomas Films
Decor – Special Event Rentals
Wedding Dress – Roma Sposa

Blake and Jason’s wedding took place on a beautiful June day in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It was a perfect day for a beautiful and elegant couple. The day began with my meeting them both just prior to the ceremony at Christ Church Cranbrook where they both waited in separate rooms for the ceremony to begin. They were surrounded by close family and friends and the reception convened at the nearby, pristine Bloomfield Hills Country Club. Blake and Jason and their guests were treated to a beautiful sunset as they toasted and enjoyed their meals under a tent in front of the clubhouse. Cutting the cake and dancing followed upstairs inside. Be sure to check out the highlight slideshow at the bottom of this post. The classy wedding was the result of the couples top notch vendors which included:

Complete Wedding Planning Services: Carolyn Hefner and staff of the China Closet
Florist: Ralph Bellisario of Bellisario Florists
Band: The Sun Messengers
Cocktail/Dinner Music: Scandinavian String Quartet
Cake: Patisserie Parmentier
Tent and Decor: Special Events Rental
Invitations & Menu Cards: Cartoleria
Attire: Bride – Roma Sposa
MOB – Katrina Bocci
Men – Fox Formal
Onsight Seamstress: Seka
Transportation: All Star Transportation

The all star vendors were a plenty, including the very elegant and palatial Henry Ford Museum, The China Closet for attention to detail and premier wedding planning, the incredible and preeminent Bellisario , and Michigan’s version of Hollywood-precision video with Fifth and Main Productions. Terry’s hairdresser was Birmingham’s Peter Mansoor of Vanity Hair and her makeup by Barbara Deyo of Devo Studio. DJ services was provided by Memory Maker DJ’s and Brian Van Guitar entertained with his classical guitar during dinner.

Enjoy the slide show below of the this great birthday party!