» Simone Vitale Band

05.28.11 – Kimberly and John – Orchard Lake CC (Orchard Lake, MI)

Ray Anthony — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:39:13 +0000

The entirety of the wedding day took place at Orchard Lake CC, one of my favorite country clubs in Southeastern Michigan! The country club is located on serene and picturesque Orchard Lake, a truly beautiful setting! I have had the good fortune of photographing several weddings here in the last few years. Search my blog to find previous weddings. Kim and John’s wedding now joins the list of many memorable celebrations here at Orchard Lake CC.

This day, however, was met with a bit of questionable weather, not uncommon in Michigan at the end of May! I don’t like to say unfortunate, because weather does not make or break a wedding day in my opinion. Good weather or bad, it just adds to the story and the backdrop of the actual wedding day story. I like to call it “character!” The day is suppose to be about the unveiling of a love story, concluding (or rather “beginning”) with the story of how two people in love – and their families – celebrate their union in marriage. I can happily attest that this was the case with Kim and John! With rain coming and going, skies cloudy and gray, adjustments made for the outdoor ceremony to take place underneath a tent, the nuptials were, indeed, the focus and triumphal joy of the day! Not a frown or sense of dismay was seen or felt on the faces of this beautiful couple because of the questionable weather, nor did it deter the celebratory mood of their family and friends! Enjoy some of my favorite photos above and below. Please scroll to the bottom of this post to see several more photos that I’ve included in a highlight slide show set to music.

Before ending this post, I must give kudos to my vendor partners who all helped make this day a success!

Venue and Caterer: Orchard Lake Country Club
Event Coordinator, Floral and Decor: Emerald City Designs (Nicole Beaudoin, planner)
Bridal Gown: Roma Sposa (Birmingham, MI)
Video: Fifth and Main Productions (Royal Oak, MI)
Band: Simone Vitale Band
Celebrant: Sherry Mullins (A Joyful Celebration)
Cake: Sweet and Savory (Oxford, MI)
Custom Printing: Very Truly Yours (A. Kelly Cash)
Makeup: Linda Bateynah
Hair: Mallory

Wedding Highlight Slideshow: Ranae and TJ – Townsend Hotel, Birmingham, MI

Ray Anthony — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:31:38 +0000

This is the wedding highlight slide show from one of the awesome weddings I had the honor and pleasure of photographing in 2009. The wedding took place on October 24th. All the details about the wedding can be found on the blog back in November. Enjoy this! It was an exquisite event!

12.05.09 – Oakland Hills Country Club, President’s Ball – Bloomfield Hills, MI

Ray Anthony — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:30:19 +0000

I have been very fortunate over the years to have clients who have celebrated their weddings at one of the top venues in metro Detroit, the historic Oakland Hills Country Club. This December, I was given the wonderful honor to photograph the prestigious country club’s President’s Ball. It was a beautiful and classy event, completely decorated for the holiday season! In addition to providing portraits for the incoming and outgoing officers, I spent the entire festive evening capturing images of the celebration. The night was meticulously overseen by OHCC’s Director of Catering, Margarita Garcia. Decor was provided by one of Michigan’s finest, Ralph Bellisario of Bellisario Florist. Music was provided by metro Detroit’s premier band, the one and only Simone Vitale Band. Enjoy some of the highlights below.

10.17.09 – Hailey and Joey – Knollwood CC, West Bloomfield, MI

Ray Anthony — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:10:11 +0000

Photos and Highlight Slideshow are combined on this post below of Hailey and Joey’s exciting wedding. The entire day of photography, which included Hailey’s getting ready photos, the ceremony, reception and “after” party, all took place at the beautiful Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan. This was my second wedding in 30 days where the couple’s dog took part of wedding party photographs! The wedding could not have been as elegant and successful had it not been for the planning and decorative expertise of Dee Dee Hoffman of Dee Dee Hoffman Party Design. Other top notch vendors included favorites of mine, Todd Skog and his talented staff of Todd’s Room in Birmingham, MI, Alex Bitoff and his awesome staff of Fifth and Main Productions for video, and Simone Vitale and his star-laden Simone Vitale Band for entertainment, the florist was Breath of Spring in Bloomfield Hills, the cake maker was Patisserie Parmentier, the Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple Israel performed the ceremony, and the cantor was Cantor Smolash. The evening ended with a night club-like “after party” with DJ Whip.

Below are some of my favorites from the day. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to see the highlight slideshow of the entire day! Enjoy!

10.24.09 – Ranae and TJ – The Townsend Hotel, Birmingham, MI

Ray Anthony — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:11:46 +0000

Ranae and TJ’s gorgeous wedding started and ended at the luxurious Townsend Hotel in downtown Birmingham, Michigan. I will let the photos do the talking on this wedding, but I also want to give credit where credit is due. Ranae and TJ had a wedding fit for Hollywood stars and they had a cast of vendors that are among Detroit’s Rock Stars!

Hair by Luigi Bruni
Gown and Veil, Roma Sposa (custom made by Pnina Tornai, Israel)
Shoes, one of a kind by Rene Caovilla
Church, Holy Name, Monsignor Zenz
Consultant, Carolyn Hefner, The China Closet
Entertainment, Simone Vitale Band & Arabic singer Sawsan Kizi
Floral, Ralph Bellisario, Bellisario Florist
Sylvia Weinstock of Sylvia Weinstock Cakes Ltd. New York, NY
Lighting, Visionary Sound Productions
Print work, Jo Ann Stachelski, Cartoleria
Reception, Joanie Sams, The Townsend Hotel
Rentals, Special Events Rental & Gerych’s (carpet & draping)
Transportation, All Star Transportation
Video, Fifth and Main Productions

Congrats to Kara and Patrick – 06.21.08 – Selected for Town and Country Magazine!

Ray Anthony — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:04:35 +0000

I have had a few former clients get selected for the wedding section of Town and Country Magazine. Only a select few are actually chosen to have their announcement published. The latest of my fortunate couples to be selected is Kara and Patrick Howe! They were married June 21, 2008 at St. Hugo’s Catholic Church and their reception was held at Bloomfield Hills Country Club, both located in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Congrats Kara and Patrick! I am thrilled for you! You can see their photo in the latest edition of Town and Country on the news stands. Check out the wedding section.

If you would like to view their highlight wedding slideshow, click here.

Latest Wedding Slideshow: 09.19.09 – Rosemarie and Sam – Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, MI

Ray Anthony — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:41:29 +0000

Rosemarie and Sam’s beautiful wedding took place at the historic Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church near downtown Detroit. The gorgeous reception was held at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. All the details of this wedding can be found in last month’s blog entry. Click on the arrow below to see their highlight slideshow:

09.19.09 – Rosemarie and Sam – Henry Ford Musuem, Dearborn, MI

Ray Anthony — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:21:02 +0000

I met Rose and Sam about sixteen months before their wedding and have had the pleasure of getting to know them during this period of time. We were able to photograph their fantastic engagement party and a separate e-session in downtown Royal Oak. It was then that I met their lovable and precious dog Rocco. You can see him for yourself in some of the highlight photos below! It wouldn’t be right if Rocco didn’t get to give his beloved Rose a kiss before she walked the aisle! The wedding ceremony took place at the Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church in downtown Detroit. From the ceremony, we headed to Hart Plaza for some fun, romantic photos (check out the skate boarder shot – it’s a classic!). After spending some time downtown, we met the couple at Greenfield Village and followed them as they enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride. The grand finale for this wonderful couple took place at the beautifully decorated, Henry Ford Museum, where they celebrated their reception. This beautiful, and much anticipated wedding, was planned by the one and only, Carolyn Hefner of the China Closet. The day could not have been more perfect without Carolyn’s oversight! There was also an all-star cast of vendors to help make this day beyond spectacular: Christina Dodge, the event coordinator of the Henry Ford Musuem, Ralph Bellisario of Bellisario Florist provided the floral arrangements and decor, Cartoleria, of Birmingham, provided the custom invitations and printing services, Michelle Bommarito designed the cake, the Simone Vitale Band provided the entertainment, Ryan Koral of Epic Motion had a staff of five filmmakers providing video coverage, and I had a staff of nine, including my Orange County, California partner, Michael Erdkamp of Memories By Michael Photography, who flew out to work as my second. Enjoy just a few of the many highlights below. Keep checking in on my blog for the fantastic wedding day highlight slide show. It will be here in a few weeks.