Posts Tagged ‘The Townsend Hotel’

I first met Elizabeth and her mother at my Birmingham Showroom about eighteen months before their wedding date. Because they commissioned us so early, we were able to photograph their engagement party in December of 2009, as well as an engagement portrait session this past summer. It has been wonderful seeing Elizabeth and David through the year prior to their wedding day! So when the day finally came this past December, it was as if we were a part of the fabric of the story leading up to the day!

I began that Saturday morning in a familiar location that many of our brides like to start: The Townsend Hotel in downtown Birmingham. Elizabeth’s suite was filled with family, hanging out to support Elizabeth. She slowly began getting ready as her bridesmaids arrived and, before you knew it, it was time to leave for the church. The ceremony took place at the Grosse Pointe Academy Chapel, about a fifty minute drive from Birmingham in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. This is where I would finally see David for the first time, behind the alter, waiting with his groomsmen and the priest. The chapel is historic. It is beautiful and ornate. The ceremony was Roman Catholic and the happy couple was escorted for their recessional by a bag pipper.

After a few portraits outside of the Chapel, we drove back to the Townsend Hotel for the beginning of the celebratory reception, where the couple was enthusiastically greeted by their guests. This December wedding couldn’t have been a more perfect day! The weather was sunny and unseasonably warm. Elizabeth and David, their families, wedding party and guests were terrific, providing me with ample opportunity to find wonderful wedding day moments!

Enjoy the some of my highlight photos posted here in the blog, as well as scrolling to the bottom of the post to view their complete wedding day highlight slideshow! Enjoy!

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 met Erin and Brian for the first time when I arrived to photograph their wedding at the luxurious Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan. Upon meeting them, Erin warned me about both Brian and her father in that they were certain to shed tears throughout the day! She wasn’t kidding! Both men were very emotional and you will see this in some of the great moments captured below! I love photographing Jewish weddings because they are rich in tradition and very, very festive! The entire event – ceremony and reception – took place at the one location. Of course, the wedding day’s success was, in part, due to the contributions of Erin and Brian’s great wedding vendors:

Florist – Breath of Spring (Bruce)
Day of Coordinator – Party Assurance
Linens and Chairs – Modern Art
Cake – Townsend Bakery
Band – Intrigue
Programs and Place Cards – Lee’s Specialty
Videographer – Jeff Schoenberg

Enjoy some of my memorable photos below as well as the entire highlight slideshow at the bottom of this post:

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!

I had such a great year and terrific brides to thank for making it possible! To each of you, I cannot thank you enough for the honor you gave me to photograph your weddings! Thank you for allowing me to be me on your special day! Every single wedding was different, from your personalities, to your locations, to your celebrations! I had so much fun and was able to find new and exciting images at each wedding! I wish each of you, and your husbands, a wonderful and prosperous New Year! All my best! Enjoy the show below:

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

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Lisa and Steven’s entire wedding was celebrated at the exquisite Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan.   I have photographed many brides getting ready in the suites of this wonderful hotel as well as several receptions.  This was the first wedding ceremony I have photographed in the Townsend, and it was beautiful, thanks in part to Rabbi Jason Miller, the officiant.  Dena and Mallory from Party Pieces Events ensured that the full day of festivities stayed on schedule.  Tony Mazzorana of A1 Video Professionals worked terrifically along side of me covering the video responsibilities.  Making sure the guests had plenty of reason to stay on the dance floor, L’l USA kept the party hopping with great music throughout the evening.  Terrific moments were all around as you can see from the photos above and below.  Please check back here on my blog in about a month to see more highlights that will be shown in a slideshow.

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