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The Event Studio – Birmingham, Michigan bio picture

Welcome to The Event Studio!

The Event Studio is a collection of event professionals who share a common desire to offer an extraordinary experience and superior service to clients planning their special event. Located in charming downtown Birmingham, The Event Studio has created a cool and relaxing atmosphere for brides, grooms, hosts, and hostesses alike, to plan, coordinate, and dream about their perfect event.

The Event Studio is the newest resource to simplify the planning process of your special event as well as become educated on the latest tips and trends - from photography and videography to stationary, floral design and etiquette, the vendors of The Event Studio are available and eager to share their experiences and stories.

Quarterly educational events highlight the expertise each vendor brings to the studio while also providing an opportunity for open networking and social gatherings.

With a fun, fresh and creative approach and a passion for creating an event that is uniquely you, The Event Studio team is eager to begin working on your special day. Join the team for coffee, snacks, or just a little conversation and watch as your ideas come to life!

Join us for our grand opening celebration!

Gift Bags to the first 100 guests!

Great prizes from featured vendors!

Complimentary Chair Massages by Imago Salon and Spa!

Please RSVP by June 8th to info@lndevents.com!

Product Spotlight: Donna’s Thank You Cards

Donna thankyou 1 Product Spotlight:  Donnas Thank You Cards

I was so excited when Donna told us she wanted custom Thank You cards.  Donna knows how to break the rules and her only guideline for the design of these cards was “nothing bridally”.  Okay, done!  I mean, this is the woman who walked down the aisle to Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, in case you need reminding.  So I knew I could get a little adventurous with this one.  :)

Donna thankyou 5 Product Spotlight:  Donnas Thank You Cards

So I decided to go with a vintage-y damask background, but then I grunged it up with textures, some vignetting and a dark palette.  The cover image was given a scratchy, old camera treatment, and Andy made this cool Photoshop action to make a rounded border that slightly warps at the edges, like an old tv screen. To really make it pop, we choose a pearl card stock, which is a very thick, very shimmery paper.  Holy crap, these cards are hot.  There is no other way to describe them.  I gasped when I opened the box, for real.  :)

Donna thankyou 2 Product Spotlight:  Donnas Thank You Cards

The inside shows off a few details from the weddings and the bottom is left blank for Donna to add her own message.  The inside has the same shimmery effect as the outside of the card.  It’s hard to see it in the photos, but it’s almost a metallic look.

For the back, we kept things simple, with an inset image with one of my favorite black-and-whites from the wedding:

Donna thankyou 4 Product Spotlight:  Donnas Thank You Cards

Donna thankyou 3 Product Spotlight:  Donnas Thank You Cards

Oh and P.S. for those camera nerds reading this – the camera in the images above is an Olympus Pen-EE  S, a half-frame camera circa 1962.  I think it’s probably the handsomest member of my camera collection.  :)

Product Spotlight: Amanda’s Guestbook

Our wedding season is starting to wind down.  We have one more wedding left for 2009 and then we are done until April 2010.  But that doesn’t mean we are taking a sabbatical!  This is the time of the year that we work with our clients on their album designs, and plan and order our new studio samples for next year.  So in the next few weeks, I’ll be updating the blog periodically with some of the products our clients have ordered, as well as some samples we have at the studio.  If you are a current or prospective client and you’d like to stop in and see our new stuff, the best time would be after the holidays – we have several things on order right now that haven’t come in yet! We have some beautiful flush mount wedding albums that will be on the blog soon, but in the meantime, here’s a peak at another fun product.  :)

stuveguestbook 1 Product Spotlight:  Amandas Guestbook

This has been one our favorite (and most popular) products this year – our custom sign-in books.  I’ve mentioned these before a few times on the blog.  Kelly’s guestbook can be found here and here.  We liked this one from Amanda & Dave’s Chicago engagement session so much that we decided to order a sample for our studio.   We offer a few different styles in guestbooks – this particular book is a beautifully press printed coffee table style book.  It’s a hardcover book with a laminated canvas cover.   This book is 8.5 x 11 but we also offer these in 8 x 8 and 11 x 14.

stuveguestbook 2 Product Spotlight:  Amandas Guestbook

I am really partial to the 8.5 x 11 size because it opens to an 8.5 x 22 spread, which leaves plenty of room for big images with enough white space left over for your guest’s signatures.   It’s a very distinct size ratio and just looks modern to me.

stuveguestbook 3 Product Spotlight:  Amandas Guestbook

See how this book goes on for miles?  That’s what I mean.  The pages are matte to make signing easy.  (This book is also available in glossy pages too which would be great for engagement session album or boudoir book, etc.)  The pages have a nice weight and feel.  And the best part is that the book is bound with hinged pages, meaning it opens flat, like a flush mount style album.  It allows you to see the whole page, and design a spread that crosses the gutter of the page.  See the photo below to see what I mean about the hinge.

stuveguestbook 5 Product Spotlight:  Amandas Guestbook

As you can see the gutter (i.e., the middle of the book where the page is split) is pretty small – and you can see here how the book opens completely flat so you can really view each image as it was meant to be – without it disappearing into the binding.  I love this feature.  :)

stuveguestbook 4 Product Spotlight:  Amandas Guestbook

These books always end up being a huge hit at weddings.  The guests tend to interact with them more than a regular sign-in book.  It gets passed around and admired.  People tend to draw little arrows and point out their favorite photos.  :)  It’s a great way to use your engagement images and share them with your friends and family.

If you are one of our clients and are interested in this product, you can use part of your album credit towards it, or purchase it as a stand-alone product.  We need a minimum of 3 weeks lead time to put one of these babies together, but if you have a wedding during prime season (June-Sept) the more notice you can give us, the better!  We also have some sign-in book options using silk and leather bound books and photographic prints – talk to us and we can explain all the options!  You can even coordinate your guestbook to match your wedding album.

Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark1 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography
In an earlier post, I alluded to the fact that Donna & Paul had chosen a really unique place for their wedding & reception, so I’m very excited to finally share some images from their wedding day.  They got married dockside and then held their reception on the Ovation Yacht.   We cruised down the Detroit River on a crisp fall evening and it was nothing short of magical.  We feel like we’ve really gotten to know Donna well and she & Paul made this such a fun day for everyone.  :)
clark2 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark3 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark4 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark5 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography
Are you kidding me? Gorgeous!

clark6 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark7 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark8 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

If Donna’s dress looks familiar it’s because it’s the same style worn by Caroline Bessette Kennedy – it was an amazingly delicate silk creation and it was so Donna.  She looked amazing!

clark9 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark10 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

These bridesmaids were so cool – they were so fun and ready for anything.  :)

clark11 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

Does anyone else think Donna looks like Sandra Bullock’s twin sister?  I mean, damn.

So let me tell you a little bit about these next few images.  Donna did NOT want the typical wedding (in case you couldn’t tell by her choice of venue!) She specifically forbade the DJ to play the Wedding March.  She hates the Wedding March.  Paul knew it.  Her bridesmaids knew it.  Her family knew it.  But what they didn’t know, is that Donna secretly told the DJ to go ahead and play it anyway – and abruptly cut into For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica!  OMG! Coolest walk down the aisle ever people!  It was epic!

clark12 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

I love this sequence – Paul’s reaction when the Wedding March comes on…and then when he recognizes the Metallica song.  Awesome.

clark13 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark14 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark15 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark16 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photographyclark17 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

This is one of my favorite “formals” ever:

clark18 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

Shoes.  Epic.

clark19 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

After the ceremony, the guests (and us!) boarded the Ovation and took in the sights of the Detroit skyline.

clark20 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

I must talk a little bit about photographing a wedding reception on a yacht, and in particular, working with the staff and crew of the Infinity and Ovation Yacht Charters. This was a first for us, and going into it, I have to say I was a little nervous.  I grew up on the water. My parents had a couple different trawlers over the years and they served as big playhouses for my brother and me growing up.  Ironically, I loved going on the water, but was was insanely fearful about drowning because I can’t swim at all.  My parents were all big into the swimming class stuff, since we lived on a canal, but it had totally the opposite effect on me – it left me completely traumatized.  (Really YMCA, do you think it’s a good idea to carry a fearful kid to the end of the diving board and unceremoniously dump them into the deep end?  REALLY?)  So anyway, I was a little concerned that this might be scary for me.  I hadn’t been on a boat in years, and the last time, I was very alarmed at how the guardrail is much lower when you are 10 years older.  And my heart did skip a beat upon boarding – that’s always the worst part for me, I’m always afraid I will be overcome with dizziness and fall in and drown in negative 2 seconds before anyone notices.

I’m happy to report that I had a breakthrough of sorts, because I LOVED being on this boat.  It was absolutely glorious, and I was completely fascinated at the skill of the captain and his ability to back this huge yacht into a slip from a mile out into Lake St. Clair when it was time to return to the marina.  It always amazes me how people are able to “park” boats at all.  Every time we returned from a boat ride as kids, I was always poised for us to ram into something.  Not because my dad wasn’t skillful (he was!) but because the physics of it just makes my brain  hurt.  It just doesn’t seem possible to maneuver a big floating heavy object into a confined space.)

Anyway, I digress.  What I really wanted to get across is the fact that the staff and crew of the Ovation were outstanding.  They treated us wonderfully, and I really think you can judge the quality of a venue by how they treat the other vendors.  Just little things, like moving out of the way and letting us get down the stairs quickly as we lugged gear up and down the three decks,  rather than banging into our gear.  Or asking us if we needed water (always appreciated!!)  Jackie, the Ovation Coordinator, was on top of everything, made sure everything stayed on the timeline, and was a pleasure to work with.

One other thing, the food was amazing.  As we came back to dock, a round of late night snacks were served, including these dainty mini-grilled cheese sandwiches dunked in the richest tomato soup ever.  A guest came up to me and asked what people were eating, and when I told her, I think she may have run someone down to get to a server.  And I don’t blame her.   Andy is still talking about those sandwiches.  :)

clark21 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark22 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark23 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark24 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

clark25 Donna & Paul: Ovation Yacht Wedding | Michigan Wedding Photography

Donna & Paul – your wedding was seriously a blast and we are so happy we were able to document it.  We wish you both the best!  :)

If you’d like to see more, we also have a vimeo slideshow up here – which frankly is one of the coolest slideshows we’ve done to date.  So you should check it out.

Finally, don’t forget that you can help this couple win a free enlargement by leaving a comment below!   All commenters automatically are entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card as well.  :)   (Read details here.)

Engagement Session: Beth & Chris at the Henry Ford Estate

beth chris2 Engagement Session:  Beth & Chris at the Henry Ford Estate

Beth has got face.  She totally has the “fierce” look mastered.  We were not prepared for the awesomeness her and Chris brought to their session.  Peel back the layers from this pharmacist and you find supermodel.  And I’m not just saying that because I’ve watched too much America’s Next Top Model lately.  :) Just look….you’ll see it!

beth chris1 Engagement Session:  Beth & Chris at the Henry Ford Estate

beth chris3 Engagement Session:  Beth & Chris at the Henry Ford Estate

beth chris4 Engagement Session:  Beth & Chris at the Henry Ford Estate

Do you see what I mean here, people?  THE LOOK.

beth chris5 Engagement Session:  Beth & Chris at the Henry Ford Estate

And AGAIN!

beth chris6 Engagement Session:  Beth & Chris at the Henry Ford Estate

Don’t they look like they should have some kind of TV series where they are crime-fighting benevolent vampires?  I can’t believe I just called our clients vampires, but you know what I mean, the really good-looking Twilight-esque kind.  :)  There’s just such intensity!  We could have photographed them all day.  I love this couple.  Their wedding is going to be rad, I can feel it.

Beth & Chris will be getting hitched next October 2010.  :)

Meredith & Mike | St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

I tucked some lenses into my bag, locked the door, and left.  The weather was sunny and mild, especially for August.  And I was giddy because I was walking to the bride’s mom’s house for the getting ready images.  When we learned the mom of the bride lived one street over from us, we didn’t think that meant just five houses down and two houses over.  In fact, in the time it took me to post on twitter that I was walking to the bride’s house , I was already there.    :)  We’ve been wanting to photograph a Grosse Pointe wedding for a long time, so this was a special wedding for us.  We didn’t expect it would practically be in our backyard.  :)  That was a bonus.

mengel1 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

Meredith’s dress = glorious!  It was an amazing couture find that she got for a steal thanks to some good luck and great timing.  It was meant to be, because it was utterly perfect for her.

mengel2 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel3 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

Meredith & Mike were high school sweethearts, so it was only fitting that their First Look was at Grosse Pointe South.  Andy met up with the guys while I was hanging out with the girls.  He got some great shots at the school baseball diamond.

mengel4 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel5 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel6 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again.  I love First Looks.   Seeing each other before the wedding allows us to set up a very special moment, and you are free to laugh, cry, hug and kiss and talk – which you can’t do in the formal atmosphere of the church.  It is way more intimate and joyful.  We’ve also found another added benefit – our couples are noticeably calmer and more relaxed going into the ceremony when they’ve seen each other first.  So it’s good for the nerves too!

mengel7 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel8 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding
mengel9 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

On to the ceremony!  Meredith & Mike tied the knot at St. Ambrose in Grosse Pointe Park – another location within walking distance to our house.  :)   This church is beautiful inside.  The stain glass windows bathe the entire church in this pretty purple light.  This was our first time working in this church and the staff was very gracious.  Meredith’s uncle from Boston officiated the ceremony, which made it even more meaningful.

mengel10 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel11 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding
mengel12 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel13 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding
mengel14 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel15 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel16 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel17 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel18 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel19 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel20 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

The reception was held at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.  The couple was welcomed into the ball room under an arch of baseball bats – a playful and fun way to spice up the introductions.  :)

mengel21 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

mengel22 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

Finally, the rings.  More lovebirds, and more obliging creatures to hold the rings!

mengel23 Meredith & Mike  |   St. Ambrose & Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Wedding

Meredith & Mike – thank you for letting us capture this beautiful day.  Meredith – you looked absolutely gorgeous and you and Mike’s happiness was palpable throughout the entire day.  We loved working with both of you.  :)

Finally, don’t forget that you can help this couple win a free enlargement by leaving a comment below!   All commenters automatically are entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card as well.  :)   (Read details here.)

Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 1 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

A little over a year ago, I used to follow the blogs of some really fabulously successful “big time” wedding photographers.  (Those of you not as intimately acquainted with the bridal/photography world are probably thinking “Big time wedding photographer?  Are you kidding me?” and while I can certainly understand that sentiment, I promise you they do exist and are sort of celebrities in our field. )  But, I digress.  I would follow these blogs and these people would take FOREVER to post stuff and I just always thought that was a little snotty, as in I am too busy being fabulous to blog recent events.  And now, close to the end of our 2009 season, and having photographed twice as many weddings as last year, I sorta get it.  I don’t know about the fabulous part, because half the time I am so exhausted that I forget to brush my hair, let alone get it cut, but the busy part I get.

And let me just state for the record, that neither myself or Andy is complaining.  We feel so grateful to our couples for giving us the opportunity to do something we love, and it has been a privilege.  But unfortunately the blog often suffers the most from our crowded schedules.  It doesn’t help that I really need a few hours to do a post because deciding which images to use is a long process for me.  I guess the good part is that despite entering the slower part of the year, we still have lots of eye candy to share with our blog readers!

a+d 2 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

You may remember Amanda & Dave from their rather epic 2-part engagement session post (here and here) on our blog earlier this year.  We visited them in Chicago and had a nice long photo session, so we felt like friends by the time their wedding rolled around.  Amanda & Dave got married at the Pine Knob Mansion in Clarkston, MI this past August.  Gorgeous, gorgeous venue!  :)   But I’m skipping ahead of myself.

a+d 3 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

How adorable is Amanda?  :)

a+d 4 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

Dave cleans up pretty well too.  :)

a+d 5 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 6 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 7 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

Amanda & Dave elected to do a First Look before their wedding.  We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE when couples do this.  It’s a beautiful, emotional moment for each couple and it’s also a wonderful photographic opportunity.  It also allows us to get the formal photographs done early in the day, when everyone is looking fresh, and then later on, it’s straight to the party!

a+d 8 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 9 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 10 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 11 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 12 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

The other great thing about Amanda & Dave seeing each other early?  We got photos outside before the rain started!  All day, the weather had been looking pretty iffy – it was uncertain if the ceremony would take place outdoors as planned.  At the last minute, the decision was made to risk it…..and…it rained!    Amanda & Dave weren’t going to let a little rainfall spoil their day though!  They, and their guests, carried on like troopers and proceeded through the ceremony.  It’s actually really hard to tell in the photos, but it was sprinkling lightly the whole time.  I bring it up only to reassure other brides that a little rain on your wedding day is NOT the end of the world.  We’ve now photographed several weddings under less than ideal weather conditions, and every time, things worked out.

a+d 13 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 13a Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

She may or may not have been giggling at her guests who were covering their heads about this time in the ceremony.  :)

a+d 14 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

Everyone sprinted for cover as soon as the ceremony ended, all in good spirits, and ready to celebrate!

a+d 15 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d storyboard Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

a+d 16 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

The Pine Knob Mansion was just completely beautiful.  Definitely one of the nicest venues we have photographed.  The achitectural details are amazing.  The style is considered “English Manor” but it looks more like “Tudor Castle” to me.  Absolutely lovely.  We also have booked a wedding at the nearby Carriage House for next year, and we are excited to go back.  :)

a+d 17 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

Finally, I’ll wrap this post up with two ring shots that I loved.  We saw this awesome suit of armor in the hallway, and it seemed like it was just sitting around waiting to play ringbearer.

a+d 19 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

Seriously, a new favorite.  I mean…it’s a knight!

And finally, we had to get a shot of these lovebirds,  which were on display at Amanda’s mom’s wedding.  I left Andy in charge of the rings while I went to grab a piece of equipment and came back to find that he had perfectly balanced them like this.  This took skills people!

a+d 18 Amanda + Dave | Pine Knob Mansion Wedding, Clarkston, MI

Amanda & Dave, thank you for letting us be a part of your beautiful, rainy, laughter-filled day.  We had so much fun documenting your wedding and we wish you both the very best.   Please let us know if you are ever in town!  :)

If you want to see more, you can check out their vimeo slideshow here:)

Finally, don’t forget that you can help this couple win a free enlargement by leaving a comment below!   All commenters automatically are entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card as well.  :)   (Read details here.)

The Ballerina Bride

ballet1 The Ballerina Bride

Donna – the lovely bride who’s engagement session we featured just a few days ago – had a special request for us.  She wanted us to photograph her at ballet practice.  But she was quick to point out that ballet isn’t all about tu-tus and pretty costumes.  A dancer is molded by years of hard work, and a copious amount of blood, sweat and tears.  Donna wanted a raw, grungy ballet session that honored the grittiness that underlies this graceful art.

ballet2 The Ballerina Bride

ballet3 The Ballerina Bride

ballet4 The Ballerina Bride

ballet5 The Ballerina Bride

ballet10 The Ballerina Bride

ballet6 The Ballerina Bride

ballet7 The Ballerina Bride

ballet8 The Ballerina Bride

ballet9 The Ballerina Bride

ballet11 The Ballerina Bride
ballet12 The Ballerina Bride

This was such a fun session for us because we got to photograph something entirely new to us, which is always invigorating.  Thanks Donna for inviting us!  The dedication you have for your passion is so inspiring to us both!  :)

Married: Amy & Dennis – The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

This wedding was so lovely!  Amy and Dennis were married this past August (I told you all I was behind on blogging!) at The Inn at St. John’s with their reception at the Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, MI.  Amy and Dennis live in Georgia, so initially we met with Amy’s mom, who is just the most delightful lady you can ever meet. After our consultation, she pulled out her art books and told us about her favorite painter.  We love meeting with artsy, creative people.  :)  I knew from Amy’s mom that Amy was also a creative type, and that Dennis was a funny guy and always up for anything.  So we fully expected the details at Amy’s wedding to rock, and they did not disappoint us!

amydennis wed1 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

We arrived at Amy’s house and discovered lots of fun decorations and details.  Amy’s mom hosted a cocktail hour while we were out taking photos…so I’m glad we got a chance to take a peek, because she did such a great job.  The dress on the left was out on display and was Amy’s grandmother’s.  Isn’t that awesome?  There were old wedding photos on display from past generations as well, which was really neat.  The photos were awesome and it was such a COOL idea.

amydennis wed2 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

Pink Kate Spade shoes.   Awesome.

amydennis wed3 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed4 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed5 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed6 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club
amydennis wed7a Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Clubamydennis wed8a Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Clubamydennis wed9 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

Amy wasn’t the only person there with cool shoes!

amydennis wed10 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed11 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed12 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

Do I even need to explain at this point how cool this couple was???

amydennis wed13 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed14 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed15 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed16 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

I’ll top this off with two of my favorite detail shots of the day.

amydennis wed17 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

amydennis wed18 Married: Amy & Dennis   The Inn at St. Johns + Walnut Creek Country Club

Yes, it’s the shoes…again.  They deserved to be featured twice.  :)

Amy & Dennis – you both were such a blast and we had a great time working with you.  We wish you much happiness in Georgia and the best of luck to Dennis in his first year of medical school.  You guys rock!  :)

Help this couple win a free 8×12 or 11×14 print!  30 comments = 8×12, 50=11×14.  See the fine print here.  Everyone who comments is automatically entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card.  (Speaking of which, I think we need to announce some winners from our other weddings soon, so stay tuned!)

Engaged: Donna & Paul at Jefferson Beach Marina

I am soooooo behind on blogging! We were thrilled to photograph some great weddings to wrap up the end of summer and the beginning of fall. I still have weddings from August I haven’t blogged yet! Ack! I know, right? I’m so far behind that this engagement session I’m posting from today is for a beautiful couple that is already married. And this wasn’t even the last wedding we photographed. I know. I know! Bad Lynn!

clark esess1 Engaged:  Donna & Paul at Jefferson Beach Marina

It is going to be VERY hard to write about this couple and not talk about their wedding, which was freaking FABULOUS and on (not “in”…but ON) one of our new favorite venues.  But I am not going to steal the thunder from the wedding post that is coming.  So you will all just have to deal until then.  :)

Donna & Paul were so much fun to work with.  Donna decided to do a few extra portrait sessions with us and she was such a joy to work with.  :)  Did you ever wonder how the captions on TV magically appear on your screen?  IT’S DONNA PEOPLE!  And while that is nifty and all, the even more interesting thing is that she’s a BALLERINA.  Seriously.  I told you she was awesome!  We did a super fun ballet photo session with her, which I hope to share with you all soon.  We love brides that think outside the box!  Ballet bridal?  Oh yes!

clark esess2 Engaged:  Donna & Paul at Jefferson Beach Marina

Don’t they look like movie stars?  I mean for real.  It’s not even fair.

clark esess3 Engaged:  Donna & Paul at Jefferson Beach Marina

We started their session at Jefferson Beach Marina in St. Clair Shores, which may or may not be a hint about where their wedding was at.  :)    Speaking of hints, here’s a bigger one:

clark esess4 Engaged:  Donna & Paul at Jefferson Beach Marina

We stayed at the marina long enough to catch the warm light of the setting sun, which we love.  Then we hopped in the car to meet these two delightful little guys…

clark esess5 Engaged:  Donna & Paul at Jefferson Beach Marina

Maisey & Rascal!  We love when our couples include their pets in their engagement sessions.  (Though you should always plan on your session taking twice as long, because I have to spend half of it playing!)  Also, can I just say that meeting Donna & Paul’s dogs led Andy into this month long obsession for us to get a dachshund – which was not helped by Donna emailing us photos of available puppies.  Don’t get me wrong, I would love a second dog, but our current dog is big and rough and likes to wrestle.  I don’t think a little dog is in our immediate future.  Now a Bernese Mountain puppy I could get on board with. Mom, are you reading this???  Christmas is coming!

I’ll wrap this up with another favorite….is this not the most adorable thing ever?

clark esess6 Engaged:  Donna & Paul at Jefferson Beach Marina

Our Vimeo Channel

Happy Monday everyone.  Yes, I know, Mondays and happiness do not normally mix.  But I’m staring at a “Happy Monday” sticker/coupon from Caribou Coffee that’s stuck to my monitor, so we are all going to embrace it and  pretend we are happy about Monday.  Positive thinking, rah, rah rah!  Maybe I’m just more chipper than normal because my significant other brought me a Pumpkin Spice Latte this morning from Starbucks, and now I’ve officially mentioned two coffee chains in one paragraph.  Do you see where my priorities lay today?

Anyway, we shot a fabulous wedding this past Friday aboard the Ovation Yacht and the word A-MAZING doesn’t even begin to sum it up.  Excellent, attentive staff, unbelievable food, and magnificent views of the Detroit and Windsor riverfront.  It was absolutely glorious.  It didn’t hurt that our couple looked like they should be celebrities and our bride ROCKED a gown identical to the one worn by Caroline Kennedy, with red shoes that made you drool just looking at them.   Whew!  I just had to gush about it for a second.  But now I’m moving on to the point of this post…..I know, you were thinking I didn’t have one, did you?  (I honestly can’t blame you, this is turning into a caffeine-induced tangent-laden mess, but I am getting there, I promise.)

A-hem. Our Vimeo Channel.

wpp vimeo Our Vimeo Channel

If you’ve been a very loyal blog reader you may have noticed that we used to post slideshows on our blog, and lately, I’ve been very remiss in including them.  My wedding posts tend to be so full of images that by the time I finish posting and writing about them, I just plain forget that we have a slideshow too.  Starting this spring, we’ve done things a little differently.  We’ve upgraded our slideshow software to a new product that lets us create HD slideshows, and also gives us the ability to create DVDs.  The new software also lets us use multiple songs and that in turn makes it very easy to add lots of images.  LOTS of images.  Our slideshows are now ridiculously long.  In the best possible way.  :)

In case you are wondering, the slideshows are a highlight from the wedding day – meaning these are not ALL the proofs our couples receive (not even close) but it is a good approximation of a “full wedding” in case you are a prospective client and want to see what a full day wedding looks like.  (Which is something I strongly recommend anyone shopping for photography to ask about.)

Because it literally takes hours (and sometimes days) to upload all the proofs from an event onto our proofing site, the slideshow is the first thing our clients see.  And now, because we are putting HD versions on Vimeo, you can actually click on the full screen button and see BIG pictures.  So far our new slideshows have been a hit with our clients.  And if you want a DVD copy added to your package, we now have the ability to do that.

So be sure to check out our Vimeo Channel if you’d like to see more of our work from this year!