Vintage Glam Barn Wedding

   This wedding is way back from 2012. Way back then, I didn’t even have a blog, so it really didn’t get the beautiful coverage it deserved, so I’m breathing new life into it and re-telling the story for all of you. Plus it’s one of our most popular weddings we’ve ever done. SO many brides have came to us saying, “Oh yeah, you shot Steven and Caitlyn’s wedding, I loved their photos.” So now you can see what all the buzz is about.
   I can see why so many people fell in love with this wedding. It was gorgeous. All the details were planned out perfectly. It had just the right amount of country, rustic, vintage, and glam all rolled in to one.
   There were handmade bottles of wine, custom beer mugs, sparkly lights, burlap, and love, so so so much love in the air.
   It was a HOT June day and their church was tiny! But the whole family and very close friends packed in for an intimate and emotional ceremony. Right afterwards Dad had lined up for a bucket truck to come for me to hop into, lift myself up, and photograph EVERYONE in a HUGE heart about 40 feet below. I hate the word epic, but… that’s pretty epic.
   We took the whole bridal party over to Goodells Park and grabbed some shots just as the sun was coming down. Again, perfection.
   The reception was just as emotional and over flowing with love as the ceremony, from the speeches, to the first dances. The rest of the night stayed warm, and things got pretty sweaty. We spared you those images. haha But what we did show you looks straight out of the pages of a magazine. 

Port Huron , Michigan Wedding Photographer

Floating through the Veil- An Endless Performance

The stage was lit and the crowd was quiet. 
She sat watching them, taking in the silence. 

Her red dress freshly washed from the performance before. 
Her hair let down and her bare feet on the floor.

Her talent was enough but her beauty was greater. 
She was a burning star, but she wouldn't realize until later.

Later did come, yet time no longer passed.
She stayed in that theatre now reciting the past.

No tickets were purchased and the front door was locked. 
The dust sat beautifully on top of what others had forgot. 

She floated above the scuffed and tattered floor. 
Her dress never dirty, her burning, no more.

Days were nights and nights were days.
Her piano rotted on top of the stage.

Now her skin was washing thin.
Transparent was her beauty.
Either this was her chance
Or a pure game of cruelty.

Days had been years and years had been days.
But today the sun was actually burning through the haze.

Oh to return for one more night! 
Just to touch the keys and caress the light. 

She called out with hope, raspy was her voice.
She began to levitate as if by choice.

Colors began to rush back in. 
Her star back to burning, the show to begin.

And there she saw it, her piano, her friend. 
Where she could play for one more night, while the veil was thin again.

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Behind the Scenes:
I've never done levitation photography before, so that was the driving force behind this shoot. 
We were lucky enough to be able to shoot in the second and third floor of the Old Town Hall Winery in Lexington, Michigan.
It wasn't until I entered the space that I switched my thinking from a glamorous "floating" shoot to a haunted levitation shoot. 

It's told the Winery is said to be haunted, really haunted, by adults and children. Even tv crews have came to check the place out and left because it was that haunted.
Not sure where I stand on this... I can at least say I was happy to be photographing there in the daylight.

We did have a few happenings with lights and our fog machine, and our model, with no clue how it happened, did look down to see her big toe cut and bleeding. She later lost her toenail, so, take that how you wish (extra props to her for working through the shoot the WHOLE time like that!). Maybe the ghosts were not happy with our presence, or we just had bad luck. 

As gloomy as the day looks here we shot this in August (I think) on what had to be the HOTTEST day of the year. Only a few minutes in and we were literally stripping off our clothes and shoes to continue working. Not to mention what we hauled up 2 flights of tall stairs:
fog machine, a gallon of fog juice, loaded camera backpack, loaded trolly with light stands, lights, reflector, extra fabric, cords, battery pack, and god only knows what else. Oh, and a ladder. A 6 ft tall metal ladder. Oh, and a small, heavy ass trampoline we found in the garbage a week before. Call us crazy, but... Ok, no, no excuses, we're crazy.  

After 3 hours I got what I wanted and we hauled all of our stuff back out and celebrated with lunch and a cold beer. 

When editing, this effect is created by layering images, removing unneeded things, adding in shadows, and a lot of blending. 
Here's a look at what an image looks like BEFORE and AFTER I mess with it. 

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Check out the full beauty gallery here!

If you have a thing for hauntingly beautiful girls in red dresses (or black dresses!) I suggest you click those links! 

And if you're in to Dark Beauty see what we shot in the woods at dusk!

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Vintage Love at the Port Huron Train Depot- Engagement

The moment I met Erica I knew I liked her. Her hair was a washed out pink and her personality filled the room. She was fashionable, adorable, and fabulously organized with her notes being color coded and divided by category. She seems to always be happy and excited, which makes the day better. I met her hubby to be, Cory, a few weeks later and he's the perfect match for her. Fashionable, handsome, and friendly. And he wore suspenders. I'm a sucker for men in suspenders.
Getting these two together in front of the camera couldn't have been easier. They just... flowed. There was never a moment where we struggled to get them to connect with each other. They are totally connected and in love. 
We are ecstatic to be photographing their wedding next year! I can only imagine the day! As you can tell their engagement session was already over the top. 
I told them to come up with a story about their love. They brought me this. 
A beautiful young flapper meets a handsome gentlemen quite like Jack from Titanic at the Train Depot when she drops her scarf and he returns it to her. They enter the train strangers and leave soul mates. 
Watch as we tell their love story through photographs. 

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Check Out Our Full Lovers Gallery!

Check out Casey & Evan's Coffee Shop Love Story!

Check out the adorable Troy & Blair's engagement photoshoot!

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Natural teen Beauties with a boho twist

This shoot explains what photographing in Michigan is like, in a nutshell. We had planned this shoot with mom in the spring. We picked a date and the weather read cold and possibly rainy. How were we supposed to do sunny boho AND the beach with no sun and goosebumps?
Well, as it goes, summer got really busy, really fast. We all know, in this state, summer lasts 3 months, if we're lucky, so you have to cram everything in in those 3 months! The girls left for summer camps, had all kinds of sporting events, and right before Fall hit, we were finally able to schedule them in!
And, of course, even at the peek of summer, the sun was still missing. Good thing I love working with artificial light, we just made our own sunshine! Off camera flash, a yellow gel, and boom- the best summer day.
I knew the girls wanted to do something natural, with a boho feel so my hubby, the unsung hero to many of my big creative projects (you can meet him here), and I pulled out tons of little down trees and branches out of the yard and now the studio is complete with a real, handmade, 10 ft tall teepee that rocks! 

I extra love this session because it's a time many moms forget to capture, and it's so important, if not the most important age!
You stay on top of the baby photos, but then your child grows in to a beautiful person of their own and you have no idea where the time went. Their photography legacy has a huge hole in it when you look back. The worst part of not capturing this age? It's the last years you will get of them still as a child, full of wonder, and innocence, before they jump on over to the adult side of the world, with it's brutal honesty, hardships, and no return. 

See how we captured these beauties. <3
 

AND. An extra amazing bonus. Mom jumped in at the very end to capture this special time with her girls. They live right on Lake Huron so we got to photograph at their home. That day the water was so beautifully blue, it was the perfect visual ending to the summer. 

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View our full Family Gallery!

For another boho look check out Kristina's Family Photoshoot!

For more family shoots on the water check out The Burnette's Session!

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