Millennium Park Wedding - Amanda and Matt

St. Jude / MillenNium Park
Grand Rapids, MI

Congratulations to Amanda and Matt! So much laughter. So much love. So many happy tears and full hearts. All against a background of the beautiful Millennium Park in West Michigan.

Maybe the perfect sunny day was to balance out the not-so-perfect-but-memorable engagement story, which I have permission to get into here ;). Matt planned a weekend trip to Manistee. Friday night , after dinner at a seafood place downtown, Amanda got food poisoning! Incidentally, that's not the first time she had gotten food poisoning with Matt at the most INOPPORTUNE time imaginable.

Matt suggested to take it easy, but they rarely take vacations for pleasure and Amanda knew in her bones that he was going to pop the question, “so nothing was stopping us from having a delightful freaking day”. They had a full day of activities planned: farmer's market, walk the downtown area, lunch, hike along Lake Michigan- the works. She was a trooper. They eventually made it to a trail with a breathtaking view of the lake. Matt made a teary and heart-felt speech and she couldn't say yes fast enough.

Amanda proceeded to shout/blurt out at a passer-by on the trail that they had just gotten engaged. This person happened to be a photographer. They got their photo taken on the spot, but due to reception problems, they have never seen that photo.

That night they had dinner (successfully) and watched the sunset on the beach. The next day, they stopped at a golf course to play a round of 9 and Amanda still proceeded to tell everyone they came in contact with that they were just engaged. They called their loved ones when they got home aaaaaand then waited two years to start planning the wedding.

So funny.
Well, you may never see that photo of the engagement moment, but here is a preview of your beautiful big day, with a few hundred more coming…. ;)

Boatwerks Waterfront Wedding - Kelly and Josh

Boaterks Waterfront Restaurant
Holland, MI

Congratulations Kelly and Josh! What a gorgeous day at a beautiful venue on the water (I actually got married here!! It was so fun to shoot!). Kelly and Josh have been together for over five years. They met at work and had numerous lunch dates. The first official date was playing pool at Uccelo’s. The proposal was supposed to take place at their favorite disc golf spot, with a pretty view, but it rained all day so Josh improvised at Kelly’s friend’s balcony with Oakley (Josh’s son) watching. Then he surprised her with family and friends waiting to celebrate at The Reservoir Lounge, their favorite place.

Best wishes to you both on happy adventures to come! Please enjoy the preview:

River Edge Bed and Breakfast Wedding- Lissa and Bryan

River Edge Bed and Breakfast
Lowell, MI

Congratulations to Lissa and Bryan! It was a gorgeous celebration at River Edge Bed and Breakfast, in Lowell. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and wonderful people, these two were so sweet and excited to vow to share the rest of their lives with each other.

The two first met sophomore year at Grand Valley State University, when they locked eyes across the room at a mutual friend’s house (who officiated the wedding) and quickly became “friends.”

Their first date was supposed to be the classic “dinner and a movie” which never actually manifested. Instead, they went to the wooden bridge over the Thornapple River in Ada. Lissa brought a disposable camera, and they spent the night taking pictures and hanging out around the water.

(In case you missed their engagement session, at their special spot on the river, you can check it out here:)
https://lookatthebiggerpicture.com/blog/ada-covered-bridge-engagement-photos

Fast forward 14ish years later, when they rekindled their friendship, spending many nights walking through the woods, hiking trails, conversing on train bridges, and the occasional Mario Party and wine session. They quickly realized that they couldn’t just be friends any longer…

…Since then, they’ve become a family and made it through a pandemic with a newborn. They now often confide to one another that, “it was always you” from the moment they first locked eyes.

Bryan proposed just before midnight on December 31, 2021, at the park where they first rekindled the “friendship.”

Lissa and Bryan share a love for the outdoors, conversing about anything and everything while walking on a trail, Mario Party (especially Mario Party 2), the water, their children, adventure, and champagne.

Thank you so much for choosing me to document your story! I absolutely loved the time away in the bumpy buggy with you two to take photos! Absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful people, inside and out. Please enjoy the preview of the day…