Mark & Jessica - Rustic German Wedding

Mark & Jessica's wedding was so much fun! From the pop quiz at the alter (Jessica passed with flying colors!) to the singing broom tradition, Jessica & Mark - and their friends and family - had a stress-free, laid-back, fun wedding. Here's a quick look at their day (click on photos to make them larger):

They got married at St. Lorenz church in Frankenmuth - a gorgeous church that I have had the pleasure of shooting in once before when I photographed bridesmaid Katelyn's wedding last year.

After the ceremony we headed to a bridge. The sun was not on our side, but we still managed to get some fun shots - including my new favorite pose, Beer & Bouquets. After the bridge, we headed to Tiffany's - a local pub and favorite hangout spot. After a couple drinks and a few photos to go with them, we then went to Cross Park and the Hart one-room schoolhouse as our final portrait destination.

After a GRAND entrance, Mark & Jessica and their guests ate, danced, laughed and danced some more!  There were very funny speeches - one that even included the use of props!.

And the rings! The Milk Duds are a story in and of themselves. They are Jessica's favorite candy - so much so that instead of flowers, Mark always brings her a box or two of the chocolate caramel goodness!

CAKE! One of the highlights of any wedding. Jessica & Mark had all kinds of different cupcakes and then a small cake to cut - chocolate cupcakes, cinnamon sugar cupcakes and (my fav) lemon! According to Jessica, the cake they cut was super delicious too. Also - check out their adorable cake topper! They will be able to display it in their home and cherish it as a reminder of their special day.

One of my favorite parts of any wedding is the first dance between the newly minted Mr. & Mrs. They get to finally have some time to themselves, to reflect on the events of the day in a semi-private moment. Jessica & Mark's first dance was no exception.  Then the mother/son and father/daughter dances. Jessica surprised her dad with a polka in the middle of their traditional slow dance!

One of my favorite moments of the reception was seeing the German tradition Sie Leben Hoch for the first time. Roughly translated, it means "they live high" - and they take the high part literally! Mark & Jessica were lifted up in chairs as the celebratory song was sung/chanted. Eventually, they were given baby bonnets - complete with pacifiers! - to wear. The traditional significance of the baby bonnets was lost on me, but it was super cool to learn that they were the same bonnets Jessica's parents wore on their wedding day! The tradition ends with chugging a beer at the bar while being lifted in the air. Not a bad way to celebrate!

After Sie Leben Hoch, there was polka dancing! Lots and lots of polka dancing (and a bit of hip-hop and country the DJs worked in there). Jessica had to get creative with her dress in order to partake in the jumping and jiving. I admire her resourcefulness - a MacGyver of brides!  Finally - the main event, what everyone was waiting for - Mark's dad serenading the room via broom. Apparently singing via broom is a family tradition and happens at every wedding. Originally he wasn't going to do it, but with a little encouragement from the bride and groom he got out in the middle of the dance floor and nailed it. The whole room joined in!

DJ & Andrea - "Big Fat Slovak" Wedding

Oh. My. Gosh. DJ & Andrea's wedding was unlike any other I had ever been to. Andrea is from Slovakia and I was lucky enough  to photograph their US wedding (their second wedding will be held in Slovakia in a CASTLE - amazing!). DJ & Andrea did an amazing job of combining American and Slovakian traditions - and I have never met a more down-to-earth, fun-loving couple. Here's just a quick snapshot (pun intended!) of their day, as seen through my lens (click to see the them larger):

In keeping with Slovakian tradition, wedding portraits are done beforehand - this is the greatest thing from a photographer's point of view, especially since the ceremony traditional is a midnight! DJ & Andrea had their first look - something I really recommend to couples. They were able to enjoy a private moment together and read their vows to one another.

We took photos at an abandoned barn - complete with a rusty old Ford and a trunk that may have held some questionable content. The rest of the bridal party joined us for portraits - I absolutely loved all of the color in the bridesmaids' dresses and the sharp suspenders and striped socks the guys were sporting!

After the portraits, the party starts! Dinner was served while everyone enjoyed hearing a Slovakian band play. There was delicious cake to be eaten, enjoyed and smashed.

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At dusk, the wedding ceremony began - they opted to bump the ceremony up a couple of hours from the traditional time of midnight to afford more light. DJ's father officiated and looked sharp in his bolo tie. The couple recited their WOWs - memories and special things about their partner that made them go "WOW! I want to marry this person!" Andrea's mother, home in Slovakia, was able to watch the ceremony via Skype on an iPad.

After the ceremony comes dancing! Lots and lots of dancing. Technically, DJ & Andrea's "first dance" was to Will Smith's "Get Jiggy With It" - a personal favorite of mine - but they did a traditional Slovakian dance later in the evening. DJ & Andrea's friends and family are, in a word, awesome. They were so friendly, so welcoming and so energetic - not one slow song was played and yet the dance floor was always full! The Slovakian band continued to play sets, this time intermixed with a good selection of 90s hip-hop and 2000s dance music, played by one of DJ's good deejay friends. (Did I mention DJ is a deejay? Best name/occupation combo ever!)
 

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Johnmark & Leah - Barefoot Farm Wedding

Johnmark & Leah's wedding was one of my favorites - mostly because Leah is such a dear friend of mine. I have known Leah my entire life - she's basically my soul sister! I visited her a couple years ago at Plow Creek  - a small Illinois farm she was living on - and she told me all about the boy she had fallen in love with. I met said boy about a year later when I travelled to Chicago to take their engagement photos. Johnmark is Leah's soulmate - it was easy to see how this bread baking, wood craving cutie had captured her heart. They fit together like two pieces in a puzzle and complement each other like two chords in a song. I was honored to photograph their wedding at the same farm I had visited a couple years earlier. Johnmark & Leah infused every last bit of their wedding with significance - Johnmark even built the chuppah they were married under! Check out their wedding (and all of the AWESOME details!) below.

Drew & Jordan - Catholic Church Wedding

Jordan & Drew's wedding was, in a word, FUN! Jordan not only pinned tons of ideas on Pintrest, but she actually DID them - which is more than I can say about my own Pintrest addiction! After a lovely ceremony, they got on a trolley and we went to SVSU (both Jordan and Drew are alumni) to take some portraits. We got somewhat rained out, so we hurried to the reception - which was GORGEOUS. If you are considering using uplighting in your reception hall - DO! It looks super cool. Jordan & Drew's friends and family know how to get down! I have never seen a fuller dance floor!

Michael & Lynn - Urban Campus Engagement at the University of Michigan-Flint

I met Lynn four years ago - she was two of my classes as a college freshman on University of Michigan-Flint's campus. It has been awesome to get to know her - Lynn is a passionate, caring, kind individual and I cannot be happier that she has found someone to spend her life with. She and Michael fell in love in and with the city of Flint. Not only did they choose to take their engagement photos downtown, but they are also getting married by Flint's Grand Fountain along the Flint river. 

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