These best friends were married yesterday in a warm sunny November afternoon.  Love was everywhere.  A lovely preview coming soon!

Saturday, October 29, 2011 - Troy, MI

Kim and Nick had so many highlights to their wedding day it’s hard to know where to begin.  The ceremony, held at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was full of rich history and traditions. Afterward, their two pups joined us for their own special session (those who follow this blog know I have a big love for animals!) before the rest of the pictures. We traveled around to some lovely locations, beating the sun going down earlier and earlier this time of year. The light was soft, the temperatures just the slightest chill.

My second favorite part of Kim and Nick’s day….Nick writing and performing a song to his new bride during the reception! Swoon!  The song was so sweet, so heartfelt. I loved watching Kim’s reaction.  Then it was onto party time. The first dance took an unexpected turn when the slow song stopped and these two broke out into a choreographed dance. The tone was set and some greek dancing ensued afterward.  The dance floor was packed all night.

The decor was nothing short of awesome as well, because talent does not run short in this family.  Kim and her sister Stephanie along with Bryce and Nick worked very hard to set up the fabulous decor at the reception, held at The Myth Golf Course.  I loved the streamer banner behind the cake and cupcakes and all of the lovely lanterns hung from the ceiling.  Totally awesome.

Do you die over these cute pink Kate Spade shoes?!

The flowers were some of my favorite of the season…done by the very talented Parsonage Events.

From the moment my dearest friend Michele (you remember her cute maternity session!) told me her and her husband Steve were expecting a little one this winter, I immediately started thinking about her baby shower in tandem with our friend Julie. With the help of the evil fabulous Pinterest, I pulled some great ideas together.  And with the help of my other dear friend Dee, owner and fabulous planner/floral designer of Elements of Elegance, we planned a shower for Michele to show her just how much we loved her.

Michele is my childhood friend and I wanted her to feel spoiled, pampered and loved.  I just adore this girl!  When I walked into my studio, where the party was held, Dee had already began setting up.  When I looked around at the flowers, hand-made flags, and special touches, they literally brought tears to my eyes! I knew we had some stellar ideas, but Dee truly brought them to life.  Those out there planning showers and parties…take the workload off yourself and hire a professional! Worth it! Lucky for me my go-to planner is also a friend ;).

Another little tip…hire a caterer!! All of our food was made and set up by Trish of Tantalizing Tastes.  Her food is so creative and delicious. My favorite? The bananas foster french toast! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

The banner below was handmade by Dee and her sweet neighbor.  It reads ‘Baby Sunde’ and is going to be such a great addition to her nursery!

So these cupcakes with the little elephants and giraffes were made by my mom!!  I’m surrounded by such talented people.  Thanks again Mom! They were a hit ;).

Michele’s cousin Jill has the cutest little one! She was making us all laugh with her cute and silly faces.

Making a rare appearance on my own blog…yours truly! Thank you to our friend Mary for snapping a few pics for me ;).

I am constantly in awe of how blessed I am…not only because I get to do something that I love for a living, but that my clients are seriously the best around. Kristi and Jeff make their home in Chicago and were wanting a fall engagement session.  By some miracle, our schedules meshed and on a windy fall afternoon, I met these two and their pup Reese in a little orchard in Southwest Michigan.

Kristi doesn’t know this yet, but next time I’m in Chicago we are going shopping together.  Her yellow dress and sassy accessories? LOVE!

I featured a few sessions at this new favorite little location a few weeks ago and seriously…this old ferris wheel does not disappoint. I learned that it was built in the late 1940s and it really is all kinds of awesome.

From the minute I spoke to Lauren on the phone earlier this year about her and Blake’s wedding, I knew I was going to adore this girl. My instincts were right on and upon meeting with these two last week for their engagement session, I knew it was going to be an amazing shoot.

Once again, Michigan comes through with some amazing fall colors!

For part of their engagement session, they chose a few downtown locations as they held special meaning to the couple.  The 6th Street bridge is the ‘halfway’ point between each of their condos and while dating, both crossed this bridge often to see each other.

Probably my favorite part of the shoot? Shooting at the Ritz Coney Bar+Grill downtown.  The reason? When first dating, Blake took some chalk while the two were dining here and wrote their initials like in the picture below.Lauren knew he was a keeper! Love!