Susan: Trash the Dress in Chicago

May 1, 2010



I know I've said it before and I promise that I'll say it again... I LOVE TRASH THE DRESS SESSIONS! Only having done one previous to the session I shot this weekend, I knew from the beginning that it was going to be one of my favorite types of shoots. It's all the "pretty" of the wedding without all the stress... you get a pretty girl dressed to the nines (and sometimes a hubby as well, if they feel so inclined) and an hour or two (or more!) shoot her just doing her thing, feeling and looking glamorous! It's so much fun to do and SOOOO much fun to shoot!

This past weekend, a friend of mine and I made our way down to Chicago. It was a nice little weekend trip where we got to see family and hang out, but most importantly, I got to see the beautiful Susan again, one of my former brides from last August. We met up with her on Saturday at the Danada Forest Preserve Equestrian Center and followed her to beautiful downtown Naperville for the photos. Luckily, she knows a thing or two about being in front of a camera because I had a cold and had almost completely lost my voice. Not good for giving direction. But Susan is a pro and before long, we had done 3+ hours of shoot with 300+ NICE shots...

Needless to say, I LOVE the images we came out with here. Susan and I both had a wonderful time, as did my amazing "assistant" who carried around our props in a pink Victoria Secret bag (we know he's a manly man anyway!) and our pretty yellow roses. He even took a turn at the camera and got a couple nice shots.

Thanks again to Susan, it was so great working with you again! You are beautiful and your photos prove it!

A great shot by my wonderful "assistant"

Peter & Donna: A Wedding

April 24, 2010



Another wedding season has begun! It's going to be a slow start this year, but my fall is going to be a little crazy so I can be patient for now. Anyway, to kick off my year, I photographed Peter and Donna on the last weekend in April. The weather in the Grand Rapids area had been a little fickle all month and even though we had our fingers crossed for a warm day, we didn't get much of one. Roll with it, I always say.

We met the couple at the Holiday Inn in Kentwood where their ceremony and reception were being held. It was kind of a neat set up because almost all of their family is from Virginia (Peter) and New York (Donna) so they had everything in one place so the family wouldn't have to get lost in Grand Rapids for the wedding.

Despite the weather we managed to get a few shots outside by the blooming trees (how could we resist?) and I was glad I got to do some close up bridal portraits of Donna inside as well. That's one of my goals this year, more beautiful portraits! Congratulations to Peter and Donna. I wish the best for both of you in your new life together. Enjoy your photos!