In my effort to catch up on blog posts, meet four of my fabulous couples who have weddings approaching!

Reilly & Laura will be getting married in July in in Minneapolis with the reception held at this swanky, modern hotel!  For their engagement pictures, we wandered around Ann Arbor and U of M’s campus — where they met.  We followed the session with a lovely dinner with Reilly’s parents who were visiting from Canada and a previous bride and groom, Nick and Lindsey!  Extra engagement shoot perk: chocolate chip cookies!  I’ll let Reilly and Laura do the big unveil of those photos for their guests at the wedding.  ;)

Jen and Chris will be getting married in August at the Walloon Lake Country Club (north of Traverse City).  So honored to have been able to sit in on one of their planning meetings with Alicia of A Day In May Events.  Gives me a whole new level of respect for how much work an event designer and planner puts in behind the scenes!  Jen and Chris squeezed their engagement session in before a long drive back home to Pittsburgh.  A drizzly, cold November day provided the opportunity for great color for about 1/2 hour before we got completely rained out!

Next up is Michael and Andrea who will be celebrating their wedding in Grand Rapids later this fall with the help of the talented team lead by Jodi Bos of In Any Event.  Michael and Andrea flew in from NYC for a few days over Christmas — arguably the coldest days of the year!  We took most of the photos in the unfinished (and unheated) fourth floor of my studio’s building and a record five minute shoot downtown.  Seriously, it was that cold.  To say there were troopers is an understatement.  In addition to the relaxed, easy portraits, Andrea and Michael were totally up for a more stylized, high fashion set (second photo below)!

And lastly, Anne and Brian!  They will be getting married in Leland in August.  I have dreams of their country church and a white distressed wood Art Building that will host the guests for the reception!  After having to reschedule for rain, we ended up with the perfect evening for an engagement shoot that was uniquely them and completely natural.  Alicia will be setting the scene for their event as well!

I’m looking forward to all the moments these celebrations and new friendships hold!  Wedding season begins in just 18 days for another full year!  Thank you to so many who have invited us into these precious days!

I adore Jill.  And after meeting Chris, I’m a pretty big fan of him too!  I’ve worked with Jill on events for a couple years now as she is Jodi Bos‘ right hand woman!  I am so thrilled that it’s now her wedding that they’re planning!  You can keep up with her wedding details on In Any Event’s Blog and their newest venture, Gywenth Paige, a couture letterpress company.  Next June 26th will be a good, good day.

With so many people in the heat of wedding planning, I’d like to take a quick moment to dote on my brother who is an accomplished classical guitarist.  We’ve had an interesting past to say the least, but I am so thankful for him and this new chapter in our story.  It’s far too complicated to go into here, but there has been healing that has needed to happen for years that is beginning to take place.  I’m stubborn and independent, as is my brother.  Collisions were bound to take place.  We both made the mistake of building walls… and it was time for them to come down.  So this Thanksgiving, we played Trivia Pursuit.  I have so many wonderful memories of sitting around the table watching my dad and his family play during the holidays.  My job was to read the questions to them and was often shocked when the adults knew the answers to events and people from another time and place.  I fiddled with the “pie pieces.”  Time changes but some things stay the same.  Ethan read the questions.  And we laughed as most of us still didn’t know the answers.

Due to a few life changing events, my brother is moving from Cincinnati where he was working on getting his master’s degree in classical performance and instead going to Michigan State and getting his teaching certificate.  He graduated from Grand Valley State University in ‘07 with a degree in classical guitar and is looking to get a few weddings on his calendar for next year (or late this year).  If you’re in the wedding industry or know of someone getting married, please keep him in mind as we’re hoping that he can make enough money to eat!  :D  And  yes, he will travel.

Click the videos below to hear samples of his work from his senior recital:

Se ela Perguntar Dilermando Reis

Verano Porteno Trans. Assad – Astor Piazzolla

Plus he’s handsome to boot.  :)  You can reach him at 616-334-5712 or peterspickenagel@gmail.com