Back in September, I had the opportunity to document the birthday party of a very kind, beautiful woman.   As a fairly new resident of Grand Rapids, many of Barbara’s friends and family members flew in from California to celebrate a fantastic occasion held at their home in East Grand Rapids.  To ensure that every detail was perfect, they put Jodi Bos of In Any Event in charge of everything.  Jodi did not disappoint (does she ever?)!

I’m way behind on blogging so bear with me as I fight to keep up!  The second wedding of Labor Day weekend was spent celebrating Lindsay and Diego and their precious families!  Hidden in a quaint, old Methodist camp in Ludington on Lake Michigan (now a private residential neighborhood), we were blessed to experience this little bit of paradise.  The weather was positively perfect, save the monsoon that immediately followed the ceremony!  With Lindsay’s family scattered around the globe and Diego’s family hailing from Chile, having everyone in one room was certainly great cause to savor every second of the day.  That always makes the photos wonderful

Lindsay and Diego… we had an absolutely wonderful time.  It was our great pleasure to meet and get to know you both… your hearts are gold.  Special thanks go to Alicia Caldecott and her team at A Day In May Events for yet another spectacular event!  And finally, thanks to Ryan Prins for providing an alternate angle!

Lindsay's mother's pearls -- her dad used these to propose to her mom. Love that.

Ryan's angle at the same time I shot the portrait above. Not sure which one I like more! I'll take both.

Oh yes.. breaking out the cute factor. She makes me weak.

This beast moved in no more than 10 minutes after the ceremony ended.

This series of Photo Booth pics represent how fabulous Lindsay’s grandmother is!

The first of two weddings on Labor Day weekend was in Traverse City at the Grand Traverse Resort.  With the exception of the yellow tent (photographers everywhere want them to take it down and put up a white one!), it’s really a lovely venue with a great staff and menu.  Actually some of the best food I’ve had all year!  As far as Anna and Joe are concerned… well, they’re alright.  ;)  I first met them last year when we did their engagement session and we had to race against the impending storm that literally caused their hair to stand on end while on the dock… probably a bad sign.

The storm finally caught us… we got wet.  They were troopers

Fortunately, their wedding day was much brighter!  The rain died out before the ceremony and while the heat remained, it couldn’t put a damper on the festivities thanks to A Day In May!

Additional thanks go to Matt Pratt who made the trip up to second shoot with me!  Also, thanks to John Pottenger and crew with Coastline Studios… love you guys!!  Never a dull moment!

So gorgeous.  We were kind of in a crunch for time before the ceremony so I only had time to take Anna out on the balcony…  I’m quite happy with the result.

Jack was a groomsman!  He loved watching him mom and dad get married!

A few bonus sneak peak photos… the details were just breathtaking.  What the guests didn’t know was that on the other side of the cake wall, a night club was waiting in silence for them to party the night away…sheer brilliance.

Also sheer brilliance… the kids place settings.

The other side of the room!

Well done Joe

Can’t forget the best photo booth concept yet!  Marie Antoinette!

To be 100% honest, I’ve procrastinated in writing this post.  With the craziness of back to school shopping and back to back weddings over Labor Day weekend, I wanted to wait for a quieter moment to reflect on Shannon and Chris’ wedding which took place just over a week ago.  When I told them that there was no other place on the planet I’d rather be, it was the truth.  For the backstory, first reference Shannon’s sister’s wedding post and then the post I wrote two months later.

In wisdom, Solomon wrote, “There is an appointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under heaven … A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance… He has made everything appropriate in its time.  He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”  Ecclesiastes 3: 1,4, & 11 (NAS)

I think Solomon knew that occasionally those extremes would collide and that life in it’s chaos and simultaneously, in it’s beauty, just doesn’t make sense.  Weeping followed by laughter.  Mourning followed by dancing.  One holds the hand of the other in relentless intensity.  Documenting THAT kind of story taps into the deepest part of me and demands nothing less than the utmost tenderness and care.  It also requires me to shoot through my own suffocating sorrow and overwhelming joy, knowing that in telling their story, I am telling my own.  That somehow being reminded that wholeness exists in the middle of brokenness, God heals a small piece of me too.

Shannon and Chris’ wedding day was perfect.

*Special thanks to Melissa Jordan who drove up from Indiana to second shoot Shannon and Chris’ Traverse City wedding!  And a very special thank you goes to my dear friend, Alicia Caldecott of A Day In May… there are no words to express the magnitude of your heart and your care.  I’m humbled to be broken and complete alongside you.

Shannon’s Uncle had the honor of walking her down the aisle.

Sorry, Chris.  You’re related to him now.  ;)

A quick stop on an aunt’s boat.  Love Traverse City.

First look at the Opera House

I have a new love for baby’s breath.

Thanks for that flash Jessy… always trying to steal the show

Jerry Ross Band was also perfect.