We adore you two! Muah! :) Kristen + Jamie

I was also happy to see a few other local wedding friends:  Stems Event Design, Jen Kroll, Harrison Studio, In Any Event by Jodi Bos, Designs by Robyn Love, and Modern Day Floral were also featured! Go Grand Rapids! Michigan knows how to do weddings ;)

On a related note, I’m promising myself to plant peonies in my yard this year. I would love some planting and growing tips if you have some. Please share in the comments! Thank you! :)

Alright lovelies, enjoy the prettiness and have a great week!

She was praying for fresh snow to cover the ground, but with bright sunshine in the air and safe roads for their guests. A tall order with Michigan’s finicky weather, but she got exactly that. It was absolutely gorgeous. We started at Joy’s family home, where the guys and girls were both getting ready, getting very excited for the day to start!

She read a letter from Ryan. Tears!

Gorgeous, Joy!!!

I loved their First Look. Her family & friends watched from a distance…

We headed downtown Grand Rapids for a few pictures. Who’s afraid of the cold? Not us! :)

Time to get married!

The Laketown Conference Center in Saugatuck looked amazing decked out for this winter celebration! It was the perfect location.

The decor in the room was stunning. Everyone who walked in paused to look and take it all in. Absolutely gorgeous!

And the AMAZING dessert table! Seriously. Phenomenal.

We adore you two!! We wish you all the very best!!  xoxo, Kristen & Jamie

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Here’s to a Happily Ever After!

Cheers!

Kristen + Jamie

Sara looked absolutely stunning, and Aaron quite dashing himself. They got ready separately, and met in Sara’s family’s back yard for their First Look…

LOVE those purple-pink calla lilies!

And of course, we can’t forget the awesome PhotoBooth pictures!! This was SO.MUCH.FUN!!!

Love you guys!! We wish you all the very best. xoxo, Kristen & Jamie

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Ceremony Venue: St. Lorenz Lutheran Church, Frankenmuth Michigan

Ceremony Coordinator: Deb Hollenbach

Officiant: Pastor Mark Brandt

Reception Venue: Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth Michigan

Reception Coordinator: Bethany Curtis

Invitations: Katrina & Harold Larsen of Larsen Graphics

Hair & Makeup: Gabbi Traver

Bride’s Gown: Maggie Sottero from Beckers Bridal

Shoes: Nine West Purple Pumps & Pink Toms

Florist: Emily Ryers

Cake: Zehnders

Reception Music: Jason Paetz, E&J Entertaniment

Photography & Photo Booth: K. Holly Photography

And what do the guys do while the girls are getting glammed up? 

Just a peek at those gorgeous peach and white bouquets. There’s more to come, promise.

The First Look!

{ swoon! }

Oh, the flowers… whites, ivories, peaches, pinks… and pretty ruffly rustic little greens. Le sigh!

And the gorgeous couple, basking in that rare November sunshine ~

The lovely bridal party in navy and gray

One of my favorites of the day. I love the airy, classic, time-stopping feel of this:

Let’s get married!

A sparkler sendoff!

Gorgeous cake and lush details

Peonies and succulents in November? Yes. Heavens yes.

Congratulations again! We love you guys and wish you all the very best. xoxo, Kristen & Jamie

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Hair: Jennifer Grace Unger  |  Makeup: Julie Strating

Wedding Gown: Allure Bridal at Beckers Bridal  |  Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Ceremony Venue: Thornapple Covenant Church | Officiant: Garth McGrath

Reception Venue: Thousand Oaks Golf Club

Florist and Event Design: Modern Day Floral

Letterpress Invitations: Modern Day Floral & Designers Free Press

Reception Music: Rick Reuther’s Music Host

Videography: Anne Oppenhuizen of Inspiration Video

Photography: K. Holly Photography

I talked a little more about it in this article, but to recap: We shot our best friends’ wedding! We rotated roles throughout the day. I kept my role as lead photographer during the first look, bride and groom session, and family portraits. Jamie took over for bridal party and ceremony coverage with Emma providing a second perspective, and then Emma took the lead for reception coverage so we could kick back and celebrate with our friends :) It worked flawlessly, I’m SO glad we decided to go for it!

So… without further adieu, the fabulous, glamorous, love-filled day that was Rachel and Zach’s Minneapolis Wedding!

Ceremony: Thomas Lowry Park, Minneapolis  |  Reception: Marriott City Center, Minneapolis

What does every girl having an outdoor wedding need? Two pairs of shoes of course! A pretty pair of heels, and wedges for walking in the grass :)

I love these images of Rachel while she’s getting ready. She was an absolutely stunning bride! 

We missed you, Paul. Rachel’s dad was in everyone’s hearts that day.

Meanwhile, the guys were getting a classic shave at the barber…

The First Look! Now THIS is the face every girl hopes her groom makes. He’s stunned!

So gorgeous, you two. Just gorgeous.

Best Bridal Party ever!! :D

Jamie’s obviously hilarious :)

Those serious faces lasted all of about .03 seconds before gut-busting laughter!

Even Lyle Cat came to the park!

Let’s get married!!

This series made me so nervous! All I could envision was Rachel’s dress ripping or someone getting kicked in the face. She’s a braver bride than I’d be!

And it turned out AWESOME!!!

The classic debate. Color or black & white?

Seriously Rach, you are SO beautiful!

We had a couple extra minutes, so we did a mini BFF session :) Whee!

I love this one!! My favorite picture of us ever!

The whole party bus crew!

Congratulations again, my beautiful friends!

Love and hugs, Kristen and Jamie

One thing I never imagined, was that I’d be shooting it too. She did hire a photographer, and asked me to bring my camera along to shoot a short session on the wedding day. She wanted her bride and groom portraits to be taken by her best friend. She wanted my vision, and the good memories that would come along with looking at these photographs for years to come, remembering the moments we shared from this session together. It was a perfect plan. Ultimately, however, the photographer she hired wasn’t a match for her, and the situation caused a lot of unexpected stress. So Jamie and I talked about it, and came up with a plan. It sounded crazy, but hello! WE could shoot Rachel and Zach’s wedding! I could shoot most of the wedding as usual: the getting ready, details, the first look, family photos, and the bride and groom.  Heck, I could even pose the bridal party and hop in. Jamie was easily able to pick up where I left off, second shooting as usual and taking the lead for bridal party, ceremony, and reception coverage. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I needed a foolproof plan. I decided to hire a third shooter to fill in any gaps and gain another perspective. The delightful Emma Jae, a budding wedding photographer from Duluth Minnesota, stepped into that role flawlessly.

The day was beautiful. Rachel was a stunning bride, Zach a dashing groom. Our little photographic trio worked like a well-oiled machine. The day was sunny and bright, everyone was in good spirits, and there was a ton of laughter and love. We all have wonderful memories of that day, and I can’t imagine it any other way.

You can see their full wedding feature here!  Rachel and Zach’s Minneapolis Wedding

Should you shoot your friend’s wedding? 

If you’ve been asked to photograph a friend’s or family member’s wedding, take some time to decide whether it is something you truly can and want to do. You may have a flurry of mixed feelings about it: flattered that they asked you, nervous about the responsibility, bummed that you’ll be working while everyone else is having fun, or gleefully excited to get started! Take a deep breath, and listen to your intuition.

- Think about it first. You will be responsible for covering every detail of the day, as well as enjoying the event as a guest and catching up with friends and relatives. We thought out and envisioned the entire day, every moment, to be sure we would be able to perform as we would for our commissioned weddings and still enjoy the day as friends. That brainstorming session is what led us to hire Emma. We wanted to be 100% sure there would be no gaps in coverage, and no unnecessary stress.

- Sign a contract. Whether or not you charge is up to you, and it can be an icky subject when working with friends. If you are just starting out, it can be a great way to build your portfolio and potentially book other weddings. As a professional, it’s your livelihood, and taking on their wedding means saying no to another booking. And it’s no less work than any other wedding! Between the planning, day-of shooting, post-processing and album design, you will be pouring hours into it. Don’t be afraid to charge for your time. Once you’ve reached an agreement that works for both parties, nail down hours of coverage, what is included in their package, and when they can expect to receive it.

- Communicate about style. Just like with any couple you’re working with, you want to be clear about their expectations and vision. Friends will often say, “we trust you, do whatever!”, but a lack of communication can lead to disappointment and hard feelings. You don’t get any do-overs with weddings! Talk about the shots you plan to take, talk about their style, your style, your vision, and how it’s all going to come together. Show each other examples to make sure you’re on the same page. You’re going to create a beautiful image collection together that you’ll be proud of, and they’ll adore for years to come!

- Prepare for the crazy. You’ve been to a wedding before, everything is beautiful and amazing and fun! And if you’ve photographed a wedding before, you know what it takes to make that happen, and things can get crazy. Now you’re stuck in the middle. You want to hang out, have a drink and chat up your old high school friends. Meanwhile, your friend in the bridal attire is shooting daggers at you with her eyes because they’re about to cut the cake and you’re not ready. You gotta focus! You’re there for a reason, don’t flake out on your responsibility. Just find your balance and have fun doing it. It can absolutely be done. Be attentive, creative, and anticipate what’s happening next. Know when you when have a few minutes to chat, and know when to be ready for that bouquet toss.  (For the record, Rachel did not shoot daggers at me, nor any of us :) )

- Enjoy it! Um, hello, this could be the most amazing wedding. Like ever. You’re photographing your friends! You get them, they get you. You can communicate your vision with them like no one else. It’s like a safe haven for your creativity to run wild. Keep their style and vision and mind, let loose and create some amazingness!

- Stick to the plan. Know exactly when you are going to start, how the timeline will flow, and when you’ll be putting the camera down. You’re going to want to get out on that dance floor and tear it up with your friends and family too! Discuss when that time will be, and stick to it. Put your gear in a secure place, grab a glass of wine, and enjoy the night! Job well done! Cheers!

Bailey’s details were perfect. Timeless and elegant, and so very bridal!

You are stunning, Bailey, just stunning.

The bride and ladies arrive in a vintage Rolls Royce. The wedding cremony begins!

More brides should wear a delicate blusher veil. Doesn’t she look amazing? 

Bailey and Devon, congratulations again! It was such an honor to share your day with you. Very best wishes!! xoxo, Kristen

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Hair & Makeup: Bliss Salon & Spa

Wedding gown: Becker’s Bridal

Invitations: the Bride’s sister Sam

Flowers: hand tied by the Mother of the Groom

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Willow Harbor Vineyards, Three Oaks MI

Wedding Coordinator: Megan Rose Events, Chicago IL

Officiant: Rev. Geoffrey Piper of St. Gabriel’s

Cake: Courtney Hopkins of C’est la Vie Cakes, South Bend MI

Music: Moments in Time Disc Jockeys, Grand Rapids MI

Photography: Kristen of K. Holly Photography

Oooooh, I love the First Look!

Stunning, Leilani. Positively stunning!

Congratulations again, you two! I’m so glad I had the privilege of being part of your gorgeous wedding day! xoxo, Kristen

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Hair & Makeup: Salon Blu

Wedding gown: Vintage, reconstructed by Handmade by Sheila – Sheila’s Fabric

Shoes: Etsy

Invitations: Anista Designs

Flowers: Handmade Brooch Bouquet

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Ginkgo Tree Inn, Mt Pleasant, Michigan

Officiant: Pastor Chad Brown of Cornerstone Church

Cake: Candy’s Creation

Music: Ross Briggs of Sensational Sounds

Photography: Kristen of K. Holly Photography

While photographing Kari’s sparkly shoes, the girls let me in on a little surprise – they pitched in and bought Kari a pair of black patent Louboutins she’d been eyeing up! Now those are some FABULOUS bridesmaids! Well done, ladies!

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Ceremony Venue: St. Anthony of Padua

Officiant: Father Mark

Reception Venue: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

Cake: Amway Grand Plaza Bakery

Florist: Guminas Flowers

Wedding Coordinator: Valerie Smies of RSVP Events

Live Band: Hip Pocket

Makeup: Crystal Byrne

Shoes: Nina &  Christian Louboutin

Photography: K. Holly Photography