Emotional Moment: Dancing with Dad

I was going through previous weddings I'd photographed to prepare for a my next portfolio update and remembered what a beautiful moment this was.  Rochelle's take on this moment is priceless: "This photo below is a double goody because [dad] is smiling and dancing. We don’t really have any photos of my dad smiling. ….or dancing and now we have him doing both in one shot!"

See more from Rochelle & Alex's Jamaican Flavor Belle Isle Wedding

Mary & Matt Engagement

Mary & Matt are one of those couples who just look like they were born to be together. We did their engagement session in the height of winter in Detroit, which can sometimes be a challenge, but starting in a nice warm conservatory helped to loosen things up!







These two are very active in cross-country and track for their alma matter, so I thought it might be fun to do a little bit of hurdling... much more difficult than it looks! HA!




After we spent some time warming up indoors, we headed out to Campus Martius, where there was an outdoor skating rink! I've always wanted to do a session on the skating rink and the weather was absolutely perfect - even with big white puffy snowflakes!!



Things started off a little rocky... but they always had each other to lean on. ;-)





Little known fact: Matt holds a WORLD RECORD for Snow-shoeing! How cool is that?! You can definitely see their competitive spirit come out when they're playing together.




MMmmmmmm... is right! Kisses are yummy! ;)


Aww...


I have to admit that my fingers were about to fall off from freezing when they decided it was time to go inside. ;-) I'm surprised my camera was still working after the temperatures we were in! Nothing like a little hot cocoa to make everything better...


Obviously it's not winter in Detroit right now! HA!! I'm trying to blog everything that I haven't had time to catch up on- so you'll be seeing some more winter pics to come!! Mary & Matt had a fabulous wedding that I can't wait to share with you too!!!

Kristin & Tyson Engagement

Kristin & Tyson, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G....








First comes LOVE...










Then comes MARRIAGE (proposal)...










Then comes the AWESOME invitation in the mail!!! Designed by Kathleen!!


I absolutely loved the concept that Kristin had for their engagement shoot. She knew she wanted to do a movie poster invitation, incorporating the idea of kissing in a tree. Of course, because I looooooove trees, I was thrilled and had so much fun incorporating the various ideas and phrases of the childhood chant. ;-) When it comes to engagement sessions, I'm up for anything!! Give me a theme or some sort of inspiration and I'm off and running with it!!! I can NOT wait for Kristin & Tyson's wedding!! It's going to be F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!

Jackie & Chuck Engagement

He's an actor, she's a dancer, and together, they're an eHarmony success story. Even though they live in Chicago, at the time of their engagement session, it was more convenient for all of us to shoot their engagement photos in Detroit, where they were also visiting Chuck's family. Because it was super cold outside, I suggested we shoot inside the Belle Isle Conservatory, one of my favorite places to go when the weather outside is frightful. There's just something about green plants that make people happier, warmer, more relaxed... more in love.



Right off the bat Chuck started showing me his goofy side... and I gotta say, nothing breaks the ice like a ton of laughter. ;-)


It was easy to see Chuck being comfortable in his element, but I also wanted to see Jackie in her own element, so I asked for a little dance lesson... I believe this is the Charleston?? I'm pretty sure Chuck was supposed to be leading, but I think the body language says it all...





After warming up in the conservatory, it was time to head back out into the cold and to visit some of Chuck's favorite places in Detroit! First stop- the beautiful and historic Gem Theatre, where he worked for a while before moving on to Chicago...



I just love this image because of the symbolism of the young couple looking ahead to their destiny of a much older couple, still holding each other as they walk down the sidewalk... *sigh* I love people in love. ;-)


Next stop, the famously classic Elwood Grill! There's a saying in Detroit, "Meet me at the Elwood," which would typically be a pre-game or post-game stop downtown.


Last, but not least, Chuck showed us where his family has season tickets at Comerica Park...


Deeeeeeetroit!!!! At least 2007 was an awesome year for the Tigers... ;-)

Keep an eye out for their fabulous wedding photos in a future post!!!

Rochelle & Alex's Detroit Wedding

Rochelle & Alex decided to combine the classic architecture of Detroit with the cultural flair of Jamaica (Rochelle's heritage) for their wedding day. Rochelle is one of those girls who's always organized and on top of everything, so I knew her wedding would be full of great details and personal touches!

The day started off with the girls getting ready in one of the carriage houses at the Inn on Ferry Street.





Forgot about your nails before the wedding day? Press-ons to the rescue!


I've never seen a dressmaker add boobs to a hanger before... this just cracks me up!


The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament is just gorgeous inside and out!



Color Bar Creative did a fabulous job on all of the paper items for the wedding!


Definitely one of the most unusual props I've seen a minister use during a wedding ceremony!! Effective AND funny!




They had such a beautiful sunny day, but the WIND was crazy!





Despite the fact that the Belle Isle Casino didn't have power that day and had to run at half power with generators, everything still looked beautiful and everyone still had a great time!! (With a lot of help from Moments in Time coordinators to keep things running smoothly, of course!!) I have to give Rochelle the biggest kudos for handling several wedding day complications with the utmost grace!!



There's a great quote from Rochelle about the following picture, "This photo below is a double goody because he is smiling and dancing. We don’t really have any photos of my dad smiling. ….or dancing and now we have him doing both in one shot!"


I just love this picture of everyone watching Alex dance with his mom - so sweet!


One of the reasons Rochelle picked the reception location was so that she could bring in her own caterer who created special Jamaican dishes. She even had a special Jamaican rum cake, which was a huge hit - especially with this guy!!


Doesn't he look like he'll make a great dad someday?






I just love how this image combines the interior and exterior architecture of the old and modern Detroit. Yes, I'm very sentimental about my hometown. *sigh*