Jon & Kari | Detroit Wedding

Jon and Kari are a one-of-a-kind couple.

They really are.

Not many of us can say that the person you married, you met when you were 5. Not only did they meet that young but they have “crushed” on each other ever since.

One of the stories that stood out to me was when the pastor informed the congregation that Kari had her mom drop off a valentine at Jon’s house when they were really little. How cute is that?! Now they are married!

The ceremony was so personal and intimate. I loved it.

Their pastor did a lovely job connecting Gods word, their relationship together by including stories of them growing up, and how they are going to grow in their future. I literally think they were 3/5 years old when they became members so it was special to the pastor which makes it even more neat. Gosh, there were a lot of neat connections that I could go on about but I’ll leave it be by saying you just had to be there. You could just feel that everyone in that church was there to celebrate Kari and Jon’s long-awaited union.

We would like to thank the positive and co-operative bridal party and especially Jon and Kari for being great troopers with the weather. Let’s be honest, I don’t think anyone wishes for  it to rain on their special day. That’s part of being a photographer  being prepared and quick on your feet. That’s were Adam’s lighting skills and our joint teamwork came in handy.  Towards the bottom, you will find one steamy romantic photo!

I had never met Kari face to face and when I did I remember reacting with how beautiful she was. I could not even imagine how Jon felt as he saw her coming down the aisle! Gorgeous!

Loved the dresses! The color with the season, simplistic and unique style with the layered cut on the top…very nice.

Rain + Snow= Slush. Slush + Heals= Forget it. Where are my boots?!

One thing Jon and Kari wanted to do before the ceremony was to pray together. Just to hold the other persons hand would be intense and they one upped it in the best way.

The lanterns were so cool! We had never seen them before! (Besides on Tangled, yes, the movie…)

hair/makeup • Basement Salon & Bon Ci Dello
florist • Viviano’s Florist
ceremony • Lakeside Assembly of God
reception venue • Glen Oaks Country Club
dj • Mike’s Staff Productions (DJ’s name: Mike)
dress •  Perfection designed by Kenneth Poole … got it from Kleinfeld’s bridal in NYC
bridesmaid dresses • designed by Jessica McClintock

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the songs

bridal processional • In the Bleak Midwinter by Doug Hammer
unity candle • You and I – Michael Buble
recessional •  Light of Day (chorus) by Jimmy Needham
introductions • You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall and Oates
cake cutting • How Sweet It Is by James Taylor

first dance • You and Me by Lifehouse

bridal party dance • All About Us by He Is We (and Aaron Gillespie)
father/daughter • It Won’t Be Like This For Long by Darius Rucker
mother/son • Music of My Heart by Nsync

kari+jon

What was the most memorable moment of your day?

Kari: Being on the stage during the ceremony and realizing I was finally getting married to my best friend!!!  And the final dance of the night with our immediate family and best friends.

Jon: The ceremony – exchanging our own vows.

Any advice for future bride/grooms?

Kari: Rank what is most important at the beginning of your planning and set your budget accordingly. **Don’t allow yourself to get stressed out over little things – especially the week of the wedding. What’s done is done! Just enjoy every second of the day!!!

Jon: Make it as personal as possible (mostly the ceremony) – you only get married once!

Funniest memory from your wedding day?

Kari: It was a day filled with laughter – but taking pictures with friends in the rain along with the limo ride to the reception hall were the most fun.

Jon: Some creepy guy taking pictures at the wedding and after who neither of us really knew … then he developed the picture and put it on display at the reception – it was weird!

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

Kari: The only thing I’d consider changing is NOT doing the receiving line after the ceremony…it took longer than expected and messed up our “picture time.” (We talked with everyone at the reception, so didn’t need both).

Jon: The receiving line at the church.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

A Caribbean cruise – Bahamas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. It was soooo much fun!

Josh & Jenni {Engagement & Wedding}

These two are awesome…if you know them, then you already knew that.  I met Josh and Jenni in college through His House Christian Fellowship.  We all became very close friends throughout those years.  Josh and Jenni both helped me in college when I needed models for a school projects:)  They did a pretty good job if you ask me:)

Jenni and I became close friends when we spent time together on Homecoming court at Saginaw Valley State University.  At the time Josh and I had been doing 18 mile bike rides every other day…so we had a lot of time to talk.  I remember after homecoming, on one of our bike rides, Josh told me that he really liked Jenni.  Little did I know, 4 years later, Emily and I would be photographing their wedding.  They have been great friends and I couldn’t be happier for these two!

The party started Friday!  After rehearsal many of us boarded the Lady Huron for dinner and an amazing boat ride!

The wedding was beautiful! Saturday, we were with Josh and Jenni all day, from getting hair and make up done to the last dance. Special thanks goes out to the bridal party for being so laid back and accommodating! You guys were all great!

Kurtis & Lauhnna {Wedding}

It was awesome to be part of this wedding celebration (not as if other weddings aren’t awesome)!  I have known these two since about the 3rd grade…maybe longer.  So when you see two friends get married that you have known your whole life and get to photograph their wedding…it’s pretty special.  These two are a great couple and a blast to photograph!

Chris & Katie {Engagement}

The other day I met Chris and Katie at Camp Lael in Lapeer, MI.  We weren’t to sure about the weather since it had rained on and off all day but we decided to go for it anyway.  Turns out we had a perfect night:)  Camp Lael was where is all started for these two, so it was great to walk the grounds and listen to there old camp stories.  The photos turned out great, however, Chris and I failed to convince Katie that she needed to get launched off the blob into the water….next time Katie:)

DoubleTree by Hilton | Bay City, MI

Emily and I have the opportunity to photograph at a lot of sweet venues!  One place we love is only 5 blocks from our house and run by Kim Kisser.  Kim is the wedding coordinator at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bay City, MI.  If you are looking to have a wedding in the Tri-Cities area then the DoubleTree comes highly recommended by us.  The location is great and is within walking distance to several great photo locations!  We recently went over and photographed their new outdoor patio location for ceremonies.  Here are a few shots:)