2017

This was a year for me to find my voice. If you know me, that might sound funny because I’m quite a chatty person. Nonetheless, it’s taken work and time and patience to get to know myself and learn how to say what I really mean and not say what I don’t really mean. And how to take the photos I want to take and not the ones I don’t want to take (or can’t take!). Thank you so much to my community for supporting me and listening to me and giving me space to learn and grow. And thank you thank you THANK YOU to all my amazing clients. I literally would not be able to do this without you; you are what makes my job a dream come true.

This year I loved:

  • geometric landscapes
  • warm + soft colors
  • a photo for the sake of the memory + a story, not just the aesthetic
  • out of focus black + whites
  • dancing brides
  • crying grooms
  • a shot that looks like a still from an old french film
  • shadows
  • romance, romance, and more romance

This year I took photos in:

  • Dominican Republic
  • Whistler, BC
  • Seattle, WA
  • St. Paul, MN
  • Northport, MI
  • Leland, MI
  • Grand Haven, MI
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • Fennville, MI
  • Coloma, MI
  • Sweet home Holland, MI

Cheers to send 2017 out and cheers to welcome 2018 in!

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Fernwood

Hugo + Genevieve || Styled Shoot

I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.

Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice

What a dream! When Abby Fox (All Buttoned Up Events) came to me with the idea for a whimsical, poetic, winter wedding design I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. We spent weeks dreaming and scheming… and wow does that girl know how to plan. I’m still amazed at how she conjured something real out of what started as pipe dreams and mood boards!

A big big T H A N K Y O U to everyone who donated products, time, and- most importantly- creativity to this project.

Styling: Abigail Fox, All Buttoned Up Events

Dress: Spring Sweet Bridal

Paper Design: Carleigh Courey Design

Floral: Events by Ludemas

Hair + Makeup: Rachel Herron, Panopoulos, Grand Rapids

Rental: The Rental Company

To be in love with another person is to learn to be content with being happier than one deserves. Well, call me too romantic for my own good, but I feel I must learn to be content being happier than I deserve with such a job!

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David + Lauren

Ada, MI  || 5/20/17

It rained that day, but there is always in the sky a tiny scrap of blue at the service of happiness, which lovers see, even when the rest of creation is under an umbrella.

Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for rainy day weddings ever since mine and Eric’s in 2013. There’s something uniquely romantic about the dramatic wind and it all seems rebelliously lovely to go on and get married in spite of the deluge (not to mention the amazing lighting!). Dave + Lauren’s was a wonderfully rainy day; like the sky, it was just so full of love and joy and dancing that it overflowed. The two smiled and stole bashful kisses all day, and the backyard barn of Lauren’s childhood home was the perfect setting for it all. Congratulations to Dr. + Dr. Schrock!

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Cam + Abby

06/05/16

St. Paul, MN

When I first met Abby in college, one of the first things she said about herself had to do with her family. She talked about her parents, to whom she was and is very close, and said that they were still very very much in love. Not only did she say that she admires this, but I can see it in her eyes when she looks at Cam. I know what Abby said of her parents will be said of her and Cam many years from now. Cam + Abby are high school sweethearts, and are the kind of couple that makes you believe in all the romantic stories. They have this certain way of being together- always a bit flirty, always a bit dreamy, and completely real and unafraid to be themselves. I am honored to call them friends and will never forget their amazing day filled with light and love and all their people.

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Jake + Abby

05/29/17

Jake + Abby just celebrated their one year anniversary! Though I’m just ridiculously behind on my blogging these days, there’s something I love about looking back at weddings after some time has gone by. Since Jake is my brother, I get the unique experience of witnessing his and Abby’s marriage quite often since shooting their wedding. And while their day was easily one of my favorites I’ve ever worked, I can say that their marriage is even more beautiful to see. They are kind, driven, silly, adventurous, brave, and loyal; I so admire them for these things among many many more!

Lancaster, PA

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2016

To be honest, I’ve written about 6 different first sentences to this post. This year was… everything at the same time. You know how you come inside from the freezing cold and can feel your fingers thaw? They tingle, throb and feel hot and cold at the same time. Your knuckles ache a little, and you know they wouldn’t ache if you hadn’t scooped some snow in your bare hands to toss to the dog. But you did, and they do, and that’s that. For me, 2016 was my life freezing up and thawing out again. Many photos from my year have hours of a story behind them. The last photo I took of my Paka before he passed away, Easter Sunday the week I came home after a major surgery, my younger brother’s wedding, our nephew driving the boat, the pregnancies and newborns… the whole of life in those photos. I love to share these photos with you, but I mostly need to share them with myself. These photos show me that there was life in that year. 2016 had light and growth and giggles and kisses and water and green and birth and good.

This year I loved:

  • a little bit of dark mixed in with all the light
  • the imperfect, out of focus, blurry black + whites
  • wind
  • that moment right before a kiss happens
  • almost-symmetry
  • children telling each other secrets

This year I took photos in:

  • Lancaster, PA
  • Seattle, WA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Ely, MN
  • Minneapolis + St. Paul, MN
  • Milwaukee, WI
  • Whitehall, MI
  • Detroit, MI
  • St. Ignace, MI
  • Grand Rapids, MI

And of course many, many, manymanymany photos were taken on the ever-lovely Lake Michigan in my sweet home of Holland.

I’ll stop writing soon, but must thank Susie Herwig and Kaitlin Grace Photography for second shooting for me; they are kind and talented photographers!

My last and highest tribute is to my husband. Eric believes in me like he believes in the ground beneath his feet. Don’t ask me how, but he does. This year he fought for me. Not only did he fight for our life together and my health, but he fought for my creativity and my joy. This is for you, Eric.

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