Best of 2020 wedding photos

Oh 2020, what can I say about you that hasn’t been said already?

There is no doubt that one year ago, none of us had predicted what we would be put through, but sitting here on New Years Eve, waiting to wave goodbye to 2020 with only the middle finger on each hand, I am truly humbled at all the wonderful moments this year also contained.

I wanted to share some of my personal favorites of the 2020 wedding season. Some of these photos represent what the year was, some show my progression as a photographer wanting to take more unique and risky portraits, and some just show the amount of love that continued to show itself through a historically challenging time.

I grew in a lot of ways this year, and I thank you all for growing with me.

Here’s to you beautiful people making the most of it, Happy New Year.

Kayla and Noah - Ypsilanti backyard elopement

Kayla and Noah’s June elopement was one of the first weddings we documented after the stay at home order was lifted, and it was a small and sweet backyard wedding with the perfect amount of golden hour light.
When they had to shift from a traditional wedding setup, Kayla and her support crew were able to repurpose the centerpieces for a dope geometric ceremony backdrop while keeping all the special details they had woven through their day:

- Game references everywhere, including the vows.

- The cutest ring bearer, Nikko.

- Enough “Painkiller” cocktail to dull even the year 2020.

Congrats you two, I hope you always stay your unique and wonderful selves!

Brittnay and Brandon - Michigan rose garden elopement

Brittnay and Brandon have been champions of the year 2020. Their wedding, which was first scheduled for late March, was then downsized to an April elopement, and then rescheduled for later in the year yet again, only to be told that wasn’t possible either.
No matter what life has thrown at them over the past few months, they have been rocks for each other, and completely unwavering in the goal that all they want is to spend the rest of their lives with one another.

When they told me they were finally making it happen, I was completely overjoyed to still be there to document their love!
They gathered close family and friends for a stunning (and safe) elopement ceremony in the middle of a Lansing, MI rose garden, and it was well deserved.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Kyles. The party will be so worth the wait!

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Stacey and Bill - Kalamazoo social distance wedding

Stacey and Bill were originally planning an April 25th 2020 wedding, so we all know what that means at this point…

They re-arranged the whole thing like rockstars.

Their full audience was replaced by a small group of friends and family, and the wedding day outfits now had masks included. While on our Zoom video call consultation (the most 2020 phrase ever I think) I asked if they wanted us to try and avoid shooting any of the specific Covid details, which they laughed off and said “Nope, this is how our wedding day is happening, document all of it!”.

I love their mindset, their kind hearts, and their beautiful day.

Congratulations Stacey and Bill, I hope your lives are always full of happiness and puppy adventures!

Allison and Josh - Holland Michigan intimate wedding

Allison and Josh are definitely a 2020 superhero couple. As the year progressed, and it became obvious that their original wedding day may have some alterations, they never once doubted if they still wanted to be married asap. Regardless of what the celebration looked like, they were going to make this happen on the day they had planned.
Allison’s family remembered plenty of times as the wedding day got closer that they would receive a phone call with her on the other end saying “Okay, new plan!”, and I have to say genuinely that the new plan was absolutely perfect.
They invited immediate family and closest friends, kept everything in the open air as much as possible, and had all the time in the world to document their wedding day portraits in all of their favorite spots around the property. The cutest airbnb ever served as the ideal intimate celebration spot, and you felt like you had to be deep in nature with the amount of trees and peaceful solitude the location provided.
No matter how many adjustments to their expectations, Josh and Allison are now married people, and I can’t wait to see them all again for the big party a little bit down the road.

Congratulations lovely people!

Abigail and Jonathan - Grand Haven engagement photos

For as long as I’ve known these two, they’ve found their way in front of my camera. Whether they were models for a commercial shoot or just being their fabulous selves for a couples session, they are consistently the people who make your day better just by getting to spend time with them. When Covid turned our April engagement session into a June date, they took it completely in stride, and even still wore the original outfit choices, regardless of the temperature! (Take that Corona)
Grand Haven has meant a lot to Jonathan growing up, and he passed his fond memories along to Abigail as they grew closer, so it was a natural choice for their engagement photo location. Theirs was the first engagement session since quarantine, and the absolute perfect day. Even while practicing distance they were still the rays of sunshine they have always been.

Congratulations you two, I’ve been looking forward to your wedding all year, and it’s going to be so worth the wait!

Ashley and Cole - Kalamazoo engagement photos

As I’m getting ready to finally get back out there shooting intimate wedding ceremonies and engagement sessions (safely, and with nice long lenses) I’m still loving going back through previous work, so here’s another un-posted session in the meantime!
You would not believe the amount of times I’ve heard that someone doesn’t enjoy having their photo taken, but then they show up and absolutely nail it.
That was definitely the case with Cole. Ashley warned me at our first meeting that he hated photos so much that we could probably only talk him into a 30 minute mini-engagement session. She did, and it turned out that’s all they needed.
I had the best time walking through the woods of Al Sabo with them in the warm fall morning light, talking about their plans and their experiences. Ashley was glowing the whole time, and Cole just kept looking at her like she was the only thing in his world.

Their wedding plans may have shifted a little due to the COVID-19 situation, but their love is going to be just as strong when the wedding day arrives.

Congratulations you two!