Jessica and Sean are two of the most down-to-earth, laid back people we know, and we were absolutely thrilled that we were able to be a part of their wedding day as their photographers and their friends! We were introduced last year by two mutual friends who both recommended Jess and Sean to us when they got engaged. As soon as we met them we knew that we wanted to be a part of their exciting day. It was important to us to work with them to create a package that would best suit their needs, and it worked out wonderfully that we could barter services with Jessica (a massage therapist) to offset the cost of our Collections.
Last weekend the big day finally arrived for Sean and Jessica, and the weather cooperated perfectly. In our opinion, ideal weather for a wedding is the mid-70's - not too hot that everyone's sweating, but not cold enough to require layering and jackets - and the high that day was a perfect 73 degrees. The sky was a gorgeous bright blue and the warm sunshine helped keep everyone comfortable and cheerful.
When we arrived at Jessica's house to start taking pictures of the getting ready process, Jessica was already getting pampered and the ladies were all around laughing, primping and showing Jess support and love. Most of the girls spent the night at the house, celebrating Jess's last sleepover as a single woman. The morning was calm as they all lounged around in their matching robes while sipping mimosas and watching the movie Bridesmaids. It seemed a perfectly relaxing start to an exciting day.
Jessica's good friend Maria Abbotts did an amazing job styling Jess's hair and make-up (as well as many of the other bridesmaids and family) that morning. Jessica looked absolutely radiant and flawless.
There's nothing more stressful than dealing with a dress issue right before the ceremony is about to begin. But, if you are going to have an eye-hook break, it's a good idea to have Stacy around. Grabbing a leatherman tool from one of the groomsmen, she fixed the hook and sewed it back into the dress within the space of just a few minutes. Jessica handled the incident well, but it was incredibly reassuring to have such a capable bridesmaid on hand!
As a photographer, it is always great when you have a bridal party that is looking to have fun and are willing to ham it up for the camera! Both the bridesmaids and the groomsmen had a ton of creative ideas that we were able to incorporate with the group between the ceremony and reception. First, we headed into downtown Howell and had some fun outside of the Howell Western Wear store, where we had taken a bunch of Jess & Sean's engagement portraits earlier this year.
After downtown, we headed over to Thompson Lake for some more scenic images. No one was taking life too seriously at this point, so we grabbed a lot of fun poses and just had a blast enjoying Sean and Jessica's day.
One request that Jessica and the girls had for the guys was to pull off the old giddy ring shot, but with the gender roles reversed. This was a hilarious shot to get and we only made the guys do it a few extra times for laughs for everyone. ;)
Sean and Jessica are such a gorgeous couple and we really enjoyed getting shots of the two of them whenever we could. Our favorite moment was when we arrived at Thompson Lake and found a man with a custom vintage truck that was completely pimped out with all the bells and whistles. He graciously let Sean and Jess pose with the car and we fully took advantage of the opportunity. The resulting images are definitely some of our absolute favorites!
Jessica and Sean definitely had fun planning the details of their wedding and especially catered to the sweet tooth of their guests. Before the dancing even started, the candy table was already devoured by kids and adults alike. You could definitely tell that everyone appreciated the sugar buzz!
A few sweet moments with the new Mr. and Mrs.
We really enjoyed Jess and Sean's flair during their reception. Along with the traditional dances, they also had a little fun with a Newlywed Game and their own twist on the garter removal. We love it when a bride and groom really make their wedding day memorable with fun, unexpected moments!
Congratulations again, Sean and Jessica, and thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your big day. We had a hilarious time with you all and loved being able to celebrate your wedding! May you be blessed with a long, blissful and fun-filled marriage!
~ Kevin & Heather