Morgan Cerny {2013 Senior}

Morgan has been planning her senior portraits with us ever since we met her when she was 14, so you can imagine how excited we were for this day to finally arrive!!!  Add to the excitement the fact that Morgan finally achieved her dream of owning her own horse, and you know that this evening was incredibly special!  She is a fun-loving, tried and true country girl - a woman after my (Heather's) own heart.  <3

We were blessed to have been able to capture Morgan's portraits on the last really warm summer day of the season.  It was an overcast evening, but the air stayed mild and breezy.  We loved the personality in the cloudy skies and the beautiful even lighting that perfectly highlighted Morgan's beautiful, golden hair.  Even though it got dark earlier than other nights because of the cloud cover, we had fun capturing images of Skeeter and Morgan racing around our back field.  Morgan specifically asked for a few shots combining two of her biggest loves - her horse and her country.  It was a bit tricky acclimating Skeeter to our strobe, but once he learned that the big flashy thing wasn't going to bite him, he performed great (despite being a bit of a hot head).

Morgan is such a natural beauty and seriously has the most beautiful skin we have ever had the luxury of photographing!  We had such a good time with her and loved how natural and flawlessly she posed for the camera.  If we hadn't all missed dinner, we probably could have photographed Morgan all night long.  Our stomachs, however, won over and we reluctantly wrapped up an amazing portrait session.

Thank you, Morgan, for a great night and for making your session so much fun!  We hope you LOVE your images and treasure these moments forever.

~ Kevin & Heather

Sean & Jessica Williams {Married!}

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

David & Rebecca Schmitke {Married!}

Fairytale wedding?  Yes, indeed!!!

David and Becca's wedding was truly one of the most beautiful, most joyous and most passionate weddings that we have ever had the honor of photographing.  The day was a celebration and the entire bridal party and family treated it as such.  Becca and David were determined to fully enjoy their special day - they played, flirted, skipped and ran barefoot through our entire time together.  Just by being around them and witnessing their joy and love left us with huge grins on our faces.

The wedding day was scheduled perfectly - David and Becca really worked together with us to allow adequate time for all of the must-have images, and plenty of time for us to play and have some fun together.  One of the most incredible moments of the entire day was the perfectly orchestrated First-Look.  First Looks are extremely beneficial to a wedding day schedule, but most importantly they are wonderful because they truly give the bride and groom a special, uninterrupted, beautiful moment together that they otherwise may not ever get during their entire wedding day.  David and Becca really put a lot of thought and effort into finding just the right spot for their first glimpses of each other.  We walked about a half mile down a winding path in the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, to a boardwalk next to a small waterfall.  David stood blindfolded with his back to the trail.  Becca quietly slipped up behind him and it was so sweet to witness the tender moment when they first glimpsed each other.  David kept his eyes shut a moment after the blindfold was removed and you could tell there was unmistakable joy pouring out of him when he looked his new bride-to-be in the eyes.  A sweeter moment may not exist.  Ever.
After an incredible tender few minutes together, David and Becca took a moment to share their very personal, original wedding vows with each other.  The fact that we were able to witness such sweet pledges of commitment and love was an honor and a privilege. 
Becca is definitely the most relaxed and fun bride we've photographed yet, and we LOVED it!  She went barefoot the entire day and truly embraced her dress and all the fun she could have in it.  If she felt like running around Cobblestone Farm before the ceremony - she did.  Nothing could dampen her joy and excitement.  
David is such an intentional, well-thought guy and took a moment before the ceremony began to gather his groomsmen together and to share with them why he chose them to support him and surround him on this special day.  They certainly were a great group of men, and the bridesmaids were also incredibly supportive and loving to Becca all day.
We've witnessed a lot of wedding ceremonies during our photography career, and both Kevin and I definitely agree that this one ranks among our favorites.  The words and symbolism throughout were meaningful and poignant.  The promises and the commitments were enthusiastically sincere.  We especially liked the use of the sword within the ceremony and the fact that it represented the need to fight daily for marriage and for David and Becca's relationship before men and above all, before God.  I think Kevin and I are going to go out and get a sword to put on our mantel now because we feel strongly about the importance of fighting daily for the commitment we made to each other 13 years ago.  <3
David and Becca chose to embrace their commitment to fight for their marriage and for each other solemnly and seriously.  ;)
Cobblestone Farm was a gorgeous venue and the reception was beautifully decorated in very earthy, natural decorations.  Both Kevin and I loved the way that David and Becca incorporated lanterns and strings of lights throughout the historic barn to give the room a warm, romantic glow.

David and Becca, thank you so much for all of your hard work in pursuing and winning our 2012 Wedding Giveaway this past Spring.  We were so impressed by all of the love and support you received to accumulate all of your votes, and we truly feel honored to be able to bless you with complete wedding day coverage as your prize.  It was a joy and an honor to be a part of your wedding day and we will pray for you and your marriage often.  God bless!

~ Kevin & Heather

Travis & Brittany Roome {Married!}

What do you get when you combine two high school sweethearts, a rocking bridal party, a family with a hilarious sense of humor, and a gorgeous evening?  Travis and Brittany Roome's incredible wedding day!  We had the honor of being the photographers of their fun day and had such a great time hanging out with them, working with them, and capturing priceless memories for them.

The wedding was held at the beautiful Whispering Pines Golf Course and the day turned out warm, but gorgeous.  Brittany was extremely calm and collected when she arrived and immediately set about helping many of her family and bridesmaids, as well as readying herself for the big day.  We could easily see that she has a big heart and loves serving others - those around her are certainly blessed by her often! 

Although you could tell that Travis and Brittany were extremely in love and excited about their big day, it was sweet to see Brittany just a tiny bit nervous before walking down the aisle.  The moment she took her dad's arm though, you could see how ready she was to become Mrs. Roome.  It was all thumbs ups and big smiles.

One of the reasons we loved being a part of Travis and Brittany's big day was because of how much fun everyone had during the wedding.  Both Travis and Brittany's familes, as well as their bridal party, were so excited to celebrate and couldn't wait for the reception to begin so they sould really cut loose!
But before the reception, we were able to sneak Travis and Brittany away for some great one-on-one time where they could really soak in their new status as Mr. and Mrs. and we could grab a few sweet shots of them together.
After introductions, Travis and Brittany immediately headed over to their adorable cake for the ceremonial cutting.  As you can see, nothing was taken too seriously the entire night, except for their wedding vows.
Congratulations and best wishes to the newlyweds!  We were so honored to be a part of your big day and can't wait to see what the future holds for you both!
A parting shot of the evening and the beautiful Whispering Pines Country Club all lit up for Travis and Brittany's reception.  It was an absolutely gorgeous night!

~ Kevin & Heather Autry

Jamie Krause {2013 Senior}

It is so exciting when we are blessed with an incredible client, an incredible night and incredibly yummy light - for Jamie's Senior Portraits we had all three!!!  It may seem ridiculous to some, but we were actually giddy about the golden glow of the evening sun, and come on, check out Jamie's killer blue eyes and Taylor Swift curls!!!  There is just so much to love!

Jamie was so much fun and so relaxed, most likely because she is a talented, budding photographer herself and knows what looks good in front of the camera.  Her first request for locations was a pair of railroad tracks right next to her house.  She said that she and her friends like to shoot here regularly and she felt it would be appropriate and cool to capture her own portraits on the same set of tracks.  We were fortunate enough to arrive right as a train came barreling down the tracks.  We were scrambling to get into position quickly enough to grab a few shots, but were able to get Jamie lined up just as the last few cars rumbled by.  We just love opportunities like that!

The rest of the evening was spent in Kensington Metro Park, where there are just so many great portrait opportunities.  We specifically chose to utilize the amazing evening light to highlight Jamie's golden locks and beautiful porcelain skin.  Shooting into the sun and playing with sun flares is always fun and really seemed appropriate with Jamie's sunny personality and sweet spirit.

Enjoy these fun teasers from Jamie's session and be sure to leave her some love.  <3
Jamie is not only a beautiful face and a talented photographer, she is also an accomplished black belt in Taekwondo - trust us, she could kick some serious booty!  To finish off the evening, we had some fun grabbing these shots of Jamie demonstrating a few of her forms.  Impressive!!!

~ Kevin & Heather