{Arcadia Dunes Engagement // Mia + Justin}

{arcadia, michigan // july 2020}

These two could be super models! I mean look at them! I had a great time with Mia + Justin out at the Arcadia Dunes. We definitely got our exercising in for the year, but it was totally worth it!

When I asked them how they got engaged, Mia told me that they were both feeling really good about engagement and talked about it a lot. Justin had gotten a ring shortly after their trip to Denver and little did Mia know, her life was about to change. They were long distance so in early December, Justin made dinner reservations and had plans to go ice skating in Detroit when Mia went to visit. He made reservations at a place called Lumen which they found out later was actually designed by his aunt and uncle’s architect firm! They had a super nice dinner and then decided to walk around Beacon Park. It was all lit up for the holidays just around the corner. And under all the lights is where he asked her to marry him. It was the perfect intimate moment with just the two of them. And of course she said YES! After that they walked downtown and picked out their first Christmas tree together from a street vendor and had a few drinks from a cute little market.

Some advice from these two for future couples planning their wedding:

Remember that weddings are still a business. Everything will cost more than you think. Find your venue and do the tedious research sooner rather than later so you can relax for longer in between! For us we didn’t have a date that we had our hearts set on so gave ourselves the full year to get things organized. You never know what can come up so we wanted to make sure to have some control our life. Wedding planning can be managed in small bursts with lots of time in between to talk about all the important things like finances, budget, kids, how to balance your family vacations and PTO time, houses, etc.

Alright COVID, let’s be nice so they can celebrate their New Year’s Eve wedding!

{What's a Gap Day?}

Wedding days are magical and fantastic, but they are also tiring. Sometimes weddings run late into the evening or there is an after party and you get to bed incredibly late. Then the next morning you need to wake up and catch a plane to your honeymoon. There’s a lot that’s happening in 24 hours and it doesn’t seem like you even get a chance to breathe for a moment. A gap day is exactly what you think. It’s a day in between your wedding day and your departure for your honeymoon. There’s a lot of benefits to adding a gap day. It’s something that my husband and I did after our wedding. We actually had two gap days! There is no need to be frantic either wondering if you really actually have everything packed because you have that time to gather everything you need! Having that day to sit and figure everything out can come in super handy.  

Another Reason

You will also have more time to see family that traveled to see you. We had so many family members come into town for our wedding. Family comes from near and far to weddings and most of the time the Bride & Groom only gets to see them for a short moment on the wedding day. If you add a gap day after your wedding this gives you the chance to have breakfast with your family or do something fun with them. This will not only give you a break but it will also make your family feel special and appreciated.  

To sum up, adding a gap day can be especially helpful for a few reasons.

  1. You get a breather in between the wedding and honeymoon.

  2. You’ll get the chance to visit with family after the wedding.

  3. You get to double check your suitcase and pack your essentials.


    Bonus

  4. You can open all of your gifts the day after your wedding which is very exciting!

Those are just a few reasons for taking a gap day. I’m sure you could find more, but it’s one of the best decisions from our wedding!

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{Bridge Street Chapel Wedding // Erin + Steven}

{lansing, michigan // june 2020}

Erin + Steven

Erin’s favorite memory of the day: Taking off that heavy and hot dress at the end of the night! (Kidding! ... mostly.) In addition to the entire ceremony, I loved hugging each one of our guests afterwards while dismissing rows, my cousins' baby blowing me kisses during dinner, and doing The Twist with my Grandpa on the dance floor!

Steven’s favorite memory of the day: Standing at the altar, the double doors open, and I see Erin standing there.

Honeymoon location and activities: We spent three days in the Traverse City area, spent 4 days with Erin's family at the cottage in the UP, and spent 2 days on Mackinac Island. Highlights were lots of time on the beach (with killer sunburns), tubing with family, biking, kayaking, wineries, breweries, a hot air balloon ride, parasailing, and lots of great food!

Ceremony Venue: Bridge Street Chapel | Reception Venue: Hope Sports Complex | Getting Ready Location: Private Residence | Florist: WoodlandFlowerCo | Reception Music: Music Unlimited | Dessert: CortneyGirls’s Cake Closet | Bridal Gown: The Dowry Bride | Groom Suit: The Black Tux | Shoes: Kate Spade | Rings: Sweet Custom Jewelry | Invitations: Zazzle

{TKHS Senior // Christel}

{mackinac island, michigan // june 2020}

This session up on Mackinac Island with Christel was amazing! We rented bikes and headed out on our adventure to get great senior photos! I do have to say that I was hurting after riding that bike for so long.. oh well. Worth it!!! Christel’s family was really sweet too. They rented my bike for me and got me some ice cream! It was a super hot day so the ice cream was great!

Christel Hoskins. Class of 2021.