We began the day with the girls getting ready at Lindsay’s childhood home in Plymouth. Whenever I am discussing the timeline with my brides, I always push for 90 minutes with the bride while she gets ready for her day. This allows me to capture the details, her donning her gown and some portraits prior to embarking on the craziness of the day. Plus, it is so much fun for me to get to know the girls during this time, as we’ll be spending the next 10 hours together. This bridal party certainly did not disappoint. The were SO much fun and I wanted to say thank you on behalf of the entire {kgP} team, as we felt truly welcomed.

So, without further ado, let’s get to it. I have a bazillion images to show you! Luckily Lindsay trusted me enough to transport her gown outside of her house (thank you!). I LOVE this image and her blue pumps. :) Congrats, again you two! xo

While the girls were getting ready, there was a delivery. Alan purchased bottles of wine for them to share on their milestone anniversaries. Truly LOVE this idea — nice job, Alan. :)

Absolute FAVE image of the day.

Meanwhile, Wayne was over with the boys.

The girls were cracking me up. With every individual picture, they did one funny pose. It was hard to keep the camera still as I was giggling. Anyone who has a sister will get the pic on the right below. :)

We then walked around downtown Northville for some portraits. Linds rocked this in full sun — not an easy accomplishment.

Okay! Let’s go get married!

Lindsay & Alan got hitched at the awesome and truly unique Marquis Theater in downtown Northville. Nice to see that we were on schedule … ceremony begins at 4p!

Making it official!

My FAVE!

The bridal party took the shuttle into downtown Plymouth for the reception at the Mayflower Meeting House. But first, we stopped by Kellogg Park for a few more portraits.

Oooh, girlll. Let’s do dis!

Now brides. I KNOW that planning a wedding is expensive. I KNOW you will always end up over budget by the time your big day arrives. But I cannot recommend uplighting enough. Unfortunately, it is one of the first items to get cut when trying to reduce the overall cost, but it can truly make or break your reception images! Lindsay and Alan chose to alternate the colors and I LOVE the variety in these photos!

Props to the bridal party for the hilarious intros!

Alright, let’s party! Time for the first dance.

After I saw this, I then knew where Alan got his sense of humor. :) One of my faves of the day!

Some pretty sweet groomsmen gifts. GO GREEN! GO WHITE! {and apparently LTU.}

I also loved when the entire reception rode the train {led by Alan with the horse that originated at Lindsay’s bachelorette party in Nashville}!

Thank you both SO much for trusting me with something so special. The entire {kgP} team had a fabulous time with your friends and family and I hope you love these images as much as I do. Congrats, again!

Let me begin by saying that Christine’s gown is SO elegant; I LOVE the gorgeous neckline. We began the day with the girls getting ready at their home, whist the gents prepared for the day at the hotel.

Seesters!

LOVE these etched mason jars that they purchased for their bridal party!

Serious favorite!

Dad’s first look. :) It doesn’t get sweeter than this.

And another fave! Gah!

Lookin’ good there, James.

Ahh. Here we are. :)

Time to get married! Always love these shots.

My favorite part of their ceremony is when Christine and James put letters that they wrote to each other {that they have not yet shared with the other} into this box with a bottle of wine to open and celebrate with on their one year anniversary. SUCH an AHmazing idea!

Yay! We’re married!

I love when we catch these sweet moments.

And I told you they were an uber fab bridal party. LOVE these!

Okay, seriously?? I have no words.

I warn you:  there are a lot of these. {gorgeous couple + heavenly light = out of my control}

And now let the par-tay begin!

Too cute!

Introducing, for the first time, Mr. & Mrs!

There was a lot of laughter … and  a lot of tears.

As my {kgP} readers know, my business began because I wanted to be able to document the moments of my own life through my camera lens. I loveloveLOVE having my camera with me when I travel to AHmazing places … but truth be told, it can be quite inconvenient. I traveled with 8 others to Puerto Vallarta and along with doing normal beachy things like catch some rays, read a good book and drink some Coronas, we also did an excursion or two. The highlight of our trip was riding ATVs through the residential part of PV and into the jungle for some off-roading. Could I take my mkIII with me? Um, no. So the saviors of the day were the good old point&shoots. However, four of us did walk the Malecon {Paseo Diaz Ordaz}, which is essentially the PV boardwalk, the day before we left and I took some snapshots of the area.

First, here is the view from our room at the Hilton overlooking Bandaras Bay. If you’re looking for a recommendation for an inexpensive all-inclusive place to stay, I highly recommend it. All the rooms have recently been renovated and we were able to score a deal for airfare + 6 days/5 nights for $1k.

Taking a self portrait with my new 24mm. :)

This was sunrise on our first morning there. Anddd, this is the only time I was able to catch this for the remainder of the trip. Ha.

Ahh, and now onto the Malecon we go.

Since the 80s, the Malecon has become a long promenade with a sculpture on almost every block.  Here we have the ‘Good Luck Unicorn’ and the ‘Slick Stone Eater’.

There are also life-sized sand sculptures that adorn the beach.

‘The Rotunda of the Sea’

Get used to being my subject, Lawrence.

‘In Search of Reason’. Not gonna lie, these dudes were kinda creepy.

This locale was a rock bar that we enjoyed one night with live rock music in both english and spanish. The best part is that each rocker is a chubby version of themselves!

Gotta hit up Senor Frogs. The American staple of Mexico.

2×1 Margaritas. :)

Ha. #truth

Continuing down the Malecon we find balancing stones.

LW with the twins, Brandon && Brett. Much appreciate their tolerance of me stopping to take pictures at every turn.

My fave statue: The Folkloric Dancers

Our excursion turned into a search for all the 2×1 margs on the strip. :) If you know me you know I’m in LOVE with all the fab color on the old buildings.

Not a bad view.

There were also street performers; every few hours you’d hear a musical instrument {perhaps a piccolo or a recorder} and five men would climb to the top of this five story pole. They would begin to make the top spin, one man would stay atop the pole playing music and spinning the base while the other four would lower themselves upside down on a rope while it continued to spin. Pretty BA. Good thing we were drinking our margs on the balcony at this opportune time or I wouldn’t have been able to get these shots. :)

And not to mention, grab this last shot of the sunset. Adios, PV. It’s been real up in this piece. xo

And due to this little tidbit of information, I’m THRILLED to say, Happy first Father’s Day, Rishi! You and Sheena sure do make gorgeous babies. Much like their maternity session, I had a fantastic time shooting Sheena && Rishi’s newborn session. It is easy to see how much LOVE pours out of them for sweet Zara and I’m totally smitten.

Sheena’s fantastic parents were in town from California and I was ecstatic that I was able to get a couple of shots with them and their first grandchild. It’s clear to see where Sheena gets her beauty. {♥}

I love that we took maternity pics in their bedroom and then used the same set for Zara’s newborn ones, as well.

Look at that smile!

OBSESSED with this pic.

Unlike most babes, Zara was not keen on being swaddled with her hands tucked in. We eventually acquiesced and it did take a bit to get her back to sleep.

But I’m glad … cause then I get shots like this. :)

By the way, Sheena made these headbands. I’ve asked her to make a few for {kgP}. :)

Remember this couch from their maternity sesh? LOVE LOVE LOVE this.

I asked Sheena and her mother why Zara wears the black bracelets. As I understand it, it is a traditional Indian custom to ward off evil and bring beautiful Zara good luck.

Sheena you are SO photogenic … and Zara is surely to follow.

Alas, Sheena and Rishi are no longer in Michigan, as they moved to Arizona for Rishi’s fellowship. I wanted to capture a few shots of them outside their townhome so they remember where they started this beautiful journey. It has been a pleasure working with the both of you over the past few months and I am SO grateful that you chose {kgP} to document this AHmazing time in your lives. xo

Body By Giuliana :: Total Body Conditioning

She hired {kgP} to take pictures of herself and her studio for her new website to be officially launched this month {can’t wait!}.

We chose to stay true to her roots and walked around downtown Clawson for a few urban shots showcasing her personality outside of the studio. It’s easy to see that she is gorgeous on the outside, but believe me when I say she mirrors this on the inside. Not surprising is that she is a perfectionist and takes herself veryyy seriously. It wasn’t long before she warmed up in front of the camera and it’s easy to see that the camera loves her. She was relaxed through this entire urban sesh and I truly LOVE LOVE LOVE the results.

This sesh also proves that having your hair and make-up professionally done (!) for your photo sesh takes it to the next level. While G did her own hair, she hired a pro for her gorgeous make-up.

Giuliana is currently taking on new clients {me included!}, so if you are interested in more information, give her a call at 248.909.8425.

Ahh! LOVE.

To say I was impressed would be an understatement. Her boutique conditioning studio is SO welcoming — brand new everything (including a BA Bose system!) — and so is Giuliana. It was easy to see that this was a woman who knows what she wants and, not only that, one who goes out and gets it. She is a perfectionist. She has a strong personality. We meshed immediately.

We started out the day taking pics of Giuliana’s fabulous studio, then some professional ones of her. After that, she changed into her workout gear and we shot while she worked out, as well as some close ups of her kickass body for some large b&w prints for her studio. I cannot wait to see these on the walls. I LOVE that her motivational posters are actually OF her.

Not only is she a client of {kgP}, but I am now one of hers. :) My body thanks her. Okay, fine. It WILL thank her since I just started.  She’s currently taking on new clients, so if you are interested in more information, give her a call at 248.909.8425.

Check out Marisa. She is just freaking fantastic. E && I began her sesh at Quarton Lake Park and ended with an urban edge in downtown Birmingham. There are SO MANY images I love from this session, but probably my favorites are when we catch a legitimate moment when she is cracking up. Clearly it’s due to my astounding wit.

By the way, I love me some b&w, but I chose the color version of every picture from her sesh. Incredible.

Seriously with these eyes??

Meow.

Beautiful. Like mother, like daughter. {♥}

This family is the epitome of love. Little Whitman just turned one and he is SO incredibly sweet, outgoing and full of smiles. We all had a blast and I loved how Janae && LeRoy would brainstorm for fun picture ideas as the evening unfolded. Since it was only mid-April, the trees were in bloom and were just gorgeous. I was in love.

This session was also special as Janae && LeRoy have since left the mitten behind and moved to CT. Thank you both so very much for allowing Erick and I to capture such an important memory. Much love. xo

It’s SO hard to pick, but the one on the left below may be my fave. {♥}

LOVE this personalized alphabet book. SO SWEET.

Rawr.

A stolen moment. Heart this.

I’m also thrilled that five of these unedited pictures were Lola’s entries into a Baby Gap contest. Hopefully our little model will soon be a star! Deets will be posted as soon as voting begins. So, without further ado, here is Lola’s 6 month sesh. xo

Loving her time with Auntie Amanda.

Aww. One of my faves.

I heart these so much. So sweet && innocent.

Getting ready for our photo op.

Just mommy&& me.

Absolute perfection.

Outfit change! Amanda needs to come to all our seshes. :)

ADORE.

My step-brother is marrying the woman of his dreams this June up at the Grand Traverse Resort && Spa in Acme, Michigan. Truly, she’s the woman of anyone’s dreams. Not only is Laura drop dead gorgeous, she is also SO INCREDIBLY NICE. Instead of making me want to dislike her for this little fact :), I’m very, very happy that she is joining the fam and wish them nothing but bliss. I’m a sucker for the details, and if her wedding save-the-dates and invitations are any indication, I know every one will be pure perfection and I cannot wait for the weekend’s festivities. A bonus for me? Their wedding photog is the AHmazing Jean Smith.

Laura’s MOH (maid-of-honor, for those of you not with the wedding lingo) is actually John’s cousin, Molly. I love this triangle. And can I just say, she may be the best MOH evah. Not only did she co-host this incredible wedding shower {along with her mother, Wendy} at the River Crab in Saint Clair, Michigan, but she also planned a stellar bachelorette party for Laura in Vegas, baby. Mind you, I know this through stalking their fb album. :) Molly, you are incredible and Laura is only lucky girl to have someone so caring as her bestie.

Going back to my initial thought, yes, this is why I wanted to learn how to work my camera. Documenting my own life and memories, and in this case, doing so as a gift for someone special. Nanc, these pictures are as much for you as for the bride && groom. Congrats to John && Laura. Love to you all. xo

Hydrangeas are the flower and have adorned the STDs && the invitations. Lovely touch to the shower.

The beautiful bride-to-be. I wasn’t exaggerating.

My personal fave, the pink bubbly which flowed throughout the afternoon. :)

Laura appreciating everyone who came to make this day special for her && John.

The lovely favors along with the ribbons I cut from Nancy’s dress. Doesn’t everyone hate when the hanging ribbons stick out the side?? Gah!

My step-mother, Nancy {right}, with her friend Jan. Lots of friends && family to come. {♥}

It’s present time! This one on the right is my gift. Look at that fantastic wrapping paper. My mother instilled into me that presentation is just as much of a part of the gift!

Oooh! Gorgeous Kate Spade vase. Lovely taste, my dear!

The MOB {mother of the bride}, Helenann on the right.

The dutiful bridesmaids! MOH, Molly, in the lovely pink dress below. && who doesn’t need a picnic set? :)

The satin robe embellished with ‘bride’.

John && Laura both went to MSU and met at one of John’s tailgates. Actually, they met when Laura kept sneaking beers. Ha.

Uh oh. Busted.

These may be two of my faves from the shower. Not only that, rock those guns girl!

John’s paternal grandmother. Oh-so-lovely!

And so enters the groom-to-be! Not only that, it’s John’s 30th birthday, as well. Happy Happy Dirty Thirty, John!

Mother && son.

I had to include this: Nancy always the socialite, so much so that she needs her Palm. :)

A stolen moment for mother && daughter.

A fantastic group of ladies!

And, finally, one of me with Nanc. A huge thank you to Judy for her mad photo skillz. I think my favorite part of growing up with Nancy is when my sister && I would be out with her and people would tell us how much we look like our mother. :)

For those of you not from the mitten, that is Canada on the other side of the river! Gasp!

And Molly was sweet enough to give me a centerpiece. Looks like someone else is just as thrilled. Sigh.