Mulberry & Sage

Author: Megan

Port Huron Photography Studio Renovation & Reveal | Ladies of the Maccabees

If you haven’t seen or heard in the local news lately, we’ve been keeping a little secret, and it’s finally finished and officially out of the bag. We’ve been hard at work renovating a Port Huron photography studio space inside the Port Huron historic building, Ladies of the Maccabees. If you were able to swing by our previous studio space in downtown, you will know that while it worked perfectly for what we did, we were really wanting to find a perfect space that had tons of character, and could be utilized as an office and artwork gallery space for Mulberry & Sage, as well as a studio space for our own photography businesses. When we toured the space inside the Maccabees building, we couldn’t help but get excited, and we knew it was perfect for us. It is a large room, with massive 16′ tall ceilings and all the original charm of the time-frame of when the building was built (1904.) It has the original crown molding (coincidentally painted a sage color and white) and we love all the large, ornate doors and fixtures.

Don’t begin thinking though that it was all rainbows and unicorns. Luckily, Megan has an eye for DIY and a super-handy husband that happens to also love any excuse to bust out some power tools and yell “IT’S DEMO DAY!” like Chip Gaines. The space had very beat-up carpeting that was literally glued to the floor (we’re guessing around the 1970’s?) and some wall paper and wood paneling that was far too mid-century modern for our rustic taste. We’ll let the photos below do the talking, so you can see what we were working with before. The potential was so, so good.

The first thing that had to happen was ripping out the carpeting. When we were touring the space with the realtor (Chris Smith from DeLacy. He’s awesome.) we were able to peel back a corner of the carpeting and see that the flooring underneath was the original hardwood flooring. We pulled back a section by the original radiator, so we couldn’t really tell what condition it was in until it was completely gone, but we prepared for the worst case scenario and were pleasantly surprised with a beautiful solid birch floor in really great condition. The only caviat was that since the carpeting was glued on to the wood, we had to literally get on our hands and knees and use toxic chemicals and a razor blade and hand scrape every.single.plank. And by “we”, I mean our husbands. (We owe them huge!) Once that was done, Megan’s husband got to work with the sander we rented and sanded down the flooring, and then sealed it with a clear coat of poly. Once again, leaving the integrity and character of the space is important to us.

Another fun little tidbit, we wanted to paint over the wallpaper and give the trim and shelving a fresh coat of white paint. Megan started painting by herself, to quickly realize again that she still loathes painting. So she called in a professional painter, who just so happens to be an old friend of Megan’s from high school. She got married back in 2016 and booked Courtney to photograph her wedding, and Courtney hired the “new girl in town” Megan to be her 2nd photographer for the day. So technically, Kimber was the very first Mulberry & Sage bride. Kimber did a beautiful job painting, and it really made the rooms pop.

Megan got the bright idea to cover up the dated wood paneling with some rustic looking wooden planks that install on the wall and look like shiplap. (If you step into our space, you’ll quickly notice that we’re pretty big Magnolia fan-girls.) Both of us and the husbands spent a day installing the paneling, and it looks seriously amazing, and so unique.

And while Megan may have the eye for what “could be” in a space, Courtney happens to be the best decorator around. The final step was bringing in all the finishing pieces that really tie the rooms together. Both of us love antique shopping, so you’ll notice that modern furniture pieces are mixed in with those we salvaged from flea markets. That’s what makes a space unique, and since we’re in a historical building, it makes sense. Courtney did an amazing job putting it all together and decorating the space, and we’re so excited to begin meeting potential couples in this beautiful space, that was literally built with our own sweat (especially our husbands’) and love.

We hope you enjoy this Port Huron Photography Studio Renovation & Reveal. If you’re looking for a hometown photographer near you for wedding photography, we hope you’ll take a moment and browse our galleries and shoot us over an email. We can’t wait to show off our space and get to know you!

PS: If you’re sitting there wondering what happened to Kathryn, our third person in the trio of awesomeness, she’s been a bit busy lately and just gave birth to her 4th child, a beautiful girl named Olive. Courtney got to go to the hospital and take her newborn photos- check those out here! Congratulations to their sweet family of 6!

June 13, 2018
Downtown Detroit Engagement Photography Session | Karen & Matt

Karen and Matt met a while back through a co-worker of Matt’s. For a while, they lived in the heart of Detroit, so when they booked Mulberry & Sage to be their Detroit wedding photographer, they really wanted to incorporate a Downtown Detroit engagement photography session into their package, and love story. We didn’t think that it was ever going to happen, because of the unpredictable Michigan spring weather. The first date that we chose was rained out, so we finally settled on a Friday evening. As we were both driving our commutes into Detroit, the sky opened up and down-poured on our cars, but once we arrived in the city, we were greeted with beautiful sunset skies, and a skyline that is unlike any other. It really goes to show that the old saying is true, “If you don’t like the weather in Michigan, just wait 5 minutes.”

We started the evening meeting up at the Eastern Market, and walked around there and found some cool murals and paintings to take photos by there. They brought their dog named Ginger, who is a three-legged chihuahua that Karen rescued a few years back. It was very clear during the session that while Karen and Ginger may have started off as a duo, Matt was the missing puzzle piece in their family, and they both love Ginger so much (as did every single person who walked by us that night!) During our walk around the market, we stumbled upon the Eastern Market Brewing Company, and fell in love with their open bar that faced the street. The two of them share a love of craft beer, so I suggested that they grab a beer and hang out, while I photographed them in a casual environment. The photos taken there are actually some of my very favorite ones, because the smiles are so natural and easy. We all laughed and chatted, and it was so much fun.

Then, after that, we headed into the city for their Detroit Engagement Photography Session and made our way to the top of The Z Lot. We parked on the top of it, and the city views at every single direction are simply stunning. The Tigers were playing a home game inside Comerica Park, so it really felt like a beautiful spring evening (albeit just a bit chilly outside.) After that, we headed down into The Belt, but that area was super busy that Friday night, so we didn’t spend too much time down there.

I hope you enjoy this small preview into Karen & Matt’s Downtown Detroit Engagement Photography Session. You will see lots more of them, since we are also documenting their September wedding coming up, too. If you’re in the Detroit Metro area and in the market for a Downtown Detroit Engagement/ Wedding photographer, we would love to connect with you.

June 6, 2018
Eastern Michigan Engagement Photography | Brooke & Michael

We met Brooke and Michael through a referral from a friend of hers, and they booked Mulberry & Sage to be their Saginaw wedding photographer, but also were eager to do a spring time Eastern Michigan Engagement Photography session, to get them ready for their wedding in July.

Mickey and Brooke met a while back, and laughed when they reminisced on their story, because she said they were “both at a party that neither of us wanted to be at.” Their friends dragged both of them to the party, and they immediately bonded over the fact that neither of them were dying to be there, and it has been history for the two of them pretty much ever since. They have an adorable daughter named Willow together (Isn’t that name the best? Admittedly, we’re a little obsessed with nature names around these parts, though, hence our business name.) Willow was able to join her Mommy and Daddy for their engagement session, and hop it for some photos of them three of them, as well. Then for the rest of the time, she hung out with Brooke’s bridesmaid, who came down to St. Clair County to tag along and watch Willow for their session.

We love doing Eastern Michigan Engagement Photography sessions, especially in the Blue Water Area, because there are so many hidden gem locations to utilize that are so unique and personalized to each couple. We are loving this warmer weather, and sunny evenings to get outdoors and explore mother earth with our clients. We especially loved how Mickey and Brooke are from the Saginaw area, so it was our chance to “show off” the area, and be their trail guide around this beautiful area. As always, we encourage all our couples to have an engagement session, because it really helps us all to get to know each other better, so we don’t feel like strangers on your wedding day. We think that Brooke and Mickey nailed their Eastern Michigan Engagement Photography session, and couldn’t wait to share some of our favorites here with you on the blog.

If you’re in the market for an Eastern Michigan Engagement Photography session, we would love to connect with you!

May 15, 2018
Port Huron Engagement Photographer | Theresa & Matt

Theresa and Matt have such a long term and special relationship, and we were so excited when they chose Mulberry & Sage Photography to be their Port Huron Engagement photographer, as well as also booking their November wedding with us too. We met the two of them originally at the Radio First Bridal Expo in Port Huron in January. It was the first year that we’ve ever participated in a bridal show, and we were so excited to meet so many couples getting married in the Blue Water Area, in such a short time frame. Theresa and Matt stood out to us from the day because we chatted with them both for a while on the day of, and when they emailed us, we were thrilled.

Theresa and Matt have been dating for quite a few years now, so people who are close to the two of them have been expecting his proposal to come along any day now. When it did, everyone was thrilled and they began preparing for their wedding day right away. They are getting married in November, and we love November weddings, because the season is winding down for us and the weather is stunning in Michigan in the fall. Sneaking in some spring time engagement photos to use for their save the date cards was important, so we set up a time in April for us to be their Metro Detroit engagement photographer for the evening. When the day rolled around, we had our serious doubts. It was pretty chilly, but, more importantly, it had been raining all day. We checked the weather radar and offered them a chance to pick a more predictable sunny day, but Theresa had taken the day off work and had her hair and makeup prepped, so they stuck with their Friday evening session time. And boy, are we sure glad they did! The weather was gorgeous, albeit a little cold (mid 50’s), but the sun came out to play for some shots, and it ended up being a perfect and beautiful session. Courtney’s big red barn and property was the perfect location for them again, and we loved exploring the wooded trails together at the end, too.

We cannot wait to share more images of Theresa and Matt in November after their Solitude Links golf course wedding. Until then, we hope you enjoy some of our favorite images from when we were their Port Huron engagement photographer for the evening. If you’re a 2018 couple getting married, we still have some select dates available; make sure to drop us a line to chat.

April 30, 2018
Lake Huron Ice Engagement Photo Session | April & Brian

The shores of Lake Huron hold a special spot in Brian and April’s heart, and we were thrilled when they chose Mulberry & Sage Photography as their Port Huron wedding photographers, and also document their Lake Huron Ice Engagement Photo Session. And when we say “chose,” that term is slightly relative…literally. Brian is the younger brother of Kathryn, one of the trio of us here at Mulberry & Sage. When it came to deciding on a wedding photographer, Brian and April didn’t have to look very far. We are thrilled to photograph their upcoming wedding in early September, so make sure you stay tuned for lots more photos of their pretty faces coming in about 6 months.

Back to their story, though. Brian and April first met at Lake Huron, when Brian was having a beach fire at his house one night. The two of them are a perfect pair, and have been the picture perfect couple since they first met; they are opposites in a lot of ways, and that seems to work as they compliment each other beautifully. Brian proposed to April on the exact same beach that they first met on, so heading over to the Lake Huron beach for their engagement photos was the natural choice. Since their wedding is a late summer wedding, incorporating the wintery season of Lake Huron was a fun bonus for them to get with their Lake Huron ice engagement photo session. We lucked out on the days, as it began to lightly snow during our session, and the gorgeous ice and icicles were the ideal organic companion as the two of them snuggled together, and laughed freely on the snow-covered beach.

We asked April some fun questions about her wedding day, and we thought we would share those with you here on the blog.

Question: What moment are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?

Answer: “I’m most excited for the moment when the ceremony starts, and they open the church doors, and Brian and I see each other for the first time.”

Question: What are some plans you have for your first year of marriage?

Answer: “We plan on building a strong foundation to start our lives together. We want to work on the house, and travel, and just enjoy living our lives together!”

Question: Why are you excited to work with Mulberry & Sage Photography as your Port Huron wedding photographers?

Answer: “I’m very excited to work with Mulberry & Sage because all 3 of the photographers are are incredibly talented, and very down to earth.”

We hope you enjoy this small preview into April & Brian’s Lake Huron Ice Engagement Photo Session. If you or anyone you know is in the market for a Port Huron wedding photographer, or Port Huron engagement photographer, we would love to connect with you.

March 5, 2018