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Lapeer County Engagement Photographer | Amber & Michael

Amber and Michael met two years ago online, and bonded immediately because of their love of competitive shooting. They are busy planning their May 2020 wedding, and contacted Mulberry & Sage to be their Lapeer County Engagement Photographer and also their wedding photographer for their big celebration next spring. When we were talking with them, they wanted to stay local to their home, so they could incorporate their guns into the photo session. We love photographing on private property, and we get super excited when we hear key words like “rustic” and “country.” But we seriously had no idea what we were driving in to when we pulled into their Metamora home. On the drive over, we were ogling the beautiful horse farms that were on their roads. It was like we suddenly were transported into Kentucky, with rolling pasture hills, massive horse barns, and stunning country estates. And Amber’s family home was no different. We could have stayed and photographed on their property all day long. The night was beautiful, with the most perfect golden sun light, and it wasn’t too hot, or too cold.

We learned about the two of them. Both Amber and Michael work for her Dad’s business, and love being so tight knit with her family. Michael moved to Michigan from Oklahoma two years ago, and has immersed himself in the rural Michigan lifestyle and really enjoys the Metamora area. They keep busy by practicing their shooting, and are both on all American team member shooters who have won tons of awards and recognition across the country for their skills. They make quite a team! Their first ever meeting in person was at a competition in Florida, so it really holds a special place in both their hearts.

We had lots of fun getting to know the two of them, learning about their love story, and exploring their stunning property for photos. We are excited to photograph their wedding in May of 2020, and hope you enjoy this preview into when Mulberry & Sage was Amber and Michael’s Lapeer County Engagement Photographer team for the day.

October 9, 2019
Port Huron DoubleTree Wedding Photographer | Katie & Josh

Josh has known Courtney for a long time, and when he and Katie inquired with Mulberry & Sage to be their Port Huron DoubleTree Wedding Photographer team, we were anxiously waiting for their late September wedding to arrive. We had met up with them in the winter for their frozen tundra engagement session around Port Huron, and learned more about them as a couple, such as their love for their son, Cash. Or the fact that Katie is in love with vintage glam (and has a classic beauty that totally pulls it off, too.) Their classic venue of the Port Huron DoubleTree was perfect for this, because it’s a great mixture of old charm, with all the new and modern elements of a great hotel mixed in, too. And the location is quintessentially Port Huron; that’s perfect for these two who both grew up here.

Their wedding day started off with tons of rain in the early morning, but had cleared out completely by the time we arrived to do photos. We were left with a lovely fall day, with overcast weather during the ceremony, and then the sun popped out right as we were doing some portraits around the grounds. Katie and Josh chose to do a first look before their ceremony, and we loved watching their genuine excitement to see each other and be with each other. Katie was literally giddy up in the room, and it was heart warning to see this next step in their love story take shape. We mentioned that Katie loves the vintage vibe, and the black, rose gold, and red elements that she chose to incorporate into her wedding and bridesmaids dresses translated beautifully into photos. Josh works for the railroad, so we couldn’t resist going down to the Thomas Edison Train Museum under the Blue Water Bridges and do some photos outside the train station, and also on the back of the museum train car and a few inside, too. (And, before anyone asks, those tracks are for museum purposes only and are purely decorative.)

They had a quick champagne toast outdoors, and then we all went inside for dinner (yum) and started the party. They had some cigars and matches on their guestbook table, and some of our favorite photos are of the bridal party hanging out and smoking their celebration cigars throughout the day. The groomsmen had their bonding moment after the ceremony, and the bridesmaids got to strike a pose for the camera at the end of the night. Speaking of the end of the night, we had some time towards the end of their reception and found Katie and Josh outdoors hanging out, so we pulled them over into the dark section on the hotel square, and used our persuasive powers to talk them into posing for some super fun night themed photos. And we are so glad they oblidged, because they are so good. (Katie wasn’t even wearing shoes. She’s amazing.)

We hope you enjoy this small preview into when we were Josh and Katie’s Port Huron DoubleTree Wedding Photographer. If you’re looking for a Port Huron wedding photographer, we would love to meet up and show you our latest coffee shop addiction in town, and talk about your upcoming wedding.

Vendor List:
Venue: Port Huron DoubleTree by Hilton
Dress: Joy’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Twisted Scissorz Salon
Officiating & DJ: Corey from Ultimate Sounds Entertainment Group
Floral: Ullenbruch’s Flowers
Rings: Alexander Fine Jewelers
Photography: Mulberry & Sage

October 8, 2019
Michigan Micro Wedding | Tori & Dan

I first got to know Tori three years ago when we photographed her sister Gillian’s wedding in Port Huron. Since then, we have all become friends, and she’s part of our book club we’re in, so we have gotten to know both her and her sister on a friends level, too. Her boyfriend Dan popped the question, and she immediately sent me a text and wanted me to photograph her wedding. She went through some different planning phases, and the two of them came to the conclusion that planning a Michigan Micro Wedding would be their perfect fit to celebrate their union. “What’s a micro wedding?” you may ask? Huffpost defines a micro wedding as “an abbreviated celebration of marriage that has only a handful of invited guests (commonly 20 or less), is shorter in duration and is more simple in format, relaxed in atmosphere and less stress to organise than a traditional wedding.” You see, it’s just like a “normal” wedding, but done at a way smaller and more intimate scale. This is perfect for Tori and Dan, because family is everything to them. I’ve never met a more-involved and doting family before in all my days. (Seriously, they are goals for me, as I raise my three kids.) The siblings are all super close, and they all hang out all the time, take family vacations together, and honestly just enjoy each other’s company fully, as family and also as adult friends. Since family is so important to them and such a major element in their relationship, they chose to do a handfasting in their ceremony, and each of their parents brought up something that is important to them, their heritage or hobby, to tie around Tori and Dan’s wrist. Then they literally tied the knot with those elements surrounding their marriage. It was a heartfelt moment in their Michigan Micro Wedding ceremony.

We then loaded onto the party buses, and headed off to do a quick portrait session at a nearby park, where we very narrowly escaped torrential downpour rain by about 13 seconds. Their reception was held at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Troy, and the room was decorated beautifully with candles and tons of flowers on the table. The food was top notch, and the whole reception was full of laughter, wine, story-telling, and love.

Tori and Dan are excited to start a family together, and that’s always been a priority to them and their relationship. But before they get bogged down with little’s, they wanted to travel and explore Italy. The Italian culture (and food! Hence their Maggiano’s micro wedding choice) is something that they wanted to see together; the two of them jetted off the day after their wedding for an amazing two week long honeymoon abroad, and we’ve loved following along their journey (enviously) via Instagram, as well.

We welcome Tori & Dan back to the states, and couldn’t wait to share their Michigan Micro Wedding blog preview with everyone. If you’re planning a Michigan Micro Wedding, we would love to chat! Email: hello@mulberryandsage.com

Planner: Krystina Lynn Weddings and Events
Dress: Joy’s Bridal Boutique
Officiant: Ben Coburn
Ceremony Venue: Auburn Hills Marriott
Dinner Venue: Maggiano’s Little Italy (Troy)
Photographer: Mulberry & Sage
Florals: Flowers by Julie

October 5, 2019
Michigan Fall Engagement Photography | Emma & Barry

Last week we met up with Emma and Barry, because they were interested in announcing their new engagement and doing a Michigan Fall Engagement Photography session in the Port Huron area. The two of them were really fun to meet and coordinate their session with, and we settled on a beautiful early fall evening and raced to beat the sun set over the hills. Typically, our sessions are done about 1-2 hours before the sun sets, so we can utilize something that most people refer to as “golden hour.” But sometimes, with work schedules and the sun setting earlier these days (moment of silence for that sad occurrence in nature) we instead did their session during the “blue hour.” Blue hour is when the sun dips down, and is equally as beautiful, but just gives off a completely different look for photos. Dusk is fun to explore, and the light really makes those colors pop (similar to the way a stormy or cloudy sky would.)

Emma and Barry have a fun love, and hadn’t made the grand facebook official announcement on their profiles yet, and had contacted us wanting to get an engagement session in to the schedule as soon as possible, so they could use a photo we took to make the announcement. It was lots of fun because we felt like we were “in on the secret” more than usual, and we quickly sent over their gallery (the next day!) for Emma to choose a favorite image to download and share the good news. The two of them met because they have 2 year old boys, and Barry had initiated a play date for the boys, all while knowing that he already had feelings for Emma, all along. What a fun story!

We loved doing Emma and Barry’s Michigan Fall Engagement Photography session in the Port Huron area, at one of our favorite locations; especially in the fall. We have limited dates in November open, and there is still time to squeeze in an engagement or anniversary session if you contact us ASAP.

October 2, 2019
Michigan Wedding Photographer | Lisa & Matt

We first introduced you to Lisa and Matt earlier this spring when we did their rustic engagement session, and were excited for September to come since they booked Mulberry & Sage as their Michigan wedding photographer. Lisa and Matt are a sweet couple that have a genuine love for each other, and their family. After spending the day with Matt and his family, we loved seeing the family bond that they all hold. Does anyone else ever look at a guy’s relationship with his parents and just *know* that he’s going to make an amazing husband? That’s totally the impression we got that day, watching how he interacted with his Mom and Dad and brother. Same thing with Lisa. She got ready in her parent’s home, and we loved watching her with her mom and dad and siblings, and the love they all had for each other on their daughter’s special day.

Another thing that both Matt and Lisa love? Their sweet dogs. We made sure to get some photos of them during the “getting ready” photos, since they were such a presence in their engagement session. We love when things come full circle and tie together to make a wedding day a unique and individual chapter to each couple’s love story. We then met up with each other at the venue, and documented their intimate ceremony. After their ceremony, we found a fun little wild patch of grass and trees, and sneaked away for some portraits of just the two of them, which are our favorite photos of the entire day. We can typically find a good location either at or around your chosen venue that will translate perfectly in photos; even if it’s just a patch of greenery off of the parking lot like these were. The sun gifted us a beautiful sunny golden hour, and we loved showcasing their love in a smaller and less formal posing session.

We hope you love this preview into Matt and Lisa’s special day when we were their Michigan wedding photographer team. We are more than half way booked for 2020, so if you’re in the market for a Michigan wedding photographer, we would love to get to know you and talk more.

September 25, 2019