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Muskegon Engagement Photographer | Jen & De’Ontre

We first met Jen when she was a bridesmaid at her good friend Ashley’s wedding. She and Ashley both went to Western Michigan University, and during Jen’s stint there in the dental hygiene program, she met Kalamazoo native, De’Ontre. The two of them immediately hit it off, and are busy planning their May 2020 wedding in Gladwin, which we have the honor of photographing. Jen and De’Ontre live in Kalamazoo area together, and since I was traveling over to the west side of Michigan to photograph a wedding on Saturday, we decided that Friday evening was the perfect option for us to be their Muskegon engagement photographer, being in town and all.

Jen and De’Ontre brought their two small chihuahuas, and we had an absolute blast watching their personalities come through in photos. Her one dog pre-dates their actual relationship, so the “I loved her first” sign he sported around his neck was super fitting, and adorable. We got to explore the PJ Hoffmaster State Park together with Jen’s mom alongside wrangling the dogs. In the shade the weather was perfect, but we all quickly discovered that the bright sunlight on the beach area was pretty brutally hot. Jen’s family is originally from Tawas, Michigan, so the beauty of a different lake than we are both “used to” (Tawas & Port Huron are both on Lake Huron) didn’t go unnoticed. Lake Michigan’s beautiful soft sandy beaches, and the sunset over the lake are both things that are completely unmatched. The sun is definitely featured heavily in this session, because it was so bright and the sky was nearly cloudless. We love an embrace the sun, and it’s a favorite of ours to allow ourselves and our equipment to create fun lens flares (like sun bursts, or the rainbow colored flare dots) to have it add to the beauty and overall feel of a session.

in 2020 and beyond, Mulberry & Sage is really aiming to begin specializing in destination weddings and destination engagement sessions. If you’re in the market for a western Michigan wedding photographer or Muskegon engagement photographer, we would love the opportunity to connect and chat with you! We hope you love this small preview into Jen & De’Ontre’s beautiful engagement session on Lake Michigan.

August 19, 2019
Michigan Destination Wedding Photographer | Rachel & Adam

Courtney has been friends with Rachel for a long time, so when she contacted Mulberry & Sage to be her Michigan Destination Wedding Photographer, we were so excited to spend a beautiful Friday in July with them. Rachel and Adam were married at The Milestone Barn in Bannister, Michigan. We love being Michigan destination wedding photographers, because it gets us out of our comfort zone and gives us the opportunity to explore the state and the country, while doing what we love. (Documenting your love story!)

Rachel and Adam have a sweet relationship with each other, and truly value friends and family, above all else. Adam’s stepfather got ordained and married them and he seriously nailed it. He should do it full time. During their heartfelt vows to each other, there were no dry eyes anywhere. Their vows were handwritten and had everyone sobbing. Rachel even started hers first and was like,” nope Adam you have to go” because she immediately started crying so hard. It was so cute and really made their wedding and passion to each other stand out to us, in the photos, and to everyone witnessing their beautiful union.

They’ve been together for a long time, their families all made jokes that its about time. Her sister Jessica roasted her a little about it in her maid of honor speech. Speaking of siblings, Rachel’s sister was her maid of honor, and Adam’s brother was his best man. It all circles back to the importance of their family, and the huge vital role it plays in their lives, and relationships. Rachel’s bouquet honored both her grandmothers by having their broaches incorporated into them. They have both passed away, but this sweet little detail was close to her heart, and was a special way to honor them and their spirits on their joyful wedding day.

One of their big passions is travel. They honeymooned in Thailand and travel is very important to them. They are spending the next couple years traveling for Rachel’s job. We love following her on Facebook and watching their epic journeys come to life through photos, and tales of life abroad.

They have a huge group of friends that celebrated with them. Their guests enjoyed fun lawn games, good food and drinks, and danced and partied the night away with them.

We hope you enjoy this small preview into when Mulberry & Sage was Rachel and Adam’s Michigan Destination Wedding Photographer. We have a few more destination weddings and engagement sessions lined up in August, so make sure you are paying attention to the blog to see more of our explorations around the beautiful state of Michigan. If you’re looking for an experienced Michigan Destination Wedding Photographer team, we would love to chat.

August 3, 2019
Metro Detroit Wedding Photographer Team | Laura & Chris

Laura and Chris tied the knot on July 6, and we were so excited to tag along their special day as their Metro Detroit Wedding Photographer Team. The day started off as hot and muggy, and quickly turned into a full day of rain, but the age old saying of “rain on your wedding day brings good luck” is always our motto, and we set forth to roll with the downpour and keep the happy couple covered as much as possible. Luckily, they chose the perfect place to get ready and have their first look in: The Dearborn Inn. Laura and her girls prepared for the day back in one of the cottages behind the inn, and Chris and his friends hung out for a while and prepared inside. The two met up under the large trees by the Poe House at the inn, and had a beautiful and intimate first look. We also couldn’t resist sharing the joy of Laura’s nephew and her seeing each other for the first time either; they were both so happy and excited!

One thing that stands as a theme through all these photos is family. Laura and her parents are very tight knit, and we loved documenting all her Dad’s reactions to his baby girl’s special wedding day to her soulmate, Chris. After we did some portraits, we headed to the stunning church in Hamtramck where they officially became husband and wife. The church was so large and ornate, and very traditional, in a beautiful way. Their reception was held at St. Josaphat Banquet Centre in Warren, and was decorated to the nines, and chock full of family and friends who had so much energy and smiles, welcoming the newest married couple into their lives. Once again, some of our favorite moments are those small, in-between ones full of joy, laughter, and love, that really set this day apart from others.

We hope you enjoy this preview into Laura and Chris’ big day, where Mulberry & Sage tagged along as the happy couple’s Metro Detroit Wedding Photographer Team. To see more photos of Laura and Chris, and learn more about them personally, make sure to check out their Port Huron engagement photography session here.

We are quickly booking our 2020 calendar, and would love to speak to you about how we can make your wedding day vision come to life, as well.

July 21, 2019
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Wedding Photography | Kelsey & Tim

Kelsey and Tim have been together for over seven years, so when we met with them over the winter when they inquired about Mulberry & Sage as their Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Wedding Photography team, we got to hear all the funny stories and jokes that they shared alongside their families about their upcoming June wedding. Since Megan was due to have her baby at the beginning of June, Courtney and Serena teamed up for this June wedding, and Michigan weather really showed up for it. It was literally the most perfect sunny day; it was in the mid-60’s and wasn’t too hot or too cold. The breeze coming off the lake was amazing, and we were thrilled to spend our day at the beach celebrating their love story and their new chapter.

Kelsey was really pulling for an elopement, but Tim was the one who wanted the formal wedding, and we thought that was so sweet. Kelsey really hated having the attention on her, so we really focused on the documentary side of things, and capturing that aspect of their day, rather than the formal posed photos. With our style, it worked out great, and instead, we focused her attention on loving on her new husband, and got some great photos for them to cherish for years to come. At home, they have two crazy bulldogs who are their babies. They would have loved to have them at the wedding, but had the coolest and most unique cake topper to signify their family of 4 instead. They love music, and Tim brought his own set-up and played the DJ and MC role for the night, as well as doting groom.

The two of them are very laid back, and love exploring nature and being outdoors. Their barefooted beach wedding was ideal for the two of them, and many of their guests followed along with the trend and ditched their own shoes, as well. We also had a great laid-back timeline for the day, because they chose to do an intimate first look with the two of them before their ceremony. That allowed them to relax and mingle with their guests, and really enjoy their night to the max.

We love shooting at their venue, and since we’re local Port Huron gals ourselves, incorporating the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Wedding Photography into their day was so much fun. If you’re in the market for a Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Beach Wedding Photographer, we would love to chat with you!

July 3, 2019
Chicago Engagement Photography | Taylor & Justin

We originally met Taylor last September through her sister Ashley. Taylor was Ashley’s maid of honor, so she really got to know us as we all hung out together for the day in Alpena. She truly knows what she’s getting in to with us, and we love that when it was time to choose her own Detroit wedding photographer, she instantly contacted Mulberry & Sage. Taylor and her fiance Justin currently live in Chicago, so last weekend, Courtney trekked over to the windy city to do their Chicago Engagement Photography session.

We originally video chatted with them for their initial consultation, because that’s what we will do when the client is out of town, or if our schedules don’t align for an in-person meeting. They are getting married in 2020 at the Inn at St. Johns, but since they live in Chicago together, it was important to incorporate that aspect into their Chicago Engagement Photography session. Justin is from Farmington Hills, and Taylor is from up north. They were both living on the east coast in Boston for a while, and have since settled down in Chicago. Have I mentioned yet that we love to travel, and literally jump at the opportunity to do it whenever possible? We went up to Alpena for her sister’s wedding, so it seemed fitting to travel to Chicago for Taylor’s.

Taylor and Justin laugh a lot together, and have an easy and simple relationship that was beautiful and natural to photograph. They love spending time together, meeting friends for drinks, the beach in the summer, and having donuts from BomboBar as often as they possibly can. Taylor is obsessed, and loves introducing it to all of their out of town guests. Hopefully, they will also be serving them at their Detroit wedding! We can attest that they are seriously amazing.

We hope you enjoy looking at our trip hanging out in the windy city for Taylor and Justin’s Chicago Engagement Photography session. We’d love to explore the globe & document your love story, too! For real. Try us.

June 26, 2019