Grand Rapids Wedding Photography: Grant Isaac Studio

New blog!

2009-04-14T19:35:00.001-04:00

Today, we launched our new blog and website! Update your bookmark, if you please, to:

http://www.grantisaacstudio.com/blog

We moved the last few months of posts over to our new blog (from January-present), so there's a bit of overlap, but if you're here from our new blog, you'll be able to see more posts from 2008 by browsing through the archives on the right of the screen.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Kathy + Charlie: Engagement

2009-04-13T15:46:00.011-04:00

Last week Grant and I headed to Ox Bow Park in Elkhart to shoot Kathy and Charlie's engagement session. We had our first real date at Ox Bow. It's also where we held hands for the first time, on a lazy summer day, in the shade of a great beautiful tree. Going back there brings back a lot of sweet memories, and looking through these pictures of Kathy and Charlie's love for one another just makes me smile.

Charlie played for us a part of the song from when he proposed to Kathy.

Kathy told me beforehand that she was nervous about having pictures taken. Well, I'm pretty sure she didn't need to worry about being photogenic. Kathy, you're beautiful!

I love everything about this picture. The color, the light... definitely a favorite!

And finally... we couldn't resist coming back to the field as the sun began setting.
Grant's favorite:

Kathy and Charlie, thanks for the fun, relaxing session! We enjoyed exploring the other side of the park with you two!

On an unrelated note, you may have noticed our new watermark on these images. We've been doing some spring cleaning of the business in the past month or so, and we'll be unveiling a brand new site and blog in the next few days! We are so excited about all of the new things in the months to come... Only since January have we been able to call ourselves full-time wedding photographers, and the extra time has freed us up to really think about how we want our business to look like and be. Thanks in advance for everyone's patience as we move into a month or two of transition!

The First Day

2009-04-07T22:24:00.003-04:00

Just thought we'd share this poem that we came across today in the wrapper of a Chocolove chocolate bar:

The First Day
by Christina Rossetti

I wish I could remember the first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me;
If bright or dim the season, it might be
Summer or winter for aught I can say.
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May.
If only I could recollect it! Such
A day of days! I let it come and go
As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow.
It seemed to mean so little, meant so much!
If only now I could recall that touch,
First touch of hand in hand! - Did one but know!

Leandra was keen enough to have kept a calendar and journal of the first weeks and months of our relationship: the day we first held hands, kissed, when and where we went on certain dates. I never thought having those times documented would mean what it does to me today, when even now, just 4 years later, some of the details start to melt together. The details of our life together as a couple--from journal entries to emails to pictures--aren't just a comfort (which they are), they move us to live out the dreams we dreamed and vows we vowed.

Kathy + Charlie: Engagement Sneak Peek

2009-04-06T20:13:00.003-04:00

We had a great, relaxing engagement session with Kathy and Charlie on Saturday. Enjoy these two while we work through the rest!

Jena + Michael: Engagement

2009-04-02T23:35:00.005-04:00

Jena and Michael are high-school sweethearts (like us!). They're getting married this summer in South Bend, and we're delighted to reconnect with them and share that day with them. We had wonderful light on the day we scheduled--one of the first days that felt like spring this year. We thoroughly enjoyed photographing and getting to know the two of them, from their whispers to their kisses to their laughs, as they get closer and closer to the day they'll be wed.

This is a new favorite spot in South Bend. Beautiful.

And this is a new favorite picture--they both look so beautiful. I can tell you you'll be seeing this one on our new website (!). We feel like this one really represents our style as photographers.

They were so good and laughing with (and at) each other.

It seemed fitting to end their session in downtown South Bend near the Morris Peforming Arts Center and Palais Royale, where they'll be having their wedding reception. Although it might be difficult to see in the picture, the tattoo on Michael's wrist includes the date that he and Jena met.
As we looked through these, Jena mentioned how blessed she feels to have pictures of the two of them at this specific time in life because her mother never did, and regrets it. We too feel so blessed and honored to photograph and know all of our couples during this time in their lives, when love is full of hope and has a fierceness and defiance in the face of everything that love isn't. And, it might just be us, but we think love should always be fiercely hopeful like that.

Kate + Dave's Wedding at the Henry Ford

2009-03-27T09:08:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago Grant and I drove out to Dearborn to photograph Kate and Dave's wedding at the Henry Ford. The ceremony took place at the beautiful white chapel, and the reception was held at the tavern a little further down the path. We had never been to Dearborn, let alone the Henry Ford, and we discovered over the course of the day what a gem this place is! It was so fun to explore a place full of so much history, and it suited Kate and Dave's classic style perfectly.

The guys enjoyed some pre-wedding Rock Band in the basement of the chapel.

I love this portrait. It showcases the classic style and beauty Kate carries with her.

It is so special to witness the emotion of a groom seeing his bride for the first time.

Grant's view:
My view:

While I went ahead to grab shots of the details of the reception, Grant took a walk with Kate and Dave to the village area where Kate works...

Aside from some mood lighting near the dance floor and the videographers' lights, the reception was entirely candlelit. A bit of a photography challenge at times, sure, but we loved the intimacy of the celebration, particularly for the first dance.

We actually were connected with Kate and Dave through this couple below. Mark is a good friend from U of M, and Caitlin works with Kate at the Henry Ford. We spent Sunday afternoon after the wedding with the two of them at the Henry Ford (courtesy of Caitlin's free employee-and-friends admission!), and then hopped down to Ann Arbor for pizza at a favorite local place. (Thanks for the fun afternoon, you two!)

And the tavern as we left it.

Apologies to everyone for our blogging delinquence lately! We have several shoots coming up as well as some business changes, so we will be blogging more often in the future. Stay tuned for the rest of Jena and Michael's engagement session!

Album Slipcovers!

2009-03-20T13:40:00.003-04:00

Ever since we got our new flushmount sample album, I have been looking around for a way to present and carry it-- a presentation box, bag, anything! Naturally, an album is meant to be on display, but we felt like there should be something to keep it in when there's no space, or something to keep it in when you carry it around. Well I had heard about ChrysQ album slipcovers through an online forum, but Grant and I got to check them out for ourselves when we were in Las Vegas last month. We loved them! I ordered one once we got back to Grand Rapids and it came in the mail today!

We ordered a brown slipcover to match the brown-and-cream album, but she has several pretty fabric swatches to choose from.

I think the buttons are so fun, but they can also be ordered with a ribbon to tie the slipcover shut.

She did such a beautiful job! The stitching is so detailed, and I love the silk lining.
The designer, Christina, does such a beautiful job with these, and can even do completely custom slipcovers to match an aspect of your wedding. For now we are offering this as an album add-on, so contact us about pricing if you're interested!

Spring

2009-03-18T23:35:00.003-04:00

As spring slowly works itself into our days (finally!), we're remembering the spring before we were married, how June could not arrive faster and then, suddenly, it did. Some of my best memories from that spring are the afternoons (like yesterday) when we couldn't not be outside, when you literally and figuratively get down to earth, when you catch up with yourself and your other half and soon-to-be spouse.

I got out my hard drive and found some pictures from a spring when we were dating and thought I'd share some. Nothin' fancy, but I really like 'em (and I'm sure the subject of them has something to do with it).

Our feet. Leandra and my first date was at this same park. We were walking some trails, and when we came to a big muddy patch, I hopped around it, but Leandra took her sandals off and walked through the mud. I thought that was pretty awesome. In case you couldn't tell, my feet are the large, flat ones.

... and then we got married. This is my absolute favorite picture from our wedding. Our good friend Darrel Yoder, did our photos, and we loved them. This one was about half-way through the reception, and the song was "To Make you Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks. I usually spend my days listening to Brit-rock and folk and Norah Jones, but sometimes, I gotta have some country. There's something spring-in-the-park-earthy to [good] country music that speaks in ways other music doesn't. I remember that at the moment this picture was taken, I was completely positive that there was no where else that I needed to be, my thoughts needed to be, my time needed to be, and no where else I wanted my lover to be than right where she was.

Oh, and the guy on the border? That's Cameron. You'll find his pictures a few posts down.
If you hate country music, Adele also sings an amazing version of To Make You Feel My Love. Highly recommended first dance/reception choice. You'll just have at least one teary photographer on your hands.

Hope everyone else is enjoying this spring weather!

Jena + Michael: Sneak Peek

2009-03-16T19:03:00.002-04:00

Just a few from Saturday's engagement session of wonderful weather and wonderful people, Jena and Michael...

More coming soon!

Cameron/Caleb

2009-03-12T15:15:00.005-04:00

Leandra and I drove down to Indianapolis a few nights ago to take some portraits of our best friend, Cameron, and his room-mate, Caleb to promote the recitals they'll be giving in the next few weeks at their university. Just thought we'd share just a few of our favorites, and the final poster designs we put together!

Cameron:
...and Caleb:

And here are the poster designs we made for them...

Tea

2009-03-09T10:49:00.008-04:00

Leandra and I just thought we'd share a find of ours recently. Since the New Year, we both resolved to only drink coffee on the weekends. I had developed a 4 cup-a-day routine, and Leandra and developed a 4-buck-mocha-a-day routine, neither of which were very good on our bodies or wallets. So, we made coffee a treat for ourselves--only for weekends. On days we shoot a wedding it is definitely a necessity, but for lazy Sundays and wedding-free Saturdays, we've been having some nice, work-free coffee dates.

All's well and good for the weekends, and we're drinking a lot less ~~money~~ coffee. For the rest of the week, we've just started drinking a lot of tea. (And by a lot, I mean, a lot. Especially when this idea of ours first started.) Last week, we discovered Zhena's, which we've really been enjoying. It seemed like it was hard enough finding a coffee that was fair-trade certified, and teas are no different. Zhena's is fair trade and organic... and the price reflects it. (It also makes a lot of promises about aromatherapy, but as long as it smells "good," I'm fine. I don't expect any higher-enlightenment from tea aromas.) Unlike other fair-trade and/or organic teas though, the container is reusable and refillable with large refill bags that you can order online to help defray the cost a bit. On top of that, even though 30 cents a tea-bag is pretty expensive for tea, it's nothing compared to our previous coffee-shop fare. So, here it is, our favorite thing this week:

We bought the Chai and Earl Grey varieties, both of which are very good. What's that resting on top of our mugs? Well, those are Anna's Ginger Thins, the best thing to come from Sweden since Dancing Queen! The mug on the left was made by yours truly, but the one on the right was purchased at one of many kitschy road-side Bigfoot shrines in Northern California. I was there about a year ago for a little photo trip in Humboldt County, which was perhaps just as breathtaking but a bit more reality-based than some other trips that supposedly happen there. I love Bigfoot's nonchalance as he's walking across the mug, as well as an equally corny paragraph about the legend of bigfoot on the other side. Here are a few favorites from the (photo) trip:

The last one's Leandra's favorite, and it'll be going on our wall soon. I left the border off of them because I've enjoyed using them as my computer background--it's a nice change from grey Michigan winters--and thought I'd include a link to download full-sized versions if you'd like to also.

Here's one, two, three, and four. Enjoy!

Tagged!

2009-03-06T17:26:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I realized that I got tagged for a little blog meme by Brandi Thompson. Thank goodness I don't read blogs first thing in the morning, or I think I might have chickened out of this whole thing! I'm not sure if Grant and I have yet posted pictures of ourselves on the blog (other than our profile pictures on the right), but I am taking the plunge.

Here’s what you do:

1. Sit down.
2. Take a picture of yourself right now. Don’t primp, just snap one!
3. Upload it.
4. Tag 3 people to do the same.
That’s all!

Our camera gear was tucked away in the closet, so I opted to use my oh-so-technical MacBook webcam.

Yes, I am sitting on the floor. The sun was pouring in through our balcony door today so I did my editing and e-mailing (and apparently, blogstalking) sprawled out on the floor. It was a perfect day.

I've decided to pass this along and tag the following people: Kelly LaBruyere of True Expressions Photography, Brynne of P. Brynne Photography, and Valerie of Richard Bell Photography.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone!

UPS Happiness

2009-03-05T18:15:00.005-05:00

If you are anything like us, you love getting mail. If you are further like us, your mailbox mostly gets filled with junk. So for us, any bit of real mail is reason to celebrate. When we got a call today that UPS had dropped off a package of ours at the wrong address and that we could pick it up this afternoon, we got seriously excited. Our guestbook must have arrived!

After Meghan and Brad's beautiful engagement session a few weeks back, Grant and I decided it was time to finally get a sample of the photo guestbook we offer for weddings. It is a bound book of engagement pictures in a layout that leaves plenty of white space for guests' well-wishes. We love this idea! It is a perfect way to keep your engagement pictures on display, as well as to keep your guests' signatures in a special place rather than gathering dust in a half-empty book in the closet.

The book comes in red, black, or brown leather.

The pages lay flat to make it easier for guests to sign without holding the book open.

We will be sharing more samples with you in the near future. Until then, keep an eye out for the rest of Kate and Dave's wedding pictures!

Kate + Dave: Sneak Peek

2009-03-02T23:27:00.006-05:00

Leandra and I returned yesterday from Dearborn, where we photographed Kate and Dave's beautiful wedding at the Henry Ford on Saturday. We wanted to share two that caught our eye at first glance. Look for a full post in a week or so!

Kate and Dave, we hope you're enjoying your honeymoon in the Bahamas!

Lindsay + Aaron: Engagement Session

2009-02-25T23:06:00.005-05:00

Valentine's Day in Grand Rapids this year was classic: cold and snowy. In the week leading up to Lindsay and Aaron's session, Grant and I were a bit apprehensive about having a muddy field to work with, but the cold front came just in time. We woke up that morning to a beautiful blanket of snow covering everything. It was a perfect, romantic winter engagement session.

Editing these pictures, I couldn't get over how they both have such clear blue eyes!

One of our favorites.

The first half of the session took place on Aaron's grandparents' property, complete with pond, a stand of pine trees, and endless snowy fields.

From the snowy farmland we warmed up in our cars and drove downtown for some shots by the ice rink in Rosa Parks Circle.

We ended the session in the lower level of the Amway Grand Plaza, where Aaron proposed to Lindsay. He had arranged for a string quartet to play outside, but bad weather forced them indoors near this stone waterfall. The thought that went into the proposal was so sweet, and it was fun to do some portraits in a place that was so special to them.

Lindsay and Aaron, thanks again for spending your Valentine's Day with us! We really enjoyed getting to know you more as we visited places that are important to both of you. We're looking forward to the wedding in August!

Meghan + Brad: Engagement Session

2009-02-23T19:00:00.006-05:00

As the weather slowly warms up, we have really enjoyed exploring new parks in the Grand Rapids area. When we asked Meghan if she and Brad had any suggestions for their engagement session location, she mentioned that they like to take their dog, Moose, for walks at Provin Trails. It turned out to be a perfect place to be on another beautiful February day.

There was beautiful light in this stand of trees.

Love this one.

Leandra and I were determined to push ourselves to try some different perspectives with the popular blue bridge downtown. Here are our "entries":

Mine.

Leandra's (she wins.):

And.... we ended the session with a few in the lobby of the Amway Grand. This was actually the first time we have photographed in there, and we couldn't believe all the photo opportunities! The building is absolutely beautiful.

Meghan and Brad both have such a sophisticated sense of style. They fit well into the setting.

Meghan and Brad, we are already so excited for your wedding in October! Thanks for making the session such a fun afternoon for us.

Lindsay + Aaron: Sneak Peek

2009-02-23T01:43:00.003-05:00

Lindsay and Aaron were both kind enough to spend their Valentine's Day with us, so that we could hop on a plane the next day (when the shoot was originally scheduled) to head to Vegas for WPPI. We can't thank you two enough! Grant and I really enjoyed spending the afternoon traipsing through snow-covered pine trees and downtown streets, taking pictures of these two people in love.

More coming soon! Meghan and Brad's full engagement post should be up sometime tomorrow!

Summer + Jon: Engagement Session

2009-02-20T22:50:00.005-05:00

We always love to shoot engagement session in a location that is personal to the couple. When Jon suggested shooting in Ada Township Park, we were excited to explore someplace new. We were even more excited when we found out that it was the same place he had proposed! The day was absolutely gorgeous-- one of those few warm, sunny days in February. With the combination of the sunshine and Summer and Jon's sweet relationship and quick smiles, Grant and I would have been happy to be in the park all day!

To begin, both of our perspectives: Grant's.

Mine.

Blue sky, anyone? The combination of that and their bright shirts makes me even more ready for spring weather.

Here is the bridge where they got engaged a few months ago.

A favorite.

Thanks for sharing such a beautiful afternoon with us, Summer and Jon! We are looking forward to the wedding in June.

On the Strip

2009-02-19T02:09:00.005-05:00

We've had such a packed few days in Vegas learning about photography everything, but made it out onto the strip tonight for dinner at Wolfgang Puck's in the MGM, dessert at Fix in the Bellagio, and "shopping" at Caesar's Palace (because, of course, we can afford a $50,000 Faberge Egg!). We were walking back at the perfect time to catch the fountains at the Bellagio, also! We've seen musical fountains before, and haven't been that impressed, but we certainly learned that in this case, bigger IS better. Anyways, we're on our way back to Michigan tomorrow with lots and lots and lots to think about, but wanted to share a few we took tonight first.

We'll be back in town shortly!

Meghan + Brad: Sneak Peek

2009-02-15T10:15:00.002-05:00

We're off to Vegas today, but wanted to get a few from Meghan and Brad's engagement session up before we flew off! Enjoy...

Summer + Jon: Sneak Peek

2009-02-14T00:11:00.004-05:00

Two favorites as we're working through Summer + Jon's pictures. Just looking at these makes me remember how wonderful and springy it felt that day...

Make sure you scroll down to see Tera + Rob's engagement session that we just posted last night!

Tera + Rob: Engagement

2009-02-13T08:43:00.004-05:00

We met Tera and Rob at Grand Valley State (where they met!), and although I know we've noted the coldness of more than a few of our engagement sessions in the past few months, this one had to be the coldest. They were easy to talk to, easy to laugh with, and easy to photograph, even in the frigid cold. A few favorites...

The light was so wonderful here, in the arboretum.

In the stairwell of the library (warming up...)

A favorite.

Oh, and this one. Like this one a lot too!

We're off to Vegas this weekend (!) but we'll have some engagement sessions coming up (and maybe some on-the-road updates...)!

Tera + Rob: Engagement Sneak Peek

2009-02-10T23:29:00.002-05:00

We're almost finished with Tera and Rob's engagement session, but we wanted to share a few before the full blog post.

We'll have their engagement session, as well as a few others, up soon!

Karissa + Rylan: Wedding

2009-02-09T23:45:00.005-05:00

I think that anyone who decides to plan a wedding in the icy month of January is brave. Braver than me anyway! Despite the odds, Karissa and Rylan each woke up on their wedding morning to a beautiful winter day, the sun streaming down onto the snowy white fields outside their windows. Grant and I couldn't help but smile at the sunny blue skies as we drove down county roads to the house where Karissa was getting ready for the wedding.

While Karissa spent the first part of the morning at a wedding shower and brunch thrown for her by her extended family, Rylan dropped off a letter and bouquet of flowers to surprise her when she arrived back at the house to get ready.

The ringbearers, waiting for the fun to start. :)

The house was filled with all the ladies getting ready for the day, and helping Karissa make a last-minute decision on which of the 4 pairs of earrings she should wear for the ceremony!

Beautiful.

Karissa and Rylan opted to see each other before the ceremony. It gave them the chance to spend a few minutes alone together, then to greet their close family and friends before the blur of the ceremony and reception.

The ceremony was held at the lovely chapel at Goshen College.

These next three pictures come from a part of the ceremony that Grant and I have never seen before: both sets of parents came up to the altar to pray with Karissa and Rylan before they were sent off as husband and wife. They both seem to have close relationships with their families and, especially knowing that after the honeymoon they were moving to start their new life a few states away, it was a special way to end the service.

Karissa and Rylan, thanks so much for allowing us to be a part of your wedding day. It was beautiful, and so filled with your love for each other and your families. We hope Jamaica was amazing, and that you are enjoying setting up your new place!

Reason Enough

2009-02-06T20:16:00.005-05:00

We were recently emailed by our image proofing partner, Collages.net, to notify us that Beth and Ben's wedding had been chosen as the Website of the Week! Small recognitions like this one aren't life-changing by any means, but it is nice. We thought it was reason enough to post another picture from their wedding...

...and this! The left half of "B&B" also happens to be the male half of "Beth + Ben," you'll notice. The lion nose is quite adorable, we must say. We're posting a compilation, but it's easy to spend an extra 20 minutes watching the full length version of all those songs, in all their YouTube glory (their 42,272-view YouTube glory!)

Make that 42,273 views. Just watched it again: so funny!

Ben

2009-02-05T23:18:00.006-05:00

We were scheduled to take Ben's senior pictures back in December, but the weather was absolutely horrid that day, and as Leandra and I were sitting in IHOP looking out the windows and contemplating calling to reschedule, we received a call from Ben and his mom, who were at Applebee's across the street thinking the same thing! Anyways, we rescheduled for "sometime in January"--and decided that this particular Sunday afternoon looked good. It was cold, but the way the weather looked was perfect (sunny and bright-blue-skied), and as I told Ben, he made looking good look easy!

So, here are some favorites.

I like this one a lot.

He had such an easy smile.

Another favorite.

Karissa and Rylan's full wedding post will be up soon!

Karissa + Rylan: Sneak Peek

2009-01-31T22:15:00.005-05:00

Karissa and Rylan had a beautiful wedding at Goshen College last Saturday. We've just started editing, but these two we have to share:

The rest coming soon!

Alyssa

2009-01-30T01:14:00.005-05:00

Although we don't normally do many senior sessions, they're always lots of fun, and a nice change of pace and format from weddings. Alyssa's session was no exception. She was so natural in front of the camera, and we both really enjoyed spending an afternoon with her!

Alyssa has such clear, distinct eyes.

A little different framing, but I like it.

A favorite:

Leandra's view (another favorite!):

And my view.

Coming soon: another senior session, Karissa and Rylan's wedding, a few engagement sessions, and an upcoming trip to Vegas!

Beth + Ben: Wedding

2009-01-28T01:10:00.011-05:00

Beth and Ben's wedding day was a bright and sunny--but freezing--day, but Beth expected as much for a January 3rd wedding and planned to have everything at one location, so we all stayed warm inside the entire day!

Beth had ordered a bouquet of white tulips, but this is what arrived that morning. No saturation or vibrancy adjustments to this picture, I promise! The tulips were a beautiful buttery yellow... but not white.

Someone left the church on a mission for a white bouquet and came back with these beautiful white roses. Much better.

Leandra loves capturing the quiet details like these next three.

Both the garter and the toss bouquet were the same ones caught by Beth and Ben at a wedding they attended together a few months prior to the wedding!

Tux with white bow-tie: check. Dashing countenance: check. Pool skills: check.
And Grant did move his camera (and face) before Ben actually took the shot.

The sunlight streaming in the big stained-glass window above the altar that afternoon was perfect!

Beautiful.

Beth and her mom...

...Beth and her dad, waiting for the ceremony to start...

...and Ben, waiting to see Beth!

We smile every time we see this picture!

Our favorite portrait of the day.

One of the things we really appreciated about Beth and Ben's wedding day was how it truly centered around them and their love for one another. We feel like that love is really captured in this last image.

Beth and Ben, we hope you stayed warm and had a wonderful time in your cabin getaway! We really enjoyed the time we were able to spend with you.

Beth + Ben: Sneak Peek

2009-01-16T23:50:00.004-05:00

Just two from Beth and Ben's wedding--two black and white pictures that caught our eyes. We can't wait to get through the rest of their pictures and share them with you!

Caley + Josh: Engagement

2009-01-11T19:44:00.010-05:00

We met with Caley and Josh just after the holidays for their engagement session. They love dogs--especially the ones they own--so naturally, we started out with including their dogs for a few...

It was windy and cold in this little stand of trees, but Caley and Josh were good at staying close and keeping each other warm for the few mintues we were there. We think it paid off... we really like how these next few turned out.

Another favorite...

There was really wonderful end-of-day light here, at the beautiful house of a family Caley knows.

For the last few, we raced the sun down to a small church south of town for the last moments of the day. Caley and Josh mentioned they love "tree pictures," and we won't ever complain about that!

It was a pleasure spending time with Caley and Josh, talking about books, dogs, mutual friends, and everything in between. That's one of the reasons we enjoy engagement sessions so much: we get to spend a good stretch of non-wedding-day time getting to know our couples more before we share in and document the intricacies of their wedding day.

Caley and Josh are planning a outdoor evening wedding in June that will surely be beautiful (and about 50 degrees warmer than their engagement session!), so look for their wedding pictures coming up in a few months!

We'll have Beth and Ben's wedding posts coming up soon!

Caley + Josh: Sneak Peek

2009-01-05T18:00:00.006-05:00

Sorry we've been missing from our blog for a while. So much less than you plan actually gets done around the holidays! We'll be around more now that we have some sort of a routine again.

We headed out into the cold with Caley and Josh a few days after Christmas, and wanted to share these few while we work on finishing the rest...

More coming soon!

Katie + Philip: Engagement

2008-12-23T23:53:00.008-05:00

We had never met Katie and Philip before their engagement session a few weeks ago, so we decided to meet for lunch before getting out the cameras. We really enjoyed getting to know them then, over Panera soup and bread-bowls, and over the course of the afternoon. We started at the church they'll be getting married, in the chapel where Philip proposed, and then moved on to downtown Rockford, along the river. The cold wind, blowing snow, and beautiful winter sunset were a perfect backdrop to capture the joy and care they give one another!

I can nearly guarantee you'll see pictures at this spot from their wedding, too. It was great for pictures! It's a man-made cave in a hill on the grounds of their church that had great light and atmosphere. We'll definitely look to make the short jaunt up to it once again come May.

Really like the light in this one, in the cave entrance...

On to Rockford, by the river.

A favorite, for sure.

Shooting through a Christmas tree with lights on it.

Leandra and I really like a Walt Whitman poem called "Song of the Open Road" because of this quote (which we actually ended up including in our wedding program!):

"I give you my hand!
I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself, before preaching or law;
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?"

We liked the poem because of the deep devotion it describes; that we should, could, and would stay devotedly at each others' sides throughout our entire lives (and it's also about travelling!). This next picture isn't anything technically fancy, but it captures that same determined devotion, I think...

Katie and Philip, you were both a joy to work with and get to know more! We're so glad you braved the cold with us.

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!

Jill + Jeff: Engagement

2008-12-21T01:55:00.008-05:00

Typically when we have a Grand Rapids area wedding we shoot the engagement session nearby. When we first met with Jillian and Jeff a few months ago over coffee though, they joked about how much they love Notre Dame, and how that's where they would *really* love to have their pictures taken. At that point, Grant and I just smiled because, well, our families live about half an hour from ND, so we knew we could make it work! The four of us met up on campus over Thanksgiving weekend and squeezed in their session between a visit to the campus bookstore and their trip back home to watch the ND football game later that evening.

We think this is Jeff's "I'm-marrying-my-best-friend-and-I-like-it" face.

A favorite, for sure.

Up next: Katie and Philip!

Abbey + TJ: Wedding

2008-12-18T03:46:00.009-05:00

Abbey and TJ got married last month in a small church in Union, MI, and had their reception at the Sturges-Young Civic Center in Sturgis. I'll admit, Grant and I were a bit nervous because this was the first wedding we have shot without meeting the bride or groom before the wedding day. As usual, there was absolutely nothing to worry about--Abbey and TJ are two of the most easygoing, genuinely nice people you will ever meet. The day was truly about their love for one another, and they were naturally affectionate for us and our cameras.

The picture of the rings (and most of the detail shots at the church) always falls to Grant, since he takes them while I am with the bride in the dressing room. I love this one.

The veil.

Abbey, you looked gorgeous!

The lineup before walking out the door and down the aisle.

TJ was one of the most openly affectionate grooms we have ever had. The first kiss says it all!

Father-daughter dance.

TJ and his mom (really his whole family) were amazing dancers. Seriously, we had so much fun watching everyone at the reception. I believe the mother-son dance was a samba (someone correct me if I'm wrong, because I am no expert on dancing!).

Like I said, this reception was a dance party! Even the DJ, David Rice, joined in on a dance-off later. This is TJ and one of his sisters...

The Best Man watching the groom get down. I'm telling you, there was no escaping the music and dancing at this thing (great job, David!). I can't dance hip-hop to save my life, but going through these images again makes me want to try.

Last song of the night: "Lean On Me"

Abbey and TJ, thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding day. We hope the first month of married life has been wonderful, and we wish you many happy years to come.

Katie + Philip: Sneak Peek

2008-12-17T17:15:00.001-05:00

Katie and Philip braved the cold and snow with us a few weeks ago. Here are a few that caught our eye while we were going through them...

This might be a favorite from the whole season. We LOVE it.

More soon!

Jill + Jeff: Sneak Peek

2008-12-17T00:07:00.001-05:00

It might not be apparent where we met Jill and Jeff for their engagement session a few Saturdays ago from this picture...

...but it should be from this one! Jill and Jeff are another couple that also happen to be die-hard Notre Dame fans (so of course, we had to have a few with the golden dome in it!).

Abbey and TJ's post is *still* on the way, so we decided to sneak a few sneak peeks in before it's ready. Tomorrow we'll have two posts: Katie and Philip's engagement session sneak peek and Abbey and TJ's full wedding post. Thanks for your patience!

Surprise in the Mail!

2008-12-14T18:31:00.000-05:00

Well, we were expecting it, but not so soon--we just received a new flushmount sample album! We put a lot of work into making it just how we wanted, and it turned out better than we could have imagined! We'll be putting the same TLC into designing and ordering our clients' wedding albums, and can't wait to share it with you...

We opened this box to see this beautiful packaging. Our album company endeavors to use environmentally-friendly packaging and materials, which makes us even happier.

We ordered a two-tone leather cover with an inset picture.

Imprinting on the inside cover. We went for the subtle clear imprint, but the text can also be imprinted with gold, silver, copper, red, black, or white foil.

Lay-flat binding! You can also see the soft, square spine in this picture. Our flushmounts can also be ordered with a rounded, solid spine for a more traditional wedding-album look.

If you can't tell already, we love this album. It is so exciting for us to take a wedding through the editing process all the way to a completed album. As our lives become more and more digital, holding a finished product in our hands is very gratifying. When we photograph a wedding, this is the end product we have in mind. Boiling all those hours down to something tangible and beautiful, something that will become a family heirloom for the couple, makes us feel so excited and satisfied with our jobs. Like I said, we love it.

Abbey + TJ: Sneak Peek

2008-12-13T02:39:00.000-05:00

We've almost finished editing Abbey and TJ's November wedding, and these two pictures caught my eye right away:

I don't think they took their eyes off of each other since the moment Abbey walked down the aisle. Their love for each other was so apparent throughout the day. Stay tuned for their full wedding post in a few days!

Pine Cones and Print Orders

2008-12-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

We thought we'd share some pictures of the Christmas decorations we put up in the last few weeks. These grey Michigan winters taught us a lesson last year, so this year we put a little more heart into keeping our place cozy, bright, and warm-feeling during these dark days before Christmas.

A little backstory for these images:
Leandra LOVES candles. One of the first things she does when we get back from wherever we've been is light candles. I'm partial to pumpkin-spice scented ones, but I think the short one is Sandalwood from the Root candle outlet in Medina, Ohio and I really like that one also. They're soy-based, so they burn clean and green and don't deteriorate indoor air quality as much as petroleum-based candles like the tall one (which was one of 300-some we bought from Michael's for our wedding) in back. We have a wedding in Columbus January 3rd, and we'll definitely be making a detour through Medina to stock up again.

The ornament vase is also a wedding remnant. It was our altarpiece until we decided this summer that it should be our gold-fish bowl. We got so far as buying gravel and a plant (that died) before it became our ornament-filled dining room table topper!

The pine-cone basket was made by the kids at the school Leandra taught at while she was volunteering in Uganda in 2005, and the candy-cane pot was wheel-thrown and glazed by yours truly!

Okay, one more explanation. Leandra's mom bought me the cowboy-singer Santa ornament a few years ago because I used to wear a cowboy hat most everywhere I went (I'll post some pictures sometime. It IS an awesome hat!), and I have a soft spot in my heart (which used to be more of an obsession--I owned a banjo, once.) for bluegrass and traditional country music, like this, this, and this. So, I like it. It's a favorite of the few ornaments we've accumulated.

Speaking of Christmas, we're able to fulfill any print orders received through this coming Monday, December 15th. We'll be out of town (and out of business!) for a few days on either end of Christmas, so for any print orders received after next Monday, we cannot guarantee their delivery before the new year. Feel free to send us an email if you have any questions!

We'll have Abbey and TJ's wedding posts coming up, as well as the engagement sessions of Jill & Jeff and Katie & Philip!

April + Joe: Engagement Session

2008-12-08T23:56:00.000-05:00

We started April and Joe's session at Bonneyville Mill County Park, where April spent much of her time growing up. Her family is still involved with the park, where her mom helps with the gardens every summer and the family attends every festival. It was fun to be in a location that was important to her, where she could point out the flowerbeds she weeded as a kid. Unfortunately, the flowers were all dead for the winter, but we have been there in the summer before, and it's beautiful!

You can't see it, but they are sitting on a bench that is dedicated to April's grandmother, proving just how dedicated her family really is to this park!

Grant's favorite.

Love this picture! How can you resist fall leaves?

Joe and April, thanks for braving the cold with us! Oh, and for the hot drinks at the house afterward! We can't wait for your warm June wedding.

Katie + John: Engagement Session

2008-12-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

These first two pictures of Katie and John describe the two of them better than I could...

Katie and John are just as good at cracking each other up as they are at loving one another. We really enjoyed spending an afternoon with them at Notre Dame getting to know them, laughing with them, and of course, taking pictures. It was yet another perfect fall day.

I (Grant) like this one a lot.

Oh, and this one! This one's a favorite, too.

Leandra's favorite.

Although the snow is falling in buckets and we just put our Christmas tree up, we're really enjoying working on the last few sessions of the fall (including Katie and John's!). The busy season is winding down just in time for the holidays, and we're beginning to look forward to next summer and fall's busy season already!

April and Joe's full post will be next up, and then Abbey and TJ's wedding!

April + Joe: Sneak Peek

2008-12-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

April and Joe braved a blustery day with us to head outside for their engagement session. Here are a couple of our favorites so far...

The rest are almost done! Thanks for your patience, everyone.
Katie and Jon's full post is coming up next!

Emily + Carl: Wedding

2008-11-22T23:42:00.000-05:00

Emily and Carl had a beautiful small wedding in late October. They invited their closest family and friends to share the day with them at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan. We felt truly honored to be a part of such an intimate celebration.

The ladies at Panache Salon (location and phone number here) did a great job with hair and makeup. They made the whole morning relaxed and fun, complete with pastries for breakfast and a personalized music playlist.

As you can see, Emily loved her hair!

Jumbo chess while waiting for the girls...

They wrote their own beautiful vows. There were only a few dry eyes in the room. In their vows, the first dance--throughout the whole day--the way they looked at each other was filled with a sincerity that showed how they felt and understood the strength of their love for one another.

Our favorite, during the first dance.

One final rendition of "Hey Jude" before goodbyes...

Emily and Carl, we so enjoyed being a part of your wedding day and seeing your love for each other. Thanks for making us feel so warmly welcomed in the midst of your family and friends.

Rachael + Jake: Engagement Session

2008-11-21T13:48:00.000-05:00

Rachael and Jake's engagement session took place a few weeks ago on yet another beautiful October day. (Can you tell by now that we love October?) The session was the first time we had met the two of them, and we had a great time. Rachel has such a contagious smile, and they are both so fun and easygoing that our time just flew by.

Mine.

Grant's.

One of our favorites.

Rachael and Jake, we are looking forward to the wedding in June!

Emily + Carl: Sneak Peek

2008-11-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Emily and Carl were married in Charlevoix on a blustery day late in October. We're working on their pictures as I'm writing this, but here are a few we came across that we especially like...

One of our favorite pictures from the day... just couldn't wait to post it!

This one made us laugh as we looked through the pictures... one of Emily's bridesmaids doing a Tina Fey/Sarah Palin impression at the end of the night:

Expect a full blog post soon!

Rachael + Jake: Sneak Peek

2008-11-20T00:31:00.001-05:00

Just two quick favorites from our session with Rachael and Jake at Rachael's family's beautiful new home in Belding...

The rest: coming soon!

Maria + Jeremiah: Wedding

2008-11-15T06:51:00.000-05:00

Maria and Jeremiah were married on yet another beautiful October day. We totally lucked out on weather this fall! Maria spent the morning getting ready at Posh Salon in Elkhart, and then walked across the street to the ceremony with her bridesmaids. She and Jeremiah both seemed so calm throughout the day; we really enjoyed seeing them enjoy their wedding and time with family and friends afterward.

I (Leandra) love this picture. Maria, you have such beautiful eyes!

The dress.

Maria and Jeremiah decided to see each other before the ceremony. They got to spend a few minutes of semi-alone time together (we were there!) before heading out for formals and the rest of the day. We love the excitement and the "it's-finally-here!" feeling couples get to share before the ceremony when they decide to see each other beforehand.

The guys enjoyed some unconventional posing while waiting around...

They took a carriage ride around the grounds of Essenhaus before making their entrance inside for the reception.

Yes, we know this doesn't have much to do with the wedding, but we couldn't resist posting a picture of Essenhaus' amazing apple butter. Yum!

Love this picture.

Maria and Jeremiah, we were honored to spend your wedding day with you. It was beautiful, and so evident throughout the day that you care deeply for each other. We hope you enjoyed your getaway after the wedding, and that married life is going wonderfully!

Maria + Jeremiah: Wedding Sneak Peek

2008-11-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

For today, just three of our favorites so far as we finish up Maria and Jeremiah's classy October wedding:

More images over the weekend!

Katie + John: Sneak Peek

2008-11-12T19:47:00.001-05:00

Katie and Jon are die-hard Notre Dame fans in every sense of the word. So, naturally, we went to Notre Dame for their engagement session! They are wonderful to each other, and had each other (and us) laughing the whole afternoon. Just a few favorites...

Emma + Jason: Engagement

2008-11-09T18:29:00.000-05:00

We had such a fun time with Emma and Jason in Holland for their session. It was easy to see how much they care for one another, and they were great at making each other laugh! We didn't have to make the skies any bluer, the grass any gold-er--it all really looked that good (and of course, the same is true about the two of you, Emma and Jason!).

This is a favorite...

Grant's view...

And Leandra's...

We love their expressions in this next one.

Once the sun set, we headed to downtown Holland for a few more...

and dessert at the Alpenrose!

...Please don't judge the taste of the desserts by the way the pictures look. They're half-eaten, and we're no food photographers. They were, in fact, delicious (clockwise from top: apple streusel, creme brulee, pumpkin cheesecake, and really dense chocolate cake.)

Thanks again for the treat, you two! We had a great time spending the evening with you.

Amy + Craig: Wedding

2008-11-08T21:58:00.000-05:00

Amy + Craig took a risk on planning an outdoor wedding in October, but the weather could not have been more perfect. Amy's parents live in the hills of Bristol in Northern Indiana and the combination of the setting and weather was gorgeous. This is the first time we've shot an at-home wedding, and we loved it. Everyone seemed so comfortable and the girls were able to take their time getting ready upstairs while the guys hung out in the basement and kept an eye on the football game.

Amy and her mom, whose hospitality kept everyone happy throughout the day.

Another advantage of getting married at home: the family pet gets to be involved! (And wear her very own set of pearls!)

Craig saying his vows. You could really see his love for Amy in the way he looked at her throughout the day.

Awesome getaway car: an authentic Model T!

Amy's sister, the maid of honor, gettin' her groove on!

Amy and her proud grandpa.

The band, 1-900, dragged Craig up onto the stage to help them sing "Margaritaville". Both of us would have been mortified to ever be called up to sing karaoke (as would our audience!), but Craig ended up rocking the house! As you can see, people absolutely loved it. Brilliant move by the band.

One last picture of the evening. We know, we had one like this in the sneak peek, but the setting is just too perfect.

Amy and Craig, we had a lot of fun working with you, and wish you all the best!

Karissa + Rylan: Engagement

2008-11-07T15:44:00.001-05:00

Karissa and Rylan will be getting married this January, so we were excited to find out that Rylan would be in town to do pictures before the weather got too cold! We had a lot of fun hanging out with them near Karissa's family's house and then some in downtown Goshen. When we found out that Rylan proposed to Karissa in a cornfield, we were immediately excited to try out a new location! The pictures in the corn ended up being some of our favorites from the session. We love the way the stalks frame them, and their golden October color.

My view...

And Grant's!

We just couldn't get enough of this cornfield! We love it when we get a chance to shoot in a location that is special to the couple.

We came upon this really neat old barn loft and couldn't resist getting a few shots. It was sweltering up there, and quite a bit darker than this image shows, but we're so glad Karissa and Rylan were willing to endure the heat. This is one of our favorites.

We're excited about the wedding in a few months, you two! We're hoping for a beautiful, snowy winter day!

Coming up soon: Amy + Craig's wedding post, Emma + Jason's engagement session, and Maria + Jeremiah's sneak peek...

Emma + Jason: Sneak Peek

2008-11-06T23:41:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Emma and Jason ventured to Tunnel Park in Holland with us. It was the first time we've been there, and we just have to say that place is absolutely beautiful! The weather, the light, the setting... it was a perfect October evening.

Here's a glimpse of the kind of day it was:

More coming soon!

Amy + Craig: Wedding Sneak Peek

2008-11-05T23:20:00.000-05:00

Amy and Craig had a beautiful fall wedding at Amy's parents' house. The weather and setting were absolutely perfect for the day. Here's a teaser until their full post this weekend!

It was as beautiful as it looks. Love this picture...

Karissa + Rylan: Sneak Peek

2008-11-03T22:49:00.000-05:00

A few favorites from Karissa and Rylan's engagement session from a few weeks ago. Full post coming soon!

Carol + Josh: Engagement Session

2008-10-31T09:54:00.001-04:00

For Carol and Josh's engagement session a few weeks ago we decided to explore a bit more around downtown Grand Rapids. It was fun getting to know them a bit more along the way, and we found some new locations to add to our list of favorites!

We tried a different post-processing style on this one, and like it.

Carol and Josh were great to each other, and interacted easily and naturally.

Love this one!

On some old train tracks on the north side of downtown. We really like this series.

Carol really liked this one on the back of the camera (we did too).

And... just for fun. All four of us!

Carol + Josh, we can't wait for the wedding in May!

Meg + Shane: Wedding

2008-10-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

Meg and Shane are such a wonderful, loving couple. It was an honor to be with them throughout their day. It was a beautiful wedding in a beautiful church on a beautiful day in September...

You could see that Meg's mom savored every minute of the day...

Meg's day was filled with symbols of her family's love, like the veil that her grandmother made for her...

Stepping into the shoes...

Shane, just a minute before "go time".

Shane, taking in his bride; and Meg, taking in the moment.

The ceremony was held at St. Alphonsus, where both Meg and Shane's families have attended together for years.

Leandra and I joined the bridal party on the trolley to spend the time between the morning ceremony and evening reception driving around Grand Rapids, celebrating, and relaxing.

My view:

and Leandra's.

If you read our blog, you might remember this shot from a few months ago...

So we had to get this shot when the wedding party spent some time at Meg's house:

This picture isn't anything spectacular, but we just had to share it because we love their expressions! We think Meg looks like she's modeling the cake knife, and Shane looks like he's guarding the cake with his life.

An emotional toast from Emily, Meg's sister.

Thriller.

One more of Meg and Shane. Love this one...

Meg and Shane, we have absolutely loved working with you. The wedding was beautiful, and we are so excited for you to finally see all of the pictures!

Coming up soon... Carol + Josh's full engagement post, Karissa + Rylan's sneak peek, and Amy + Craig's sneak peek. Thanks for hanging in there everyone-- we have been working like crazy to catch up after some computer trouble, and we are almost there. We appreciate all of your patience!

Carol and Josh: Sneak Peek

2008-10-23T19:42:00.000-04:00

We've been editing pictures like mad lately, and while we're not completely finished with Carol and Josh's engagement pictures, we wanted to post two of our favorites! We roamed around downtown Grand Rapids and wound up finding some great new spots...

Meg + Shane's wedding post is coming up next!

Meg + Shane: Sneak Peek

2008-10-21T20:35:00.000-04:00

A few from Meg and Shane's beautiful wedding a few weeks ago. They had a late morning ceremony and an evening reception, which left lots of time in the middle of the day to relax, have fun, and get some great pictures!

We thought the choice of red dresses and red roses was "so Meg": classic, classy.

The first dance. Those are Meg's parents looking on.

A few minutes of relaxing together at Meg's family's house before the reception. It was a bright, beautiful September Saturday.

The rest of them are almost done. Expect a full wedding post this weekend!

Kate + Dave

2008-10-20T22:09:00.000-04:00

Kate and Dave, fellow high-school sweethearts, met when they were cast as a married couple in a play. They'll be having a winter wedding at the Henry Ford, and we're sure it will be beautiful! We had a great time around Grand Rapids with them.

Love this one. There are some pictures that make it very hard not to put everything else down, make some coffee, and cuddle with Leandra. This is one.

This one is too. This is a favorite.

In front of the civic theater.

This is favorite #2!

Love the foot kick.

Kate only had two requests for their pictures. She wanted a Gone With the Wind-esque photo of Dave carrying her down a staircase, and one under a streetlamp. Grand Rapids isn't quite Civil War-era South, but we thought this staircase looked pretty grand.

And the streetlamp... It was getting darker and chillier, and what's the best remedy for that? Kisses.

Kate and Dave: It was a pleasure spending a Sunday afternoon with the two of you! Can't wait for the wedding!

Coming up VERY soon: Meg + Shane's sneak peek, Carol + Josh's sneak peek, and quite a few more. It's been a bu-sy fall!

Molly + Jordan: Wedding

2008-10-20T00:06:00.000-04:00

Molly and Jordan's wedding was fun, fun, and more fun! They're an easygoing, loving couple, and had a beautiful wedding day. They had a rockin' reception at Windsor Park in Mishawaka.

We both love these next two. They are the kind of quiet moments of preparation that we love to capture. In the first, Molly is putting on her necklace; in the second, Leandra caught the flower girl stealing a glance in the mirror while everyone was busy getting ready.

Molly couldn't resist peeking into the sanctuary as the guests were being seated...

First dance!

Jordan and their youngest son.

The flower girl and ringbearer... and plenty of glowsticks! Molly and Jordan did a great job of making sure everyone had a good time. They even had a table in the corner for the kids with coloring books and dozens of crayons.

Most DJs are planted firmly behind their speakers. Not this one. He had a great voice and got people dancing--even grandma!

We just like everything going on in this one.

Molly and Spencer, who got to be in his parents' wedding as a junior groomsman!

Like father...

...like son.

One last first dance picture...

Molly and Jordan, we really enjoyed working with you. We hope the honeymoon was wonderful, and that married life is treating you well!

Coming up soon: Kate + Dave's engagement post, Meg + Shane's wedding sneak peek, and Carol + Josh's engagement sneak peek.

Kate + Dave: Sneak Peek

2008-10-15T00:46:00.000-04:00

Kate and Dave are getting married this February on the east side of Michigan, but were kind enough to meet us "out west" for their engagement session two Sundays ago. It was nice meeting them in person. Enjoy!

The rest are coming soon!

Molly + Jordan: Wedding Sneak Peek

2008-10-14T01:40:00.000-04:00

Our apologies for being blogging delinquents. We've been bu-sy! Just finishing up Molly + Jordan's wedding pictures--here are a few favorites until the full post in a few days!

The ceremony was in a beautiful, light-filled church in South Bend.

...and the reception, in Mishawaka.

A great cake..

...and a great post-cake-smash kiss. Note the icing on Jordan's ear. Molly's smile makes me smile. We love catching a moment like this.

A full wedding post of Molly + Jordan's will be up in a few days. Look out for Kate and Dave's sneak peek!

Kate + Tim

2008-10-07T00:36:00.001-04:00

Kate and Tim met while attending GVSU together, so it seemed fitting that we do their engagement pictures there. It was fun watching them together: Tim is great at making Kate laugh.

A few favorites:

Favorite #1:

Favorite #2!

Tim was tall and quite limber. We thought this sequence of him spanning the bench to kiss Kate was pretty funny.

We went to the same old school we took Emily and Jeremy to on their wedding day. We like it that much.

Kate and Tim: Hope you like the pictures as much as we liked taking them. We're excited for your wedding next August!

Kate + Tim: sneak peek

2008-10-06T00:21:00.000-04:00

We met Kate + Tim at GVSU for their engagement session the week before last--it was a beautiful evening. The rest will be up within a few days!

Emily + Jeremy: Wedding

2008-10-04T20:27:00.000-04:00

Emily and Jeremy had a beautiful wedding in Hudsonville and the reception in the Alumni House at Grand Valley State. It was a stormy morning, but the weather cleared up in time for pictures...

What's a fall wedding in Michigan without football? What cracks me up here is the fact that the ball passed through not one, not two, but three sets of hands. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that the dresses and tuxes handicapped their footballin' skills. I'm not one to talk, anyways.

Beautiful shot of Emily's dress being laced up.

The first look.

We found this awesome old school and field on the way from the church to GVSU. Had to stop.
I think this captures Emily and Jeremy well. They have a deep, quiet trust in and respect of each other. It came through in their engagement session and on the wedding day.

One of the favorites from the day.

Reception details. It was a beautiful room, and they decorated it beautifully, too.

The best man ripped a verse from Job out of "some Bible" to read during his toast. The lengths he'll go for his friend. If any Gideons are reading this, Grant Isaac Studio was just a witness and was not involved in the perpetration of this act. ;)

Emily couldn't resist a cake-faced kiss, but was kind enough to keep her cake-covered fingers off Jeremy's white tux vest. Love Grandpa's unashamed observation.

First dance.

Had to put this in because it was just so funny to watch. This kid was absolutely mesmerized by that light, but the music was apparently a little too much to bear.

First wedding mosh pit we've seen. The girl walking across the floor with after-dinner mints? Yep, it happened. One second after this shot, dozens of after-dinner mints scattered across the dance floor.

...as you can see, the spill didn't keep her off the dance floor for long!

Emily's parents.

...and Emily and Jeremy.

Emily and Jeremy: It was a pleasure to spend your wedding day with you. Our best wishes for the coming years. We hope the West-Coast job works out!

Emily + Jeremy: Wedding Sneak Peek

2008-10-01T22:16:00.001-04:00

We're almost finished with Emily + Jeremy's beautiful wedding. Here are a few from the day...

Emily and Jeremy got married on a Friday, and had an early-evening ceremony, so the bridal party headed to GVSU for some pictures before the ceremony.

Just before the ceremony began, the sun came out from behind a cloud and POURED in the window right outside the door, which made for some nice back-lighting as Emily walked in.

Love this one. There's clearly enough love to go around.

Look for the rest of them soon!

Emily + Carl: engagement session

2008-09-29T21:20:00.000-04:00

When we asked Emily and Carl if they had any places that were important to them to incorporate into the engagement session, Emily wrote back and said something like "if we had our way, we'd start each day having coffee in Rosa Parks Circle." If Leandra and I were sifting through the personals and saw this, we'd definitely put a big, thick, red circle around that one (if we were on the market for...another couple (?)...) They're two top-notch people! We're really looking forward to their wedding in Charlevoix at the end of October. It'll be a "small, intimate affair" with a few more that two dozen guests at Castle Farms. It'll be a great cap to our busy, busy, busy October!
So, here they are...

We found this awesome little "glade" (does that make me sound elitist?) with tall trees, green grass, and beautiful light. Had to stop. We love these next two.

Leandra's view:

Mine:

Love the smile.

We moved on to downtown, had coffee in Rosa Parks Circle, and took some pictures wherever we found enough light. Leandra and I quickly came to the conclusion that Emily and Carl were professional cuddlers.

On the steps of the art museum.

Emily and Carl: We really enjoyed this session and can't wait for the wedding!

Coming soon: Emily + Jeremy's wedding post and Kate + Tim's engagement sneak peek!

Emily and Carl: Sneak Peek

2008-09-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

Here are just two from last Thursday's session with Emily and Carl. We loved traipsing around Seidman Park--and then downtown GR--with them. They're two wonderful people that are wonderful to each other--you could see it in how they interacted. Fun to watch and photograph, for sure.

We loooove this one.

The rest: soon!

Jess and Matt

2008-09-14T21:51:00.000-04:00

Jess and Matt are high school sweethearts (like Leandra and me!) and waited a long time for this day. And it was a beautiful day...

What a beautiful dress!

Praying with the bridesmaids and groomsmen before the ceremony. It was neat to find out that these times happened almost perfectly simultaneously.

Good lookin' guys! Loved the brown... although Leandra and I share a strong bias to browns (and greens)-- just like Matt and Jess.

This one cracks us up every time. What a good older brother and best man: givin' lil' bro's shoes a shine before his big day! Matt's face cracks me up because he nails the pretentious look, and Mark nails the "yes sir, whatever you like sir, have a good day, sir" look.

We asked the girls to link arms and walk towards us, and being kind people as they are, they did just that.

...and they just kept on walking.

This one might be a favorite. Jess looked stunning!

Like I said:

...and Matt agrees.

This is the first ceremony we've shot when the couple washed each others' feet. It was a powerful reflection of their vows.

Love this one.

Jess and Matt made time between the ceremony and reception to stop at Goshen College. We gave them some space to catch up and be with just each other in the midst of the busy day. We can't recommend making time like this during the wedding day enough.

We met back up with the wedding party and walked though downtown Goshen to the reception!

During the prayer...

This is great. One of our favorite reception shots ever.

Off to the honeymoon! Which, at the time this was taken, the destination was still a secret to Jess! I think Matt's still singing along...

Jess and Matt were a lot of fun to be around. We loved watching them interact with each other during the day. It was clear that they loved and served each other selflessly. And, obviously, they also knew how to have a great time.

Teaser "Trailer": Jess + Matt

2008-09-14T18:39:00.000-04:00

I don't want to over-hype my latest movie-making attempt (have there been previous ones? Not really...), so just think of this as a little indie film from a humble filmmaker in the Midwest. There. Now there's no way to be underwhelmed!

Personally, I think the Oscar nod should go to Louis Armstrong, who made this thoroughly quaint movie come alive with an epic score.

Jess & Matt: you can expect the picture post as soon as later tonight!

Back in town & some upcoming changes!

2008-09-06T17:51:00.000-04:00

We spent the month of August with family in Northern Indiana while I painted a mural. We got back on Wednesday, and plugged in our fridge. We promptly "stocked" it:

Pizza, Diet Coke, and water. We're working on getting some "normal food" in there (although pizza might be a little too "normal" for Leandra and I).

On the business side of things, we've had a wonderful year in the wedding photography business and can't thank everyone enough for your help and encouragement. We love doing this together; I can't think of better work at this point in life than making art of people in love! We're working towards making Grant Isaac Studio more unique, competitive, sustainable, as well as offering some new options. The first sign of these upcoming changes is a price change (on Friday, September 19th!). We wanted to give everyone a heads-up because our new prices will apply to any inquiries after that. If we've been corresponding with you already, no need to worry: we will honor the prices we gave you until October 19th. We're excited about the upcoming changes to Grant Isaac Studio--be on the look out for a new website, more new pictures and new products!

Beth + Ben

2008-09-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

Once we got into Ohio, we took the country roads out to meet Beth and Ben in Mount Vernon. It was a beautiful drive through hilly Amish country, even though we saw more Honda Gold-wings than buggies. Growing up in Northern Indiana gave me my fair share of buggies, though, and Gold-Wings drive along at a swift clip of 50, not...5.

We love it when couples share with us some important or meaningful places to them. Case in point: Beth and Ben first "met" in a photography class, and went downtown Mt. Vernon to take pictures for an assignment. They found the "red door" on that trip. The tree pictures are from one of their favorite parks, and the big field is right by where they go stargazing on occasion. It might sound cheesy, but Leandra and I eat that up. The locations have more meaning than "pretty"; they've got a story behind them! Anyways, enjoy:

The red door:

Leandra's view:

Mine. We've been blessed with well-shooed (I think the proper term is "well-shod" but that sounds like I'm talking about horses, and that's about the last thing I want to get across!) ladies in our engagement sessions. Beth's purple shoes were very...purple-icious and, being the designer that she is, just happened to be the complimentary color to her yellow shirt!

Leandra and I were shooting through the back side of a fire escape.
Mine:

Hers:

The next two are my favorites.

Leandra's fav:

Pretty much knew this one would be glowy and wonderful when Leandra showed me the back of her camera...

Thanks, Beth and Ben! Can't wait for the wedding! I'm glad we agree on the Weepies ;)

Beth+Ben: Sneak Peek

2008-08-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

Finally! We've been swamped this week, and we're JUST getting up this sneak peek from last weekend's engagement session. Enjoy, and more coming soon!

So, this picture would usually get trashed. It's blurry. I saw the motorcycle coming, so I wound up my aperture to slow the shutter speed down because I thought it'd be awesome to have a blurred Honda Gold Wing leaving the frame of the picture. Well, I wound it up a bit too much, and the whole thing's blurry. But then I realized that my reflection showed up in the zooming-by motorcycle's chrome wheel-cover thing (shows how much I know about motorcycles!). I thought that was pretty sweet. I even have my favorite hat from London on!

Beth and Ben: your pictures are almost finished, so the full post won't be long in coming.
Cheers!

Emily + Jeremy

2008-08-27T20:45:00.001-04:00

We had a great time with Emily and Jeremy in downtown Grand Rapids. Our original date was rained out, but this beautiful blue-skied, big-clouded day was per-fect. Emily and Jeremy were great with one another, and were up for anything!

Case in point: we found this great wooden walkway along the river that had nice light, and interesting geometry for a few pictures, but it looked like a herd of 2 million spiders converge at this exact point every night for the spider equivalent of Woodstock. There were webs EVERYWHERE. But no spiders. Very strange. I asked Jeremy if he minded leaning against the railing if I de-webbed it a bit with my foot. I'm not really sure if I would have said yes to that request, but Jeremy out-manned yours truly and sat right down! (We made sure Emily leaned on Jeremy's shoulder, instead of the railing, with that black dress on and all.)

I realllly like this one. Leandra always gets romantic ones like this.

You can't resist a nice grassy knoll when there's a big blue sky like this to top it off.

At the Gerald Ford museum.

I'd say "nice legs!" if it were appropriate. Emily might feel threatened if she knew I was checking out Jeremy's legs, though.

Great smile!

Emily and Jeremy's wedding is just around the corner in September.... but before Emily and Jeremy get more blog-time, you'll see Beth and Ben's and pictures from Jessica and Matt's wedding earlier in August.

Jenny + Adam

2008-08-24T09:09:00.000-04:00

Jenny and Adam have an ease about them that's easy to see when they're together. They're an easy-going couple that love each other well. We're excited about their wedding in June!

You guys look smokin'!

The next two are in the same spot...

...but from different perspectives. Love 'em both!

sweet alley + good lookin' people + great light + kisses =
(We like this one a lot.)

This one reminds me of the last scene in Castaway, with the intersecting roads. Only the guy gets the girl in this one, and everybody didn't just finish crying about a volleyball.

We're at this great old, little country church south of Elkhart. It was a perfect spot to end the session.

This one is my favorite. An all-time favorite, I think.

The rest of Emily and Jeremy's pictures are coming soon!

Emily + Jeremy: Sneak Peek

2008-08-21T16:35:00.000-04:00

We've been quite busy this past week or two, and forgot to post a sneak peek of Emily and Jeremy's! The pictures are almost done, so here's two until the rest go up!

Molly + Jordan

2008-08-21T15:56:00.001-04:00

Finally... the rest from Molly and Jordan's engagement session. They were so comfortable with each other. It made getting good pictures of them oh-so-easy!

This is my favorite.

We were on a bench identical to this one on another path nearby when two little old ladies walked right into the picture and ambled--no, meandered--on down the path, sure to be in the background for at least another 2 hours. We decided to move to this one.

Love this one. It's Leandra's.

Molly and Jordan, we're really looking forward to the wedding next month!

Adam + Jenny: Sneak Peek

2008-08-16T12:59:00.000-04:00

Just a few from Adam and Jenny's just over a week ago...

A warmer, hazy look for the bright, sunny evening we had.

Didn't even have to suggest this. The picture literally fell into my lap (camera).

So, I had to post this one because we were talking about politics (which is something we usually don't do on engagement sessions because you never know where someone else is coming from, and it doesn't really help along the romantic feel of the pictures we want to get. But I've known Adam since 2nd grade, so that "guideline" didn't really count.) and we turned into this alley and found this bumper sticker on the door. I usually think it's funny when people have "Kerry Edwards" stickers still on their car (or the flying "W", for that matter) because it's so, last election. This, however, trumps all of those by... two decades.

Stay tuned for the full posts of Molly + Jordan and the rest of Adam and Jenny's!

Molly + Jordan: Sneak Peek

2008-08-10T10:58:00.000-04:00

Here are just two from our engagement session with Molly and Jordan. We spent an evening on Notre Dame's beautiful campus and had a great time!

We'll have the rest of Molly and Jordan's and a sneak peek of Adam and Jenny's engagement session this week, also!

Amy + Craig

2008-08-05T23:32:00.000-04:00

Like I said, we had a lot of fun with Amy and Craig. We were really happy with the images we took. We can't wait till their beautiful fall wedding in the field by her beautiful house in Bristol. It will be wonderful. Beautiful bride, beautiful place, beautiful wedding...

Enjoy the pics!

(I'm sure Craig will look awesome, too... "Beautiful" just isn't the first word that comes to mind.)

The Goshen courthouse steps...

We had really good light in this alley...

Loooove this one!

Annnnnd.... we're at the park!

My view:

Leandra's:

These next two are my favorites, I think...

Take Care!

Amy + Craig: Sneak Peek

2008-07-29T22:01:00.000-04:00

Saturday, we moseyed around Goshen, IN with Amy and Craig, and loved watching and photographing them interacting with each other. They had great smiles! Here are two (the rest due up shortly!)...

Maria + Jeremiah

2008-07-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

We had a great time on St. Mary's campus and along Lake Michigan with Maria and Jeremiah. We had great weather (a bit hot, if anything) and got some really nice pictures. Can't wait for their wedding in October!

Leandra's view:

...and mine! Love that ivy.

Love these next two.

We had really great warm, rosy light that Lake Michigan sunsets are famous for (if they're not, they should be, then!)

Love this one.

The quintessential lovers-on-the-beach-at-sunset shot. Couldn't leave without getting this one!

A Little Slice

2008-07-26T23:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Leandra and I made our annual pilgrimage to the mecca of teenagers by the herd, spinny rides, livestock, and deep fried everythings: the Elkhart County 4-H fair. And, we went on rodeo night to top it off. Rodeo night at the fair was one of our first dates 4 years ago. You can't find a better place than a good 4-H fair to look at animals (4-H rabbits, bengal tigers, and everything in between), watch people (all the way from a substantial Amish "crowd" to a family of Italian acrobats), eat lots of food, and blow money on games for overstuffed and overhyped road-worker-vest-green gorillas. Here are a few from the fair!

Leandra's choice for the gooey-doughy-and-sweet course (which comes right after the salty-fried-and-cheesy)

Mine. Getting pie at the fair always makes me remember mom saying when I was younger how much she loved the fair because it was a "little slice of Americana". This is a big slice, a la mode, but it doesn't get much more American than this. Red checkered tablecloth not included.

It's fair to say that I was quite glad there were one, two, three fences between me and this guy:

The rest of Maria and Jeremiah's will be here... tomorrow! Then a little peek of Amy and Craig's engagement session.

Maria and Jeremiah: Engagement Session!

2008-07-22T14:03:00.000-04:00

Here's just two from Sunday evening with Maria and Jeremiah. We had great weather. We were at beautiful places. They had great smiles. Enough said.

The rest will be up as soon as we finish them!

Coming up...

2008-07-21T20:34:00.000-04:00

We caught a few pictures of each other at our last engagement session with Maria and Jeremiah. Just had to post 'em up... Tomorrow we'll have a little sneak peek of their session, and soon as we finish the rest of them, a full post of their photos. Stay tuned. We had a great time with them on the campus of St. Mary's and on the beach for sunset.

The photos Leandra took of me, and probably a few that I jumped into...

And two that I got:

If you didn't see Leandra in one or either, that's because she's super stealthy! The first, she's wearing her favorite colors (mine too!) -- green and brown--which, incidentally, are the colors of the gardens at St. Mary's (I know, surprised me too). I didn't even notice her until I heard "click-click" coming from the grass. That blurry mass in the grass behind Jeremiah's shoulder? Yep. That's her. And yes, we got plenty of good ones without unrecognizable figures lurking around... or crouching men in shorts, for that matter.

Just two

2008-07-14T21:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Leandra and I drove out to our favorite park around Grand Rapids. About 15 minutes into our walk, one of us said, "we need to do this more often." It think it's been that way for the past, oh, I don't know, every visit. It's so relaxing, freeing, and good for us to put aside everything for a bit-- just go, us two, with no distractions. The wind was blowing; it was a bit cooler than normal. I'm more invigorated by weather like that-- it felt like a fall day, in a lot of ways. And we both love fall. There's the hoodie-and-jeans, warm-in-the-sun-but-quite-cool-in-the-shade, windy Saturdays in early October, and the violent, big-clouded afternoons later on, when it's suddenly feasible to want some hot cider, chai, or cocoa in the middle of the day (or a nap under a big blanket with the window wide open)...

And of course, both of our birthdays are in October! That means chocolate cake, apple dumplings (not in the same meal, of course... but I wouldn't be ashamed to try that sometime) family, and a nice, fat, Barnes and Noble gift card from any one of our relatives who don't have to be geniuses to know how we love that!

All that to say: We went to the park. We liked. Took a camera. I love going places with beautiful scenery and beautiful people (like weddings!) but I also love going to little county parks with not a whole lot more than trees, trails, a few buggy ponds, and open, grassy fields. Here's a few from the park. They look quite springy, for how much it felt like fall. Just two of 'em:

Lots of engagement sessions and weddings (and a few things in between) coming soon!

Meg + Shane: Engagement Session

2008-07-10T12:57:00.000-04:00

Here's the rest of Meg and Shane's engagement pictures. It was so hard to choose, so
there's a lot...

Favorite barn one. Love it.

Love that look...

This one too. (Meg and Shane: this is an alternative crop to the one we gave you. If you like this one better, shoot us an email! It's just a different-er size than the rest of 'em)

It's nearly impossible to pass up the opportunity for pictures in front of big, red, barn doors.
Shane was pullin' out the cheese on the smile for the last one, which I am always quick to note, producing the "who, me?" smile on Shane's part and outright laughter on Meg's. When you tell someone they're being cheesy, they a) cross the line from awkward-looking cheesy to pour-on-the-Velveeta-we're-makin'-salsa cheesy, b) make a weird face, or c) smile/laugh...all of which are better than the alternative.

Shane's got the GQ...I-could-kill-you-if-I-wanted... look down in this one.

Love this one! 3 awesome things about this picture: 1) Meg's smile. 2) The big rock. 3) Shane's feet.

The running one? It was too cold standing there they decided to run down the beach to warm up...what resulted is what looks like a designer clothing ad (you know, where they assume everyone runs down the beach in a collared shirt and black dress...on a regular basis). I like it.
And that last one. Whew.

We'll be posting quite a few engagement session in the next few weeks... and as for any other pictures we deem blog-worthy, we'll stick 'em up!

Meg and Shane

2008-07-01T13:35:00.000-04:00

A "sneak-peek" from our last engagement session with Meg and Shane. We had a lot of fun, even in the ghastly wind on the beach. It was *supposed* to be warm... not 65 and windy.

One in Meg's family barn...

And.... at the beach

G-l-a-m-o-r-o-u-s!

Check back soon for the rest!

-Grant and Leandra

Amber and Dustin: Pt. 1

2008-06-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

Amber and Dustin. Leandra is Amber's cousin, and we had a blast taking pictures, hanging out with family, and even managed to do a little bit of dancing. Here are some of the fav's:

My shot:

Leandra's shot (she's got the drama goin' on):

They don't make churches like this anymore. Stone fronts with big wooden doors that you can open up and actually see the inside of the church.

And on top of that, the church was on top of a hill, with this great path leading down to where the wedding party got ready. In the words of Flight of the Conchords,
"conditions were perfect":

Amber and Dustin were headed to Ireland for the honeymoon, so they tried to get a taste of that with the green dresses, Irish-city table names, green beer, and.... the bagpiper! I couldn't help myself with the moody clouds, cemetery and kilted bagpiper. You just don't see bagpipers in cemeteries everyday.

Leandra got some sa-weet (does spelling sweet that way make me sound like a sportscaster?) getting ready pictures. I love looking through them afterwards. She wasn't incredibly optimistic about the getting ready location--the church room was just an old, wood-paneled banquet room that was clean and everything, but dripped 1970's... but the light ended up being fantastic (In my opinion). Lots of windows from different directions...lots of cool pictures...

I love this picture. Ashley (Amber's sister) and her daughter, Jaysa (the flower girl).

Last one before the next post...Jacob (Amber's brother) is a rock star. Had to get a picture of him receiving the holy-rock blessing of Jesus and St... Ambrose? Axl? Anthony? Something like that.