Alex + Danielle Intimate Detroit Wedding

alex and danielle have worked hard to build their little cozy homestead. a thriving garden, sweet, chubby babes, a lil flock of chickens and a full shed of chopped wood for the stove. their october wedding day was a crisp 67 degrees, bathed in rich sunlight, saturated fall leaves and a warm, welcoming family. they chose a Michigan woman owned port-a-john company, an expert florist, a perfect, whimsical wedding dress, and handled pretty much everything else themselves. the family helped to set up their stunning dinner/seating area and handled the transformation to dance floor after dinner and speeches. they used their very own dining room table to eat their first meal as a family united in marriage— and they happened to find one of the best, most inexpensive detroit wedding venues: their backyard.

their hair/makeup artist- who also happens to be the one who introduced the bride to the groom- officiated their short, intimate ceremony as witnessed by 50 of their closest friends and family (and me quietly crying behind the lens). they were pronounced husband and wife and, both beaming with joy, walked back down through an electric aisle of their loved ones, and swept each other up in a great big hug immediately. I never want to keep a couple from experiencing their own day, so we took a quick 10 minutes for a few newlywed portraits and got right back to their intimate wedding reception where everyone shared a shrimp appetizer, the most delicious beef dinner handmade by family in attendance, and a stunning croatian dessert called “bijela pita”. my mouth is watering, im changing the subject.

it had everything a michigan wedding photographer could want.
my favorite touch: they had custom glass mugs made as favors for each
of their attendees and a polaroid guest book with a vintage lamp that i could not get enough of. i took 40 photos of just the guest book table.

when i got engaged in 2018, my dream was an intimate michigan backyard wedding just like alex + danielle’s. because of this, i felt like i had a special eye for documenting the day. when it resonates, it resonates.

ps- if you look closely (lol) you can see me talking to the bride in one of the last photos where my second shooter had my film camera

Dress: bella bridal gallery - west Bloomfield, mi
Cake: the home bakery - Rochester, mi

Tent/tables/chairs: Great Lakes Chivari

Hair + Mua: nomad beauty therapy