Shinola Detroit weddings // Emily + Matthew

Ugh, Emily and Matthew. Ugh, the Shinola. UGH, bucket works florals. UUUUGHHHHH Vine Event Planning! Literally, I don’t know how I got so lucky. The vendor team was incredible, the venue was stunning and the couple….ok now i’ve gotten started: to be a Lansing wedding photographer asked to travel with a couple to a city like Detroit, saturated with wonderful, talented photographers— I mean, Emily has fantastic taste. She could have chosen anyone! How honored I am! So over the moon that it I was the one who got to be at their side on this day. Nothing beats that feeling.

We had a beautiful, peaceful drive to the Shinola Hotel in Detroit, where we arrived and found the hottest room on the hottest day with 10000% humidity and a broken thermostat!
As Emily tried to keep herself cool in the bathroom while she did her makeup, her parents decided they’d switch rooms to keep her comfortable. this set the day off on a really sweet foot, for me. I was quickly able to see the gift of a day we had in front of us.

Emily and Matthew’s main priority was to have fun. They were stressed during the planning process and sooo nervous that they’d spend the entire day just adding more stress and being stretched thinner and thinner, unable to enjoy this day that they had not only poured so much into but had been looking forward to for their entire lives! I agreed with them wholeheartedly, your wedding day shouldn’t be anything but you looking awesome, eating amazing food and being part of the day you created. and it should be created based on what YOU want, btw. These two didn’t have any dancing, for example. They’re not big dancers at events and pretty much none of their guests get down like that on the dance floor, so! Skip it! They also completely skipped posed family portraits, and encouraged me to get ample candids of everyone there having fun, enjoying themselves and being together. in their words “that’s all we care about, anyway”

dude. that’s what i’m talking about.