Julia & Mitch's Dow Gardens Wedding With Reception at Double Tree Bay City

A Great Day at the Double Tree in Bay City

When Julia and Mitchell contacted us about photographing their wedding, we knew it was meant to be. Their ceremony was set for the peak of Spring time at Dow Gardens, with the reception following in Bay City.

The morning of the wedding, everyone got dressed in a spacious and bright suite at the Double Tree in Bay City. When I walked in, Julia's magnificent ballgown was glowing in the morning light. I know it SOUNDS overly poetic, but look at these bridal portraits and you'll know what I mean. Julia had so many thoughtful surprises prepared - their wedding date stitched into the hem of her dress, a custom beaded strap to hold her skirt on her wrist, and matching pajamas for her sisters and her mother - just to name a few. There was more than enough space for the first look with Julia's father, when he placed a 6-pence in her shoe for good luck! After all the getting ready shenanigans with Julia's sisters, we headed to Dow Gardens to get ready for the ceremony.

A Fairytale Wedding at Dow Gardens

We'd been to Dow Gardens in Midland many times before, but this is the very first wedding ceremony we've shot there. Of course every corner of that place is so immaculate, so we had the easy job. Omar took photos of Mitchell and the gang, while I stuck with Julia and the gals. We did some bridal portraits, then everyone got lined up for the big event. Mitch had his back turned when Julia's father lead her down the aisle. When she was nearing the end, his best man tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. It was such an emotional moment! The pair said their "I-do's" underneath the most beautiful willow tree, overlooking the pond and the enchanting stone moon-bridge. When it was time for the first kiss, I was able to get it from behind the couple, with their family and friends in the background, while Omar was able to get the same shot from down the aisle. I love working with my team!

After the ceremony the park sent over a golf cart to take us away to some of the best photo-spots in the park. The Kellerman's rented a super cool get-away car and we got a few photos of them decorating it before we headed to the Tridge (The Tri-Bridge) for even more photos. I LOVE how these landscapes turned out. What a hidden gem! Then we left for the Double Tree to get the party started!

Golden Hour Along the River

The dance floor was full all night long. We snuck out one last time for golden hour photos along the river. In Michigan it's so hard to know for sure what time the sun will be going down - especially in the Spring time. I remember specifically the day before the Kellerman's wedding, the sun set an hour earlier, so we spent some time roaming around in the field behind the hotel, just until the sun hit that perfect glow along the water. Everything about this wedding happened exactly when it was meant to; it was an actual fairytale.