The Joseph Wedding | Waldenwoods, Howell

A Romantic Color Palette

Reagan and Avery are so in love with each other. Even the morning of their wedding, when they were each getting ready with their closest friends, they stayed in a Waldenwoods cabin that allowed them to be together, but apart.

The colors of the day? Pink, red and white - the most romantic colors, ever.

The motif? SWANS - the love birds of the animal kingdom.

It was a perfect vibe for a perfect day.

Because the pair had two photographers and plenty of coverage hours, we were able to knock out all of the bridal party and groomsmen photos out ahead of the ceremony, even though they had opted against a first look. We even managed to sneak in a sneak peek with the bride's father! And of course, bridal party shenanigans.

A Ceremony Against the Water

Then the ceremony happened. Guests arrived at their seats to find custom PLAYBILL'S waiting for them, as their wedding brochure. What a neat touch! Their vendors were listed as supporting cast, of course!

While the sun was steamy hot for most of the day, it gave us some grace during the ceremony. Since we had two photographers, and plenty of wide-open space, I was able to boogie around to the other side of the couple for some really great closeup's.

Directly after the ceremony, the awesome venue coordinator at Waldenwoods helped us set up this great shot of all of the guests crowded together underneath the mansion's awning, while the bridal party scrambled up top for a dramatic smooch-and-cheer moment. This is a MUST HAVE shot if your wedding is at this venue!

Portraits of the Love Birds

After the ceremony we knocked out Family Formals, combined bridal party and romantic photos. I LOVE it when the bridal party is really there to celebrate their friends. Usually that means that they're not afraid to feel goofy so that their buddies get some fun photos on their one special day. They bring energy that keeps the party going all night long! We ended up taking Avery and Reagan out for some of the most stunning golden hour photos. The sun sets right over the water here at the venue and makes for a truly magical evening.

A Reception to Remember

Before I get into how the evening went, I think it's important to set the stage. Every detail was so beautifully curated by Reagan and Avery. There's love in every decision, from the large portraits from their engagement session (we took those too!) paired with romantic quotes, to the custom table numbers featuring photos of the couple, side by side at different stages of life, everything was so them.

A Dance Floor Photo Dash

One thing I recommend to most of couples who have really big extended families is a dance floor photo dash. My favorite way to organize this is when the DJ calls each table, and all the guests from that table run out behind the couple for a quick photo, before making their way to the buffet line! When done like this, you can have a photo with each guest that has beautiful, consistent lighting. This is also a great way to avoid cocktail hour napkins, plates, and half eaten weenies in the shot. BONUS TIP: Photos set up like this have variables that are easy to control, so they're quick and easy for us to edit, too! We can have your full set of table dash photos sent out with or around your gallery sneak peek, meaning they're right on time to send with Thank You Cards!

Fire Burnin' on the Dance Floor

The rest of the night was about TEARING UP that dance floor. The DJ, April was the GOAT, making sure the vibes were vibing. Reagan and Avery skipped the traditional bouquet toss and instead fired a T-SHIRT cannon into the crowd!