It’s taken me over a year to write this blog post, because words do not seem enough to wrap around the power of this intimate wedding weekend.
Even after 17 years of photographing weddings, there are still weddings that permanently shift how I see not only my work, but the world. And this was one of them. Katie, Roger, and their people are so full of love and this beautiful spirit of joy persisting, despite what life might try to throw their way.
Upon landing in Michigan, on a misty, gray day, I immediately turned on the album Welcome by the Arcadian Wild. I hadn’t listened to it much at that point, but it became my soundtrack for the magic of this weekend. It accompanied me as I explored the beauty of “up north” and saw the sand dunes and the beautiful turquoise waters of Lake Michigan and drove back and forth to the various festivities of the wedding weekend, and saw and documented this place they love so much through their eyes.
(More here of the beauty of “up north” in this post from their welcome party)
The last track on the album, “The End,” has this line, that has become an anchor point for my purpose in doing this work. It says “For let us keep the feast for by it we remember that our sorrow keeps us tethered to our joy.”
This is everything about why we celebrate. Katie and Roger are no strangers to loss, or to heartbreak. Their story is a stunning tapestry, that started weaving together when they were just kids in Sunday school together. Who lived and loved, and who reconnected with each other at the perfect moment as adults. And as they planned their wedding weekend, they did so with such care and intentionality and with their people in mind. The home base for the weekend was the cabin in Michigan that Katie’s grandfather built 75 years ago, where her family has gathered every summer since. It’s a place of history and connection, and they were so excited to share that with their favorite people. They also chose to celebrate over the 4th of July weekend, which is an extra special sweet time in the town (complete with 4th of July parade, of course!).
When I first spoke with Katie about the vision for the weekend and their photos, one of the things she shared with me is that there was a vanity in one of the bedrooms that she had always watched her grandmother get ready at, and that room was now the one that her mom would use. The full circle legacy of seeing Katie do her makeup at that vanity on her wedding day and know all the love and people who came before was so incredibly special.
The thing is, a wedding day is never just about the couple. The fingerprints of those who came before you and are beside you are all over the place. For Katie and Roger, that was everything from the vanity, to the hand lettered map on the wall, to the Bible used and loved by Roger’s father, the music performed by loved ones, the beautiful boat driven by people who care for them, the very land itself, and of course, those who were physically there to celebrate with them.
Love and joy are all the sweeter BECAUSE we know that loss and sorrow exist. And allowing ourselves to feel the full range of that, to be present in it, to allow the JOY to come through is some of the most beautiful work of living. And to get to hold the space in that and document it, to create photos that become an anchor of your joy and love that you are able to come back to for decades to come is why I am here. It is such a deep honor to create with anyone who has ever stepped in front of my camera.
If you’re in the throes of wedding planning, if you’re feeling sucked in to the machine that is weddings, feeling the pressure of all the “shoulds,” this is my wish for you. That you know that who you are, what you value, and your story are ENOUGH. That you can release the pressure of performing a wedding, and give yourself the beautiful freedom to be present in all the love, joy, emotion, and being-ness of your wedding weekend. And know that it will be all the more magical for it. And I’ll be right there with you, holding grounded space and documenting the moments that are true and real and show the joy that you can hold onto, for decades to come.
Reception venue (and the most incredible meal) was The Riverside Inn–truly such a stellar experience.
If you’ve made it all the way here, thank you for being here. And if you’re planning a wedding and this is sparking something within you, I’d love to connect and hear more about the vision you have for your wedding and your photos. You can get in touch here, and I’ll get back with you soon!
Sending all the love and joy,
xoxo, Jen
