Emily + Jonathan // Lake Orion, Michigan
There are some wedding days where everything seems to fall into place exactly when it needs to—and Emily and Jonathan’s wedding at Paint Creek Country Club in Lake Orion, Michigan was absolutely one of them.
Our story with Emily and JT actually started before they were officially engaged. Last summer, Emily’s mom reached out and asked me to photograph JT proposing to Emily while on family vacay in Tawas. Getting to be there for the very beginning of this chapter made photographing their wedding feel a little extra special. After the proposal, we immediately hit it off, and when Justin photographed their engagement session, he and JT became fast friends. By the time their wedding day rolled around, it felt a whole lot less like showing up to photograph clients and much more like getting to celebrate with people we genuinely knew and loved being around.
And then there was the weather.
It poured on their wedding day. Not a cute little summer sprinkle—the kind of torrential Michigan rain that has everyone refreshing the radar and quietly wondering what Plan B is going to look like. But somehow, almost perfectly on cue, the rain stopped just before their outdoor ceremony.
And honestly? It made the whole thing even better.
Everything was fresh and green, the air had that calm that comes right after a summer storm, and Emily and JT got to have the ceremony they had hoped for. After watching the rain come down all day, seeing the weather break at exactly the right moment felt a little bit like a gift.
But my favorite part of their ceremony was easily their vows.
Emily and JT have been together for a long time, and you could feel the history between them as they spoke. Their vows were beautiful, emotional, funny in the right moments, and incredibly personal. They weren't just promises about the life they're beginning—they felt like a reflection of the life they've already built together and everything they've walked through to get here. It was one of those ceremonies where you find yourself listening just as much as you're photographing.
From photographing their proposal to watching them exchange vows as husband and wife, getting to document this part of Emily and JT's story has been such a fun full-circle experience. These two are so much fun to be around, always laughing and celebrating, it was a day we will not soon forget! Congratulations guys it was the best day ever!
Vendors / HAMU // Kathleen Berg Beauty / Florist // Tiffany Florist / Rentals // Fun On the Fly / Venue & Catering // Paint Creek Country Club / Dress Shop // The Wedding Shoppe / Rings // Maggie Grace Jewelry / Bakery // M Street Bakery / Videography // White Knuckle Films / DJ // Mike Staff Productions / Photo Booth // Beloved Art Design
