The Blue Dress Barn is an authentic barn thats been converted into a wedding ceremony and reception site in Southwest Michigan. While there are several unique wedding reception venues in the area the Blue Dress Barn has to be at the top of a short list of truly one of a kind venues that our area has to offer to brides looking for a country wedding. Scott and Jessie choose the
venue for exactly that reason and while the day may look BEAUTIFUL, it started out with blowing winds and driving rain… remarkably neither bride or groom let the weather phase them as you can see here they were rewarded with a beautiful sunny afternoon and what ultimately ended up being the perfect day for a wedding reception in the Blue Dress Barn! If you’re planning
an outdoor ceremony and worried about the weather you have to be ready for anything BUT for the most part the weather here tends to blow through rather quickly and if you need/want to you can always speed things up or post pone them just a bit to fit your ceremony in. Of course a venue like The Blue Dress Barn would also give you the option of doing the ceremony inside as well
but I’ve yet to have to photograph a ceremony inside at the Barn! While the day may have started a bit rough weather wise we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful finish for either the evening or the pictures!! Congratulations to the very lucky couple!
If every family where as easy to work with as the Smiy family I’d be awfully tempted to give up shooting weddings and just do family pictures for the fun of it! I don’t think I’ve laughed this much or had that much fun during a family portrait shoot in a long time! Definitely a great family to work with! The guy in the olive sweater also happens to be my long time assistant Mike… one of
the smartest, most professional and hard working people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with! He’s started his own wedding cinematography business: Hueline Pictures (if you’re looking for a cinematographer you’ve got to check him out!) and is contemplating heading out to LA to pursue a career in the film industry. He will be sorely missed as an assistant and cinematographer but I think he’s got a bright future and he’s promised to fly me out to the set of whatever he’s producing some day to take pictures so I’ll be rooting for him! All in all we had a great time hiking around the Grandmere dunes taking pictures and while most of the fall color had disappeared we managed to find just enough of it in spots to really make the pictures pop!
by Ben
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Just a few of our favorite Chicago engagement photos from a fall shoot with Laura and Rudy. We kept things simple and hit up some of the our favorite Chicago engagement picture locations like Michigan Avenue, Millenium Park, and the Art Institute. I always love being in the city in the fall, the colors are beautiful, the air is crisp, and its just such a beautiful time to be out walking around. We were constantly working around the crowds of tourists and other photographers but in the end we managed to have a lot of fun, stay warm, and of course… get some great pictures!!
by Ben
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When Jake and Amanda planned their beautiful vineyard wedding at Willow Harbor Vineyards in Three Oaks Michigan I’m sure they didn’t envision a rainy wedding day and yet thats exactly how the day started. We began by dodging rain drops in New Buffalo where the bride had her hair and makeup done, then we drove to Willow Harbor to get ready in the charming bridal suite. By the time the bride was dressed the rain
had stopped and while it still looked threatening we decided to do the bride and grooms first look in one of the vineyards which is the perfect setting for a reveal. From there we took off for weko beach in Bridgman Mi for wedding photos with the wedding party. Then it was back to Willow Harbor where the bride rode up to the ceremony in a horse drawn carriage. The ceremony was beautiful and while the skies remained
overcast the rain stayed away and we ended up with an absolutely gorgeous evening for the tented wedding reception. From a photographers stand point Willow Harbor offers a bride and groom lost of flexibility when it comes to locations for gorgeous wedding pictures, whether you do them in the vineyards, the barn, or head to a nearby beach you simply can’t go wrong! Of course it helps to have a go with the flow approach and the incredible team at Stella Event Design on hand to make sure you’re ready for anything! If you’re planning on getting married and looking for an outdoor wedding or reception venue Willow Harbor should definitely be on you list of places to check out! Congratulations Amanda and Jake, and thanks for giving us the privilege of being a part of such a special day!!
by Ben
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Just a few of our favorite pictures from a beautiful Lake Michigan engagement session this summer, we’ve shot a ton of them and can’t wait to share more! This one took place in Pallisades Park near Covert Mi which has to be one of the coolest little lakeside neighborhoods I’ve ever shot in! All in all a perfect evening for engagement photos at sunset on the beach!
by Ben
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by Ben
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