I have known the bride since my teenage years. We first met while working together at a veterinary clinic. Back then, we spent long days side by side, building a friendship that lasted far beyond that job. Over time, life took us in different directions. However, we stayed connected through the biggest milestones.

She stood beside me as a bridesmaid on my own wedding day. Because of that, it felt incredibly meaningful to now stand behind the camera for hers.

A Wedding Rooted in Connection

This wedding centered on love, family, and genuine connection. Instead of a large production, they chose an intimate setting surrounded by the people who matter most. As a result, every moment felt personal and intentional.

She and her wife, Lori, created a space where everyone felt welcome. Friends gathered closely. Family shared quiet conversations. Meanwhile, laughter carried throughout the day.

Although they now live out of state, this wedding brought everyone back together. In addition, it gave me the chance to reconnect with familiar faces. I saw her family again. I caught up with old coworkers from our veterinary clinic days. Because of that, the entire experience felt nostalgic in the best way.

Capturing an Intimate Wedding with Intention

Intimate wedding photography allows space for real moments to unfold. Instead of rushing from one event to the next, the day moves naturally. Couples can stay present. Guests can relax. As a result, the images feel more authentic.

Throughout the day, I focused on the quiet in-between moments. The way they looked at each other. The way they held hands without thinking. The subtle smiles shared across the room.

Because I have known the bride for so long, I understood what mattered to her. Therefore, I approached the day with extra care and intention. I wasn’t just documenting a wedding. I was preserving a story I had been part of for years.

A Full Circle Moment

Weddings often mark new beginnings. However, sometimes they also bring everything full circle. This day felt like both.

From working together as teenagers to standing beside each other on major life days, our paths have stayed connected. Now, I get to capture this next chapter for her and Lori.

Ultimately, that is what makes intimate wedding photography so powerful. It is not just about the details or the timeline. It is about the relationships, the history, and the meaning behind every moment.

Being part of this wedding was more than an honor. It was a reminder of how deeply connected our lives can become over time.

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Justin and Emily chose Oakhurst Golf & Country Club for its timeless elegance and beautiful grounds. Nestled in Clarkston, the venue offers classic architecture, manicured greens, and romantic light that photographs beautifully in every season. As a result, their gallery feels both refined and emotional.

A Private Vow Exchange Before the Ceremony

Before guests arrived, Justin and Emily shared a private vow exchange. Instead of reading their promises at the altar, they chose an intimate setting where they could focus solely on each other. Consequently, the moment felt raw and unfiltered.

Justin spoke first, steady and sincere. Then Emily followed, her voice soft but confident. They laughed quietly. They wiped away tears. Most importantly, they stayed fully present. Because the morning moved at a relaxed pace, nothing felt rushed. That calm energy carried throughout the rest of their Oakhurst Golf and Country Club wedding.

Private vows often create space for couples to slow down. In this case, that pause allowed them to ground themselves before stepping into the celebration.

A Ceremony Surrounded by Family

While Justin and Emily are naturally quiet, the love surrounding them was anything but small. Their families showed up wholeheartedly. Smiles filled the ceremony space. Parents held back tears. Guests leaned in closely as they exchanged rings.

Although the setting felt elegant, the emotion made it unforgettable. The ceremony reflected their personalities perfectly. It was sincere, focused, and centered on commitment rather than spectacle.

Afterward, we explored the grounds of Oakhurst Golf and Country Club for portraits. The soft light and expansive landscape created a romantic backdrop. Meanwhile, Justin and Emily needed very little direction. Their connection speaks for itself. They move toward each other instinctively. Laugh softly. Hold hands without thinking.

A Celebration That Felt Effortless

As the reception began, energy shifted naturally from intimate to joyful. However, the focus never left their relationship. Toasts highlighted their loyalty and steadiness. Friends described them as grounded and deeply in love. Because of that foundation, every laugh and embrace felt genuine.

An Oakhurst Golf and Country Club wedding offers elegance, but couples like Justin and Emily bring it to life. Their day was not loud or flashy. Instead, it was intentional, emotional, and full of quiet strength.

From their private vows to the way their families surrounded them, every part of their wedding reflected who they truly are. And that is what makes a wedding unforgettable.

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I love photographing weddings. I wish I could take more on each year. But my family schedule limits my availability to dedicate an entire day to a wedding. When Michelle approached me to capture their wedding day, I had some reservations. In the end, I didn’t want anyone else being her photographer. And I don’t regret my decision for a single second.

Let’s start with Michelle. Because she radiated so much joy on her wedding day. And don’t get me wrong, all brides are incredibly happy and beautiful. But there was something special in Michelle’s smile. She glowed. I’m not sure how she smiled so much, I bet her cheeks hurt so bad at the end of the night.

For as long as I’ve known Michelle, she’s always been the first one to celebrate each big milestone with the people around her. Even when her days were dark, she found a little sunshine to share with the people she loved. She was the first to cheer for her girl squad and their big moments, but her own search for her other half never faltered. Michelle knew he was out there, and the universe was waiting for the perfect moment to bring him into her path.

And then one day it happened. I’ll never forget that conversation with her. Jason was everything she was searching for. He was actually so perfect for her, that she couldn’t see it. Her friends rallied and probably pushed her into that first date more than she wanted us to. But she never looked back once they met.

Now fast forward to the wedding planning. Michelle was silly, and thought she would have a small wedding, and get away with it. Trouble is, everyone that has ever been the focus of her sunshine, wanted to celebrate her (Jason too I guess). We have so much love to return to these two, people came out in force. And we got special roles, because she never leaves anyone out. Their wedding party was small, so Michelle asked all of her friends near and far to wear blue bracelets and join her “blue crew”. Her officiant was the parent of kids she nannied for for years, one of those kids gave a speech at the reception. The current little girl she nannies for was her flower girl. I, of course, the photographer. Michelle surrounded herself with people she loves, and while she probably thought she was doing us a favor by including us, it was us that wanted to be there, to lift her up in this new adventure. We were the ones that wanted to be there to celebrate this new union.

Jason and Michelle planned to have a small, intimate ceremony at Stony Creek. Just the two of them, their wedding party and immediate family. Well, 65+ people later there was chairs, musicians, and a tent bring brought into the park.

Jason should appreciate this. I tried so hard to find the perfect way to describe these two people. And then I saw this:

The beauty of football and marriage is that you have your team to help you towards that winning touchdown of life! Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. But because you do it together, it makes it the greatest game and the greatest way to live your life- together.

Reverend Dan

Michelle may never understand football (even though she tries for her new husband and step-sons), but I know she will smile as she reads this. I’ve never known two people that made a better team. They joke, they love, they laugh, they cry, they support. Michelle and Jason are running toward the same endzone. And as their friends, we packed the stadium to cheer them on.

I can’t wait to return the sunshine she gave me, for many years to come. Michelle and Jason thank you for including me in your big day. I hope you felt the happiness you put into the world for so long, being reflected back on you on this big day. May you always block the negativity out for each other as you hurtle towards those goal posts.

If you don’t remember my sappy blog about Michelle and Jason’s engagement session head over here and check them out.

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I met Erica and Sam through a friend of mine that does their family photos every year.

Erica is an absolutely amazing mom. We all make our kids our first priority once they come into our lives right? Everything changes for the better when we have kids. There are always ups and downs, and Erica has fought for everything her son has today. She’s the fighter behind Wyatt’s Law. Named after her adorable son, Wyatt, who was such a delight to work with on his mom’s wedding day. After I met them I did a lot of reading up on her work for Wyatt. She’s fought so hard, and achieved so much in his name.

Erica and Sam seem to be the perfect compliments to each other. There isn’t a lot that makes me cry. But watching these two speak their vows at their wedding truly had me in tears. As well as most of their guests. Their promises to fight for each other, and for Wyatt, and their future as a family was something great to be present for.

The celebrations continued that evening at their Dragon’s Landing reception. The guests were all in such great spirits as they came together to socialize, enjoy yummy drinks, and delicious food together. The atmosphere was intimate and fun.

I’ve come here before with friends as part of our Tag-a-Brew tour, and we enjoyed ourselves so much! If you are a beer lover, it’s a fun way to brewery hop, and you can gather a collection of copper tags. My first experience with Tag-a-brew was years ago at another reception I photographed where they used their copper tags in their centerpieces. We weren’t collectors then, but its a fun way to relieve another enjoyable reception.

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They spent their day surrounded by a small group of their closest family and friends. I got to watch them introduce each other to their relatives in their receiving line. Everyone was smiling and exciting for these two to begin their journey together. Kristen had a few friends that came from further away. That hadn’t been able to meet Michael yet, and watching them welcome him into her life was amazing and sweet.

Special touches dotted the room, from adorable favor bags, to a memorial table to celebrate those that couldn’t be with us, but were watching over the newlyweds. Kristen had a beautiful bouquet made of wooden flowers that was just so unique. The hall sprinkled with beautiful shades or red and navy.

Horizons Conference Center has a set of beautiful and HUGE gates in the front door that made for some unique photos at the end of our day.

After the ceremony, we cut into a cake, did speeches and the guests were fed a delicious meal. Families came together from all over to meet and enjoy each other’s company.

We snuck outside for just a few portraits of the beautiful couple. The grounds of the conference center were sounded by grassy areas. But I fell in love with the wooden wall that the local Menards had on display for us. It sounds so weird, but it was a fun way to break up the greenery all around us. It’s nothing more than a blurry background but it made a unique backdrop for me.

I can’t wait to share Kristen and Michaels big Saginaw wedding day with you at Horizons Conference Center.

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It was just enough chic and just enough shabby for anyone’s taste and absolutely perfect for this couple!

You may remember from their engagement session blog, I have known Megan for years through a local photography group. As you can imagine, shooting this day for her held equal parts of anxiety and honor for me.

The couple

Megan and Brett are a fun and quirky couple that share a love for music, craft beer, and friends. Throughout the day Brett told Megan how beautiful she was, and how much he loved her. That love for each other radiates through their friends group. The day was full of tears, smiles and laughter. Good food wasn’t the only memory their guests went home with that day!

After a beautiful ceremony at Megan’s family church, St. Pio’s in Fraser we traveled to a very important spot. It was the place they first met, and the place Brett proposed. Kuhnhenn’s Brewery is where the wedding party, filled with very close friends and family got to raise a glass (or two) to wish Megan and Brett a beautiful future.

Speaking of beautiful, on top of the Treasury’s beautiful backdrop Megan and Brett added all of the right personal touches. Starting with home made pint glasses and coasters for seat assignments. The personal touches extended to the Polaroid guestbook and a memorial drink in Megan’s fathers honor. The couple wanted everyone to be guaranteed a good time!

As I said this couple is very special to me and I can’t wait for them to see their full gallery capturing the perfect speeches, beautiful dances, amazing food, delicious donuts. Family, friends, smiles, tears, joy, and most of all a lot of love!

Enjoy their gallery from The Treasury Pontiac Wedding!

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One of my favorite wedding venues is the Royal Park Hotel. It’s a unique glassed in conservatory that provides a beautiful space for your wedding ceremony.

Jason and Christy were a rescheduled wedding from 2020. And while their big day was smaller than they’d anticipated originally. They were surrounded by love and support. The tears flowed during their intimate ceremony surrounded by the hotel gardens.

I love photographing couples in the gardens. It’s small, and lush with a beautiful fountain in the middle.

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while you might have seen Jason and Christy’s Stoney Creek Engagement session. If not, head over and see their beautiful photos from their original wedding date!

Enjoy these photos of the Royal Park Hotel.

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I often meet with couples at least once before the big day. With Covid, and the distance between us, all of our communication was done over email. So walking into the house I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was greeted so warmly by her parents and family. It was clearly a day full of love and excitement.

The ceremony was officiated by one of Kaylie’s dearest friends, and the tears flowed freely. It added a personal touch to their Port Sanilac Wedding day. Kaylie’s mom helped get her dressed, her Dad couldn’t stop snuggling his adorable granddaughter in her matching dress.

They danced their first dance on the beach, while their adorable little girl played in the sand behind them. And when I delivered their gallery an email quickly pinged back to say this;

“Oh my goodness they all turned out better than I could have imagined. You truly captured the day and I will cherish these photos forever. I can’t thank you enough. I can’t wait to share these with our families.”

Enjoy these images from their Port Sanilac Wedding day!

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I’ve been married 15 years, and I would elope if I ever had to do it again. It’s a lot of stress, and planning, and worry. Don’t get me wrong, it is such a rewarding moment when it comes to life. But in the months leading up to it, you are stressed. Now toss in a worldwide pandemic that suddenly closes all of your venues down. Shuts your vendors down from working.

When March hit in 2020, I wasn’t sure what would happen to my wedding couples. But I wanted to be there to support them whatever they decided. For Beth and Adrian, it meant calling together their closest family and friends for a backyard wedding to celebrate what they couldn’t otherwise.

I’d actually never met them before, they live out of state, so the planning we had done was over email and phone. I’d met Beth’s parents a few times in the process, and I really enjoyed talking with them. So I knew I’d love Beth too.

When she called to ask if I was comfortable with photographing their intimate wedding in her parents backyard I jumped for joy. I missed weddings. So many had moved to 2021. I was excited I’d finally get to meet them!

They surrounded themselves with family. Adrian’s brother officiated their wedding in a way no one else could have. Beth’s sister did a reading. We laughed. We cried. We were grateful. And out of that came a wonderfully intimate wedding to celebrate all that 2020 couldn’t take away from them.

Ironically, as they cut the cake, Beth told us the story about how her parents ended up dropping their cake on the floor at their own wedding. Something happened while they cut it and down it went. So we all gasped in shock as they smooched and the piece they just cut hit the ground. Guess it’s good luck, her parents are still in love to this day, so may it bring as many blessings to the new couple.

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Sarah and Garrett met through some mutual friends, and both grew up very active and playing sports. She played basketball, and he played football. Since then, they’ve been sharing their passions with each other; Sarah is now an avid fantasy football fan thanks to Garrett, and Garrett now loves music on vinyl, thanks to Sarah. It sounds cliche to say that they are truly each other’s best friend, but for this couple I honestly couldn’t describe their relationship any other way.

Their wedding day came along, and ran without a hitch. The girls all looked beautiful, and the set of groomsmen were probably my all time favorite group I’ve ever worked with. Being able to hang out with their fun friends was a highlight of my evening as their Packard Proving Grounds wedding photographer. 

The Packard Proving Grounds is such a cool venue. The historic element of the grounds, mixed with the awesome antique cars amidst the property makes for endless photographic opportunities available around every turn. I could shoot hundreds of weddings there, and have them all look unique and different because of all the variety offered there. It offers a year round beauty, and is such a great hidden gem of the Metro Detroit area, and I’m so glad that it’s so close to me and Mt. Clemens photography studio. I hope you enjoy this preview into Sarah and Garrett’s wedding day, when they hired Katie Anton Photography as their Packard Proving Grounds wedding photographer. If you are located in the Metro Detroit area and are on the hunt for a wedding photographer, I would love to chat with you!

Additional Vendors Pictured:

• Dress: The Wedding Shoppe
• Bridesmaid Dresses: Nancy’s Bridal
• Bride’s Shoes: Keds
• Hair: Salon Bliss
• Flowers: Viviano
• Planner: Forever Memories Events
• Cake: Mannino’s
• DJ: Metro Rockway
• Catering: Chowhound Gourmet

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