melissa & eric: engaged!

So, I don't think I've ever taken this long to compose a post on a photo shoot that I absolutely adore (which is all of them!), but this time things are a little different. Life has gotten 1000% more busy and sometimes I find myself scrambling around trying to finish up the things that I should do. It's times like today, on this rainy Saturday, that I have to remind myself that more often than not, the things that I love to do need to take priority - like building a blanket fort with my daughter and sharing photos of people that I love with the world (well, the small part of my world that follows my little blog!).

I never intended this post to be about me - but sometimes you need a little back story, you know? There are very few people that I have kept close to me over the years...not because I don't like anyone or because I'm a flaky friend, but because my introverted personality makes me a minimalist in that I choose my friends, I choose them well, and I choose them for life. What I'm trying to say is that this post is about my best friend of 14 years. Melissa has been my friend for over half of my life - do you know what that means? It means that I don't really remember what life was like before her.

There is nothing better than seeing your friends exude true happiness. There's also nothing better than being able to tell your friend that you know when she and her fiancé are faking smiles so they better not do it in your photos or your'e gonna beat them with a stick - and then they smile for real, because, hey, I can sometimes be funny. Melissa and Eric are perfect for each other, and not just because they both have the same fake smile. I can honestly say that there is a lightness about Melissa that she didn't have before she was with Eric. He brings out the best in her and I can say that because I know what the best and the worst (but still not too bad) sides of my friends looks like. So thank you, Eric, for loving my best friend the way she should be loved and for sharing a life with her that she is so proud of. Thank you for bringing out that light in her eyes that can be seen in every single one of these photos. And thank you for farting during the photo shoot and subsequently producing one of my all-time favorite photos ever.

(um, can you believe that ring?! gorgeous)

(this one ^ is my favorite! and those smiles are all due to a fart lol)

Thank you so much for letting me capture your special moments - I can't wait to share your wedding day with you!

xoxo

H

Jess + Devin: Pre-Christmas Cuddles

Yesterday I spent some time in the afternoon at Jess and Devin's home in South Lyon, where they have more property than anyone would know what to do with and a perfect little farmhouse that they share with their 3 babies (2 pups + a kitty). It was beautiful (even though everything is dead and we were lacking the sparkly snow that is usually here by now this time of year) and actually my dream home (old homes make me giddy). 

This session was too cute, but the struggle was real, my friends. See, I too know the perils of having a significant other who doesn't want to sit pretty for a photo session, and Devin was the same (is this a guy thing??). Even though doing this session damn near killed him (LOL), he did it all for love, and you can see that between him and Jess in every sweet photo. 

And those two pups?! Come. On. How could anyone not love those sweet little faces? I didn't mean for this to be a pittbull love PSA, but you guys. They are just too sweet and loving to imagine anyone discriminating against this breed.

ANYWAY...here are those adorable dimples and pretty eyes and lucious-haired photos I was telling you about (will you guys make babies already?!?)!

Sigh. All the adorable-ness! Can't wait for next time, Jess and Devin (insert groan from Devin here)!

xoxo, 

H

The Henley Wedding :: Cheron & Sherron

Ah, weddings. They always bring me (nearly) to tears and this wedding was no exception. I was lucky enough to spend the day with the Henley's (and their family and friends!) to capture their long-awaited marriage and it was beautiful. It was a perfect October day and the leaves were just stunning...but the bride, you guys. The bride was radiant. 

I have to be honest, my favorite part of photographing a wedding wasn't the family photos or even the super-fun post-ceremony bridal party shots...it was capturing the genuine moments of joy that were happening all around me. To me, those are ones that are so important to capture because those are the ones that are so easily forgotten. 

I hope that when Sherron and Cheron look back at these photos of their day, they can remember the feeling of pure love and joy that they felt on their wedding day.

In addition to the mushy-gushy above, let's address the fact that Sherron and Cheron's names are essentially the same. The best part is that their friends and family call them "She-Ron" and "He-Ron," which is pretty hilarious/awesome.

Anyway, here's a little sneak peek of the wedding day of the new Mr. and Mrs. Henley! 

Congratulations, you guys, and thank you so much for letting me be a part of your beautiful day!

Wedding day essentials, guys.

One of my favorite moments: something old - kisses for Grandma on her brooch.

Seeing his bride for the very first time...le sigh.

Happy wifey!

Heck yes, I made them do the "think face"!

Congratulations, again, Mr. & Mrs. Henley!

xoxo,

H

**also, a ginormous shout out to my BFF Melissa who was a trooper all day, second shooting for me and being my brain!! There are still SO MANY photos to go through, but I will be sure to share some of her artwork too once I get to it! Yay!! LOVE YOU, MEL.