It was a beautiful day in Detroit for this Grosse Pointe War Memorial summer wedding. And we were extremely lucky that is was such a gorgeous day as Nicole and Allan had an outdoor wedding at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. I always have a bit of hesitation (overshadowed by extreme excitement) photographing outdoors weddings. The weather was better than perfect and their photographs turned out stunning. Outdoor ceremonies are my JAM! This was my last wedding before going on maternity leave so I was super happy to have the talented Heather “Kan” by my side!
I photographed these two in the fall in downtown Detroit and since then I’ve been excited for their BIG day! These two are fun and easy going, my type of people! Nicole was one of the calmest and happiest brides while she was getting ready in the morning at the Detroit Marriott in the Renaissance Center. The drinks may have helped a bit 🙂
Allan also got ready at the Detroit Marriott. The spectacular view over the Detroit River and city skyline made it a picturesque location for these two. While Heather captured the guys getting ready, I was focused on documenting the ladies! And let me tell you, Nicole looked stunning. Nicole, a beautiful person inside and out, looked even more glamorous after Detroit Glam completed her hair and makeup. She rocked the long, flowing curls! One of my favorite looks!
Also, if we’re being completely honest here, the matching robes and cliche t-shirts are something that we see at almost every wedding. It is totally cute, but Nicole made it unique! Something I’ve never seen before! The bridesmaids weren’t wearing tradition “bridesmaids” t shirts, they each had their own individual, awesome saying! It was definitely adorable! And not to mention after they changed out of their t-shirts, they all slipped on dusty blue and neutral dresses that were way too perfect! They coordinated so well together and looked stunning!
Okay, enough about the girls, this was Nicole and Allan’s day after all. These two had a first look in the gardens at Grosse Pointe War Memorial and it was beyond precious. I always love capturing first looks because it displays authentic emotion and the true interactions between them!
Following their first look, they had their ceremony outside of the War Memorial, which is a truly spectacular building. The ceremony was amazing! And the weather totally worked in our favor! Oh, and did I mention that all their details were pinterest perfect!? Nicole’s florist, Scarlet Poppy, did a stunning job on the flowers and her bouquet. The anemones looked gorgeous!
After their beautiful and heartfelt ceremony, the guests headed inside for the reception. One of the first things I noticed was their cake. The cake, by Dessert Diva, was unbelievably cute. It was SO simple but it made it that much more elegant. I also noticed something else about their wedding favors. Instead of the traditional wedding favors, Nicole and Allan donated to the American Autoimmune Association. That is extremely meaningful! So if you don’t know what to do for a wedding party favor, choose an organization that is important to you and send some donations their way!
The special mementos didn’t end at the party favors either! They continued on the dance floor! Nicole and Allan had an awesome, fun first dance! But Allan surprised us all when he and his mother broke out into a choreographed dance! It was definitely a cool sight! The DJ, from Elite Entertainment, kept everyone on the dance floor. It was a riot! One of the craziest dance floors I’ve seen!
Well there are millions of details in a wedding day, but that’s the main gist of Nicole and Allan’s special day! As these two were honeymooning in St. Lucia, I was reminiscing over all the gorgeous details and photographs. So take a peek, that way you can reminisce too!
// Amanda //
