Getting Ready in the Guest House
When I first arrived at Crooked Rivers, I was in awe of all of the natural beauty. Nestled into northern Michigan, this venue features a large barn on its property, a getting ready house for the bride or groom, a river, several acres of woods, and several acres of farmland. It’s the perfect mix of both forest and country views for those looking for something rustic for their venue.
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my reel about this wedding day. I found myself needing to replace my second photographer last minute. I usually have my second photographers lined up in advance but a last minute emergency happened and I needed to find a replacement quick. My husband ended up stepping up and worked by my side all day. He did such a great job helping me throughout this wedding day and I am so appreciative he was willing to step in.
We started our day with the bridesmaids getting ready in the guesthouse. I’m always in awe when brides and their bridesmaids get ready on their own with no professional hair and makeup team. The ladies did a beautiful job on each other and I was able to get the sweetest getting ready photos of them all helping each other. The men arrived not too long after and used the other part of the house for their own getting ready area. Crooked Rivers had divided the house up using curtains so it was easy for both parties to get ready in the same place without seeing one another.
We had plenty of time before the ceremony for all the detail photos. I usually arrive at the wedding venue early so I can take photos of it before any guests arrive. I love capturing how your space is decorated and all the little details my couples put into their space, so arriving early to get pictures of it without guests in the way is crucial. Of course, I equally love taking photos of your guests enjoying the reception! Also before the ceremony, we had the time to take groomsmen photos. This bunch of groomsmen was so fun!
Ceremony at the River
Chelsea and Drew had decided against doing a first look, so Drew first saw Chelsea that day walking down the aisle towards him. He had all the emotions watching Chelsea walk down the aisle. It was so sweet watching his reaction, I teared up. If you’re not totally sure about doing a first look, I always like to offer what I call a first touch. With a first touch, you and your fiancé will usually meet around a corner or back to back. It’s the perfect alternative to a first look because you get to talk to your partner in private and calm some nerves without seeing them. Check out this gallery with a first touch to see what I’m talking about! Chelsea and Drew’s ceremony took place down by the river, which was the perfect backdrop for exchanging their vows.
After the ceremony, we stayed down by the river for family portraits. Family portraits are such a special time in the day that I make it a priority to work it into our photography timeline. Of course throughout the day I take photos of couples interacting with their families but this is really the only time of the day where the focus is on getting proper family portraits- the kind you’re going to print and hang on your walls or include in your wedding album!
After family portraits, we took a quick 20 minutes to take full wedding party portraits. The amount of time I spend with the full wedding party really varies based on size and the priorities of my couples, but 20 minutes is plenty of time for me to get multiple images. I really try to incorporate flow-posing so it’s natural and easy for the party to move from one pose/prompt to another.
Reception in the Crooked Rivers Barn
Chelsea and Drew’s reception was so much fun. As always, the reception kicked off with a cocktail hour. I like to prioritize cocktail hour for my couples. So many times I see couples keeping busy during their cocktail hour that they don’t get to enjoy it. When building the wedding day timeline, I always like to discuss priorities to determine how we move forward with this time. My thoughts are that you pay for this cocktail hour for everyone to enjoy and you should get to as well!
Chelsea and Drew did a grand entrance into the barn and kicked things off with a quick little thank-you speech. I love when couples choose to do this- it’s the perfect way to thank everyone for coming to celebrate with you and shows that you care. A couple more speeches were made, plus a pre-dinner prayer, and then dinner kicked off. Dinner was super yummy.
Earlier in the day, we had originally planned for Chelsea and Drew to meet up and say their personal vows privately. We had to readjust some things in the timeline, and ended up doing this part of their day after dinner. It was still so emotional and intimate even though we had a time change for this moment. I have a lens that can change focal lengths, so to help keep these moments private for you I stand close enough that I can take photos but far enough away that I’m keeping this moment private for you. I couldn’t hear Chelsea and Drew saying their vows but I could see the emotions on their faces and it was such an intimate moment for them.
The dancing portion of the night was kicked off with Chelsea and Drew’s first dance and a group dance. The DJ kicked off the party with The Chicken Dance and it was so great to see everyone participating! Usually I see a few people standing off to the side just observing the dancing but every single one of their guests was on that dancefloor. The Chicken Dance isn’t normally a song I hear at weddings but it was actually so cute to see the kids dancing with the adults. I know it was special for them to participate on the dance floor.
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