Archive for the ‘Wedding Photography’ Category

The historic cigar town of Ybor, Florida was the first location for this recent destination engagement session and provided a nice break from Brighton, Michigan’s cooler weather. Sarah and Chris, the bride and groom to be, are a very fun loving couple and we had a great time during their photo session. But keep in mind, engagement sessions are meant to be fun and playful. They were both very relaxed and eager to get some great images.

An engagement session that has been professionally photographed serves more than one purpose. The most obvious, of course, is having properly retouched photos that can be proudly displayed for decades.

It also provides the opportunity to build rapport between you and your photographer with whom you will be spending an ample but comfortable amount of time on your wedding day. The communication door is also a little wider when it comes to expressing those little details which are of special importance.

Aside from building rapport, this is a great practice run of what to expect on your wedding day. You will feel more at ease during those times when you find yourself looking down the barrel of what may appear to be a rather large lens even though it may be some distance away. At the same time, you will become familiar with the way your photographer may guide you if needed.

Your wedding day is a joyous celebration. Dawn Havrelock Photography can capture your beautiful day in a relaxed and unobtrusive way. Enjoy

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Hearing this couple’s story was, unfortunately, not unlike many others I’ve heard these days. “Our friend had this really good professional camera so we let him take our wedding pictures.” Needless to say, their story took a downward spiral from there.

As can be imagined, this one very special day in the lives of this bride and groom was not captured as it would have been by a qualified professional wedding photographer. So, be careful who you entrust to capture the special moments in your life. Not all “photographers” are created equal and what may appear to be a good deal isn’t always the case, as this couple found out a little to late. Remember, after all the expense that goes into a wedding, it’s mostly your investment in photographs that will provide you with that beautiful heirloom for generations to come.

At least this story has a much better ending after we did an “I Do” retake session to create beautiful images that were not captured on their wedding day.

Although this couple has been married for a while now, their excitement was quite evident especially after appearing before one another with the bride in her beautiful gown and the groom in his sharp newly rented tux. The jewelry was in place as well as the fresh bridal bouquet, headdress flowers and boutonniere. They looked great!

So off we went to some of the locations that we had planned to visit a few weeks earlier around the area of Ann Arbor and Brighton. We had a great time and I felt good knowing they were going to have some great images that they deserved to have.

It was nice being able to work at a more relaxed pace than what you normally have on an actual wedding day so we were able to make a stop at Starbuck’s plus grab a bite to eat afterward at a waterfront eatery versus the usual ballroom venue.

If you know of anyone else that would benefit from a redo, have them look into it. But, the best way is still, like most things, get it done right the first time. Congratulations to all of the future bride and grooms out there!

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Adding to the fun of capturing this wedding was the opportunity of working with my friend and colleague Jill. We enjoy blending our creative talents when our schedules allow us to share an event that requires two photographers.

For Julie and Dan this may have been a chilly day weather wise but in all other regards it exuded warmth, mostly from being surrounded by friends and family. These captures are only a small glimpse of the ceremony, sumptuous catered dinner, and abundance of flowers and candles throughout the Stockwell home.

The Stockwells hosted the reception at their beautiful home which provided a perfect backdrop for the whimsically elegant floral designs and candle motif created by Theresa of Dexter Flowers. Heavenly scented pastel roses and candles complemented the decor at every turn.

Chefs Matt Swickerath and Stephen Herman had flown in from Atlanta and the things that were going on in the kitchen caused an anxious yearning for what was later to be served up for everyone’s dining pleasure. With a festive flair, they wove together an array of foods that took your palette to a level of ecstasy.

I so very much enjoyed hearing snippets of old stories, jokes, and the reading of a special poem for the bride and groom that had everyone in stitches. It is a treat to have memories like these that I get to take home at the end of the day. This is what fuels my desire to do it all again with all that I’ve got to give.

Jaelyn and Jack officially become brother and sister today!

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