Kicking off my 2016 wedding season at the Cheney Place with Emily & Mike was an absolute dream. Maybe it was extra sweet because I have known Emily as long as I have called Michigan home. Or maybe it was that I got to work alongside my dad as he officiated their ceremony, a host of familiar faces amongst the guests. I think I can attribute those things to the excitement of the day, but what made it truly special was how this couple focused on the celebration of their marriage above all else. Emily could have really cared less about the insignificant details-- stepping in mud in her wedding dress, the fact that the ceremony decor was finished 30 minutes before her walk down the aisle, and even how she chose to wear beat up blue Nike sneakers instead of the common expensive heel you find most girls painfully trodding in.

When I get to document events like this-- events where the moments that a father gets to see his daughter as a bride for the first time, where dance steps are practiced and twirls are perfected-- I know that it is just about as special as it gets. Emily and Mike are crazy perfect for one another, and every inch of this wedding reflected the love they have for each other, their family and their friends. I hope you enjoy this peek into their day! 

Film Processing : Indie Film Lab/Venue: The Cheney Place/Florals: Horrock's/Band: Nine Mile Smile/Cake: The Cakabakery/Invitations: Minted/

Collaborating with other creatives makes my heart sing. Cheesy? Yes. But true? Absolutely. This sea inspired shoot on the lakeshore of South Haven took place on a randomly cold (we are talking 39 degrees!) and foggy day in May. From the moment I arrived, I knew magic was going to happen as our set-up literally looked like the seas had receded and left this tablescape behind.

I was so thrilled when Magnolia Rouge featured this shoot several weeks ago, and can't wait to share more with you today! Shelby of The Day's Design deserves all the credit on the art direction, styling and florals and really brought this creative vision to life! Full list of vendors at the bottom along with my settings and notes on how I photographed this for those of you are photographers! 

Art Direction, Styling & Florals: The Days Design/Wedding Dress: Spring Sweet/ Rentals: Events by ICandy/Calligraphy & Invitation Suite: Wildfield Paper Co./ Cake: Josh Ferguson/Processed & Scanned: Indie Film Lab

Some behind the scenes notes: I shot this largely with my Contax 645, 80mm 2.0 aperture, Fuji400h/Portra400.  I metered at 320 and even overexposed a it more since it was such an overcast, foggy day.  Digitals were photographed with a 5D Mark III and were mostly shot wide open with the 50mmf/1.2L to match he films depth of field the closest. The only exception to shooting wide open was the invitation suite and ring photos, where I bumped my aperture to 5.0 (and subsequently shot a 1/25th and held my breath so as not  to shake the camera). My camera fogged up quite a few times, as is apparent in some of the shots but I really ended up loving them because I feel like it played to the overall mood of the shoot. If anyone has any additional questions, I would love to answer! Shoot me an email info@ashleyslaterphotography.com

Browse more photos from this shoot below using the arrows! 

Last month I had the pleasure of photographing Justin and Ashley's wedding in downtown Grand Rapids. Ashley was beyond gorgeous, and I have never wanted to take more photos of the back of  a wedding dress than I did with hers! Talk about such a stunning detail!  The wedding party was one of the most fun I have ever worked with, as evidenced by some of the photos below. City Flats looked amazing and as the perfect location for this classy affair. I had so many favorite photos I almost couldn't choose! I hope you enjoy browsing some of my favorites and join me in wishing the Mr. & Mrs. a huge congratulations!