{Kalamazoo Michigan Wedding Photographer}

Photographing weddings of people I know personally is one of the best experiences for me. It’s no accident at all how we met. I truly believe God had our paths cross many years ago for His ultimate good and allow me to be blessed to meet and know this amazing family. 💕 The first time we met was a very bittersweet day for this family. I was one of the few people blessed on this earth to meet their little daughter, Maria, who was born a little to premature….and now all these years later, I am able to witness and photograph their eldest daughter’s wedding. Truly my honor and privilege. 💕

This first series of black and white images are so precious as mom is helping daughter get ready. LOVE!

Below we asked Isabelle and Chandler to tell their story….so enjoy learning more about them as you look through their “best day ever”.

• Please tell us your love story….how did you meet? Did you date right away? How long have you been together?

  The whole thing started on an evening in February, 2016. Valentine’s Day, to be exact. Chandler was in his first year of med school, and I was in the middle of my culinary classes. We met at a game night at church – the best place to meet your future “someone.” From the moment I walked into the room, I was intrigued by the young man in flannel. The opportunity arose for the two of us to meet later that evening, and both of us recall how easy and natural it was to talk together. That night, Chandler called his parents to tell them about the young woman he had met. I told my parents as well. Our parents smiled and started praying. That Valentine’s Day evening was the beginning of many, many conversations in which we discovered how much we shared: an appreciation of classical music, a mutual obsession with history, and our homeschooled background. We talked about theology and all that God had done in our lives; we told stories of our childhood, and the friendship deepened and became something different altogether. 11 months after we met, Chandler asked me out for coffee. That first date marked the beginning of a six month relationship.

• Was there an official proposal?

  Long before Chandler asked me on that first date, I had a favorite spot in Kalamazoo – Heritage Hall, the WMU Alumni Center. It’s majestic grounds and lovely overlook of the city of Kalamazoo made this a gorgeous spot to visit. When Chandler and I began dating, I took him to this spot. It quickly became a favorite for both of us of them and a frequent stop after evening dates. On one special date, Chandler suggested we go to “the spot.” I was completely unsuspecting since this was a fairly normal occurrence. Once there, Chandler waited for the perfect moment and then got down on one knee. With happy tears and laughter, I said “yes!”

• What characteristic to you love most about each other?

• Isabelle ~ His steadiness. I don’t know how else to describe it. He has an unwavering, selfless love for me that I know is here to stay. His ultimate goal is to follow the Lord’s will, because of this, I know I can trust him. He makes me feel safe, cherished, and protected.

• Chandler ~ Her persistent cheerfulness. Even in the midst of difficult situations, there is an unwavering joy in her attitude and actions that is impossible to extinguish.

The first look….

• What are some fun things you love to do together?

  We enjoy hikes in the woods, long walks on the beach, exploring bookstores, archery, shooting, and anything involving coffee.

• Let’s talk WEDDING! 🙂 What was the best memory of your wedding day for each of you?

  Isabelle ~ So many wonderful and precious moments that entire day! However, my favorite part was just before the doors opened and then when I walked down the aisle. To see him standing there, waiting for me, and knowing that my life was about to completely change… best moment of my day and best of my life. So far. 🙂

  Chandler ~ the first look. I wasn’t nervous, but my heart was pounding with excitement as I heard the rustling of her dress as she walked down the aisle behind me.

• If there was one thing you could change about the day what would it be?

  Isabelle ~ Definitely wish I had been able to talk and visit more with all our wonderful friends and family that came to support and love us.

  Chandler ~ I agree with Isabelle. There was so much bustle to the celebration that little time was left to spend with the people we loved who came to celebrate with us and did so much to help us through the wedding process.

• Any advice to other bride and grooms out there?

  Isabelle ~ To the brides out there – Cherish the moments. They’ll come quickly and be gone before you know it, but the entire day will be filled with these precious memories. Take advantage of it and realize the incredible blessing of that day.

  Chandler ~ Help as much as you can, and know when to shut up and stay out of the way.

• Where did you go on your honeymoon?

  Because Chandler is in medical school, we are going on our honeymoon during his break. So next month, we will be going to Florida for an entire week! After living through Michigan winters, a week in Florida in the middle of January sounds absolutely fantastic.

Back to me…Melissa. 🙂 Chiming in to talk through some of the gorgeous images below. First of all, aren’t they the sweetest couple? So genuine and loving! When we arrived at the church for their wedding, I quickly took a glance around the church outside to see where we could do some outside photographs of them. The church is surrounded by a very large parking lot, but there some grass and one big spruce tree near the parking lot….so we made the most of that spot. As you can see they are one good looking couple, so I knew my background was just that…a background, they were the focus and shined in the images!! 

Isabelle asked for some black and white images to have a more classic timeless look to her gallery. Done! ✅

I want to give Isabelle credit for her gorgeous fur. It was the perfect touch for her December wedding and added such a lovely pop of color in the images below with Chandler. 

• What is your biggest accomplishment together so far? 

  Definitely getting married during one of more difficult years of med school. Not an easy feat, yet we would do it again in a heartbeat.

• Please list the top three priorities in your life as a couple together now. Things you will strive for together each day….

  1.) Putting God first in everything and following His plan for our lives.

  2.) Getting through med school.

  3.) Recognizing the small joys and blessings of each day.

• Please list your wedding vendors below: 

  We do want to give a shout out to Rykse & Co. Market and Eatery. We used them for our rehearsal dinner and were so incredibly impressed with their service and food! It was a festive and welcoming atmosphere, the staff were so attentive, and the food was fantastic

• Anything else you would like to add? 

  Melissa was an absolute joy to work with. She made the experience enjoyable and calm. So thankful that she and her assistant were there to capture our special day. The pictures are breathtaking.