Storm clouds and lightening, not exactly ideal for a downtown Chicago engagement session, but in this case it turned out to be an amazing addition to our lovely evening together. It seemed from the very beginning that this city was against us at every angle. We had planned an extra hour of travel and still got stuck in lovely Chicago rush hour traffic for over an hour. When we finally made it off the highway it seemed that everyone and their brother decided to get out and enjoy the long awaited nice weather, which meant tons and TONS of people walking, biking, running, driving...it was a challenge manueuvering around everyone. Yes we were LATE, sorry again guys, then of course about 30 minutes into our session the storm clouds started rolling in, then the lightening. All issues combined you would think this session was a disaster, but it wasn't at all. Alicea and Matt were so easy going, so happy to be together, and had no issue with cuddling under a chaos of wind, thunder, lightening, and rain. And to top it off we went to the top of a sky-rise, with an umbrella...in thunder and lightening. The average person would think we were absolutely crazy, we may have been a little crazy but it was so cool and we got some amazing views. Thanks so much to you both, we have so much fun coming to your neck of the woods. Looking forward to wedding day in just a few short weeks!

















the light started getting crazy as the big, dark thunderstorm clouds started moving in.







Last month we had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented vendors for our first-ever styled shoot and we are so thrilled to share it with you! Taking inspiration from a fresh spring day and the gorgeous green house space in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, Aubrie at RSVP Events and Janna with Ambiance Expressing You combined creative energy with the result of this stunning shoot. The first floor of the Downtown Market is filled with incredible artisan crafted items from spices to sweets; this was the other source for inspiration for what we called our "boho-eco-chic-spring wedding" (what a mouthful!). We hope this will be great inspiration to brides out there who want a truly unique wedding with all things local and handcrafted.
























































We love that Erik was able to capture the fun, creative energy from the day with this video!
Phrené Exquisite Photography | Grand Rapids Downtown Market | Behind The Scenes from Erik Holladay Photography on Vimeo.
Venue - Grand Rapids Downtown Market Event Planning, Design, & Rentals - Aubrie Bruinsma RSVP Events Floral and Design - Janna McKinney CF with Ambiance Expressing You Photography - Phrené Hoeksema, Alyssa Schultz, Katie Plas with Phrené Exquisite Photography Makeup - Flawless Beauty By Debra Hair - Rachel Dutcher with Hairacy Salon Grand Rapids Antique chairs - Bluebird on the Moon Reclaimed wood bar - Globe Vise & Truck Antique table and bench - Lost and Found Treasures of Old and New Models - Tara Gibbie and Nicole Ybema
All the following located in the Downtown Market Ice Cream - Love's Ice Cream Chocolates - Grocer's Daughter Chocolates Vials of Spices - The Spice Merchant Baked goods - Field & Fire Balsamic and Olive Oil favors - The Old World Olive Co.
A lightening storm in downtown Chicago, what better way to end an engagement session! Thank you to Matt and Alicea for shooting through this crazy storm, I think it's safe to say it was worth it! Here's just a peek from their session.

It took a while for it to feel like spring in Grand Rapids this year, but it came just in time for Lauren and Paul's beautiful wedding! I love Lauren's chic details - pink peonies, pretty bridesmaids dressed in navy and gold, and the cutest seed pack favors! As fun as all the details are, nothing outshines the way Paul looks at his wife. These two are so incredibly in love and it was such a joy to capture!









































































Spoiler alert! These two cuties are getting married! Can't wait for your wedding in August, Kayle and Todd





