tim & lauren: married!

Tim and Lauren were my first 2009 engagement session (Matt &Allison missed the title by just one day on 12/31/08 :)) way back in snowy January. It was a cold session, but it was so full of love and I knew that day that their wedding would be a wonderful celebration.

Well, 8 months later, on a not so snowy day, Tim and Lauren said their vows and began their life as a married couple. It wasn't the warm, sunny August Saturday one would've expected though! For the second weekend in a row, rain was threatening this outdoor ceremony. Tim & Lauren decided not to chance it - and rented a tent the night before. This was probably a good choice because the rain was sprinkling throughout the ceremony!

Despite the looming clouds and the chillier temperature, the day was just as beautiful as I expected it to be. The whole day was so full of happy emotions - I laughed and I cried (more on the tears later...). Their ceremony was so personal and intimate. It was held on the lawn of the historic Weaver House in Pine Bend County Park in Holland, MI. It was such a unique location! The girls used the house to get ready in all morning and we used the property for before-and-after pictures! The reception was at the Yacht Basin Marina on Lake Macatawa (Holland, MI) where friends and family celebrated the newlyweds all night long.

Tim & Lauren - your wedding day was so beautiful - and a perfect representation of your love for each other. I wish you much blessing and joy as you experience newlywed life together! Enjoy your preview, friends!

Gotta start with the details! The Weaver House provided a lot of cool backgrounds and textures to shoot the details! I would totally recommend this venue to anyone looking for a unique ceremony location in Holland, MI!

Love this moment of Lauren's friend, Erin sneaking a peek at Lauren in her dress!

Lauren was soooo excited to be married!

Some portraits with the bridesmaids!

Lauren was a beautiful bride... in case you needed me to clarify that! Check her out!!

See! I told you so! :)

I could tell that the guys were there when I caught the girls spying...

Look how handsome they are!

Tim's good friend, Bob, even snuck in for a few!

Ceremony time! Check out this walk down the aisle...

Tim and Lauren aren't Jewish, but they adopted the tradition of being married under the "chuppah" - a Jewish prayer shawl - into their ceremony. Very cool!

A prayer benediction (in Hebrew and English) and the kiss :) They are married!

In case you didn't know this either.... Tim ADORES Lauren... it's true.

Off to the reception @ the Yacht Basin Marina. It's a newer facility located on the water... very cool! Lauren's dad gave a great welcome speech/toast:

Likewise, Keith, the best man, gave one of the best Best Man speeches I have ever heard (and I have heard a lot). See how moved Lauren is by his words in the next picture? It was hard to capture this moment... because I was wiping away my own tears!! AND I was tearing up as I was editing these images because I was remembering how special that toast was (yes, that's true). NOTE TO FUTURE BEST MEN: If you make the bride cry happy tears, you probably made a good toast. Great job, Keith. Great job.
Funfetti cupcake cake!

First dance to "Then" by Brad Paisley. They were singing to each other the whole time they dance... and this also made me tear up!

Dollar dance with her brother-in-law, Brandon! Love this shot!

Yay newlywed friends! I wish my fiance, Jonathan would've been in the picture - but he took it for us :)


Congratulations, again, Tim & Lauren! Jonathan and I can't wait to be newlywed friends with you two! ;)