WATERVIEW LOFT Michelle + Mitch

Detroit Michigan wedding photography at the Waterview Loft at the Port of Detroit provided by Kellie Saunders and her award team of Detroit, MI wedding photographers.

Michelle and Mitch love adventure and discovering the unknown. They met in elementary school and their lives mirrored each other where they went to the same high school and attended Michigan State for their undergrad degrees. However close they were in their childhood, they never dated until later in life, when they both found themselves living in the Royal Oak area. They just kept running into each other and finally after the universe spent 18 years trying to put this puzzle together, Mitch asked Michelle on a date. Their proposal story is unique and a preview to the adventures that are waiting for them in life. Michelle tells it best in her own words, so here's a little snippet.

"We walk our dog almost every day after work. On the Friday he proposed, we were going to be on vacation for the next week. I got home first (or so I thought) and was relaxing in the backyard when he got home. He was all eager to go on a walk so we changed and started our walk on our usual walk. Sometimes on our walks we will go into houses as they are being built, we like to check out the floor plan and imagine what goes where. As we were walking he pointed out a house that was being built and wanted to go check it out. We walked in and looked around downstairs and then he said "let's go check out the upstairs." He let me go first and as I neared the to of the stairs I noticed that there was stuff up there, it took a moment for it to register, but I then saw on the floor rose petals spelling out "Will you marry me," there were flowers everywhere, and a big picture of us from our Costa Rica trip. I turned around and he was down on one knee, it was all happy tears, smiles, and kisses from there on out. We sat in the house calling our family and drinking champagne for a while, just enjoying the moment. It was perfection and so us. I am not easy to surprise and I was completely stunned."

Now you know dear friends, that when Mitch and Michelle told me their proposal story, I asked the hard questions. Did Mitch have keys to this builder’s house? Did he find the builder and ask permission? While I'm not at liberty to say publicly what I know to be true, I can say that I can say that Mitch is quite a thrill seeker and Michelle has one fantastically fun future ahead of her!

Their wedding day was nothing short of spectacular. The bridal party gathered at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center for the typical preparations. The staff at the Marriott were gracious and kind as always! Michelle wanted to have a "non-first look, first look", so we used our imaginations and set it up for them. They decided to sign their marriage license before the wedding and exchange gifts but they didn't want to see each other until walking down the aisle. This created some challenges because there were many places we could do something like this at the Ren-Cen, but we found a spot that worked perfectly.
Once their gifts were exchanged and marriage license signed, Michelle headed over to the Waterview Loft to wait for the official nuptial exchange. The Waterview Loft is one of my favorite wedding venues of all time! The location on the Detroit riverfront is perfect, with stunning views and a busy pedestrian thoroughfare. On a hot summer day it makes for fun people watching, especially if there is a festival. After vows were exchanged and first kisses had we quickly photographed the immediate family and then took a fast stroll down the riverfront to take a few wedding portraits. Michelle and Mitch chose not to have a traditional first look where would have extra time for wedding portraits before the ceremony. This was the right decision for them, and I fully supported it. But for those who are deciding between a first look or not, it's important keep expectations in mind. Michelle and Mitch understood that by not having a first look it would affect the amount of wedding portraits they received of the only the two of them, because we literally had fifteen minutes to work with them after the family formals. Because they are thrill seekers and able to roll with the flow, this worked for them. If you are a couple who wants more stylized and editorial type imagery, your photographer will most definitely want to discuss a first look.

The day following the wedding, Mitch and Michelle left for an extended honeymoon in Europe. They spent 9 nights in Italy and then cruised the Mediterranean Sea for seven more nights. Their future plans include fixing up their Royal Oak home and starting a family. Since they are both hard working and motivated, they will continue to grow their careers. They love learning new things and travel and since they live in my neighborhood I'm excited to run into them so I can hear all about the new adventures they experience!

Congratulations Mitch and Michelle! I can't wait to see what life brings your way!

Michigan wedding photography by Kellie Saunders, Detroit Michigan wedding photographers. Kellie Saunders is one of the best Metro Detroit Wedding photographers around. She is a professional artistic wedding photographer located in Birmingham, Michigan. Her work has been published both locally and nationally in print and online. Her studio serves the entire metro Detroit area and offers wedding photography at it's best. Each wedding is treated with love, creativity and care not found in larger studios. She has an authentic documentary style and specialized in creating sophisticated and timeless wedding portraits.