Hillebrand Photography Blog » Weddings

Kim & Troy

jhillebrand — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:53:06 +0000

It was a sunny, October day for Kim and Troy’s wedding. This lovely couple (who you may remember from their engagement session) have such a genuine love and respect for one another. It was evident in their gorgeous, emotional ceremony which involved Kim’s children in the lighting of the unity candle, symbolizing not only the beginning of a new unity between Kim and Troy, but also that of their family. Seeing the four of them standing at the alter made both Gabe and I choke up. There were so many highlights from the day including: Kim getting ready at the historic Montegue Inn, her stunning Soterro gown and incredible Renee Pawele custom-designed headpiece, earrings and necklace from Crowing Glory, Troy looking debonair in his tux and tearing up when he saw his bride walking down the aisle, Kim’s hilarious and personality-filled kids, the super-fun DJ Ryan Rousseau, and the overall warmth and welcoming spirit we felt from their family, wedding party and guests. Kim and Troy: It has been such a pleasure working with you both this past year. You are kind, beautiful souls and we are so happy for your new beginning together. We have many favorites from you big day, so enjoy a few highlights below and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see even more!! Enjoy!!!

To see a slide show with more images as well as to link to the full gallery (click the “Order Pictures” shopping cart icon), click here!! The gallery is password protected, so please contact us or Kim if you’re interested in viewing.

2011 Year-in-Review

jhillebrand — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:26:38 +0000

Since a picture is worth a thousand words we decided to sum 2011 up with some of our favorite pics of the year, professional and personal. In addition to shooting our usual portion of weddings and portraits, we moved into our first house, got our first dog, and had our first baby. It was one.crazy.year…filled with amazing clients, gorgeous imagery, and many blessings. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU to all who have chosen us and continue to choose us to document your most precious events, moments, and people. Your lives inspire us. Looking forward to more beauty and life in 2012!

Ashley & Craig

jhillebrand — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:24:51 +0000

It was a perfect September day for Ashley and Craig’s wedding. (You may remember them from their engagement session last fall.) It was one of those amazing weather days when you hope someone, somewhere is getting married. Not only was the weather perfect, Ashley looked absolutely stunning in an elegant lace gown, her dark hair beautifully pinned up and her blue eyes especially piercing. And despite having a head cold, Craig looked devilishly handsome in a stylish all-black tux. There were so many highlights of the day including the special bond between Ashley and her dad, the fun-loving wedding party, the beautiful flowers by English Gardens, the super fun dance party with Music Box Productions, and the always amazing Indian Springs Metro Park. Ashley and Craig: It has been such a joy working with you both this past year. You are an incredible, inspiring couple! It was beyond excruciating to narrow this blog post down to just a handful of favorites because we have SO many! With that, enjoy just a few highlights below and click the link at the end to see more!!

Jessica & Bryan

jhillebrand — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:38:23 +0000

It’s always great to be a part of weddings that happen in the gorgeous Northern Michigan. Jessica and Bryan, who you may remember from their engagement session, were married at the lovely Castle Farms in Charlevoix this past September. It was a bit of a crazy weather day…things were off to a good start and the skies were clear all the way until literally the *moment* Jessica was ready to walk down the aisle. As if on cue, the skies darkened and rain poured down, causing the guests to run for cover! In superb last-minute planning, the Castle staff and DJ Ryan Rousseau made things happen in the reception room where Jessica and Bryan said their vows on the dance floor. Both were super troopers about the whole thing. Then, as if on cue again, the moment the ceremony ended, the clouds parted and the rain ceased, just in time for a few photos before the reception. It’s things like this that make for good stories for the kids. Highlights of the day include the beautiful flowers by Marvin Gardens, the gorgeous cake by The Cake Connection in Traverse City, Jessica’s ethereal and princess-like dress from The Wedding Shoppe in Ferndale, and the stunning make-up and hair styling by Katie Shefferly and Talulu in Petosky. Jessica and Bryan: It has been such a pleasure working with you over the past year. Jessica, we’re sad that you will no longer have our same last name but Allen is okay too. You guys were so wonderful and supportive to us this year and we really appreciate it! We’d also like to extend a huge thanks to our dear friends Chris and E’Lisa Campbell for collaborating with us on this event. Now without further delay, we are so excited to share some favorites from the day! Enjoy!!

Kendra & Jonathan

jhillebrand — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:32:27 +0000

Kendra and Jonathan were married at the lovely Inn at St. John’s this past August. It was a day that started out sunny but then quickly turned to dark clouds and thunderstorms. However, the weather didn’t dampen (no pun intended) the festivities. Highlights of the day include: Kendra looking amazing in her Watters dress from California, the adorable bridesmaids dresses and heels, all of the incredible details including an amazing cake by Domestic Arts, beautiful flowers by Michelle Nonis, a very debonair Jonathan, and the rockin’ dance party at the end…complete with dancing grandpa. It was a wonderful event and it was great to work in collaboration with our dear friend and fellow photographer E’Lisa Campbell in documenting the day. Kendra and Jonathan: You two are such a lovely couple! It was wonderful working with you this past year! You had a gorgeous wedding and there are so many images that we love from your day! Enjoy a few of the highlights below and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see more!!

Sarah & Bob

jhillebrand — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:45:15 +0000

It was a beautiful day in June for Sarah and Bob’s spectacular backyard wedding. Set against the the Clinton River, the Lucas’ yard was transformed into an elegant venue, courtesy of the impeccable Special Events Rentals. The flowers by Bellisario’s were to die for as were the desserts by Randazzo Fresh Market. However, even more beautiful than any of the decor was Sarah in a Max Chaoul dress from Demetrios. She was absolutely stunning and so was her gorgeous mother! It was a laid-back affair with the most exquisite details and decorations. Dinner, catered by Penna’s was delicious and the dance party after was a riot, thanks to the very talented band, Fast Forward. Sarah and Bob, we had so much fun documenting your wedding! We felt so welcomed by your friends and family and enjoyed capturing so many amazing moments throughout the day. We’re excited to present your wedding images to you, so without further delay, enjoy a few highlights below! Click the link at the end to see even more!

Alecia & Aaron

jhillebrand — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:54:39 +0000

What do you get when you mix 5 wedding dresses, 8 pairs of cowgirl boots, pinwheels, beach balls, Japanese lanterns, and a generous serving of love? Alecia and Aaron’s Norwalk, Ohio wedding. This was honestly one of the craziest and most entertaining weddings we’ve ever had the pleasure of taking part in. Alecia, a warm-hearted speech pathologist, had five (yes FIVE) wedding dresses. She couldn’t decide on one, so five it was! How fun is that?! (Although, admittedly, she only ended up wearing four of them.) Along with his hilarious groomsmen, Aaron, an equally kind and loving soul, looked J.Crewish-ly dapper in a beige vest and sneaks. The whole day was one fun surprise after another, ending with a tribute to the couple’s union by sending lanterns into the night sky. We loved every moment! Aaron and Alecia: You two are absolutely amazing. You are sweet, compassionate, down-to-earth folks who are perfectly suited for one another. It was a joy and a blessing to photograph your wedding! We are in love with your pics and cannot wait for you to see them!! So…enjoy a few of our favorites below and don’t forget to click the slide show at the end for more!

Janna & Mike

jhillebrand — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:52:40 +0000

Classy, elegant and with a little bit of theatrical flair…that describes Janna and Mike’s Gem Theatre wedding. Janna, an advertising media manager, looked stunning in an Augusta Jones dress from the infamous Kleinfelds in New York. A fan of fashion, she attended The Fashion Institute in the big apple before marrying the charming and kind-hearted Mike who works in medical device sales. After living in the city for five years, the newlyweds recently moved to Boulder, Colorado where they are loving the mountains and the laid-back atmosphere. Their wedding was absolutely gorgeous, exquisite right down to the last detail. Highlights of their day include: Janna looking amazing, Mike also looking amazing, the super fun and stylish wedding party, the peacock feathers motif, the gorgeous Gem Theatre, the amazing dance party, and the 100,000 Taylor Swift fans swarming the streets of Detroit…(just kidding about that last one.) Janna and Mike: You guys were so much fun to work with! You have a great sense of style and your wedding was an artistic pleasure to photograph. We are so excited about your pics and can’t wait for you to see them! Enjoy a few of our favorites below, and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see more!!

Ryan & Kim

jhillebrand — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:07:04 +0000

On an incredibly humid day in June, Ryan and Kim (who you may remember from their spring engagement session) said I do at the Wyndgate in Oakland Township. Despite the heat, every single detail was beyond perfection. Kim was stunning in her gown from the New York based Wedding Atelier and Ryan looked dapper in a tailored Brooks Brothers suit. The day, beautifully coordinated by Moe Moua from Simplicity, was full of highlights! Including: Kim…an all together elegant bride who was so much fun all day long, the bridesmaids’ dresses from J. Crew, the staggeringly beautiful floral arrangements by Parsonage Flowers (look for some of these images in an upcoming issue of Brides Michigan), the groom’s and groomsmens’ snazzy suits in lieu of tuxedos, the cocktail party complete with a sailboat converted to a raw bar, the amazingly delicious cake by Sweet and Savory, the super-cool DJ John Arnold, the hilariously choreographed mother-son dance, the really fun dance party and silly guests, the surprise song that Ryan wrote and sang for Kim at the reception, and above all, the crazy-mad love and passion that Ryan and Kim truly have for one another. It was such an incredible day. Ryan and Kim: It’s hard to know where to start! We absolutely love you guys. Your wedding was out of this world and we had a really great time photographing it. We love love love your pictures and cannot wait for you to see them!! On that note…enjoy a few of our favorites from the day and be sure to click the slide show at the end for more!!

Shea & Elisha

jhillebrand — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:33:47 +0000

It was a day of high energy and hot pink for Shea & Elisha’s Inn at St. John’s wedding. The super cool couple, who you may remember from their engagement session, looked amazing and we had so much fun hanging out with them! Highlights from the day include: those sassy hot pink heels, the bright and vibrant floral arrangements, the groom’s mohawk, the huge and hilarious wedding party, the beautiful afternoon light streaming in through stained glass windows during the ceremony, the always amazing cake by Elite Sweets, the prop box for the Shutterbooth photo booth, and overall, the love and excitement felt by Shea and Elisha. Their day had finally come and it was gorgeous! Shea and Elisha: You two have been a pure delight to work with. You are both so sweet and fun and we have loved being a part of your wedding during this crazy time in your lives. We are really excited about your photos and cannot wait to share them with you! Enjoy a few of our favorites below and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see more! Love and blessings to you!!