Ben + Sophia // Grand Rapids, Michigan

We met Ben almost three years ago when we joined a small group at our church.  He and I started chatting about the outdoors and snowboarding and immediately hit it off.  It has been awesome getting to know the two of them and I was beyond excited when they asked me to capture their wedding day.  When Haylee and I did their engagement photos we both noticed how perfectly Ben and Sophia fit together and even more so how the two of them and his kiddos fit as a family.  

This past Saturday was their big day, and when we arrived their was an overwhelming peacefulness in the air.  At first I thought to myself, it must be because everything was so perfectly planned and she had lots of great help making sure everything was just right.  After a while I realized it was more than that.  Ben and Sophia went into their wedding day knowing that they were 100% ready, committed, and centered on the Lord, which created the most peaceful perfect environment to celebrate their big day.  That laid-back peaceful vibe was how it felt all day long, which is good because we know that sometimes things don't go exactly perfectly.

We always say that things out of your control can go wrong on your wedding day regardless of how much you stress over every single detail, sometimes things just happens. Just after finishing our final photo before heading to the reception, while picking up his brides dress, the groom splits his pants.  I'm talking 2 foot long tear, letting a nice brisk breeze run through his pants. Being that I wore blue pants, I was ready to slap some tape on his pants and give him mine. Thankfully for both of us, he had his suit from the rehearsal dinner in his truck from the night before which was already at the Bissell Tree House.  We all had a good laugh, and they didn't let it put a damper on their day.

To the Bride and Groom: Thank you for letting me capture your perfect day.  Your love story is one for the books and I am honored that I was able to be with you on Saturday.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the 4 of you in the future and cannot wait to continue to grow together as friends and a church family.