Joanna & Eric


You may or may not recognize these two lovebirds from a blog I wrote a while back. If you haven’t read that, click here! Since then, Joanna and Eric were busy planning their beautiful wedding and the time has finally come for me to share it! Keep reading to hear all about the Midwest Fall Wedding in this small germantown in Michigan named Frankenmuth.


getting ready & first look(s)


Upon arrival I witnessed so much beauty! Joanna looked absolutely stunning and her hair was to die for. Her and her bridesmaids wore these matching sets which is a lot more different from the typical matching robes. Don’t get me wrong though if that’s your game then play it, but sometimes it’s nice to see a change. Once everyone had finished getting ready, it was time for me and Joanna to sneak away for her first look with her dad. When I tell you I just about died when I saw Joanna's dad pull out a note that he wrote to her. You best believe there were some tears shed and it truly was such a special and magical moment between both of them. Joanna then was whisked away to meet up with her groom to be, Eric, for their first look. It surely was an emotional one but you could just see the in Joanna’s and Eric’s eyes. If you want to read more about what first looks are or why you should have one, click here!


midwest Brewery wedding


Joanna and Eric had their ceremony & reception at The Riverview at Frankenmuth Brewery. One main component of Joanna and Eric's wedding day was to surely have their dogs presence known. Not only was he on a lot of the wedding signs, but he also made a surprise appearance during their ceremony. Thanks to Fur Baby Comfort and Care, Joanna and Eric were able to have their adorable pup attend their wedding. Fur Baby Comfort and Care essentially is a service you hire for someone to bring your dog to the wedding, walk them down the aisle and then dog sit while you party the night away. It was such a unique idea and one I rarely get to see and is a great option to include your four legged pal during your wedding ceremony.


During a portion of the ceremony, the officiant was asked to read a letter. This letter was a letter that Joanna had written Eric years back after one of their first dates. Eric never knew this letter existed so you could say that this was a pretty emotional moment for the both of them. Even I was crying but is that really new? I cry at almost all weddings lol. After saying their I dos and officially tying the knot we had to do the fun paper signing. Joanna and Eric’s ceremony space was directly attached to the brewery so cutting through a crowd of people in order to go sign your marriage papers seemed like the right thing to do. 


wedding day portraits


For their portraits we took a few outside before our bums completely froze off. Okay I may be exaggerating tiny bit but hey it was a bit chilly, we then went to their ceremony space to take wedding photos. The sun was peaking so perfectly and was setting so effortlessly it was a must have spot for us. One detail of Joanna’s wedding look that really surprised me were the yarn flowers in her wedding bouquet. One of Joanna’s family members made yarn flowers that so subtly accompanied the remainder of the flowers in her bouquet. Such a small and cute detail, so naturally it was one detail we couldn’t miss. Joanna had this jacket made with her new name on the back and she wanted to wear it the entire day. Although there were moments where it was apparent that this jacket was glued to her body, we were able to convince her for a few photos without it. She and her bridesmaids looked absolutely stunning and can we talk about the sunglasses photos??? Joanna had her white jacket that she had custom made while the rest of her bridesmaids had matching black leather jackets which I thought was such a cute and fun idea.


reception


Once finished with portraits, we decided to meet up with the rest of their wedding guests for their reception! The theme for Joanna & Eric's wedding was really based on Christmas so you see some gold trees and more Christmas like accents throughout their wedding decor. For their reception, Joanna and Eric also had After the Tone, an audio guestbook which I highly recommend! Essentially you are given this phone where your wedding guests can ring in and leave a voicemail on the phone. Then After the Tone burns all of the voice messages onto a record for you to be able to listen to funny & sweet messages your wedding guests have left for you. There was a brief moment where Joanna and Eric were able to have some sweet alone time, which ended up being some of the only alone time they had throughout the whole day. This is why I always stress to my couples to really think about their wedding timeline and to maybe set aside time to be alone, just the two of you. Your wedding day is crazy as it is and sometimes it can feel like you barely saw your partner. Setting aside time for just yourselves will give you such a good feeling and is truly a special moment on your wedding day. We spent the remainder of the night dancing, listening to some absolutely hilarious speeches and eating some delicious food.


From beginning to end I was there for Joanna and Eric and it always feels so surreal to see everything come together on this one day. It truly is such an honor to be there for them and I am wishing them a perfect happily ever after. Cheers to J+E!!


If you loved reading about this Midwest Brewery Wedding, then you're going to LOVE this Intimate Farmers Market Wedding!


Photos By Gayle does more than just take photos of people. Rather, it is capturing moments of LOVE and HAPPINESS. Singing to the skies, dancing in a field, smiles that hurt because they’re so big. There is nothing else I would rather be doing than photographing these unique details that make you and your significant other a couple. If Joanna & Eric's session puts a spark in you, you know where to click <——— right there!


Scroll for vendors!

Vendors:

Getting Ready: Frankenmuth Fairfield Inn by Marriott

Hair & Makeup: Brie Artistry Hair and Makeup

Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Riverview at Frankenmuth Brewery

Wedding Planner/ Venue Coordinator: Lindsey Dardas

DJ/Band: Forella Events

Cake/Desserts: Sugar High Bakery

Caterer: The Riverview at Frankenmuth Brewery

Dress: The Dress Shop

Tuxedo: Randazzo Formal Wear

Invitations: Greenvelope

Guest Book: After the Tone

Dog Handler: Fur Baby Comfort and Care

Book your dream PHOTOGRAPHER today


I am a Destination Elopement Photographer who specializes in weddings, engagements, elopements, and boudoir. I love to travel to new places so if you are looking for a photographer for any of these events, please contact me here and I will be more than happy to get you started on some beautiful photos of your own!