Hannah & Craig


Hannah and Craig's love story is an unexpected sweet one. After meeting in Florida during a Christian retreat, their bond began flourishing. Hannah was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, while Craig resided in Florida. Since their Christian retreat, these two and their love grew stronger and stronger. Overcoming a long-distance relationship is difficult, but these two made it incredibly easy. I had the honor of capturing Hannah and Craig's sunrise engagement session and know that these two are head over heels in love. When it came time for their wedding, I just knew that everything would turn out perfectly.


Hannah and Craig chose to have their wedding at Iron Mountain, Michigan, where Hannah grew up. This was the first time my husband/second photographer, Joe, would ever be to the upper peninsula so we decided to make a whole trip out of it. We ended up doing a hike at Chapel Loop at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.


They actually had their wedding at her childhood home, to be more exact. Sitting on acres of land, Hannah's father built a log cabin that made for the perfect retreat for this joyous celebration.


GETTING READY


Hannah and Craig chose to have their wedding pretty early on in the day since they decided to have more of a brunch-style wedding. They both got ready at Pine Mountain Ski and Golf Resort and it was probably one of the most peaceful getting-ready mornings ever. Hannah and Craig wanted their wedding day to be special and intentional and it was evident that taking their time and really enjoying the moment was their goal.

CEREMONY


After finishing up at the resort, we made the short trip to Norway, Michigan where Hannah's father's home is and where their wedding was held. The ceremony was actually in the living room of her dad's house. Towered with floor-to-ceiling windows, Hannah and Craig stood there locking eyes and making their lifelong commitment to one another. During the ceremony, Hannah and Craig exchanged their vows... with a little twist. With personally written vows in their hand, they read one line each while alternating who spoke. It led to an immense build-up and felt more like a conversation than a traditional read-along of vows.


At the end of their ceremony, everyone stood up and joined hands as they all faced the beautiful oasis outside and joined in worship. You could feel the power and impact in the room and it truly made a long-lasting impression.

PORTRAITS


After the ceremony, it was time to head outside for their wedding portraits. For Hannah and Craig, what meant the most to them was making sure they really enjoyed where they were. This house was so incredibly special to Hannah, so making sure that we took intimate moments to really embrace where we were was all that really mattered. Overlooking the acres of land and the special hill, Hannah's Hill, that her father named after her once the cabin was built. These were the moments that meant everything for Hannah and making sure we documented that properly.


Also, a notable mention is Hannah's veil. Typically veils will be placed on the top of your head, covering the back of your head. However, Hannah really wanted her perfectly well-made braid to still be shown... in came the perfect solution. Hannah ended up having a veil that went underneath the braid under her head that still made her braid stand out while giving her the look of having a veil. Something so unique and special and a great alternative to brides not wanting to cover up their perfectly well-done wedding hair.

RECEPTION


Hannah and Craig's reception was held in the same space as their ceremony. So while we were out soaking up the beautiful nature outdoors, the rest of the family was getting the ceremony space turned over to their reception space. Now, as I mentioned before Hannah and Craig had a very early wedding. So for their meal, breakfast food was served. Eggs and bacon scattered the tables and really made this feel cozy and homey.


Typically at the end of wedding days, I am terrible at saying goodbyes. However, come to find out that Hannah, Craig, Joe and I all were on the same flight back to the mainland. Hannah and Craig were on their way to their honeymoon, which normally never happens. Luckily because of this, our goodbye was made a little bit easier and I got to see them before we parted ways the next morning. 10/10 sign off if you ask me.


If you loved reading this Northern Michigan Countryside Log Cabin Elopement, then you're going to love this blog!



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, and 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 these photos from Hannah & Craig's wedding put a spark in you, you know where to click <——— right there!