THE WESTIN BOOK CADILLAC HOTEL WEDDING IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT

Mary-Kate & Matt

One of the biggest questions I get asked is "how do couples look so comfortable in front of your camera" and to that I say... PRACTICE! Now I'm not just saying you need to go splurge on professional photography just to practice posing and feeling comfortable in front of the camera. One of the many ways my couples get comfortable with me and posing in front of the camera so they are wedding day ready is with their engagement session. Your engagement session gives you the opportunity to meet your wedding photographer and understand how your wedding photographer likes to shoot, how they like to pose you, etc. For Mary-Kate and Matt, we actually blogged their engagement session a while back. To read all about that, click here!

Getting Ready & detail photos

I met up with Mary-Kate and Matt at The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Hotel. Try saying that 3x fast - lol. They were getting ready with their wedding party in separate suites, enjoying their time together before the craziness of the day truly sunk in. Typically when I first arrive I love being able to take detail photos. Detail photos include items like:

Veil
Perfume or Cologne
Hairpieces
Tie
Shoes
Invitation Suite
Jewelry / Rings
Extra flower clippings from your florist
etc.

If you should know anything about Mary-Kate and Matt is that they LOVE bud light, so of course I had to get a few photos of the customized bud light cookies. The light that was peeking in through the windows in the hotel were just so beautiful and I just couldn't stop shooting. Shortly after, Mary-Kate slipped into her wedding dress and o-m-g. While to many on the outside this looks like a pretty simple dress, as soon as Mary-Kate put it on it took my breath away. It was so chic and simple yet looked stunning on her.

While Mary-Kate and her bridesmaids were finishing up getting ready, the second photographer went out to take some portraits of Matt and his groomsmen in the city! Having a second photographer can really transform your wedding photos, which is why I always encourage my couples to have a second photographer on your wedding day. A second photographer not only get capture certain moments that your lead photographer wouldn't normally be able to (aka being in two places at once), but they are also to capture a different viewpoint all together. Think of your second photographer as a second pair of eyes on a rather busy day. They capture moments that normally your lead photographer wouldn't be able to and overall enhances your wedding day experience tenfold.

CEREMONY AT BASILICA OF STE. ANNE

We finished up at the hotel and made our way to their ceremony at the Basilica of Ste. Anne of Detroit. This isn't the first time I have been to this church. Claudia and Dan also got married here and had an equally beautiful ceremony which I did blog as well! To read about that, click here! The church is just painted with stained glass windows and stunning sculptures that makes you feel transported smack dab into the middle of Europe.

PORTRAITS

For portraits, we first had to stop at the Ambassador Bridge which is the driving point between Michigan and Canada. Last time I was here I was actually shooting Katherine & Patrick's engagement session in the dead of winter. Safe to say that there was nobody around at that time. However, because Mary-Kate and Matt's wedding day was in the middle of summer, let's just say this park by the Ambassador Bridge was packed! Lucky for us though we were able to find a clearing to still get some amazing photos with them and their wedding party. Next, we made our way to Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA for short). This art museum is a huge photo opportunity for weddings, with clear reason. While we weren't able to go inside the museum, the outside structure was just as beautiful and made for the perfect backdrop. Our last stop was the Detroit Riverwalk. During this portion of their portraits, I broke out my good ol' friend cellophane to cover my camera lens and get some more blurry/vintagey vibes which you all know I'm here for.

RECEPTION

We were able to make it back in time to actually get some photos at their reception space before the actual reception started. The reception was held at the Colony Club, a very luxurious event space here in Detroit, Michigan. We spent the night cutting some cake, enjoying some heartfelt speeches and of course it wouldn't be a Mary-Kate and Matt wedding without some Bud Light. I can wholeheartedly say that that Mary-Kate and Matt truly made their wedding day completely and uniquely theirs which as a wedding photographer is all that we can ask for. Cheers to the amazing couple!

If you loved reading this Downtown Summer Wedding in the City blog, then maybe you should check out this blog here!

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 these photos from Mary-Kate & Matt's wedding puts a spark in you, you know where to click <——— right there!