Austin + Tere | Lakefront Wedding at Private Michigan Home
Ever dream of being married on a private lake at a gorgeous home? If you have, then Austin and Tere's wedding day is just what you're looking for!
The location was great, but regardless of the location, we wanted these two to feel comfortable and confident on their wedding day.
A wedding at a private residence brings with it a few additional day of complications. Many times it includes having a tent as a place for guests to gather. This means renting a tent, tables, chairs, linens, lighting, dance floor and many other pieces of the wedding day puzzle.
The family managed the details and complexities wonderfully and Rebecca and I were able to make sure the day went off as planned.
Austin and Tere met while Austin and his family were serving on a mission trip in Honduras. Though the distance would have seemed to be an obstacle to dating, these two made it work.
It was a pleasure being a part of their wedding day. Tere's family from Honduras was in attendance. We knew the pastor that married them (great job Steve) along with several guests in attendance. We felt like guests rather than photographers throughout the day.
Since the wedding was held at a private family home, the getting ready photos were intimate and detailed. Everyone involved in the wedding was comfortable, which means the photos were, to put it simply, better.
Anytime you have people who are comfortable being around one another AND in a place they're familiar with, the results will be better.
Austin was able to get ready at the house directly next door because of very kind neighbors. With the location on the private lake, there was a ton of green space available during the afternoon, which meant we were off to look for open shade so everyone could look their best.
We feel like it was mission accomplished.
Look at how great everyone looks during the groomsmen and bridesmaids portraits!
Tere, on her father's arm, couldn't have looked more confident as she came down the aisle.
This is one major benefit of having 2 photographers on your wedding day.
One captures the "official" wedding day while the other captures the "secret moments" of the wedding day.
In this case, Rebecca captured the moment Tere took her father's arm and I captured the walk down the aisle.
Check out the lake setting. Isn't it beautiful!
Even with an international wedding, we still wanted to capture great portraits of each family.
We were able to do that despite the late afternoon sun (not the best for portraits) and with the help of some extra lighting.
So much time was spent on the details of a wedding day, we wanted to make sure to capture as many as we could.
From unique cake toppers to hand crafted signs throughout the property, Austin and Tere created a wonderful rustic design for their private lakefront wedding.
Then it was off to dinner under the tent.
Thankfully the weather was beautiful (though hot, as is typical for outdoor weddings in August) and the tent simply became the gathering place rather than a refuge from bad weather.
The evening included a best man speech in English, a Maid of Honor speech in Spanish and some great music from DJ Matt Horling that included some Spanish hits as well as US favorites.
And what better way to make sure Austin and Tere look their best than to pull them away from their guests during the "golden hour" -- the time of the evening when the light is at its best.
Not wanting to keep them away too long, we took the time for just a couple of quick setups that were all about the bride and groom.
Wedding Vendors
Ceremony & Reception: Private Residence
Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero
Hair: Tiffany Mirandette
Catering: Adeline Leigh Catering
Suits: Woodland Tailoring
DJ: Matt Horling from Tandem Wedding Productions
Love the images you see of Austin and Tere? Looking for a photographer that can make you feel confident? We would love to connect with you about your photography needs!