We met Dustin and Melissa at Jeff and Sarah's Grand Rapids wedding back in 2012 (yes, 5 years ago). Since then we have seen them off and on at other weddings we have photographed for their circle of friends. When Melissa reached out to us last year, we were obviously excited to capture their wedding day on camera and help them tell the story of their wedding day.
They decided to rent the Boathouse Villa at Bay Pointe Inn which is a 3 story remodeled lake house directly on Gun Lake. They reserved the house for the weekend, held their rehearsal on Friday, spent the night at the house and then had their ceremony and reception on the water. Dinner and dancing followed as many of the guests were staying either at the Boathouse or at a room next door at the inn.
We arrived and found the guys almost ready to go for photos and Melissa helped their 4 year old daughter, Lilly, get into her flower girl dress. The details of the wedding day and the boathouse itself made for a wonderful backdrop.
Dustin and Melissa chose to do a "first look" prior to the ceremony and we then followed the first look with photos of the wedding party around the boathouse property.
The weather was threatening all morning, but it didn't rain and the cloud cover, as it turns out, is actually better for wedding photos than direct sunlight (especially during the middle of the day).
Just as Melissa walked down the aisle, the sun came out for their wedding ceremony. Needless to say, it turned out to be a HOT 30 minute ceremony on Gun Lake.
The ceremony kicked off with Lilly stealing the show as the flower girl and Dustin giving her a BIG hug for doing such a wonderful job.
Following the ceremony we had quite an extensive list of family photos to take as Melissa and Dustin wanted to make sure all of their guests were a part of family photos. It was a quick process and they handled the family photo time like champions (as did their daughter).
Then it was time for photos around the Bay Pointe Inn Boathouse of just Dustin and Melissa. The boathouse has a TON of great locations for photos around the house and on the lake, so we made sure to take advantage of them!
After photos with Dustin and Melissa it was time for dinner, toasts and dancing, all on the waterfront.
Best moment of the night for Rebecca and I?
Watching Dustin dance with his 4 year old daughter Lilly for the "father daughter dance" before Melissa danced with her father James.
Tiberius Images is a Grand Rapids photographer that photographs people, places and events. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they serve clients throughout the world and are available for travel.