Jason + Aimee | Noto's Wedding in Grand Rapids
How does a couple ensure they're going to look their best on their wedding day when planning in a different state?
If you're Jason and Aimee, you plan a ceremony and reception at the same location and for your other vendors, you trust the provided vendor list.
That's exactly how we ended up meeting Aimee and Jason.
Aimee wanted to make life simple by selecting vendors who were already familiar with their venue selection, Noto's in Grand Rapids.
Three of our favorite parts of their wedding day were:
1) Wanted to have their first look in downtown Grand Rapids
2) Wanted all wedding party and family photos done prior to the ceremony
3) Wanted to spend cocktail hour mixing and mingling with their guests
Having taken care of couples who each wanted one or two of these items, we used our wedding schedule magic to accommodate all three of these requests.
We always do everything we can to give couples the best photos possible. We wanted to help Jason and Aimee feel comfortable, confident and encouraged on their wedding day so they could focus on the MOST important part -- their marriage.
The details of the day and the energy of the wedding party was very high, which made the day more exciting for us!
The question of "Where to have the first look" came up in the course of our conversations.
With temperatures in the high 90s, we didn't want Jason, Aimee or their wedding party to melt (comfortable, remember?). So we chose an easily accessible outdoor location that included both sun and shade. It also happens to be one of our favorite overlooks in the city: Crescent Park
Seeing Jason's reaction to his soon to be bride was priceless and we knew it was a great spot for these two to see each other (and for a few portraits).
Though we wanted to limit the amount of time everyone was outside, we did have to pull the wedding party out for a few minutes. Putting everyone one the shade increased their comfort level and after a few jokes, we had everyone smiling and looking confident.
Then back on the party bus and off to another one of our favorite locations in Grand Rapids, The Ledyard Building. The atrium is stunning and was a great way to keep the wedding party cool prior to the ceremony.
We planned on Noto's for family portraits and it turned out to be a welcome break for the wedding party prior to the ceremony with 200+ guests! Noto's vendor list came through again as Creative Events helped with the decor and design while Noto's provides so many great spots for photos (like the wine cellar and the green space outside the building).
Now that the formalities were over, guests moved into the reception space and the bride and groom joined them for cocktail hour, followed by a 5 course family style meal (as only Noto's can do), a specialized first dance for Jason and Aimee and then a continuously full dance floor for the rest of the night.
To say that guests had a good time would be an understatement. The #TraceBrownGetDown wedding will be one for the record books in 2018!
Wedding Vendors
Ceremony, Reception, Catering & Cake: Noto's in Grand Rapids
Wedding Dress: Martina Liana from Bella Bridal Gallery
Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal
Tuxedos: Men's Warehouse
Hair & Makeup: Design 1 Salon Cascade
Flowers: Shelly's Designs Florist
Linens & Decorations: Wedding Events & Decor
Officiant: I Now Pronounce You Wedding Officiant
Limo: Affordable Limo
DJ: Enchantment DJs
Love the images you see of Jason and Aimee? Looking for a photographer that can make you feel confident? We would love to connect with you about your photography needs!