Hannah & Daniel // Richard App Gallery Wedding

Every year we seem to get one or two weddings by way of an illness of the previous photographer, a double booking or other things of that nature. We were able to step in and help once again for Hannah and Daniel and hit the jackpot. They ended up being our ideal client with a mix of genuinely kind and laid back personalities, with a touch of wackiness! What they lacked in craziness, their wedding party supplemented in spades!! We couldn't have asked for more. 😎 Thank you for welcoming us as part of the gang! We had so much fun and it shows in the images!

We really appreciate that both Hannah and Daniel can be super fun but then flip the switch into lovey mode with ease. These people adore each other and we loved it!! That love carried over to their kids when they both gave separate vows to them during the ceremony and let me tell you, there was not a dry eye in that gallery. I've heard a lot of vows but those got me right in the feels! 😭 You guys have such a great little family and I can't wait to give you these photos you can treasure forever.

Here's to you guys.

-Ryan

have a great life together Hannah and Daniel!!

Big shoutout to all these vendors who helped make our pictures awesome!!

-Venue by Richard App Gallery (www.therichardappgallery.tumblr.com)
-Catering by Kangaroo Kitchen (www.kangarookitchengr.com)
-Makeup by Izzy VanRyn at Manic Muse (www.manicmusesalon.com)
-Hair by Erin Fields at Pure Salon (www.puresalongr.com)
-Music by Motor City Soul (www.motorcitysouldetroit.com) 
-Officiant: Gust Bassianotis (www.forevertwogether.com)
-Floral by Jill LeBlanc Floral (Jill.LeBlanc@gmail.com)

BASH to the future // The Cheney Place

This years BASH was Back to the future themed! It was all things 80's and super colorful! The days before flat irons existed, crimpers ruled the world and vests of all varieties puffy and jean were EVERYTHING. 

This year, they had a lip sync portion of the night which was brilliant and hilarious. All of those photos are at the bottom so be sure to make it all the way to the end :) Ben, Mindy and their team always do such an excellent job on this party every year and we can't wait to see what they do next year! 

As for me, my favorite part of BASH are the cake pops from The Cakabakery. No matter what theme they do, there's always cake pops and my stars, they are incredible! 

To view all of the images from the event, check out the full set here: https://gauperphoto.pixieset.com/bash2017/
Also, feel free to download any of the images to use on Facebook! 

To look through last years BASH --> http://www.gauperphoto.com/blog/bash2016

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VENUE: The Cheney Place: http://www.thecheneyplace.com

DESSERTS: The Cakabakery: http://thecakabakery.com

BAR: Bars By Butch: http://www.barsbybutch.com

VINTAGE RENTALS: Fancy Fray: 

Photo Booth: http://motionbooth.com

Also, this was our little Grace's first party! I suspect she did not enjoy this crazy tight dress as she was stabbing me most of the evening but It's sorta hard to find 80's stuff that can accommodate the roundness happening in my life lately. :) My usual giant sweatpants and t-shirts that we have become used to made this a shock to both of us I think as I haven't been dressed up in many months haha Luckily I had this bright and stretchy wonder in the back of my closet! You just never know when you need a stretchy neon dress. :) 

Elizabeth & Michael // Firekeepers Casino Wedding Photographer

Once in a while I get to shoot an old friends wedding so when Michael told me he and Elizabeth were having one at the Firekeepers casino, I was pretty excited with the possibilities! Firekeepers has tons of cool backdrops and awesome lighting as you can see, so I was having a great time! It was a little cold before we actually got there but I can't complain because it was super sunny which is rare for December in Michigan! That awesome sunshine was incredible to shoot in and they were champs about temperature so everyone wins! We even ended up in a wind tunnel that was freezing but made for some great laughing and wild hair! 

I had a lot of fun catching up with my Battle Creek friends and I loved all the energy and kindness of Elizabeth's big family! They really know how to use the dance floor! I hope you all  enjoy these photos as much as I do! Congrats!

Haeleigh & Evan // Holland Wedding Photographer

What do the Gauper's do for New Years Eve every year? We work! Some people don't like working on NYE since they never get to go do fun things but we view it a bit different. We get to go to a fun party with happy people, eat candy and cake and take awesome pictures of the whole thing. If we weren't shooting a wedding on NYE, we'd probably be at home already asleep so this is WAY MORE FUN! 

Haeleigh and Evan are the nicest people. I don't know how we keep getting so lucky to work with such laid back, kind hearted people but I'll just put it out in the universe to keep them coming! It's not just about having great clients, it's about their friends and family too because lovely people are often surrounded by more lovely people which is really what makes the day have this awesome energy to it. 

Someone posted in a photography group asking what inspires everyone and it only took me a second to say that it's good people that inspire me. Being able to be comfortable with who you are, let go and have fun is just everything. New things happen when you are working as a team. We have all the technical knowledge and can put creativity into things but the real magic comes when people bring who they are into the pictures. Oh and speaking of magic, haeleigh and that fluffy ruffle dress of hers, MAGGICCCCC!!

This was such an awesome day and we are so honored to have been a part of it! 

Hepner Family // Leo is one! // Muskegon Family Photographer

Oh my word Leo is the cutest! It honestly seems like just a few months ago that I shot their wedding then newborn session and now Leo is one!! I love his giant eyes and cheeks so much!! 

Erica and Andy came to our house for a little mini session and luckily it was a beautiful sunny day out! Sunny winter days in Muskegon are super beautiful... but I'm still counting down the days until summer :) 

Enjoy! 

The Foster Family // Ellie // Kalamazoo Newborn Photographer

Ellie is here! This is the first Foster baby to be born at their new house and I gotta say, I LOVE IT. It has so much more light than their last place which is amazing plus they have this perfect little baby. We timed things to have Lyla napping and sent Hudson to his Grandma's house so we could actually take newborn photos of Ellie which I highly suggest doing if you have other young kids. We had them come in for the end and that was about all they could handle. I can only dream of having that kind of energy! 

Enjoy! 

It's crazy how big Hudson and Lyla already are. It seems like yesterday I was shooting their newborn sessions!

The Kwong Family // Kalamazoo Family Photographer

Get ready for seriously adorable things! Seriously, these kids were so cute, especially once they warmed up to us and warmed up in general! I think it was about -150 degrees out side so we were so thankful for this toasty studio space! 

The Foster Family // Kalamazoo Family Photographer

For this years photos, we decided to keep it really low key and close to home which was a great idea! They have a park that is walking distance from their house and making pizza was also great since we got to eat pizza....and thats always a good thing. :) 

Also, how cute is this? I'm pretty sure Lyla and Ryan are best pals. 

The Brinza Family // Grand Rapids Family Photographer

Weather this year has been all over the place in Michigan. Right now, it's 54 degrees out but when we shot this session, it was like 15. haha So we toughed it out for about 15 minutes outside and then head into the studio where it was nice and toasty! Babies tend to not enjoy 15 degree weather :) 

We just love shooting extended families because it's so important to have photos of everyone together especially as the family is growing. Now that we have a studio space to work out of in Grand Rapids, it makes winter time a lot easier for sessions! No more freezing! Hooray! 

Brooke & Eddie // Wabeek Country Club Wedding Photographer

This was our last fall wedding of 2016 and what a way to end the season! The night before their wedding Ryan and I stocked up in a huge tin of special whole foods cookies since we were in Detroit and honestly, that really felt like the right way to start the wedding day. We run on adrenaline so much during weddings that when you add sugary goodness, we are unstoppable!

Their wedding was at the Wabeek Country Club and on my stars, what a beautiful place! In the fall, everything is golden and the air is fresh and its just this last little bit of magic before it's super cold and winter is upon us. 

Some mini stories about a few images: 

- The first image above. AHHHHH! There's always one image per wedding that I love more than all the rest and this one is it. Originally, I was straightening out her dress when all the water from the wet grass kicked up at me and I realize what an awesome shot this was if I wasn't in it so I switched with Eddie and this magical wonder happened. 

- The ring shots. The first one was shot on one of the uplights. I saw all those colors and knew immediately I must have them. I look like an insane person half way under a table to get the right angle on the light. I wish Ryan would take shots of me and my weird setups since it's funny. 

- The eyeball. That is all I will say. You'll know it when you see it. hahahaha! This wedding party was the best! 

- Last, let's all take a moment to appreciate how a twinkle light background should look. In 9 years of shooting weddings full time this is the first twinkle light setup that was perfection. They were close together, in perfect rows, it was a dream! The second we walked in the room and saw that Ryan and I both were filled with glee. haha 

Enjoy! 

Jordan & Lindsey // Kalamazoo Wedding Photographer

Many years ago in what seems like another life, Ryan was a youth leader at church and met Jordan as a wee lad. Fast forward a decade and here we are at Jordan's wedding. For some reason, whenever I think of Jordan, I recall him helping us move to a bigger apartment not long after we got married and he was swinging from a stairwell haha! We made this big time lapse of the whole thing so that is probably why. See! 

This wedding was such a fun group of people on a PERFECT fall day. The venue was beautiful but most importantly, was filled with free roaming cats. If we could go back and get married all over again, our wedding would be filled with tons of cats running around. 

At one point, Ryan called me and said come outside. I figured he needed something from me but when I went outside, he was just standing there holding a kitten filled with joy. Typical Ryan. hahah

It's so awesome to be a part of weddings like this that have such great families involved and everything just makes sense. I always say that love shouldn't be complicated, it should just make sense and be obvious and I feel like that is Jordan and Lindsey. You ALL know how much I love good laughers and my gosh, they are both so great but I especially love Lindsey's laugh, her smile is so real and like pure joy bursting out of her face in some of these pictures. 

Some Fun Mini Stories: 
- Out of all the twirling I do with brides, Lindsey was my first to get tangled in her dress and take a dive. She was a great sport and I think it made for a couple pretty funny pictures. haha It's all about memories guys! 

- Ryan and Jordan used to work with Steve in construction and he has since moved to Texas. Steve was Ryan's best man at our wedding and we were all bummed he wasn't able to make it to Jordan's but out of nowhere, he was there at the reception! Steve has tried to get everyone to move to Texas and work for him at one point or another but for some insane reason, we all choose Michigan like a bunch of crazies. 

- While Jordan was opening his gift from Lindsey, instead of a small note it was like 20 pages of stuff, letters from their relationship, ect. The first thing he says is "I can't read all of this!" and then reads the first thing which said, "Jordan - you don't have to read all of this" hahaha that is when you know how well they know each other :) 

We had such a great time and hope you all enjoy these images as much as we do! 

Kristina & Justin // North Carolina Wedding Photographer

I met Kristina about 6 years ago and she is one of those people you meet and instantly know they are an incredible human. She has such a kind and joyful heart and such a great sense of humor. Justin is her perfect other half. I think love is at it's best when your person really knows and appreciates who you truly are and they have that. He brings out the absolute best in her and before even meeting him I could see how happy she was. When we got to the wedding and got to know him a little bit, I just couldn't imagine a world where these two aren't best buddies for life. 

I'm always saying "buddies for life" to Ryan since it's really my favorite part of marriage. He's the one person that knows me so well and values and understands every weird or vulnerable part of who I am and it's the most wonderful thing. These two have that and it's such a great thing to witness. 

Their attitude towards difficulties also goes to show what a strong relationship they have. Life isn't always easy and dealing with the tough stuff really shows who you are. So lets talk about that hurricane! 

Yep. Their wedding was set to be on the beach in South Carolina right as the hurricane was coming in. Now, to make it more fun, we had a wedding in Michigan the day before so we would be flying in THE MORNING OF HER WEDDING which was stressful and risky all on it's own. To make it more crazy, there was only ONE flight out. Awesome.

Eventually, Kristina called me and told me the wedding was cancelled. My heart broke for her. There was talk of rescheduling but that didn't work and it was just a mess. Later, I got another call from her and the wedding was BACK ON! However, it was moved to where they live in North Carolina since that was more inland. We re-routed our flight and prayed there were no delays in the morning. We made it just in time!

The development where they live has a beautiful clubhouse and golf course and these big tall trees and it's really lovely. She basically planned the whole wedding over in 2 days for the new location and seemed to keep her cool through it all. It was certainly a bit different since she said we were winging it when we got there so I was like...Ok! haha but it all turned out amazing. I cannot believe everything it took to make it happen. 

It reminds me of the day Ryan proposed. (click here to read the whole story if you are interested) He planned this big day in Chicago and it seemed like everything kept going wrong. I lost most of his cash out of his wallet, The sears tower took way too long, The ferris wheel wasn't running so he couldn't propose while taking a picture like he wanted and then we left the GPS in a cab. He finally gave up and found an easy way out of the city and started driving home. Eventually, he pulled off and parked at a car dealership and proposed to me there. He Said "I didn’t really want to propose to you in a car but this is what we have been dealt. I am going to love you even when things aren’t perfect and things don’t work out as planned" then asked to marry me. I replied “I would marry you if we were covered in mud”. 

I think Kristina and Justin would have been happy to marry each other even covered in mud too. :)

--> Also, be sure to check out the custom doodled programs at the end of this post! 

Funy sotrydsfad

One final story for this wedding... Kristina had this awesome idea to have me do doodles of everyone in the wedding party with things that are unique to them. We got this finished and sent to the printer JUST in time. Then when the wedding got moved, I tried so hard to have them rerouted in time but they never made it. 

After our Saturday night wedding, I printed out as many as I had ink for on my home printer and brought those with me when we left Sunday morning so they at least had something after all the thought and work we put into them. 

I think this was the coolest idea ever though! 

Rachel & Phil // The Cheney Place Wedding Photographer

I love when people really make weddings unique to them. If you recall Rachel and Phil's engagement session a while ago, they planned a space themed wedding which I think is such a cool idea! Ryan and I had a Dr. Seuss themed wedding so we are all about doing oddball things :) 

The wedding was at The Cheney Place which is such a great venue. It's close to downtown, has a ton of awesome indoor places to shoot and is just a beautiful place to shoot in overall! I am always encouraging people to consider a rain plan since this is Michigan after all and this is certainly a good one! 

Their wedding was right at the end of Art Prize in Grand Rapids and I'm shocked we were able to manage getting any shots at some of the pieces since getting through traffic while on a schedule is always tricky but I'm so glad we did, there are so many incredible things there! The flower building is my absolute favorite though! 

Enjoy! 

Najat & Paul // Kalamazoo Engagement Photographer

I am BEYOND excited for Najat & Paul's wedding! When we first met them I swear we sat and talked for hours without realizing how long it had been. That is always a great sign since connection is such a big part of photography. They are so much fun, know how to make each other laugh and can we take a second to talk about Najat's glorious red hair. The color is perfect and the curls are super bouncy! Perfect hair color for fall engagement photos thats for sure :) 

Celestina & Jason // Battle Creek Wedding Photographer

Celestina and Jason were so great to shoot. They laugh with...and at...each other and you all know how much I love good laughers! That sense of playfulness I think is just everything in a relationship. 

As far as details go, let's just take a moment to appreciate those incredible flowers. seriously, they were huge and awesome and quite possibly my favorite of the year. 

Then there are the children. The shots of Celestina and her boys just melt my soul into a puddle. I remember their reaction when they saw her and they just seemed so amazed and gosh, there's probably nothing better than that for a mother. 

This was such a fun and relaxed day with the perfect ending of incredible golden light and a mysterious castle. I know theres a lot here but keep scrolling, those golden light shots are worth it!! GO! 

Leah & Jim // Kalamazoo Engagement Photographer

Leah and Jim got one of the most awesome fall days for their engagement session so let's all take a minute and appreciate how warm it was not that long ago...

Now that I've made you all sad because it's -10000000 degrees outside these days, we can all warm up with the giggles and happiness from these two :) 

Brian & Melissa // Kalamazoo Nature Center Wedding

Remember when it was hot out? Michigan is having some weirdly warm days recently but without any warning, it's 20 degrees again. However, back in September the sun was here and I believed winter would never come. 

Unfortunately, what comes with the magic of summer are bugs. We had time, the light was beautiful and the bridesmaids hair and dresses were so awesome I wanted to do individual portraits but while shooting them, a wasp got stuck in the neckline of my dress and stung the daylights out of me. Within a moment, those sweet girls I just met ran over, unzipped the back of my dress to make sure the wasp wasn't still in there and got me a ziplock bag of ice to help with the pain. 

So I had this hunchback look going on with a plastic bag full of ice shoved in my dress the rest of the day. Thank goodness for that since as long as it was cold and numb, it didn't hurt. I tell ya, weddings are just a non stop adventure! 

The Kalamazoo Nature Center is so beautiful, the property is lovely, the barn was adorable and all the details Melissa put into this wedding were just so pretty. I am all about this glam/vintage/rustic business! 

Hayley // Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

Shooting Hayley's senior pictures makes me feel about 1,000 years old because I swear it seemed just like yesterday that we photographed her family when they adopted two little girls but apparently it's been 5 years! Yowza! 

--> You can view that session here: http://www.mudeyes.com/the-simcox-family/

They came up to Muskegon to have beach pictures and I'm so glad! It's just so beautiful out here and I love every chance we get to shoot at this beach. With the wind in her hair and many giggles to be had, she just looked beautiful!