Grace // 10 Months Old

Grace is becoming such a cool little person! It's so hard to comprehend that she is the same baby that we had just 3 months ago. Ever since we sleep trained life has been incredible. She is a sassy pants for sure but she's so happy, curious, fully of energy and so much fun. 

The biggest change recently is being able to make her laugh a lot. Making her laugh is my favorite thing in life currently. I also love seeing Ryan so happy. She's at this awesome stage in life where there really isn't anything bad happening to weigh things down so we are just soaking as much of this in as we can. 

There's lots of of fun GIF animations in here which I really like since this girl is all about moving around constantly :) 

• She loves Avocados and we are doing big bites now! 
• We are trying LOTS of new food with her which is both scary and exciting. 
• She is trying to walk so bad. Once she figured out how to balance, I'm certain she is going to take off running! 
• She is not going to be a quiet kid. I'm both excited and terrified of this. 
• She's been laying her head on our shoulders when we pick her up. She only does it for a moment though so I'm pretty sure it's a hug which is crazy! 
• She has 3.5 teeth! Her two bottom ones are already in and one of her front teeth has popped out with the other one not long behind. 
• She repeats us now! Oh man this is also one of my most favorite things. I am teaching her lots of monster noises. 
• She finally looks like me! I found a baby photo of me around this age and its crazy! She has Ryan's square head but her actual face looks just like me as a kid which is really cool and weird for me since I've been so sure she wasn't my child this whole time. 

Sarah & Josh // GR Studio Space - Grand Rapids Wedding Photographer

I love all the big weddings we shoot but there's something special about a small, low-key wedding. We love mixing things up and were so excited to shoot in the new GR Studio Space!

Everyone was just so kind and happy. That's really the key to an awesome wedding of any size. Sarah has the best scrunchy nosed laugh, it was hard not to put only laughing pictures in of her because it's just all so great. 

The details were beautiful, Sarah MADE THOSE AWESOME CAKES herself, puppies had more energy than I've ever had in my life, lots of laughs and joy from everyone and even a fun ending of Stalky McCreeperton. We are so happy we were able to be part of this day! Enjoy! 

Here's a fun fact of why Ryan and I are such a super duper team! He shoots all the details as they are in the most natural way and I always shoot things dark exposing just for the candlelight to give a different feel to the same shots. We love variety! My goal at any wedding is really to be doing whatever Ryan isn't doing. 

While editing I stumbled upon some super creepy Jeff pictures and I thought there would be no better way to end this blog than by giving everyone nightmares. SWEET DREAMMSSSSSS

The Johnson Family // New Puppy - Aurora!!

My brother and his wife recently brought home the newest member of their family, little Aurora! So we had to do a family session ASAP while she is still a baby. Puppies grow up so quickly and I wanted to just snuggle her immediately anyways. She is just so adorable and soft, I can't even stand it! 

Their other dog, Atlas, is still on the fence about her but I think they will be friends in no time. It's really just payback since every new puppy drives the older dog insane and eventually, it's their turn. It started with his first dog Rebel. He was the only dog for a while and when they got Eve, she drove him crazzzzy. When rebel passed away, they got Atlas and he drove Eve nuts as payback and now It's his turn to have puppy madness. Aurora seems like such a laid back dog though so he may have gotten lucky! 

Puppies are just like babies and it's so important to get photos while they are in this magical, fluffy, bouncy, incredible puppy time! 

Aurora is one lucky puppy to have landed the best dog parents! 

We brought Grace with us and she got to meet the puppy! I love that they are pretty much the same height right now. That certainly won't last long! Obviously she LOVES puppies! :) 

Michael & Lindsey // The Brick - South Bend Wedding Photographer

We try to get to know our couples as much as we can in meetings and on engagement shoots but there’s only so much you can get to know in that amount of time and in those situations. 

Where you can see right into someone is in a moment like this. 

THIS face, this joy, this man who is in absolute AWE of his lady. It’s my favorite thing ever. My face literally hurt because I was smiling so big and for so long witnessing this beautiful moment. They both just couldn’t take their eyes off each other. They said they don’t get all done up often which made this so special and I absolutely love that. 

Years ago, Ryan told me to not get all dolled up every day because it wasn’t special anymore. I was surprised but honored that request and now live my life in sweatpants, no makeup and my hair piled on top of my head and I never feel like he regrets that suggestion. He makes me feel like who I am is greater than what I look like being all dolled up all the time. Let me tell you, after being married for almost 10 years, THAT is the kind of love you want to have. The special times are SO much greater when I do spend the time to be fancy pants and the normal times where I look like a regular human are lovely since I know I can always confidently be myself around him. 

These two really bring out the best in each other and I just know they are going to have such a beautiful life together! 

...OH, and another unique thing was while we were doing detail shots and waiting for the wedding party to arrive so they could get ready, they were just hanging out. They didn't want to see each other yet so they just sat back to back chatting for a while. It was simple and quiet and awesome. When I think back to my wedding, all I wanted to do was hang out with Ryan and so often the day is busy and hectic and it's this big whirlwind. I loved that they had this time to just hang out before the day got away from them. 

...Oh wait, one LAST thing. When she arrived, she was carrying this little stuffed cat. I asked about it and she told me that Michael gave it to her as a gift because their kitty obviously couldn't come to the wedding and I think that is just the sweetest thing ever. These two...I tell ya... :) 

Grace // 8 Months

We are usually so busy working on other people's memories that we never take the time to give our own family the the quality work we give everyone else. That ends now! 

We rented a studio in Grand Rapids, got Grace her first pretty dress and she had her first proper GAUPERphoto session! It's hard to believe she is ours a lot of the time. When she goes to bed at night I wonder if she even exists when the house is so quiet and life feels similar to how it did before she was born. It's so weird. Then in the morning, with her cutest good morning smile, I'm reminded that it's real for today and how lucky we are that we've all made it this far. 

She just started crawling this past week so that has made life interesting. This girl has been trying to run away from us since the day she was born. She's always been so strong and her legs have been anxiously waiting for her coordination to catch up with their strength. 

She's a little chunky butt with an endless appetite and her normal look is in jammies being covered in food and puke (as seen below). So I figured it was only right to start with who she really is before I got into this super girly stuff of dresses, pink, frillies and bows. Being extra cute is fun for the day but jammies and being gross piggies is our favorite way to live! hahaha

We had so much fun just playing with her for a couple hours, capturing her personality that has started to emerge. Her crooked smile, he dorky laugh, chubby thighs and insane amount of pride she has when she crawls is pretty much the best thing in life. 

Grace did SO GREAT at the shoot but on the way home, the prunes she had for lunch made their great escape with her biggest blowout of her life. Ryan also ran out of wipes in the process. She makes life such an adventure! 

So when we got home she HAD to have a bath since that was new levels of nasty and then the night ended with our typical routine of standing at the tree, taking off the little lady ornament and being the cutest thing ever. We will be keeping our tree up all year round I'm pretty sure because tree time before bed is my favorite part of the day! 

Grace Lynn Gauper // Newborn

Well, Grace is 6 months old this coming week so I figured it was about time I posted her newborn photos! She was born right at the beginning of wedding season so I've been too busy working on everyone else's photos that I haven't had time to work on our own. I'd like to write a post about my pregnancy and her birth but I'll save that all for another day and focus on my first happy day since having her. 

To make what will be a very long story very short, I ended up having to have a c-section and although everything went well with the surgery, I was an epic mess and everything was so difficult and I wasn't happy at all. Well, that is until we had these photos taken. It was the first time I remember smiling and being happy since having her. I was in awe that Melissa was able to get my crazy baby into these sweet, sleepy poses. I suppose the only downside to her looking so perfect and peaceful is that isn't how I remember her, haha. I remember her screaming and crying since that is what I saw the most of. 

It's crazy to look at these because I see her in them but also they seem like such a stranger. At 6 months I feel like I'm finally getting to know Grace because she's this legit person now. 

I will forever preach it from the mountain tops how important experience is when it comes to photos. Memories are attached to pictures and it's not just about her being insanely cute in this little cat hat, it's about me standing a few feet behind Melissa with my hands up to my face, having it hurt from smiling so big and staring at this little baby be cute for the first time. Her confidence and skill in posing newborns make what I expected to be a stressful thing with Grace crying and us walking away saying "no, it's ok, we know she's crazy, at least we tried" to a truly wonderful, laid back experience where I left being so excited about seeing the pictures. It's the best photography experience we've ever had. It's what I always work so hard to achieve with our clients and to be able to be on the other end of it was really so valuable to me. 

I'll stare at these forever and never forget this happy day.

• Obviously we are cat people but whoa, that cat hat just kills me! 
• The flowers in the first photo I actually grabbed the last second when we left home that day. I just pulled them out of a vase in my hallway and ran. I'm sure glad I did, these are the images that are getting printed for my living room since it all matches so well! 
• The last two images I hope will be really special someday. The little kitten is her very own Duma that I hope she will grow to love someday. The monkey is my best pal Coco that I've had since I was years old. Coco has survived growing up with my older brother so I'm pretty sure he is indestructible and will be around forever. 

// Photography: Melissa Gregerson // 

The Austin Family // Muskegon Family Photographer

When I found out I was pregnant, before science told me it was a girl, I already knew and was certain her name would be Grace. I didn't plan on it, put a ton of thought into it, I just knew. It has proven to be quite appropriate as a constant reminder of how much Grace we need currently. God has placed some wonderful people into our lives just when we need it the most. With that said, I'd like to put the spotlight on the Austin family :)

They have been so incredibly kind to us since we've had Grace. We met them through Dave and Lacey's wedding and were Facebook friends for 9 years (!) but that was about it. We found out they lived near us when Jennifer reached out and brought us a meal right after Grace was born. Then she was kind enough to stay a couple times with me when Ryan had weddings since I couldn't care for Grace on my own. The c-section recovery was really rough so I was unable to carry her or pick her up for about 2 months. So her help was such a blessing. Wedding season has been so hard while having a newborn. I knew it was crazy we were having her right at the beginning of June but I never knew just HOW crazy until it was happening. So they have watched Grace several times, even overnight once. She gets all kinds of attention and love over there and she texts me photos to show what a great time she's having :) She slept for 8 hours straight for the first time that night! Jennifer has some magic motherhood skills I think! 

It is just such a humbling experience to be in a position where you are forced to reach out for help even when it's not in your nature. I'm so glad to have become real life friends instead of just on Facebook, even though it was through the most stressful time of my life :) Thank you Austins. We loved hanging out and capturing the crazy fun that is your family!

Kaitlynn & Justin // Ann Arbor Engagement Photographer

Whoaaaa awesome light, awesome people and an awesome location! We went to Ann Arbor for their session and I just LOVE this spot. We lucked out with pretty much the most perfect weather as well. Thank goodness it was before this crazy heatwave hit! 

I had such a hard time picking my favorites and not making this a massive blog so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! 

Ashley & Jack // Loft 310 Wedding Photographer

We met Ashley and Jack last New Years Eve when we shot his brother's wedding. We stayed to get photos of them during the fireworks that go off at midnight in downtown Kalamazoo. Well, nobody really made it there or people just left or it was too cold, I'm not exactly sure what happened but it was just Ashley and Jack with me and Ryan so we watched the fireworks with them haha Ryan took these pictures with his iPhone. I'm not totally sure why, but she gave us a dollar hahaha 

Right when I met Ashley that day I thought she was so fun. She's just super down to earth, high energy, has an awesome sense of humor and basically my perfect kind of client. So I was super excited when they wanted us to shoot their wedding too! 

I honestly laughed so hard the whole day my face was always hurting. Jack is so perfect for her and I can't even imagine how much fun they will have spending the rest of their lives together. In 60 some years I'd like to meet up again and shoot them again. I can imagine they will be the kind of elderly people that are an absolute blast to be around, saying whatever the heck they want because they lived to be over 80 and are allowed to do that haha

I wanted to make a special collection of images of THIS GUY. There's always one guest that is just the winner of being awesome. He was full of energy on the dance floor, enthusiastic and just radiated fun times! 

Najat & Paul // Radisson Kalamazoo Wedding Photographer

So I suppose I will start this by saying we just love working with Najat and Paul. They are such kind people and both have a great sense of humor. We clicked with them right away and are super jazzed to have been a part of their wedding. When we first met with them at Starbucks last year, I'm pretty sure we sat there and talked for like 3 or 4 hours haha and the same when  they came out to our house to do the wedding schedule. They are super fun and we are so happy to have met them! They even got Grace a little cat outfit! 

They had their reception at the Radisson and it feels like half our weddings this year have been there! We are always happy to be back since it's such a beautiful place. Finding unique ways to shoot dresses at the same place has become a mission of mine and I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out. :) 

I went outside to scout to see if we would get a sunset that night and came running back in to Ryan saying CLOUDS! CLOUDSS! Giving no other context haha. I'm so happy we went out for that because it's so beautiful!

My last comment shall be on her ring. Oh my stars. Paul, good job. Everyone applaud the insane quality of that diamond. I get real close to a lot of diamonds and this one is incredible! 

The Jacqumain Family // Traverse City Family Photographer

I can't believe it's been 6 years since we shot Audrey & Nick's wedding! As you can see, a lot has happened since then as they have 2 adorable little boys now! 

They live up in Traverse City so we traveled up their to shoot this session and it's always so lovely! Summer time up north is just the absolute best! 

Enjoy! 

Jennifer & Josh // St Joseph Engagement Photographer

Being playful together I think is such an important part of relationships. My favorite thing in life is laughing with Ryan so that is probably why it's such a big part of the work we do. I think it connects us as people and smiling is often where the spark of relationships start. 

Jennifer and Josh have a very obvious connection and are just...delightful together. Perhaps that is a weird word but it also feels perfect. They are relaxed, playful, happy and just enjoyed being together. Being someone who just met them, I found hanging out with them to be delightful as well and that's always what I hope for and I think gives a nice ease to images when everyone is enjoying the process.

I am so excited for their wedding coming up in about 5 weeks which is our last one of the season. What a way to finish of 2017 weddings! 

Danielle & Josh // Holland Wedding Photographer

This was my first wedding back after having Grace and it felt like old times which was nice. :) The weather was incredible, Boatwerks and the church were beautiful and Danielle and Josh were such laid back, fun, incredible people. Oh and Danielle is crazy beautiful. I don't understand how her skin is so perfectly matte but glowing at the same time but it's amazing. 

So let's also take a minute to shine a light on her dress. It has sequins on the layer underneath so they just twinkled through which I've never seen before and I've seen a LOT of wedding dresses. It's one of my all time favorites. It twirled like a dream and sparkled and fit her perfectly. 

Everyone was super fun too. We went to go take a shot of Josh in his office at the Church and that turned into a nerf gun fight quite quickly...obviously. 

We had such a great time and I'm super excited to finally be catching up on all the editing so I can start showing stuff from this summer! Enjoy! 

Rich & Payel // Lansing Wedding Photographer

I absolutely love Indian weddings! I love the family focused community and how happy everyone is for the couple. Everyone is so full of life and well... the food is the best in the world! 

Rich & Payel had such an obvious love for each other. It made photographing them and their day so enjoyable. 🤗 This wasn't a huge event but it still had some big personalities and it really showed when it came time to celebrate! I have been so excited to share these and I hope you guys love them! Enjoy!

Megan & Eric // Heritage Hall Wedding Photography

It's always such an honor when your long time friends choose you to photograph their wedding. I just love Megan. She's the girl who cares for and loves everyone and I was so happy to see how much Eric loved her back. I love Eric's dry sense of humor, he's a really fun guy to be around and I just feel like they compliment each other so well. So happy for you guys!

I loved everything about this wedding and they picked a great place for it! I don't know if many people know you can get married at W.M.U.'s Heritage Hall But it's amazing! I especially loved all the details and the doodles of their travels. For dinner they had all these stations featuring foods from around the world and they even had our favorite D.J. Adrian Butler! Thank you Adrian for getting the crowd pumped from the minute the dancing started!

Bonus points for having my sister Lacey as your matron of honor. Can you spot her duck face whilst dancing? 😆 

I love you guys, enjoy re-living your day!

PETE & CHELSEA // HOLLAND PROPOSAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Pete contacted us in late June about taking pictures of his proposal he was planning for mid August. Ryan was already booked for that date so I said I would do it since it was far enough out from having Grace so I figured I'd be up and moving by then! 

While waiting out on the pier, trying to act like I was just admiring the view, I looked down to see bugs crawling all over me! So I kept getting up to shake them all off but figured sitting looked less suspicious so I kept getting covered by them again! 

Once they passed me and he proposed, we did an engagement session on the walk back to the cottage and oh my goodness, I just love how everything turned out! When they got back to the cottage, all their family and friends were waiting there to congratulate them and the moms were VERY excited haha! I met them before going out to the pier and they were all just so nice and completely jazzed about the engagement. 

Oh, and their puppy munch was also super pumped about her parents getting married. So pumped that she kept falling asleep hahah! 

THE GREGERSEN FAMILY // Muskegon Family Photographer

The Gregersen family is back! They have come out to our mini sessions a couple times but this time they came to Muskegon to have a full beach session and we were even lucky enough to get a sunset!

Noel had a serious loose tooth which I think gives her even more character, not that she needs it! It's pretty funny though. These girls just have so much energy, it's always such a joy to shoot them! 

Melissa is also a photographer and shot Grace's newborn photos and oh my word, they are the cutest. The day of her photos was possibly the happiest I had been since her birth since we have a bit of a rough start. I remember just being unable to stop smiling and was so overwhelmed by the positions she was able to get my crazy baby into. She is seriously a baby wizard and I was beyond impressed. I didn't think I would want those crazy photos of babies in baskets and buckets but I have never been more wrong in my life. They are the best thing ever and anyone who has a baby needs to have in baskets and buckets. Look at this cuteness!! 

Ok now to their photos :) 

Jana & Cody // Kalamazoo Wedding Photographer

So this is the first wedding I've ever missed in my career and also one I was looking forward to SO MUCH. I've worked sick plenty of times but major surgery and birth is apparently where the line is drawn haha!  When Ryan came home and I looked through the images I was so bummed by all the cool stuff I missed out on but I'm so happy they have such beautiful images. We had Kyle Bultman come shoot in my place and he did such a great job with Ryan. 

Their wedding date was actually Grace's due date, what are the odds! However, because of the breech situation, she was born via c-section 4 days early so there was no way I could shoot a wedding since I could hardly walk...and now had a newborn baby which is nuts! Jana's kindness when I told her what was happening is a great example of the kind of person she is. It's hard when things change right before such a big event and being able to take that stuff is stride is a great quality. 

I just adore them and their little family. The love they have for each other and their son is just so visible and joyful. Her dress...oh my stars. I am just nuts for those straps and have never seen one like that before and it is just incredible. Also, the flowers were a big star of the show, Tracy Park of Park Place Designs did such awesome work! Cody is also so genuine and kind, he's one of Ryan's all time favorite grooms! 

I was lucky enough to be a part of their engagement shoot which was amazing so if you haven't seen that, it's got a lot more images of their adorable son in it as well. :) http://www.gauperphoto.com/blog/jana-cody-south-haven-engagement-photographer

I hope you all enjoy these as much as we do!

Spencer & Esther // Sundance Studios Wedding Photographer

So here's a first perhaps, writing a blog about people I've never met! However, I find it interesting to get to know people through the photos having not experienced the wedding first hand. 

When Esther booked, I told her I would be super pregnant at that time and there's no way I could pull a double wedding weekend so we offered up a solid package with just Ryan. Since then, he has been shooting solo a lot as I've been recovering from the c-section so it's been a new experience just seeing his beautiful work and not being a part of creating it. I know my opinion is not without bias, but gosh darnit, I think he is just the best and I'm always so impressed by that man! 

Now, I think a good test of wedding photography would be to convey who people are, or the best of them. Since I have never met any of these people, I think that goal was easily achieved. The happiness is so real and the laid back spirit of the day and joy between families is so apparent. 

Here's a few fun things you can spot in the images below! 
- Esther's dad was an animator for Animaniacs! That show was my FAVORITE when I was a kid. He even drew Esther and Spencer in that style and it is SO AWESOME. 

- Sundance studios is just downright adorable with all it's variety and bright colors and just oozes a happy vibe. I seriously hope we book another wedding there because I would LOVE to shoot here. When Ryan got back and showed me the images of the venue I was so jealous! 

- Esther and that bold, dark red lipstick. Goodness it's stunning! Well, Esther is stunning to begin with but man, what an awesome choice. I don't think we've ever shot anyone who has done a bold lip before and I LOVE IT. 

- Doughnuts may be a new thing happening at weddings and I sure hope so. Ryan brought one back for me and it was so good. There's no better gift for a pregnant woman than a surprise doughnut! 

I so wish I could have been there but I'm thrilled with what Ryan did. It was such a joy to edit this wedding as well, I feel like I almost know them already and everything was so beautifully done, it made my job a breeze!

Enjoy! 

---

Venue: Sundance Studios | Benton Harbor, MI
Videographer: Robert Banez & Kevin Shih
Wedding Coordinators & Florists: Lavendar Thyme Events
Catering: White Horse Farm Catering
Photobooth: 77 VW Photo Booth Bus
DJ: Lake Effect DJs

Jim & Leah // The Homestead Wedding Photographer

Oh gosh, where do I start on this one! I think this deserves bullet points! 

• First, I was 37 weeks pregnant at this wedding and well, that was a test of my abilities haha but as long as I'm able to move, I'll be shooting weddings! We brought along Dan Stewart to be a third shooter to be there just in case I went into labor early and to help me out since I was moving a bit slow. Turns out, I never went into labor at all! At 39 weeks, I had to have a c section since she was badly breeched and it was too dangerous to let labor start on it's own since we live so far from the hospital. So this was my last wedding before going on baby leave and I'm so glad I didn't miss out! 
• Leah is hilarious. I watched all 10 seasons of friends while at the hospital and my first week home with Grace and I think if Monica and Chandler were one person, it would be her. She's super organized but still really funny and energetic. Also, that dress...goodness...detachable bow train. Thank you for making that dream come true. SO AWESOME! 
• Jim is a favorite groom of mine. Not everyone in the world gets my sense of humor but this guy got it and I so enjoyed just being myself. Making people laugh is always one of my favorite things to do. He made the right choice in Leah, I think they will be making each other laugh for all of time. 
• The homestead resort is beautiful! The staff was incredible and so kind. I think a great staff is a huge part of what makes a venue awesome to work at and cannot say enough good things about everything here! 
• Although there were a lot of beautiful details, moments and fun times, I think my last point will be about family. This was such a beautiful day for that. Everyone was so kind and just so incredibly happy for them. They've been together for a while and although Ryan and I were practically strangers when we got married, I think it's awesome to have that kind of history. They all really understand love and that it's not only for the beautiful, happy days but for the tough ones too. I just couldn't be happier for everyone! 

Here's some fun behind the scenes shots of me being super pregnant and Ryan dragging me back out of the sand. Walking in sand at 38 weeks is tough!