Paul + Susan’s Downtown Detroit Wedding

I am so excited to share Susan and Paul’s wedding photographs with you!  This couple’s lives have been intertwined since they were kids.  They went to high school together, and started dating a few years later.  From listening to Susan’s sister’s speech it sounds like once they reconnected they were inseparable!  The two moved to Detroit and during that time Paul proposed to Susan on the steps of the Detroit Institute of Art.  One of the most beautiful buildings in the city!  They have since moved to Washington, D.C., but celebrated their wedding back in the city where their love story began. 

When Susan contacted me about photographing her and Paul’s wedding I was so honored.  Susan and I attended Albion College together, so it was particularly fun to reconnect and get to spend the day with her and her family and friends. Spending the morning in the bridal suite while the girls got ready was a particular highlight.  Most of the ladies had grown up together, so their jokes flowed back and forth as they leisurely enjoyed the morning together.  I was pleasantly surprised when I went down a few floors to hang with the guys. They were equally as welcoming and fun! They welcomed me into their group, and we had a blast wondering the city for their guy photos.  I love that Paul wanted to stop into Lafayette Coney Island for a few photos.  If you are from Detroit you know it is Lafayette vs. National and we are a Lafayette family, so I was very happy with his choice!

The ladies also looked completely stunning against the backdrop of the city.  They stopped traffic and got more than a few whistles from people passing by 😉 The wedding ceremony took place at Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church and it was incredible.  These old churches always amaze me, and I was left standing in awe that this was the space where Paul and Susan chose to commit their lives to each other.  Such a memorable moment.  The rain started at just about the same time as the ceremony. Luckily, Susan and Paul were just happy to enjoy the day together.  So rain or shine, we still snuck over to the DIA for a few photographs of the couple following their ceremony.

They ended the evening at the Westin Book Cadillac with one awesome party!  Thoughtful speeches that praised the way the couple compliments each other, a first dance song sung by the bride’s mother, and a dance floor that was packed the entire evening were just a few of the highlights. Susan and Paul are clearly so loved and respected by their family and friends and I think that says a lot about who they are individually and as a couple.  They treat those around them with so much love and they truly honor their relationships, so of course everyone wanted to be there to celebrate their big day! Congratulations, Susan and Paul! And thank you for letting me be a part of something so beautiful!