If there’s one thing I want every couple to know, it’s this: your wedding day flies. You can plan meticulously, right down to the reception hair change, but the moment you’re surrounded by your people, it all blurs… in the best way.
Blink and you miss the hand squeezes, giddiness, and kissing at golden hour while your people gush over champagne (don’t worry, I miss nothing).
As a former bride myself, I know the feeling well. I also know that presence doesn’t just happen — it’s something you build into your day, moment by moment. And as your photographer, it’s the thing I care about most. Not what’s trending on Instagram. Not what adds to my portfolio. Just you being fully there with your people in the moment, eyes bright and shoulders soft.
Ashley and Alex’s day at Bay View at Gallagher Farms is the perfect example of what’s possible when you create the space to connect with what matters— presence and the editorial style candids to prove it.
Vendors | Venue: Bayview at Gallagher Farms | Videography: Alessa Maria Photography and Videography | Hair: Kismet Studio | Makeup: Josh Thiel | Dress: Becker’s Bridal Outlet | Dress Designer: Casablanca Bridal | Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo and Bella Bridesmaids | Menswear: Generation Tux | DJ: DJ Epic Beats | Rings: Kesslers | Catering and Dessert: Bayside Gatherings | Florist: The Poppy and The Peony | Invitation Suite: Minted | Rentals: All Things Wedding Decor | Bride Rentals: The Wise Bride | Transportation: The Magic Shuttle Bus
Choose a venue that invites you to slow down (and capture the editorial style candids you’re longing for)
One of the reasons I loved Ashley and Alex’s wedding so much is that they didn’t just get married at Bayview — they built their timeline around experiencing it.
Bayview is huge. As in… you have to drive between locations. But instead of making the day feel rushed getting from point A to B, the wooded trails and views of Grand Traverse Bay made their wedding feel like a story unfolding across different chapters. The size created space.
A little pond tucked near where the guys were getting ready offered Ashley and Alex a sweet, secluded first look. Just the two of them, reading their handwritten vows while I documented from a distance. The priority wasn’t emotional and close crop editorial style candids; it was giving them the gift of peace and quiet on their wedding and capturing it faithfully (but tenderly).
They held their ceremony deep in the woods, tucked away from the world. It’s the lesser-used site at Bayview, but for Ashley and Alex, it was a natural pocket of peace. And by saving the overlook for the cocktail hour, their ceremony felt even more sacred.
Even for their guests, the venue they chose didn’t just serve as a backdrop; it shaped the experience. Moving between locations as different wedding day events unfolded invited everyone to slow down and be in it.
Presence became possible, and that’s where the editorial style candids happen.
Make space for the people who make it meaningful
The people standing beside you on your wedding day matter. You feel it in the energy they bring the way they hold you steady when your breath is taken clean away by the magnitude of this moment, that moment, and every moment between.
Ashley and Alex’s wedding party was big, but intentionally so, and you could tell how deeply they were loved by the way their people showed up for them.
Ashley’s sister stood by her as maid of honor. The best man saved the jokes to give a speech that spoke to who Alex is as a person, someone who leads with heart and places the people he loves first.
Their ceremony included readings from family, and their officiant was a dear friend. From start to finish, the people closest to them participated and held space for the incredible humans Ashley and Alex are. And the bride and groom held them right back.
It’s like they knew: when your people are woven into the experience itself, everything deepens. You don’t have to chase meaningful moments for the editorial style candids in your gallery because they’re built naturally into your timeline, by virtue of who you choose to be in it with you.
Turn cocktail hour into your editorial style candids hour
Cocktail hour is one of the most overlooked parts of a wedding day for a couple, but it can be the richest for editorial style candids. Ashley and Alex chose to be a part of theirs instead of sneaking away for portraits and sparked some of the most heartwarming guest reactions.
The way their family’s faces lit up when they arrived without fanfare. The full-body squeezes and proud arms wrapped tightly around their shoulders.
I always encourage couples to be part of this time. Not just for the candids (though I love those), but for the presence it offers. It doesn’t have to be long, but being there makes a difference. And your guests feel it most of all.
That chance to hold you and share in your joy, face to face and heart to heart, becomes a much-loved memory in their lifelong bond with you. And when you see it in your gallery later, it won’t feel like an extra. It will feel like an essential thread that ties everything together.
Opt for the drone and let the reception flow around you
By the time golden hour rolled around, Ashley and Alex were fully in that just-married feeling. They weren’t thinking about the camera, they were soaking in everything the day had already become— sun dipping low, laughter echoing, the celebration already humming in the reception tent behind them.
I love a tented vibe, and their reception was no exception. It’s the type of venue you can do what you want with, and you could tell how much effort they put into every detail.
The florals complemented her bridesmaids’ burnt orange dresses, and a champagne tower stood in for the cake cut. It felt like their entire reception was shaped to serve their people, and knowing the kind–hearted humans Ashley and Alex are, that would not surprise me one bit.
In return, their guests gave their full selves back. Their speeches were some of the best I’ve ever heard. The dance floor was never empty. But some of my favorite images? They came from above.
The drone let us step back and take in the bigger picture — how the tent sat nestled against the treeline, how their people gathered around it, and how Ashley and Alex moved toward them hand in hand, completely at ease.
Presence isn’t just something Ashley and Alex scheduled in; it was something they brought to the day. Their energy was playful, generous, and steady. Every space they moved through, every person in it, felt lighter because of it. And I loved them for it.
At the end of the day, I am here for you. I’m here to love, serve, and cheer you on. I want everyone on your wedding day to feel loved and valued. I want to preserve your memories so you have them for years to look back on and remember all of the feelings.
I don’t believe your wedding should mean choosing between being in the moment and having it beautifully documented in editorial style candids. The truth is, your favorite photos come from presence. The unscripted, unhurried, fully in-it kind of moments.
Ashley and Alex chose moments over production. They stayed close to the people who matter so much to them, and because of that, we were able to document a wedding day that felt fully theirs.
If that’s the kind of day you’re dreaming of, I’d love to help you make space for it.
