Chic and Romantic Summer Love

A Lexington, MI Beach Wedding

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It’s mid June in Lexington, Michigan. Lake Huron is bright blue, the sun is out, and capturing romantic moments is in full swing!

If I had to describe this wedding in 3 words it would be laid back, romantic, and chic. Honestly, isn’t that just the perfect combination, for the wedding party and us as photographers? No stress, celebrating love, and you look fabulous doing it. Sign me up!

What was extra special about this wedding for us at Raelani Stockwell Photography was that this was the 2nd of 3 weddings we’ve done with this family! Showing up just felt like hanging out with old friends again. Seeing familiar faces, celebrating another marriage with this family, and partying with the same people again and again just brought a vibe to the whole day that made it feel effortless and special. It was more like walking through the day, camera in hand, than it was working. Honestly, a lot of our days feel like that though, and we’re so thankful we just “click” with our bride and grooms!

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Details in place, first looks done, and it was time to walk down the grassy aisle at the Sanilac County State Park.

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Vows were exchanged at the beach, but the new Mr. and Mrs. were captured for their portraits where more of the East Coast sunshine could be seen shining through the woods. Again… look at these two and how laid back yet romantic their love feels.

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The reception had that Summer, rustic chic mood that carried us through the night, that we just can’t get enough of, because let’s face it, here in Michigan, in Sanilac County, we’re a lil country, and we like it that way.

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A totally unique staple to their wedding was the “Bartender Drink Off” in place of the dollar dance! These two bartenders couldn’t have picked a more fitting, fun way to earn a few more bucks and have a little competitive fun!!

And you know we weren’t sneaking off without some “sunset” shots of Morgan dancing the night away on the shoreline, because, well, it’s totally dreamy.

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Be sure to peek at Eric and Samantha’s Chic and Romantic Wedding if you’ve fallen in love with this style!

Same-Sex Wedding Photoshoot in Holly, MI

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month at The Holly Vault

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You’re first greeted by Industrial Chic. The Holly Vault, an old renovated bank, is flooded with natural and is perfectly designed and decorated for a fun day with amazing people. There are dresses, makeup, cake, fresh flowers, gorgeous table settings, and most importantly- LOVE.

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How do you describe love? Can you give it a face? Does is have a color? A shape? Does love hold a masculine or feminine side? Does love come with a specific label or instructions?

Not that I’ve ever heard of.

Love is Love

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That moment when 2 people, 2 humans, 2 souls meet, and they just click. Love is when you can trust someone with everything you have. Love is not selfish. Love is kind. Love is something we should feel with pride.

June is Pride month for the LGBTQ Community. If you’re new to the game and are wondering what that means, don’t worry- Wikipedia’s got you covered. “Gay pride or LGBT pride is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group, build community, and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance.”

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These images you are seeing are the final products of a huge collaboration between couples, models, artists, and creators of all kinds. We all worked together to share our talents with each other and celebrate the LGBTQ Community through a Same Sex Wedding Photoshoot in Holly, Michigan.

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There’s no right or wrong way to do love, just like there’s no right or wrong way to do art. It just happens. It’s an extension of who we are. Most of the time it can’t be explained. And most of the time we don’t need to explain, nor should we have to. We just need to enjoy the process for ourselves. Art. Love. These are extremely personal experiences. To share them with other beautiful people is the best feeling in the world. And that includes everyone inside the LGBTQ Community!