Two weeks after our own wedding, our dear friends, Amanda and Brandon, tied the knot in their own backyard. Words can’t describe how amazing it was to be able to share in two incredibly joyful times back-to-back with each other!

Aside from the fact Amanda has been one of my closest friends since middle school, this set of images also serves to be unique as Amanda asked me to stand in her wedding and photograph it! Normally this isn’t something a photographer would jump on, buuuuut since Amanda and Brandon were planning such a low-key, small backyard wedding, it honestly worked perfectly. However, I need to give a huge shoutout to my beloved friend, Jen, at Wren Photography as she was the one that made this even possible! Jen worked as my second shooter who would double as lead photographer as needed. She killed the role (as she does in everything) and jived so well with Brandon and Amanda’s crew too.

Brandon and Amanda’s wedding festivities began on a cool yet sunny October day in Michigan’s lower peninsula.

On the morning of their wedding, the ladies got ready at Amanda’s mom’s hotel room. Amanda’s mom, Simone, is a hairstylist and worked on Amanda’s bridal hair with the help of bridesmaid Alyssa.

From the hotel, us ladies got drove to Amanda and Brandon’s house to get dressed. Simone, Amanda’s stepmom Sue, Alyssa, and I took turns buttoning up the back of her dress.

Once dressed and ready, Amanda opted for a reveal with her dad before heading out the place where Brandon proposed for their bride and groom first look.

Amanda and Brandon’s first look overlooking the industrial Dow landscape where Brandon proposed to Amanda. The sun kept dodging in and out between billowing white clouds; Mother Nature added her drama and we weren’t complaining.

Thank you, Jen, for snagging this behind the scenes shot! It’s not everyday I get to photograph my best friend’s wedding!

The leaves hadn’t quite changed in the park area, but the structure of the trees, a bit of green, and the wild, neutral grasses made the perfect backdrop!

After the first look, we headed back to their house to knock out bridal party photos, allowing ample time to chill out and refresh before the ceremony. Also, special guest appearance from my mom adventure mobile in which they rode with me in, hahaha.

Fun fact: Amanda and I wore the same bridesmaid dresses for each other’s weddings two weeks apart!! Here’s a picture from both!

Pre-ceremony moments… note the finished hardwood floors that Amanda and Brandon were working on during their engagement session!

The ceremony began with Amanda’s softball coach, Kris, playing guitar and singing Going to California by Led Zeppelin. Amanda’s dad gave her away beneath an arbor made with ash wood, this being significant as Amanda would always collect ash for firewood with her grandpa in the UP. Amanda’s childhood pastor performed their wedding ceremony. Selected bible passages were read by Brandon’s uncle and Amanda’s grandma.

Directly after the kiss, Brandon and Amanda sawed a log! This is an old German tradition known as Baumstamm Sagen and serves as the first obstacle the newly married couple most overcome together. Amanda’s mom and her boyfriend are residents of Germany. For most of her life, Amanda has had a wonderfully unique life shared between the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Germany! As Amanda describes, the tradition requires teamwork, perseverance, and patience - just like a marriage itself does.

The reception began immediately following the wedding, where Brandon’s mom catered and the guests gathered beneath strands of industrial lights and a high top tent. After dinner, various speeches were given (including my first ever wedding speech, ahh!), the newlyweds cut their cake, Amanda and Brandon shared their first dance, and Amanda danced with her father. For the bouquet and garter toss, the reactions from those who took part in them were hilarious. Apparently no one was ready for commitment amongst the guys, because it took a couple tosses before someone finally snagged it, hahaha.

A few fun facts:

Amanda and I were able to share quite a few items between our weddings and use them in different ways! She was able to use signage my mother-in-law made, our dried up eucalyptus, and more!
We actually chose the same light strands for both of our weddings, so I was able to bring extra strands and bulbs from ours just in case they were needed.
We both danced to the same song with our fathers amazingly by accident, haha! The song was Wildflowers by Tom Petty.