Featured Weddings – Mike Staff Productions https://mikestaff.com Wedding DJ, Wedding Photography, and Wedding Videography services in Detroit Tue, 27 Aug 2024 02:57:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://mikestaff.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/navy-MSP-logo-150x150.jpeg Featured Weddings – Mike Staff Productions https://mikestaff.com 32 32 The Lapeer Country Club of Ashley & Jonathan https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-lapeer-country-club-of-ashley-jonathan/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-lapeer-country-club-of-ashley-jonathan Tue, 27 Aug 2024 02:57:34 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=95021 The Lapeer Country Club of Ashley & Jonathan: June 15, 2024 “Our experience with Mike Staff Productions was fantastic and would recommend them to everyone. It was so easy having multiple vendors with one line of communication and one line of payment. As well as their expertise and quality!” – Happy bride, Ashley Our Proposal […]

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The Lapeer Country Club of Ashley & Jonathan: June 15, 2024

“Our experience with Mike Staff Productions was fantastic and would recommend them to everyone. It was so easy having multiple vendors with one line of communication and one line of payment. As well as their expertise and quality!” – Happy bride, Ashley

Our Proposal

Jonathan proposed where we met up north. He took me for a day trip up to the lake and proposed on the pier. It was the perfect moment.

What was the vision you had for your wedding when you started planning?

I had all of these dreams and ideas as I grew up in what I wanted for a wedding but once I met him, I just wanted the day and moment to be about us. It was absolutely perfect. From the weather to our guests to our vendor team, everything was great!

Wedding DJ Experience

Our wedding DJ was so casual and chill! He listened to everything we asked for and did everything we wanted, but he also threw in his own, personal flare from his knowledge of DJ’ing. He knew what songs were crowd-pleasers and how to get people dancing. Our first dance was to “I Don’t Wanna Go To Heaven” by Nate Smith. It was a song we had heard together and from the moment we heard it we knew we wanted it to be our wedding song.

Wedding Photography Experience

Our wedding photographer, Jenny, was fantastic. Easy to talk to and understood my vision.  The day is so hectic and so busy that during the midst of it all, you feel like you have MILLIONS of photos and she captured everything I asked of her and more.

Wedding Videography Experience

I personally wanted to relive the moment and hear and feel the emotions all over again. Especially in the future as we approach years and decades of marriage, I can’t wait to watch our wedding video and put myself back in that moment again.

What was a favorite moment (or two) from your wedding day?

Saying “I do” of course! As silly and cliche as that sounds, you don’t realize that moment until you’re in it and our photographer and wedding videographer captured it perfectly.

What wedding planning advice would you give to other couples?

When you think you have everything planned — you don’t. There will always be something you missed, but just live in the moment and know that the day is truly meant for you and your other half!

Ashley & Jonathan’s Wedding Vendors:

  • Wedding Ceremony: Holy Family Catholic Church
  • Reception Venue: Lapeer Country Club
  • Florist: All Occasion Florist & Gifts
  • Wedding Cake: Tasty Layers
  • Wedding Dress: The Wedding Shoppe
  • Bridesmaids: Azazie
  • Groomsman: Menswear House
  • Transportation: Lavdas Limousine
  • Hair & Makeup: Team Glam Detroit
  • Invitations: Snapfish
  • DJ: Mike Staff Productions
  • Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • Videography: Mike Staff Productions

Lapeer Country Club Wedding Photography

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]]> The Weber’s Boutique Hotel Wedding of Margaret & Cameron https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-webers-boutique-hotel-wedding-of-margaret-cameron/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-webers-boutique-hotel-wedding-of-margaret-cameron Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:51:06 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=94980 The Weber’s Boutique Hotel Wedding of Margaret & Cameron: July 05, 2024 “From start to finish, the entire process was seamless and stress-free. Everyone exceeded our expectations in every way. Their team was timely, professional, and a joy to work with. I highly recommend their services to anyone planning a wedding. They truly made our […]

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The Weber’s Boutique Hotel Wedding of Margaret & Cameron: July 05, 2024

“From start to finish, the entire process was seamless and stress-free. Everyone exceeded our expectations in every way. Their team was timely, professional, and a joy to work with. I highly recommend their services to anyone planning a wedding. They truly made our day unforgettable.” – Happy bride, Margaret

Margaret & Cameron’s Love Story

Cameron and I met in college at Canisius in Buffalo NY, where he played DI hockey. We met on his second day of school, while he was scooping ice cream, and we have been together for 8 years. We’ve moved several times and had many career changes, but now we live in Ann Arbor and are at our happiest. Cameron proposed on a cruise, during a vacation we brought both of our parents on. Two days after we got back from that trip, we moved to Ann Arbor and started planning our wedding.

What was the vision you had for your wedding when you started planning?

Even though Cameron grew up in Michigan, a majority of both of our friend’s families live on the East Coast, NYC area. We knew we wanted to have our wedding at a hotel because we wanted everyone in one place for the entire time. We came across Weber’s Boutique Hotel and instantly fell in love. It hit every box on our list. We knew the one picture we wanted to take there was a champagne pop under their neon sign. We also knew we didn’t want to plan our wedding during football or hockey season, so July was perfect. We saw July 4th landed on a Thursday, and figured let’s do the Friday and take advantage of the long weekend. So we planned a kickball game for all of our guests on Saturday, which turned into the best time ever, and was a great way to keep the party going.

What was a favorite moment (or two) from your wedding day?

The champagne pop was definitely a favorite. It was drizzling just a little bit and once we got outside it was a great chance to cool off from dancing. Another favorite moment was our first look. We made vows to each other during that time and it was the best moment of the day. Really hearing and saying how much we truly love each other is something we’ll never forget.

Wedding DJ Experience

DJ Ron was the highlight of the entire wedding. All of our guests are still raving about how much fun they had during the reception. Once everyone got on the dance floor after our first dance, no one left until the entire wedding was over. Our wedding DJ made sure to cater to a very diverse crowd of guests and played everything we asked him to. He made us feel like we were the stars of the show. We highly recommend Ron if you’ve got a guest list that loves to dance! For our first dance, we danced to the Wonder of You, by Elvis. We love Elvis and this was a song we’d belt out in the car since the beginning. We choreographed our own moves and nailing the final lift was so much fun!

Wedding Photography Experience

Our wedding photographer immediately jumped into action the moment she arrived. She created a fun, relaxing environment and made us feel like we weren’t in a photo shoot. The way she spoke to all of our family members during formal pictures made everyone feel relaxed, but also aware that we needed to get things done. Now our wedding photos are all over our house and we couldn’t be happier.

Wedding Videography Experience

I used to be a commercial producer in local television news, so getting a wedding video was very important to me. It just captures so many moments that pictures can’t. We’ll be able to listen to our family’s voices forever, and that’s something we hold close to our hearts.

What’s the meaning behind your wedding dress?

I found my wedding dress at The Brides Project, a nonprofit bridal salon in Ann Arbor, and the journey to finding it was nothing short of magical. After getting engaged and moving to Michigan, I stumbled upon this amazing store during my search for the perfect dress. The Brides Project’s mission is something truly special: they provide affordable wedding dresses to brides while using the proceeds to support families battling cancer through the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor. What makes The Brides Project so unique is that every dress they sell has been donated. Brides from all over donate their dresses, allowing new brides to find their dream gown at a fraction of the cost. But it’s not just about the dresses—it’s about the impact. The funds raised from each sale go directly toward providing free support services for families affected by cancer. This includes everything from counseling and support groups to wellness programs and educational resources. Shortly after discovering this gem, I began volunteering weeknights, and two years later, I’m now the manager, running the social media and loving every moment I spend there. It was just a few weeks into my volunteering when my dress was donated. I was hesitant to try it on at first since the wedding was still almost two years away. But when I finally did, I knew it was *the one*. I called my mom right away and said, ‘Get to Michigan, I’ve found my dress!’ I wanted to look like a disco ball on my wedding day, and this dress was everything I dreamed of and more. Not only did I feel beautiful in it but knowing that my purchase helped support a family in need made it even more special. Every shift at The Brides Project is a chance to brides feel as happy and beautiful as I felt in my dress. This place is truly a beacon of joy and hope, and I’m so proud to be part of it.

What wedding planning advice would you give to other couples?

We took 2 years to plan our wedding, with many life events in between. Having that much time really made things easier and allowed us to be more organized heading into crunch time before the wedding. We’d tell other couples to take their time and prioritize the things that are important to you guys, not everyone else.

Margaret & Cameron’s Wedding Vendor List

  • Wedding Venue: Weber’s Boutique Hotel
  • Florist: Costco Flowers
  • Wedding Cake: Weber’s Bakery
  • Wedding Dress: The Brides Project
  • Menswear: Todd’s Menswear
  • Wedding Planner: Lovely Lynn Events
  • Hair & Makeup: BrieArtistry
  • Wedding DJ: Mike Staff Productions
  • Wedding Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • Wedding Videography: Mike Staff Productions

Weber's Boutique Hotel Wedding Photography

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]]> The Packard Proving Grounds Wedding of Caroline & Andrew https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-packard-proving-grounds-wedding-of-caroline-andrew/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-packard-proving-grounds-wedding-of-caroline-andrew Thu, 01 Aug 2024 01:55:23 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=94591 The Packard Proving Grounds Wedding of Caroline & Andrew: June 21, 2024 “10/10 recommend, I cannot say enough good things about Mike Staff, everyone did a phenomenal job!” – Caroline Our Love Story We met at college the day we moved in our freshman year, I was 17 and he was 18. We became good […]

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The Packard Proving Grounds Wedding of Caroline & Andrew: June 21, 2024

“10/10 recommend, I cannot say enough good things about Mike Staff, everyone did a phenomenal job!” – Caroline

Our Love Story

We met at college the day we moved in our freshman year, I was 17 and he was 18. We became good friends and stayed that way for the next 6 years! We met up for drinks in July of 2020 after college and we’ve been together since! He proposed at the Ford House in Grosse Pointe on March 18th, 2023 and then planned for some of our friends and family to be at Baffin Brewing Company (where we went on our first date) to celebrate with us after.

Our Wedding Vision

All we both wanted was a day to celebrate with the people who loved and cared about us, whatever that looked like. As we started planning, we wanted the wedding to have a very elegant and classic vibe.

Our Favorite Wedding Memory

We went into the Packard Car Garage about 30 minutes before our ceremony to share private vows and pray together. We didn’t want anyone there and didn’t even want it on photo or video. In a day of pure chaos where we were constantly with other people and being photographed and videoed, it was so nice to have a private few minutes just the two of us to connect before the ceremony.

Wedding DJ Experience

Our professional wedding DJ perfectly timed how we wanted our entrance to go! I was super particular about the timing of our main entrance with our bridesmaids and groomsmen and literally had time stamps of when I wanted them announced. He was on it, didn’t bat an eye when I brought it up and executed it perfectly! He also played all the songs we wanted to hear. Our first dance song was Lover (the first dance remix) by Taylor Swift. The main reason we chose this song was because on our second date, we were sitting in my car in a parking lot when the song came on and he asked me to get out and dance. It was also chosen because I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan.

Wedding Photographer Experience

Our wedding photographer was AMAZING. I literally cannot say enough good things about him. He was so personable and got every single shot you could ever imagine. We literally got 2000 photos back, which is incredible. We got every shot from every angle, I have no idea how I’m going to choose which ones to hang up in our house!

Wedding Videography Experience

A wedding video was important to me because I want to be able to look back and remember all our big moments from that day. Something I didn’t know we were getting was the full documentary which is over an hour of footage of all the big moments from our day. That is incredibly special to me because, knowing my parents and family members won’t be around forever, I now have this footage of us from that day. Plus, I got to see a lot of moments I planned but wasn’t there for like the beginning of the ceremony and cocktail hour which was cool.

Our Wedding Planning Advice

Stop stressing out. Everything is going to be absolutely beautiful no matter what. The people you’re hiring know what they’re doing and they will help you through it. Also definitely recommend a wedding planner! That woman kept me sane.

Wedding Vendor List

  • Ceremony & Reception: Packard Proving Grounds
  • Florist: Viviano’s
  • Wedding Cake: The Sweet Life
  • Wedding Dress: The Wedding Shoppe
  • Menswear: The Clarkston Tux Shop
  • Wedding Planner: Forever Memories Events
  • Hair & Makeup: The Cutting Pointe Salon
  • Videography: Mike Staff Productions
  • Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • DJ: Mike Staff Productions

Royal Park Hotel Wedding Photography

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]]> The Royal Park Hotel Wedding of Amanda & Michael https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-royal-park-hotel-wedding-of-amanda-michael/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-royal-park-hotel-wedding-of-amanda-michael Thu, 25 Jul 2024 19:52:10 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=94517 The Royal Park Hotel Wedding of Amanda & Michael: June 22, 2024 “Our experience with Mike Staff Productions was overall wonderful! They have been absolutely fantastic with communication, very professional and positive with every interaction, and their photos have been stunning.  I love how my three vendors worked together with the “Team Approach”.  It took […]

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The Royal Park Hotel Wedding of Amanda & Michael: June 22, 2024

“Our experience with Mike Staff Productions was overall wonderful! They have been absolutely fantastic with communication, very professional and positive with every interaction, and their photos have been stunning.  I love how my three vendors worked together with the “Team Approach”.  It took so much stress off my shoulders!” – Happy bride, Amanda

Our Love Story

Michael and I were friends for a year before we started dating.  A few years later, we went on a family trip up to Charlevoix (a place we often went together) and he proposed with everyone there.  Since he was in med school we knew it was going to be a long engagement.  I didn’t love that at first, but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing about it.  All the buildup led to the most exciting day of my life finally marrying my best friend.

Our Wedding Vision

Planning for as long as I was, little details definitely changed over the years.  However, I always knew I wanted to have my ceremony in a church and reception at the Royal Park Hotel.  That venue always has had such an elegant and romantic feeling that I wanted to incorporate throughout the day.  Definitely felt like a fairy tale!

Wedding DJ Experience

Our wedding DJ, Dave, was great with communication and anything I needed from him! He played every single song on my list and did a great job of keeping the dance floor alive.

For our first dance, Michael and I danced to “From the Ground Up” by Dan and Shay.  One day I was driving home from a particularly rough day at work.  I heard the song on the radio for the first time and it immediately made me feel better because it made me think of my love for Michael and our future.  That is when I knew we had to pick it for our first dance.

Wedding Photography Experience

Jenny, our professional wedding photographer, was so sweet and very responsive to whatever I asked.  She made sure all of my picture requests were honored and did a great job of working with my students and their families.  Wedding pictures were such an important part of the day to capture memories with all of the people I love.

Wedding Videography Experience

A wedding video was very important to have certain moments documented forever.  I am definitely the person who loves to look back on happy times, and having a video makes this all the more easy!  I love the idea of having a shorter, highlights type of video and then a full video of all the captured moments.

Our Favorite Wedding Memories

  • My whole church ceremony was special but I especially loved having my students attend.  I’m a Catholic school teacher so they all came to the church and took a picture with me afterward.
  • Another moment I will never forget is dancing to the last song of the night, surrounded by my friends and immediate family.  We all cried happy tears at what a perfect day it was and how blessed we were to have each other.

Our Planning Advice

1. Figure out what your top priority/non-negotiable thing you want for your wedding is and do everything you can to make that happen.  The rest will fall into place.
2. Get a special perfume.  Not only will it look beautiful in detailed photos, but the smell will always take you back to the day.
3. Planning can be very stressful but try to enjoy every moment as much as you can and focus on all the positive people who want to make the day as magical as possible for you.

Amanda & Michael’s Vendor List

  • Ceremony: St. Andrews Church in Rochester
  • Reception: The Royal Park Hotel
  • Florist: Viviano’s Flower Shop
  • Wedding Cake: Sweet Dreams Bakery
  • Wedding Dress: Wedding Dress Shoppe
  • Suits: Todd’s Mensware
  • Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey
  • Transportation: Top Notch Limousine
  • Hair & Makeup: Runway Salon
  • Photo Booth: Stunning Shots Photo Booth
  • Flower Wall: Great Lakes Event Planning
  • Invitations: Elegant Wedding Invites
  • Officiant: Father Joe at St. Andrews

 

Royal Park Hotel Wedding Photography

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]]> The Marriott at Eagle Crest Wedding of Hailey & Mitch https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-marriott-at-eagle-crest-wedding-of-hailey-mitch/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-marriott-at-eagle-crest-wedding-of-hailey-mitch Tue, 23 Jul 2024 01:45:13 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=94367 The Marriott at Eagle Crest Wedding of Hailey & Mitch: June 14, 2024 Our Mike Staff Productions Experience “Mike Staff was recommended to us by some close friends and we couldn’t have been happier! The ease of having your photography, videography and DJ all in one made it a lot less stressful on us. Our […]

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The Marriott at Eagle Crest Wedding of Hailey & Mitch: June 14, 2024

Our Mike Staff Productions Experience

“Mike Staff was recommended to us by some close friends and we couldn’t have been happier! The ease of having your photography, videography and DJ all in one made it a lot less stressful on us. Our team was exceptional and made sure that our night was special not only to us, but also our families and friends who were there celebrating with us. By the end of the day, they felt like family and Hailey was emotional when it was time to say goodbye!” – Happy bride, Hailey

Our Love Story

Mitch met Hailey’s sister, Lexie, during grad school at Michigan State. After knowing her for only a couple of minutes, Lexie sent a text into her family group chat saying “Hailey, I just met your future husband.” After dating from opposite sides of the state for the first part of our relationship, he moved to the Metro Detroit area for work and we could finally enjoy living together. Two and a half years later Mitch surprised Hailey with a romantic proposal on Belle Isle. It was raining most of the day which had Mitch worried, but the sun came out just in time to create the perfect moment for him to propose.

Our Favorite Memory

When Hailey’s parents got married, they decided to replace the tradition of clinking of the glasses to have the bride and groom kiss with having tables stand up and sing love songs during dinner. We wanted to carry on the tradition, and we were shocked by how much FUN people had with it. Our guests were fighting for the mic and belting it out, which kept the energy up and everyone entertained. This created some of the most memorable moments throughout the night and we will always remember our friends and families serenading us.

Our Wedding Vision

We always loved the traditional, black-and-white theme that we would never grow old of. We wanted big, white florals with gold accents, resemblant of how we’ve decorated our house! We envisioned simple but elegant, which brought out both of our styles and still had personal touches, like our thank you notes to guests.

Wedding DJ Experience

One of our biggest hopes was to spend the night on the dance floor with our friends and family for as long as we could. We shared this with our wedding DJ, Matt, when we met with him before the wedding so he made sure there was never a lull during the night. We were so glad we were able to spend the majority of the night dancing and singing with everyone!

Hailey has always been a huge fan of Chris Stapleton, so when Mitch and Hailey were first looking at engagement rings together, it only felt right when “Joy of My Life” played in the background. We threw out a couple of other ideas over the course of wedding planning, but we just kept coming back to “Joy of My Life”

Wedding Videography Experience

During the chaos of your wedding day, you tend to miss some of the little things that took place or you don’t remember exactly how they happened. Having a wedding video will help the two of us relive one of the best days of our lives and allow us to share these special moments with our future kids, like our vows and beautiful wedding speeches.

Wedding Photography Experience

Both of our wedding photographers, Danielle and Mike, were extremely professional and great to work with. The photos were a very important part of our wedding as these are the memories that will live with us for the rest of our lives. We decided to add a second wedding photographer and it couldn’t have been a better decision. While one was taking photos of us and our wedding party, another was able to take detail photos and photos of our guests. Danielle and Mike made sure to capture every aspect of our wedding even with a tight timeline while making us feel comfortable and not rushed.

Our Wedding Planning Advice

For the Type A brides, learn to let go! It is very hard to trust that people will get it right, but have faith in your team and it will be OK! Hailey made an 80-page binder that everyone could reference while setting up, and while 80 pages may not be necessary, a quick reference guide for your team can help YOU to feel better knowing everyone’s questions can be easily answered.

Also if you’re considering going with the second photographer – do it!! They are able to play off each other, capture aspects of your ceremony you’d normally only get one POV of, and capture more intricate details than what one photographer can get. One of the best decisions we made while wedding planning!

Vendor List

  • Wedding Venue: The Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest
  • Florist: Lasting Touch Floral
  • Wedding Cake: Abby Tull
  • Wedding Dress: Dior Bridal
  • Groom & Groomsmen: State & Liberty
  • Hair & Makeup: Team Glam Detroit
  • DJ: Mike Staff Productions
  • Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • Videography: Mike Staff Productions

Wedding Photography at Marriott at Eagle Crest

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]]> The Solitude Links Wedding of Kelly & Ryan https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-solitude-links-wedding-of-kelly-ryan/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-solitude-links-wedding-of-kelly-ryan Thu, 11 Jul 2024 19:43:28 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=94362 The Solitude Links Wedding of Kelly & Ryan: June 01, 2024 Our Mike Staff Productions Experience “Mike Staff was one of the best choices we made while planning our wedding! They were professional, experienced and all around wonderful people to have helping us capture this day! Chris was our lead photographer and he captured some […]

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The Solitude Links Wedding of Kelly & Ryan: June 01, 2024

Our Mike Staff Productions Experience

“Mike Staff was one of the best choices we made while planning our wedding! They were professional, experienced and all around wonderful people to have helping us capture this day!

  • Chris was our lead photographer and he captured some of the most beautiful pictures we’ve ever been in. I can’t wait to frame them for our house!
  • Randy was our DJ and he did such a great job honoring our requests for music, understanding our taste in music and he had that dance floor packed all night!
  • The team approach was one of our best decisions in wedding planning because everyone kept us on schedule and they worked wonderfully together with minimal coordination from us.

Truly, truly cannot thank them for their work and expertise for our wedding!” – Happy bride, Kelly

Our Love Story

Ryan and I met 6 years ago at my sister’s wedding. Ryan and her worked together at the Detroit Tigers and he secured a last-minute invitation to the wedding up in Traverse City. He came to talk to me during the dollar dance and from there we had little interaction throughout the wedding, but after the wedding at the hotel bar, he came back up to me and we talked for almost 2 hours that night.

From there, I went downstate to see him and we started dating 3 weeks later. We spent the first year doing long distance, me in Traverse City, Ryan in St. Clair Shores, and after 1 year together, I moved downstate and in with Ryan. After 4 and half years of dating, Ryan proposed! He originally had plans to propose to me at Greenfield Village during Christmas, but back in 2022, a large ice and snow storm prevented us from going as I left earlier than planned to get up north to see my parents for Christmas. Ryan drummed up plan b and after my company’s Christmas dinner, we both came home and he proposed out on our balcony that was decorated for Christmas.

Our Favorite Memory

Seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle was so special. We also enjoyed the first dance. After all the hustle and bustle of the day, the rush of emotions during the ceremony, it was so special to stop and share this moment together. It really felt like we were the only two people in the room!

Wedding DJ Experience

Our wedding DJ, Randy, had the dance floor packed all night long! He played music all generations and music interests could dance to, while also honoring the music Ryan and I like to listen. Every time I wanted to take a breather, another fun dance song came on and I don’t think I left the dance floor all night. He also managed time so we could do a last dance just the two of us before the wedding was over.

Our first dance song Love of My Life by Sammy Kershaw. Ryan and I love to put on music and dance in our living room and this was a song he played for me shortly after we moved in together and it quickly became our song.

Wedding Videography Experience

Oh my gosh, we were sobbing the first time we watched our wedding video and full ceremony! Having this video for the rest of our lives will be something we cherish and we can’t wait to watch our wedding video on every anniversary so we can always relive these moments over and over again.

Wedding Photography Experience

The wedding photos are what we knew we would invest more in. They’re everything and I can’t wait to print them! Chris, our wedding photographer, was phenomenal at managing us throughout the day so we got the photos we wanted and he prioritized us throughout the entire day. His experience really shined and we got so many compliments about how he really blended into the space and didn’t interrupt or intrude on moments, but still managed to get all of his shots. (Gallery below)

Our Wedding Planning Advice

Prioritize what’s important to you and what will make the night so much fun. It’s so easy to think you have to have all these things to make a wedding, but we knew when our guests look back on this day in 5 years, they’re not going to remember the food or if the centerpieces were expensive floral arrangements, they’re going to remember the time they had. So that’s why we prioritized booking a venue that we loved, a DJ that would pack the dance floor and a photographer/videographer that would capture our memories. Everything after that we did ourselves and it was better than we ever expected. Also, stay by each other throughout the entire night. It goes way too fast.

Wedding Vendor List

  • Wedding Venue: Solitude Links Golf and Banquet Center
  • Florist: Sam’s Club
  • Wedding Cake: Royal-T Cakery
  • Wedding Dress: Bella Bridal Gallery
  • Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
  • Bridesmaids: Azazie
  • Hair & Makeup: Absolute Beauty
  • Invitations: Shutterfly
  • DJ: Mike Staff Productions
  • Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • Videography: Mike Staff Productions.

 

Wedding Photography at Solitude Links

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]]> The Fox Hills Wedding of Bethany & Evan https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-fox-hills-wedding-of-bethany-evan/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-fox-hills-wedding-of-bethany-evan Mon, 03 Jun 2024 17:16:39 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=94003 The Fox Hills Wedding of Bethany & Evan: April 13, 2024 “Working with Mike Staff was excellent! We had a great time working with each of the staff members and would 100% recommend you for future couples getting married.” – Happy bride, Bethany Our Love Story Our love story began right as COVID-19 was beginning. […]

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The Fox Hills Wedding of Bethany & Evan: April 13, 2024

“Working with Mike Staff was excellent! We had a great time working with each of the staff members and would 100% recommend you for future couples getting married.” – Happy bride, Bethany

Our Love Story

Our love story began right as COVID-19 was beginning. We met through mutual friends while at Oakland University, and then we were sent home due to the pandemic. But we began talking daily and having dates over FaceTime and Zoom. Before too long we got to go on our first in-person date at the Sleeping Bear Dunes. We began to spend more time together as the world opened back up, and before we knew it we had a place and 2 cats together.

Evan proposed to me at Bald Mountain Recreation Area while hiking with friends. He took us down by a lake to “look for fish” and then suggested we get a picture together. While one friend was filming, another friend handed Evan the ring, at which point Evan asked me to marry him! Afterward, we went out with our friends to celebrate, and our families were waiting to surprise us!

Wedding Photography Experience

Jennifer, our wedding photographer, did a great job capturing our wedding day! She always kept things fun and would roll with the changes if we couldn’t get a certain shot because of wind/lighting/etc.

Wedding Videography Experience

It was important to us that we hired a professional wedding videographer so we could have these special moments like our vows or our first dance captured for a lifetime. We are also happy to share the close-up, personal experience of the wedding from our perspective with others. Going back and rewatching the video, there are small, beautiful moments from the day that both of us might never have seen if not for the wedding video.

Wedding DJ Experience

Randy was an excellent wedding DJ! He played pretty much every song we had thrown on our list, he took requests, and he also knew what to play next to keep the crowd going. Multiple people have told us that the dance floor wasn’t empty the whole night.

Our first dance was “How Long Will I Love You” by Ellie Goulding. We chose that song because it spoke to us as a song that had a clear message- we would love one another forever.

Our Wedding Planning Advice

Do whatever you want! It’s your day and YOU get to decide how YOU want to spend it. There were several areas of our wedding where we wanted to keep tradition and others where we didn’t care if we broke the mold. It doesn’t matter what detail you do or don’t want (party bus, photo booth, colored napkins, DJ vs. wedding band, sweetheart’s table, bouquet toss, dollar dance, shoe game, the list goes on and on) as long as it makes you and your significant other happy!

Our Wedding Vision

We weren’t quite sure what we wanted at first. As we got to thinking, we really wanted to have a lot of greenery, especially for a spring wedding. We most importantly wanted to have our cats be a part of our day in some way.

Our Favorite Wedding Moments

  • Bethany was gifted a custom pair of white Chaco sandals for the reception that said “Mrs. Oswald” on the back.
  • We took fatheads of our cats onto the dance floor and it got a great reaction from the crowd.

Bethany & Evan’s Wedding Vendors

  • Ceremony: Gesu Catholic Church
  • Reception: Fox Hills Golf Club
  • Transportation: Allways Transportation
  • Invitations: Truly Engaging
  • Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • Videography: Mike Staff Productions
  • DJ: Mike Staff Productions

Wedding Photography at Fox Hills Golf Club

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]]> The Ford Piquette Plant Wedding of Sarah & Andrew https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-ford-piquette-plant-wedding-of-sarah-andrew/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-ford-piquette-plant-wedding-of-sarah-andrew Mon, 03 Jun 2024 01:23:29 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=93966 The Ford Piquette Plant Wedding of Sarah & Andrew: April 13, 2024 “We would definitely recommend Mike Staff Productions.  Our wedding photographers and DJ were excellent and helped make our day perfect.” – Happy bride, Sarah Our Love Story He proposed on the first night of a cruise we took together in April 2023.  It […]

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The Ford Piquette Plant Wedding of Sarah & Andrew: April 13, 2024

“We would definitely recommend Mike Staff Productions.  Our wedding photographers and DJ were excellent and helped make our day perfect.” – Happy bride, Sarah

Our Love Story

He proposed on the first night of a cruise we took together in April 2023.  It was at the front of the ship with great ocean views when we were having cocktails during sunset before dinner. We went to high school and college together but never really knew each other.  In high school, we were in the same group of people for prom but not with each other. In college, we lived one street apart from each other. After college, we lived in the same apartment complex two buildings away from each other. And growing up our dads worked together.  We finally connected when we matched on Bumble and went on our first date together.

Our Wedding Photography Experience

Our professional wedding photographer, Domonick was great.  He and his second shooter Sarah were so knowledgeable about setting us up to get the best pictures possible showcasing us and our unique venue.  They were both fun to work with and helped the day run very smoothly.

Our Wedding DJ Experience

We danced to How Long Will I Love You by Ellie Golding.  We both liked the song and took dance lessons to choreograph a dance to it. Our wedding DJ played great music and kept the dance floor crowded with high energy all night. This is exactly what we wanted.

Wedding Planning Advice

  • Don’t worry too much about the small things (like table decorations) because you probably won’t notice them much or pay attention to them much on the wedding day.
  • Take dance lessons for your first dance. It will impress your guests and is a fun skill/activity to learn together

Sarah and Andrew’s Wedding Vendors

  • Venue: Ford Piquette Avenue Plant
  • Florist: Little Workshop Floral
  • Dessert: Nothing Bundt Cakes and Detroit Cookie Company
  • Wedding Dress: Bombshell Bridal Boutique
  • Menswear: Jos A Bank
  • Wedding Planner: Enjoy Events, Caitlin Cook
  • Transportation: Trinity Transportation
  • Hair & Makeup: The Curl Girl
  • Invitations: The Knot
  • Officiant: Down the Aisle, Eileen Stevens
  • Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • DJ: Mike Staff Productions

Wedding Photography at Ford Piquette Plant

The post The Ford Piquette Plant Wedding of Sarah & Andrew first appeared on Mike Staff Productions.

]]> The Waldenwoods Wedding of Stephanie & Mitchell https://mikestaff.com/featured-weddings/the-waldenwoods-wedding-of-stephanie-mitchell/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-waldenwoods-wedding-of-stephanie-mitchell Tue, 21 May 2024 19:43:15 +0000 https://mikestaff.com/?post_type=featured_weddings&p=92949 The Waldenwoods Wedding of Stephanie & Mitchell: October 06, 2023 Our Mike Staff Experience “The Mike Staff Experience was wonderful. From the beginning, they were very transparent about pricing and so professional. They developed a personalized webpage before signing with them to lay out a specific idea of what they have to offer. They have […]

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The Waldenwoods Wedding of Stephanie & Mitchell: October 06, 2023

Our Mike Staff Experience

“The Mike Staff Experience was wonderful. From the beginning, they were very transparent about pricing and so professional. They developed a personalized webpage before signing with them to lay out a specific idea of what they have to offer. They have been to our venue many times so I felt really good about their ideas for the day as well. They were super easy to get in touch with and cared about what my vision was. Now the finished product speaks for itself. The photos are beautiful and we have so many “good ones” that it is hard to pick our favorites. We got them back in less than 1 month. Our highlight video is so special and highlights all the pivotal moments of the day. I can’t thank them enough. You can tell this is not their first rodeo 😉 They know what they are doing and I would highly recommend them!”

Wedding Photography Experience

Having a great wedding photographer was very important to me. I knew the day would go by so fast and as much as you try to be in the moment I knew I needed someone to capture all the details and keep the show on time. Vesna was the most amazing person to have there that day. I was so grateful for all her wisdom on how to structure the day, but also keep it light and capture those candid moments as well. She knew how to get the job done and work the crowd so to speak. I just trusted her, from the beginning.

Wedding Videographer Experience

I knew I wanted a professional wedding videographer because I had heard that being a regret of friends/family I knew that recently were married. It can be hard to fit into the budget but I think it’s so worth it. I love my photos and I can’t wait to print them and hang them on our walls, but I have watched our wedding highlight video so many times. It is the closest thing to reliving these sacred moments again and again.

Our Love Story

We met in high school but started dating after senior spring break in Mexico. We have been together for many years and each year we like to go to Traverse City, kind of our little getaway during Mitchell’s busy work season. The weekend was almost over and we made one more stop to the beach before our drive home. Laying on the beach soaking in the last bits of our vacation, Mitch surprised me with a beautiful ring and asked me to spend forever together. Of course, I said yes!

Our Wedding Vision

I wanted it to be classy but comfortable. I wanted people to have fun dancing, and talking, and love the food!

Favorite Wedding Memories

My favorite moment was exchanging our vows privately over a little picnic before the ceremony. Just the two of us. Another favorite moment was near the end of the night, our DJ played a fun (long) song and asked everyone to circle us. Watching Mitchell dance and sing with all our loved ones around us is something I will never forget.

First Dance Song

We shared a first dance to the song ‘Baby I Love Your Way’. There are many great love songs out there but Mitchell picked this one, the live version. It’s a great reminder to love each other for who we are and never forget that as we grow individually and together.

Wedding Planning Advice

  • Pick your top 3 things and book/plan those first. The little details will come after but you don’t want to regret the dress/venue/food/DJ/photographer etc. Likely only you will notice the little mishaps but that is kind of what keeps it interesting.
  • Find yourself a “pit crew”. People you can trust who want to help you with the wedding. I had a family that wasn’t in the wedding party help set up decorations so we didn’t have to the morning off. It takes something off your plate and typically people who love you want to help on your special day and have a hand in the celebration!

Stephanie & Mitchell’s Wedding Vendors

  • Ceremony & Reception: Waldenwoods Banquet & Conference Center
  • Florist: Floral Flows by Hayley Piersynski
  • Wedding Dress: Becker’s Bridal
  • Jewelry: Oliver and Piper
  • Menswear: Brighton Tux
  • Hair & Makeup: Studio FWRD
  • Photography: Mike Staff Productions
  • Videography: Mike Staff Productions

Wedding Photography at Waldenwoods

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