Meghan and Mike | Inn at St Johns wedding

I’ve got nearly a dozen amazing events to share here – and I’m blogging this one a little bit out of order, but by the end of the post, hopefully you will understand why 😉

Awhile back I got the terrible news that another local photographer, Dionne Haglund, had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.  If you’re a Michigan wedding vendor, you probably know Dionne.  She’s been “in the game” as long as I can remember, and does incredible work.  She’s also a genuinely nice person who I’ve enjoyed getting to know a bit over the years.  When she got the news, understandably, Dionne realized that she needed to put her business on hold and focus on getting healthy.  Her dear friend (and fellow photographer!) Stacey Shy went about getting all of her remaining weddings covered, and the local community rallied to help.  A core group of us quickly picked up the slack where we could, and before long every single one of her remaining weddings had a top-notch photographer assigned.

The truth is, running a photography business can be a bit lonely.  Yes, I get to meet incredible people and partake in amazing celebrations pretty much every weekend.  But I don’t have an office full of co-workers who I see everyday – most weekdays, it’s just me and my computer 😉  I think most photographers would admit, It can be isolating at times.  So even though these are obviously terrible circumstances, it’s actually really, really nice to know that I’m part of such an incredible and caring community.  Watching all of my photography colleagues rally around Dionne has been inspiring, and I know that, should I ever need help, they will all have my back as well.  Group hug, guys!!!

The truth is, Dionne has a long road ahead.  She’ll be chronicling her journey here, and you can read a bit more from Stacey here.  Please, please consider donating to her cause.  Also, check out this extremely moving video filmed by Jamie Honce of Third Street Films

A Picture of Strength | Dionne Haglund from 3rd Street Films on Vimeo.

Now, without further ado – here are some of my favorites from the wedding I photographed for Dionne

I am a HUGE fan of the mis-matched bridesmaids dresses. SO fun and stylish and Meghan picked an amazing color scheme! a quick stop at some favorite Ann Arbor landmarks

Meghan and Mike: I can’t thank you enough for being so wonderful.  I can’t imagine it was very fun to find out your photographer was unavailable only weeks before your wedding – but you guys were nothing but kind and understanding.  I hope you love the images!  Thanks also to all my photography peeps (esp Stacey!) who have come together to help one of our own – you know who you are 😉

hair and makeup: POSH STUDIO / wedding planner: TWOFOOT CREATIVE / flowers: BILL HAMILTON / venue: INN AT ST JOHNS / band: SIMONE VITALE