I met Cassie at the wedding of two of my good friends, James and Kate. Kate’s family has been very kind to me since I moved to Michigan, and Cassie is one of Kate’s cousins. So it was not a surprise to me when they approached be about taking pictures at Cassie’s wedding. Knowing many members of the wedding party and even more guests made photographing this wedding a very enjoyable experience!

Cassie was known as one of the most relaxed human beings among her friends and family. That description of her proved to be true even on her wedding day!

The wedding was at Silver Shores Waterfront in Wyandotte, MI. As much as I love classic buildings and vibrant downtown streets, there’s nothing quite like a pure Michigan wedding by the water.

It was a beautiful sunny autumn day in Michigan with just a few clouds, which made a perfect setting for outdoor pictures with the wedding party.

As one of the family members, Cassie and Zyke’s puppy Goose was a big part of the wedding. He even got included in the group pictures!

We took some time to capture pictures of each side of the wedding party. Cassie’s bridesmaids and Zyke’s groomsmen could not have had more opposite personalities! But it was obvious that both the bride and groom were well-loved by both parties. It was equally obvious that Cassie and Kirk were meant to be together.

The longer I live in Michigan, the greater my appreciation for this beautiful state grows. As a wedding photographer, I couldn’t ask for more. One weekend, I can take pictures of a wedding in the heart of downtown Detroit, and the next, I can capture a bride and groom strolling down a grassy waterfront. There are no hurricanes. There are no earthquakes. There are no wildfires. I don’t have to worry about venomous snakes, alligators, or sharks.

Cassie and Zyke were married outside under a white wooden canopy overlooking the river. It was so picturesque that I couldn’t find a better place to capture pictures of just the two of them.

The guests began to arrive, and I was able to find many familiar faces in the crowd.  

The wedding party began to process down the aisle, adorable puppy in tow.

Rain was forecasted for the wedding day, and again somehow by God’s grace, the sun was shining exactly where we had the ceremony, even while dark clouds loomed in the background.

And there they were, Mr. and Mrs. Zyke Bailey!

As the reception began inside the banquet hall at the venue, the real party got started!

And let me tell you, this was the best cake I have ever had!  

After the cake was cut and dinner was served, Cassie and Zyke played the classic shoe game. It’s my favorite wedding game because all the wedding guests can enjoy getting to know the couple better.

After the game, Cassie and Zyke enjoyed their first dance together. The dancing continued with the father-daughter and mother-son dances. Then all the married couples joined the bride and groom on the dance floor while the DJ dismissed different couples form the floor depending on how long they’d been married until only the couples that had been married the longest remained. The only couple that had been married for over 55 years gave a piece of advice to the newlyweds.

Soon after, the greatest dance battle that I have ever witnessed commenced.

Towards the end of the wedding, it began showering outside, and Cassie asked me whether we should even do the sparkler exit or not.

Brides often ask me many questions.

Can we go somewhere? How about the weather? Will it be safer?

I always give my professional advice, but in the end I leave it up to what they want.

Because you can still fail at what you don’t want.

So might as well go for something you really want.

As it turns out, it was a great choice.