Michelle + Alice had a laid-back and family-centered summer wedding overlooking gorgeous lake Mendota
When Michelle first approached me about photographing her wedding to Alice, she was up front that it was going to be a small shindig, and that they were only looking for a small number of photos, but one of the things that was most important to her was being able to have photos not just of her and Alice, but also of the two of them with Michelle’s 5 year old daughter, Maddie as well.
Michelle talked a lot about how special the relationship was between Alice and Maddie, and as a person who knows how pivotal a step-parent relationship can be (and so thankful that my kiddo has two amazing step-parents who love him dearly and who he loves just as much), it was so wonderful to see the really neat bond between Alice and Maddie.
On the day itself, both brides looked joyful and radiant (love has that effect on folks), and so damn happy and excited it made me smile from ear to ear! After the first look at Alice’s parents’ house, we headed over to a friends house right on Lake Mendota for the wedding ceremony! Right when I met Maddie, she dubbed me ‘her’ photographer, and proceeded to show me the dolls that Michelle + Alice made at her request that looked like the two of them (who Maddie calls Mama and Mommy, respectively). I was impressed by the ingenuity of the dolls, because, as Michelle pointed out, it’s actually pretty hard to find a butch lesbian asian doll, so they basically made one, and I’d say they did a pretty great job.
Once everyone had a little food in them, it was time for the ceremony. For what was to be a fairly short ceremony, I was moved to tears on more than one occasion as Michelle + Alice not only promised to love and care for one another, but also read their own vows to Maddie centered around family and unity. *I’m not crying, you’re crying*
The ceremony ended and as I packed up to head out, I still had that big smile on my face because Michelle + Alice’s wedding was a sweet reminder of how amazing love can be, and because I could tell these two awesome humans view love similarly to how I do, which is a thing you do, not just a thing you feel.
Enjoy the photos, and thank you for having me there to celebrate with you!
-Sam
