Kaela and Tom's wedding was a magical celebration of love, family, and tradition. This beautiful couple had been together for seven or eight years after meeting on Tinder in a chance encounter that changed their lives forever. They built a beautiful life together with their two dogs and split their time between their remodeled home in Green Bay and their new home in Michigan, where Kayla's family is.

Kaela and Tom are experts at communication and setting goals, and they have always been supportive of each other. It was an incredible honor for me to be able to work with friends on one of the most important days of their lives.

The couple chose to have a very personal wedding in Houghton, Michigan, and picked a date that would allow them to celebrate in the energy of a full moon. As Kaela was doing more ancestry research and lineage work, she discovered that two of her ancestors had gotten married just two days before the wedding date she had picked. This coincidence kept coming to mind, so much so that Kaela and Tom decided to legally wed in an intimate ceremony with just their families on that date that they shared with Kaela's ancestors. The wedding I had the privilege of photographing was their lunar celebration and the one where they got to bring their friends and family together.

Bride getting ready, gold details, classic wedding

Kaela and Tom got ready at the stunning Vault Hotel, which has breathtaking art deco details and a newly remodeled space. They were both filled with excitement and joy for this special celebration with their loved ones. The couple chose to have a first look together so they could see their new wedding outfits for the first time. Kaela also had a touching first look with her dad.

Groom getting ready, groom details, wedding gift, green and brown details

The wedding party and couple did photos at McLean State Park on Lake Superior, despite the incredibly windy conditions. Kaela's stunning A-line dress was made for blowing in the wind and was perfectly accented by her gold crown-like headpiece. Tom looked dapper in his light suit. The wedding party and parents took a trolley to the state park and were entertained by Kaela's dad, who played tour guide over the trolley's PA system.

First kiss, groom with sage bowtie, bride with classic bouquet, waterfront wedding

The ceremony took place at Ray Kestner waterfront park in Houghton, officiated by their dear friend who they lovingly referred to as Kayla's third mom. Friends and family from near and far gathered for the joyous occasion. Kaela and Tom surprised their guests by sharing at the ceremony that they had legally gotten married two days earlier and shared the story of the importance of that date.

Grand entrance, bride and groom cake cutting, bride and groom kiss, first dance, beautiful tent wedding

For the reception, a tent was erected at the waterfront park for the guests to dine under. The caterer brought in an incredible vegan and gluten-free wedding meal that everyone raved about. Kaela and Tom shared a sweet first dance with a song that was personal to them. Kaela and her dad danced to two songs, starting with a sweet father-daughter country song and then transitioning into getting their groove on to a Beyoncé song, with Kaela ending the song by doing the splits. Tom and his mom shared a very sweet mother-son dance as well. The wedding party gave touching speeches that left everyone feeling the love.

This group was ready to party, and the dance floor was jam-packed with high-energy people. They brought down the house until it was time to head to the after party at Bonfire. Needless to say, it was an incredible evening. I am so honored to have been able to document this magical event and to be a part of Kaela and Tom's love story.

Much love and appreciation,