andrew + nichole | engagement | holland, michigan

i graduated with my undergraduate degree from a small bible school in west michigan - grace bible college...a whole lot of memories there, thats for sure! the love story of my wife and i began there, and we share that same beginning with with andrew and nichole, two grace grads who met and fell in love on the humble grounds of a small school with great vision* certainly, it was a great way to connect with these two, have something so profound in common right off the bat.  we knew many of the same faces from school and so it was great to finally meet them in person and hear their story.

with their wedding not far away, we wanted to squeeze in an engagement session, and I am so very glad we did. beautiful morning light. the serene beauty of lake michigan in the morning. the subtle charm of holland's streets.

i can't wait for their wedding in traverse soon - how splendid a day it will be! blessings, my friends...

- npe

parker+lindsay engagement {love.on.the.lakeshore}

i first met lindsay when she was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding last winter. it was a beautiful february day in michigan with a wedding party that was kind enough to brave the cold for some outdoor shots. well...i have to say, for me it is a really special compliment when a former bridesmaid or groomsman in a wedding i shot asks me to be a part of their very own wedding. i was thrilled when lindsay first contacted me and it was great to hear how her and parker's love story has played out. parker just graduated from the naval academy...yeah, talk about awesome! and even though he didn't bring along a uniform for our engagement session, i could tell that this was a guy who could command a room. my hope was that by the end of our session, his smiles might start to come naturally - parker, you'll have to tell me if i succeeded, haha!

thanks for a great morning on the lakeshore my friends - trust me, this coming year will fly by! can't wait for your wedding day*

- npe

chad+amy engagement {on.top.of.the.world}

meet amy and chad. they are best friends. they are doctors. they are goofy. they are in love. and they are getting married on saturday! i would have to say that most of the time, engagement sessions happen quite a ways out from the wedding date. but for chad and amy, who are both starting their residency soon, time was quite limited up until this week, the very week of their wedding. but wow, what a great opportunity to meet them and have us all get used to this whole 'strike your model pose' thing before saturday and all the joy that will unfold!

from the top of the JW, to madcap coffee...we featured grand rapids fully for their session, and i am excited for the weekend - bring on saturday!

-npe

blake+katie engagement {delight.in.the.morning.light}

an absolutely beautiful morning for photos - blake and katie met me with smiles on their faces, and a whole lot of trust in my ideas! 'hey, lets get back in those woods, the lighting is amazing' followed by 'do either of you know what poison ivy looks like?'

if that doesn't prove trust in your 'throw caution to the wind' photographer, i don't know what does! but then again, these two are no strangers to the adventurous lifestyle! blake dawns his skis to shred up slopes with backflips and 360s...and katie, well, with a fiance like blake, she is one brave woman ;)

all in all, these two are so much fun - they go together so very well, and their love for each shows without effort.  thank you friends for inviting me into your story!

-npe

drew+katie engagement {rain.rain.you.can.stay}

i think we went back and forth three times...trying to decide if we should reschedule our shoot.  drew and katie had the week off, but of course, michigan decided to send along a week of unpredictable weather and keep us guessing. i met up with these two for the session just as rain began to dance on our windshields...and looking up at the sky, we decided to go for it. and boy am i glad we did!

we split the session in two, so katie didn't have to worry as much about her hair for the rain shots, and made up for the grey skies a few days later.  all in all, i can say that these two outdoors adventurers, who got engaged in the wilds of northern michigan, got their fair share of nature for an engagement session that, truthfully, i think suited them just right!

thanks for being great sports and for your flexibility d&k...i hope you agree with me that it was well worth it*

- npe

mike+kathleen engagement {forever.found.sweethearts}

i'll tell you what, it is certainly going to be exciting to witness the wedding day of kathleen and mike! these two met in the halls of middle school, passing notes back and forth, meeting up at their lockers between classes, the whole thing! so, naturally...thats where we went, back to where it all started!

i love it when clients come to me with their own stories woven into our creative ideas for engagement and weddings sessions - so when kathleen mentioned using the halls of the Greenville middle school and high school to tell their love story, i was excited to bring the idea to life!

and with the beginning of the story captured in storybook form, we ended the session where the next chapter of their lives had begun, at the very spot in grand rapids where mike asked kathleen to marry him.  these two can't wait for 2014, i can tell you that!

- npe

tim+jess engagement {lovely.soda.sun.fun}

tim and jess hit the ground running.  they came to our engagement session with their game faces on, and by game faces, i mean...truly in love, full of joy, loving the moment faces! these two have a wonderful story of redemption and pursuit, and as we chatted while walking from location to location, i could tell that they were perfect for each other.  both funny, witty, alive, and trusting. they gave me an awesome opportunity to take their inspiration and creative ideas, and run with it. what an honor as an artist!  so here is a snapshot of our evening.  hope you enjoy!

ciao,

npe

nick+katie {from.never.to.forever}

so here is the story....nick and katie, they never planned on getting married. to each other, or to anyone else really for that matter. great minds, and kindred hearts think alike.  and what began in conversation as a shared lack of desire to one day be married, turned into two best friends wanting to share the rest of their lives with no one else but each other.

we started our session where they first met, on the porch of 416 Stoddard Ave. i think we all have those places and moments in time that stay with us forever, and for katie and nick, this less than glamourous porch held the memories of where it all began.  what an honor to spend the afternoon with these two in all the glory that a sunny saturday afternoon in east lansing has to offer*

-npe

matt+andrea engagement {the.golfer.&.his.girl}

  i am often amazed at the providence surrounding the couples i have the privilege to work with, and andrea and matt are no exception.  andrea stopped by my booth at the Grand Affair wedding expo a few months ago, and i could tell right away that having the opportunity to shoot her wedding would be a delight! with both her and matt living out state and planning a wedding for here in west michigan, it was so great to be in the right place at the right time to meet andrea and begin a conversation about wedding photography.

she gave snippets of the story of how her and matt met, and described how the wedding would be at a local country club that matt used to work as the golf pro.  talk about a wonderful couple - the engagement session was a chance to spend some time with these two and really witness their chemistry, joy, and willingness to follow my lead...no small task!

and in the end, matt was a great sport, even had fun i think! and andrea graciously thanked me for their 'first professional photo shoot.' don't worry you two, i think modeling is in the blood*

cheers,

npe

matt+carly {enamored.engagement}

meet matt & carly* these two couldn't be more fun or more in love!  when a couple is ready, willing, and happy to tromp through an unknown amount of forest shrubbery to get to some train tracks for a shot, you know you have two dedicated people on your hands!

thanks friends for being such good sports, and for a great introduction to your wedding celebration in september..its going to be great!

-npe