eric + emily | wedding | the h hotel | midland, mi

this past saturday was truly the perfect april day, crisp morning air, sun burning off the clouds, and wedding to celebrate!

i met emily and eric at a wedding i photographed last year and was especially humbled and thrilled when they asked me to be a part of their own wedding. from the beginning of the day when i went skeet shooting with eric, his dad, and best man...to the gorgeous sunset over midland's unique tridge, it was a wonderful day. there was plenty of laughter from start to finish, with a couple who embodied hearts of generosity and kindness while enjoying their wedding day to the fullest!

e&e..thank you again for taking a chance on me and offering me your trust.  i hope you find you made a good decision.  it was my honor to spend the day with you and your families and friends. blessings,

-npe

ross + erin | wedding | watermark country club | grand rapids, mi

i sometimes find it hard to communicate my heart as it relates to the work i do. certainly my aim is never to speak in arrogance or pride...but to honestly recognize the gratefulness that rests in my mind week after week, as i continue to find employment as a wedding photographer. yes, this is my job. yes it required and still requires a lot of sacrifice and dedicated hard work. yes i have my bad days. but as cheesy as it sounds, i honestly often forget that i am working...when photographing a wedding.

this past saturday was yet another day where the lines between work and play were blurred...where spending those hours with erin, ross, and their family and friends had me focusing on the details not for the sake of expectation, but for the sake of pure enjoyment and the fulfillment of capturing a gorgeous day with honest beauty.

those that know erin and ross will tell you that you would be hard pressed to find another couple who is more welcoming, accommodating, thoughtful and gracious. my wife and i had the privilege of spending time with them in arizona for their engagement session and we were witness to some of the very best hospitality we have ever experienced...i guess it might help a little that ross is a manager at one of the country's most premiere resort hotels. and that essence of accommodation carried over into the wedding day, with a couple who graciously gave me their trust and lived in the moment...the moment of a day to remember.

thank you e+r for everything. its hard to sum it all up, but i am sincerely grateful. i hope you enjoy the peek into your day, as it was a true pleasure to share in it with you. blessings to you two on your marriage.

grace and peace,

npe

tim + helena | wedding | downtown market | grand rapids, mi

surrounded by light and in the midst of family, friends, and the sweet aroma of a greenhouse...tim and helena pledged their lives together in marriage.

just over a week ago, those that were closest to them gathered in grand rapids to witness the intimate ceremony against the stunning backdrop of a room of light at the downtown market. it was chic, eloquent, and an privilege to be a part of.  i met helena and tim through a friend at church and even in the brief time we had together, i could tell that they both had an air of genuineness about them. i felt privileged to witness a small window into their lives through the morning ceremony and brunch..and needless to say, the two had no trouble looking fabulous and offering me some incredible moments to capture.

once again t&h, the honor was mine to join you on your wedding day.  thank you for the invitation, the warm reception as a friend, the delicious food, and a chance to help you remember these moments forever*

- npe 

mike + anne | wedding | grand rapids, mi

when you get to spend the day with just six special people as two families are joined together, you have the privilege of truly feeling like family as well.  

this past friday anne and mike were married in an intimate ceremony of just their parents and sisters, amid a lot of joyful tears i might add! mike and anne met on the slopes of caberfae as members of the ski patrol, and a mutual love for the slopes is certainly something we shared right away! the ceremony took place in a charming little chapel in grand rapids with a private reception at the 19th century mansion turned restaurant of mangiamo* talk about incredible food!

m&k, thank you for such a wonderful day.  you braved cold weather and shared such a special and intimate day with me, and i recognize the privilege it was.  blessings to you two in your lives together.  and yes, we still need to hit the slopes together someday!!!

- npe

derek + kristin | wedding | westphalia, mi

no amount of cold these past few weeks could keep these two from joy and jubilation!

derek and kristin got hitched on valentine's day and made the most of the romantic day, even with the negative 15 degree windchill*  i am pretty sure i am starting to get an idea of how the communities of fowler and westphalia celebrate weddings, holding nothing back!! i had the privilege of photographing a wedding here a few years ago for one of kristin's bridesmaids, and even with rough weather, kristin and derek's friends, family, and guests made sure to be present to witness and celebrate their marriage, thats true commitment to a couple!

thank you d&k for keeping me warm on a cold day, for all your organization and willingness to smile into the wind.  blessings to you two in your marriage as it was an honor to witness your vows and dance the night away with you!

all the best,

-npe

james + tressa | wedding | withinsodo | seattle, wa

i am so grateful for the people i meet and the relationships i discover in my line of work. when you work in the world of people's memories and life changing moments, you get a unique perspective on the power of relationship and the beauty of sacrificial love.  all in all, i don't think shooting weddings will ever get old to me. and i don't mind a bit*

for the first wedding of 2015, jana and i made the trip out to the pacific northwest and my home state of washington.  i had the privilege of meeting james and tressa through jana...who actually grew up just a few houses down from tressa when they were kids.  how cool it was to jump the gap in time and join them on their wedding day after tressa and jana and shared so many childhood memories before families moved away.

when the soon to be married couple invited us to be a part of their ceremony in seattle and photograph the day, we jumped at both the excitement of being with them on their special day and also the chance to revisit seattle and the surrounding beauty that is pretty much all of washington!

needless to say, it was a great trip, filled with old friends, new friends, great coffee, evergreen trees, rain, sun, and a whole lot of adventure! j&t, thank you so much for allowing jana and i to share in your day.  it was an honor, and i hope you enjoy this little preview of what was an incredible start to 2015!

- npe

martin + michelle | wedding | the durant | flint, mi

my final wedding for the 2014 season was spent of the east side of the state and was an especially wonderful affair as i hadn't had the chance to shoot on the east side much this year....and of course, the bride and groom were just too much fun to work with!

michelle's daughter whitney met me at a wedding i shot a while back and so graciously mentioned my work to her mom as michelle was beginning to plan her wedding day...and i am so thankful that i had the privilege of being a part of this joyful, hilarious, emotional, and exciting day!

from shooting clay pigeons in the morning, to dancing to live mariachi and classic rock bands in the evening, martin and michelle made the very most of a stunning october day in michigan!

m&m, what a fun, fun day! seriously..i had such a blast for the last wedding of the year for me, and i have you to thank.  it was an absolute privilege to spend the day with you and your families.  may God richly bless you in the years to come, i wish you all the best!

- npe

freddy + stephanie | wedding | goei center | grand rapids, mi

its a funny story...the circumstances in which we first met. but you'll have to ask stephanie about that one! ;D

a little over a week ago, i spent a colorful fall day in grand rapids with two new friends. freddy, along with his new bride stephanie, were smiles at every turn, every moment! trying to get a vogue look from these two was a pretty awesome challenge, because lets face it..who doesn't love people who exude happiness and laughter. and laugh we did!

with some of the most vibrant fall color i have seen here in michigan, the day itself was vibrant as well with true celebration as steph and freddy said 'i do.' it is always a gift to just be one of the party, and thats how i felt, right from the start...feeling far away from 'work' and very close to the profound reminder that my job is such a privilege...and SO MUCH FUN!

thank you f&s..for picking me out of a lineup of endless photographers and for trusting me with your day. it was fabulous and a joy for me to be a part of.  i hope this preview lets you relive a little of how great your wedding truly was. i wish you two all the best!

much love,

- npe

zane + nicole | wedding | spring lake country club | spring lake, mi

so fall here in michigan has really been on point...i mean, really* fantastic color with some really great weather combine for a photographer's dream, especially when you have clients who are hoping for an outdoor ceremony in october!

but nicole and zane probably could not have gotten any better weather.  as the sun shown down through the rustling leaves of the willow looming over the wedding party, these two pledged their lives to each other.  i love shooting at spring lake country club and especially ceremonies that take place under those weeping willows...right off the water, it was all so lovely!

nicole, thank you so very much for your trust and gracious words.  you gave me the opportunity to creatively see the day moment by moment and it was a gift* and zane, for a guy who hates getting his picture taken, i have to say..you did a pretty stellar job.  i hope i won you over to the belief that taking pictures with nathan isn't all bad, haha.  you two were a joy to work with and i wish you all the best in your marriage - here's to 60 years and more!

- npe

ryan + meredith | wedding | traverse city, mi

this past saturday i drove up to traverse city, making my way through the changing colors of fall as the sun rose through broken clouds. come rain or shine, i knew it would be a great day..as meredith, a longtime friend of my wife and i, was walking down the aisle to marry her best friend ryan*

my wife met meredith when we first got married, seven years ago, as they were both working as CNAs in an assisted living home.  as the years have passed, meredith has become a nurse and now lives in the stunning michigan town of traverse city. sharing the day with her and ryan was so great, as i was welcomed into the wedding party as just one of the friends! meredith and ryan truly lived in the moment on their wedding day, and it made for a whole lot of fun with photos and a night of celebration that their friends and family enjoyed to the fullest!

r&m, you know jana would have loved to be there with you..but let me just say for the both of us, congratulations on such a beautiful day, and many blessings to you two as this is just the start of your lives together as husband and wife.  we couldn't be happier for you! much love from your friends in grand rapids!!

- npe