Anna & Eric's Ann Arbor Wedding

When I asked Anna and Eric what inspired them while planning their wedding, they responded that Eric wanted “good food, good people, and beautiful outdoor spaces” while Anna was “trying to re-create her favorite parts of her oldest cousin’s three day, Polish countryside wedding.” They were excited to blend traditions from Anna’s Polish culture with their own California lifestyle – this is the first I’ve seen kombucha served along with champagne for the toasts!

These elements made for a very fun wedding to photograph. After the flurry of preparations, Eric arrived at Anna’s with his groomsmen and parents in tow for the parental blessing. When leaving for the church, guests in disguise held up the wedding party, demanding payment in the form of vodka before allowing them to go on their way. Following the wedding ceremony, the festivities commenced at Misty Valley – a rustic wedding barn surrounded by fields and bordered by a stream. Guests oohed and aahed over the seating card display – pictures of all of them stung up with twine and clothespins. When introduced into the reception, Anna and Eric’s parents offered them bread (in the hope they would never go hungry) and salt (so they would know there would be difficult times ahead), and then were offered two shot glasses – one filled with water, one with vodka. The person who gets the vodka is declared the head of the household forevermore! The Simone Band, which played a mix of Polish and American dance music, kept the guests on their feet. It was an absolutely action-packed 12-hour day, but so much fun to be a part of. Thank you Anna and Eric for inviting me to document it for you!

Thanks also to my wonderful second shooter Neil Blake, whose images appear here alongside mine, and to Julie of J. Eliza Events for her help throughout the weekend.

If you like what you see, and are interested in having me photograph your Ann Arbor wedding, please get in touch!