Pontiac, Michigan | Intimate Greenhouse Wedding at Goldner Walsh

Aimee and Sam’s intimate greenhouse wedding at Goldner Walsh in Pontiac, Michigan was seriously a DREAM! For the end of September we got super lucky with the weather, it was pretty warm out still and the sun was shining so beautifully. Let’s not forget about the venue, HOLY WOW! Goldner Walsh is such a gorgeous venue with so many places for photos!

The day started with Aimee and Sam’s first look, which was on a beautiful indoor bocce ball court! Sam’s reaction was seriously the sweetest, he just hugged Aimee and they were all smiles. After the first look we took wedding party photos (which are always a blast) and then it was time for the ceremony. Sam’s aunt officiated the wedding, which was just so special. They kept the ceremony short and sweet, and of course it was filled with A TON of laughter.

After the ceremony and family pictures, I had Aimee and Sam sneak away from the cocktail hour for some golden hour portraits. Then it was time for the reception!! The food was so amazing, the speeches were so funny (especially Sam’s brother’s speech!) and the band kept the dance floor full!

I asked Aimee how her and Sam met, this is what she had to say. “We met actually at a kickball game.  It was my first or second week of graduate school and one of the people in my cohort invited me to play kickball. She knew Sam and Sam & I immediately hit it off.  About 3 months later he asked me out on a date.  We went to Sava's in Ann Arbor, and he never lets me forget that he thought he was getting friendzoned at dinner because I wore jeans and a vest (he was dressed up)!  He also got me a book because our first date was two days after my birthday.  It was a book about suicide (at first I was majorly concerned, but when he explained it it made a lot more sense) -- I had told him during one of the first times we were talking that my dream was to go to Paris, sit at a french cafe, and have a philosophical conversation in French.  The author of this book was French and it was a book on philosophy. The rest is history!”

After hearing how they met, I HAD to ask about Sam’s proposal. This is how it went down according to Aimee. “He took me to the Ann Arbor arboretum and he kept walking around weirdly and we kept walking back and forth down this one path.  We went to an overlook that we had previously been standing on (but there was a couple down below who was definitely making out), and he said "well now that we're in the presence of love..." and got down on one knee.  He then made us dinner reservations at the place where we had our first date and we celebrated downtown with some friends!”

I love sharing reaction emails from couples when they get their gallery, Aimee seriously made my day with this one. “Your pictures are nothing short of perfect. You captured us in a very genuine way that emphasized our love, but our quirky personalities too. My mom tells me that she looks at the photos every day since you sent them!!! Your work is fantastic. Even Sam (who was AVIDLY OPPOSED to hiring a photographer when we were planning for our wedding) was looking through the photos stating how thankful he was that we 1) had a photographer and 2) hired you. You are amazing and perfectly captured our day. Thank you for everything!”

Aimee and Sam I am so beyond happy that I got to be there to witness the beginning of your next big adventure together. Thank you a million times for being so incredible throughout the whole process. I hope this new adventure together gets better each and every day. Your joy and love for each other is so beautiful and I absolutely loved being surrounded by it on your wedding day. Cheers to many more years of love and happiness!

Photographer: Sydney Marie Photography

Make-up Artist: J Graham Studio

Florist: Goldner Walsh Garden & Home

Venue: Goldner Walsh Garden & Home

Caterer: 3 Dudes and Dinner

DJ/Band: L'USA Band