here.today » detroit, ann arbor, toledo . fine art wedding and portrait photographer melissa squires

Jen and Daves winter wedding . Cornman Farms, Dexter Michigan

Yesterday it was exactly one month since I had the most wonderful honor of photographing Jen and Dave’s wedding. <3 Jen and I have been friends for over 5 years (she is one of the most intelligent, strong and beautiful people I know) The first time I saw her after they started dating I could see he was something special, they were something special. Jen just beamed and that beaming smile, a blissed-out, grateful and happy smile, hasn’t left her face. You can see it in these pictures. Dave is shining right alongside her step by step, friends, lovers, partners. It spreads and everyone gets to feel a bit of its goodness.

The wedding day was beautiful. Famlies coming together, families missing those who couldn’t be there and everyone celebrating love and new beginnings. Cornman Farms was the perfect venue, warm and cozy, just right for a winter wedding. Make sure to look out the windows behind Jen and Dave when they are giving their vows. The sunset in a brilliant explosion of pink and blue created a celestial backdrop behind them as they spoke their vows. (magical really) Then there was the DJ in from LA who kept things (as they say in the biz) heated up ;) (I am going to get the link in here asap) So much dancing!! I even joined in for one or two (thank you, Squad, for making me participate! <3) Everything was just as it was and just as it was it was perfect. Congratulations my friends, I am so very happy for you.

(If I overindulged in choosing photos I feel no guilt, it was all I could do not to share all 1000+ of them!!! )

by melissa melissaTags: annarbor

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“Commuity” at the Toledo Museum of Art – Rebecca Louis Law – Last Week

This is the last week of the Rebecca Louis Law installation at the Toledo Museum of Art I had the extreme pleasure of going down before the holidays with my friend Karen and just having fun with our cameras!! I took some of her with her’s and she took some of me with mine and we played with the colour all around us!!

You have a few more days so if you can you should get down there!! She’ll be a resident artist and is going to be working with the glass makers as well, I’m excited to see what they create!!

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An intimate Halloween Wedding . Ann Arbor, Mi,

I got a call a week before Halloween and Chantel explained to me she wanted to have a sweet, simple little halloween wedding and she wasn’t sure I’d “do it” because it “wasn’t a big deal wedding.”

I have always wanted to photograph a wedding on halloween, and I promptly told her that there was no such thing as a “no big deal” wedding. There are smaller weddings, simple weddings, grand event weddings, theme weddings, intimate weddings, courthouse weddings, but every single one of these weddings all share the moment when two partners look at each other and say “i do” and make that promise to spend a lifetime together.

That is after all what weddings are about, and Chantel and Tom’s wedding, small though it may have been was filled to the brim with the tears, the love and that moment of “i do” that makes a wedding what it is.

I was so honored to be chosen to be there, just because something isn’t big doesn’t mean it isn’t a big deal, love is love and these two blew me away with their love and the love of their beautiful family!

See for yourself!!

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Charlotte and Damien have a new Bean and she’s sweetness . Ann Arbor, Michigan. Newborn Session

Their new little sweetness is here and we got to celebrate with Mom, Dad, Big Brother and Grandma!! One of the things that makes a sibling session special is I try to play as much with the “old” kids as with the “new” ones. Getting a new brother or sister can be difficult for the first born (I had it happen 3 times so I know) and making sure they are JUST as much part of the session as the baby means that they feel GREAT and you get BETTER photos of everyone!!! thank you Charlotte and Damien for having me out to celebrate your second little!!!! Congratulations

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Maddy and Stephen’s Botanical Dancer Wedding . Ann Arbor, Michigan

Maddy and Stephen’s day was a juxtaposition of them and their family, beautifully combined with their friends and somehow, with so many friends and family, it seemed like Maddy and Stephen were able to participate AND enjoy their day. Their laid-back but organized organization made telling their story a dream. So much stands out from their day from Maddy coming down the aisle to the Tango Dancers who honored the couple with a dance. But what stands out to me the most was the couple stepping out for a moment at the end of the night. I followed and we did some images on the bridge and then as I left they were going to stay a bit longer and just “be” in the moment or love and happiness they were feeling. I love their photos, moments lived and experienced and their mindfulness to hold them all inside their hearts.

by melissa melissaTags: ann arbor, botanical, gandy dancer, matthai, wedding

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LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY CARD SESSIONS – EASY IN EASY OUT

MINI SESSION SPECIAL – Easy, quick, beautifully real and pain-free Holiday Mini Session. – In your home or some other favorite place (grandma’s, the library, target) The session will be done in an hour or less, and you’ll see the images within a week, the hardest part will be choosing the ten digital full resolution downloads included with the session for the equally pain free price of 350.00.

It’s November 8, all you have been thinking about for weeks are the mid-terms and getting a Thanksgiving menu planned. Now you realize you didn’t do family photos this year and you wanted to send out a holiday card but didn’t get a chance for pictures and you still want to do it but you don’t really have the time (or desire) to plan a big themed session, coordinate clothing and find a tree-farm that is perfectly picturesque.

That is OKAY. Not all holiday sessions have to have a snow-covered backdrop and kids in costumes making fake snowballs.

A mini session at home is maybe something just right for the whole family. Aimee asked me to come and take her holiday card photo at her house. The deal being the kids are teens and not into the family photo thing and Dad doesn’t like having to dress up and go somewhere to feel stuffy, but if he must he didn’t want it to take all day (and all day tree farm family holiday sessions are AMAZING and I LOVE them but they aren’t for everyone). Here are just a few of the images I loved from their session, lots of options, no pain, no fuss, all real genuine smiles. I LOVE THEM.