BJ & Allie // Grand Rapids Wedding Photographer

This job keeps me afloat sometimes. If you follow me on Facebook, it's no secret that we've had a few rough years but it was all finally coming together this summer. We figured out all of the health issues for the most part, finally decided to move back to Michigan for good so I could be close to my family and the first house we went to go look at was our dream house. It was a short sale and it fell through. It came back on the market sooner than anyone anticipated so we jumped on it again. We were 3 days from closing when we got the news that they discovered half of the house was sitting on the wrong lot.

This wedding was the day after we found that out. The next wedding I'll be posting was the day I got the email saying everything fell through, they killed the deal and took the house off the market. There's no way to really explain how bad that hurt losing that place. It wasn't just a house, it was everything I imagined for my life. I'm home most of the time so where I live in a large part of my world. Saturday's were the only thing I looked forward to at that point.

I bring this story up because people have a great power over us, even people we don't know. Weddings give us the great opportunity to connect to people easily. This family and their friends were so happy and so kind that I was overwhelmed all day long. The weather turned out awesome and Allie's mom did an incredible job on all the details and was just the sweetest woman. I was in the midst of their joy and it's impossible not to be happy alongside them. Smiling and laughing all day with truly wonderful people does wonders on someone feeling broken inside. Being a beautiful person on the inside matters so much in ways you may never realize. It impacts people around you that you don't even really know.

I'm so grateful to have been there to witness an amazing couple and their families and friends all joining in to celebrate them. It was such an excellent reminder of what's important in life. As much as my heart is still broken over the idea of my life that I built up for that beautiful home, it's family and being married to someone that you adore that is important. Those things are so much greater and this wedding was a wonderful reminder of that for me.

I don't remember what was going on here, but I enjoy pretty much everything about these expressions, haha!

Let's take a moment to pause and applaud Allie's mom, Kathy, for the amazing job on all these details. Everything was perfect for a backyard wedding and it's amazing she goto t all done in just a few months. Not to mention, she is a joy of a human. From the first phone call with her about the wedding I knew it would be great since she was so nice and spunky. :)

These heaters were a brilliant idea. All of the women (including me) swarmed to them for warmth like moths to a flame. This woman in particular was lovely to chat with and was smart enough to bring leggings. I was very jealous!

What a perfect way to end the night. Michigan is so great sometimes. :)

Jake & Waylon // Muskegon Family Photographer

This is Jake and Waylon and they just turned one! I've shot plenty of one year olds, but may have underestimated two. Their mom deserves about a thousand awards a day to keep up with these two all day long. Just in the short time I spent with them during the session my head was spinning a little trying to keep up with them! So often I wish I had a photo from their perspective though. It's me in the middle surrounded by all their loved ones with toys, happy faces and dancing around to entertain them. The wonderfully embarrassing things parents and grandparents do for the little babies they love. :)

Haha! This one cracks me up. The different moods and personalities of these two is hilarious.

And lastly, this super serious one. He means business!!

Erica & Andy // Traverse City Wedding Photographer

The saying "happy wife, happy life" came to mind when I sat down to write this blog and I think Andy has a pretty happy life ahead of him. Erica is just a happy, kind human being and I think those are the best kinds of humans. Andy complemented her personality so well and it was such an amazing day to be a part of.  Years ago, Ryan and I shot Mary's (her little sister) senior pictures and it makes me feel super old to see Mary all grown up. I also want to publicly call dibs on shooting Mary's wedding right now because she is a hilarious delight of a person. The fact that both girls are so sweet is no surprise, they come from such a great family.

This was the first time I've shot at the Traverse City Yacht Club and it was just breathtaking. The view from the back lawn was incredible and I had a hard time believing it was real.

This picture cracks me up every time I look at it. Mary had to walk away because her happy tears were gonna mess up her makeup. If I'm remembering correctly, I'm pretty sure she said "I can't even look at you!" which I find hilarious haha

I love informal photo with parents. I feel like there is so much more life and authenticity to them over the standard look at the camera and smile ones. I do the regular ones, of course, but these are always my favorites.

I am always noticing teeth now since I've had an insane amount of dental work done this past year so I was complimenting Erica's amazing teeth and apparently she JUST got her braces off like a couple weeks before the wedding. What a great surprise and they obviously did a great job because her smile is incredible!

There is always one image during a bride and groom session that just takes my breath away and this is it. It's the shining glory of the portraits for their wedding if you ask me. I kept screaming the word whimsical at them uncontrollably, hahaha

This Guy! Haha there is always one groomsmen who gets the most attention and he's the one. Typically, "that guy" ends up being a jerk by the end of the night when he's wasted but that was not the case here. This guy was just funny and free spirited which is a great combination. Unfortunately, he got his suit a little dirty but how is it possible to resist picking up that big chain? Totally worth it if you ask me :)

I'm gonna say it, I think this is one of my top 10 favorite bridal portraits in my portfolio.

Mary's speech might be in my top 10 of best bridesmaids speeches ever. She is so blunt, honest and funny but still very sweet. It was great!

And then we ended the night with this band! They were great and I so very much enjoyed all the crazy lights outside. The whole evening had such a great vibe to it.

As I was getting ready to take off for the night and saying my goodbyes, I realized I only took simple ring shots and nothing glitzy! Erica loves all my sparkly shots so thank goodness I remembered! It would be a travesty to have me shoot your wedding and not get a glittery ring shot.

It was an absolute joy to photograph such lovely, joyful people. Every wedding I shoot fills me up and I live on those great memories until next wedding season comes around again. Outside of my family and Duma, there is nothing more I love about my life than photographing truly happy people.

Jayde & Andrew // South Haven Engagement Photographer

You know what I love? I love people who enjoy each other. Five minutes into the session, they had each other laughing and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the evening. After almost 10 years together, still being able to make each other laugh with such ease is a wonderful thing. I think laughing together makes us closer as humans and also puts people at ease which is why I love it so much. All of these smiles are real in these photos and the way they look at each other isn't something we could manufacture. Simply by being themselves and finding comfort and joy in one another allowed us to just do what we do and it was a super great experience for us as well. This did not feel like work, thats for sure.

So..funny story. As this peaceful, sorta private, beautiful image was happening on this hill, down on the main part of the beach someone was taking photos of a few boys for their senior photos. No big deal, right? Well...they were all belly flopping in the sand. My question is #1, why would anyone want to belly flop into sand? (ouch!) and #2, Why take photos of sand flops? Well, that distraction was funny and weird to watch, but still not enough to break their focus because THIS happened! AHHH it's one of my many favorites! It feels sneaky, and I like sneaky.

I hope everyone really enjoys the shot below because I got a stick literally stuck in my butt in the process of taking this photo. Those pretty little grass things look nice but they are sharp and out to kill.

I was sorta bummed when the sun went away and this HUGE cloud rolled in right at the beginning of the session because I was worried we wouldn't have a cool sky for sunset photos on the beach. Lucky us because this stormy sunset cloud is awesome.

We all know how much I love shooting jewelry and stacked engagement rings is a first for me and I LOVE THIS IDEA. She told me she gets 2 more at the wedding as well. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Jayde has such awesome taste. Everything she wore was amazing and I wish I had it all. It was eclectic, layered, cute but sophisticated which I think is perfect. Then she tells me about the stacked rings and I was just thrilled.

We had such a lovely time working with these two and it's the best part of my week to work on photos for people like this. Seriously, it's what I look forward to most in my life. It's always such a rush to get the shots and then when we cull it down to the best ones, looking at the full set of two people so happy together is just what it's all about and it's an honor to be a part of it.

// BONUS FUN THINGS! //

We recently upgraded our iPhones and Ryan can't get enough of the slow motion capabilities and the new hyperlapse app. These would be better if I did something cool with them or had more clips so I could string them together, but oh well, maybe I'll do things like that in the future. I'm always just too focused on taking photos and don't make time for stuff like this usually but Ryan's on top of it! :)

Jordynn & Patrick // Petoskey Wedding Photographer

Well gosh, where do I even start. Jordynn is a spunky ball of energy covered in tulle and sparkles and Patrick... well... isn't so sparkly, but has exceptionally great hair and an awesome laid back personality. It seems that most spunky and chatty girls end up with laid back guys. I only take notice because, as we all know, I'm one of those girls as well. I suspect there just needs to be a talker and there needs to be a listener, so it all sorta just balances out.

From our first meeting, Jordynn's laugh was so memorable and it's always fun to have clients that are just as loud as excitable as I am. Typically, I'm the only one squealing with delight over photos all day so it was great to work with someone with just as much energy joining in on the squeals of joy.

I have to also mention all the pretty things. Her dress is that out of a fairytale but better and more sparkly, her stunning Christian Louboutin shoes and a ring that is just to die for were the highlights for me but the venue was also the perfect environment. The water up in Petoskey was a stunning shade of blue and the Inn and Bay Harbor couldn't have been more amazing. The whole atmosphere up north in general is always incredible and feels like a whole different world than down here in Muskegon.

It was a beautiful day at a beautiful location with beautiful things and beautiful people. I'd say that makes for a pretty great day :) We hope you all love the photos as much as we do!!

I can't even handle these twirling photos. When I first saw her dress, I gasped our of sheer joy because I knew right away this was going to be something special when twirled. Now, my own wedding dress holds the top twirling photos since I sorta bought it with twirling in mind, but I'm gonna go ahead and say these are right up there with my own and that is saying a lot. The middle one here where she looks like she is a tornado... I just can't even handle it!! Also, the fact that she did all this twirling in those magnificent heels is an accomplishment all on it's own.

Joe & Kellie // Grand Rapids Wedding Photographer

Working on this wedding has been the highlight of my days recently. Every time I sat down to edit, I just couldn't help but smile at all great images, funny moments and the way that Joe and Kellie look at each other. It should always be easy to tell when people are in love. If it's forced, it seems fake and pictures always seem to show whats authentic and what isn't and that is exactly what I love so much about this wedding. They balance each other out so well and are a perfect fit.

Every detail of the day felt put together but also sort of effortless which is a great combination.

I hung over the edge of the balcony about 14 floors up to get this shot. That wasn't scary at all...

I think this might be my favorite photo of someone taking selfies. It makes me laugh every time I look at it!

It's not a wedding without a collage of people dancing and pointing.

And then everyone danced until they dropped.

It was such an awesome day and I would happily do it all over again if I could! It was a complete joy to work with such lovely people and we hope you all loves the images as much as Ryan and I do. :)

*If your looking for an amazing reception venue in Grand Rapids - The Ballroom at McKay Tower is amazing and one of our favorites! *If you want to see more of these lovely folks, you can head over here to see their Engagement Photos.

The Gruss Family // Muskegon Family Photographer

We absolutely adore the Gruss family. We shot Jon & Elisa's wedding about 6 years ago and now they have 3 little humans! They were here in Muskegon vacationing at Maranatha and we were so happy to hear from them and do a family session! They are just the most kind, down to earth people and we enjoyed this session probably just as much, if not more, than they did. :) We shot out at Hoffmaster state park which is one of my favorite places in Muskegon and I'm so happy with how these turned out. Well I have to make a comment on this one, her face is hilarious! I have no idea what she is so horrified over but I feel like this is a truly priceless moment. :)

Stan & MeeLay // Battle Creek Wedding Photographer

Stan and Meelay were a joy to shoot. They were super laid back but did such a great job planning everything out. Their reception was at one of my favorite venues in Battle Creek, The McCamly Plaza and although I didn't understand most of what was said all day, It is interesting how body language is universal. They are from Burma as well as most of the guests so the entire ceremony and reception were all in Burmese. Shooting weddings that are from different cultures is one of my favorite things to do these days. It's always great to see how people do things differently.

These girls had such great style when it came to shoes. So many sparkles!

Meelay was such a natural. She was quiet, elegant and giggly which I think is the perfect combination of character traits.

I think this photo sums up Stan pretty well. From our first meeting, this seemed to be what his face is always like, happy and smiling.

Going with the flow is a pretty big deal when it comes to weddings. Right as we were about to leave, the limo overheated and started bleeding green. We just went on a nice long walk for the portraits instead and they eventually found a replacement and picked us up. The great part about it is that nobody missed a beat and everything kept moving forward and we got to take all of the following adorable, fun photos.

THIS GUY. There is always one groomsmen who is trouble...and he was my favorite haha :)

If you follow my work at all, you know I'm crazy for twirling. So upon Meelay's first twirl, the photos were magical. She knew how to get that dress flying and I just love it! I always feel like at least one of the twirling shots always looks like this image I have in my head of some fairytale where a girl is late for a ball or something and she is running down grand steps and her dress is flying through the air. I think that is the image I try to re-create at every wedding.

I ADORE how much these girls giggled together. Seriously, this is everything that I hope to accomplish when shooting weddings. 

OH MY STARS... I love this photo. Talk about perfect timing. haha! Also, the one below it I think is specifically funny but merits explanation as this was an alcohol free reception :) The kids at this wedding were so adorable, I can't even handle it.

Let me take a moment to talk about their reception. The way they kicked off dancing was with this big montage of the best parts of all the best songs to dance to. It got the party started so quickly and everyone just had a blast. I think it was such a great idea and it added another element of fun to the dancing because people kept getting surprised with every switch of songs. I also loved the lights they had set up as well since it helps give so much movement and energy to the room.

I don't know whose idea this was, but I thank you because I love these limbo photos. :)

It was a joy to photograph you guys and also a big thanks to Amber Brooks for second shooting with me! It was a great day full of great people and I loved every moment of it! :)

Hannah // Senior Photos

Well, we feel pretty old right about now and cannot believe Hannah is already a senior. I remember meeting her 6 years ago when I first met Ryan and she was just a little kid. Time is going by too fast and I really need it to slow down ASAP.

So... funny story of how I came to meet the Buren family... Steve (hannah's older brother) is one of Ryan's best friends and Ryan, Steve and his dad were all going to a baseball game in Detroit and Ryan invited me along. We had been talking for a little while through email but had never met in person. So that was the first time we ever met, in a minivan on the drive to Detroit, with two other guys I never met. Pretty much the whole drive there, I talked only to Steve and his dad as the whole Buren family is much more outgoing than Ryan is.  11 months later Ryan and I were married. :)

We have been friends with their family for a while and we were obviously very excited to shoot Hannah's senior pictures. She has grown up to be such a kind, bubbly, free spirited girl and we had a great time during her session.  Enjoy the photos!

Maternity to 1 Year // The Fiddler Family

Full Album Slideshow: http://www.gauperphoto.com/slideshows

It's hard to believe this day is here. I started this project back in 2011 and since I did it as a gift, it kept getting pushed to the bottom of my list since I had other paid work to handle first. This winter, I worked for an entire week to get it all finished and I'm so incredibly proud of this book. It might be the project I am most proud of in my career so far. I am getting an actual physical sample of the book printed but have not ordered it yet and well, I got impatient and wanted to share it now. :)

We shot Hope and Evan's wedding in 2010 and the following year, they were pregnant. So we started on this journey photographing them at every milestone. Maternity, Newborn, 3 months, 7 months and a year. It's so cool to see them grow as a family and to see what new thing's Renn has learned since our last session. Their newborn photos were taken around their first apartment and his 3 month were at their first home which is where he will grow up. Having photos taken in a place that is personal to you has a lot of value which is why I love in home sessions. Your surrounded by all of your things that are important to you and in a place that feels comfortable. It's really the perfect setting.

We also ventured out to the park and such as he got older and enjoyed those sorts of things, but it's still another place that is natural and fun.

I wish I was a good at sales and could say all kinds of magical sales person words that make people feel things and want to invest in them but...for anyone who knows me, I am not that person. I just spew out words. All I can say is how highly I value this work and how much I hope other people want to have a book like this as well because I would love to continue doing this.

Also, Hope and Evan and pregnant with another boy! I hope this book will be a great memory for their family of when their family was just the three of them, getting their first house and figuring out parenthood.

Full Album Slideshow: http://www.gauperphoto.com/slideshows

Joe & Kellie // Engaged

Meet Joe and Kellie...and Zoey. From when we first met them at our meeting months ago, we knew right away they would be a great fit for the kind of work we do. So I've been really excited about doing their engagement photos for a while. It's not only super fun to do portraits with Ryan again, but these two were just so easy to shoot because they are happy together.  It's really that simple. Happy people just photograph wonderfully and it has nothing to do with outward appearance. Thats typically just a bonus.

I also realized on this shoot how much I love photographing movement. I think if your not winded by the end of the session, I haven't done my job good enough, haha! There was a lot of skipping, running and spinning happening and it was great. I think it gets a good energy going and creates a fun atmosphere which calms nerves and creates more genuine happiness.

I'm beyond excited for their wedding but for now, enjoy all the laughter and happiness from these two :)

Brody // Fuller Family Newborn

I love when past wedding clients have babies. It's and incredible thing to be a part of 2 really important events in their life. What's even more interesting is to see how they have changed and settled into married life together. Because of a new baby, there is still a sense of newness but it's great to see their family grow from just the two of them to three.

You might remember Kelli and Jeremy's wedding from a couple years ago. If not, you can check out those images here >> Kelli & Jeremy's South Haven Wedding

Little Brody is so tiny and laid back. He was surprisingly awake for most of the session which is uncommon but we welcomed open eyes wondering what all these crazy new blobs were. There's a lot going on so I guess he just didn't want to miss out on anything! He was 3 weeks EARLY so maybe that has something to do with it. The fact that he could have still been in the womb for 3 more weeks blows my mind.

Jeremy built this bench that is in Brody's room and I love that we were able to get such great shots on it. It overlooks the lake that they live on and it's the most peaceful spot. This is why I really love shooting inside people's homes. This stuff is personal to them and and it's things he will grow up with. I know for me, that has more value than locations or backgrounds and props that just look good and don't really mean anything to me.

Oh my

Oh my stars...he looks so tiny here! I love doing crib shots because they grow so quickly and it's a great way for parents to reference back to when they were this little.

Let's talk about the reality of the first week of having a newborn. Everyone is tired...all the time. Everyone was really on board when I brought up this idea and I'm almost certain they all actually fell asleep while I was shooting these photos.

His nursery is huge so it doubles as a guest bedroom and I bet you'd never guess that these guys love the water :)

After we were done, they put him back in his happy place. I can't blame him, these little seats look so comfy, I wish  had one in my size. This was probably the most exhausting day of his life since the effort he put in to be born so he deserves a nice long nap. Actually, everyone deserved a nap :) I hope you all love the photos!

Oh, and I thought I would include this because it's funny. Ryan will probably sigh at me when he sees it hahaha but SOMEONE has to show examples of poses and Ryan just does such a great job. :)

The GAUPERS are Back!

It is our 6 year wedding anniversary this weekend and it felt like the right time to start fresh on this new blog. Our very first post on our original blog was the story of our engagement so this felt right.

Let’s have some story time to catch you up.

So why a new blog? First, the domain for our original blog wasn’t meant to be our professional blog. Our original intention for it was for our photography work traveling but then things just unraveled differently. 

Second, Our work has grown a lot over the past 6 years and we’ve been through a lot so a fresh start feels right. Our work is much more consistent now and since we are essentially starting over, why not clean the slate?

Ryan and I started this business in 2008 when we got married and we started it out of a mutual love for each other, photography, people and creating things. Over the years, we have hit some rough patches. I got quite sick, Ryan struggled with how to deal with his ADD and side effects from medication, we moved way too many times and have just been searching for the right path to take in life.

Along the way, we took other jobs, almost lost each other and learned a lot about how we didn’t want to live our lives. That journey gave us exactly what we needed in deciding on a path. It’s funny how you sometimes have to know what you don’t want to do in order to figure out what you do want to do.

We simply want to go back to doing something that we love, in a way that we love and the rest will sort itself out. When it becomes more about business and money and less about heart and photography it’s no longer enjoyable and the work loses it’s spark. There is a way to balance it all and it starts by following my gut and doing what feels right.

Simply put, if our goal is to create authentic, beautiful photos then we believe very strongly that we need to live an authentic, beautiful life because our life feeds into our work. There is a great amount of trust between client and photographer necessary to create beautiful work and by being relentlessly authentic, it creates space to be comfortable. Ryan and I have always been the type of people that move through the world differently and by committing to making that work for us is the new path we will be taking.

For those of you wondering where we live now since we’ve moved 9 times in 6 years...we live in Muskegon Michigan. We are currently looking for a house to buy around here and will be settling down and hopefully having some baby Gauper’s in the next few years. Ryan’s figured out how to naturally deal with his ADD, I’ve figured out all the foods that make me sick and crazy and we are excited about moving forward in a new, much more simple life together. All we really need is each other, a house and many, many cats. Sometimes simple really is the best way.

So I hope you enjoy taking this new, brighter journey with us.

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NOTE: if your looking for any work we have done from 2008-2013, our original blog is still up and will remain live. It is at www.mudeyes.com I will be posting some of my very favorite past work on this blog along the way as well.

Also, I realize how pathetic it is to have a photo of us on here that is taken with our iphone haha! We just were not able to have our photos taken last year because of a bajillion dollars of dental work that came out of nowhere. So an iphone photo is better than nothing...but we will be having professional photos taken this year for sure. :)