A couple months ago, I received a referral from a friend (Thanks Bethany!!!) to photograph a small wedding reception that occurred last week. When I say small, I’m talking about really small. Nice. Intimate. Non-intense. Just nice….

The event was at The Whitney Restaurant, a favorite old Detroit establishment and one of the oldest mansions in the city. The place is huge!  I have been to The Whitney before but mostly for events where I was not able to take in the venue and appreciate the architecture.

Last week, I did have that time before my clients arrived & I was in awe of how beautiful this  100+ year old building was.

But that’s not the story, my clients Jeff & Kim are the story….

When Jeff contacted me about the event I was looking forward to it because I had not experienced a winter wedding.

Jeff & Kim arrived at the Whitney after their civil ceremony with family & friends a little before the start of the event so that we could capture some photos. Time was of the essence because it was COLD & the sun was setting fast.

We did some traditional poses then transitioned into the venue where we completed a mix of formal and fun photographs with their guests.

This portion of the job was pretty fun and hectic. Fun because we were in the middle of the first floor where other events were taking place as other restaurant guests walked in. It was hectic because I had to move my clients around a fair amount to accommodate others. Then…. The lighting in the Whitney is BAD so I used my Nikon Speedlights in Strobist fashion to light my subjects.

Crazy trying to light subjects, move lights and reposition myself while working around restaurant goers & staff. Eventually, I was shut down by the host staff but I was able to get all of my shots accomplished.

By the time this was all over, I was a sweaty mess. I was working hard for the money. So hard for the money.

Jeff & Kim were super cool to work with, which is no surprise because I seem to get lucky that way.

While we made our way around the Whitney, I asked Jeff & Kim how they met. Kim gave a small laughed and told me that they met on Last.FM. AND she was in Toronto, while Jeff lived in the Detroit area. The rest is history.

I love how social media makes the world smaller & brings people together. Jeff & Kim are a good example of that.