Abby + Brian | Snowy Winter Wedding | R&R Weddings and Events | Kalamazoo, MI

Although the dance floor had just opened up only a few minutes earlier, not a single guest was looking towards the lights and the music. Instead, every eye in the room was turned to one of the back corners of the room, where the train had started to gain momentum. It had started with just a few, but as the songs continued, it grew as more and more came to join in the huge train that began to wrap around the venue. However, the train itself wasn't what had caused the guests to stop in their tracks to watch. It was who made up the train: kids. Kids from at least four different grades who had all come together to celebrate one of their favorite people and her wedding to her favorite person. As the train rounded the last corner, we could clearly see Abby and Brian leading the train from the front, laughing and looking back at these kids who were the perfect representation of how loved these two are!

If you were able to make it outside last Saturday, then you know that "warm" and "balmy" are not the first two words that probably jumped to your mind. However, this isn't the first time that Abby and Brian have experienced some chilly weather for photos! Our running joke of the day was "Engagement photos in December and wedding photos in January...let's just plan that the next time we do photos with you two, it's in July, ok?" In spite of the cold, Abby and Brian, along with their incredible bridal party, somehow made the entire day seem fun and joyful, even when they had to stand outside for their stunning snowy photos!

It was very important to Abby and Brian to honor their families by coming together for their ceremony a Catholic Church, which allowed for a perfect "flow of the day." While most of the day was spent inside with the cozy heat, even our transportation was able to keep the heaters blasting from location to location so that everyone could get the largest amount of warm-up breaks as possible. The parks between the ceremony and reception gave the perfect backdrop for Abby and Brian's outdoor portraits, while R&R Weddings and Events already had their venue perfectly prepared to start the reception when the bridal party showed up! The rest of the evening was filled with some of our favorite moments from the entire day, including the student train around the room and Brian telling the DJ to "play the whole 6 minutes" when it came time to have his dance with his mom!

Abby and Brian, there is such a depth to you two and we feel like we have only scratched the surface of getting to know both of you! Throughout the day, whether it was Abby's students or Brian's groomsmen, we could so evidently see the loving community that you two have around you. We know that life is changing with your move, but we also know that it is because of who YOU are that you were able to create those relationships. Simply put, you two had such a beautiful community here; we know that you are going to create even more beautiful community in your new home! We can't wait to see you two flourish!

All our best!

J + A