Kathleen + Ben | Beautiful Church Wedding | Aquinas College | Grand Rapids, MI

How great would it be if life was simply "perfect"? Nothing ever goes wrong, everything goes according to plan, wouldn't that be amazing? And yet, if that were the case, we would never have the moments where we learn to depend on others. When plans change, or you get the phone call that you weren't expecting (or wanting), one of the sweetest mercies in this world is having someone to be with you through the hard times. This is precisely what makes Kathleen and Ben's story so special to us, because in a way, we see our story in theirs!

Kathleen and Ben's dreams for their wedding day came in the concept of a beautiful church wedding, followed by a special location for their portraits and ending with a country club reception. However, sometimes Michigan in October doesn't like to go along with the plan, and during the ceremony, a "partly cloudy" day quickly transformed into a rainstorm. For most, this would put a huge damper on the joy and excitement on their wedding day, but Kathleen and Ben are not your average couple. Instead of letting the change in weather ruin their day, they quickly pivoted and were able to spend more time celebrating with their friends while they waited for the downpour to stop.

If you spend more than a few minutes around Kathleen and Ben, you will quickly learn that their faith is incredibly important to them, so having their ceremony in a beautiful Catholic Church fit them perfectly. Instead of having a majority of their portraits at the church, Kathleen and Ben had asked from day one about having their portraits taken at Aquinas College, and we are so glad they did! The beautiful campus gave us the perfect locations to snag that perfect light while having everything close enough that as soon as the rain stopped, we were able to quickly roll through as many photos as possible; yet another reason why we are so thankful we got to spend the engagement shoot with them earlier this year! We then joined the bridal party as they entered the gorgeous ballroom at Thousand Oaks Country Club where Kathleen and Ben, along with their friends and family, danced the night away!

Kathleen and Ben, out of all the beautiful moments on your wedding day, the moment that stands out the most is when your Dad shared during his toast about how you two serve and care for each other so well. You both have already faced things in your life that others your age will probably never have to face, and yet because of those challenges, you both are stronger for it. And now, you two get to address these challenges head on...as husband and wife...and that is a simply beautiful thing. All our best!

J + A

Kathleen's grandmothers' wedding dresses were lovingly sewn into the forms of a handkerchief and small handbag as sweet memories to be held during Kathleen and Ben's wedding day.

It was so clear to see the love these three sisters had for their oldest sister, Kathleen.