Lauren and Blain's South Haven Destination Beach Wedding

South Haven is one of the prettiest coastal towns on the east side of Lake Michigan, and Lauren and Blain thought that the beach and town would be an amazing backdrop for their destination wedding! Simply put, the South Haven area did NOT disappoint as they were able to find a location for the reception which then helped them plan a beautiful, beach-side ceremony at Pilgrim Haven Beach. It was at Pilgrim Haven Beach that we got to meet Lauren and Blain in person for the first time.

If we could use one phrase to describe Lauren and Blain, that phrase would most definitely be: "Lauren and Blain care for others." We could easily see this the moment we met them as they brought their entire family along with them to look at the venue and the ceremony location months before the big day! Lauren and Blain truly wanted to make sure that anyone who came to celebrate with them would be able to enjoy the day just as much as the happy couple would! All throughout the day, we couldn't help but keep capturing moments when either Lauren or Blain were interacting with a different friend or family member, with each interaction showing the couple's love and thankfulness for their presence at the wedding. And yet, in addition to caring for everyone else, they still cared for each other the most. Some of our favorite moments were when we got to catch them alone, just enjoying the fact that it was finally their wedding day.

The Bangor Elevator Event Center did an incredible job not only preparing and hosting the reception, but also working with South Haven to figure out which beach would be the best for Lauren and Blain's wedding, especially on a crowded Labor Day weekend. The "mismatched" yet styled atmosphere gave the venue a charming yet eclectic feel as each guest had a unique setting for their place at the table. Although the Elevator is in the middle of downtown Bangor, its clever use of space made it easy for us to move around and capture all of the special "Getting Ready" and "First Look" moments; in addition to planning and setting up a one-of-a-kind beach area for the ceremony to take place!

"Lauren and Blain, you both are so full of joy and we have so loved getting to meet you and become friends with you! Your special day was such a reminder to us AND to everyone else that a wedding is not just a celebration of two people coming together, but a celebration of two lives coming together!"

- J&A

(All pictures are property of Josh and Andrea Photography, LLC)