Temple Israel Bar Mitzvah

Jordan is the oldest son of a family with all "J" first names. You know they are a fun family when they all have the same initials! Jordan's parents actually babysat for me when I was little (before they were married) so it was fun to be able to celebrate this special day with them. Jordan became a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield in a beautiful Havdallah service. This is my favorite type service, it marks the end of the sabbath with a cup of wine, the lighting a braided candle and smelling sweet spices. I was able to sneak a few photos during the Torah reading which I normally am not able to do. The service concluded and the party kicked into full swing in the Temple Israel social hall. Jamez from Cloud 9 was a great DJ as always and the cake was a work of art! Hopefully I'll get to celebrate with Jordan, Jodi, Jason, Jonah and Jessica again soon!

blushing

I just received the most sincere, complimentary review from Darren, a recent groom. Here's what he said:

"Brett is the perfect photographer! I can't think of anywhere that he should improve what he does. He was always so nice to work with and seemed like he was really happy to be shooting our wedding. Everyone liked him (some photographers can be annoying, cheesey, get in the way, or go hide and miss shots and not be friendly and happy). Our wedding photos are amazing!!!! I was truly surprised when I saw them. It was like Brett was at the perfect spot and got the perfect photo every time. He even captured my Grandfather and our other guests in a way that really captured their essence and makes it really fun to look at our wedding photos and see our guests being...well...being themselves. I was also really impressed because I looked at Brett's other work and saw that he had really listened to us and it felt like he changed his style to shoot our wedding in a different manner than others he has shot. (This is the sign of a master artist.) Our wedding photos are truly OUR WEDDING photos and not wedding photos that look like everyone elses wedding photos. He just did everything perfectly! Thanks so much Brett!"

I am always honored to capture the memories of a couples most important day and I strive to get reviews like this one from Darren. Thanks for the kind words Darren. I wish you and Sarah all the best!

Rachel & Michael

Michael and I have known each other since high school so it was great to get the call from him and his fiance Rachel to have me photograph their wedding. I have worked with both of them before while volunteering for Summer in The City, where they were usually covered in splotches of paint and dirt - it turns out they clean up pretty well!

The Colony Club was a great venue - another hidden gem in the heart of Detroit. It was only appropriate for two people who have been so committed to the city of Detroit to commit to each other in the city. The couple was engaged for only 5 months, but wanted to have the wedding before the bride's brother started his tour of duty with the Army. Despite the short engagement, all the details came together to create a beautiful day. They even had a sunny day in the middle of December!

Congrats to Rachel and Michael! I look forward to seeing them back in their painting clothes next summer!