When you’re planning your wedding, choosing the right photographer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. After all, your wedding day will fly by—but your photos will last forever. As an experienced wedding photography team based in West Michigan, we’ve captured hundreds of weddings over the years, and we bring more than just cameras to the table.

Experience You Can Trust

From stormy skies to beachside sunshine, dark chapels to golden hour portraits, we’ve photographed in every lighting situation imaginable. We know how to handle unpredictable moments with confidence and creativity. With over 15 years of hands-on experience, we’ve become experts in navigating timelines, managing group shots, and adjusting to real-time changes on the wedding day.

We’ve never missed a wedding—and that includes during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. When weddings were rescheduled or split across dates, we worked together as a team to make sure every couple was fully supported and documented.

A Passionate and Skilled Team

We’re not just photographers—we’re storytellers who care deeply about each couple we work with.

    •    Jessica, who has a degree in photography, has been with us since 2019. She brings technical expertise and creative composition to every shot.

  •    Marie has been photographing weddings alongside Jamie for 15 years. Her ability to anticipate moments and connect with couples is unmatched.

• Jamie is the owner and has been photographing for 16 years with an art degree from GVSU.  

Together, we bring warmth, professionalism, and reliability to every wedding day.

Calm, Caring, and Confident

We understand that wedding days can come with a mix of emotions, unexpected moments, and lots of moving parts. Our team is easygoing, calm under pressure, and always ready to lend a hand when needed. We blend into the background to capture genuine emotion, but when it’s time for group portraits or couple shots, we know how to gently direct and lead with clarity and ease.

Quality, Reliability, and Respect

We only use professional-grade gear to ensure your images are sharp, vibrant, and timeless. We back up your wedding photos to protect your memories from start to finish.

Our mission is simple: to bless the couples we serve, and to enjoy your day alongside you—not as strangers with cameras, but as trusted teammates and storytellers.

Let’s Make Your Wedding Unforgettable

If you’re looking for a reliable, experienced, and caring wedding photographer in West Michigan, we’d love to be a part of your special day. Let’s create beautiful memories together.

📩 Contact us today 616-402-5111 or jamie@jamiemay.com  to check availability and tell us about your vision.

Need help planning a wedding?  Read some of our blog post – The Process of Planning a Wedding

For another article about Jamie May Photography, click here

The post Why You Should Choose Us as Your Wedding Photographers appeared first on Jamie May Photography.

Engagement Session at the beach with Jamie May Photography

There’s something magical about beach engagement sessions—especially when they take place at the beautiful Grand Haven State Park. I recently had the pleasure of photographing a sweet couple during a gorgeous evening session, and it couldn’t have been more fun.

As someone who specializes in beach photography and has over 15 years of experience, I know that the beach can be both stunning and challenging. The sun plays a huge role in creating beautiful lighting, but it can also be tricky if you’re not experienced in how to position people correctly. Add in the wind, shifting sands, and background distractions (like other beachgoers!), and you’ve got a unique environment that requires a skilled approach. That’s where my expertise comes in—I know how to navigate these challenges to create timeless, natural images.

This couple came prepared with a few creative ideas of their own, and I loved it! It’s always fun to collaborate and explore different concepts together. When couples take an interest in their session and bring their own inspiration, it makes the experience that much more personal and meaningful. .

Why I Love Engagement Sessions

Engagement sessions are one of my favorite parts of the wedding photography journey. They offer a relaxed environment where we can get to know each other before the big day. It’s a great way to break the ice, learn how you interact as a couple on camera, and get comfortable with how I work. Honestly, it’s like a fun date—you might even end up looking at each other more during your session than you have all week!

If you’re planning a beach engagement session, here are a few quick tips:

•    Choose the right time of day: While golden hour (just before sunset) is always a favorite for its soft, flattering light, it’s not the only option. Over the years, I’ve learned how to work with different lighting conditions to create beautiful results. I have a few other tried-and-true times of day that work wonderfully for beach sessions—so we’re not always sandwiched into that one popular time slot. Flexibility can actually lead to more unique and personalized photos.

•    Keep outfits simple and beach-friendly: Think flowing fabrics, soft colors, and comfortable footwear (or bare feet!).

•    Embrace the elements: A little wind, movement, or sand adds life and authenticity to your photos—don’t be afraid to go with the flow.

If you are getting married checkout this  blog

To learn more about Grand Haven or getting married in Grand Haven: check out this link

The post Engagement Session at The Beach appeared first on Jamie May Photography.

When I reflect on one of my favorite weddings to photograph, the role flowers played stands out—not just in their beauty, but in the connections they helped create. As both the mother of the bride and the photographer, capturing the day’s essence felt deeply personal. Flowers became more than decorations; they told a story of collaboration, creativity, and love. The journey of selecting the perfect blooms taught me so much about how relationships can elevate both my photography business and the art of storytelling.

Exploring Floral Options

Flowers are magical—not just decorative but capable of setting the tone and telling a story of their own. Our search began at Horrocks, a well-known flower shop with an impressive selection. I first learned about their wedding services while photographing another event and was impressed by their offerings. They only take on two weddings per month, so it’s crucial to book early with a $50 deposit. They also offer loose-cut flowers for a DIY approach, an option we initially considered. However, as we weighed the logistics, we realized another direction would suit us better. This experience underscored how important early planning is, whether you’re booking flowers or photography.

Next, we visited Grand Haven Garden House, a delightful option with a creative twist: a DIY floral experience. They allow you to rent their space mid-week to host a floral party, where they guide you in creating your own arrangements. They even offer storage, delivery, and setup services for an added fee. It’s perfect for families who want to add a personal touch to their wedding day. While we loved this idea, my daughter was finishing nursing school and needed something less hands-on. Grand Haven Garden House also provides full floral design services, offering flexibility for every type of couple.

Choosing Wasserman’s Floral with Skeeter

Ultimately, we chose Skeeter from Wasserman’s Floral, a decision that proved perfect. Skeeter and I share a long-standing relationship, and his unmatched talent made him the obvious choice. Initially, I was concerned about budget, but his quote turned out to be surprisingly affordable. His professionalism, combined with the trust we’d built over the years, made the process seamless. As a photographer, I’ve learned that strong vendor relationships lead to better outcomes, and Skeeter reinforced the importance of collaboration.

Adding Personal Touches

While Skeeter handled the main arrangements, we wanted to add personal touches and extra flowers without exceeding our budget. Early Thursday morning, we stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up fresh eucalyptus and filler flowers for vases scattered throughout the venue. Despite being purchased days before, these flowers stayed vibrant through Saturday’s wedding, adding a natural, elegant touch.

My mistress of ceremony, who also has a green thumb, and I also harvested colorful zinnias from our garden, adding cheerful pops of color that reflected the joy of the day. Collecting vases became an exciting adventure. We discovered unique pieces at Goodwill, ordered mini vases from Amazon, and borrowed others from generous friends. These thoughtful, budget-friendly details not only brought charm to the event but also created cherished memories. It reminded me that creativity and resourcefulness often result in the most meaningful moments—and stunning photographs.e

Building Relationships Through Shared Creativity

What struck me most during this process was how flowers brought people together. From collaborating with Skeeter to laughing with the Grand Haven team to arranging blooms with loved ones, every step added meaning to the celebration. As a photographer, I treasure these behind-the-scenes connections, as they bring depth to my work. Weddings, after all, are about relationships—not just between the couple, but among everyone who helps make the day extraordinary.

Final Thoughts

This experience with flowers reminded me that photography is about more than capturing moments—it’s about understanding the love and care behind every detail. From the delicate petals of a bouquet to the laughter of those who arranged them, every element contributes to something truly unforgettable.

For couples, I encourage you to savor the process and the memories you create along the way. For photographers, dive into the stories behind the scenes. Together, we can create not only beautiful events but lasting relationships that bloom far beyond the wedding day.

Click on Part 1 and Part 2 of the Wedding Planning process to view my other blog post.

The post The Process of Planning a Michigan Wedding Part 3: The Flowers appeared first on Jamie May Photography.

Wedding Advice from 2023 West Michigan Brides

Venues you liked or went with

1. Trillium Events in SL
2. Millcreek Wilde
3. Reception Venue: Clearwater Place Rehearsal Dinner and Bridal Shower: Paddock Place
4. The High Five GR
5. The Atrium downtown GR

Budget

1. $15,000-$20,000
2. $25,000-$30,000
3. $35,000-$40,000
4. $35,000-$40,000
5. $15,000-$20,000

Did you do a first look and are you happy you did or didn’t

1. No, we didn’t and I’m glad we didn’t. I had a first look with my dad and it was very sweet.
2. Yes, we loved it
3. Yes, we loved it
4. Yes, we loved it
5. Yes, we loved it

Would you change anything about your timeline?

1. No. We left time in. Got through what we needed. And had a blast.
2. I would ask for the bridal party & parents to arrive a little earlier than I had thought. A few were late, which led to rushing through the setup process and not allowing us enough time to eat a quick lunch before we got dressed. Bottom line, plan for more time than you think you need!!
3. Nothing! It was perfect. We planned it for months and ran it by our ceremony venue, reception venue, day of coordinator, and Jamie May, our photographer 🙂 We had a lot of input to help ensure everything went well!
4. Yes, would’ve started hair and makeup a bit later
5. No, it flowed perfectly

Did you hire your flowers or do them yourself? Any tips or websites to share?

1. Spring Lake Floral
2. Hired out. Inspiration photos are huge for your florist to see so they know your vision. We did this and our flowers could not have been any more perfect.
3. Hire! We loved working with Eastern Floral. Rachel was fantastic to work with!
4. Hired flowers – used Eastern Floral
5. Hired – Quinn Supply Co did a wonderful job

Where did you buy your dress?

1. A little store in Muskegon that is now closed.
2. Adore Bridal (Morton, IL)
3. Becker’s Bridal in Fowler, MI! It was an amazing experience. My mom and mother in law got their dresses from Becker’s Outlet in East Lansing!
4. Honey Bridal in Chicago
5. Magnolia Bridal in Jenison

Where do you buy bridesmaids dresses?

1. David’s Bridal. With bridesmaids all spread out, even in other states, it was easiest this way
2. Bill Levkoff
3. Revelry! It was perfect.
4. Birdy Grey
5. Davids Bridal

Decorations do or don’ts

1. N/A
2. Yes, but minimal decor. Our venue was already so beautiful. The florist handled all our table decor. We brought the seating chart cards, bar sign, dessert sign, dessert platters, and a few framed photos.
3. Plan early and work with your venue to understand the space you have to decorate! Decorations can be simple if you have floral.
4. Less is more, stay classic and timeless, candles make everything better
5. Do have a few as possible and DIY it!

Organization tips?

1. Have a detailed schedule. Some people made fun of me for it but my wedding ran off without a hitch.
2. Make a checklist of things that need to be completed each month leading up to your wedding, including payment deadlines. This helped us stay organized the whole time, which was huge since we planned everything.
3. Plan early! We were relaxed the month before the wedding because we had consistently been in touch with vendors and kept them updated, stayed up to date with due dates, and had continuously worked out our timeline until we felt ready. Make an excel sheet of vendors and contacts.
4. Spreadsheets galore
5. Printed timelines and instructions for the venue

Printers for printing pictures or albums

1. Made a small one for parents from Shutterfly.
2. We used Walgreens for framed photos & Mixbook for our guestbook. Our guestbook had photos from our engagement session in it.
3. N/A
4. Artifact Uprising for albums, Shutterfly for pictures
5. Artifact Uprising for albums

Best advice?

1. No matter what happens on the day, looking back everything will be perfect and such a wonderful day full of memories! We had a ice cream cart which wasn’t too expensive, was a hit with the guests and we got a lot of left over ice cream!
2. Enjoy your day. Soak in as much as you can. It goes by SO quick.
3. Don’t stress!
4. Live in the moment and forget all the drama a wedding brings
5. Do what you want and don’t try to impress anyone.

Gifts for Bridesmaids / Groomsman Ideas

1. Personalized mugs for groomsmen, jewelry for bridesmaids
2. Getting ready robe, earrings to wear on wedding day, and all meals.
3. I gave custom jewelry and jewelry boxes for my girls. I also did hand written notes! Groomsmen received custom koozies, cups, and ties.
4. Bridesmaids: Earrings, getting ready PJs and slippers, Groomsman: ties and favorite nfl team socks
5. Day of jewelry for girls and matching socks for guys

Favorite Food

1. N/A
2. My favorite food was probably our cake! Though the mashed potatoes were a close second.
3. Appetizers – Mini Philly Cheesesteaks Bowls, Dinner – Sun dried tomato ravioli
4. Steak and mashed potatoes
5. Pizza and pasta bar

Would you use your Bakery again? What company did you use?

1. I don’t remember! She did it out of her house but it was delicious!
2. Black Currant Bakehouse in Union Pier, MI. 100% would use them again. We chose to do a small cake and assorted desserts. Our guests loved the desserts! In fact, we still make frequent visits there for pastries when we are in town. 😋😋
3. Yes! Connie’s Cakes were amazing to work with. We received so many compliments on the cupcakes!
4. Yes – Nantucket Baking Company. Was amazing!
5. We skipped the cake and just had cheese cake from the venue

What do you recommend bringing the day of?

1. N/A
2. An outfit to change into when you leave your reception. I ended up going back to our hotel in my getting ready outfit, but wish I had something else.
3. A copy of your day of schedule, copy of your contact list, emergency kit, and a smile 🙂
4. Nothing – everything should be dropped off in advance.
5. Comfy clothes, snacks, and mints

What is in your emergency bag?

1. I don’t know that I had one. Not smart.
2. Deodorant, ibuprofen, tums, bobby pins, tampons.
3. Sewing kit, medicine (advil, Motrin), snacks, back up shoes, bandaids, hair clips, jewelry, back up dress, deodorant, perfume, bandaids, tooth brushes and tooth paste, makeup
4. Boob tape, hairspray, Tylenol, Bobbie pins, deodorant, perfume, gum, floss, liquid eyeliner, oil sheets for blotting makeup
5. Didn’t have one

Who helped you set up and tear down?

1. Parents and master/mistress of ceremony
2. Bridal party & parents.
3. Family and friends! We also had our florist, Eastern Floral, do take down for our floral!
4. My day of coordinator
5. Venue set up, family helped tear down

Did you hire a wedding planner? if so, who?

1. Me, myself, and I 😆
2. No
3. We had a Day of Coordinator – Nicole Billette! She was amazing.
4. No
5. No

Who was your caterer? Would you use again

1. Trillium Events, it was delicious! People still talk about our food
2. CK Catering – yes. We did family style and it worked well.
3. Gilmore Catering – Yes! Gilmore works with Clearwater Place and we loved our food. We received great feedback from our guests too!
4. Gilmore Catering – 100% yes! We still compliments on how good the food was a year later.
5. Uccellos downtown

Who would you recommend as a DJ?

1. N/A
2. N/A
3. Moments in Time! They were amazing
4. Band – Bluewater Kings
5. Didn’t have one.

Name a few songs you enjoyed at your reception?

1. N/A
2. N/A
3. Firework by Katy Perry, Dancing Queen by ABBA
4. Mr. Brightside, anything Lumineers, Stevie Wonder, classic hits
5. We had classic rock

What was your splurge?

1. Food and drinks
2. Flowers and shoes
3. Our live Band

If you have enjoyed this survey, you may want to check out the other ones from years past here and another one here.

Featuring the bride and groom at Clearwater Place Events

The post Wedding Advice from 2023 West Michigan Brides appeared first on Jamie May Photography.

In Ottawa County alone there is:  Connor Park Bayou, Weaver House at Pine Bend Park, Spring Grove Picnic and Trellis,  Nature Center at Hemlock Crossing, Grand Ravines Lodge and Tanglefoot Park.  These facilities usually are really reasonable to rent. In the summer county parks can be a really great option for your outdoor wedding.

I am going to focus today on a wedding review of Connor Bayou Park.

Connor Bayou Park is a beautiful outdoor space with views of The Grand River.

It has a quaint log cabin that features a kitchen and a couple bedrooms, bathrooms, and living space with a downstairs level.  It is really cute to get ready for the wedding in this space.  I have been here for other occasion as well such as graduation open houses.

The log cabin itself can only accommodate 50 people or less, but the outdoor area states 150.  So if in the event there was a rain storm, it would be hard to get into that cabin if you had a lot of people.  However, I have been there for a wedding when it rained. They had tents set up and it worked out perfect.  That day the rain came and went, so I could not tell you how the outdoor venue would be if it rained all day for your wedding and reception.

Reception? Yep! You can hold your reception here as well as they have a beer and wine permit.  They also have some tables and information on their website to whom to rent tents from, etc…

As a wedding photographer, I am all over West Michigan photographing weddings.

Connor Bayou Park and Harbourfront Grand Hall are local to me, and I love to help local couples.  This couple was extra special because they are so sweet and my neighbors over in Grand Haven ( I live in Spring Lake).  I moved to the Lakeshore about 25 years ago and absolutely love it.  I appreciate these local parks because they display the beauty I see every day with the lush green trees, grass and beautiful water views. If the park isn’t directly on the water, water is nearby!

After the wedding at Connor Bayou Park, we stopped at the beach of Grand Haven State Park.

Ashley and Wyatt share my love for the local beaches.  Harbourfront Grand Hall is also a staple in Grand Haven. This is actually where the couple met! This space can hold over 275 people.  It has majestic views overlooking the city of Grand Haven and the channel of water.  It is in walking distance to a lot of photo opportunities for your wedding.  Inside has exposed wood and brick and stringed lights for a warm, comforting vibe.

Thank you for reading my blog and where you can check out some other photography tips and advice.

z

The post A Wedding Review of Connor Bayou Park appeared first on Jamie May Photography.

Then headed over to her parents cottage to grab some photos with their cute dog.  I love that we had some extra time with just the bride and groom after the ceremony.  All the speeches were well done and hilarious! Everyone danced the night away at Lincoln Hills and enjoyed a delicious desserts.  I am so happy for Matthew and Lauren, as I can tell they just love each other deeply and are best friends. Wishing you many more years of happiness!!!  xx0x0x0x

For more pricing information, click here

This wedding was also published on Something Blue, you can view that here

The post Ludington Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding appeared first on Jamie May Photography.