Mike and Kiersten were married on June 19th, with a ceremony and reception at Still Water Hollow.
I actually came to be their photographer through the most ordinary of events. My husband and I had a Subaru Tribeca, which we loved . . . and then it started having issues, which we didn’t love. We took it to a car mechanic—Mike—at Meridian Automotives. He and his crew were fabulous at their jobs, and they certainly run their business well, but sadly we ended up making frequent visits as our once-wonderful car slowly became a lemon that we ended up having to sell off.
After all that time together, Mike and my husband became buddies, so when it came up that Mike was getting married, that sweet hubby of mine took it upon himself to give him my information (three cheers for the hubs!). That’s how I ended up becoming their wedding photographer—just plain ol’ regular life! Strangely enough, I’m thankful for our broken old car, because I loved working with these two!
The wedding was held on a hot June day, which meant there was plenty of water to go around, and everyone was hiding in the shade. But that didn’t stop the joy, laughter, or love shared throughout the day. Kiersten especially just has this way about her that exudes joy, and as I watched her getting ready, taking a deep breath with anticipation written all over her face, it was so obvious that she was excited to finally marry Mike.
Before the ceremony, Mike and Kiersten met up for a first look in a little, private cottage. After their super sweet moment together, we flowed right into moving around Still Water Hollow’s quaint grounds. There were so many places to take pictures—barns, cottages, and of course their little white chapel filled with its own history.
Once we got to the ceremony, the whole thing was of course filled with laughter and love. My favorite part was probably when their 3-year-old son ran up to them right at the end of their kiss for a big, congratulatory hug!
Then, it was off to the reception on the lawn for heartfelt toasts as well as light-hearted fun. The shoe game in particular was pretty darn entertaining, and there was a special table of fun for the kids to color and eat candy, as well as a tipi tent with pillows for having pillow fights, of course. Mike and Kiersten cut the cake with great delight, and they both even managed to sneak in a little booty grab during their first dance. I mean, why not! The whole day was filled with laughter and genuine fun, and I loved every second of it!
Though it's not a normal thing to say, I sure am glad our car had so many issues, because I got to meet you both and share in one of your most special and memorable days! Thank you for the opportunity to live in the moment with you and capture this milestone. Let's share that bottle of wine soon ;)
Kind words from Kiersten & Mike
"Maija did such an amazing job with our engagement and wedding photos! She is so easy going and was a gem to work with. Getting our engagement photos done was a little bit awkward at first because you are basically making out in front of a stranger but she made it so easy to be comfortable and just laugh it out :) Her photos are breathtaking and she definitely has an eye for catching the light at perfect moments. We will forever cherish our photos and we will definitely be going back to her for any future family photo sessions. I HIGHLY recommend her!!!"
