Summer Beach Wedding Ceremony at Jean Klock in Benton Harbor and Reception at Shadowland on Silver Beach in St Joseph Michigan

August 21, 2020 Weddings, Wedding Video

Never Say Never!


All summer long the "do we, don't we" wedding jitters loomed. Not because of uncertainty on the part of the couple. No way! Jaelei and Drew are absolutely perfect together and 100% sure of their love. But they were planning from Arizona, and planning from out of state is hard enough! With Michigan doing temporary shutdowns and restricting guest counts at events, it was just "let go and let God" all through this journey. In the last few weeks before the wedding, when I talked to Jaelie on the phone, she said she was ready to get married in sweatpants if she had to. Absolutely nothing else mattered but that the actual marriage happen. After spending hours viewing the sweetest moments of their day - I'll back that. They could have had parents, close family, best-est friends, and the friend-of-the-family minister who married them gather anywhere on the planet, wearing anything at all, and the joy would've been just as fierce. That said; because the joy for their union was so fierce, this friend group would not let this party die!

They did not give up on this date (8-8... what an awesome date)! They did not give up on travel, hotel stays, or guest count restrictions. They didn't let the heat wear them out, or the doubts worry their heart. This group of friends was every single bit of what a bridal party should be. They were staunch defenders of the party.


Also up for accolades is the venue. The reception was meant to have been inside The Shadowlands Ballroom, which is gorgeous and can typically hold around 300 people, but Michigan still had a 10 person limit on indoor gatherings. Shadowland heroically solved that problem by moving their entire reception to an adjacent area outside. They put up a tent, popped up an outdoor bar, painted dots on their own lawn for social distancing markers, and created a food service buffet that managed to keep food hot and serve quickly while still distancing the guests. Stunning execution. It was really impressive!


I'm pleased to have created both photos and video for this amazing wedding event. So enjoy! I can't get enough of it myself!

cinematic highlight video below!