Hello everyone! I hope you are well. Today I want to talk about one of our featured weddings. We will talk about the love story of our wonderful Bride & Groom, Jamie & Matt. We will also show you pictures from their day, and we hope you enjoy this extended blog post all about their wedding day! Keep reading to learn more!
Jamie & Matt’s Love Story
First, I want to introduce you to Jamie and Matt. They are by far one of the sweetest couples Jeff and I have had the pleasure of knowing, and photographing. Jamie is so caring about those around her, which is perfect as a school teacher! Her now husband, Matt, is an engineer and very technical, but is also quite charming. You can just tell that he loves Jamie more than anything.
However, their story starts way back in 2010, well before Jeff and I met either of them. They met in a calculus classroom, in their Junior year at Utica Center of Math, Science and Technology. They quickly became close friends and started officially dating in May of 2011.
After they graduated, they both decided to attend different colleges. Jamie went off to Michigan State University to study Elementary Education, while Matt was attending University of Michigan to study Mechanical Engineering. Not only were they now attending different schools, but they were also rivals! (Fun Fact: State has won 5 out of 7 games during their relationship thus far.)
Another road block hit their path, as when it was time for Jamie to start her teaching career, Michigan jobs were pretty bleak. She was offered an opportunity to teach in Arizona, and she took this chance to start her career! Matt was able to visit Jamie often and their relationship only grew stronger while she was in Arizona.
In 2017, seven years after they first met, Matt knew it was time to take the next step. He knew he had to get the perfect ring for Jamie, and the beautiful woman she represents to him. Two weeks after purchasing the ring, he asked Jamie’s parents for their blessing, as her family is quite important to both of them. Christmas time was quickly approaching, and is one of Jamie’s favorite times of the year, so while on a trip to get a Christmas Tree for their new house, Matt popped the question to Jamie, among the Christmas Trees of Blake’s Christmas Tree Farm.
At first, Jamie was shaking with emotion, before flinging herself into Matt’s arms. She didn’t respond except for nodding and crying, and she didn’t even look at her ring! Eventually she did give Matt a solid “Yes!”, and they enjoyed their engagement moment for the rest of the evening, with Jamie’s family and a few drinks.
Enter Intrigue Photography & A New Friendship
Shortly after she was engaged to Matt, Jamie found an advertisement I was running for some models. I was hoping to find someone willing to take an adventure with Jeff and myself, for some portraits of them in front of the waterfalls of the Upper Peninsula. Jamie quickly responded to this advertisement, and we set up a time to meet. After reading her love story, and meeting with both Jamie and Matt in person, Jeff and I knew that they were the perfect models for our advertisement. Little did we know at that time however, that they would quickly become good friends of ours throughout our time spent with them.
We all took a trip to Munising for their engagement session, back on May 5, 2018. We showed them around the different, easy-to-access waterfalls found throughout Munising, as well as Miner’s Castle and some other notable spots. We spent the entire afternoon with them, and even ran into them for lunch, before our scheduled time to meet in the first place! (We all ended up at the Subway in Munising at the same time. Lol)
At the end of this trip together with them (it was just a day trip together, but they stayed a bit longer to do some more exploring on their own), we all took a selfie together in front of the waning sunset over Lake Superior and Miner’s Castle. We knew at that point, that this couple was amazing, and that we truly captured some perfect memories for them, and for ourselves to enjoy for many years to come.
The Day We All Were Waiting For – Jamie & Matt’s Packard Proving Grounds Wedding Day!
Now let’s fast forward to the day of May 11, 2019, shall we? This was the day we all had been waiting for. Jamie & Matt’s big wedding at Packard Proving Grounds! Jamie, was a little under the weather for her wedding day, but she didn’t let that stop her from celebrating all day. (She had pneumonia.) I too, was under the weather, as the Monday before her wedding, I had to go to the hospital for an emergency surgery! We both kept cheering the other on, leading up to the day of their wedding. Even her Maid of Honor had an issue with her leg, and had a brace on for the day. So, when the time came that we all came together again, we all shared huge, heartfelt hugs together, and we all knew, that today would be special, even with all the medical catastrophes that had taken place earlier in the week.
Bridal Details
The details that Jamie & Matt had for their wedding day, were stunning, to say the very least. Everything, from the dress, to the flowers, to the watches, etc, were perfect! Don’t believe me? Just take a peek here!
The Girl’s Getting Ready
I was with Jamie and her girls while they were getting ready for the wedding. We all sat in a rustic old room on the property of Packard Proving Grounds, and we laughed at the little antics that were going on. Jamie even had the bridesmaids leave the room while she got into her dress, so she could reveal it to them afterwards! It was so cute!
The Guy’s Getting Ready
Jeff was hanging out with Matt and his Groomsmen while they were getting ready too. They were pretty much already dressed when Jeff got there, so it was more about the details of their suits, and some candid “dudes hanging out” shots, more than anything. (This totally fits Jeff’s style however!)
Special Love Letters
Before their wedding day, Jamie and Matt both wrote a special love letter to one another, to be read before they got married. Jamie cried while reading her letter from Matt, and Matt did his best to keep the tears under control while reading Jamie’s letter to himself. A lot of romance was in the air here, and the day was only just beginning!
The First Look
Now it was time for one of our favorite parts of their wedding day. The First Look. As you know from several of our past blog posts, we highly recommend a First Look for every Bride and Groom! They’re so amazing, for so many reasons! (Read What is a First Look and Why You Should Have One here.)
Bridal Party Portraits
After the First Look, it was time to take some pictures! (One of our favorite things to do. Lol!) We took the Bridal Party out onto the grounds for a few group shots before the Ceremony was set to begin. We had a lot of fun with everyone, and they were so cooperative! You could tell that the people they chose to stand up with them at their wedding, were people who genuinely cared about Jamie and Matt.
Family Formal Portraits
Once the Bridal Party Pictures from the day was done, it was time to take some family formals. This is where we got to meet the people who loved Jamie and Matt more than anything. Their families are just as sweet as Jamie and Matt are! We had so much fun with their families, and we were honored to help capture these precious memories.
Reception Details
Because Jamie and Matt had their entire wedding day at Packard Proving Grounds, as well as a First Look, Jeff and I had time to capture some of the gorgeous reception details before the reception even began! Everyone else was doing their final prep for the ceremony, which gave Jeff and I few minutes to capture and gush over these details.
Time to Get Married – The Ceremony
Whew, we’ve been through a lot together so far, haven’t we? I hope you’re still excited to read about the rest of their day. Well, don’t worry, there is plenty more to come! Namely, the Ceremony! They had their ceremony outside in the boulevard area of Packard Proving Grounds. The trees had just enough new green leaves to make for perfect pictures for their ceremony. Jamie was taken by car around the boulevard with her father by her side, as everyone else proceeded down the aisle. During the ceremony, Jamie made plenty of different faces (she’s great for that, as is her father I learned later on), and the Best Man even dropped the rings! Everything went perfectly however. Don’t believe me, check out the photos from their wedding ceremony!
Marriage License Signing & Gift From Jamie’s Students
And now Jamie & Matt are Husband and Wife! Congratulations! But, to make it official with the government, Jamie and Matt needed to sign their Marriage License. Also, Jamie had received a handmade gift from her students, which was an umbrella with well wishes drawn and written all over it from her students. How cute?!
Bride & Groom Romantic Portraits
Now that the ceremony was finished, and the paperwork was signed, it was time to take Jamie and Matt away for some “Just Married” portraits together, before the reception started. Jamie and Matt are great sports. It wasn’t the warmest day of this year, and with her and I both being under the weather, I would say that for all parties involved, we all did great and had a wonderful time during these special portraits. Just look at the love these two share with one another!
Reception Grand Entrance
Make way for the stars of the show, as it’s time to get this party started! The grand entrance into the reception was a fun one. Many of the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen did something special for their entrance, and Jamie and Matt were obviously super excited to be introduced, for the first time, as husband and wife.
Cake Cutting & Speeches
Guys, the cake was awesome. Jamie and Matt even broke their cake while cutting it! I know right, how does that even happen? Well, however it happened, you can see their reaction to this oddity taking place during their cake cutting. You will also be able to see the laughs that were shared during the speeches that were given by the Best Man, Maid of Honor, Father of the Bride, Father of the Groom, and by the Bride and Groom themselves.
The First Dance as Husband and Wife
After dinner was thoroughly eaten by everyone in the reception area of Packard Proving Grounds, it was time to share a special moment with Jamie and Matt for their First Dance together as Husband and Wife! They were chatting throughout their song, hugging, and kissing. There was even a moment when Jamie stopped to look at her rings during their first dance, really soaking in the fact that she was finally married to the man of her dreams, and her best friend, Matt.
Daddy/Daughter Dance & Mother/Son Dance
After their spin around the dance floor, it was time for Jamie to dance with her Father, and Matt to dance with his Mother. You can see just how much both of their parents love them in these pictures. What an adorable time during the reception!
Reception Dancing, Ring Shots, and a Special Selfie
Woot, it is time to turn that music up and dance the night away! That’s exactly what everyone did! There was some great dancers attending Jamie and Matt’s wedding, and a few group shots were taken here as well. I worked on taking some quick pictures of their rings, as Jeff set up his camera for a special selfie with the four of us together on the dance floor! (Jamie’s parents photo bombed us, which we think is super cute!) There were even a few people outside playing corn-hole! It truly was a perfect party to express exactly how happy everyone was for Jamie and Matt’s marriage to one another on this very special day.
The Vendors Who Made This All Possible
We want to give a very special thank you to all of the vendors who worked hard together to make this day perfect from the very start. We hope that you enjoyed this featured wedding blog post, as we would like to do more of these in the future. Thank you for reading along. We hope that you’ll leave a comment below with your well wishes for Jamie and Matt, and tell them exactly which part of the day was your favorite to experience!
Wedding Planner – Kristin – Forever Memories Events LLC
Ceremony & Reception Venue – Packard Proving Grounds
Caterer – Kristina’s Catering
Chair/Linen Rentals – Luxe Event Linen
DJ/Band – Mike Staff Productions | Wedding DJ, Photography & Videography
Bartending- Miss Mixology, LLC
Florist – Artistic Florals and Events
Cake/Dessert – Militello’s Bakery
Photographer – Intrigue Photography
Videographer – Jarmax Productions
Bar – Mo’s Bar
Officiant – La Donna Weddings
Best Wishes to Jamie & Matt
We also want to take this time to wish Jamie and Matt all the best in their marriage and in their lives going forward. We’ve acquired two new friends throughout this crazy journey together, and we couldn’t be happier about the outcome of our time spent together with them both! Cheers Jamie & Matt! You guys rock, and are some of the coolest people we know! Keep smiling, through the thick and the thin, and always take time to look back on your memories that we created and shared together. Best wishes to you both from Jeff and myself!
Thank you all again! One final note: Should you wish to view the full gallery from their wedding day, please go here: https://www.intriguedigitalphotographyprints.com/Clients/Maranzano-Wedding-Packard-Proving-Grounds
xoxo,
Jess
