Spring Greenfield Village vintage mauve and blue wedding in Dearborn, Michigan provided by Kari Dawson, top-rated Metro Detroit wedding photographer, and her team.

I first met Art and Kelly in my favorite, quant little coffee shop, here in Romeo called Main’s Treats and the three of us really hit it off having an easy time chatting. Planning a Greenfield Village wedding comes with a lot of moving parts, extra micro decisions, a blank canvas, and lots of room for artistic opinion. Our natural progression was to walk the grounds of the village. Together, they shared with me their connection to the village, a little of their vision, and their favorite areas of the grounds. All while leaving plenty of space for creative vision and expertise.

Will it rain…

Our meticulously laid plans for the village on their wedding day included a horse drawn carriage for the full wedding party and a Model T. Here is your reminder that mother nature does not care an ounce for your meticulously laid plans. She can and will do as she pleases. The threat of not just rain but torrential rain and hail was not only a threat but imminent. The radar lit up like a Christmas Tree but not a single drop of rain fell from the sky. Their wedding party got to thoroughly enjoy the tour of the grounds on the horse drawn carriage while we checked the boxes of Art and Kelly’s vision photographically. Don’t stress about the rain. Trust your photographer. It didn’t rain but I had several other ideas in the works to create magical moments for them and their favorite people no matter what the weather did.

Touring the village…

While the wedding party joined the rest of the guests at the carousel for appetizer hour, the Model T escorted us to the Daggett House which actually is a piece of family history on Art’s side of the family. The cobblestone house did not disappoint per usual. The village as a whole looked stunning with the trees flowering and all the spaces perfectly manicured. One pitstop at the carousel to let me out and Kelly and Art even had time to enjoy a little cruise around the village on their own. That Model T was specifically requested by the couple because the license plate encased their wedding date. Pretty dang special.

The personal touches did not stop there. The cake topper is 51 years old and was used at Kelly’s parent’s wedding. Their drink glasses are made with the Daggett family Crest. And the cake knife was forged on Mackinac Island by Kelly on the day they got engaged. If you think we all love the Village… don’t even get us started on the Island!

Kelly + Art…

As history buffs it is no surprise that they have an affinity for Greenfield Village and for Mackinac Island but one thing that surprised me, upon getting to know them, was how much they both truly love to chat. As an extroverted (out of force) introvert I tend to attract other introverts. But this made getting to know them and getting to adore them so so easy.

In my experience, one of the things that indicate a healthy romantic relationship is when each person acts intentionally based on the needs and wants of the other. This can look like adding certain items to the cart at the grocery store. Making sure the sink is dish-less and clean before their partner gets home for the day. And even saying ‘yes’ to something that naturally isn’t your thing because you know your person will appreciate it.

For Kelly and Art this looks like Art saying ‘yes’ to be interviewed by the videographer on his wedding day. He actually did say ‘no’ but quickly followed up by saying ‘but I will.’ He knew Kelly would love it. Kelly on the other hand, gushed and got a little teary eyed when asked to answer a few questions. This also look like Kelly planning a simple gift for her simple man that she knew would touch his heart. Kelly had a pin made with a photo of Art’s late father made for him to wear inside his jacket right next to his heart. Each of them intentionally make micro decisions based on the simple desires of the other. That is the kind of love that will stand the test of time.

Congrats…

I will always remember the funny little moments that each traditional man in a suit noticed there were no shirt or vest pockets. And I will always remember the way their special moments throughout their wedding day made me and them cry no less than seven times. Cheers to a lifetime of memories together, Kelly and Art! xoxo – Kari

Wedding day vendors provided at the end of this post.