Dustin Francis Photography

Most weddings you go to have a guestbook, where everyone can sign their name and/or address to let the couple know who attended their wedding, as it is really hard to remember with all that goes on on a wedding day.  I prefer a Guestbook with images from the engagement session over the traditional lined version.  I think this does a fantastic job at letting the couple know who attended their wedding and it also lets the guests see some sweet images of the newlyweds.  In addition, I have my bride and groom give me a short version of their engagement story to put on the inside flap of the book.  I feel this gives guests a little more insight into the couple and helps make the day a more intimate affair.  The biggest advantage for the couple; they are much more apt to actually get the book out and view their images and comments friends and families made, instead of just their name.

Guestbooks come in a few different sizes, with 10×10 being my favorite and most common.  You can choose from fabric, leather, or a custom photo cover and any cover can include a dust jacket, which is where I mentioned a great place for the engagement story is.  The books are press printed with a hard cover and can have up to 50 pages.  They open and lay flat making it easy for people to view and sign them and the pages feel marvelous.  For more detailed information, please contact me.

The pictured book is Zayna and Rani’s.  Their wedding is tomorrow!

Their’s is a 10×10 with a custom photo cover and a dust jacket.

You can see how flat the book lays with about a 4mm gap between pages.  Notice the book and dust jacket match perfectly.

Here’s the inside flap with their engagement story…

The pictures are spread out with plenty of room for people to write.

Here’s the layout to get a better feel for what it looks like.

Let me just say, this is going to be my longest blog post yet with the most images to date.  Hopefully, you think that’s a good thing, ’cause I sure do.  This past weekend I went up to Oscoda, MI to photograph Raechel and Josh’s beach wedding.  This was my first beach wedding and must say it was weird, but nice to be running around in bare feet.  I had been really excited for their big day since I photographed their e-session in East Lansing a couple weeks back.  Their day started off really beautiful and actually didn’t change much until about 20 minutes after the ceremony, when it started pouring and only stopped for a few minutes a few times throughout the time there was daylight.  We had to rush to get some pics in in between the rain.  Fortunately, for Raechel, Josh and I, we were planning on doing a day after session on Sunday, so we used that time to get some killer shots of the lovely bride and groom.

The ceremony and location took place at the MaiTiki Resort in Oscoda, MI.  This place was cute and had awesome little cottages in like a bazillion colors.  If you know me, you know I love rainbow colors and while it didn’t have the standard ROYGBP, it did have multiple hues of each.  There was a nice large tent set up in between the cottages and the lake where the reception was and between the tent and the lake, were the chairs for the ceremony.  It was a great setup and was nicer than I was hoping for.

All the guest were so sweet and everyone seemed to have a fabulous time regardless of what mother nature was up to.  During the toasts, Josh had most of his groomsmen speak and I have to say…it was great!  Great food, great music, great people…what you expect from such an event.  Sunday, Raechel, Josh and I met up to take a few pics at both the Huron House, a great B&B they stayed at, as well as the Maitiki.  We were more than able to makeup for the pics we couldn’t take on their big day.

I had such a great time documenting Raechel and Josh’s day…hopefully you can tell from the images!

So if you’re wondering where Oscoda is…it’s where the purple circle is.  I had to use purple…Raechel loves purple!  I visited Oscoda with my family when I was in middle school, although I didn’t really recognize anything.

This is what the day looked like until after the ceremony…looks like a postcard

Raechel even looks great eating pizza.  I highly recommend eating on your wedding day, I hear it helps with nerves and such.

Getting ready…

Not sure what was going on here…

Look at how happy she is.

There was a lot of good music playin’ and all the ladies were-uh-singin’!

Details, details, details

I had a feeling of what Raechel’s dress was going to look like and although it was different that what I had thought, it was no doubt a perfect fit.

Seriously!?!

The ladies in purple…did you think it would be another color…I think not.  Loved the dresses.  I love the empire waist, tea length combo.

The matching tosies.

A few portraits at the Huron House.

The stunning bride…really stunning…just look at the picture.  Raechel after seeing these…”Oh, I’m pretty.”   Uh yeah.

The fellas chillin’ before pics.  I believe this is the, “Who’s that guy walking toward us taking pictures?” look.

Off with the tags!

I called ahead 45 years ago and had them construct this building so our pics would be ‘cooler’.

Love the khaki purple striped tie combo…so fresh!

Don’t they look schnazzy?

Here they are fighting over who looks more schnazzy.  Um hello…Josh does.

I think they were coming to beat me up…I mean Karate-Chop me.

Mr. Studly.

Here comes the bride…

I think he’s happy.

See, it was gorgeous during the ceremony.

Oscar listening, but not watching a few feet from the action.

I don’t think it gets better than this.

I think Josh had almost everyone tearing up.  I had to wipe my eyes a few times so I could see through the viewfinder.

Tada!

A little break in the weather that I was really hoping would last.

The only couple shot I was able to get…

Grooms…if your new wife asks if you want to smell the cake, say “NO!”

A little dancin’.

A little night shot of the party location.

The slideshow…just like this post, it was my longest slideshow by far.

The bros and guys.

The ladies…minus 1

Here we are in party mode!

First shot the day after…

I loved these.  Like I said, this was my first beach wedding, so it was new to me.  I love the air, grass, sand, sky….you know all that beach stuff.

A little infrared.

Josh, you’re married already…and that’s your beautiful bride.

Yay, beach grass stuff…does it have a name?

My favorite!

A little purple cottage anyone?

Hey look, it’s a giant mushroom umbrella thing.

“Excuse me, I ordered the LARGE tiki.”

Congrats Mr. Raechel and Mrs. Josh!

You know I wasn’t going to use that building only once.  Love these two…didn’t even have to tell them anything.  Ain’t love grand?

The many faces of Josh…I mean two.

Changin’ it up a little.

Thanks for rockin’ these out like no other you two!

On the rainiest day of the year (IMHO) Nicole and Dave got hitched!  Seriously though, I don’t think it ever technically stopped raining, only let up, but most of the day, it poured.  There is an old superstition that if it rains on your wedding day, it’s good luck, so who knows, maybe Nicole and Dave will be married for 100 years.  Nicole and Dave’s ceremony was held at the First United Methodist Church in Brighton, MI, which was kind of like a maze.  The sanctuary was beautiful as was the actual ceremony itself with the flower girl and ring bearer adding some comic relief for me.  After some quick pics, we headed on over to the very popular Crystal Gardens down the street in Howell, MI.  It was hard for me to get in the door with two other wedding parties using the stairs to take pics.

The reception had lots and lots of red and polka dots…it was super cute.  There was the coolest candy bar I have ever seen and it was a HUGE hit with all the guests.  Naturally, most of the candy was red, red, and der…I mean red.  The cake was super awesome as well and had that ‘play’ look to it and as you always hope…it was scrumptious.  I was totally diggin’ the red wax lips that were on the candy bar…I think the guests got good use out of them and they looked very cartoonish on Nicole, which was perfect.

All in all, a rockin’ day for a rockin’ couple…congrats you two!