Brad and Sam || A Photography Duo || 1.855.265.1456

To all the Lovebirds...

2012-02-14T13:43:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovebirds out there! May you have an amazing day spending time with the ones you love most!

Joe and Shannon :: Engaged

2012-02-10T09:15:00.000-05:00

What better way to spend a beautiful snowy Saturday than with an adorable couple in love? Snowy days this winter have been a little sparse. We have been absolutely loving the sunshine and warmer temperatures, but can you imagine our excitement when we arrived to this session and the snow was softly falling, creating the picture perfect winter wonderland... swoon!

We love to collaborate with our couples to plan the perfect engagement session. Shannon sent us an inspiration board she had put together with visions of hot chocolate, snow fall, and lots of romantic imagery. Not only did she have an incredible vision for the feel of the session, but they brought stylish outfits to complete the look.

Shannon and Joe, we cannot wait for your fall wedding at the Blue Dress Barn in Benton Harbor, Michigan. From the very first time we spoke with you, we have been so excited for your day! Enjoy the rest of your planning process.

Photographers' Wedding :: The Guys

2012-01-12T18:36:00.000-05:00

It's been a bit of time since we've posted about our wedding. We have a ton of DIY projects coming up here in the next few months leading up to the big day. Today, we are talking about the guys fashion. From the beginning, we knew we didn't want to have an overly formal look for the guys. Brad loves tan and wanted lighter colors for the guys. We haven't gone shopping yet for the groomsmen outfits, but we have a pretty good idea of what we are looking for (we will definitely share once we have finalized).

But today, we wanted to share the boutonnieres we ordered from Etsy. They are perfect. Brad's is fabric with a burlap and paper leaf and all the others are made of old book paper... LOVE! Here are few images of them!

Another thing that we are super excited about is our TOMS shoes. All the guys will be donning these chocolate brown TOMS.

Chris and Katie :: A Grand Rapids Wedding

2012-01-10T12:46:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year (well we are over a week into the New Year), but this is our first week back into the office. Between traveling down south for the holidays and moving into a new apartment, this has been a whirlwind of a month so far for us. We have a pretty full season of weddings ahead of us (including our own in May), we are feeling refreshed and repurposed... ready to tackle 2012. You will be seeing a few changes around Bradley James Photography in the next couple weeks. We are so excited about these improvements and cannot wait to share some of them with you. The first of which is a facelift to the blog... Stay tuned for more!

Today's post is Katie and Chris's Grand Rapids wedding. We first met Katie and Chris about a year ago. From our very first meeting, we fell in love with them and we knew their wedding was going to be phenomenal. We shot their Engagement Session in Chicago last June and could not wait to hang out with them again in November at their wedding. The wedding was nothing short of amazing, we had so much fun with them and their families. The style of the wedding was very clean and modern, we LOVED being a part of it! Here are a "few" of our favorites from their wedding day.

Gail VanderLaan did the flowers for this wedding, they were so unique and breathtaking!

We stopped at the Grand Rapids Public Museum for a few carousel shots before heading to the reception.

A few reception details...

Love shooting receptions at the BOB

Katie and Chris, thank you guys again for allowing us to be a part of your day! We had such a great time getting to know you during this process and wish you all the best!

Merry Christmas from Brad & Sam

2011-12-24T10:50:00.000-05:00

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Hey friends! We wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. We are enjoying our holiday down in North Carolina with Sam's family. Here's a little look at where we are celebrating from!

No white Christmas for us this year! :)

Kaitlyn and Kyle :: Engaged

2011-12-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

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We had so much fun with Kaitlyn and Kyle on their Holland Engagement Session this past fall. We met these two in September at the Lakeshore Wedding Walk and as soon as they booked their wedding with us, we knew we were going to get along great with them. They are extremely nice people, but also extremely funny to be around. We are looking forward to the wedding next year! For now here are some of our favorites from their session!

After a quick outfit change, we headed out to one of our favorite Holland locations, a gorgeous field with stunning light!

Thanks again guys, we had such a great time and wish you two a great rest of your engagement! See you soon! :)

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Justin and Katie :: A Holland Wedding

2011-12-06T22:04:00.001-05:00

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From the very first time we met Justin and Katie we instantly connected with them and knew we would be good friends! :) These two are probably one of the cutest and most incredibly sweet couples ever. They are so obviously smitten for one another and they're love is absolutely contagious. It's the kind of love that makes you want to be be better and encourages you to love deeper. Ever since their romantic, summery engagement session, we were so excited for their upcoming wedding and it did not disappoint!

We had such a great time shooting their wedding and feel so honored to have been a part of such a beautiful day. They did a fabulous job creating the perfect romantic affair and we loved all of their sweet & swanky details! We are thrilled for Katie and Justin as they begin their lives with one another in D.C. and wish them all the best!

The day started with the girls getting ready at Phillip Michael Salon in Byron Center.

Katie, you are stunning!

We loved her dress, one of our favorites of the season!

Katie, have we told you that you are beautiful? Yes, we have... but we will say it again, stunning!!

How cute are they? Seriously!

We loved this bridal party!!

Ok, so we just ordered a very, very large canvas of this image... it compliments our office nicely! :)

On to some reception details! :)

And a picture of us with the b&g to end the night :)

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Ryan and Kacy :: Engaged

2011-11-30T16:58:00.001-05:00

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Wow! What a fall it has been! We have been shooting weddings and sessions like crazy! To be honest, our blog has been a little neglected, but that means we will have some beautiful couples to share with you in the winter months when things are slow. In a few days we will be taking off for North Carolina to visit Sam's family for the holidays. Shortly after that, we will be moving offices. Needless to say, we have a busy December and are looking forward to a little break from work. :) With that being said, we have some absolutely incredible clients. We have been shooting some epic engagement sessions and are very excited to share them with you. Today, we'd love to introduce you to Kacy and Ryan, these two are the sweetest.... like seriously! We enjoyed our time with them so much and aren't they gorgeous?! They made our job incredibly easy! Here are a few of our favorites from their fall session!

Kacy, you are gorgeous!!

We are typically not silhouette photographers, but we love the way this one turned out! :)

Thank you two again, for an amazing session! :)

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Brian and Amanda :: Engaged

2011-11-11T14:26:00.001-05:00

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Brian and Amanda, adorable and oh-so-sweet. We met Amanda at the first wedding we photographed and she has become a great friend of ours since. When we heard she was dating someone and then later engaged, we thought this guy better be pretty cool and he is! Brian is amazing, we love these two and are honored that we will be shooting their wedding next fall. For now here are some images from their engagement session...

Mason jars, wildflowers, and pumpkins... eek! :)

These two have a little rivalry going on... Obviously, Brian is a MSU fan and Amanda is a diehard Wolverine fan. This was the day before the two played each other... Love these next images!

Amanda and Brian, thank you guys! We love you and cannot wait for your wedding :)

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

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A Frosty Morning :: Nature

2011-10-31T12:59:00.000-04:00

Wow, it has been awhile since we have blogged, we are keeping busy with trying to stay on top of our holiday deadlines with client sessions, ordering, and editing (LOTS and lots of editing). Once December hits, we are packing our bags and heading down south for the holidays. We are so very excited to be spending Christmas in North Carolina. So, all this to say... thank you for your patience and understanding as we focus on producing quality products for our clients in a timely manner.

If you looked outside your window this morning in Michigan, you probably saw some white stuff falling. While winter means cold and dark days, for us it also means time with family, time to breathe and relax, time to reflect on the past year, time to improve ourselves and our business, and time to just enjoy each other.

Here are some images from the other morning. It was a cold, but gorgeous morning!

A Grease Halloween!

2011-10-28T13:12:00.004-04:00

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Ok, we are going to preface this post by saying that we know we are total dorks. We thought it would be fun to dress up in our Halloween costumes and take some photographs of each other. What are YOU dressing up as? :)

Happy Halloween, have a fantastic weekend!! From Danny and Sandy :)

Photographers' Wedding :: Ribbons and Our Wedding Photographers

2011-10-27T12:01:00.002-04:00

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This is such an exciting post for us! We've taken a bit of a break from wedding planning over the past couple months. We haven't done any wedding inspiration posts on our blog here for awhile either. To be honest, we have been too busy lately to focus on our own wedding. We feel pretty well prepared though, most of the big things are out of the way. Now, we are primarily focusing on DIY projects and tying up a few small things here and there (both of our moms have been extraordinarily helpful with these details).

So, the first part of todays post is about our send-offs. Neither of us consider ourselves traditional people, which is why we decided not to do a traditional bubble send-off after our ceremony. Instead, we have been working hard on these little things... The concept is really simple. Dowel rods and ribbon. Thank you Hobby Lobby for your wonderful half-off specials!

Secondly, we wanted to talk about the process of choosing our own wedding photographers. The number one question we get asked about our wedding without fail is... Who is going to photograph it? This is a very legitimate question, as the absolute highest priority for us was to find the perfect photographers for our day. Before we even had a venue or date booked, we were already meeting with Kristen and Jamie talking about the feel we wanted. Being in the photography industry, we were already familiar with most photographers around here... so our search did not take long.

We knew that their ability to capture people as they are and translate that into stunning imagery was something we wanted for the day and we were determined to make it happen. This was only confirmed more to us after meeting with them. Not only are they very talented, but they are incredibly kind people (side note: you may not realize this, but you will be spending a LOT of time with your photographer on your wedding day, so it is important to hire someone you really connect with). They understand the importance of what they do, they are completely adorable, and they get us as a couple. We trust them and are so excited to have them be a part of our day.

We recently had our engagement pictures taken with them and wanted to share some of our absolute favorites (which are basically all of them). There are more on K. Holly Photography's blog, so be sure to check it out... to see the rest of our preview! :)

Thank you guys again! We've probably looked through them about 20 times and fall more in love with them every time we look at them. :)

Ryan and Sarah :: Engaged

2011-10-25T11:07:00.001-04:00

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Ryan and Sarah. Incredibly kind, full of joy, and completely adorable. These are some of the words that come to mind when we think of these two. We met them a few weeks ago for their engagement session is East Town. When we had first discussed style with Sarah and Ryan, they had suggested an urban decay type of look to their pictures... but then about a week before their session they asked if they could have more of an antique/ old bookstore type feel. This put huge smiles on our faces. We LOVE antiquing and knew of the perfect location to do their session. This session is right up our alley, we love these two and are so excited for their wedding in December!

Mason jars, antique books, and a vintage lace blanket? Yes please!

Are they not the cutest??

Thank you guys again, we had such a wonderful time with the two of you. You are both incredible people, we can't wait for the wedding!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Jason and Rachel :: A Hartland Wedding

2011-10-20T13:41:00.000-04:00

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Jason and Rachel are two of the sweetest people ever. Their day was very laid back and relaxed. We were welcomed by their families and had a blast photographing their wedding. The ceremony and reception were both held at Waldenwoods Resort in Hartland, MI. This property was absolutely stunning and we hope it is not our last time shooting there. We hope you enjoy some of our favorite images from their day!

We started out at Rachel's parents house where the girls were having their hair and makeup done.

Bahh! It's a Nikon household :)

Like we said, Waldenwoods is stunning!

Jason and Rachel ended the evening with sparklers and fireworks. That's right, they surprised their guests with legit fireworks!

Thanks again Rachel and Jason! You two are great, we wish you a long and happy life together!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Jack and Katie :: A Southwest Michigan Wedding

2011-10-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

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We have been so excited to blog this wedding! It took place at the fabulous Millcreek Barns in Watervliet, MI. If you have poked around our main website at all, you have probably seen many pictures from this wedding. It was one of our favorites of the year. We were in detail heaven. From mason jars for guests, to a signature drink, to an incredible venue... this wedding had it all! We got to work with some incredible vendors, all of whom, made this day incredible! We hope you enjoy some of our favorites from Katie and Jack's day!

Katie wore a ring as her something blue. Sam is planning on doing the same thing for our wedding!

The first look... on a trolley!

Loved the flower girl dresses!

Katie's bouquet was stunning! A special thanks to Crystal Springs Florists for doing such a fantastic job on all the flowers!

When the light was getting really good that night, we took the two of them out for some bride and groom portraits. These are our favorite from the day!

Katie, you were a stunning bride! Seriously.

Katie and Jack, it's been a pleasure getting to know you guys! We wish you the best in your marriage, congratulations again!

Special thanks again to all the vendors involved. Here is a brief rundown....

Venue :: Millcreek Barns.... Watervliet, MI

Photographer :: Bradley James Photography

Videographer :: All Star Productions, Inc.

Makeup :: Hanna Wagner Design

Flowers :: Crystal Springs Florists

Event Planner :: Stella Event Design

Entertainment :: GR Affordable DJ

Cake :: The Shy Cookie

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Brandon and Dayna :: Engaged

2011-10-15T10:11:00.001-04:00

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Fall.... the leaves are changing, the weather is getting cooler (well it's supposed to be), and we are shooting sessions like crazy!! You may have noticed that the blog has been a little slow lately. Believe us, this is not from lack of content. We have so much to share with you all and are very excited to start with this engagement session from a couple weeks back.

Dayna and Brandon are planning an October 2012 wedding in Rockford. We met with them a couple months back and have had a great time getting to know them! They did an incredible job planning their engagement session. They wanted a very natural feel to their photographs, so we met at a tree farm that a friend of theirs owns. This location is one of our favorites that we have shot at. There was so much variety, it was a photographer's paradise. Ready for image overload, ok... go!

This next one is probably our favorite from the day... love it!

Totally Dayna's idea with the scrabble tiles, but we "love" it!

We ended the session at a lake. The sun had just gone below the horizon and the light was phenomenal for pictures by the lake!

Have a great weekend everyone. Enjoy that fall weather!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Ethan and Meagan :: Engaged

2011-10-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

We met Meagan and Ethan in Detroit earlier in September. This was the second session we've shot in Detroit. The first session was the coldest we've ever shot (back in December) and this was one of the warmest we've shot. It was a September day and the temperature was pushing 100 degrees! But, once we got going... things began to cool off and we had a great time seeing the city with these two. Not only are they super cute together, but they are legitimately awesome people! We cannot wait for their wedding this June.

We found a carousel and they had to ride it together, so fun! :)

Love these next ones... Meagan, you are gorgeous!

Thanks again guys for such a great evening in Detroit. We thoroughly enjoyed your company. See you soon!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Brad and Sam Go Downtown

2011-10-03T11:44:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday, we had the day off (first day off in a very long time... woot!). We decided to start the morning off antiquing and then go check out Artprize. For those of you who do not live in Grand Rapids (or for those who do and live under a rock), Artprize is a competition where artists from literally all around the world enter pieces and compete for prize money... we are talking almost half a million dollars in prize money. It's sort of a big deal around here. Winners are chosen democratically by text voting throughout the two week competition. We saw a lot of cool stuff while we were down there. It really is a site to see. Here is our day in Instagrams. :) To see more from Artprize, check out the website... http://www.artprize.org/

Happy Monday!

Mark and Megan :: A Grand Rapids Wedding

2011-09-26T09:24:00.004-04:00

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Mark and Megan were married this past August here in Grand Rapids. They had their wedding at Calvary Church and their reception at the BOB downtown. We had so much fun with these two. Not only were they fantastic clients, but they have been wonderful friends for the past several years. It's always extra fun to shoot a friend's wedding.

If you remember from their engagement session, these two went to the University of Michigan. We shot their session last April right before Mark left for Basic Training with the Navy. For a little while, they were unsure if they would even be able to have their wedding in August because of the uncertainty of the military. But everything worked out great and the day was perfect.

So we shot Megan's dress and detail pictures at an old school house. This seems kind of fitting as she is a wonderful teacher. :)

Megan surprised Mark with paper airplanes for their exit from the ceremony, this was such a sweet moment in their day.

Megan and Mark, you two are amazing! We love you and wish you the best in Florida! Don't be strangers :) -Sam and Brad

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Ashtyn :: Senior

2011-09-21T13:30:00.002-04:00

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We met Ashtyn and her family a few weeks back in the farm land of West Michigan. We used several private farms (with permission) to shoot Ashtyn's pictures. She wanted a country rustic look and we are so happy with the way these turned out! We were able to incorporate some old rusting trucks into the session along with an old library filing cabinet and a rustic looking door (you all know how much we love doors). Oh and her style? It was incredible! Ashtyn did a phenomenal job of picking out three dresses that fit perfectly with the country vintage look. Enjoy her images! :)

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The Lake Shore Wedding Walk :: A Recap

2011-09-19T09:12:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we had an awesome opportunity to be a part of a fabulous event in St. Joseph, MI called the Lakeshore Wedding Walk. Basically this a non-traditional bridal show where four venues host a variety of vendors. So at each venue, you would find a single DJ, videographer, florist, photographer, etc. Each vendor sets up a unique booth and is able to interact with brides and grooms. This was such a unique and fun event and we were so glad to be involved. Here are a few photos of our booth.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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A Family Session :: The Theiles

2011-09-15T13:48:00.002-04:00

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We met this beautiful family downtown earlier this summer for their family session. They are absolutely adorable and we love their images. We don't offer traditional family portraits, but when a family comes to us looking for something a little different that meshes with our photography style, we gladly accept. We enjoyed getting to know this family on that hot summer night and now we share their images with you, enjoy!

Their daughters were adorable!!

These last ones are a few of our favorites, so fun an candid :)

Thanks again guys! It was great to meet you and your family!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Rich and Kristen :: A Lansing Wedding

2011-09-12T12:01:00.003-04:00

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Kristen and Rich are the sweetest, like seriously we connected so well with them! From the very first time we met them on a cold winter day, to their engagement session, we have had a blast getting to know them along the way! Their wedding was no exception... filled with all kinds of pretty details and lots of love.

Our favorite makeup artist, Hanna Wagner, did a fabulous job on the makeup for all the girls!

Absolutely LOVE this moment!

Kristen and Rich decided to have their wedding at a family friend's barn instead of a country club. This added such a unique element to the reception and allowed us some awesome locations for Bride and Groom portraits!

We pretty much loved these bouquets.

We decided to take advantage of golden hour and do some pictures of these two as the sun was setting.

Final frame of the evening, as we were packing up...

Kristen and Rich, thank you guys again! Your day was perfect, we had such a great time with you guys! -Sam and Brad

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Justin and Katie :: Engaged!

2011-09-07T09:29:00.004-04:00

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Justin and Katie, these two are the best! We knew from the moment we booked them that we loved them! They have the most beautiful personalities and are the cutest couple ever! Most of these photographs are just them being who they are... completely smitten with each other. This session took place the night before Justin left to take a new job in Washington D.C. Katie will be joining him there once they are married in October. We were so honored to be a part of their last night together before the move. They were truly a joy to photograph!

Katie, you are stunning! One of our favorite shots from the day!

This next location was probably one of the most beautiful locations we have shot at. The way the light filtered through the trees was heavenly!

Katie and Justin, thank you guys so much for allowing us to be a part of your lives. Your wedding day is going to be awesome!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Scott and Tiffany :: An Ann Arbor Wedding

2011-09-02T09:29:00.001-04:00

Scott and Tiffany were married at the beautiful Cobblestone Farms in Ann Arbor earlier this summer. These two are currently living in Arizona, but came to Michigan for their wedding. We had a lot of fun celebrating with them and documenting the joy of their day. We hope you enjoy their preview!

Loved her shoes!

Marital advice from the couple who had been married longest.

Congratulations again Scott and Tiffany! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day, we wish you the best in your life together! :)

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Kelly :: Senior

2011-08-24T19:12:00.002-04:00

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Kelly is the sister of one of our former wedding clients. She is the sweetest thing ever and did a phenomenal job styling her session. We started out shooting at Kentucky-style horse farm and moved to a more rustic farm house setting from there. This was an absolutely perfect night for shooting, the temperatures were mild, it wasn't overly humid, and the light was incredible! Enjoy this preview of Kelly's session!

Have a great senior year, Kelly!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Kevin and Leigh :: A Grand Rapids Wedding

2011-08-19T07:45:00.001-04:00

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Kevin and Leigh are so much fun! We really enjoyed them and their families on their July wedding day. The ceremony was held in Byron Center and the reception was in downtown Grand Rapids. The weather was relentlessly hot, but we all made it work and it turned out to be a perfect day!

We loved her bouquet, it was so modern and gorgeous!

Leigh, you are stunning!! We LOVE this portrait of you!

The boys... hanging out

Leigh and Kevin had such a beautiful ceremony. In the middle of it, she surprised him by playing a song for him on the piano!

Officially married!

These two are the cutest!

On to the reception... :)

This had got to be one of the funniest cake cuttings we have seen yet...

Outside for a few more portraits...

And let the dancing begin!

Leigh and Kevin, thank you SO much again for having us be a part of your day. You two are one of a kind and we know you will have a phenomenally happy life together!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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A Steal of a Deal

2011-08-17T07:34:00.003-04:00

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If you've followed our blog for any period of time, you've probably gathered that we love to go antiquing. What we love even more are good deals on antiques! Well, on the way to Sunday's wedding down in North Carolina, we stumbled upon a garage sale and found this beautiful typewriter for 20 bucks! We had been shopping around a LOT for a vintage typewriter and most ranged from $100 to $200, so imagine our delight when we stumbled upon this beauty!

Have a great Wednesday, everyone! -Sam and Brad

Chris and Elizabeth :: Engaged

2011-08-15T08:21:00.002-04:00

Elizabeth and Chris just recently booked us for their October wedding. They wanted to have engagement pictures shot before Chris left for a new job in Seattle and the only opening we had was for a sunrise engagement session. We met at 6:00 in the morning. are these two dedicated or what?! It was well worth it... not only did these two rock their session, but we had a great time doing it and the light that morning was epic. Here are some of our favorites from their session...

After a quick outfit change, we headed to an orchard to shoot more of these two. This next shot is not our typical style, but the light was too irresistible to not experiment with.

We are in an orchard, why not shoot Elizabeth's ring on an apple?

These last ones are totally fun! These two brought along a chalkboard and had us take shots of them with all different numbers. They are going to be using these for their table numbers at their wedding... we LOVE this idea and it was so much fun!

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Scott and Meaghan :: Engaged

2011-08-09T13:22:00.002-04:00

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Scott and Meaghan are such a sweet couple! :) We really enjoyed hanging out with them on their engagement session. We started out downtown for an urban feel and ended the session at Robinette's Apple Orchard where Scott proposed. Meaghan is not only stunning but she also brought a ton of fabulous outfit choices... and she is stylin'!

They were rocking this location!

Meaghan... you are gorgeous!

How cute are those shoes?!

Meaghan and Scott we are so excited and can't wait for your September 4th wedding! :)

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Photographers' Wedding :: Ring Bearer Pillow

2011-08-08T09:49:00.003-04:00

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Hey all... Sam here! It's been a while since I've posted something in our installment of "Photographers' Wedding." This summer has been so busy with weddings, meetings, sessions, office work days and of course family vacations. Even in the middle of all the happenings we still manage to find time to plan our own wedding as well. I recently had a fun idea for a ring bearer pillow with a twist and I ran with it! Instead of your typical pillow I decided to craft my own. All I did was play off of our vintage feel and the end result was a super unique and fun "pillow" for our ring bearer to carry down the aisle!

I promise I will blog more this fall and winter when things get slower in the business.... I've got a lot more projects in my future! Happy Monday everyone!

Andrew and Elizabeth :: A Holland Wedding

2011-08-03T20:22:00.000-04:00

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We had the awesome privilege of being a part of Elizabeth and Andrew's vintage, eclectic and super unique wedding day. These two were so much fun to spend time with. :) They both have such amazing personalities and we loved every minute of their day. We hope you enjoy their fun DIY wedding as much as we do! :)

Alright, who is ready for detail overload? Seriously, we LOVED this reception and had a heyday shooting it! It was held at the Midtown Center in Holland, MI.

We also took these two down in the basement of the school, where we found an old gym and boiler room. Don't we have the best brides and grooms ever?!

Root Beer floats?? YES please!

Congratulations again, Elizabeth and Andrew... we had so much fun with you guys! :)

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

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To Sam...

2011-08-01T08:13:00.000-04:00

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Hey all, it's Brad. I just wanted to take a minute to wish a very happy birthday to one of the best people I know! Sam has been such an incredible person in my life and she deserves to be celebrated. Not only is she an awesome business partner, but she is an incredible woman, fiancee, and friend. My life is so full of joy because of her. Anybody who knows Sam, knows exactly what I mean when I say her personality is absolutely infectious. She is such a beautiful person through and through... I love you Samantha Marie!

Jordyn :: Senior

2011-07-28T09:22:00.001-04:00

Jordyn is literally one of the sweetest girls ever, but when she gets in front of the camera... oh man is she fierce. We shot her senior pictures a few weeks back and had such an awesome time with her. She brought a couple fabulous outfits and rocked every single location we brought her to. We hope you enjoy her photographs!

A junk yard with old, rusty pipes? Yes please!

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Keith and Amanda :: A Benton Harbor Wedding

2011-07-26T15:19:00.004-04:00

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Keith and Amanda are ridiculously sweet! We met them for the first time a few weeks before there wedding and we fell in love with them immediately. They had a very intimate beach ceremony in Benton Harbor, it had been storming all day.... but let up just as the ceremony began. It turned out to be a beautiful night, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Mandy and Keith, Congratulations again! We love you guys!

Venue :: Jean Klock Park.... Benton Harbor, MI

Photographer :: Bradley James Photography

Flowers :: Crystal Springs Florists

Event Planner :: Stella Event Design

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Mary and Elizabeth :: An Anytime Shoot

2011-07-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

Mary and Elizabeth are twin sisters, who live in North Carolina. They are the sweetest, cutest things ever! We met them for an Anytime Session while we were down in North Carolina a few weeks ago. We had an absolutely perfect evening to shoot... Enjoy!

And on to a more natural setting...

Mary and Elizabeth, Thank you so much for allowing us to shoot some portraits for you guys! Good luck in college, you will be awesome! -Brad and Sam

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Out of Office :: Summer Camp

2011-07-18T05:00:00.002-04:00

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Hey friends! We are headed out of the office for the week. We are going to be with our church "Frontline Community Church" at Never The Same summer camp in New York as camp leaders! We are so excited and thrilled that we have the opportunity to reach out to a younger generation of kids for a week and be their mentors and friends. We will be back in the office, responding to emails and such on Monday morning (July 25)!

Have a great week everyone!

07.16.11 :: One Frame

2011-07-17T15:10:00.001-04:00

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Congratulations, Andrew and Elizabeth! We LOVED your wedding :) Here is a preview from your day... We are getting this image printed really, really big and hanging it in our office.

Hector and Audrey :: A Chicago Wedding

2011-07-15T22:09:00.002-04:00

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A few weekends back, we had the opportunity to travel to Chicago to shoot Audrey and Hector's wedding. We had shot their engagement session this past spring here in Grand Rapids and were extremely excited to travel for their wedding! The day started with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. It was a beautiful start to an amazing day...

Then, the two of them headed their separate ways to get ready for the American wedding ceremony....

Audrey... you are stunning!!

Audrey and Hector were married in Willow Creek Community Church. This is literally the biggest church I have ever seen, ever... They were married in the chapel of the church.

Loved this idea...

Thanks so much again, Audrey and Hector. You two have been fantastic and we wish you the best in life! :)

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"New" Desk!

2011-07-14T14:55:00.002-04:00

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We are so excited about the new desk we got that we just had to share some pictures! This past weekend, we went to IKEA in Canton, MI. We shopped for the day, got a few things we needed and then headed over to Marshall's to browse around. While there, we came across this piece. We both fell in love with it! It has an aluminum top and a wood bottom, the perfect blend of urban and vintage. Could that be more Brad and Sam?? Needless to say, it has become our new office desk and we are LOVING it, here are just a few images of it...

Happy Thursday!

The Austins :: An Anytime Shoot

2011-07-13T10:29:00.002-04:00

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This Austin clan is related to Sam.... this is her Aunt and Uncle. We had so much fun with them and had an absolutely gorgeous night to shoot their session. We started out around their home to make it easier on their littlest and newest addition to the family. After that we drove down the street to the apple orchard and finished the session there.

Jack, their younger boy (7) has Autism. He is so full of energy and has a heart full of life and happiness. At first, it took a little bit for him to warm up to the camera, but once we got going... he was there to have a good time. We had a blast capturing his genuine emotion. We are so happy with these pictures of this family just being a family! No stiff posing or fake smiles here!

We started off photographing Leah, their newborn for a bit before heading outside...

We then headed out take some pictures of the family...

Jack and his dad love to play around...

Autism has been a huge part of my Aunt and Uncle's life since Jack was born. They are so grateful for the resources available today for Autistic children. Currently Jack attends school at The Seiter Center where he constantly loved and encouraged in his growth more each day!

Bradley James Photography is a lifestyle photography studio operated by Sam and Brad. We photograph weddings, engagements, Seniors, and kids. We are based in Michigan but are available for travel worldwide. We absolutely love what we do and would love to get to know you!

Contact Brad and Sam about shooting your Wedding or Portraits

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Photographers' Wedding :: Garland

2011-07-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

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Hey all! Sam here for another installment of Photographers' Wedding! :) Just throwing it out there, everyone who reads these.... you are amazing! I love sharing with all you readers about our fun wedding adventures!

Today's tid-bit is about some fun garland that we made! As I'm sure it's obvious, we love to be crafty and are always thinking of new ways to personalize our wedding to really fit our personal style. We got this idea when we were browsing around an antique store in downtown GR and just had to make it ourselves! Even though we aren't positive where this is going to be incorporated in our reception, we know that it will probably be good to go just about anywhere. I think it's really neat when all brides and grooms have a wedding that reflects their style....I mean, it's their wedding so why not do it up and do it with flair!

I hope you can appreciate our "rustic-ish & vintagey" style! (Yep, I really just made up my own words.... I do that.)

Rich and Kristen :: Engaged

2011-07-11T20:30:00.001-04:00

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We first met Kristen and Rich this past winter. We had such an awesome time getting to know them and learning about their lives. We really connected with these two early on and are so excited about their wedding coming up in a few weeks. We met out in Portland for their engagement session, it felt like a storm would begin at any second, but the rain held off and gave us some gorgeous dewy light. Enjoy the photographs...

You guys are adorable together!!

This old abandoned house has got to be one of our favorite locations that we have ever used. ever. In fact we almost got arrested after using it (not really, but we did have an encounter with a police officer).

Kristen and Rich, thank you guys again! You two are amazing! Only a few more weeks until your big day!! :)

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Headed to North Carolina :: Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

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We are headed down to North Carolina for the next week or so! We will be vacationing over the weekend of the fourth. We will do our best to answer phone calls and emails in a timely manner, but may not be as reachable as usual! Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Ross and Sarah :: A Holland Wedding

2011-06-30T14:58:00.001-04:00

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Ross and Sarah got married a few weeks back on the perfect June day! We had such a blast being a part of their wedding. They were married on Windmill Island in Holland, MI. It was our first time shooting there and we definitely hope it won't be our last... everything was perfect!

We actually loved this wedding so much that we've designed and ordered a sample album of it already. It should be here in a few weeks! Without further adieu... meet Sarah and Ross.

Sarah's Allure gown was absolute perfection... we loved every detail of it and it looked incredible on her!

A few of the guys getting ready...

Their wedding had such a summery feel to it! We loved her details... from the color palette to the hand stitched table numbers to the homemade applesauce favors, everything had a personal touch.

The first look...

Haha, this was totally the bridal party's idea. We had so much fun with this group!

Sam captured this angle... we love the closer up perspective! Having two photographers that consistently shoot together is definitely an advantage on your wedding day.

Could these two be any cuter?? Seriously.

The (delicious) homemade applesauce...

Our absolute favorite portraits of the day were captured right before sunset. The light was so incredibly soft and dreamy... We were in photographer's heaven!

And back to the reception...

The first dance and father-daughter dance. This wedding took place on Father's Day weekend and seeing the relationship between Sarah and her dad was so beautiful!

Venue :: Windmill Island... Holland, MI

Photographer :: Bradley James Photography

Flowers :: Carole's Plant Services

DJ :: Rich Swoveland

Cake :: Zeeland Bakery

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