Hello everyone! Please be our guest for a moment if you will, and check out this adorable “Beauty and the Beast” themed wedding that Jeff and I had the great pleasure and honor of capturing recently! This amazing wedding was between our lovely cousin, Princess Melissa, and her handsome Prince Charming, Kendall. They held this celebration of their love and marriage at the Orlando Familia Banquet Center in Riverview, Michigan. Let’s take a dance around, and see what happened, shall we?
The day started like any other, with a lot of hustle and bustle to get ready in time. Some people were a little late, and so I (Jess), had to step in and help Melissa with her gown. But, I wasn’t alone. Melissa’s daughter, Kenzie, was also a huge help in the process. (And quite honestly, helped me to create some perfectly adorable pictures of them two together!) Kenzie was great at helping Melissa into her dress, and had fun while posing for pictures in the process.
While Kenzie and I helped Melissa into her lovely gown, Jeff was busy scoping out the reception hall, and gathering some of the details in the beautiful afternoon light of the day. They had everything covered, from the stunning card box (that was made by Kendall’s mom, Cindy), to the sweet cake, and everything in between. It truly looked romantic and a touch magical!
Once Melissa was all done up, it was time to get little Kenzie into her own Princess Belle dress. She truly looked like a little miniature Belle from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”, which was perfect for this Beauty and the Beast Themed Wedding. Once that was done, it was time to head outside, and get Kendall ready with a couple last minute touches, and then head to the spot of the First Look. Did I mention before, how awesome a First Look really is for couples? (Read all about Why You Should Have a First Look here!)
Wow, that First Look was so amazing, and I love seeing it! But, the story must continue. So, after the First Look, it was time for some candids and some posed and yet candid photos in front of the lovely staircase that Orlando Familia has in their reception hall. Everyone just looks so amazing here. Let’s take a peek, shall we?
Okay, so after that peek, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that everyone looks beyond stunning and adorable, right? Good. I’m glad we’re still on the same page. But, next, we have the wedding ceremony itself! The ceremony was held in the Wedding Chapel on the Green, right next to the Banquet Hall for Orlando Familia. It’s a cute little place, and the perfect spot for a smaller ceremony. It can get pretty crowded in here, but this time, it wasn’t too bad. (Jeff and I have seen it WAY more stuffed, lol.)
Everyone lined up, and started down the aisle to some beautiful music playing from their own custom playlist. Kenzie and her older brother Jordan, looked like a perfect pair, in their adorable Belle Dress and Prince Charming outfits. (I may be wrong on Jordan’s outfit. It might not be “Prince Charming”, but he looked charming nonetheless, and still matched the Beauty and the Beast themed wedding.) Melissa was escorted by her mother and grandmother, and it was a touching moment to be sure, when she walked down the aisle with both of them supporting her on either side.
Once Melissa and Kendall were together at the head of the aisle, the ceremony was under way. They had a sweet and short ceremony, but with some beautiful elements intertwined into it. Not only did they exchange rings, but they also had a Unity Sand Ceremony that included their son Jordan, and their daughter, Kenzie. It was sooooo cute! Anyhow, after the ceremony was over, it was time for their First Kiss as Husband and Wife, and a quick walk down the aisle together. Once they were outside, they held a receiving line to see their guests before they headed to the cocktail hour.
After the receiving line was over, it was time to head back inside, and take some Family Formal pictures. They kept these brief and short, only allowing immediate family into these photos. They turned out perfectly and we couldn’t have asked for better light during this part of the day. As this is our family as well (Melissa is our cousin after all), we won’t tell you how much fun it was to meet them again. Lol! We already know them that’s why silly. I bet you thought something worse, didn’t you? Well, it was truly great seeing everyone gathered together, and a pleasure to take their pictures.
Next, the entire Bridal Party (both Groomsmen, and Bridesmaids) including the Bride and Groom, all went to Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Michigan for the fun formal pictures of them all gathered together. Everyone looked amazing in their blue dresses and suits. The bouquets matched perfectly, and we had gorgeous light during this time of the day. The Best Man even paid for Melissa to have a photo on one of the horses at the stables here! (We don’t recommend doing this, as the stable workers there can be a bit touchy about such things, and were pretty upset that she didn’t take a ride, and only wanted a picture. Yes, that’s even after they paid for the ride, but I digress.)
After the picture with the lovely horse, the Bridal Party went back to the party bus to wait for us, while we took some romantic portraits of Melissa and Kendall together. These two are so perfect together, in and out of photographs. Just look at them! They couldn’t help but to laugh and share their joy with one another in these photographs and we had one of the easiest times ever, taking these photos of them.
Once we all arrived back from Elizabeth Park in Trenton, it was time to gather some more detail shots as new things were found, and ready that weren’t when we arrived. (This is very typical.) Things such as Lumiere and Cogsworth statues, that fit perfectly into this Beauty and the Beast themed wedding. We also took a few candid photos of everyone, before things got started with the Grand Entrances!
Next, we have the Grand Entrances! Everyone had fun coming in, announced by their awesome DJ. The kids had a lot of fun (just look at Jordan’s face!), and when the new Mr. and Mrs. were announced, they came in, and danced a bit to everyone’s surprise and joy. All the little girls joined them for a bit and the crowd of friends and family, just went wild!
Right after their Grand Entrance, it was time to cut their wedding cake. Just like the rest of the day so far, everything went perfectly. They could do anything and make it look perfect, am I right?!
After the cake cutting, we had a blessing for the food that was to come, and took some more candids of everyone gathered after we ate. It was kinda cool, and yet kinda weird, sitting with our family at their reception, I must admit. But I digress. Everyone was having a grand time together, and eagerly awaiting the speeches.
One thing that Jeff and I love about Orlando Familia Banquet Center, is that when you have your reception there, and if you time everything right, the background for speeches and the head table, is amazing! You sit in front of large windows and can see the beautiful greenery that is outside. Melissa and Kendall timed it perfectly, so you can see here what I mean during the speeches given by the Best Man, Maid of Honor, and the Sister of the Groom. Melissa and Kendall took a moment to say some words too, and tears of joy was shared by everyone.
Whew, this is a lot so far, right? Well, we’re almost done, but there is still some more awesomeness to behold. Shortly after the speeches and toasts were given, it was time for Melissa and Kendall to have their First Dance as Husband and Wife together. It was beautiful! They did more dancing than the typical “prom dance” that we see, and you can just tell how in love they are with one another here.
After their first dance together, it was time for Melissa to have her First Dance with her Brother. Unfortunately, her father had passed away 8 or 9 years ago, and so her younger brother, stepped up and filled his shoes for her. Her sister too, and her Maid of Honor, joined them halfway through the song, and they had a very touching moment together on the dance floor.
Once they were done, it was time for Kendall to have a first dance with his lovely mother. There were tears here, and towards the end of this dance, Kendall’s sister also came up and shared a moment with her mother and brother. They danced, they cried, and then they started to raise the roof and get the party started!
But, the party didn’t just go straight into dancing from there. Oh no, next we have the Garter Toss and the Bouquet Toss! Both were a lot of fun, even if the guys didn’t seem too enthused to catch the garter. Kendall had no problem with that and danced like a pro before tossing the garter. (Not to mention the sexy dancing he did before getting the garter!) Melissa was cheerful as ever and tossed the bouquet to the eagerly awaiting ladies behind her. Our cousin Megan and one other lady had a quick tussle to grab the bouquet, but unfortunately for Megan, the other lady won. (Sorry Potato!)
After that, it was time to dance the night away! The DJ was amazing and even got on the dance floor to show people how to do the dances to songs like The Hustle and The Wobble and all that. He truly helped keep the party going long after we even were done with photographing the events of the night. However, before we left, we got some more shots of family and friends on the staircase, and said goodbye to everyone so they could keep partying the night away.
Whew! What a day it was! It truly was, a tale as old as time, but it was still uniquely a tale that perfectly fit Kendall and Melissa’s love for one another, and for their Beauty and the Beast themed wedding. It was such an honor for us to photograph their wedding and we’re so glad they included us as much as they could throughout the day, without overworking us in the process. They were very appreciative the entire day and night (and beyond!), and we couldn’t be happier for them.
Thank you Kendall and Melissa! I hope you two are happy for many years to come, and that you look back on this day with the same joy you had during the day itself. We love you guys and thank you again for everything!
And thank you too, reader, for taking the time to read through this love story and viewing all of the pictures of this Beauty and the Beast themed wedding. If you are getting married yourself soon, Jeff and I would love to talk to you about capturing your own love story, and sharing it on our blog here as well.
xoxo,
Jess
VENDOR INFORMATION
P.S. Here is the information I have for the vendors that helped make this day a reality.
DJ: Sounds by DJ Low
Venue: Orlando Familia Banquet Center
Dresses: David’s Bridal
Wedding Cake: Margies
Decor: Homemade
Photography: Intrigue Photography (of course! lol)
FAMILY & FRIENDS:
You can view the full gallery and order prints from the gallery here: https://www.intriguedigitalphotographyprints.com/Clients/Melissa-Kendall-Beauty-the-Beast-Themed-Wedding/
