Claire + Josh | Kennedy Family Home | Brighton, MI

3 days ago

3 min read

I don’t even really know how to start this one because Claire + Josh’s wedding felt a little bittersweet for me in the best way. Like we were closing out an era I somehow got lucky enough to be part of.

I photographed both of Josh’s brothers’ weddings, and with Josh being the last sibling to get married, I’ve officially gotten to photograph all three. 😭 Walking into this wedding and already knowing so many people, getting hugs from familiar faces, seeing a family I’ve now gotten to celebrate with over and over again...it was unbelievably humbling. There are SO many photographers they could have chosen each time, and the fact that this family kept bringing me back means more to me than I can probably put into a wedding blog without getting embarrassingly emotional about it. 😂

And what a freaking wedding to end with.

Claire + Josh planned such a beautiful day, but it also felt very much like THEM. They had a beautiful Catholic ceremony and then everyone headed back to Claire’s parents’ house for the reception, where they had turned the property into the most gorgeous wedding venue. The cocktail hour setup was beautiful, the bar was adorable, the tent was filled with long farmhouse tables, and everywhere I looked there was another little detail that had been thought through.

So much of it had been pulled together with the help of their friends and family too. Big things, little things, all the behind-the-scenes stuff you probably never even realize has to happen to host a wedding at home. Their people SHOWED UP for them.

Also. CLAIRE’S DRESS. 😭 I mean COME ON. Absolutely stunning. It was perfection on her.

But I think what I loved most was that once the wedding was actually happening, Claire + Josh wanted to be IN it. They wanted to be together, hang out with their friends and family, eat and drink and laugh and enjoy everything they had spent so much time planning.

And these two are just really freaking fun together. 😂 They’re funny and magnetic and so cute, and they play off each other perfectly.

Then they had one more surprise waiting for all of their guests.

Claire + Josh brought in Irish dancers to kick off the dance floor, and I had been SO excited to see everyone realize what was happening. 😂👏🏻 They were incredible, everyone loved it, and then Claire and her sister Moira joined them for a little performance of their own. I had only JUST found out that they were quite the Irish dancers in their day and I was so impressed.

It was such a fun way to start the party, and after that everyone was ready to GO. Which honestly made perfect sense for the rest of their day. They put so much thought into making sure everyone they loved had an amazing time, and then they were right there in the middle of it having an amazing time with them.

I loved this wedding. I loved how beautiful everything was. I loved how much their friends and family were part of making it happen. I loved watching Claire + Josh laugh their way through the day and actually enjoy the heck out of their own wedding.

And selfishly, I loved getting one more day with this family.

🥹 I’ve gotten to watch this family grow through three weddings, celebrate alongside them three different times, and somehow I was the person they trusted to document every single one.

What a honor. And...I’m a little sad this was the last one. 🤍

Their amazing vendor team:

Venue: St. Patrick Catholic Parish & the Kennedy Family Home

Hair and Make Up: Gracie May Studio

Dress: The White Dress

Dj: Cinderella’s Wedding DJ’s

Cake: Flowers Pastries