Therese & Preston’s Summer Wedding at The Cheney Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan

WeddingsGrand Rapids WeddingsMichigan Weddings

Aug 14

Therese and Preston’s summer wedding at The Cheney Place in Grand Rapids was the perfect mix of romantic, sentimental, colorful, and an absolute PARTY. From the meaningful details Therese incorporated into the beginning of the day to a dance floor filled with glow sticks and bandanas by the end of the night, this wedding felt completely like them.

And as a photographer, I couldn't have asked for a more fun space to capture it all. The Cheney Place has so much personality already built into the venue, giving us completely different looks throughout the entire wedding day without ever needing to leave.

A Blue Summer Wedding at The Cheney Place

Therese and Preston chose the prettiest shades of blue for their August wedding. Preston and his groomsmen wore dark navy suits with brown shoes, while the bridesmaids wore light blue dresses. Their bouquets added even more color with blue, white, soft pink, purple, and plenty of greenery.

Then there was Therese.

Her wedding dress was STUNNING. It featured a scooped neckline and was covered in sparkly pearl and beaded details that caught the light beautifully. She even paired it with pearl-covered heels, which tied everything together perfectly.

Photographing her details was so much fun. Between the pearl shoes, blue vow books, rings, florals, invitation suite, and little touches of blue throughout, everything felt cohesive without feeling overly styled.

Some of the most meaningful details, though, were the ones meant for her parents. Therese gifted each of them a special bottle of alcohol along with a beautiful handkerchief featuring a personal message she had written specifically for them.

Those are the details I LOVE capturing because years from now, they will mean even more than they did on the wedding day.

An Indoor Ceremony Filled With Warmth

One of my favorite things about The Cheney Place is how beautifully it combines historic industrial character with romantic wedding details.

Therese and Preston held their ceremony indoors beneath exposed wood ceilings, rows of warm string lights, and gorgeous chandeliers. A long aisle lined with white pews led to their ceremony space, where greenery and soft draping created the backdrop for their vows.

Looking down that aisle and seeing the two of them surrounded by everyone they love was such a beautiful perspective to photograph.

For couples who love the industrial look but still want their wedding to feel warm and inviting, The Cheney Place truly gives you both.

So Many Different Looks in One Grand Rapids Wedding Venue

The variety throughout The Cheney Place might be my favorite part as a photographer.

There are large industrial windows pouring in natural light, warm wood floors and ceilings, exposed beams, vintage furniture, statement chandeliers, colorful artwork, and modern décor mixed throughout the venue.

For Therese and Preston’s portraits, we used one of the colorful statement walls paired with an oversized gold chandelier and vintage green furniture. Their blue wedding colors looked AMAZING against it.

Then we could walk into another area of the venue and suddenly have an entirely different look with warm wood, greenery, and industrial details.

It allowed their gallery to have so much variety while still feeling like one cohesive wedding day.

A Reception Filled With Fun, and a Special Tribute

And then... the party started.

Therese and Preston shared their first dance underneath hanging disco balls, greenery, and ribbons before everyone joined them on the dance floor.

The glow sticks came out. Sunglasses came out. The dance moves DEFINITELY came out.

And then came the bandanas.

While they made for some seriously fun reception photos, they actually held a much deeper meaning. The bandanas came out in honor of Preston’s brother, who has passed away.

I loved seeing their family and friends put them on and carry a piece of him into the celebration. Even though he couldn't physically be there, there was no question that he was still part of their wedding day, remembered, loved, and right there with them while everyone celebrated Therese and Preston.

Moments like that are why documenting the entire story of a wedding day matters so much.

The Perfect Ending to Their Day at The Cheney Place

By the end of the night, ties were loosened, glow sticks were flying, and Therese and Preston were right in the middle of the dance floor with their favorite people.

Those reception photos aren't perfectly posed, and that's exactly why I love them. They're full of movement, laughter, emotion, and a little bit of chaos. They don't just show what the reception looked like; they show what it felt like.

Therese and Preston’s wedding at The Cheney Place was filled with beautiful details, meaningful reminders of family, and SO much joy.

To the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Scheurer,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to capture such an incredible day in your lives. From the sentimental moments at the beginning of the day to the absolute PARTY that ended the night, your wedding was filled with so much love, laughter, and personality.

Therese, you were absolutely stunning, and every thoughtful detail you put into the day made it even more special, especially the meaningful gifts and handwritten handkerchiefs for your parents. Preston, the way you looked at Therese throughout the entire day made it so easy to see just how much you adore her.

One of my favorite things was seeing how much FUN the two of you had together. You weren't just going through the motions of a wedding day, you were soaking it all in. And once that dance floor opened, you and your people definitely knew how to celebrate!

Thank you for welcoming me into such an important chapter of your story and allowing me to capture everything from the quiet, emotional moments to the hilarious, slightly chaotic ones. Those are the moments that make a wedding day feel like you, and they're exactly why I love what I do.

Wishing you both a lifetime of loving each other, laughing together, dancing like no one is watching, and creating so many more memories along the way.