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Simone | Michigan & Destination Wedding Photographer

@simonearoraphoto

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Just a short girl with tall girl energy.
For couples who just want to have fun. Booking 2027.
MI | Available for any love, anywhere
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸🇺🇦

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In the day and age of AI and the wake of “photographers” generating fake AI weddings, real photos matter so much more. Hand-culled, hand-edited, hand-curated photos of moments that actually happened on your wedding day are something AI could never recreate.If vendors who don’t use AI are important to you, take the time to find the right professional. Ask your vendors if and how they’re using AI. If they’re not using AI, be aware of a few things that might change your vendor experience. Vendors who don’t use AI might:- Be a little slower to deliver your gallery. Editing every photo by hand takes time.- Be a little more personal on communications. We read every word you write and take it to heart.- Have unique galleries and websites. None of that slightly similar bs here!- Share our own personal thoughts in captions. Apples are a boring fruit.- Care about the environment and our planet’s future. This might be a spicy topic - not sorry.- Customize your wedding experience to you and your partner. The horror.- Be more of a boutique shop. We also might be harder to find since a lot of people are leaning on AI these days.So how do you find wedding vendors who don’t use AI?- Ask. A lot of us will very openly tell you. If they don’t openly tell you, that’s a red flag.- Look on their websites if you don’t want to ask! I’ve clarified my AI use on my website and my email signature and a lot of other vendors have, too.- Read through their messages and captions. A lot of vendors use AI to respond to clients or generate their captions - Look for em dashes, very clear hook lines with, “if I’m being honest,” type starters, and formulaic paragraphs.Some clients care deeply about their vendors not using AI. Some don’t. There’s a wedding vendor out there for everyone and we are so honored to have clients whose beliefs align.Photography: @simonearoraphoto Venue: @thecommunityhousebirminghamMake up: @cassandra.ferguson_DJ: @hwmichigandjs by @simonearoraphoto

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12 days ago

Mildly vulnerable post ahead.One of my favorite things to ask other vendors during dinner break on a wedding day is, “do you still get nervous before a wedding?”90% of the time, the answer is “absolutely.”Going into a new venue with a couple you’ve maybe only met via video call with new family dynamics and new wants and needs is nerve wracking, no matter how many weddings I’ve shot.What will the lighting be? Will we stick to the timeline? Where will my gear go? Which guest is going to give me attitude or hit on me this time? The morning before a wedding, I’m a big ball of nerves. I go through timelines dozens of times visualizing every moment. I come up with backup plans in case I don’t have time for something or it rains. I make notes of family tension, must-have photos, and anything the couple has mentioned previously.Once I’m in the car, I crank podcasts to distract myself. My stomach is usually in knots until the moment I step foot into the venue. Then it’s go time.Editorial details:Venue: @conestogahouseandgardensPhotographer: @simonearoraphoto Workshop Host: @meganmcgouldrickphotographyFlorals: @flowersfrom12thVideo: @kurtzweddingsStyling: @thepetitechalethomeChair Rental: @boulevardrentalInvitation Suite: @studioalison.coHair: @goddessbyginaMakeup: @shariddoesmakeupDresses & Accessories: @vanclevebridalVeil: @vanclevebridalLinens: @thetotaltable Models: @skylarlacey @brycezelig by @simonearoraphoto

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22 days ago

Let’s talk body language.Your photographer should be subtly guiding you into the best positions throughout your wedding day. You should never feel forced into a position that doesn’t work for you as a couple, personality-wise or physically. Just because a pose worked for another couple does not mean it will work for you, and that’s ok! Your photographer should work with you to figure out what looks and feels best.Uncanny valley positions like looking in opposite directions, sitting back and back laying your heads on each other’s shoulders, or body language that doesn’t speak love to your partner are far too commonly seen as “trendy” poses. But trendy doesn’t always mean good.Body language plays such an important role in photos, and yet it’s one of the least-understood and least-explained aspects of wedding photography.Leaning into your partner during speeches, cozying up during your formals session, smiling, holding hands, and making eye contact while standing at the altar facing each other. All of these things not only speak love to your partner, but they’re capturable glimpses into your relationship.As a photographer who studies body language, it’s my duty to make sure your photos convey the love you share with your partner. Beautifully. Elegantly. Playfully. Intimately.Editorial details:Venue: @conestogahouseandgardensPhotographer: @simonearoraphoto Workshop Host: @meganmcgouldrickphotographyFlorals: @flowersfrom12thVideo: @kurtzweddingsStyling: @thepetitechalethomeChair Rental: @boulevardrentalInvitation Suite: @studioalison.coHair: @goddessbyginaMakeup: @shariddoesmakeupDress & Accessories: @vanclevebridalVeil: @vanclevebridalModels: @_rachelgonzalez @almizzle by @simonearoraphoto

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11 days ago

I rarely have a weekend where I’m not shooting a wedding or a week where I’m not swamped with something at my job. But when I do, I take a year to post about it. (Thank you @mrs.elling for the cute beach family pics - grateful to have someone who takes photos of me whenever we go anywhere)Mix of digital and film by @simonearoraphoto

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17 days ago

Unfiltered, unfettered, uninhibited, and slightly unhinged is my new favorite type of love to photograph. No holding back. Personalities on full display.Real, raw, and rambunctious. I guess I’m feeling all these new buzzwords and alliterations today, but it’s the truth. I’m really leaning into a newer style these days. Editorial + documentary, but make it fun and fresh. We’ll keep all of the same elements that make couples look great with small posture tweaks, while adding in a new layer of informality with moments where the couple can truly be themselves.Editorial details:Venue: @conestogahouseandgardensPhotographer: @simonearoraphoto Workshop Host: @meganmcgouldrickphotographyFlorals: @flowersfrom12thVideo: @kurtzweddingsStyling: @thepetitechalethomeChair Rental: @boulevardrentalInvitation Suite: @studioalison.coHair: @goddessbyginaMakeup: @shariddoesmakeupDress & Accessories: @vanclevebridalModels: @jamie_katelyyy @jimmywaterstradt by @simonearoraphoto

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19 days ago

Are we allowed to have favorite guests at weddings? You know the type - they ham it up in front of the camera with no hesitation, have an absolute blast just being there for their friends, and break it down on the dance floor late into the night. They steal my heart at every wedding.This carousel is dedicated to the guys. Stay tuned for a love note to the ladies. by @simonearoraphoto

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21 days ago

Hot take: Your wedding photographer doesn’t have to be your absolute best friend on your wedding day.What they should be, though, is:- Your hair fixer- Your dress fluffer/suit straightener- Your calming presence- Your posing expert- Your secret spy hiding in the bushes for a great shot- Your chaos blocker- Your extra pair of hands to open snackies- Your personal MMA fighter when Aunt Karen steps into the aisle during your first kiss- Someone to check in on you when you’re overwhelmed- Able to pivot at the drop of a hat when something goes adrift- Someone who has fun with you, your wedding party, and your guests and keeps the energy light- Someone who can interact with a multitude of people and personalities to help them feel comfortable enough to let their guard downClients think they have to hire someone who is just like them. You’re constantly marketed to by photographers as, “your wedding day bestie,” or “your third wheel.” You can have a great time with your photographer even if they’re not your bestie from the start. Make sure your personalities mesh, their work is good, and they know what they’re doing but don’t stress yourself out if you’re not texting each other late into the night about florals or wedding dresses. A great photographer will deliver good photos even if you’ve never met before.Editorial details:Venue: @conestogahouseandgardensPhotographer: @simonearoraphotoWorkshop Host: @meganmcgouldrickphotographyFlorals: @flowersfrom12thVideo: @kurtzweddingsStyling: @thepetitechalethomeChair Rental: @boulevardrentalInvitation Suite: @studioalison.coHair: @goddessbyginaMakeup: @shariddoesmakeupDresses & Accessories: @vanclevebridalVeil: @vanclevebridalLinens: @thetotaltableModels: @skylarlacey @brycezelig by @simonearoraphoto

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23 days ago

Something blue never looked so good.Surprise after loved-filled surprise was a theme throughout R+S’s wedding day. From little gifts for each other and friends and family, a dress change, and a choreographed dance to commemorate their marriage, the day was nothing short of a joyous event at Lovett Hall at The Henry Ford Museum.Venue: @thehenryford / @thfevents Photography: @simonearoraphotoHair: @kc.beautybar21 Makeup: @evateamglamdetroit Dress: @theweddingshoppemi Florist: @marigoldfloralstudio_det Video: @ftpweddingsCake: @josefspastryshop Officiant: @theaaronsanko by @simonearoraphoto

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24 days ago

There’s something so wonderful about a venue that requires no decor to make it shine.Driving to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for this gorgeous editorial, we were greeted by green all around. The lushness of the trees in the hills followed us all the way to Conestoga House & Gardens. The entire house was surrounded by greenery, with pops of pinks, purples, and oranges dotting the facade.Walking around the grounds felt like I was visiting a European countryside manor or English cottage home. It was rich with history and natural textures everywhere I looked.The Northeast is filled with venues that bring a unique element to a wedding day, and it’s truly special to see new life breathed into these spaces.Venue: @conestogahouseandgardensPhotographer: @simonearoraphotoWorkshop Host: @meganmcgouldrickphotographyFlorals: @flowersfrom12thVideo: @kurtzweddingsStyling: @thepetitechalethomeChair Rental: @boulevardrentalInvitation Suite: @studioalison.coHair: @goddessbyginaMakeup: @sharidoesmakeupDresses & Accessories: @vanclevebridalVeil: @vanclevebridalLinens: @thetotaltable by @simonearoraphoto

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25 days ago

Weddings during summer are wonderful. Weddings during a Michigan summer are something magical.Photography: @simonearoraphoto Coordinating and Officiant: @sweetceremoniesbycandy Venue: @waldenwoodsweddings by @simonearoraphoto

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a month ago

One thing that isn’t really talked about in the wedding industry is what happens to the newlywed couple behind the scenes during a wedding day. We see reels of “BTS” or see reaction shots from photographers’ perspectives. We hear all the tales of craziness that took place that night in the days after the wedding from friends. But we never really dive into what the couple experiences.Family dynamics can weigh heavily over the day. People missing from their big day, people not showing up in the way that fully supports the couple, or people making things harder for the couple are a constant distraction. Family members peeking into their getting ready room before the ceremony or getting too drunk during cocktail hour, guests showing up utterly too early before the ceremony or talking during speeches. I’ve heard all too many times, “oh, they didn’t make it, we can skip that photo,” during family formals. There’s almost always disappointment in their voice. So how do we fix all of this? Families will be families, yes. But having someone on your team who can read people and situations, command the room, and take back control for the couple is a great place to start.Ask your photographer how they handle complicated family dynamics. What do they do when Aunt Karen demands to see the bride before the ceremony? Talk to your team openly and candidly. We’re there to support you, and we’ll happily play the bad guy if it means you get to enjoy your day.Thanks for bringing me along to second shoot this beautiful Ann Arbor wedding, @savvyshootsphotos. by @simonearoraphoto

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a month ago

Balancing trends and a traditions for a wedding is becoming more and more precarious with social media driving new ideas every day. How do you stay true to yourself as a couple, but also keep things fresh and fun for your guests?The truth is, you can do both! A traditional venue with a modern twist on food and drinks. Vintage formalwear and a vintage getaway car with modern flash photos. Mix a modern venue with a traditional ceremony. There are so many ways to stay let your personalities shine as a couple and keep things exciting for your guests.Thanks for letting me tag along as second on this beautiful wedding, @savvyshootsphotos! by @simonearoraphoto

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a month ago