Shonda Michelson Photography

Call Website

Shonda Michelson Photography Hi! I'm Shonda! Northern Michigan elopement + small wedding photographer for couples who don’t fit the traditional wedding mold. www.shondamphotography.com

Please visit my website for my details. Please visit my website for more details.

Your ceremony can be more than vows + rings + a kiss. Your ceremony can be one of the most personal parts of your weddi...
09/14/2026

Your ceremony can be more than vows + rings + a kiss.

Your ceremony can be one of the most personal parts of your wedding day, especially when you stop thinking about what a ceremony is "supposed" to look like.

You could incorporate handfasting or knot tying. Plant a tree together. Begin with meditation. Read poetry, or play a song that means something to you. Include a spiritual ritual that reflects what you actually believe.

Or keep it incredibly simple and exchange vows somewhere beautiful.
There isn't one right way to make a ceremony meaningful.

The important part is that whatever you include has a reason for being there.
Tradition can be beautiful when it means something to you. When it doesn't, you don't need it.

I think one of the best things about finding your person is realizing you don't have to become less of yourself to be lo...
09/13/2026

I think one of the best things about finding your person is realizing you don't have to become less of yourself to be loved.

You don't have to make yourself easier to understand, quiet the parts of you that matter, or stay exactly the same person you were when you met.

The right kind of love makes room for who you are now and for who you're still becoming.

Maybe that's what it really means to feel both seen and safe with someone. They aren't just loving one version of you.

They're choosing to keep knowing you as you grow.

There's something about that first hint of fall in Northern Michigan.The mornings get cooler. The light starts changing....
09/11/2026

There's something about that first hint of fall in Northern Michigan.

The mornings get cooler. The light starts changing. Things begin slowing down just a little. Fall reminds us that change doesn't always have to be something we resist. Sometimes it's exactly what's supposed to happen.

There are seasons for growing, seasons for letting go, and seasons for figuring out what comes next.

You don't always have to rush into the next one. Sometimes it's enough to notice that things are changing and let yourself change with them.

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” - commonly attribute...
09/09/2026

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” - commonly attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche

Not everyone is going to understand the choices you make, and they don't need to.
They aren't hearing your music. They're not living your relationship, building your life, or waking up inside the consequences of your decisions.

Listen to advice, and consider the people you love. But don't mistake someone else's inability to understand your path for evidence that you're on the wrong one.

Here's something nobody tells you when you're trying to save money on a wedding:Cheap and inexpensive aren't necessarily...
09/07/2026

Here's something nobody tells you when you're trying to save money on a wedding:

Cheap and inexpensive aren't necessarily the same thing.

Choosing a smaller wedding so you can spend more on the things you value isn't being cheap. Neither is skipping traditions you don't care about.

But choosing the cheapest possible option for something that's genuinely important to you can end up being a decision you regret.

A budget should help you decide where your money matters most, not simply make every decision based on the lowest number.

Save aggressively on the things that don't matter to you, and give yourself permission to invest in the things that do.

“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” - Joseph CampbellMaybe that's one of the hardest things we learn. T...
09/05/2026

“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.”
- Joseph Campbell

Maybe that's one of the hardest things we learn.

There will always be expectations about who we're supposed to be, what success is supposed to look like, and which path we're supposed to take.

At some point, you get to decide whether you're going to keep living according to those expectations or start listening to yourself.

That applies to the big things and the seemingly small ones. Your career, your relationships, how you spend your time, and how you get married.

A life that looks right to everyone else isn't worth much if it never feels like yours.

“The heart is resilient and forgiving; it is the mind that causes us stress.” — Alex ElleOverthinking has a way of makin...
09/02/2026

“The heart is resilient and forgiving; it is the mind that causes us stress.”
— Alex Elle

Overthinking has a way of making everything heavier than it needs to be. 🙋‍♀️Guilty.

We replay conversations, question decisions, and imagine outcomes that haven't happened. We worry what everyone else will think.

Somewhere underneath all that noise, we usually already know what feels right.
Sometimes the hard part isn't finding the answer. It's quieting everything else long enough to trust it.

You can have your favorite people there AND have an intimate wedding. Eloping doesn't have to mean secretly disappearin...
08/31/2026

You can have your favorite people there AND have an intimate wedding.

Eloping doesn't have to mean secretly disappearing into the mountains with nobody else around. And it doesn't mean nobody gets invited.

Maybe your people are your parents and siblings, or they’re six friends who’ve become family. Or 25 people gathered around one long dinner table.

There's no magic number where a wedding suddenly becomes meaningful. It's about choosing the people whose presence actually adds something to the experience.

You know what I don't think you'll regret? Having time. Time to sit down. Time to actually eat the food you chose and...
08/28/2026

You know what I don't think you'll regret?

Having time.

Time to sit down. Time to actually eat the food you chose and time to talk to the people you invited.

Time to wander somewhere beautiful without checking the clock every five minutes and to look at each other and realize, holy s**t, we're married.

When you're planning your timeline, don't try to squeeze as much as possible into your day. Leave room to actually experience it.

Apparently it's National Dog Day, and while I don't have a dog of my own anymore, I do have a grand dog. And I will hap...
08/26/2026

Apparently it's National Dog Day, and while I don't have a dog of my own anymore, I do have a grand dog. And I will happily love on yours.

I absolutely love when couples bring their dogs along for engagement photos or find a way to include them in their wedding day.

They're not just something cute to add to the photos. They're part of your everyday life and your family. They're there for the ordinary mornings, the walks, the road trips, the bad days, the really good days, and probably taking up significantly more of the bed than they were originally allotted.

So if they're an important part of your life together, why wouldn't they be part of the photos that tell your story?

Will they always cooperate? Absolutely not.

They'll look the wrong way. They'll get distracted. They'll decide that right now is the perfect time to sniff something fascinating.

Honestly, that's part of what makes it so good.

Bring the dog. We'll embrace the chaos. 🖤

Address

Grayling, MI
49738

Telephone

+19897870224

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Shonda Michelson Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category