The first dress I tried on was THE dress. It just felt like mine, and embodied my classic and simple style. My jewelry was so much fun to pick out! I wanted a classic and elegant look. In my opinion, less is always more.
Ashley
ASHLEY: We met as teenagers because we lived in neighboring towns, so our paths crossed multiple times. Michael always joked to his friends that one day he’d date Ashley, and his friends would laugh. Ironically, 4 years later, we reconnected at a University of Michigan football tailgate (after party inspo!). As most University of Michigan love stories go, the rest was history.
ASHLEY: When my alarm went off, I got out of bed and immediately walked out onto the beautiful balcony of my room at Casa Cipriani. I vividly remember taking a deep breath, and then instantly being brought to tears! I was overcome with immense emotion and joy – it was a feeling I don’t think I will ever be able to describe. My first thought was, TAKE THIS ALL IN – every single moment and detail around me, just take it in.
MICHAEL: Today is the day. After years in the making, my dreams come true and I get to marry Ashley.
I’ll never forget the wave she gave me as I approached her during our first look. The way she looked on our wedding day will forever be ingrained in my mind.
Michael
One of the funny moments was when Ira got so excited about a photo he just took during our first look, and his energy and response to it was so hilarious to us. He made us feel like we were supermodels.
Ashley
ASHLEY: As cliche as it sounds, the first dress I tried on was THE dress. I tried on multiple dresses, but could not stop thinking about the first dress I tried on at Monique Lhullier. It just felt like mine, and embodied my classic and simple style. My jewelry was so much fun to pick out! I worked with Kwiat, the jeweler who made my engagement ring. I wanted a classic and elegant look. In my opinion, less is always more. This phrase also applied to my hair and makeup vision. I wanted my hair and makeup to be simple, and to represent how I typically style myself, but of course, with the help of Stephanie Perez and Oliva Halpin, an extremely elevated version!
MICHAEL: I wanted something custom and classic. I worked with J, Meuser to create the perfect tuxedo. As for jewelry, I wore my great grandfather’s watch, which held so much meaning to my family. Ashley’s parents gifted me Cartier cufflinks which were the perfect touch!
I was at a loss for words, and was overwhelmed with emotions. She was truly the most beautiful and stunning bride. I’ll never forget the wave she gave me as I approached her during our first look. The way she looked on our wedding day will forever be ingrained in my mind.
Selecting our Venue at Cipriani South Street was by far the easiest decision. I walked in and just said to my parents, "This is it."
Ashley
ASHLEY: Selecting our Venue at Cipriani South Street was by far the easiest decision. I walked in and just said to my parents, “This is it.” I envisioned myself walking down the aisle with each of them by my side the second I walked into the ballroom. We toured it when it was under construction, and I still felt immediately connected to it. A moment that I won’t forget during our tour process at Cipriani was when we noticed that the railing on the balcony was lined with anchors – a meaningful symbol to my family that represented my grandfather who is no longer with us. From that moment on, we knew this was the place. Casa Cipriani is such a special venue, but at that moment, it became special to our family.
The hardest decision we had to make was changing our date due to COVID-19. However, It worked out for the better and we had the most beautiful day of the year!
MICHAEL: My easiest decision was to let Ashley do her thing! BUT the venue was our easiest decision. The toughest decisions were around COVID protocols for our guests.
We will never forget the look on each other's faces when we exchanged our vows; it was as if we were the only two people in the room.
Ashley
When our Rabbi sang “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, and the love was truly palpable.
Ashley
ASHLEY: Immediately after the ceremony we were escorted into a private room to decompress, eat, and relish in the magic that just occurred. We hugged, laughed, and cried some more. This intimate and uninterrupted part of the day was one of our favorites. We were on such a high from the ceremony, and we wanted to hold onto it and bottle it up for as long as we could.
MICHAEL: We got to actually sit down together, just us two. We processed everything that just happened and I just felt so much relief. I got to relax with my bride before the night.
ASHLEY: There were so many!
-Ira got so excited about a photo he just took during our first look, and his energy and response to it was so hilarious to us. He made us feel like we were supermodels.
-Before we were announced at the reception, I told Michael that we MUST take a few moments to practice our first dance. We started singing our first dance song and practicing the moves while everyone waited for us. Naturally, we started cracking up and looked at each other midway through, and said, “we got this”.
– The Michigan parade at our after party was also an incredibly funny and thrilling moment. We had no idea this was happening! We told our planner we wanted it to be like a University of Michigan party, and he took that quite literally!
ASHLEY: Can I say everything?! I think the most memorable parts of our day were those in between moments. Getting ready that morning with our friends and family, walking around the venue together to witness Lawrence Scott’s magic, reading the notes that we wrote to each other, and embracing every small moment. Our ceremony was also an absolute highlight for us. We will never forget the look on each other’s faces when we exchanged our vows; it was as if we were the only two people in the room. The magnitude of that moment will carry us through our lifetime together. When our Rabbi sang “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, and the love was truly palpable.
MICHAEL: The ceremony was my favorite part of the day. It was so emotional and exactly what I dreamed of for us, but better. Ashley vows were just incredible.
ASHLEY: The energy and love in that room. We felt as if there was a force of energy surrounding us the entire night, and that was because of our guests and their love and happiness for us. I hope they remember that they made our day so special, and that our wedding was so much more than just a party and good time.
MICHAEL: I hope they remember the love in the room, the electricity of our amazing band, and the incredible vibes from start to finish. It was pure magic.
I hope our guests remember the love in the room, the electricity of our amazing band, and the incredible vibes from start to finish. It was pure magic.
Michael
We felt as if there was a force of energy surrounding us the entire night, and that was because of our guests and their love and happiness for us. I hope they remember that they made our day so special, and that our wedding was so much more than just a party and good time.
Ashley
The Michigan parade at our after party was an incredibly funny and thrilling moment. We had no idea this was happening!
Ashley
Describe your day in three words. DREAM. COME. TRUE & BEST. DAY. EVER
ASHLEY & MICHAEL
As the founder and creative force behind The Day, Ira Lippke brings 20-plus years of experience creating compelling images to every wedding he documents. “One of the best compliments I’ve ever received,” he says, “was from a planner who said I was the only photographer she knew who had so much experience but whose heart and soul was still so strongly in their work.”
