Ryli & Bennett’s Wedding at The Collins at the Clocktower in Chelsea

There is nothing quite like capturing a wedding day where modern, trendsetting style meets rich local history. When Ryli and Bennett first shared their vision for a sleek, contemporary black-and-white wedding, we knew The Collins at the Clocktower in Chelsea, Michigan would be the perfect canvas. From the fashion-forward styling to this incredible architectural backdrops, their entire day carried a beautiful, joyful momentum.

Ryli is a true trendsetter with a sharp eye for clean design, modeling a look that felt perfectly current yet entirely classic. Bennett looked exceptionally sharp, complementing her radiant style flawlessly. With a color palette focused strictly on crisp whites and bold blacks—including bridesmaids in elegant black dresses—the entire event felt effortlessly sophisticated and tailored.

From Glidden Stoves to “I Do”: A Historic Industrial Gem

One of our absolute favorite elements of this venue is the fascinating history baked into its walls. The iconic building you see today was originally constructed back in 1906, serving initially as a massive water tower. Over the past century, this landmark has reinvented itself time and again, housing everything from the world’s largest stove factory to Michigan’s very first brewery, and even a historic teddy bear factory!

The current owners invested beautifully in a meticulous restoration, transforming the industrial property into southeast Michigan’s premier “it” venue while preserving its authentic heritage. The morning kicked off smoothly in the venue’s beautifully appointed private dressing suites, allowing the wedding parties ample time to relax and prep in style.

Their service took place downstairs in the lower open space, which boasts a fantastic, white-painted brick warehouse vibe. While a raw industrial brick wall can sometimes feel visually heavy, the space was beautifully broken up with gorgeous floral arrangements and installations of crisp greenery directly behind the couple, creating a clean, striking backdrop for their vows.

Photographer’s Tip: Creating Dimensionality Under Overcast Skies

Michigan weather loves to keep us on our toes, and though heavy storm clouds threatened rain all afternoon, the skies held out beautifully for us. Flat, overcast lighting acts as a massive natural softbox, but it can easily mute textures and leave images lacking depth.

To combat this, we utilized our off-camera lighting units to mimic directional sunbeams. By feathering gentle, off-camera flash to accent the soft daylight, we added a crisp, three-dimensional pop to Ryli and Bennett’s portraits, making sure the rich textures of the architecture and their formal attire looked vibrant and full of life.

Scaling the Landmark Clock Tower

Directly following the ceremony, we were escorted up into the historic tower itself—the very landmark that gives the property its name. Accessing the roof and the interior mechanics of a functioning clock tower is an absolute thrill, but it presents a very specific physical environment.

The spaces are incredibly tight and compact. To create a comfortable working distance and capture both the grandeur of the architecture and the intimacy of the couple, we leaned on our ultra-wide angle prime lenses. The wide focal path allowed us to maximize the tight boundaries, yielding a spectacular, cinematic series of frames high above the city skyline.

While the new newlyweds braved the heights for their epic portrait excursion, guests relaxed downstairs, enjoying crafted cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

A High-Energy Castle Ballroom Reception

The celebration seamlessly shifted back indoors as night fell. As we prepared for the grand introductions into the reception room, we encountered a classic lighting challenge: bright twilight streaming through the massive historic windows competing with the indoor ambiance.

By setting up a multi-point auxiliary lighting framework, we easily balanced the high-contrast light sources. This subtle flash filled the foreground beautifully, neutralizing the strong backlighting and ensuring that the room’s energy, the clean table designs, and the true, rich skin tones of the couple were captured flawlessly as they made their grand entrance.

The evening was filled with wonderful, heartfelt toasts from the maid of honor, the best man, and both fathers, reminding everyone of the deep love surrounding this couple. After dinner, the couple cut their beautiful cake and took to the floor for their formal dances. The DJ did an incredible job keeping the energy high, keeping the dance floor absolutely packed for a memorable, late-night celebration.