Michelle and Derek's Surprise Wedding (by Scott & Breanna)

OK I’ll admit it, the title of this post was a bit misleading. Sorry I tricked you. It just so happened that was the shortest way to word what I was trying to say AND I knew it would make you want to read it.  But I’m glad it worked and that you’re here because you’re going to be so happy you came once you see how incredible Michelle and Derek’s wedding was! These pictures will make up for my swindling, I promise!

The real reason I titled this post like I did is because everyone involved in this wedding was crazy about surprises! Good thing too, because if someone loves surprises and the person they are surprising doesn’t, bad things can happen! Luckily all the surprises at this wedding were very welcomed and only good things came from them!

Of course you had the normal wedding day surprises, like the groom seeing the bride in her dress for the first time during the reveal moment, the bride seeing what all the ideas in her head really look like when they’re all put together, and it’s always a surprise to see just how drunk uncle Benny can get (just kidding, I don’t even know if they have an uncle Benny, but if they do…so sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you)!

But aside from the regular surprises, there were some really special and unique ones as well! For one, no one expected the cake design to actually match the bride’s dress! The cake was INCREDIBLE and it captured the guests’ attention all night! Every time I looked over, there were people standing around it. And it was more than just stunning, the cake was also sentimental too since Michelle’s grandmother’s brooch put the perfect finishing sparkle on it.

The special thoughtful details that were included in this wedding (like the brooch on the cake) were a surprise in general to us all. There were so many adorable things like the black and white lollipop table cards…

…photos of loved ones who had passed on were hanging on Michelle’s bouquet so she could feel like they were there with her…

…and the general beauty of their wedding venue, Inspirador, that tied all the special little details together, shocked and awed us all.

But the guests weren’t the only ones experiencing surprises on this day. The bride received a couple herself… but don’t worry, they were the kinds of surprises that a bride WANTS to get on her wedding day!

One big surprise in general came from her dad. He knew Michelle would be beyond thrilled to have a mariachi band at her wedding so he secretly hired one to come serenade her at dinner! Michelle was floored and moved to tears by her dad’s thoughtful gift.

But her father’s surprises didn’t end there! In his Father of the Bride speech he brought out props, along with a very special gift to help him give a meaningful speech that was complete with wisdom he wanted to pass on to his daughter and her new husband. Another tearful moment courtesy of her dad’s love of surprises and his daughter!

It’s a good thing Michelle was raised by a man who loves surprises because he prepared her for the new man in her life, who loves them just as much as her father does! The surprise that best showcased Derek’s talent for the unexpected was when the groomsmen spontaneously performed an elaborate choreographed dance, that the groom at first pretended to know nothing about, but jumped in like a pro and showed that it was his plan all along.

To give you an idea of how amazing this dance was I’ll tell you that it was done to a Justin Timberlake song, involved roses, and led straight into the garter removal in the slickest way possible. Good job guys, we were thoroughly impressed!

But unknown to Derek, Michelle had a surprise up her sleeve as well! After their very impressive cake was cut, ANOTHER cake was brought out that was just for Derek! This groom’s cake was based on the video game Minecraft. Derek was SO excited about this surprise.

I have to say, that with the amount of surprising going on at this wedding, I don’t think any of it would’ve worked out as well as it did without someone who was very organized, not only knowing all about the surprises, but executing them all while the couple relaxed and enjoyed their day. Lucky for them, Michelle and Derek realized this was the case so they found a wedding planner who was the best of the best and who was fully capable to make their day that was full of the complicated secrets that surprises bring, come off without a hitch.

They hired Shannon Smith from Sassy Soirees, and if their smooth and beautiful wedding day was any indication, I’m sure they’re very happy they did! As always, Shannon winds and unwinds all the complicated details and pieces that have to flow together into one smooth string, and she did it in a way that seemed completely effortless and allowed the couple to just sail through their day as all the beautiful and wonderful pieces of it just “magically”happened all around them.

Good choice guys, because Shannon, you really do blow me away with your mad wedding skillz every time! By the way, Shannon’s husband, Mark, was also the caterer and whoa… all I can say is that Michelle and Derek have incredible decision making skills and know how to choose the best every time!

(Like our Facebook page to tag yourself in the photos).

As you can see by their very thoughtful and customized back and forth surprising, Derek and Michelle know each other well! I’m sure their marriage will be full of fun, wonderful and unexpected surprises… some planned for one another and some that neither one of them expect!

We absolutely loved working with them, and not just because they gave us an incredible abundance of photography time…

…or because they were so excited about photos that they planned time for some cool and experimental night shots…

…well OK, those things DID make us like them even more! But we loved working with them because as you can see by all their well thought out surprises, they are such incredibly thoughtful people.

They treated us like good friends who just happened to have cameras in our hands (even though we didn’t know them before they hired us), They also took great care of us and made sure we had everything we needed both from them in order for us to do our best, as well just what we needed to be comfortable and happy ourselves on the wedding day!

It was so great to be a part of such a beautiful event that not only was happening between two people who were so obviously perfect for one another, but that was also happening between two people we loved spending time with!

So thank you, Derek and Michelle, for letting the wonderful things that make so many of your friends and family love you so much, spill over onto us. Your day was a wonderful experience for us and the only thing about it that makes us more excited about the pictures we got, is the fact that the two of you will get to spend the rest of your lives together as a result of it! Congratulations!

Click to see more photos from Michelle and Derek’s Surprise Wedding.