Do You “Go Blue” or “Go Green”?
Do you chant ‘Go Green! Go White!’ or do you bleed Maize & Blue? One of the biggest rivalries in college football is here — The University of Michigan Wolverines vs. The Michigan State Spartans! Fans are dedicated die-hards, houses are divided, and wedding photography and engagement sessions are themed after college colors, mascots and teams! (Trust us we know and we love it!)
One team will bring the coveted ‘Paul Bunyan Trophy’ back to the locker room this weekend!
HISTORY LESSON: For those who don’t know, in Michigan, Paul Bunyan is more than a storied lumberjack. He is the symbol of this historic rivalry. For 60 years, Michigan State University and University of Michigan have fought for the honor of hoisting the Paul Bunyan Trophy, which goes to whichever team wins the rivalry each year.
In honor of the big game — Mike Staff Productions photography team found some of our favorite Spartan & Wolverine themed wedding photos! These couples are not only pledging their love to each other but to their team of choice!
With trophies, primetime coverage and wedding themes — you can see it isn’t just your run-of-the-mill college football game — for some folks, these elite college football programs are a lifestyle — whether they graduated from the university or not.
Let’s face it, some pick their actual wedding date based around the college football schedule so guests don’t have to choose OR they just bring in TV’s!
Do you have any favorite photography spots at U of M or MSU? Here are some of our favorites!
Photography Hot Spots: University of Michigan
The University of Michigan Law Quad
The newly renovated Law Quad building is architecture and engineering at it’s fines. With it’s tudor gothic-style vibe, dramatic pillars and beautiful doors — this building is a photography dream.
Michigan Stadium (No brainer!)
The iconic front gates that fans flood every weekend during football season is a perfect place to share a romantic kiss for the couple that can’t enough maize and blue in their life. While you’ll have to pull strings and make special arrangements to get INSIDE the stadium, luckily the outer surroundings have a lot of offer, too.
The Peony Garden Nichols Arboretum
How can you go wrong being surrounded by over 270 varieties of Peonies!? You can’t! But you will need to time this out right, the peak season for blooms is brief, between May & June! Color, romance and outdoor perfection! BONUS: Admission is FREE!
Michigan League
Looking for something traditional and indoors? BOOM! You found it. The Michigan League is an 80-year-old building with dark wood paneling, stained glass, subdued lighting and long hallways with polished stone floors. Perfect for winter brides who want indoor photos. The good news, It’s open to the public seven days a week!
Photography Hot Spots: Michigan State University
Michigan State North Campus
This area of campus brings out the best of our state’s seasons and is by far one of the most popular places for wedding and engagement photo shoots simply because there’s so much to work with in walking distance. From Botanical Gardens to old brick buildings to the Beaumont Tower in the background there’s a lot of authentic MSU beauty and charm to choose from.
Spartan Stadium
If your wedding is all about the ‘green and white’ than look no further than Spartan Stadium. PRO TIP: Look for the bridge over the Red Cedar River near the Main Library with Spartan Stadium in the backdrop — now that’s a cool shot!
W. J. Beal Botanical Gardens
Anything with green grass, wide open spaces and endless floral background is a photography ‘go-to’. This particular garden is the oldest continuously-operated garden of its type in the U.S. with over 2,700 species. Bottom line the MSU Horticulture Gardens has a lot of offer.
‘Sparty’ The Statue
In all of his bronze glory, a true die-hard MSU alum or sports fan would never miss a photo opportunity with university’s main man!
At Mike Staff Productions, we’ve built our whole business around reclaiming the fun in your wedding planning. Ready to start?
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At Mike Staff Productions, we trust that you’ll choose the perfect person to work with because you know what you want on your wedding day! There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all wedding DJ, photographer or videographer – we get that, that’s why we invite you to be a part of the planning process.
Let’s bring your wedding vision to life!
Mike Staff is the founder and CEO of Mike Staff Productions, one of the most highly acclaimed wedding services companies in the country, providing award-winning Wedding DJs, Wedding Photographers, and Wedding Videography for over 25 years.
