Riva Sayegh Photography

Shruti & Ash and their very sweet family photos in Ann Arbor

2012-01-11T22:50:00.000-05:00

I spent a lovely afternoon in Ann Arbor last October with Shruti and Ash and their two wonderfully sweet girls, taking family photos and playing in the leaves. Here are some of my favorites from the session!

New blog coming soon!

2011-09-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

We have been really busy with our weddings this season- so many great couples! See our very current posts at www.tracyandriva.com! Although I have been neglecting my own blog here, I am in the process of designing a new and improved one- stay tuned!

Tracy & Riva are featured in The Knot Real Weddings and The Knot Michigan magazine!

2011-06-12T11:13:00.000-04:00

I have been such a bad blogger lately, but it's just been so busy! Our wedding season is in high gear, and I will be sharing some favorites very soon. In the meantime, I am excited to share that we have been featured in The Knot Michigan printed magazine, as well as The Knot Real Weddings online! It was one of our very favorite weddings from 2010- Shannon & Joe at the Clarence E. Lewis Landscape Arboretum in East Lansing, MI. Yay!

Katie & David's Downtown Royal Oak Engagement Session

2011-01-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

Katie and David's engagement session was so much fun- mostly because they make each other laugh all the time. They are so perfect together, and so in love! They brought their adorable terrier named Scuba along for the adventure, and we had an awesome fall afternoon together in downtown Royal Oak. Their wedding is coming up fast this May- can't wait!

Elizabeth & Michael's Ann Arbor Engagement Photos

2010-09-20T01:02:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth & Michael met while students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They quickly became great friends and stayed that way- even after they began their relationship. It's obvious that they are best friends by the way they interact- they are really such a cute couple and so all about each other. Michael proposed to Elizabeth on a Sunday morning, looking out at the historic Burton Memorial Bell Tower. Our engagement session was a bittersweet day, as they visited all of their favorite places in Ann Arbor before Elizabeth headed off for grad school in September. I really had a nice time photographing these two and getting to know them!

Holly & Brian's Sweet and Vintage Wedding

2010-09-17T09:42:00.000-04:00

Holly and Brian were all style and substance. They are a very cool and totally down to earth couple- so into their friends and family, but most of all, into each other. Their wedding was vintage, stylish, and personal. The ceremony was at the totally charming Genitti's Little Theatre and the reception was right next door at Genitti's Hole in the Wall in downtown Northville, MI. The venue was perfect, with the antique photos, vintage storefront details, and awesome staff. The guests had a great time using the photo booth- Holly and Brian even brought a neat talking bubble for guests to leave personal and often wacky messages for them! Everyone had a great time dancing to funk, soul and all manner of great tunes by Matt Hanchon of Mike Staff Productions. It was a fantastic wedding and I had a really lovely time photographing them!

Celia & Jim

2010-08-23T23:55:00.002-04:00

Celia & Jim brought some NYC style with them when they came to Celia's hometown of Detroit for their June wedding. Celia got ready at her mother's chic and art-filled home (we both loved her wallpaper!). Her vintage-inspired dress, elegant feather hair piece, and thoughtful accessories were quite lovely. Meanwhile, Jim was prepping for the day at Detroit's historic Omni Hotel. His summer pincord suit was classic, summer-appropriate and just plain sharp. Their ceremony was in the gardens at the acclaimed Rattlesnake Club on the Detroit Riverfront. The handsome couple was serenaded by a trio of friends with The Beatles' Here, There and Everywhere (which brought one of these photographers to tears), as well a variety of rock classics played by a string quartet for their recessional. Celia and Jim danced to their first song played by the Alex Colista Quartet, a talented jazz ensemble led by Celia's nephew. The ballroom at the Rattlesnake looked amazing, and the staff, as always, was gracious and professional. We had such a wonderful time photographing Celia, Jim, and their friends and family. So many people came from out of town and were truly moved by the emotional and happy day they were able to share with the couple. Thank you for letting us be a part of it!

Tracy & Riva have a new site! Please visit www.TracyAndRiva.com and let us know what you think!

These are some of my personal faves- to see an extended glimpse of Celia & Jim on their wedding day on our new blog, click here!

Asher & Zev

2010-06-21T00:09:00.002-04:00

Young Asher is a cowboy. Along with horses and Sun Ra, he likes tiger hunting and blueberry pancakes. His little brother Zev is just figuring out that he can move around on his tummy and is busy exploring the world around him. These beautiful boys spent a recent summer afternoon playing outside, letting me snap a few photos of them...

Veronica's "Favorite Things" Bridal Shower

2010-06-13T16:43:00.001-04:00

Veronica's hometown friends and family recently had a great afternoon showering her with affection, gifts and marriage advice at her bridal shower at Ocean Prime in Troy, MI. She showed the ladies her appreciation by giving them wonderful gift bags of some her favorite things. Her upcoming Georgia wedding is sure to be fabulous!

Christy & James

2010-06-07T23:53:00.003-04:00

Tracy and I had a great time working with Christy and James for their May wedding- the weather was just perfect! Their wedding ceremony took place at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Saline, MI. We were able to stop off at Curtis Park, which was so green and lush- the recent rainy days really worked in our favor! We then headed to downtown Saline for some more photos, using the textures of the vintage town’s buildings as our backdrop. The reception was at Kensington Court in Ann Arbor. The decor was elegant and perfectly matched Christy’s color theme of periwinkle and black, along with polka dots and blue hydrangeas. They had an awesome DJ to keep the evening flowing- Kevin from First Dance Entertainment kept the dancers happy all night.

These are some of my personal faves- to see an extended glimpse of Christy and James on their wedding day on our new blog, click here!

Tracy & Riva have a new site! Please visit www.TracyAndRiva.com and let us know what you think!

Tracy & Riva | Modern Wedding Photography

2010-05-27T22:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, but for good reason! As Tracy and I have been very busy gearing up for this wedding season, we have also been working on a joint venture, rebranding ourselves as Tracy & Riva | Modern Wedding Photography. We have an awesome new logo, courtesy of the very talented Constructure Design (who also happens to be my talented sister Rita!) and a great new blog.
So I will still be posting my faves on this blog, but please check out the extended postings of the great weddings that Tracy and I photograph together. We would love to know what you think, so please feel free to drop us a note with your feedback!

DFLUX.ORG • Detroit Research Studio

2010-05-02T20:39:00.002-04:00

Sweet Sweet Lily

2010-04-10T14:06:00.000-04:00

Lily is an old friend of mine- I have known her since she was a few hours old. She also seems to be in love with my husband Chris. Every time she sees him she yells "Chris chase me!" and then screams at the top of her lungs and laughs hysterically. She just turned 3, she is a lively gymnast and chocolate cookie connoisseur. I somehow managed to catch her in a rare quiet moment, absorbing a spring breeze....

New Website!

2010-04-06T20:45:00.001-04:00

Yay! I just got my new website up and running and am very happy about it! It was an overdue change, but it was all about finding the time to do it. Feels fresh and new, just in time for spring! Drop by and let me know what you think!

www.rivasayegh.com

Our fair city

2010-03-28T14:19:00.003-04:00

My husband and I had some great Friday-night outings that made me feel extra proud of our fair city this weekend:
We went to the Detroit Institute of Arts to see two awesome exhibitions: Detroit Experiences Robert Frank Photographs, 1955 and The Neighborhood Project by our very own Gina Reichert and Mitch Cope of Design 99. Their exhibition was ending this weekend, but you should keep up with their project online.
Detroit artist and musician Kathy Leisen's art opening, Rock N Roll Dreams, at City Bird, the super-cool Midtown Detroit boutique. We have one of Kathy's paintings and love her work!
Public Pool in Hamtramck had an opening on Friday night featuring Tim Hailey's Take a Chance on Rock and Roll series. Exciting that this group of artists is inhabiting the space formerly occupied by Design 99.
Last but not least, we ate at Southwest Detroit's El Barzon restaurant- the menu is half Italian, half Mexican, and wholly great authentic cuisine from both cultures.We had to make a reservation, as they are pretty full on most weekend evenings.
All in all, an incredibly satisfying cultural and culinary evening, all without ever leaving our city limits (including Hamtramck- a city within the city limits)!

The best outtake starring me and Mooky

2010-03-08T21:02:00.001-05:00

Have you ever tried taking your own portrait? Well, it's hard. And for my photographer friends out there, you understand especially that this experience made me really appreciate being behind the camera instead of in front of it! I am designing a new and much improved website (coming soon!) and decided that I needed a new headshot of myself. So I put it off, put it off, then put it off some more. Finally, I dragged my husband into my self-conscious, self-deprecating, self-portrait mess and made him be my photographer. I have to say this one is probably my favorite of the bunch, but I probably won't use it to try to sell myself as a respectable photographer! Although I could get way more business from fellow cat people....

Happy 50th Anniversary, Wallace and Rosa!

2010-02-21T21:34:00.026-05:00

50 years ago, the day before Valentine's Day, Wallace and Christine (Rosa) were married. They have three wonderful children who threw them a festive anniversary party at the Athenium Suite Hotel in downtown Detroit. All of their close friends and family were there. Everyone had a great time, especially Tory and Yazzy! They got everyone to take photos inside my photo booth, even me! I was very happy to be a part of this touching and happy event.

Elaine and Paul's Winter Wedding

2010-02-14T17:56:00.002-05:00

Elaine and Paul's wedding was just in January, at The Inn at St. John's in Plymouth, MI. They never would have dreamed of having a summer wedding- they were actually disappointed that it didn't snow! Their details were silver, blue, icy and sparkly- it was an ideal winter celebration. They are a beautiful couple- so in love and so in tune with each other- we are so happy that we spent their amazing day with them!

Pazong & Ryan

2010-02-07T17:30:00.006-05:00

Pazong and Ryan are such a cute couple! Their wedding was emotional and joyous- we felt like we got to know them so well just by being able to capture their amazing wedding day last summer.
Also, check out this amazing same-day edit by Epic Motion- it was so awesome to watch their whole day unfold so creatively while we were still at the reception- it was like seeing our photos come to life through video!

Andrea & Adam's Wedding

2010-01-31T19:04:00.004-05:00

You may remember Andrea and Adam's engagement session from last summer- it was such a great way to get to know them- they seemed so in love and so cute together! Well, their wedding this past fall was just as amazing as I thought it would be- they are so all about each other. They made our jobs easy! The reception was at the gorgeous Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, MI.
p.s. love the socks- gifts to Adam and his groomsmen from Andrea!

Grant Thornton's NAIAS Charity Preview Party

2010-01-26T23:05:00.003-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to photograph the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Charity Preview Party hosted by Grant Thornton. This year, the gathering took place at the fabulous Bourbon Steak restaurant in the MGM Casino in downtown Detroit. The restaurant was very cool- from the colorful bottle display to the textural brick and lumber salvaged from old Detroit buildings to the super-friendly staff. It was a great night!

Christa & Doug

2010-01-20T23:18:00.053-05:00

To say I am behind on posting to my blog is an understatement- I have so much to catch up on from our busy wedding season!

I wanted to share the nicest email that we received right before the holidays from Christa- she is our North Carolina bride from last summer. She wrote me this when they received their custom coffee-table book in the mail:

Riva and Tracy,

Our wedding book is beautiful. It's exactly what we wanted and more. I think we've looked at it 100 times already :) We are really happy with how everything turned out and we can't wait to share it with our families during our trip home for Christmas.

Thank you so much for all your hard work in making our day last a lifetime with amazing photography!

-Christa and Doug

They had their event at the Thomas Edison Inn in Port Huron, MI. I am so happy that they love their book- we really loved photographing the two of them on their wedding day!

Danielle & Vik Engagement Photo Shoot

2009-12-17T23:19:00.009-05:00

Danielle & Vik braved the cold on this chilly December evening to do a super festive engagement photo shoot! We used the amazing holiday light installation in downtown Rochester, MI as a backdrop for these nighttime photos- it was well worth the wintry temperatures!
Tracy and I are very excited to shoot their wedding next June- congratulations you guys!

Julia shines

2009-12-17T21:18:00.012-05:00

I went to Andy & Elaine's house last weekend to photograph the whole family for their holiday card. Julia, their older daughter, later said she didn't feel like having her photo taken that day. However, she managed to steal the show. I was able to capture her watching the squirrels out the kitchen window, and happily eating her grandmother's snickerdoodles (which were delicious, by the way). I hear that she thinks I am "pretty cool" which is pretty cool to me!

Constantine, Aurora, Russell, & Olivia

2009-12-08T17:39:00.007-05:00

Remember Lucy, the sweet newborn from October? Well I got to meet all four of her siblings last weekend- Constantine, Aurora, Russell, & Olivia. That's right- a total of five kids! And they are all so well-behaved, and totally adorable. Autumn and John, you have your hands full, but you are obviously doing a great job- I had a great time taking their photos!

Sarah & Royal

2009-11-28T12:54:00.012-05:00

Sarah & Royal's wedding at the Pine Knob Carriage House in Clarkston, MI was one of our favorites this fall! They are such a sweet couple, their families were so gracious, and the setting could not have been more beautiful! Just wanted to share some images from this lovely celebration.

Sweet Lucy

2009-10-18T20:56:00.008-04:00

Look at those cheeks! Sweet Lucy is so adorable- I got to photograph her when she was a mere one week old. Congratulations John and Autumn!

Kari & Brian

2009-09-10T22:22:00.009-04:00

Kari & Brian had their wedding ceremony in California, but also held a stylish and vintage-inspired "night-at-the-movies" reception at the historic and gorgeous Gem Theatre in downtown Detroit. They are absolutely in love, and the celebration they had with their Michigan friends and family was truly warm and festive. Congratulations, and thank you for letting me be a part of your lovely day!

Our photos featured in Brides Magazine!

2009-09-02T17:36:00.015-04:00

Alisa and Aaron were married in Eaton Rapids, MI at the English Inn last September. We really loved capturing all of the details that they put into styling their wedding, and we were thrilled when Brides Magazine invited us to feature our images in their Fall/Winter issue! Alisa and Aaron are both visual artists (Alisa designed their very cool invitations) and they both put so much thought into the visual aspects of their day. We're very excited and honored to see our photos of their wonderful event published in such a great magazine!

Andrea & Adam's Engagement

2009-08-09T10:57:00.012-04:00

Andrea and Adam are engaged! They are such a cute and playful couple, and so obviously in love! It was so fun hanging out with them in the downtown area of Farmington, MI. We went to the historic Farmington Civic Theatre and to John Cowley & Sons, the quaint old Irish pub where Adam proposed to Andrea. Tracy and I are really looking forward to their upcoming wedding!

Rachel & Kurt

2009-07-12T09:15:00.008-04:00

Rachel & Kurt are such a sweet couple! Their wedding reception was at the fabulously restored Lafayette Grande in Pontiac, MI. We really enjoyed photographing their special day, and wish them well in their new life together in Chicago!

Sneak Peek- Dana & Ronnie

2009-06-04T22:32:00.007-04:00

Tracy and I just photographed Dana & Ronnie's festive wedding this past weekend, and were swept off our feet! It was so energetic, genuine and just plain fun. Here's a peek at a few of my faves so far...

Lebanese family cookbook

2009-05-17T21:52:00.009-04:00

Here is a sneak peek of the Lebanese family cookbook that I started working on with my mom today. The best part is getting to eat the food after we make it together! Of course, transcribing the generations of family recipes that are stored in her head is such an important part of it too. She learned how to make much of it from my late grandmother in Lebanon, Marie Gergi (my mom and grandmother pictured here, from our trip to Lebanon in 2004). I am very excited to work on this project with her!

Bonnie & Les

2009-05-13T12:13:00.009-04:00

Bonnie & Les had a sunny April wedding in the lovely gardens at the historic Scarab Club in Detroit. Close friends and family gathered around as they exchanged vows, and then enjoyed an afternoon concert of chamber music inside the gallery. It was a pleasure to capture their day for them!

Bonnie, Les, and friends- please click here to see your gallery of photos.

Stephanie & Ashley's snowy wedding

2009-03-29T12:32:00.009-04:00

What are the chances of having another wedding day fraught with near-blizzard conditions this year? Pretty good in Michigan. Stephanie and Ashley were great sports about it, braving the crazy weather for some pretty winter photos that they can remember their frosty February wedding day by. Congratulations you guys!

hello, spring

2009-03-22T15:10:00.007-04:00

Even if they're not yet blooming in my garden, having some favorite spring flowers scattered throughout the house makes me feel brighter. Hello, spring.

Lauren & Noah's Winter Wedding

2009-02-19T18:34:00.010-05:00

Lauren & Noah had such a warm and wonderful wedding day- you would never know there was a blizzard going on outside! As everyone around here would say- well that's Michigan in January for you! Despite the weather, Tracy and I really enjoyed capturing their day- they were so nice to work with. Congratulations you guys!

Harsha & Rahul

2009-02-02T22:06:00.011-05:00

It was such a pleasure to photograph Harsha & Rahul's recent engagement party. They are such a sweet and lovely couple, and their families were gracious and welcoming- they made me feel more like a guest than their photographer! Their upcoming wedding in India will be incredible, I'm sure, and I wish them the best!
Harsha & Rahul, please click here to see your engagement photo gallery.

32 stories above a frozen city

2009-01-29T22:32:00.009-05:00

The awe inspiring Guardian Building in our own fair city, Detroit, has always been a favorite building of mine, so it was a real pleasure to photograph Grant Thornton's Charity Preview Auto Show Event there. We had an incredible view of this amazing winter sunset over the frigid waters of the Detroit River. It was a lovely evening!
Grant Thornton guests, please click here to view your password-protected photo gallery.

Alisa & Aaron

2008-11-13T23:30:00.009-05:00

Earier this fall, Tracy and I went to this great old English inn in Eaton Rapids, MI to photograph Alisa and Aaron's wedding. It was such a beautiful day, and the inn was so full of character-it was a very cool wedding to shoot!

Maria Meirelles at the Detroit Institute of Arts

2008-11-13T23:12:00.007-05:00

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of taking photos at the Detroit Institute of Arts Lecture Hall. It was a very special concert by internationally acclaimed pianist, Maria Meirelles. She performed an all French selection, and the concert was sponsored by the Alliance Francaise (French Institute) of Michigan. It was very enjoyable, and made me realize that I very much love the DIA!
To see more photos from the event, please click here

Chelsea & Nate

2008-10-14T22:15:00.009-04:00

Chelsea & Nate's wedding was the coolest combination of creativity, fake mustaches, Converse All-Stars, vintage charm, a very in-love couple, and lots and lots of fun! The mustaches worked out especially well for the photo booth we set up at their reception, which was at the Howell Opera House. They say a ghost haunts the historic building! Nate serenaded Chelsea with Just Like Heaven by the Cure...what more could a girl ask for?

Kristy & Nick

2008-10-14T21:51:00.007-04:00

Kristy & Nick were so sweet and very fun to work with. Kristy is so crafty- she made all of her accessories herself! Tracy and I had fun exploring downtown Howell with them for their photos.

Sarah Neubauer, actress extraordinaire

2008-09-10T17:09:00.007-04:00

Sarah was an awesome portrait subject, so photogenic! We updated her headshot- no better time since the film industry has landed so swiftly in Michigan. As a matter of fact, she is in Clint Eastwood's new film Gran Torino- she says Clint is just as charming as one would hope- exciting!

Lauren & Carlos

2008-09-09T22:28:00.012-04:00

Lauren & Carlos were such a great couple- their ceremony was so intense that I cried! They had an intimate and stylish wedding at the Coach Insignia, 70-something stories above downtown Detroit. They are so sincere and so very fun- Tracy and I had a blast photographing them!

p.s. those amazing Badgley Mischka shoes? Lauren is very proud of the deal she scored on those at Saks!

Amanda & Keith

2008-09-09T21:39:00.010-04:00

Amanda and Keith were so sweet. Very stylish, very vintage, very in love! They had a total Detroit wedding- the ceremony was in the wonderful Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on lovely Belle Isle, and their reception was at the Masonic Temple- so nice! They were awesome to work with!

JoJo the Boxer

2008-08-22T12:08:00.006-04:00

This is the cutest boxer- her name is JoJo and her parents are Janelle and Shawn. They love her very much. How could they not- look at that face! She was a fun (and active) portrait subject.

Becky & Nick

2008-08-15T02:25:00.008-04:00

Well, I finished editing Becky & Nick's wedding! They were so great- everybody was super nice, and they are such a cute couple! Their wedding was very glam- at the Lafayette Grande in Pontiac, which is a fabulous venue to shoot at. Tracy and I are both really excited about the photos we got!

Jumping Beans

2008-08-07T23:47:00.006-04:00

I took these neat photos of Yazzy, Max, and Caya- flying thru midair like crazy jumping beans! It was Yazzy's idea to do this kooky experiment and we had a blast! They are very sweet and lively kids!

Detroit Fashion Pages

2008-08-07T21:54:00.013-04:00

Eugenia Patterson just emailed me- our photo shoot is now posted on Detroit Fashion Pages! Eugenia and her husband Paul are EugeniaPaul (www.eugeniapaul.com). They are incredibly talented fashion designers, and I loved doing this fashion shoot at the New Seoul Garden with them. Eugenia has such a great eye for styling and we really have a lot in common aesthetically. I am lucky to know them- they designed my wedding dress and it was exactly what I wanted!