Bridal Shoot, 2011...Is This Place Haunted?

This year, I only had three brides for my annual "Group Trash the Dress" shoot. We have a lot of 2010 brides, who are either currently pregnant, or just had babies, which is very exciting!  Regardless, we had a ball, and turned the session around to be a very cool Glamour Shoot.

The session took place, at the old Elks Club in Ionia, which is no longer in use. It encompasses the two top floors of a very old building downtown. The second floor, was the bar area, with what is said to be the "longest' bar in michigan. The top floor, houses a gorgeous secret meeting room, where we did our shoot, and a ballroom.

I had been up in this area, just a few days prior, with a senior client and my friend and assistant, Lauren, and we had some strange happenings. Cameras focusing by themselves, flash going off by itself, white balance changing from red, to green to blue. We started to wonder .... is the place haunted?

After that first evening, I asked around, sure enough, the place , is the subject of a local urban legend. I heard stories first, from my friend Paul, about the strange happenings that took place with a store owner who owns a pawn shop on the first floor of this building...lights going off in the basement, and voices and such.  I heard next, from yet another business owner on the first floor of the building , who simply looked at me wide-eyed, and said "yesssss! it is haunted", and proceeded to tell me it had been a place of interest recently for the Ghost Hunters crew.

I was told, of an old man who supposedly refuses to leave the building. Whether he was an Elks member or not, is not known. But from what I am told, he is more of a prankster, and watcher, than a harmful spirit, lol.  I decided, for the bridal shoot, I would bring a MAN with me, into this retired and abandon, "all men's club".  So Paul agreed to accompany on that day, which was just this last Mother's Day.

I don't think my friend Lauren, was too keen on coming back to the Elks Club for the bridal shoot day, so I didn't push the issue. I wasn't surprised, that we had no major "happenings" during this shoot, we did bring a man with us of course, and maybe that made the old male spirit, more comfortable with us being in a sacred place that once only allowed men to enter.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks came to realization in the United States in 1868. It was a fraternal order and social club...men only. They were/are a very "charity" based club, often organizing community events. Elks members, must proclaim their love of God and Country.

This gorgeous room, adorned with aged, golden victorian wallpaper, and rich hues of green carpeting, is set up, with long beautiful wooden benches all along each of the four walls, with each side of the room hosting a "throne-type chair", so four larger chairs in total. (I call them the "grand puba" chairs, lol).  The front area, or "alter" has a piano, one of the grand puba chairs, and a desk, which is filled with half burned candles, and a small book that says "Rituals".

I feel very blessed to have visited this place. You feel as if you have gone back in time, only reminded of the present, by the tin coke cans, and little ceasar's cups laying around, along with other left-behind rubbish.  The building owner, was very kind in entrusting me to utilize this mysteriously beautiful, and slightly spooky location.

I have to go back to the Elks Club tomorrow to get my gear.........I will be bringing a MALE with me, hahah.