Posts in Engagement
Meghan + Bailey's Boston Common Engagement Session

This season was filled with so many amazing shoots in so many amazing places. Boston Common and the surrounding areas are so pretty, and even in the height of a weekend afternoon, you can still find little nooks to capture beautiful photos without swarms of people. I loved how Meghan and Bailey stayed true to their style in this session— when Bailey whipped out his sunglasses and asked when he could wear them, I got excited because I could see that HE was excited about it. I love how these turned out and here are a few of my favorites!

Alex and Benji's Winter Downtown Detroit Engagement Session

When the leaves are no longer on the trees, my favorite locations for engagement sessions are downtown/city spots! Especially around the holidays with the hanging twinkling lights, the vibe is cozy, the architecture provides interest, and long coats add texture. As long as it’s not freezing (so that noses aren’t running and extremities aren’t turning funny colors!), the off season can make for some of my favorite images. Here are some of my favorites from Alex and Benji’s December session, on an unseasonably warm day near 50 degrees, in downtown Detroit!

Grace and Bo's Nantucket Summer Engagement Session

When I first chatted with Grace, one of the first things we talked about was the fact that I worked on both the East Coast and in Michigan. While she and Bo are going to get married in Grand Rapids summer of 2024, she desperately wanted engagement photos on Nantucket, where she and Bo summer every year and where Bo’s grandparents have a home. Luckily, our dates aligned and the week they were on Nantucket happened to be the week I was in Newport for a wedding, so I hopped the ferry (with the kids and nanny in tow!) and we made a day trip of it! We went to the Whaling Museum in the morning (highly recommend!), I photographed Grace and Bo in the afternoon while the nanny hung with the kids, and then we went shopping and had dinner before taking the ferry back to our hotel on the Cape. Even though it was raining, we still had an amazing day, and I LOVE how the photos turned out! A light drizzle isn’t always bad at the beach…it usually means its empty so no beach goers in the background! And no squinting because its overcast :) . Here are a few of my favorites from their session!

Patricia and Devin's Summer Engagement Session at Dow Gardens in Midland

I met up with Patricia and Devin at the beautiful Dow Gardens in Midland for their engagement session. It was my first time at these gardens and they were an instant favorite! Seriously- such a stunning place for a shoot! And- there isn’t a permit fee to shoot there! We had a wonderful summer evening strolling through the gardens— here are a few of my favorites!

Jake and Ashley's Detroit Engagement Session at Roosevelt Park

When Ashley and Jake asked to have their engagement session at the new Roosevelt Park, I was so excited! It had just re-opened a couple of weeks earlier, and its always so fun to shoot at new locations. Detroit locations like the DIA can become crowded, so its nice to have more options. They did such a nice job with Roosevelt Park….the old train station is such a landmark and then the landscaping with all of the hydrangeas was so pretty! Excited to shoot here again in the future!

Daniel and Jean's Summer Engagement Shoot at Boston Common

One of the nice things about working two regions is that I’ve made a little niche for myself- people who have connections to both. This is exactly the case with Daniel and Jean…they are getting married at Shinola in Detroit in 2024, but currently live, work and go to graduate school in Boston. We were able to do their engagement session in Boston this summer when I was in town for a wedding I was photographing over Labor Day weekend. It worked out perfectly, we got gorgeous weather, and I love what we captured. Here are a few of my favorites!

Davis and Ashley's Summer Cranbrook Engagement Session

I joined Davis and Ashley and their sweet pup at Cranbrook for a fun summer engagement shoot! It used to be really tricky to have shoots at Cranbrook, but now you can pay $350 to reserve a time for a session. Because Cranbrook requires reservations, the gardens aren’t overcrowded and overflowing with photographers and other people wanting to get photos at that iconic location overlooking the pond. It’s really nice to have the place to yourselves!

Midway through our session, it started to rain, but thankfully nothing too heavy and we were still able to grab the prettiest shots. I had so much fun with these two, and these are a few of my favorites!

Janie + Brad's Fall Detroit Engagement Session

Would you believe these photos were taken on a November day, and that it was 70 degrees?! Everyone is usually scared to schedule fall photos in November, but I’m telling you- November can be an amazing time for photos, especially the first week. Here are a few favorites from Janie + Brad’s Detroit engagement session at the Detroit Public Library and Detroit Institute of Arts. I’m so in love with how they turned out!

Adrienne + Peter's Ann Arbor Engagment Session at the Peony Gardens

When the peony gardens are in bloom, there is no better location for an engagement session than the Arb in Ann Arbor! Seriously- every corner you turn is just more and more beautiful. There are flowers, woods, bridges, paths, river….so many photo possibilities! I’m so glad Adrienne and Peter reached out early to schedule their session at the peony gardens, knowing they are in bloom only for two weeks out of the whole year! Those two weeks, I feel as if I’m at the Arb every other day, and I’m certainly not complaining. So many gardens have barriers for entry, like permits or large fees. At the Arb, aside from difficult parking, it’s pretty easy access. I’m so happy with how these photos turned out! Congratulations to Adrienne and Peter on their engagement!

Danielle + Max's Silver Lake Sand Dunes Engagement Session

Danielle and Max were the first couple to book a 2023 wedding with me! At the time of booking, Danielle asked if they could do their engagement session at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. She loved a set of romantic dune photos she had seen on Pinterest taken in California, and wanted a similar look here in Michigan. Since they are getting married in Detroit, they wanted a totally different look for their engagement photos.

On the day of the session, we arrived at the beach and it was raining! Thankfully it stopped, and the good thing about going to the beach on a rainy day, is that it’s empty! We had nearly the whole place to ourselves! It was also cooler, so when we hiked the dunes (even though I almost died because it was so steep), we didn’t really sweat- which of course you don’t want to be sweating in photos! I absolutely love the results we got- the post-rain light and clouds were so beautiful. And honestly, you can’t beat sandy Michigan beaches…the sand is so clean and the water so clear. Here are a few of my favorites from their session!

Best Engagement Session Locations in the Lansing Area

Frances Park

Frances Park is on the west side of Lansing, about 20-25 minutes from MSU. There are bathrooms and easy, free parking on site. No permits needed. There is a gorgeous rose garden, river overlook, pergolas, and wooded nature paths. You can also go directly down to the Grand River. This park is amazing is summer once the roses are in bloom and in fall when the trees along the river have turned and you can see their reflections in the water. I absolutely love how shoots turn out at this park.

MSU Lewis Landscape Arboretum

Located on the south of MSU’s campus are possibly my favorite gardens in all of Michigan. In spring, summer and fall, the gardens bloom with dahlias, hydrangeas, roses and more. There is an English garden, a pergola, a few ponds, and a mini apple orchard and vineyard. You can get so many different looks in just this one garden! Bonus is there is a tiny parking lot right on site, so you don’t have to walk far to the location. Only down side is there are no bathrooms anywhere nearby so if you are doing an outfit change, it has to be in your car. This garden rivals other gardens in the Detroit area that charge hundreds of dollars in fees. There are no logos or Sparty statues around, so it even works for non-Spartan alum :) . There is no shade at this garden, so it only works for golden hour sessions or on cloudy days.

MSU Central Campus

Central campus is great for all four seasons! There is shade in this area along the river, so the light is a little more forgiving than the arboretum if shooting outside of golden hour. Parking at the main library is free in the evenings, though it can be more difficult to find a spot. Bathrooms are open during business hours in the library too. There aren’t as many flowers as the arboretum, but the leaves look incredible, especially in fall. There are evergreens for winter. The riverwalk and bridges look beautiful in photos, and the botanical gardens are right next to the library. There is a lot of walking in this area, so its a great spot for a casual outfit.

MSU North Campus

MSU North campus is by the Union and the old dorm buildings. The old dorm buildings provide for such gorgeous architecture, which makes an elegant background. There are also beautiful blooming trees, bushes and flowers on north campus. Bathrooms are in the union to change but parking is a little trickier. Beaumont Tower is right across from the Union too, but can become really busy, especially during graduation season. It’s easy to do a more formal outfit on north campus and then change into a casual one for central campus.


Rotary Park

If you are looking for a beach/water summery vibe, but don’t want to drive to a lake, Rotary Park in downtown Lansing has a beach along the river! It gets a great sunset and I love how the photos turn out. It’s right on the river trail so there are lots of little nooks and a cool bridge to use too. Parking is super simple but unfortunately there aren’t public bathrooms for changing. This spot can be combined with shots at the Capitol building/downtown Lansing. Couples often start with a formal look a the Capitol and change into a casual one for the beach.

MSU Children’s Garden and Horticulture Gardens

These gardens are so beautiful in summer! There isn’t any shade, so shooting at sunset is imperative, and the roses are in bloom in summer only. There is a cute little bridge and pond, a red brick path, hanging flower baskets, and beautiful roses everywhere. It’s a great summer spot for a session. Parking is super easy right on site but unfortunately no bathrooms.

Downtown Lansing and the Capitol Building

The Capitol building provides an elegant backdrop for photos and looks best dressed up. Parking isn’t too bad (you can park on the street right out front at a meter) but there are no bathrooms. Do a formal look here and then move to Rotary Park for a casual one! This location is also great in early spring/late fall when there aren’t leaves on the trees since there is beautiful architecture to use as a backdrop.

Old Town

For couples wanting a spot with a lot of color and a cute downtown vibe mixed in with a bit of nature, Old Town is perfect. Brightly colored buildings and the river trail make for fun photos. There aren’t many flowers, but the colorful buildings give the images a pop. There isn’t any shade, so golden hour or a cloudy day work best. Parking is easy (there’s a large lot on site) but no bathrooms for changing.

Stacey + Jarrod's Detroit Engagement Session

I often get asked if couples are allowed to do an outfit change at their engagement session- the answer is yes! I actually encourage it for a few reasons. FIrst, it’s an opportunity to show your style. Second, you may end up loving how one outfit photographs over the other (but not have clue prior to the session). Third, it gives you a bigger variety of photos with different uses. You may want to use an elegant one for a Save the Date, but use casual ones to frame in your home. Stacey and Jarrod went for an elegant look at the DIA and Detroit Public Library that ended up on their Save the Dates. They did a casual look downtown, too! If you don’t want to do a full on outfit change, a few quick ways to change your look are to add or swap an item you are currently wearing. For example, add a scarf, swap flats for heels, switch a sport jacket for a cardigan. No changing required, just a couple quick swaps to get a different look!

Emily + Eric's Summer Ann Arbor Engagement Session

Every one is always asking me for suggestions for shoot locations, so I had to blog Emily + Eric’s Ann Arbor engagement session because this location is one of my summer faves! It’s not crowded (I was the only photographer there!), so unlike the Arb, it’s a little off the beaten path. It’s also free- no permit required! Probably because it isn’t swarming with photographers. Once locations become overrun with photographers (because unfortunately some don’t clean up after themselves and their clients), permits and fees usually follow. Aslo- parking is super easy! There’s a lot right at the entrance!

This location, County Farm Park, has it all: woodsy paths, wooden fences, gardens, flowers, pergolas, lamp lined sidewalks, and beautiful green space and trees. It’s my favorite in the summer, but I’ve also used it in the fall (although the gardens are no longer in bloom). This location is also special to me because it was in my neighborhood when we used to live in Ann Arbor! My son Julian and I would walk it weekly! So, I definitely know this park well. Here are some of my favorite images from Emily and Eric’s July session!

Olivia + Mark's Winter Engagement Photos at MSU in East Lansing

Happy New Year! I kicked off 2021 (and aren't we ALLLL glad it's finally 2021?!) with Olivia + Mark's winter engagement session at MSU in East Lansing. Typically, when I think of winter engagement sessions, I think of bitter cold and dreary. But we had the most beautiful winter day! There was fresh snow and it continued with flurries, giving us possibly my favorite winter engagement photos ever. If you're newly engaged and thinking of snowy engagement photos- let's do it! Get in touch and we can watch the weather for some wintery MSU engagement pics!

Haley + Derek's Engagement Photos in Downtown Lansing and Frances Park

It’s cold and dark and gloomy outside, which is when I like to start blogging summer sessions… to remind me of the warmth and blooms and golden sun that is summer.

This session was one of my favorites of 2020. Haley and Derek chose to reschedule their August 22, 2020 wedding to August, 2021 due to COVID. However, they wanted to do something special on their original wedding date. They already had their fall engagement session in 2019, but decided a second engagement session on their original date would be a great way to celebrate. They got all dressed up, went out to dinner, and then headed to downtown Lansing for some photos at the Capitol building and on the rooftop of a parking garage with a view of the city.

Then, after an outfit change, we headed to Frances Park. It is a hidden gem in the Lansing area and has a stunning rose garden and river overlook. It’s one of my favorite parks to take portraits…and it’s free! Free parking and no permits!

I’m so happy I still got to celebrate their original wedding date with them, and happy that they had something special to do! What a great idea! And I’m so looking forward to their 2021 wedding!!!