If you had asked me in college/photo school if I planned on being a wedding photographer, I would have laughed. “Too stressful! I don’t like the industry- why spend that much on one day? I want to be a photojournalist! I want to travel!” is probably what I would have said in response.

Upon graduation, I visited my career counselor at school. She asked, “Well what do you want to do?”. I said frankly and honestly, “I have no idea.” She said, “Well how about weddings? With weddings, you photograph everything: landscape, people, moments, food, portraits, night, day, indoor, outdoor, groups, individuals, details, different lighting….basically everything! Shoot weddings while you figure out what you want to do, and you will hone your skills and be able to shoot anything and everything when you’re done” This was probably the best career advice I’ve ever received in my life.

That was 2009. Today, 11 years later, I am still photographing weddings. And I love it. It was nothing I expected it to be as a clueless new grad in 2009. It’s an industry that I’m proud to work in- run by nearly all small businesses, artists and institutes of culture. It’s a happy job- everyone is happy on their wedding day! I smile while shooting and I smile while editing. I have traveled all over photographing weddings- from the church where Jackie and John F. Kennedy were married in Newport to DC, Philly, Boston, NYC, Detroit, and more.

But the biggest reason I love this job is the significance- the moments I capture will be cherished and passed down. That’s a huge responsibility, one that I take seriously, and one that I am happy to take on. My photos will be loved and make other people smile and laugh and cry.

When I received this email from Hannah last week after delivering the engagement photos from her and Martin’s engagement session on Martin’s grandma’s property, I teared up immediately. Because this is why I do what I do.

“If you recall, we chose to take our pictures at “the Farm,” which was Martin’s grandma’s house and now serves as a central meeting place for the Brown family. Her and her husband bought the house back in the 1950s. The house was actually the second to be built in Jackson County back in the 1800s.

Before our pictures, we visited his grandma in the hospital downtown. We were so excited to tell her that her home would be the back drop of our photos. She was so incredibly sweet, with her response being “I need to buy a dress,” even while stuck in hospital bed at the age of 92.

Unfortunately, they shortly discovered she had suffered an ischemic stroke from which she would never completely recover. By the time we visited her the next Thursday, she had been moved to a hospice home and started to decline.

I wanted to let you know it meant the absolute world to me, Martin, his family, and his grandma to be able to show her our “sneak peek” photos. She had trouble speaking in her condition, but her face lit up seeing us so happy in a place very familiar to her. She was in awe of how beautiful of a backdrop you created with the place she called home for over 50 years.

Martin’s grandma passed away surrounded by her sons on Wednesday, October 28th. Although this means she won’t be there when we get married in June, we feel at peace knowing she was able to celebrate little things with us, like our engagement photos.

So in short, thank you again! The pictures are absolutely wonderful. We’re even more excited for next June!

Take care,

Hannah”

Here is the sneak peek that Hannah and Martin shared with his Grandma, taken on the property of her home…

Morgan and Matthew were my first 2021 couple to book! They booked in 2019 and opted for a two year engagement when most have a one year engagement. Little did they know that it was a blessing in disguise, as many 2020 weddings were rescheduled. They are getting married at the University Club next year and I can’t wait!

In addition to having their wedding on MSU’s campus, they also decided to have their engagement photos on campus too! They chose the Children’s gardens and the Horticulture gardens. Because it was summer, all the flowers were in full bloom, including the roses. No other garden can beat an MSU garden— they are seriously the best gardens in Michigan for photos— and they are free…no fee at all, and easy parking! Even if you aren’t MSU alum, Spartan signs are absent from the gardens so you can still use them without any guilt :) .

Aren’t Mallory and Jon the cutest?? We had an absolutely gorgeous (but a tad chilly!) fall day for their engagement photos on the north campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing. People are often scared to wait and do their photos the first two weekends of November, but I swear, those two weekends always have the best fall color!! Thankfully, Mallory and Jon waited, and the fall color was GORGEOUS!! I can’t wait for their June wedding!

Since Annie and Austin both attended MSU and even got engaged on Michigan State's campus, it was only fitting for them to have their engagement photos taken there. We started at the arboretum and then made our way over to Beaumont Tower. I love how these turned out, and can't wait until their wedding at Lovett Hall in Dearborn next month!

Allison and Mark were married on the most gorgeous June day! Continuing my good luck with weddings this season, it was sunny and warm even though there had been a threat of a thunderstorm earlier in the week.  I started off the day photographing Allison getting ready at her and Mark's newly purchased in East Lansing (congrats again, guys!), while Sydney started off with the guys at the Kellogg Center. We met on MSU's campus in the Beal Gardens for the first look and wedding party and bride + groom portraits. Then, we headed over to the Kellogg Center for their beautiful garden patio ceremony and inside for the reception. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the day! Congratulations, Allison and Mark!

Ahhh....spring is finally here! I LOVE spring, and funny enough, it seems to be a season that is overlooked by couples planning their engagement session. So many opt for summer or fall, but spring is so gorgeous with all of the tulips, flowering magnolias, and cherry blossoms! The only hard part is guessing when they are going to bloom and wondering how long they will stay in bloom! Warmer than usual winters and late snows can totally make it unpredictable. However, for Hannah and Jon's shoot, everything was timed PERFECTLY.  And honestly, I don't think spring gets any prettier than it does on the campus of MSU in East Lansing. There are gardens all over campus and the grounds are meticulously maintained....it's the perfect setting for a spring engagement session in Mid-Michigan! Here are a few favorites from my spring engagement session with Hannah + Jon!

The MSU campus in the fall is so gorgeous. Well, to be honest, it's really gorgeous at all times of year, but especially in the fall! Since Oksana is a Spartan alum, she agreed that campus would be the perfect spot for their engagement photos. We met in East Lansing on a cloudy day with sprinkles of rain in the forecast just a few days before their wedding with no option for a reschedule. Thankfully, the rain held off, and didn't start sprinkling until I was in my car after the shoot. The clouds gave us perfect filtered light (clouds are always better than sun for photos, which most people don't know!)  and resulted in some gorgeous engagement photos. Here are a few of my favorites:

Courtney and Arthur chose to have their engagement photos done on the campus of Michigan State University, one of the largest and most beautiful campuses in the country. Courtney is an alum, and after graduation, met her husband while working for USAID in Africa! Since East Lansing holds so many great memories for Courtney, the couple chose to have both their wedding and engagement photos in Lansing. Here are a few of my favorites: 

Carly and Jacob are my first Ann Arbor clients! Carly and Jacob proved to be a perfect fit: they wanted an engagement shoot in Ann Arbor, and are having their wedding in Jamestown, Rhode Island this summer! How perfect is that! Because I grew up in Michigan, I visit a few times a year, and it coincided perfectly with the timing of their engagement shoot.

Here are a few of my favorites from their session this past fall in Ann Arbor.