Southern Exposure Herb Farm might possibly be one of the most gorgeous properties that I have ever photographed at! It was beautifully rustic, with well cared for grounds and stunning florals. There were greenhouses and antiques and chandeliers. I mean, to say it was a photographer's dream is an understatement.

Funny enough, neither Michael and Michaela nor I had ever been there! We chose the location by looking at a map and trying to find a spot halfway between where they live in Indiana and where I live in East Lansing. The Battle Creek/Kalamazoo area was the perfect mid-point. Let's just say we were all blown away when we arrived! Since Michaela had wanted a garden location, and since they are having an elegant rustic wedding later this summer, it was the perfect spot for their engagement session!

Thank you to Southern Exposure Herb Farm for kindly accommodating us! By the way...they also host weddings...so who would like to hire me to shoot their wedding there now?!?!

So, I found a new favorite place to shoot! The MSU Arboretum has so many great spots for photos including a stunning English garden! I can't believe that I lived in East Lansing for 10 years AND attended MSU as a student, and had no idea the Arboretum existed! I even frequently visited the Children's Garden next door to it when I worked as a nanny throughout my undergrad and had no idea it was there.

When I told Madison and Tom about the Arboretum, they were totally up to take their engagement photos there-- and I'm so glad we did! Tom attended medical school at MSU, so taking photos on the campus of Michigan State University was really fitting since it has some meaning to them. These two were so easy to photograph, and I'm super excited for their 2018 wedding!

Here are a few of my favorites!

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!

The weather for my spring weddings has been AMAZING. Every single wedding thus far this spring has been sunny and above average temps for spring. Casey and Karl's wedding was especially warm....more like summer at 80 degrees (in May!!). As I fly back and forth between Michigan and Rhode Island to shoot weddings, the good weather seems to follow me in that anywhere I'm working, the weather is gorgeous.

Casey and Karl were married at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, RI. It's breathtaking, on a cliff overlooking the ocean and the Pell bridge. Casey's hair and makeup were by the fabulous Allison Barbera and team, who makes the makeup look so incredibly natural, and Casey's hair held the entire evening. The beautiful flowers on the arbor, centerpieces on the tables and bouquets were by Sayles Livingston. Exquisite Events was also on site for event design. Lastly, the band Silver Arrow provided the music for both the ceremony and the reception, and it was fantastic. The lead vocalist was incredible! Also, big thank you to my assistant Sara who captured some of the groomsmen and food/detail shots!

All in all, it was a perfect day. Casey and Karl, thank you for having me as your photographer, and have an amazing time in Bora Bora!! Congratulations!

Mallory + Mike were married on the most beautiful May day...70 and sunny and just perfect. Their wedding was at the historical Dearborn Inn in Dearborn, MI, and I loved everything about it: the grounds, the brick, the black and white tiled floor, the huge arched windows, the chandeliers....I mean really, it was a photographer's dream! Every time I turned a corner, there was yet another amazing spot to take photos. Thankfully, Mallory + Mike's schedule allowed us ample time to walk the grounds and take amazing photographs that I hope they cherish for the rest of their lives. Here are some of my favorites from the day....Congratulations, Mallory + Mike!!

A big thank you to Heather for capturing the groomsmen photos!

It's May, which means it's almost summer, which means the senior portrait inquiries have started to roll in! Most seniors choose between summer and fall to have their sessions. This summer senior portrait session of Kaylee's is one of my all time favorite summer sessions. The green trees, water, her cute dresses/summer outfits and her sun highlighted hair and tan skin really made this session perfect. I included sooooo many photos in this blog post, because I really couldn't pick any favorites! If you are considering a summer senior portrait session, take a look at Kaylee's photos for an idea of what to expect, as well as some location ideas. As you can see from Kaylee's pictures, you can't really go wrong with parks and lakes :) .

Interested in scheduling a session with me? Email me at caitlinmaloneyphotography@gmail.com for more information on how to book. Session dates are very limited in the summer and go quickly, so don't wait until the last minute to inquire!

Having lived in East Lansing ten years ago for ten years while completing my undergrad at MSU, I thought I knew Lansing pretty well. In fact, I had no idea there was a park as beautiful as Frances Park, and had no idea how beautiful the Capitol building and surrounding areas could be for photos. I'm so glad Zoe was up for doing her photos downtown and at Frances Park. We shot on a Sunday evening and it was quiet, so we had the area to ourselves. As you can tell from the first photo, Zoe is a dancer, so we also took photos for her college application to the dance program at the University of Michigan (and she was accepted!!!). Congrats on graduating Zoe, and thank you for letting me take your senior portraits!!

I can't believe this day finally came! In college, I was Keara's babysitter, and met her when she was two years old! Three years ago, she asked me to do her senior pictures, and it seemed so far away. I can't believe she is graduating this year!

We started the shoot on the beautiful campus of MSU in East Lansing at the horticulture gardens. It was SO pretty! From there, we traveled to Williamston so that Keara could have photos with her new horse, Joey. Joey was *almost* as beautiful as Keara :) . Keara opted to have hair and makeup done by a stylist at Kenneth Brandt Salon in Mason, MI. The stylist stayed throughout the shoot for a hair change and touchups...it was so nice to have her right there to assist!

Congratulations on graduating, Keara, and I can't wait to see what amazing things you accomplish in college!

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!

Newborn Henlee was as tiny as could be...even if those cheeks make you think otherwise! She was so sweet and slept nearly the entire time. Her mama and daddy love her so much, and embraced my lifestyle shooting instead of the popular baby in the basket style. I am so happy with how the images turned out, and think these will make beautiful framed heirloom prints that will be loved and displayed for a lifetime. Welcome to the world, Henlee!

Who would have thought that all three of my January and February shoots would have been in the 50s in winter in MICHIGAN?? These two flew in from Seattle to have their engagement photos taken at Michael's alma mater (the University of MIchigan), and were pretty surprised to find Ann Arbor warmer than Seattle! Anyhow, we weren't complaining! We started in the Law Quad, and then worked our way over to the Nickels Arcade and then wrapped up at another pretty spot on campus. Even in winter, the U of M campus is gorgeous! I'm super excited to work with Chanel and Michael again later this summer when I photograph their wedding at the Westin!

Class of 2018, it's that time of year again! We are now booking senior portraits! Do you go to East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett, Owosso, Holt, St John's, Grand Ledge, Mason, Jackson, Howell, Charlotte, Williamston, or Dewitt? Get in touch to schedule your senior portraits!

Mallory and Mike chose to have their engagement photos taken in downtown Plymouth, MI. I had never been before, and it was ADORABLE! Like as in I started looking at housing in the car after the shoot :) . I'm SO happy Mallory and Mike introduced me to Plymouth, and am thrilled with how the photos came out. They were so natural and fun to be around, and I can't wait for their wedding at the Dearborn Inn later this year!

Oksana and Corey held their wedding at the beautiful Cafe Cortina in Farmington HIlls, Michigan. Everything was perfect: the weather, the food, the gorgeous patio for photos, the beautiful bouquets by Twigs and Branches Floral, and all of the DIY details that Oksana and Corey put so much work into, even though they planned the entire wedding in UNDER THREE MONTHS. Can you believe it? I'm not sure how they did it and how they remained so calm and laid back, but they pulled it off, and it was amazing.

Oksana and Corey's wedding was so unique because of the blend of Canadian, Ukrainian and Kazakh traditions that were included. There was vodka, jokes a plenty, traditional dress and song...it was pretty incredible, not to mention fun.

While there are so many great photos from the day, here are a few of my favorites to tell the story:

Dogs at photo shoots might be the cutest thing ever....look at that tongue!!

Keri + Morgan were such troupers...it started raining about 15 minutes into their shoot, and they kept going, just happy to be together and enjoying the shoot.

We started off at a boardwalk, and then ended up at the harbor...even, though it was raining, it was beautiful!

Caitlin Maloney is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Lansing, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Charlevoix, Traverse CIty, Northern Michigan, Leelanau, Saugatuck, Holland in Michigan, as well as Bristol, Newport, Jamestown, Providence, and Narragansett in Rhode Island.

From the start, Carly and Jacob were my perfect clients. As some of you may have noticed, I serve two regions: Michigan and Rhode Island. Well, it just so happened that Carly + Jacob lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan and were getting married in Jamestown, Rhode Island...how perfect is that?? I ended up being able to do their engagement shoot in Michigan and shoot their RI wedding- without any travel fees! 

These two were so laid back....even though there was an impending hurricane. It was scheduled to hit the day of the wedding. I was nervous, being that the wedding location was Dragonline Studios....under a tent...on a cliff....overlooking the ocean. Stunning, right??? Thankfully, the weather Gods were looking down on Carly and Jacob and they had the most GORGEOUS day for their wedding. It got a little breezy in the afternoon, but thankfully Hurricane Hermine delayed her arrival until the next day.

Here are a few of my favorites from their wedding!

While this wedding took place in Rhode Island, the location has an uncanny resemblance to Northern Michigan weddings. Like the photographs you see here and getting married in Traverse City, Charlevoix, South Haven, Muskegon, North Haven, Saugatuck, Charlevoix, Mackinac, or another spot on Lake Michigan? Get in touch via the contact form or email caitlinmaloneyphotography@gmail.com for information.

Ashley wanted dramatic for their engagement photos, and the weather Gods obliged, rolling in thick fog the afternoon of their shoot in beautiful Jamestown, Rhode Island. We almost cancelled, fearing the fog would actually be too thick and conceal the water, but Ashley gave the green light, and we went for it and I am SO glad that we did! The results are moody and dramatic- just as Ashley wanted, and being that she and Keith had come in from NYC and weren't able to reschedule, I am thrilled that she pushed me to shoot in weather I would normally cancel for. They got photos that they love, and I was challenged- which is what I love about working in photography- rarely do you have a "normal" day at the "office" when shooting. Can't wait for their wedding in Newport this summer!

Caitlin Maloney is a wedding and portrait photographer serving both Rhode Island and Michigan, including Newport, Jamestown, Narragansett, Providence, Watch Hill, Bristol, and Detroit, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Northern Michigan, and Grand Rapids.

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:

I've been waiting to shoot my first Detroit engagement session for quite some time now, so I was super excited when Meghan and Andy chose downtown Detroit as their location! I'd heard so much about it, and seen so many awesome photos, I was excited to experience it for myself. Detroit far exceeded my expectations, and I immediately fell in love with the urban vibe of the photos we were able to capture. A big thanks to Meghan and Andy for showing me around the city!

Caitlin Maloney is a wedding and portrait photographer serving both Rhode Island and Michigan, including Detroit, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Newport, Providence, Jamestown, Narragansett, and the surrounding areas of Chicago, Northern Michigan, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Boston. 

Like what you see? Get in touch at caitlinmaloneyphotography@gmail.com. Now booking 2017 weddings and portraits.

I've been spending a lot of time in Ann Arbor recently photographing engagement shoots for my 2017 Michigan brides. You really can't go wrong shooting in Ann Arbor, especially in fall. 

Alyssa and Phil were one of the first Michigan couples to book me after I announced my move back. Alyssa and I instantly connected because she had just recently moved back from the Boston area, too, and we had actually even attended the same graduate school- Northeastern! I loved working with these two, and can't wait to shoot their Detroit area wedding next year!

Like what you see and getting married in 2017? Get in touch- I still have a few select dates for weddings in 2017!

Caitlin Maloney Photography is a Michigan wedding photographer, serving Ann Arbor, Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, Northern Michigan, Chicago, Greater Lansing and beyond.