Nolan + Emma | Glen Haven Engagement

It was all laughter with Nolan and Emma throughout their Glen Haven Engagement session.

From taking in the view from the old coast guard station and dancing down the sidewalks of the historic village to hiking the dunes and feeling like we were on top of the world, every minute with these Nolan and Emma was a blast. So thankful they were willing to climb the dunes, brave the wind, and trust the vision, because it ended up being the most stunning night on Lake Michigan.

We had met Emma a couple years prior as a bridesmaid for one our past couples. When she reached out about engagement photos, we were so happy to reunite with her and have the honor to photograph her own engagement season. Congratulations to these two!

Glen Haven Engagement | Mathieu + Madalyn

A serene evening out on Lake Michigan. What more could you ask for?

We love engagement sessions for so many reasons. Oftentimes it’s our only chance to meet our couples face to face prior to their wedding day. Such was the case with Matt and Maddie so we chatted for a bit in the parking lot behind the old red Glen Haven Canning Co. building before jumping into photos.

The initial ‘hi, how are you’ turned quickly into laughing together and inside jokes that would come up later between us all on their wedding day. As we explored Glen Haven together, feeling the sand beneath our feet, watching the sun filter through the trees, and hiking the dunes as the moon rose, we dove into their love story and learned more about them as a couple. These two are so comfortable and at ease together, like they were always meant to be, which of course made photographing them ridiculously easy.

Luke + Katherine | Glen Haven Engagement

Luke and Katherine have a love that is so radiant it’s a wonder to behold.

Our first time meeting face to face as at their engagement session in Glen Haven. Here we got to witness first hand how these two loved each other—with depth, with honesty, and with romantic intensity.

We spent the evening laughing hard, climbing the dunes, and photographing the insane chemistry between the two of them.

As the sun set them aglow in a deep crimson, Luke and Katherine held each other close and drank it all in: the sunset, the peaceful quiet of the evening, and the countdown until their wedding day.

Alex + Katherine | Glen Haven | Engagement

Alex and Katherine, both elementary school teachers, love taking every opportunity to escape away to Michigan during their summer breaks. Specifically camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes has been a special tradition for them every summer. Alex and Katherine describe themselves as ‘nature freaks’ and wanted to incorporate the outdoors in as many of their photos as possible—both for their engagement and their wedding! While their wedding was set at a beautiful vineyard venue in Suttons Bay, taking the trip out to the Sleeping Bear Dunes area for their engagement session was a perfect way to tie in their love for the area.

We got the chance to know them over a video call prior to their session and wedding where we immediately hit it off. We knew that being a part of their days would feel natural and exciting and couldn’t wait to document the two of them being adventurous and hilarious. We decided on an early spring day for their engagement session and Glen Haven proved to be a versatile location—with a little bit of woodsy, beach, and dunes to finish off the night. We spent the whole evening grinning from ear to ear just being in Alex and Katherine’s presence.

We are so happy for these two and loved being a part of their story!

Matt + Lynden Engagement | Glen Haven

We met up with Matt and Lynden in early spring for their engagement session in Glen Haven. They brought their sweet pup along for the adventure and we spent some time wandering around the area, admiring the views, and finally ending on the beach. It was a short but very sweet engagement session as we focused mainly on candids of them interacting and playing with their dog on the beach. As the sun sank lower toward the horizon, Matt and Lynden shared with us all their exciting plans for their upcoming wedding later that year. Spending an evening getting to know a couple at their engagement session makes photographing them again on their wedding day all the more special.

Emery Family Portraits | Glen Haven, MI

Not only are the Emerys some the coolest people we know, but they’re also family. We loved spending the evening with them in Glen Haven, capturing their family portraits.

I’ve known Wyatt my whole life as my older cousin (hey, it’s me, Miles writing!). We’ve spent many a family gathering in northern Michigan. He grew up in Traverse City- I lived on the other side of the state. I remember playing in the woods together and days at the beaches at Lake Michigan. We both grew up to love this area.

Wyatt moved away for while but I think Traverse City always held a special place in his heart. Shortly after he got married to Maggie and had his first kid, Heidi, they moved back up here because of those memories that we both share of growing up in such an awesome place. I think he wanted that same experience for his kids.

You wouldn’t believe how pumped we were when they reached out asking for family portraits in Glen Haven. We met up with them one summer evening and it was so much fun. You could see the love that they had for each other and the creating of new Northern Michigan memories.