Dane + Erin | Traverse City Engagement

Just a few days before their wedding, we met Dane and Erin face to face for the very first time. I remember thinking throughout their engagement session how peaceful and calm they seemed with their wedding less than a week away. But that’s the thing about Dane and Erin; they are so authentically themselves. They know what is important to them and what they care about, so naturally all of the other details just fall into place.

It was a beautiful evening at the end of July, wildflower fields aglow in golden summer light, when we met Dane and Erin at Maple Bay Natural Area. We frolicked (no, literally) through fields as birds flew overhead, the two of them simply delighting in each other’s company. As they night wore on and the sun began to sink in the sky, we wandered the path through the thick wood that eventually opened to the beach. It was here underneath the moon and to the song of the seagulls that we watched the sunset with these two and looked with eager anticipation to their wedding only three days away.

Zach + Wendy | Maple Bay Engagement

It’s no surprise that Northern Michigan holds a special place in the hearts of many. For Zach and Wendy, Traverse City marked their very first trip together as a couple and it was a no brainer for them to have portraits in such a meaningful area. To celebrate their engagement, we explored Maple Bay Natural area, documenting on both digital and film as they traipsed through wildflower fields, popped champagne on the beach, and danced along the shoreline while the sun set. It was a joy to witness the kind of love these two shared—clearly smitten with each other and giddy to be together.

Dan and Lauren | Engagement

Sitting here in the middle of a winter storm, our minds are miles away dreaming about spring and summer, and all that inevitably comes with it. Golden sunshine and late sunsets, butterflies and blooming wildflower fields, our feet in the sand as waves meet the shore.

Dan and Lauren picked the perfect summer evening for their engagement photos at Maple Bay. Shot on a variety of digital and film, these photos tell a piece of their story that we are so honored to have been a part of. We get to celebrate them for their wedding later this year and we are counting down the days.

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 + Alayna Engagement

Every engagement and wedding story we photograph is a joy and privilege to be invited into. But there’s an extra layer of honor involved when we have the opportunity to photograph our friends.

I (Sarah) have known Luke and his family since before he was born. Our mothers were best friends as teenagers and the friendship continued as the families grew. To grow up together and witness different milestone moments in each other’s lives made it even more special when he and Alayna reached out about photography.

A very very early spring day found us out at Port Oneida with these two for their engagement session. Snow still on the ground in some areas, but they had each other to keep warm while the wind swirled furiously and waves crashed along the shore. We got to cheer them on up close and personal as we witnessed them interact at their engagement session. They laugh together and tease one another, but they also build each other up and help each other become the best versions of themselves. It’s evident that at the root of their relationship they are genuinely best friends.

Sam + Mimi | Proposal at The Mill

From the very moment that Sam called us to share his proposal vision, we were fully invested.

He shared all about their love for Northern Michigan and specifically his dream of proposing at The Mill in Glen Arbor. They would celebrate afterward with dinner at Farm Club. Sam made the plan to take Mimi up North for the weekend and the scene was set (thanks to the wonderful team at The Mill) with flowers and candles on the deck overlooking the river. Here, he surprised her with the sweetest proposal followed by the coziest engagement photos both inside and outside the cafe.

These photos from last year transport us right back to those joyful moments. The sound of the river, the smell of fresh brewed coffee, and the glow of the sunlight pouring through the windows. Sam and Mimi instantly felt like friends and they were so easy to celebrate. It was such an honor to have witnessed and documented this milestone in their lives.