Athens and Erin - Kalamazoo homestead engagement photos

From my very first conversation with Athens and Erin, I could tell they would be an absolute delight to shoot with. They’re both so incredibly happy being their raddest selves with hobbies like yoga instructing, beekeeping, and drumming in a legit band, they only become cooler when they’re with each other.

We took these engagement photos on Athen’s birthday, on the property that these two have enjoyed countless walks and sunsets on. They gave me so much creative freedom, and I’m so madly in love with these photos and this whole experience.

Congratulations you two, I’m so excited for your wedding next year!

Alex and Nick - Kalamazoo moody engagement photos

Alex: "We already had traditional engagement photos taken when I proposed"

Me: "Okay cool, how about we do ultra-moody UN-traditional engagement photos then?"

I’m a huge fan of alternative engagement portraits, and Alex and Nick were absolutely up for the challenge. I completely embraced the opportunity to go full “fine art” mode, and sent them a mood board with style inspiration in preparation. When going for a more monochromatic look, I want a simple, usually urban, location that doesn’t have a lot of color naturally. A parking garage is one of my favorite go-to spots for this reason, but this time around, I wanted something new with lots of leading lines, and this set of bleachers completely spoke to me.

The weather may have felt super inhospitable when the shoot day arrived, but they came prepared with all the moody layers to fight even the coldest winter day. This was also the perfect trial run for their January wedding photos (Pocket warmers are key), so win-win all around.

Thanks for being rockstars with hearts of gold you incredible humans!

Olivia and Garrett - Al Sabo engagement photos

Olivia and Garrett’s engagement session had all the necessities (specifically flowers and wine). They were already so sweet and natural in front of the camera, but it is definitely a portrait session pro-tip to have a sip of something before, or during your session to loosen nerves and just generally make photos more of a complete activity, or maybe even a date night.
It was a fairly hot Michigan fall evening when we adventured around Al Sabo preserve looking for the best photo and picnic locations, and we were certainly not disappointed.

Congratulations you two!

Haily and Sean - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement photos

No lie, every engagement session of the spring for me was shot in downtown Kalamazoo. I also have a super soft spot in my heart for the place. With the amount of couples sharing first date stories and fond memories among the parks, restaurants, and walking mall, it’s no surprise it’s at the top of the list for requested photo locations. I’ve never been a photographer to recycle backdrops however, so this means lots of jumping around to find new visuals, and things that can help tell the individual story of a couple.
It’s a fun challenge, and I’m here for it.

Haily and Sean met at WMU, but spent so much of their time in the heart of our city. The weather had been questionable every day leading up to their engagement photos, but the day of was absolutely gorgeous.

Congratulations cuties, the wedding next year will be totally worth every day of waiting!

Kylie and Evan - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement photos

I attempt every year to take advantage of all the blooming trees in downtown Kalamazoo, and every year I typically miss the peak of them by about a week.

This year, we finally won when Michigan finally blessed us with something other than snow in mid-April! Kylie and Evan were super open to ideas when it came to engagement photo locations in the area, and so we adventured around some particularly bloomy blocks of downtown. They were all genuine smiles and laughter, and it makes me all the more excited for their October wedding.

Congrats lovely people!

Ashley and Cole - Kalamazoo engagement photos

As I’m getting ready to finally get back out there shooting intimate wedding ceremonies and engagement sessions (safely, and with nice long lenses) I’m still loving going back through previous work, so here’s another un-posted session in the meantime!
You would not believe the amount of times I’ve heard that someone doesn’t enjoy having their photo taken, but then they show up and absolutely nail it.
That was definitely the case with Cole. Ashley warned me at our first meeting that he hated photos so much that we could probably only talk him into a 30 minute mini-engagement session. She did, and it turned out that’s all they needed.
I had the best time walking through the woods of Al Sabo with them in the warm fall morning light, talking about their plans and their experiences. Ashley was glowing the whole time, and Cole just kept looking at her like she was the only thing in his world.

Their wedding plans may have shifted a little due to the COVID-19 situation, but their love is going to be just as strong when the wedding day arrives.

Congratulations you two!

Allison and Josh - Kalamazoo engagement photos

I’ve grown really find of winter engagement sessions over the last few years.
There’s a certain romance to the snowy landscape around Kalamazoo, and it’s hard to beat that soft light all day long. In addition, you’re forced to think a little bit harder about warmup locations which adds to the challenge and creativity, with the added bonus that snow-loving couples tend to not let anything phase them. It’s a win all around!

Allison and Josh are sweet, authentic and have the warmest smiles around. Turns out they had been so close to knowing each other from one connection or another all their lives, but when the time was right and they finally met, it was definitely meant to be. They already had fantastic ideas for where they wanted to shoot their engagement photos, and as always, Kalamazoo delivers.

Congratulations Allison and Josh, I’m so stoked for your wedding this year!

Olivia and Tom - Kalamazoo Kik pool engagement photos

Olivia and Tom are incredibly special people. I had been following Olivia on Instagram for a while, and was such a fan of her creativity and artistic mindset. When she reached out to me, and we started talking engagement photo details, I was completely over the moon when she suggested Kalamazoo’s Kik pool as one of their locations. I had my eye on it for weeks, and was just dying for the perfect couple to shoot there, and oh my goodness were they ever the perfect couple!
I could not think of a more ideal person for Olivia than Tom. He matches her energy, her creativity, and her joy for life. When I asked Tom when he knew he wanted to marry her, he said he couldn’t put his finger on a specific day or moment, but it was the years of becoming who they are together, and building their life. Knowing when you don’t want to spend the rest of your life without your person is such a crazy wonderful thing, and that is exactly what they found.
The engagement shoot was full of so many laughs, dance-offs, and all the color your heart could want. Congratulations Tom and Olivia, I can’t wait to see the dance moves on your wedding day!

Rachel and Dustin - Big Rapids engagement photos

Rachel and Dustin have some of the biggest hearts out of anyone I’ve met. They’re kind, genuine and put others before themselves, and it’s such a beautiful thing to see.
Rachel wanted to show me the venue where they’ll be getting married this September as one of the engagement photo locations at golden hour (Probably the most beautiful farm of all time), but there was still the first location to figure out. When she asked Dustin what he wanted in engagement photos, he said “cold beer”. Not wanting to disappoint, cold beer was exactly our first location! We met up at Raven Brewing and BBQ in Big Rapids, and I was so thrilled that we did. Not only did it set the mood so perfectly, but it also made for a laid back and effortless engagement session afterwards.
I had so much fun with these beautiful humans, and I can’t wait for the wedding day!

Emma and Bryant - Kalamazoo Al Sabo engagement (featuring Bell's Wedding Ale)

These two are beautiful and unique individuals. They are full of joy and adventure, and they have built the sweetest life together. Emma contacted me about their Bell’s Brewery wedding a few months back, and I was over the moon (Not only are brewery weddings pretty much my favorite, but Bell’s is an incredible venue. Come on). We started talking engagement ideas, and Emma and Bryant’s adventurous nature led us to Al Sabo preserve as our location.

Just a few short weeks before the engagement session, Bell’s releases their wedding ale: an Imperial Wheat Ale brewed with honey, coriander and orange peel, sure to make any wedding day a party. Between the name, the venue and the description, clearly we needed to incorporate it into their engagement session.
After a weather reschedule (Thanks Michigan false spring), we ended up shooting on the absolutely perfect golden afternoon in May. I could not have asked for nicer conditions, or more pleasant people to share them with.

Congratulations Emma and Bryant, I’m so glad I get to celebrate with you next year!

Brittnay and Brandon - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement photos

These two have some of the brightest smiles you’ll ever see in your life, and attitudes to match. They’re just the type of people who make you have a better day just by being a part of it. Brittnay requested an urban photo setting (which I am super about) so we adventured around downtown Kalamazoo and the surrounding area, stopping at Fido Motors Cafe for a warm up chai and some rare winter sunshine. My goal for any engagement session is to capture people being who they are together, and they made these photos a complete breeze.

I can’t wait for your 2020 wedding Brittnay and Brandon, you’re made for each other!

Amanda and Mark - Kalamazoo Sweetwater's Donut Mill engagement photos

When I first started talking engagement photo ideas with Amanda and Mark, she had one simple request: Her donut obsession needed to be represented. Obviously, Kalamazoo engagement photos meant Sweetwater’s was the clear option, and now I’m looking for any excuse to work delicious donuts into photo shoots!
These two are so unique and talented, and I have complete confidence their wedding is going to be a perfect reflection of who they are.

Congratulations you lovely people, I can’t wait to celebrate your marriage!