Ben + Vina Engagement | Glen Haven Sand Dunes

It was an overcast and moody spring day when we met up with Ben and Vina for their engagement session in Glen Haven. Lake Michigan shone a pale greyish blue against the cloudy skies as we hiked the dunes. As we reached one of the peaks we could see the Lake below us—vast and calm. Behind us, rolling dunes and even further, a sea of evergreens and various other trees that were not yet fully leafed. It was quite the breathtaking view from every direction with Ben and Vina looking out and taking in the scene all around. The whole world was quiet and calm as it was not yet busy season for the Sleeping Bear Dunes—it felt like we had all of Glen Haven to ourselves. It was the perfect time to get to know Ben and Vina before their wedding day. By the end of the evening, we felt like we had made new friends and couldn’t wait to see them again for their wedding less than a month later.

Jack + Tatum Engaged

We loved photographing these portraits for my brother Jack and his fiancée the day they got engaged. Jack proposed earlier in the day with just the two of them, but we met them at our favorite coffee shop Mundos Roasting & Co. to congratulate them. It was fitting to snap a few photos of the two of them there since Jack is the head coffee roaster of the shop. Afterward we drove a few minutes down the road to a local park downtown and took a few more portraits of the two of them together. Congratulations Jack + Tatum!

Engagement Ring | Vince's Jewelers

New Years Day Portraits | Alec + Audrey

It was a joy to spend New Years Day photographing Alec and Audrey's engagement photos. We had fresh snow beneath our feet as we trekked out into the woods behind her parents' home where we found a beautiful scene. String lights hung between the trees guiding a path through the forest. We stopped here and there amidst the trees and stood back to capture Alec and Audrey's interactions. We had the sweetest time laughing with them and getting to know them. We loved capturing their engagement and wedding (which will also be coming to the blog at some point!). Congratulations Alec + Audrey!

Traverse City Proposal | Tommy + Caroline

Photographing this Traverse City proposal was the sweetest adventure, from start to finish. Caroline's sister Madyson reached out originally. She was so supportive and excited for her sister and future brother-in-law. She coordinated a video chat for us to 'meet' with Tommy and chat about the details of the proposal. We discussed his plans for the moment and how he wanted to celebrate with a surprise picnic afterward. Caroline didn't know who we were or what we looked like so we decided to hide in plain sight, disguised as normal hikers enjoying the view from the bridge. Tommy had sent a photo of the two of them so when we noticed them making their way to the bridge where we were, we knew it was about to happen. They talked for a few minutes a ways away from us but as soon as Tommy reached into his pocket for the ring, we turned around with our cameras to capture the moment and Caroline's reaction. These two were the absolute cutest. There was so much tears and laughter as she said yes and tried on her ring for the first time. Tommy pointed us out across the bridge because Caroline hadn't even noticed us in the midst of it all. That was our goal! After wiping some tears from each other's cheeks, Tommy led Caroline to her next surprise, a gorgeous picnic for two set up by the creek. The kicked off the picnic with a champagne pop and we left to allow them to celebrate together. Congratulations Tommy and Caroline. Thank you for inviting us into such a special occasion and trusting us to capture it.

Picnic Set up by Traverse City Picnic Co.

Glen Haven Engagement | Ben and Joanna

Glen Haven Engagement

This Glen Haven Engagement was one we will remember forever.

I will never not be excited about this session, this couple, and these photos.

We've known Ben and Joanna for a number of years now. Besides being fellow photographers in the area, Ben and Joanna are great friends of ours. They are some of the coolest (and some of the most good-looking) people we know. Whenever we are with Ben and Joanna we can't help but laugh and be ourselves. Whether we run into them at our mutual favorite coffee shop (shout out to Mundos Roasting & Co.), photograph their beauty, or enjoy a double date, we know we are bound to have a good time with these two.

When we were looking for a photographer, Ben and Joanna immediately came to mind. We loved having them photograph our engagement and wedding. When the time came for their engagement and wedding, we were honored to photograph them in return!

We had so much fun adventuring Glen Haven and hiking some dunes for their portraits. We feel so blessed to have friends like Ben and Joanna. Though I could go on and on about their beauty and the love these two share, I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Follow along on our Instagram adventures!

Pyramid Point Portraits | Zac + Joelle

On a beautiful snowy, February afternoon in the winter of 2020, our dear friends ventured out to Pyramid Point with us. Despite the chilly temperatures and slippery slopes, Zac and Joelle were up for the hike. They stood there, hand and hand with the icy blue lake stretching on and on beyond them. It created the illusion of being on top of the world.

'love is a choice.

sometimes we tend to believe it's just a feeling. but it's so much more than that. it's sacrifice. it's waking up everyday, dying to yourself in order to value and pour into another human being that will at one point or another 'fall short' in your eyes. it's not always easy, but when you find someone who your soul adores, you wake up with this feeling in your heart that nothing could take away and you realize just how worth it every sacrifice is.'

- Joelle

Beautiful things happen when there is trust between a couple and us. We are firm believers in the friendship between photographer and couple. When trust and relationship is established, everyone is much more comfortable. Photos no longer feel awkward, but more like a friend adventure. We always love to get to know our couples prior to and during their sessions. We feel blessed to already have been friends with this lovely couple. Because of this, and the adventurous dynamic of the shoot, we were allowed the creative freedom to capture more playful, genuine moments. They trusted us to guide and direct when needed and at the same time, we were able to take a step back, let them be and capture their real interaction together.

P.s. How freaking rad are they in their matching Blundstone boots?!

Locations | Pyramid Point and Port Oneida