Where do I start with this shoot?  I guess from the very beginning.  Danielle and I attended college together and are actually sorority sisters (AZD!)  Danielle sent me a Facebook message a few months back mentioning she had been following along with my little business and she was planning a northern Michigan wedding for 2017 with her fiancé, Matt.  I was ecstatic when they asked me to capture their wedding day. Danielle mentioned that she would like to do a winter engagement shoot and we set a date in January, that of course, we had to reschedule because there was no snow to be seen.  Thankfully there was a perfect blanket of snow for our rescheduled date in February. 

I met Matt and Danielle at their farmhouse in Marshall and immediately knew why they wanted to do their pictures in Marshall.  They both attended high school there, are renovating a farmhouse there together, and Matt’s family has the most incredible cabin there.  When Danielle mentioned the cabin I wasn’t sure why she was so excited to use this location.  I hopped in the back of their Jeep, because they didn’t think my car could make it on the 2 track, and I quickly realized why she was so excited about the location.  It was perfect!   The rustic cabin (think heated by a wood burning stove) sits in the middle of the woods, surrounded by a majestic river, warn out canoes, and untouched nature as far as you can see.  As if that wasn’t good enough, we ended their shoot at their favorite brewery, Dark Horse. 

Now that you know how perfect the setting was for this shoot, it is also important for you to know how incredible this couple is.  From the moment I entered their house we were laughing and joking the entire time.  As I typically do at the beginning of a shoot, I warned Danielle and Matt that they may feel a little uncomfortable cuddling and kissing in front of me at first, but it is all part of the experience.  These two were naturals in front of the camera and couldn’t hide how much they wanted to be near each other if they tried!  I loved their playful banter and the way Matt doted on Danielle.

Oh and it would be remiss of me not to mention that puppy!  How insanely cute is that little guy!  I hope you enjoy scrolling through this engagement session as much as I enjoyed capturing it.  I am already counting down the days till I get to have these two in front of the camera again.  Happy planning, Matt and Danielle!