Birmingham, MI engagement photos at Quarton Lake and Shain Park provided by Kellie Saunders, a top Detroit wedding and engagement photographer. I love celebrating engagements with a photography session! It allows me to get to know my clients and spend a little quality one on one time with them. On the wedding day things are almost always hectic and it's go, go, go. Engagement sessions are different. I like to have fun with my couples. Play games (yes I said games...) with them and shoot them in the most authentic way possible. I play this little game with everyone called the "kissing game". If you've been a client of mine and had an engagment session, you probably know what I'm talking about. I won't go into too much detail, because I like the element of surprise with my future clients - but I kid you not - we have the most fun and I am able to capture some of the most truthful honest expressions. I'm sure Allie and Mike had as much fun as I had working with them. Birmingham never gets old for me. I usually always start my session at Quarton Lake. The light in the park I use is always gorgeous and never fails me. Then sometimes we head to Shain Park or an alley nearby. Sometimes both. I enjoyed my time with Allie and Mike, and now their wedding is that much more personal to me. I can't wait! Join me in congratulating them on their engagement!

Detroit Michigan wedding photography at a private mansion in Historic Indian Village was provided by Kellie Saunders and her team of top wedding photographers. Part 1 in a 3 part series. Stacy and Mikey. Wow! When I first talked to Stacy on the phone she told me she wanted to get married in a somewhat traditional wedding gown at the Michigan Science Center planetarium and have a masquerade ball reception a couple of weeks later at the Crofoot Ballroom. I think I screamed on the phone. I really, really did. I then told her to hold on a minute so I could jump up and down and do a couple of cartwheels. Okay so that part is not true. I didn't do one single cartwheel. For what it's worth, if I wasn't over 40 and there was no chance of breaking a limb, I probably would have. I was so excited at the chance to photograph a couple getting married under the planetarium stars that it almost didn't occur to me that I actually needed to meet Stacy and Mikey. I was ready to sign the contract from the first intial phone call. Thankfully, Stacy, working in the mental health field, probably realized I had lost my marbles over the chance to shoot such a unique event and set up an in person meeting with me. When they walked through my studio doors I KNEW I was meant to photograph their wedding. They told me how they met, how Mikey asked Stacy to marry him and what they wanted in a wedding photographer. We talked about the planetarium wedding and how it would be difficult to photograph and about their reception and the specific challenges that the Crofoot Ballroom creates. I told them that even if it wasn't me, they needed to make sure they hire the right photographer. A photographer who is good in low light and could work fast in the dark. Both these venues are not for the standard run of the mill photographer. If they hired someone, they needed someone who understood artificial light and how to create it and control it. They told me on the spot it was me they wanted and I immediately did that cartwheel. Okay, okay... I really didn't do the cartwheel. Stacy and Mikey would have two outfit changes. One being their more traditional wedding attire for the actual ceremony and the other being the mascarade wear for the reception ball. I wanted to make sure we could document this event properly. I always try to go above and beyond for my clients, but this wedding was going to require a little more TLC. Stacy and Mikey agreed that we could do this in three segments. We would do a private first look and portrait session at their friends historic mansion in Detroit's Indian Village. Stacy would be able to do her trial run with hair/makeup (btw - Katie did a fantastic job!!!), and I would be able to get some stylized photos and we wouldn't have to rush on their wedding day. Take a look at their first look! I absolutely LOVED this idea. I LOVED these images and I LOVE this couple. Stacy and Mikey's wedding was publishing in OffBeat Bride. You can view it here: OffBeat Bride Article

Birmingham, MI engagement photography provided by Kellie Saunders, a top Detroit wedding and engagement photographer. Megan and John were not only a blast to photograph - I've seen that at least two other weddings I've photographed this year. I secretly think they might be professional wedding crashers. :-) Okay maybe they aren't - but I'll have fun with spreading the rumor. We shot their engagement session in a local park in Birmingham, Michigan and also hit some downtown favorite spots. I really like that we were able to get some great options for their save the dates. Megan is absolutely stunning (John is not so bad himself), so they will be so much fun to photograph on their wedding day. I can't wait to see what her dress looks like. She said it's gorgeous!! Congrats to Megan and John!

Michigan wedding photography at the gorgeous Village Club of Bloomfield Hills provided by Kellie Saunders and her team of the top Bloomfield Hills wedding photographers. Rachel and Kurt were a lovely couple. Like many couples I met them for the first time in person on their wedding day. I couldn't have been more pleased by their welcoming demeanor and fun and friendly attitudes. Rachel did all of her wedding day prep at the Village Club of Bloomfield Hills, which provided a beautiful background for creative imagery. They have a nice window that I used for Rachel's bridal photos after she got ready. Love that place! One of my favorite photos of all time was when I watched them secretly through the door as Rachel's dad held her dress while looking at his watch telling the girls to hurry up. It's just such a great moment. Once we arrived to the church I was overcome by emotion when Rachel's grandma showed up. She was just the sweetest little lady, rolled into the room by wheelchair. Her eyes glassed over when she saw Rachel and I couldn't help but think of my own grandma, and how I missed her. My grandma wasn't alive when I was married, but I thought of how wonderful it is to be able to take these photos so that Rachel and her family have them to show her own children one day. I am so happy with what we captured from that little bridal room in the church. Rachel and Kurt were wed and we all headed back to the Village Club for their wedding day portraits and reception fun! Kurt opened up a bottle of champaign to celebrate and while I was almost hit in the face with it - what a fun photo to capture! You can see that below. This wedding was full of smiles, laughter, fun and love! I hope to work with more couples just like Rachel and Kurt! I wish them all the best that life has to offer. Join me in wishing them health, love and happiness for years to come!

Birmingham, MI engagement photography provided by Kellie Saunders, a top Detroit wedding and engagement photographer. I'm really behind with my blogging and I do apologize. I am catching up now and thank goodness for it. I have so many wonderful engagement sessions to post just like this one. Jessica and Camron were so much fun to work with! We had to reschedule once because of weather, and I'm glad we waited because the perfect day came around and we were able to snag some great images to celebrate their engagement! They will be getting married this year (2016) and I'm really stoked to be working with them. Check out that gorgeous sapphire engagement ring a few photos down. Wow! I really love sapphire - it's one of my favorite stones (hint hint to my husband who never reads my posts - but maybe I'll get lucky this time).