Northern Michigan Engagement Session : Matt & Stefanie

Stefanie had been dreaming of a Northern Michigan Engagement session since the moment we sat down at a coffee shop in Ann Arbor late last fall.  On that cold and wintery day, we talked of plans for the day she would marry Matt and a day that was truly the beginning of a new life for her.  She traveled by herself here from Brazil, leaving behind an entire life she had known with her family in pursuit of more opportunities both in her career and in love.  Shortly after moving here to chase a career opportunity, Matt walked into her life and swept her off her feet. (Trust me, when I heard her story I though it sounded like a fairy tale, too.)

But I loved sitting across from her at the table in that coffee shop and watching her light up when she talked about how they met and fell in love. And how she knew shortly after they me that  she was exactly where she was meant to be. and now they are planning their wedding day for next summer at The Inn At St. John’s and planning is in full swing.  She will have plenty of family traveling to the states for the first time, and we talked of how to pull in tropical elements that speaks to her roots and how to make them feel at home. It’s going to be such an amazing day.

For their engagement shoot, she wanted to also call to her childhood and Brazil.  I immediately knew that the only way to give her that was to travel to the shores of Lake Michigan in search of the miles of shoreline and dunes. When I mentioned that we would already be up there for a family vacation this summer, we both jumped at the chance to bring it all together and do the shoot in Shelby, Michigan just a few minutes from Silver Lake Sand Dunes. We waited all week for the perfect night to shoot, and it was well worth it.

We met near the Little Sable Point Lighthouse and Michigan showed off her finest colors.  The sunset that evening was hazy in a color that’s hard to explain in human words, almost a coppery gold and blush pink.  It was spectacular. These two played on the dunes while I shot both digital and a few rolls of film.  The sunset that night and the energy from these two were almost unreal.  Here’s a peek at part one from Matt & Stefanie’s Northern Michigan Engagement Session.

Hasselblad H1 / Fuji 400H / Scans by Find Lab / C1ick Profiles

Trust me when I say you’ll want to come back fro Part 2 of their Northern Michigan Engagement Session.  Here’s a peek for now …