Fall Mini Session Dates Are Now Available

September 5, 2019

For the first time ever, I’m offering three mini session dates this fall at three distinct locations My custom photo session availability will be limited in the coming months, so I’ve opened up opportunities to book in a few of my favorite locations, including a weekend date. Use the links below to book.

If you’d like to book a traditional mini session (30 minutes), go ahead and book two 15 minute mini sessions, and I’ll follow up with the traditional mini session contract ($350 for 30 minutes and all edited high resolution digital files).

September 23: Lewis Landscape Arboretum

This is a great location and time of year for families with young children. The weather is usually still warm in September, and you’ll be close to the MSU Children’s Gardens to make an evening out of it.

October 16: Michigan State North Campus

Fall colors should be out by this date. Look for colorful trees, pops of purple, and classic architecture.

October 20: Fenner Nature Center

This is a rare weekend portrait session date. Look for fall colors, and open field, and potentially big boulders to sit on.

A Summer Wedding at the Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens

August 19, 2019

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Katie and Cory were married in mid-July at the MSU Horticulture Gardens, and I have to admit, when I saw the weather forecast, I was nervous. We were looking at extreme heat advisories with forecasted heat around 94 degrees for their greenhouse wedding. I picked out my lightest weight dress, and I packed up an entire hiking backpack of water plus a full Nalgene with ice to prepare for the day.

When I met with Katie in her hotel room at the Marriott in East Lansing, she was totally relaxed and so sweet (side note – one thing Katie and Cory did that helped them to relax on the wedding day was invite everyone to the rehearsal dinner the night before so they’d have more time to talk to everyone and feel like pressure on the day of the wedding).

Katie and Cory ended up having such an amazing sense of humor throughout the whole day (you’ll see their easy laughter in the photos). We all took breaks to get cool in the bus and the cool classroom at the gardens, and a nice quick storm rolled through to cool us all off in time for dinner.

Katie and Cory own Threads, a clothing boutique in downtown East Lansing. Go check them out!

The flower girl took an unexpected dip in the fountain

Michigan State Horticultural Gardens Wedding Vendors

Venue: Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens
Flowers: Events to Rent
String Quartet: Kalkaska String Quartet
DJ: Mixxin DJs
Catering: James Avenue Catering
Wedding Dress: Hayley Paige
Cupcakes: Gigis Cupcakes
Hair and Makeup: Mindy City Weddings

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A Garden Wedding at The English Inn, a Lansing Area Wedding Venue

June 12, 2019

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The English Inn has always been one of my favorite wedding venues in the Lansing area. The gardens out back are such a place of peace and relaxation – they perfectly balance out the potential stress of any wedding day, and I feel like every wedding that I’ve been a part of there has been so joyful as guests enjoy looking out over the gardens, lawn, and river.

Rachel and Josh had a quiet Friday wedding at The English Inn last June, and everything about their day was just exactly what I hoped it would be – perfect weather, sweet couple, friendly family, a helpful wedding party, and amazing live music. We had a lot of fun on that June day, and I know it set the tone for a wonderful marriage between Rachel, Josh, and their new family.

Wedding vendors are listed at the bottom of this post.

Wedding Vendors

Venue: The English Inn
String Trio: White Pines Entertainment
Live Music and DJ for Cocktail Hour and Reception: Karley Davidson
Wedding Dress: Bellissima Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Amaze
Makeup: Alissa Walker
Hair: Kenneth Brandt Salon

Learn more about Allie & Co. Wedding Photography >

Classic Maternity Photos in East Lansing, Michigan

June 5, 2019

Cold weather turns a lot of people off from heading out for photos, but since the prime time for maternity photos is around 28-32 weeks pregnant, Lacie was game for heading out into the chilly air to capture the final weeks before the arrival of baby Zelda (Yes! Another Zelda! I was so excited about this).

Plants in Michigan are a little…less than ideal in March, so we sought out clean, classic architectural backdrops in East Lansing for these maternity photos to create a warmer look despite the cold of March.

I’m so excited that our area will have another little Zelda soon! Congratulations, Lacie and Lewie!

Print Design Ideas

Maternity + Lifestyle Newborn Photos