An Engagement Session at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool and Lincoln Park Conservatory

May 15, 2019

I spent about four years living in Chicago—it’s where I first discovered the Chicago Photography Center, the nonprofit where I took just about every photography class that I could on the evenings and weekends while I worked for a large PR agency in a high-rise downtown.

Chicago is where Jeff and I originally planned to get married (before our venue went out of business, and rearranged our entire plans to get married in Mexico instead). It’s where Jeff proposed, where I met many dear friends as I started my new life after graduating from MSU, and where I spent a summer working as a second photographer before someone took a chance on me and hired me to photograph my very first solo wedding (which, lucky for me, was at an amazing wedding venue that instantly took my portfolio to a new level).

Chicago was the place where I first went out on my own as a business owner—leaving behind the relative certainty of a steady job to discover the rush of working for myself. It’s also the place we visited before hopping on a plane with only two carry on suitcases to move to Washington DC for nine months back in 2013.

I don’t get back there nearly as often as I used to, but we met some of our closest friends while we were living there (friends who convinced us to go skiing in Colorado, take a 13-month-old to Hawaii to celebrate the new year in 2014, to take two kids to Costa Rica for a week, and to go on all kinds of other travel adventures). They’ve moved outside of the city since we moved away, but it’s still a treat to get back there when we can.

Erin and Alex gave me just the excuse I was looking for last summer when they mentioned photographing their engagement session in Chicago a year ahead of their Michigan wedding. I originally convinced myself we’d be able to sail our boat across Lake Michigan from St. Joseph for the session, but I quickly realized how impractical that idea was, and so I made plans to drive in.

If you’re looking to plan an engagement session at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, make sure that you get a permit ahead of time.

And one more quick note—this is a full session (60 minutes), which is usually enough time for two nearby locations and two outfits.

Ann Arbor City Club Wedding Photos

May 7, 2019

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If you’re looking at Ann Arbor wedding venues for a summer wedding, the Ann Arbor City Club is such a laid back, beautiful setting.

Andrea and Kyle had a first look near Andrea’s parents’ house to leave time for wedding party portraits in downtown Ann Arbor and group photos before the wedding ceremony on the lawn of the Ann Arbor City Club.

Since their photos were out of the way by that point, they were able to enjoy a relaxed private dinner together while their guests had cocktail hour outside. This gave them time to be together without the normal stresses of the wedding day, and by the time the reception began, they were ready to greet their guests, pose for photos with friends, and get out on the dance floor.

It’s an approach that I don’t get to see every day, but it was such a nice way to create a relaxed schedule for everyone, and Andrea and Kyle’s guests loved that I was there to take photos of them looking their best during cocktail hour.

This is a great example of a single photographer wedding—we put together a schedule that made it easy for me to take all of the photos without a second photographer.

Learn more about Allie & Co. Wedding Photography

5 Tips for Family Photos with a Baby

April 25, 2019

The first year of a baby’s life is such a whirlwind. I’ve already found that it’s so true what they say—the days are long, and the years are short.

If you’re thinking about documenting your young family, here are five tips to make it a success.

1. Bring a Helper

A helper will make such a big difference for your photo session. Bring along Grandma, Grandpa, an aunt or uncle, or a favorite friend to help get smiles out of baby, to help you carry any necessary baby gear (diaper bags, clothing, etc.), and to give you a chance to get a few photos of just the adults.

2. Bring Extra Clothes

We usually don’t have to do clothing changes with babies, but it’s not a bad idea to have a spare photo outfit just in case the original ends up with a bit of drool (or other unexpected events).

3. Leave Time For a Few Photos With Just the Adults

As we have children, it’s easy to find that we have less and less photos of just the two of us. Have your helper hold baby for a few minutes so you can get a few nice photos of you as a couple.

4. Bring a Small Towel or Burp Cloth

It’s always handy to have a little something to keep baby’s face dry and drool free during the session. Have your helper hold onto it and jump in with it when needed.

5. Plan Your Session During Warm Weather (or Inside)

Babies are happiest when they’re warm, so the best time to plan your outdoor family session is late May – early September. If you want to plan a session with baby outside of that window and avoid the fuss, consider taking it inside for a lifestyle documentary session at home.

Wedding Photos From the University of Michigan Stadium – The Big House

April 15, 2019

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Alexis and Chris have a special tie to UofM’s Big House. Chris played football at University of Michigan before going on to play for the Baltimore Ravens.

They planned every last detail with Table6 Productions while living out of state, and it turned out beautifully.

I had another wedding that day, so Alexis and Chris chose to have Heather as their lead photographer, and I couldn’t be more proud of the phenomenal job that and Diana did as a part of this wedding.

It was such an honor for our team to be a part of such a unique wedding day. Many thanks to Heather for taking the lead on this wedding and Diana for doing an amazing job as second photographer, as always. Scroll to the bottom to see a full list of vendors who contributed to the wedding day.