This engagement session at Blake’s Cider Mill is a literal fall dream. The fall colors were in full swing, cider was perfectly chilled, and the donuts were warm & fresh. As a Michigan wedding and engagement photographer, I couldn’t have asked for better fall weather for this session.
Apple Orchard Engagement
The first spot for this engagement session was in the orchard itself. At this time, Blake’s does not have rules against photography on property. As a rule of thumb though I try to find more secluded spots away from the general public! For this engagement at Blake’s Cider Mill, we were right on the tail end of apple picking season and it was my personal mission to find trees still with lots of apples. We went with yellow & green apples this time!
The apple trees were perfectly green, which complemented Kelsy’s dress perfectly. When picking her outfit, Kelsy’s priority was to show her personality. Something that was uniquely her but still fit with the backdrop of Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill. Kelsy’s style is fun, colorful, with an eclectic pop. She used a clothing rental service (like Rent the Runway) and found the perfect outfit.
We were really testing Matt’s ability to reach apples at this engagement session! This engagement session totally doubled as an opportunity to pick apples. While the apples were great props, we laughed and picked apples that would make the best pie in between poses and prompts. A lot of the apples though were located in the tree tops, but Matt is pretty tall so he did a great job reaching for us!
Engagement at Blake’s Cider Mill
After our time together in the orchard, we headed back up to Blake’s Cider Mill. After all that apple picking, we needed a little sweet treat. We got Blake’s famous cider donuts and apple cider. Kelsy’s engagement ring is so unique (and one of my favorites I’ve photographed so far). I’m usually a little averse to putting rings in food, but her emerald and diamond ring paired so perfectly with the brown of the donut I couldn’t resist a little detail image. To see more of Kelsy’s details, check out their wedding day! She picked the sweetest and most colorful pieces for her wedding. Read about it here!
When choosing Blake’s Cider Mill for their engagement, Kelsy and Matt had already known they wanted an outdoor setting in the fall. Part of their journey together has been the fun of trying new things and enjoying the outdoors. Going to Blake’s Cider Mill was the perfect fall, outdoor location for them to have some fun and eat some donuts.
The Engagement Session Process
Engaged and don’t know where to start? I can help- as a Michigan wedding and engagement photographer I have years of working with couples throughout the engagement and wedding planning processes.
An engagement session is a great way to get to know your photographer. I include engagement sessions with my wedding photography packages and I highly recommend taking advantage of it. This is a great way to get portraits for your save the dates, wedding website, and even your guest book. But it’s also a great way to get to know me and my workflow prior to your wedding day.
I have 2 priorities when working with couples: comfort and telling your story. I make sure all of my couples are comfortable with me and in front of my camera before just diving right in. We communicate all throughout the planning process. I send out questionnaires to get to know you better, I help choose locations that make you feel at ease, and I use prompts for easy, natural laughs and smiles. A majority of the couples I work with have never been in front of a camera before, and every single couple has walked away feeling confident, loved, and that it was fun.
At the end of the day, you’ll walk away with images you love and can’t wait to share with your closest friends and family!
Let’s Work Together For Your Engagement or Wedding!
I would love to work together for your engagement or wedding day whether it be at Blake’s Cider Mill or elsewhere. Contact me today to save your date!
