School Bus Engagement Photos In Michigan

Hailey & Jacob

I've known Hailey for a very long time (like 15 years long...she was my cousins best friend in elementary school!). She found me on the Knot and she inquired and I was so excited! It had been so long that it was so great to reconnect. Hailey and her partner, Jacob, ended up booking me for their wedding and engagement photos and to say I was pumped would be an understatement.

School bus engagement photos in michigan

First off, let's take a moment to appreciate Hailey's style. Everything from her hair to her outfit vibed so well with her and I seriously was just obsessed with that alone. The house that we ended up taking their engagement photos is actually the home where she used to grow up in in Clarkston, Michigan. Fun fact: that is also where I grew up too! It's her family home but it will also be where they get married as well. I absolutely love when my couples are able to do something fun and unique and tie in little bits of their life/personality in their sessions. I think it makes the session just that much more intimate and special.

Now one thing you may notice when looking at these photos is Hailey and Jacob's school bus. Trust me, it's pretty hard to miss.. LOL. They actually own this school bus and bought it with the sole purpose of renovating it and eventually living in it. Now if that's not cool, unique and fun then I don't know what is. While there hasn't been much renovations at this moment, by the time their wedding rolls around next year, their hope is to have it completely renovated.

Within Hailey & Jacob's neighborhood, they actually have a neighborhood beach which was our next stop. We took some photos by the water and embraced the gloomier weather that we were given on this day. Once we finished by the beach, we went back to the house to do a quick outfit change. P.s. always ask your photographer if there is time during your session to have outfit changes! This will ensure that both of you are prepared and give yourself enough time.

michigan bar engagement photos

Once we finished up at Hailey's home, we decided to hit the town. Oh and by hit the town, I mean the downtown Clarkston area. A common theme that you may notice during my sessions is that I love being able to go with the flow. Don't get me wrong, having a plan is always nice to be prepared but something about thinking on your feet always turns out to be such an amazing surprise. So with Hailey & Jacob we walked around the Downtown Clarkston area and just found areas that spoke to us and felt like cool locations. Our last location was the Union Woodshop... the restaurant of course. It's a very popular restaurant in the area and serves some of the best BBQ so if you're looking for some good eats I would definitely recommend. The restaurant has a bar upstairs that I have always wanted to shoot at, so when I brought up the idea to Hailey and Jacob they were all for it.

The bar was pretty much empty since it was a weekday. Pro tip: if there is a location that you want to shoot at that is typically busy, go on the weekday/morning and you are almost guaranteed an almost empty space. Since it was so baron, we really got to play around with the space and have fun, be goofy without the worry of other people. We had started Hailey & Jacob's session pretty late in the day, so by this time the sun had already gone down. I packed up my camera, said goodbye to Hailey & Jacob and thanked them for such an amazing time.

Hailey & Jacob were such a fun loving and go with the flow type of couple. I had such an amazing time being able to run around our old home town and just find cool spots to take their photos. I think sometimes we get lost in our head and tend to overthink things, especially special occasions like photoshoots. IMO some of the best times/photos are taken without much thought and with more feeling than anything else. Hailey & Jacob's love radiated and I am so beyond excited to capture their wedding next year.

If you loved these School Bus Engagement Photos in Michigan, then you're going to love this Laid-back Engagement Session in Downtown Detroit!

Photos By Gayle does more than just take photos of people. Rather, it is capturing moments of LOVE and HAPPINESS. Singing to the skies, dancing in a field, smiles that hurt because they’re so big. There is nothing else I would rather be doing than photographing these unique details that make you and your significant other a couple. If Hailey & Jacob's photoshoot puts a spark in you, you know where to click <——— right there!