Diane is a planner. We met last year to talk about and book her 2018 wedding. Exactly, a planner. I like it though because I am a planner too. It turns out, she is also an avid photographer. Needless to say, hanging out with Diane and Jake turned out to be like hanging out with longtime friends. Easy going, plenty of laughs, and on-going storytelling and sharing. When Diane sent me her itinerary for their engagement session, it featured starting off in their home. I LOVED the idea! Photography is all about getting a glimpse into someone else’s life. What better way to feature one’s life and love than to truly invite them into your home? Diane and Jake were my first Ann Arbor lifestyle engagement shoot; however, I have a strong feeling they will not be my last. Diane and Jake opted to have an Ann Arbor lifestyle engagement session.
Jake and Diane are big Beatles fans. Their house is filled with mementos, pictures, and objects that represent them. Jake picked up his grandma’s guitar and strummed a few “chords.” The sound wasn’t quite right, but that didn’t prevent his inner rockstar from coming out.
One of the things I noticed when shooting their lifestyle engagement shoot was how being in their home instantly put them at ease and allowed for their usual, inner-selves to come out. I am guessing Diane is this goofy on a regular basis. Goofiness abounded at their Ann Arbor lifestyle engagement shoot.
Before we left for Part II of their Ann Arbor lifestyle engagement shoot, Diane and Jake made homemade pierogies. With Diane being 100% Polish, you knew they were going to be good.
It was during dinner that I asked about their history. Diane affectionately said that it was on their first date she knew Jake was different and that she was going to marry him. Over the years, they had been through a lot, including a health scare. In the end, it only made them closer and stronger.
After spending some time in their home, we decided to head out to their favorite spots in Ann Arbor – Kerrytown, Agave, and Aut Bar. Again, I wasn’t sure what I would get in this unscripted lifestyle shoot, but Diane and Jake didn’t disappoint. The photos and quiet moments where there, along with the fun ones that made them “them,” like when Diane and Jake spontaneously started slow dancing in the patio of Aut Bar. Overall, it was a great first Ann Arbor lifestyle engagement shoot.