Winter Engagement in Matthaei Botanical Gardens | Kyra and Tom

Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, Michigan is a perfect and beautiful engagement photo location that brings warmth, nature and greenery, perfect for hiding away from Michigan’s brutally cold winter days. And that’s exactly what we did for Kyra and Tom’s winter engagement. 

Kyra and Tom initially met online and soon after, became long distance, when Tom moved to Ohio after completing his residency in Michigan and Kyra took a new job in Ann Arbor. They’ve made the distance work but are excited to both be in Ohio together after the wedding. So when it came time to plan their engagement photos, they chose Ann Arbor as the location. It’s where Kyra was when they met and it’s where Tom proposed and as an alum, employee and sports fan, University of Michigan holds a special place for Kyra. 

With their wedding quickly approaching, Kyra and Tom opted to have their engagement session in the winter. And of course, it happened to be one of the coldest weeks for Michigan this winter (17 degrees!). But with Tom traveling up to see Kyra, we went ahead with the plans and made the most of a freezing Michigan winter day. 

To stay warm, we started at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and roamed around the succulents, tropical gardens and embraced the sunshine coming through the greenhouse. Botanical garden engagement sessions are a great way to get a piece of spring or summer in your photos, even if it’s far from warm outside. 

After Matthaei, we headed off to downtown Ann Arbor in Kerrytown, one of Kyra’s favorite areas. And we finished our time with a quick stop in front of Grizzly Peak Brewing Co. where they had their first date. 

I had so much fun with Kyra and Tom for their Matthaei Botanical Gardens engagement session in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As a Michigan wedding photographer, I truly love engagement sessions and think they’re a great way to get to know your photographer before the wedding, practice being in front of the camera, and capture the excitement of being engaged. And when you’re a long distance couple, holding on to photos of amazing memories together make the experience and the photos even more valuable and important. I can’t wait to celebrate Kyra and Tom during their summer stateside destination wedding later this year. 

P.S. Curious where a Grizzly Peak first date can take you? Check out Ashley and Lew’s Ann Arbor wedding at Frutig Farms to find out! Their first date was also at Grizzly Peak Brewing Co!