Zarra + Dave | Estate Engagement Shoot | Cranbrook House and Gardens | Detriot, MI

The gardens seemed to take on a life of their own as the stone walls softly reflected the light. Architecture that made us feel like we had flown over the Atlantic to the Italian countryside rose to perfectly compliment the beautiful weather, in a stunning combination that made the evening truly magical. And yet, it was missing something. As we walked the grounds before Zarra and Dave arrived, we felt as though this venue, this “picture of perfection,” was still not complete. But then, Zarra and Dave arrived, and as we took their first portraits, we immediately knew that these two were the ones who were going to make this entire evening truly unforgettable.

As Zarra began to share with us her vision for their engagement shoot, we couldn’t have imagined how beautiful the night was going to turn out. This was our first visit to Cranbrook House and Gardens, and after a simple stroll around the property, we found ourselves having a hard time believing that we were still in Michigan. The garden grounds have a gorgeous European aesthetic that is far from common in Michigan, with each and every turn revealing beautiful new locations for Zarra and Dave, the stars of the show. Although they continually tried to tell us that they weren’t used to taking photos, we kept finding ourselves not believing them as they spent the whole evening looking completely stunning in front on our cameras!

Zarra and Dave, we still remember ending our zoom call, looking at each other, and hoping that we were going to get to spend your wedding day with you. After the evening we spent with you, we sat down in our car, looked at each other, and all of those emotions rushed back to us all over again. You both have such a sweet, humble spirit, a quality that is sorely missed in today’s world, and when your spirits come together, they create a beauty that our cameras can only attempt to capture. Truly, you both have so much to offer the world, and in the few months we have known you, we find ourselves already thinking of you as friends, and looking forward to seeing you again soon!

All our best!

J + A

All photos are property of Josh and Andrea Photography LLC.