Michigan is split up into two vastly different land masses. The first, the lower peninsula, is very rich in different cultures, tasty foods, lots of wineries and fruit farms, as well as once housing one of the most productive automotive production facilities in the world. The upper peninsula is a beautiful and wild land, full of trees, waterfalls, and far less people. The UP also happens to be home to mosquitos the size of pterodactyls that will carry you away on a whim. Thankfully, Morgan and Laketon’s engagement session was in the lower peninsula, right on Lake Michigan.
This couple has been together for nearly four years. Their engagement story is a little silly and a lot of fun but filled with all of the cozy love that makes relationships worth having.
Morgan first saw Laketon at a basketball game with one of her besties, Claire. She asked who he was and a mutual friend of the the two sent him her number. Laketon messaged her a few days later and the rest is history. That is until Morgan suspected that Laketon was going to propose. So, while Morgan searched high and low for the engagement ring that Laketon had allegedly purchased (it was in the sock drawer all along), Laketon kept her waiting until their birthdays (his birthday is one day before her’s) and out on a pier in Michigan with all their family, Laketon proposed to her and then popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate!
Their engagement started at one of the cutest AirBnB’s I’ve come across in Michigan called the Hillside Cottage. The home was recently renovated into the perfect little hyggelig getaway (Dutch and Norwegian word for coziness and togetherness). From the moment that we stepped in until we left to brave the chill of early Fall in Michigan (which included snowflakes and a BRISK wind), these two could barely keep their eyes off one another.
During the shoot I asked Laketon what his favorite thing about Morgan was and he said that her sense of calm and her ability to rationally look at things as well as to organize things has helped him grow and be a better person. Morgan said, in between laughs and glances over at her fiance, that being with Laketon made her a better person. That each day with him she grows to love him more and strives to be better than the day before.
After we love our cozy curated hideaway, we braved the Muskegon Dog Beach which was empty and left it all the cozier. The fall colors in Michigan turn a few weeks quicker than they do in Indiana so we were able to really enjoy all the bursts of bright oranges, sultry reds, and cozy yellows. Between the laughs and the cuddles for warmth that I know they both appreciated, the evening was quickly coming to a close.
We made it down to the beach and they got to enjoy it all to themselves. The wind was chilly but they kept things warm between the beach races, the slow dancing, and the piggyback rides. This was one of the most dreamy engagements I’ve been able to witness and curate.
Engagements are a time to showcase your love, your personality and all of the passion that a couple has. Morgan and Laketon did all of that and so much more in our short time together. Despite how chilly it felt, I don’t think anyone minded because they were together, growing, loving, and creating new memories for their lifetime together. Even though it was just an evening, I know that they’ll remember it forever because everyday is special with the one you love.
Here’s a link over to the Hillside Cottage in case you wanted to book it for your next cozy stay!
The Hillside Cottage in Muskegon, Michigan
New Adventure Productions is owned by Nate Dale, a Lafayette, Indiana wedding and elopement photographer. We travel nation and worldwide to capture beautiful and intimate weddings and elopements while providing a guidance, love, help along the way.
He is married to the love of his life, Felicia with their two doggies, Pika and Princess.