How to Make the Most of a Rainy Summer Engagement Session in Ann Arbor

You’ve spent weeks planning your summer engagement photos — the outfits, the locations, the vision. And then the forecast calls for rain. Don’t stress — a little summer rain can actually transform your session into something romantic and cinematic. A rainy day in Ann Arbor can actually make for some incredible engagement photos with the moody light and intimate vibes. Here are some photographer-tested tips (and a few Ann Arbor–specific ideas) to make the most of it:

Here’s how to make it work beautifully.

🌧 1. Lean Into the Mood

Rain doesn’t have to mean compromise. Overcast light is flattering, the colors of Ann Arbor become richer, and the atmosphere feels instantly more romantic. Imagine strolling through downtown or the U-M Law Quad with soft raindrops falling — it’s timeless, elegant, and real.

☂️ 2. Bring Elevated Rain Essentials

A few thoughtful details keep you comfortable and your look intact:

• Clear or neutral-toned umbrellas — they photograph cleanly and keep your skin tones natural.

• Waterproof makeup — you definitely don’t want your makeup running.

• Towels + hair touch-up essentials — a simple way to stay photo-ready between spots.

🏛 3. Choose Locations with Built-In Cover

Ann Arbor has no shortage of elegant spots that offer shelter and character:

• Nickels Arcade — airy light and vintage architecture.

• The Law Quad cloisters — those stone archways feel straight out of Europe.

• The Clements Library - the architecture is stunning and the arches provide cover from the rain.

• Downtown Ann Arbor streets — especially in the evening, the street lights provide a completely different vibe.

💕 4. Keep It Effortless and Intimate

Rain has a way of slowing everything down. Take your time. Hold hands, walk close, laugh when the wind catches your umbrella — those unplanned, genuine moments always photograph best. The rain gives permission to be natural, connected, and present.

🌦 5. Have a Flexible Plan

If it’s a passing summer storm (which it often is), we can easily wait it out or shift the start time. Michigan skies change by the hour, and post-rain light is often the most beautiful of the day.

✨ Final Thoughts

A rainy summer engagement session isn’t about adjusting expectations — it’s about creating a different kind of beauty. The atmosphere becomes cinematic, the light softens, and the connection between you becomes the focus.

So if the skies turn gray, embrace it. Ann Arbor in the rain is romantic, refined, and unforgettable — the perfect setting for a love story that feels timeless.

Taylor and Bogdan mixed classic and timeless with some University of Michigan love for their engagement photos. We started their engagement session at the stunning law quad for some elegant engagement photos. Taylor had the prettiest dress! Then we headed over to the Block M for some U of M pics. Bogdan was so excited about these…you could see it in his face. He immediately started grinning once we got to the Big House! Here are some of my favorites from their spring session!

When preparing for what to wear to an engagement session, many brides choose to wear white. However, I love it when brides choose to to wear something that really pops against the background of the location they chose. That is exactly what what Sydney did. She chose to wear a wine colored dress, which really popped against the architecture of the Law Quad in Ann Arbor. It also perfectly matched the color of the hydrangeas all around the building! Here are some of my favorite photos from Justin and Sydney’s engagement session in Ann Arbor, and take note of Sydney’s dress when planning your own outfits!

I’m not sure if there is anything prettier in Ann Arbor than the peony gardens at the Arb when they are in full bloom. They only bloom for two weeks of the year, the last week of May into the first week of June. Whenever a couple inquiries with me for an engagement session in Ann Arbor, I always say, if you can do one of these two weeks, choose the peony gardens for your engagement photos! It’s a unique setting that very few couples are able to have, and the results are so so stunning. Here are some of my favorites from a session there last year!

The Law Quad on the campus of U of M is one of the few locations that looks amazing in photos in any season and any form of weather. It can be used in rain, in spring, in summer, and in fall. It’s a classic and elegant background, so photos taken here look even better when engaged couples dress up! For guys, that might mean sport jackets or cardigans, for women, that might mean a dress and heels. I loved the outfits B+A chose; not super formal but not completely casual either. Here are a few of my favorites from their engagement session!

Emily and Juan chose to go back to their proposal spot in the woods for their engagement session. Choosing a location with a sentimental value is always a great idea. I loved the classic look they chose too- wool sweaters and jeans always look nice! And lastly, how adorable is their sweet pup?! Can’t wait for their Ann Arbor wedding next year!

When the peony gardens are in bloom, there is no better location for an engagement session than the Arb in Ann Arbor! Seriously- every corner you turn is just more and more beautiful. There are flowers, woods, bridges, paths, river….so many photo possibilities! I’m so glad Adrienne and Peter reached out early to schedule their session at the peony gardens, knowing they are in bloom only for two weeks out of the whole year! Those two weeks, I feel as if I’m at the Arb every other day, and I’m certainly not complaining. So many gardens have barriers for entry, like permits or large fees. At the Arb, aside from difficult parking, it’s pretty easy access. I’m so happy with how these photos turned out! Congratulations to Adrienne and Peter on their engagement!

County Farm Park

This park is the perfect place for a spring, summer or fall session. My favorite is late summer, because their community gardens are in bloom and it makes for a great backdrop. This park has wooden fences, a wooden pergola, nature trails, and gardens. In the spring they have a large daffodil garden. I used to live next to this park and it is one of my absolute favorite locations for a session. Bonus are the easy parking (free lot on site) and bathrooms.

Law Quad

The Law Quad is my go to in late fall and winter because the architecture is so beautiful. In fact, all of the photos below except for about 5 were taken in November and December! The Law Quad is great in any season though, and is a great location formal or casual. It’s within walking distance to other beautiful campus buildings as well as the Nickels Arcade and downtown State Street for more urban looking photos. Many start at the Law Quad with a more formal outfit and then change into a casual one for downtown A2 photos. Parking is a little trickier with street parking only and there are bathrooms a block or so away at the U of M Student Union. The one downside to the Law Quad is that every one knows about it and it can be very busy in all seasons except winter, as families, seniors and weddings also like to come here for photos.

Nichols Arboretum

This is a fave of so many for obvious reasons! My favorite time to shoot here is when the peony garden is in bloom from Memorial Day weekend to mid-June. It is very crowded, so one hour before sunset is the best time to go so you don’t have tons of people in the background of your photos. On Sundays, you can park in one of the U of M lots for free, but otherwise it’s pretty difficult to park at the peony garden entrance (there are only 3 parking meters out front on the street). I think there may be bathrooms but not sure! It’s pretty in fall too, but in summer the mosquitoes are really bad so I tend to avoid the area down by the river when they are out.

Nickels Arcade

This is a perfect spot for urban photos! It’s also covered and blocks the wind, so good if the weather isn’t so great on the day of your shoot. There are always people walking through so it can get busy. Parking is street only and can be a challenge to find a spot. Expect to walk a lot. Bathrooms available at the student union down the street a few blocks.

U of M Campus Buildings

There are so many beautiful buildings on campus, literally everywhere you turn can yield a good photo if the light is right. Parking is a challenge, but it can be fun to just walk around and take photos when you see something cool. Bonus to shooting on campus is that there are no fees because because it’s a public university. Bathrooms at the student union on State Street, but other buildings are pretty restricted.

Ann Arbor City Parks

There are so many great parks in the city of Ann Arbor. I mentioned County Farm Park above (because it deserved it’s own section), but other parks I love in Ann Arbor are Barton Nature Reserve and Island Park. They are both a ways from downtown, so only choose these spots if all you want are casual nature photos. Parking on site. Bathrooms available at Island Park, not sure about Barton.

Lauren + Nick’s engagement session ended up being some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken in Ann Arbor! Because it was December and we had no greenery, we stuck with the law quad and Nickel’s Arcade for cool architecture for our shots. It was definitely cold, but we had some sun! I absolutely loved the green dress Lauren wore…it really popped against the muted color of the law quad architecture. Their jackets and jeans kept them nice and warm in their casual outfit…I’m always a proponent of doing an outfit change- some casual, some more formal. You never know what you might like better, and some outfits photograph better than others. No matter what kind of style you choose, solid colors almost always photograph better. Here are a few of my favorites from their session!

Every one is always asking me for suggestions for shoot locations, so I had to blog Emily + Eric’s Ann Arbor engagement session because this location is one of my summer faves! It’s not crowded (I was the only photographer there!), so unlike the Arb, it’s a little off the beaten path. It’s also free- no permit required! Probably because it isn’t swarming with photographers. Once locations become overrun with photographers (because unfortunately some don’t clean up after themselves and their clients), permits and fees usually follow. Aslo- parking is super easy! There’s a lot right at the entrance!

This location, County Farm Park, has it all: woodsy paths, wooden fences, gardens, flowers, pergolas, lamp lined sidewalks, and beautiful green space and trees. It’s my favorite in the summer, but I’ve also used it in the fall (although the gardens are no longer in bloom). This location is also special to me because it was in my neighborhood when we used to live in Ann Arbor! My son Julian and I would walk it weekly! So, I definitely know this park well. Here are some of my favorite images from Emily and Eric’s July session!

Shelby and Kevin have a similar story to my previous post featuring Tiffany and Tad. Shelby is also a front line worker in healthcare and contracted COVID, causing us to reschedule three times. I particularly felt for these two, because Shelby had reached out to schedule her engagement session months in advance to guarantee they would have a weekend slot during peak fall color. While we still got gorgeous photos using the architecture of the beautiful U of M Law Quad, I still feel for our frontline workers like Shelby, who continue to make sacrifices and put themselves in harms way, altering their normal every day life, so that they can save and care for others during this pandemic.

They may have waited until late November for their session, but we got the most gorgeous day- sunny and near 70 degrees! I was so thankful that the weather cooperated for Shelby and Kevin, and that we were able to capture these gorgeous photos. I can’t wait for their June wedding next year!

Tiffany and Tad’s engagement session wasn’t supposed to be a winter engagement session. It was scheduled during the last week of October, when the trees were still full of colorful leaves. Sadly, it had to be rescheduled twice because these two are frontline workers- healthcare workers at the hospital- and tested positive for COVID the morning before the shoot and had to cancel. They ended being quarantined for three weeks, but thankfully emerged unscathed. The postponement ended up working to their advantage, as their previous two dates had 40 degree weather, but the date that finally worked had a surprising 70 degree temp! While the leaves on the trees were gone so we didn’t get that fall color, we were so warm and relaxed, and were still able to get beautiful photos by using the stunning U of M architecture around Ann Arbor.

Thanks, you two, for all that you do for our community during this pandemic!

Who would have thought that all three of my January and February shoots would have been in the 50s in winter in MICHIGAN?? These two flew in from Seattle to have their engagement photos taken at Michael's alma mater (the University of MIchigan), and were pretty surprised to find Ann Arbor warmer than Seattle! Anyhow, we weren't complaining! We started in the Law Quad, and then worked our way over to the Nickels Arcade and then wrapped up at another pretty spot on campus. Even in winter, the U of M campus is gorgeous! I'm super excited to work with Chanel and Michael again later this summer when I photograph their wedding at the Westin!

I've been spending a lot of time in Ann Arbor recently photographing engagement shoots for my 2017 Michigan brides. You really can't go wrong shooting in Ann Arbor, especially in fall. 

Alyssa and Phil were one of the first Michigan couples to book me after I announced my move back. Alyssa and I instantly connected because she had just recently moved back from the Boston area, too, and we had actually even attended the same graduate school- Northeastern! I loved working with these two, and can't wait to shoot their Detroit area wedding next year!

Like what you see and getting married in 2017? Get in touch- I still have a few select dates for weddings in 2017!

Caitlin Maloney Photography is a Michigan wedding photographer, serving Ann Arbor, Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, Northern Michigan, Chicago, Greater Lansing and beyond.

When I moved, I'd heard how gorgeous the Law Quad at University of Michigan was, and how popular it was for photos. I am so glad that Eberly and Taylor agreed to let me take their engagement photos there- it did not disappoint! It was beautiful! I'm super excited to work with Taylor and Eberly (who totally has a movie star name, am I right??) next year for their Detroit area wedding!

Like what you see and getting married in 2017? Get in touch- I still have a few select dates for weddings in 2017!

Caitlin Maloney Photography is a Michigan wedding photographer, serving Ann Arbor, Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, Northern Michigan, Chicago, Greater Lansing and beyond.

Carly and Jacob are my first Ann Arbor clients! Carly and Jacob proved to be a perfect fit: they wanted an engagement shoot in Ann Arbor, and are having their wedding in Jamestown, Rhode Island this summer! How perfect is that! Because I grew up in Michigan, I visit a few times a year, and it coincided perfectly with the timing of their engagement shoot.

Here are a few of my favorites from their session this past fall in Ann Arbor.