Why the Ford House in Grosse Pointe Is One of Michigan’s Top Engagement Session Locations

If you’re dreaming of a timeless, classic, and artfully elevated setting for your engagement session, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe is truly one of Michigan’s most breathtaking locations. As a Michigan wedding photographer, I’ve had the joy of photographing many couples here — and every time, I’m reminded why this estate remains one of my favorite backdrops for beautiful portraits.

1. Historic Architecture & Elegant Design

Designed by the famed architect Albert Kahn and completed in 1928, the Ford House is modeled after the Cotswold-style manors of England. From stone roofs and vine-covered walls to arched windows and ornate doorways, every corner of the property offers texture and timeless beauty — the kind that never feels dated or overly posed. It’s an aesthetic that resonates perfectly with couples who love artful, intentional photography.

2. A Variety of Stunning Backdrops

What makes this location exceptional is its range of scenery, all within one property. You can stroll through the rose garden, wander shaded stone paths, pause at the lakeside, or explore the grand lawns overlooking Lake St. Clair. Each spot tells its own story — whether you’re going for soft romance, modern editorial, or something classic and refined.

3. Lakefront Light & Natural Beauty

Because the estate sits right on the water, the light here is absolutely magical. During golden hour, the sky glows softly over Lake St. Clair, creating luminous tones that photograph beautifully. Whether we’re capturing gentle movement or still, quiet moments, the natural light helps create those timeless, editorial-style images you’ll treasure for years.

Ford House Photography Session Details

The Ford House requires a photography permit for all professional sessions. You can reserve your time directly through their Photography Booking Page. As of 2025, session rates are:

1-hour session $90

2-hour session $170

📸 Wedding or extended sessions (such as bridal portraits or wedding party sessions) start around $400–$500 for 2–3 hours.

Booking Tips:

• Reservations should be made at least 3 weeks in advance.

• The interior of the house is not available for photography — all sessions take place on the grounds.

• You’ll need to complete a short Photography Request Form

My Approach to Ford House Engagement Sessions

When photographing at the Ford House, I love to take full advantage of the variety and light the property offers. My engagement sessions here typically last about 1–2 hours and include:

• Multiple looks (often one formal and one relaxed)

• A mix of editorial, artistic and natural poses

• Timing around golden hour for the most flattering light

• Gentle direction to help you feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera

Ready to Plan Your Ford House Engagement Session?

You can learn more about the location and reserve your photography permit directly through the Ford House website. If you’d like to work together to create your engagement session there, I’d love to help. You can book your session directly via my online booking calendar.

Timeless Engagement Sessions at Cranbrook House & Gardens

by Caitlin Maloney | Detroit Wedding & Engagement Photographer

There’s something undeniably romantic about Cranbrook House & Gardens in Bloomfield Hills. The historic stone architecture, sculpted hedges, and sunlit reflecting pools feel like a scene from Europe — right here in Michigan.

If you’re dreaming of a refined, nature-filled setting for your engagement session, Cranbrook offers the perfect blend of elegance and serenity. Here’s everything you need to know before booking your session — along with my personal tips as a Detroit engagement photographer who’s captured countless love stories here.

🕊️ Booking Your Cranbrook Gardens Engagement Session

Professional photography sessions at Cranbrook must be booked in advance through the official Cranbrook House & Gardens website.

👉 Reserve your Cranbrook Gardens Portrait Session

Each session includes:

• Two hours of photography access to the gardens

• A reservation for your chosen time slot (set by Cranbrook)

• Access to a variety of exquisite outdoor spaces

💰 Session fees paid directly to Cranbrook:

• 1–4 people: $300

• 5–10 people: $500

• 11–16 people: $700

(This fee covers use of the property — my photography services are separate.)

Reservations typically open in spring and close each year in early fall. Because the gardens are winterized in October, plan ahead for a session between May and September for peak color and beauty.

🌿 My Professional Tips for a Flawless Engagement Experience

1. Book Early for the Best Light & Bloom

Cranbrook is one of Michigan’s most sought-after engagement locations — especially during late spring and early fall. I always recommend reserving your session as soon as the booking calendar opens.

2. Schedule Around Golden Hour

The soft, golden light just before sunset enhances every texture and tone — from the limestone terraces to the lush greenery. It’s the secret behind that effortlessly romantic, glowy look you see in editorial engagement photos.

3. Select Spaces That Reflect Your Aesthetic

The gardens offer endless possibilities, each with its own energy and texture:

• 🌿 The Sunken Garden — intimate and secluded

• 🪞 The Reflecting Pool lawns — architectural and classic

• 🏛️ The Courtyard — perfect for timeless, formal portraits

4. Elevated Outfit Planning

There are no indoor changing areas at Cranbrook, so thoughtful styling is key. I suggest:

• One statement look — elegant and editorial (think soft neutrals, tailored silhouettes, or flowing fabrics)

• One refined casual look for movement and comfort

• Minimal accessories or layers to shift the tone between setups

Your palette should compliment the garden’s textures — greens, stone, and water photograph beautifully against muted or neutral tones.

5. Relax & Be Present

Your engagement session isn’t about posing perfectly — it’s about feeling connected. I’ll guide you through movement and emotion so your images reflect the two of you looking and feeling natural, while utilizing the beautiful light and surroundings of the gardens to culminate in artistic, timeless images.

6. Weather & Rescheduling

Michigan weather can be unpredictable, but Cranbrook allows one complimentary reschedule in the same season due to severe weather. I can always bring clear umbrellas if there is only light rain in the forecast, too. Rainy day images are always some of my favorites.

✨ Etiquette & Expectations

Cranbrook is a historic landmark and active public space, so sessions must respect its preservation rules:

• No pets (except service animals)

• No climbing, touching, or entering fountains or sculptures

• No food, alcohol, or amplified music

• Exterior locations only — interiors are not available for portrait sessions

• No confetti, streamers or glitter

💫 Why I Love Photographing at Cranbrook

Every time I photograph a couple here, I’m reminded why it’s one of Michigan’s most iconic engagement locations. The light in the gardens during golden hour is stunning, and there are so many different backgrounds that your photos will have a vast variety of options to choose from for your save the dates or to display in your home or at your wedding.

It’s a place that feels grand, yet intimate — perfect for couples who want their engagement photos to feel sophisticated, timeless, and effortlessly romantic.

If you’re drawn to refined architecture, soft natural light, and meaningful storytelling through imagery, a Cranbrook Gardens engagement session might be the perfect fit.

💌 Ready to Begin?

You can book your garden permit directly here and coordinate Cranbrook’s availability with my own:
👉 Cranbrook House & Gardens Portrait Sessions

You can see my availability and book your engagement session online here:  https://caitlin maloney photography.as.me/

If you asked me what my favorite season was to photograph in, it would be hard for me to answer! They are all wonderful for different reasons. However, there is something special about spring…the excitement and energy of everyone emerging from the winter slumber…the excitement for the green, the warmth and of course, the flowers! Spring flowers seem to only be in bloom for 1-2 weeks for each kind…tulips and magnolia trees in April for a week or two…lilacs in May…peonies end of May and early June. Capturing photos with these fleeting blooms is so special for that reason! For Zoe and Jeff’s session, we were lucky enough to capture some of these spring blooms in all their glory on the stunning MSU campus. Here are some of my favorites from their East Lansing engagement session!

Let’s face it- engagement photos feel awkward! That’s one of the benefits to doing them- you won’t feel as awkward on your wedding day, right? To combat some of that awkwardness and to make things feel as comfortable as possible, these two chose to have their engagement session at their beautiful home in Grosse Pointe. We took photos inside and out, and I love how they came out. Bonus to doing them at your home- you don't have to worry about permits, fees, venue hours, bathrooms to change in, etc...because it's at your own home. Here are some of my favorites!

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!

When the leaves are no longer on the trees, my favorite locations for engagement sessions are downtown/city spots! Especially around the holidays with the hanging twinkling lights, the vibe is cozy, the architecture provides interest, and long coats add texture. As long as it’s not freezing (so that noses aren’t running and extremities aren’t turning funny colors!), the off season can make for some of my favorite images. Here are some of my favorites from Alex and Benji’s December session, on an unseasonably warm day near 50 degrees, in downtown Detroit!

I met up with Patricia and Devin at the beautiful Dow Gardens in Midland for their engagement session. It was my first time at these gardens and they were an instant favorite! Seriously- such a stunning place for a shoot! And- there isn’t a permit fee to shoot there! We had a wonderful summer evening strolling through the gardens— here are a few of my favorites!

Danielle and Max were the first couple to book a 2023 wedding with me! At the time of booking, Danielle asked if they could do their engagement session at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. She loved a set of romantic dune photos she had seen on Pinterest taken in California, and wanted a similar look here in Michigan. Since they are getting married in Detroit, they wanted a totally different look for their engagement photos.

On the day of the session, we arrived at the beach and it was raining! Thankfully it stopped, and the good thing about going to the beach on a rainy day, is that it’s empty! We had nearly the whole place to ourselves! It was also cooler, so when we hiked the dunes (even though I almost died because it was so steep), we didn’t really sweat- which of course you don’t want to be sweating in photos! I absolutely love the results we got- the post-rain light and clouds were so beautiful. And honestly, you can’t beat sandy Michigan beaches…the sand is so clean and the water so clear. Here are a few of my favorites from their session!

I often get asked if couples are allowed to do an outfit change at their engagement session- the answer is yes! I actually encourage it for a few reasons. FIrst, it’s an opportunity to show your style. Second, you may end up loving how one outfit photographs over the other (but not have clue prior to the session). Third, it gives you a bigger variety of photos with different uses. You may want to use an elegant one for a Save the Date, but use casual ones to frame in your home. Stacey and Jarrod went for an elegant look at the DIA and Detroit Public Library that ended up on their Save the Dates. They did a casual look downtown, too! If you don’t want to do a full on outfit change, a few quick ways to change your look are to add or swap an item you are currently wearing. For example, add a scarf, swap flats for heels, switch a sport jacket for a cardigan. No changing required, just a couple quick swaps to get a different look!

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!

Here are a few of my favorites from Charlotte + Otto's engagement session at the Detroit Public Library! Charlotte and Otto wanted classic, and that’s what we tried to do with this location and natural posing. Their chosen outfits- a sport jacket/khakis/loafers and a navy wrap dress/heels- added to the classic look.

But I also wanted to talk engagement sessions in general today! The new thing is to have your proposal photographed and then take photos immediately after. With this new fad, occasionally I have engaged couples contact me looking for a wedding photographer, but tell me they don't need engagement photos since they had some taken at their proposal.

However, it's SUPER important to have your engagement photos taken by your wedding photographer! It's like a dress fitting, cake tasting, hair and makeup trial....you need a "trial/experience" with your photographer, too! Especially since we are the ones with you for 8+ hours on your wedding day (more than any other vendor except a wedding planner or videographer). We get to know each other, help you feel comfortable in front of the camera, find out if you have a good side or any imperfections you want hidden with posing, learn poses you love and don't love so we don't spend time on ones you dislike on the wedding day, and I could go on. Basically- an engagement session is a must do, and really should be done with the one who is shooting your wedding! All photographers work differently, pose differently, edit and light differently. It’s good to know how your wedding photographer works.

One question people sometimes ask when they are on the fence about an engagement session, is “I live out of town- how do I fit in the session when I only come in town briefly for visits?”. The answer is that many of my clients actually are not local! Since engaged couples who live out of state often have to come in for tastings, fittings and trials, not to mention bridal showers, holidays and friends’ weddings, it’s typically not a problem to squeeze a session in, and when I know you are in from out of town, I try to be more flexible with scheduling. Rarely does it not work. And if all else fails, there is always the week of the wedding when you’d be in town anyways! It really is worth making happen. And the bonus is you’ll have some photos of the two of you wearing casual clothes in a different location and possibly season, and some prints you can display at your wedding/showers or to make a guest book with. There isn’t really a downside to doing an engagement session! And I’m pretty sure most photographers agree ;) .

It’s cold and dark and gloomy outside, which is when I like to start blogging summer sessions… to remind me of the warmth and blooms and golden sun that is summer.

This session was one of my favorites of 2020. Haley and Derek chose to reschedule their August 22, 2020 wedding to August, 2021 due to COVID. However, they wanted to do something special on their original wedding date. They already had their fall engagement session in 2019, but decided a second engagement session on their original date would be a great way to celebrate. They got all dressed up, went out to dinner, and then headed to downtown Lansing for some photos at the Capitol building and on the rooftop of a parking garage with a view of the city.

Then, after an outfit change, we headed to Frances Park. It is a hidden gem in the Lansing area and has a stunning rose garden and river overlook. It’s one of my favorite parks to take portraits…and it’s free! Free parking and no permits!

I’m so happy I still got to celebrate their original wedding date with them, and happy that they had something special to do! What a great idea! And I’m so looking forward to their 2021 wedding!!!

This weekend I took over 2,000 photos and had 3 engagement sessions and 3 family portrait sessions! This is a typical weekend for a photographer in October. We photographers joke that October for us is just like April for accountants....every one would like a service at the same time and so we have to jam pack our weekends so that all of our clients can get that fall color for their photos.

While we had to reschedule Erica and Grant's first session due to rain, the second date ended up being perfect- sunny and not too cold! People always ask me what to wear, and Erica and Grant chose the perfect outfits- solid, textured sweaters in earth tones. Erica also threw a scarf over her sweater for a third, different look!

I love how these turned out-- you can't beat the fall color on MSU's campus! Even if you aren’t alumni, I always recommend MSU’s campus for it’s beautiful gardens. As long as you don’t take pictures with Sparty, no one can tell you are on campus ;) .

I can’t believe my last blog post was a year and a half ago…In normal times a year a half may see little change. However, in 2020, this past year and a half will be one of the most memorable in history. There is a pandemic and the entire world shut down for months. The wedding industry came to a complete halt. It’s been a year like no other.

However, by summer things started to feel like normal and I even photographed some weddings! And this fall has felt like every other- packed full of weddings, engagements, and family sessions. I am SO thankful to be busy this October. I don’t think I will ever take feeling busy for granted again!

This month I had 7 engagement sessions and many of them were in downtown Detroit. I didn’t grow up in or near Detroit, and feel most at home in Lansing (which actually feels like a small version of Detroit to me!). However, this city has really grown on me! My clients have opened my eyes up to so much and I love wandering the streets and finding little nooks to shoot it.

Today I am sharing some of those images wandering around Detroit with Bea + Nick. Aren’t they so photogenic? After viewing a few, Bea said I made them feel like models and it makes my heart feel so happy to hear that! Can’t wait for their wedding next year!

Dogs at photo shoots might be the cutest thing ever....look at that tongue!!

Keri + Morgan were such troupers...it started raining about 15 minutes into their shoot, and they kept going, just happy to be together and enjoying the shoot.

We started off at a boardwalk, and then ended up at the harbor...even, though it was raining, it was beautiful!

Caitlin Maloney is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Lansing, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Charlevoix, Traverse CIty, Northern Michigan, Leelanau, Saugatuck, Holland in Michigan, as well as Bristol, Newport, Jamestown, Providence, and Narragansett in Rhode Island.

The MSU campus in the fall is so gorgeous. Well, to be honest, it's really gorgeous at all times of year, but especially in the fall! Since Oksana is a Spartan alum, she agreed that campus would be the perfect spot for their engagement photos. We met in East Lansing on a cloudy day with sprinkles of rain in the forecast just a few days before their wedding with no option for a reschedule. Thankfully, the rain held off, and didn't start sprinkling until I was in my car after the shoot. The clouds gave us perfect filtered light (clouds are always better than sun for photos, which most people don't know!)  and resulted in some gorgeous engagement photos. Here are a few of my favorites: