Zingerman’s Deli Engagement

Corey and Kate met while working together at Zingerman’s Deli in downtown Ann Arbor. During our consultation, they knew they would be visiting the deli. We brainstormed together and decided to incorporate it into their wedding photos somehow. However, they were now living in Colorado, and only planned to be in town for a short while. I suggested adding a Zingerman’s Deli engagement session to their collection. Corey & Kate liked the idea, and they could work it in their schedule. So, the plan is to meet on Tuesday morning for their engagement session. Then their wedding is set for two days later in Elk Rapids.

It was a perfect summer day in Michigan for their engagement session. We scheduled their engagement session for early morning to beat the July heat. Let’s be real, no one wants to be sweaty in their photos! We practically had the Nichol’s Arboretum peony garden to ourselves, which is rare. I love that location for the towering pine trees and of course the peony garden but finding a parking spot can be tricky. The public parking is a few blocks away uphill which is not good if you have mobility issues. Not to mention, since it was Tuesday most of the public lot had filled up.

The first part of any engagement session is what I call the “awkward stage”. Couples are a little timid while they warm up in front of the camera. The first few images are almost always stiff like I’m photographing plastic dolls, but Corey and Kate did fantastic! They are complete naturals in front of the lens. They took all my direction really well too! We wandered around the Arb for about 45 minutes before heading over to Zingerman’s Deli to complete their engagement session.

If you aren’t familiar with Zingerman’s, they’re known for the colorful and funky marketing which covers each of their locations. Corey had this amazing yellow dress that worked perfectly with their signage! We didn’t bother going inside as to not disturb any customers, but we had plenty of great images outside. You bet afterward we went in though! Random side note, I had been on the hunt for their High Flyer coffee for a few years. I received a small 8 oz. package in a gift box one time, and it was THE best coffee I have ever tasted. I searched their store, eventually asking staff where it was located. To my dismay it is a mail order only item. Now I just need to make a special trip down there to pick up the order.