A bride in a wedding dress with a veil and a groom in a suit with a floral lei, standing outdoors in front of a building with a clock tower and trees.

Wedding + Elopement Photographer

Ann Arbor, Michigan and Beyond!

Inclusive + artful documentary photography that focuses on real emotions, real people, and real candid moments - so you can experience those moments as they were meant to be.

LGBTQ+ and BIPOC enthusiastically welcomed.

A newlywed couple sharing a kiss at their wedding ceremony, with guests clapping and smiling around them. The bride is in a white wedding gown holding a bouquet, and the groom is in a gray suit.

Two women standing outdoors, laughing and holding black cards with gold text, on a background of trees and plants.

dad and daughter go to embrace during a first look on her wedding day

couple walking arm in arm during outdoor elopement in michigan

A man proposing marriage to a woman in a park with blooming pink and white flowers, trees, and a grassy area on a cloudy day, viewed from behind a large tree trunk.

Two women, dressed in formal attire, holding hands and smiling at each other on a rooftop with a cloudy sky and a beach in the background.

I’ll photograph your love like an indie film.

A woman in a pink off-shoulder dress looking at her reflection in a mirror, with a patterned wallpaper and a large window showing an outdoor staircase in the background.

A person dressed in a white suit and a woman in a white wedding gown with a veil, standing near a wooden door in a dimly lit room.

A young couple sitting on a wooden bench outdoors, holding hands and gazing at each other, surrounded by greenery and trees.

Elegant dining table set with floral centerpieces, candles in tall glass holders, glassware, and napkins, ready for a formal event.

A man and woman are looking at each other closely, with the man holding the woman's face gently. The woman is smiling and wearing a white dress with ribbon straps, while the man is dressed in a dark suit. The woman has tattoos on her arm and a ring on her finger.

Two women, one in a pink dress and the other in a white wedding dress, sharing a moment of affection outside a stone building with a red door. The bride is holding a bouquet of pink and purple flowers, and the one in pink is playfully touching the bride's face.

A young boy in a white shirt stepping down from a wooden step into a sunlight-filled room, with a person blurred in the background near the doorway.

INQUIRE HERE

hi, I’m Karly :

lifestyle photographer + future friend

This is the face of someone who is damn grateful to be documenting love as a job, because this rarely ever feels like one. I’ve been photographing friends since high school, had a camera in my hand for over two decades—photographing weddings, couples and families for the past 8, and I wouldn’t change a single picture or a single moment. With my cameras (seriously there’s so many of them, my body is basically a camera tree), I’m here to capture YOUR story, emotions, scowls, laughs, and unserious faces–especially the ones that remain unapologetically themselves. You’re stunning, your love is stunning, and I’m stoked to be witnessing + capturing all of it.

Get to know me!

Black and white photo of a wedding reception with a bride dancing with guests under a decorated canopy, with string lights and a group of people clapping and smiling.

Hear me out: Instead of thinking about what you want your wedding to look like,

Think about what you want your wedding to

feel like.

My goal as a photographer is to truly let you be yourself and live the most important moments to the fullest, without worry that the pictures will somehow suffer for it. When you put your trust in me, you will find that completely abandoning all expectations of perfectly curated wedding photos will produce ones that are even better than you could imagine; photos that will stand the test of time and make you feel exactly the way you did in that moment, even years later.

a frien of the bride helps grandma with her makeup before the wedding day

Bride sitting on a green sofa with bouquet, surrounded by four women and an older man in a wood-paneled room with large windows, natural light, and high ceiling.

What if instead of spending an hour after your ceremony taking pictures, you got to go to cocktail hour, hug all of your favorite people, smile, laugh + cry with a drink in your hand?

People at a wedding reception outdoors, socializing and smiling, with string lights overhead, surrounded by trees.

Group of five people socializing inside a dimly lit room with open door and city view in the background.

What if instead of having a rigid timeline with a checklist of shots to get, you prioritized having fun, feeling relaxed and having meaningful connections with your partner + guests?

When you prioritize things that feel like you on your wedding day (and throw out anything that doesn’t!) your pictures will be true, real, and beautiful frozen pockets of time.

A group of women, including a bride in a white wedding dress, are standing outside on a sunny day near a large white sign that says Jiffy mixes. The women are smiling and appear to be celebrating, with some wearing leis and floral dresses. There are parked cars and a brick building in the background.

bride and groom ascend staircase in UMMA museum

Two women in pink dresses with flower leis, standing indoors; one is reading from a paper and the other is smiling.

A black and white photo of a romantic couple dancing closely at a social event, surrounded by other dancers.

A woman in a red dress dancing and smiling at a party with other people dancing in the background.

A woman in a floral dress smiling and laughing while standing by a dining table, with a man bowing his head and sitting at the table in a white shirt and dark pants. There is a vase with orange and white flowers on the table.

My ideal clients want a different kind of wedding day experience; to abandon expectation + shotlists, embrace + trust that the unexpected will produce the BEST photos that will be cherished forever, and know that the purpose of this day is not create photos, but to live your day fully present—the photos are just the reminder that comes later.

My job is not to take photographs that make it look like you are having the best day of your life — but if you’re having the best day of your life, your photographs will be proof that you did, and you’ll have them forever.

A couple holding hands and smiling at each other during a wedding reception or ceremony, with string lights overhead and wooden benches in the background.

bride walks up the steps toward castle wedding venue

bride and groom share a moment on the rocky shore of lake superior in marquette michigan

bride looks back at groom during portraits on wedding day in arboretum in ann arbor

A bride holding a colorful bouquet smiling, with a groom in a suit standing beside her, at an indoor wedding reception venue with warm lighting.

close up of bridal hair and makeup on wedding day

A woman with curly hair in a strapless white dress standing on a beach, looking to the side, with the ocean in the background at sunset.

A person wearing a teal blazer and matching pants, holding a cloth and cleaning or wiping a surface indoors.

Bride sits still as a makeup artist applies mascara

bridesmaids wipe brides eyes in intimate moment post-ceremony

A family of four having dinner in a rustic wooden room, raising glasses of champagne for a toast, with a woman in a wedding dress, a man in a tuxedo, a woman with tattoos, and a young child.

A wedding celebration with a person in white being dipped by a person in green while kissing, surrounded by a lively crowd holding rainbow pride flags and candles, in a decorated indoor setting with string lights.

Kind Words

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Reviews

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Testimonials

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Kind Words * Reviews * Testimonials *

Black and white photo of a bride and groom smiling outdoors, with trees and mountains in the background. The bride holds a bouquet of flowers and has a henna tattoo on her arm. The groom wears a suit with a boutonniere.

“She’s amazing to work with!”

Chelsea + Michael, 2023

“Karly is amazing! We were privileged enough to have Karly photograph our wedding in Colorado, AND our reception in Michigan. She's amazing to work with! Her talent and eye for a great shot is beyond what we could've imagined. We absolutely LOVE looking back at the wonderful pictures and reminiscing about the greatest day of our lives! I wish I could give her MORE STARS! 10/10 Would highly recommend!”

Two women facing each other with their noses touching, smiling, in a close embrace, in black and white.

“…we were blown away by each photograph she took.”

Julie+ Tiffany, 2021

“We were fortunate enough and extremely honored to have Karly be our wedding photographer. We wanted the perfect, fairy tale wedding and it was a blessing to have Karly capture the entire experience. She had great attention to detail and captured scenes that went above and beyond what we could've imagined. One of Karly’s other strengths is that she was able to scout out a beautiful location for our "first look" pictures. A location that I had no idea even existed, and what she captured were some of the most amazing and favorite photos from the entire day. She was professional, approachable, patient, and very creative. She also did our engagement photos as well, and we were blown away by each photograph she took. We 1000% recommend Red Herron Art and will always wholeheartedly appreciate her outstanding work to capture our memories and bring them alive in the photos.”

I love taking photos. I love how the images you allow me to create tell a story of your day/your relationship in such a beautiful way. I love the big moments but I am obsessed with the small, understated ones that happen throughout the day. I feel so lucky when you let me into your life, into your home, and into your most special of moments so I can help you remember them forever. The thrill and the joy is unmatched! Plus, I get to hang out with people who are living the happiest day of their lives and I’m telling ya— that stuff is contagious.

A black and white photo of a young man in a tuxedo and a woman in a white dress walking outdoors in a park with leafless trees in the background.

Wedding & Elopement

Photography

I take limited amounts of weddings and elopements each year so I can focus on you and making your day as special as it should be. Contact me to see if I’m available on your day!

*Now Booking 2026 weddings!

Elopements starting at

$1,800 (3hrs)

Weddings starting at

$2500 (half day)

$3800 (full day)

Book now

All photo sessions (basically anything that isn’t a wedding!) range from $450-800, depending on session type. Please see the Sessions tab for more info!
Elopements start at $1800 Average cost is $2200
8+ hr coverage starts at $3800. Average cost is $5500.
Destination Weddings start at $5500. Average cost is $7500.

Pricing

A young man and woman walking together on a city sidewalk, smiling and enjoying each other's company. The man is wearing a gray jacket over a black shirt, and the woman is wearing a black jacket with a cream-colored sweater and a black skirt.

Icon of a yellow star-shaped design with four elongated points on a black background.

Engagement & Couples

Photography

You don’t have to book a wedding with me to do engagement photos (but there is a deal in it for you if you do!) Whatever the occasion, let’s get you in front of the camera and make magic happen!

Average Price: $750

Book Now

Wedding photography on film:

bride is lifted into the air during wedding reception in Jackson Hole Wyoming

Wedding guest wearing cowboy hat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

brides dress train tangled on the concrete

bride and groom during wedding ceremony in the arboretum in ann arbor, michigan

bride carries flowers while walking down wooded path

bride and groom look out at the wedding venue in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

wedding guest recording wedding ceremony on iphone

bride and groom grasp each others hands during wedding portraits

bride and groom during wedding portraits by the huron river in ann arbor

bride and groom walking to their car after eloping in ann arbor

Wedding and elopement photographer based in Michigan

I believe that your entire wedding experience—from the proposal to the glitter on the floor after the party— should be fun and authentic! Let me explain what I mean by that:

Everyone who has planned a wedding will tell you how stressful it is, and I’m here to tell you that they felt that way because, basically, they were all trying to plan the same wedding, and they were all trying too hard to think about how to create the perfect instagrammable day, like all the wedding days they’ve seen before. And when you start to do that, you’ve already lost the plot. It’s really hard not to compare yours to others and have it in your mind that everything needs to be perfect. How often have you heard someone stressing out about seating charts for people they didn’t even want to invite to their wedding, or trying to decide on a list of drinks from a bunch of cocktails they don’t actually like, or worrying about having enough time to talk to all the people they love while trying to also fit in all the bridal photos they want? The obvious truth is: everyone is different, and weddings don’t need to be one-size-fits-all. If you can find out what you truly want for your wedding day, you’ll feel less like you’re planning another version of a production that you’ve seen multiple times, and more like you are creating a day that was made especially for you to enjoy and feel present with your best friend and the people you love the most.

And THAT’s when your photos are going to be fantastic.