Sometimes fate takes you hundreds of miles from home and places you exactly where you need to be. That’s how Jake, from Iowa, and Claire, from Michigan, crossed paths. They met by chance—or maybe by design—when they both joined AmeriCorps to spend a summer restoring hiking trails across Iowa, living in tents, and working side by side outdoors.
Even before they spoke, sparks were flying. During orientation, Jake remembers the exact outfit Claire wore. Claire, on the other hand, couldn’t stop gushing to a friend about the red-haired guy who instantly caught her eye.
The connection was instant. Throughout the summer, Claire and Jake were inseparable—working 10-hour days together and spending weekends side by side. When the season ended, their bond held strong through a year of long-distance dating, until Jake made the move to Michigan. On a trip to New York to visit Claire’s brother, Jake proposed.
Now, they’re planning their September wedding, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of their story. Jake and Claire are just the kind of people you want to spend time with—genuine, stylish, and full of warmth. That made their Detroit engagement photos an absolute dream to capture.
Claire is especially known for her impeccable style—so much so that she runs her own fashion blog, Claire Wear. She even wrote a guide called “How to Have a Perfect Engagement Session,” packed with helpful tips from choosing the right photographer to styling outfits that feel authentically you.
True to form, Claire brought her fashion A-game for their engagement shoot. Those Christian Louboutin heels? Total showstoppers. From start to finish, their session was filled with charm, laughter, and style.
Their wedding day is just around the corner, and I already can’t wait for our next coffee date to hear more about the plans. Until then, take a scroll through Jake and Claire’s beautifully styled Detroit engagement photos and get inspired by a love story that started with service and grew into something truly unforgettable.
hundreds of miles from home and puts you right where you need to be to meet the person who is going to change your life. Jake is from Iowa and Claire is from Michigan. They met by chance, or maybe by design, when they both joined AmeriCorps to live in tents and help restore hiking trails throughout Iowa for an entire summer.
Sparks were flying instantly during orientation and they hadn’t even talked to each other! He remembers the exact outfit Claire was wearing that day. She remembers telling her friend about how special the boy with golden red hair was.
The rest is like a storybook. They were inseparable during their time volunteering. The two worked 10 hour days with each other and spent weekends together. When the summer ended, Claire and Jake dated long distance for a whole year until Jake decided to move to Michigan. It was on a trip to New York to visit Claire’s brother that Jake asked her to marry him.
Jake and Claire are just really cool folks, the kind of people I like to hang out with. So I knew I was going to enjoy their Detroit engagement photos. I was also really looking forward to seeing what Claire was going to wear. Claire’s favorite obsession is what to wear. She knows it. It’s her thing. She even has a blog about it called Claire Wear! She ended up putting together an article titled “How to have a perfect engagement session” and it’s full of awesome tips from picking out what to wear to choosing your photographer.
I loved the way Claire styled their outfits – those Christian Louboutin shoes were seriously killer! Oh boy, their wedding is going to be this September and it’s going to be so dreamy. I can’t wait for my next coffee date with Claire so I can see more of the wedding plans and catch up!
In the meantime, enjoy their engagement photos.
