Allie Siarto | Lansing, Michigan Wedding Photographer

Clare + Jim: Kellogg Center Fall Wedding

allie — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:56:08 +0000

It’s fun to see how different the photos from two weddings at the same venue come out. The last one I posted was from last June at the Kellogg Center, and Clare and Jim’s wedding was in early October.

There’s nothing like fall colors on Micigan State’s campus (especially when you add an incredible couple and their closest family and friends).

Clare and Jim went to visit Clare’s grandpa after the ceremony so he could see her as a bride. This may have been one of the most special parts of the day.

Spring in Washington DC

allie — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:26:53 +0000

Spring has arrived in Washington DC. Jeff is always telling me that I need to take more landscape photos (I almost always prefer photos with people in them), so I grabbed my camera and walked south from our temporary rental in Dupont Circle toward the cherry blossoms and monuments. I’m glad I went.

Sarah + David: Kellogg Center Summer Wedding

allie — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:35:36 +0000

Sarah and David made the trip from New York City to East Lansing last summer for their wedding at the Kellogg Center. Sarah is in theater, and it was fun to see the energy that she, David and their friends brought to the day (especially when it came time to set up the photo booth at the reception). Thanks again to both of you for letting me and my team be a part of such a wonderful day.

Self Portraits (And a Trapeze Act)

allie — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:37:41 +0000

Every now and then, I like to challenge myself to take self portraits. It’s my chance to reflect on who I am and practice a few photography techniques on myself. I’ve been watching a little Creative Live throughout the weekend, and I wanted to focus on connection with the eyes.

I’m currently living in Washington DC on a temporary adventure that Jeff and I are calling our “study abroad in the US.” We had an opportunity to live in a beautiful fully furnished condo in Dupont Circle until the end of August, so we rented out our house in Michigan (cat and all), packed a few suitcases and flew to DC in December. Since we’ve been here, I’ve thrown myself into classes. I’ve taken trapeze classes (you can check out my trapeze video below), a raw/vegan cooking class and a screen printing class so far, and I plan to take others this spring and summer.

I’m looking forward to getting back to Michigan, but I’m enjoying living in the moment while I’m here. It’s amazing how your perspective of a place will change when you know it’s temporary. I hope to take this attitude back to Michigan with me and fully enjoy all that Michigan has to offer rather than telling myself that I’ll “do that someday.”

Here’s my trapeze adventure.

Skiing in Colorado

allie — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:09:47 +0000

Jeff and I joined our good friends Jess and Paul in Colorado for our first wintery vacation this year (you might remember Jess and Paul from their apple picking engagement session and destination wedding Punta Cana). We usually pick warmer destinations for vacations during the coldest months of the year, but we’ve both always wanted to try skiing the real mountains outside of Michigan.

Jess and I are officially travel buddies. We met in Chicago, but I feel like we’ve spent more time together in other states and countries over the past two years since I moved away from Chicago. We’ve been to New Orleans, Punta Cana, Portland, Seattle and Colorado, and we’ll be rooming together for Entretrip this April in Mexico. I hope the trend continues (P.S. Jess is a travel agent who books destination weddings. Jess and I both got married in other countries and can highly recommend the experience. Shoot her a note if you want to learn more. She’s amazing).

I didn’t take my camera out much—one of the side effects of very cold fingers is the lack of desire to get your camera out—but I did manage to snap a few photos along the way.

Getting directions to Cooper Mountain.

Note the temperature.

Could I possibly be more fashionable?

A Moment With Mom

allie — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:29:05 +0000

One of my favorite parts of any wedding day is that little moment where the bride and her mother take a second to let it sink in that the day they’ve both been thinking about for years has finally arrived.

Leah + Dan: MillCreek Barns Wedding

allie — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:23:06 +0000

Dan and I have crossed paths across a full decade of our lives. I first met Dan when we were both counselors at a summer camp when I was seventeen, then again in college at Michigan State. I met Leah when I lived in Chicago, and she introduced me to her boyfriend, who turned out to be Dan. Small world, right? These two are now proud Michiganders like me (though I’m currently traveling for eight months, but that’s a story for another day).

I’m so excited to finally share photos from Leah and Dan’s wedding day. I loved running into old summer camp friends and friends from Chicago—the whole day was one big beautiful ball of love and happiness.

For more photos, check out the wedding feature at Love and Lavender.

Venue: Millcreek Barns
Catering: CK Catering
Event Planner: Stella Event Design
Floral Design: V.S. Flowers
Bakery: Bit of Swiss

Taking a Break: Vegan Raw Cheesecake

allie — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:07:59 +0000

I haven’t posted about my personal life to this blog in ages, but I absolutely had to share this recipe. I spend most holidays enjoying mounds of chocolate, pie and other desserts, but earlier this month, I gave up dairy, refined sugar and caffeine (yes, my morning coffee!) in an attempt to rebalance my diet and life.

I was craving a little something sweet as I watched family and friends enjoy my typical favorites, and this vegan raw cheesecake recipe was the perfect find (thank you, Pinterest). It’s made with dates, cashews, walnuts, agave nectar, extra virgin coconut oil (a new favorite), vanilla and other natural goodies. If you’re looking to try something a little different in the new year, you absolutely must give it a try. The whole process is fairly simple, since there’s no actual cooking. Jeff and I have been ooohing and ahhhing over it ever since we tried the first bite.

Find the full recipe on the DAMY Health blog: Caramel Blondie Brownie Cheesecake (Vegan/Raw)

See Allie Siarto Photography on Style Me Pretty

allie — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:00:13 +0000

Style Me Pretty seems to have become the gold standard in wedding blogs that every photographer aspires to be featured in. Thanks to the delicate, thoughtful details from Alex and Eric during their August wedding, my little photo-love dream has come true! Check out the full feature on Style Me Pretty—you’ll love the personal details these two put together. They put a lot of love into their wedding, and it’s so nice to see that others appreciates all of their thoughtfulness and hard work.

Rachel + David | Deer Path Inn Wedding

allie — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:37:28 +0000

Chicago will always have a special place in my heart, so I was thrilled to get back there for Rachel and David’s wedding during Memorial Day weekend. Rachel and David—thanks for letting me spend a beautiful day with you and your wonderful friends and family.

And the Gold Coast Orchestra was insanely good—they completely filled the dance floor, which is always fun for a wedding photographer.