First Comes Love Photo

We loved Alison's work, and could not be happier with our photos from our wedding! She is very responsive on email, and answered all our questions promptly. We were referred by our friends who had wonderful experiences with her. She was able to capture the entire day, and was able to bring out the emotions of our guests. I think the photos really highlight our wedding as how we remember it - fun, joyful, memorable! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

Being photographed on your wedding day is pretty intimate and also can be pretty awkward, because for real, being photographed in general is awkward. But not really when Alison Bank of First Comes Love Photo is doing it. She's the best of the best and probably the wedding vendor I'm most pleased with. Before our wedding day, she was organized, answered emails quickly, so patient and shared her extensive knowledge about weddings, even when it had nothing to do with photography. On the day of, she was so cool, calm and fun to be around - it was like being photographed intimately by a good friend, but one who knows the ins and outs of wedding days because she's been doing it for so long! She kept us on schedule, gently letting us know when it was time to do what so that we didn't have to think about that at all. She was amazing at herding my enormous family for photos and she got every one of them done while still smiling. It was important to her that we enjoyed our wedding day and that we were present and got a lot of time to be with each other. I really valued those last bits. Most of all, her images are perfection. So much genuine emotion. So many times I was taken right back to the day. So many times I saw how people from different parts of our lives hung out and I wouldn't have known that had Alison not focused so heavily on the people at our wedding. There were lots of detail shots too, but it's the people who were most important to us and Alison captured them so well. We love our wedding photos so much and we loved our experience working with Alison. Don't hesitate - book her! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

Our wedding was two years ago, and I still find new favorite photos in the collection of gems Alison gave us. Our photos are natural-looking and classic. The "natural" part was a huge accomplishment on Alison's part, because I am extremely awkward in front of a camera. Alison's personality made me feel like we were in good hands--she is confident, competent and fun. At our engagement session, she gave light direction that resulted in beautiful photos, nothing stiff or cheesy. I asked her to take a few shots in positions I thought would look good. Those photos were...not great. It made me appreciate her expertise even more. Her subtle direction makes a big difference. The engagement session led to me feeling more confident in photos on our wedding day. (In that session she also hopped on a bench for a particular angle, despite being extremely pregnant. Girl gets her job done.) On our wedding day, Alison and her partner captured amazing shots. They were organized, kept track of all the groupings we'd asked for, and seamlessly directed big groups of people. They were unobtrusive during our church ceremony, and captured little details I would not have thought of, but love looking back on. Our photos are warm and timeless--everything I'd hoped for and more. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We just had our one year anniversary and I found myself looking back at our beautiful pictures and reliving the magical evening all over again. We had such a great experience with Alison, she made us feel so comfortable from the start with our engagement session and we had a lot of fun through the whole process. She was very organized and efficient while still keeping everyone happy; she got all the photos I wanted (and so much more) and directed everyone involved perfectly (we had a big bridal party). The pictures are so beautiful and capture all the special moments of the evening, I couldn't ask for more, I will treasure them! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Working with Alison was wonderful! She captured beautiful moments that convey the personal nature of our wedding and didn't bat an eye at how small or simple our wedding was. My husband is notoriously camera shy, and Alison did a phenomenal job of putting both of us at ease, wrangling the kids, keeping people on track, and capturing the goofy moments along with the serious ones. She even came prepared with a clear umbrella for us to shoot with and was willing to get dirty and wet to help us get the perfect photos. We got our photos right on time and I've been really impressed with how responsive and personable Alison was. Such a great experience! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

To say we love the photos is an understatement! Alison captured beautiful moments that convey the personal nature of our wedding and didn't bat an eye at how small or simple our wedding was. My husband is notoriously camera shy, and Alison did a phenomenal job of putting both of us at ease, wrangling the kids, keeping people on track, and capturing the goofy moments along with the serious ones. These are photos I'll be able to cherish and hang on my wall for years to come. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Hiring Alison was the best decision I made about my wedding, save for saying “yes” when my husband proposed.

Alison is smart, professional, and experienced. She is a talented photographer. If you choose to work with Alison, you will find your personality, your dynamic as a couple, and the aesthetic of your event in her photos. Her photos are not just gorgeous, they are gorgeous photos that tell your story clearly.

Just as important as the exceptional quality of her work, Alison is a joy to work with. Having Alison around on our wedding day was a pleasure. I knew she knew was she was doing, and was able let go and enjoy my wedding. She manages to be everywhere at once – capturing each important moment – all while being utterly unobtrusive. “Sneaky,” she calls it. I call it awesome. Alison also has great skill and experience working with the crowd of a wedding – family, friends, churchgoers... she wrangled all the people who needed to be in our formal photos, and the process was fast and (dare I say) fun!

An unexpected and absolutely invaluable part of working with Alison, for me, was how well she knows how to help you prepare. She knows what she needs from you in order to make the day run smoothly from the perspective of photography, and this translates incredibly well into making the day run smoothly, period.

From our first email exchange I knew I wanted Alison as our photographer. She is kind and caring, and naturally understands and gets along well with people. This is, perhaps, enhanced by her art, but is not just a function of it. Alison is supportive, warm, and openhearted, and she reads people very well. All of this comes through in her work. Her work is impeccable, and her taste is unimpeachable. You can truly just let go and experience the day, knowing that your photos and the memories of the event will be quite perfectly preserved for you. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

It has been almost two-and-a-half years, but I still cannot forget what a difference Alison made at our wedding. Luckily I have the photos, and beautiful album, to prove it! First, Alison is an amazing photographer with a spectacular eye for detail. I still think my favorite shot was the sparklers at the bonfire making a heart. Second, she is a superb professional. She was always organized, while relaxed and confident. Third, and really most important, she made sure that our wedding was about us. She has this magical ability to whisk you away for a moment, to focus on this special day, that you and your significant other share. It is easy to be completely overwhelmed by the day, but Alison allowed us to have these quiet moments where we could celebrate alone. I cannot say enough about Alison Banks and First Comes Love Photo. I am grateful we found her to share our day, celebrate our wedding, and provide a beautiful keepsake album that we often take out to just take a peek. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Alison did an amazing job as the photographer of our wedding.  She was so easy to work with and is a delightful person.  She was available for any questions I had and was awesome in providing advice as a I needed it throughout the process.  On the day of, she took the photos in the way that I imagined.  Everything was calm and there was no chaos, which is what I was definitely wanting to avoid.  I wanted a photographer that would take a few selected posed photos, but otherwise would move with the tone and atmosphere of the day.  She helped my husband and I remain focused on each other and RELAX during our photos to just live in the moment.  For that, I will be forever grateful.  I have only seen the preliminary photos from the day, but they are beautiful and I cannot wait to see the rest and have them as a memory from our wedding day for the rest of our marriage.  I'd definitely recommend Alison for any event and I'd 100% choose here again for my wedding day. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing to work with! So genuine and relaxed! Perfect.

Reviewed on Facebook

Alison did an amazing job as the photographer of our wedding. She was so easy to work with and is a delightful person. She was available for any questions I had and was awesome in providing advice as a I needed it throughout the process. On the day of, she took the photos in the way that I imagined. Everything was calm and there was no chaos, which is what I was definitely wanting to avoid. I wanted a photographer that would take a few selected posed photos, but otherwise would move with the tone and atmosphere of the day. She helped my husband and I remain focused on each other and RELAX during our photos to just live in the moment. For that, I will be forever grateful.

I have only seen the preliminary photos from the day, but they are beautiful and I cannot wait to see the rest and have them as a memory from our wedding day for the rest of our marriage.

I'd definitely recommend Alison for any event and I'd 100% choose here again for my wedding day. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Alison is magical with and without her camera!She shot our wedding on 09.10.16 and we couldn't be happier.  She worked with us and our families and the weather seamlessly!  It was very important to my husband and I that we attend as much of our cocktail hour as possible and she still managed to take more than enough photos.  We have only seen some sneak peaks thus far; however, based on those alone I know the rest are just as fantastic.She is super organized and helps you prepare for the day of to make sure you get exactly what you want. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Hiring Alison to capture our wedding was one of the best decisions we made.  She's an awesome person even without a camera in her hands, her level of talent and professionalism is incredible.  From the first minute we met with her, my husband and I knew we wanted her to capture the day.  She helped us prepare for the big day (shot list, timeline, etc...) so that things could run smoothly.  Once the big day arrived, we left the rest to her and her wonderful assistant, Daighna, and followed their lead.  While we didn't have a big wedding, it was a long day with celebrations starting at my parents house in the morning.  Alison and Daighna fit in from the minute they arrived.  Needless to say, my friends and family loved working with Alison just as much as we did!We just received our proofs and they brought me to tears!  They tell the story of a beautiful day with our closest friends and family.  Her pictures gave me the chance to relive part of the day and experience other moments for the first time (like my hubby to be pre-gaming with his parents and my cousins in the morning at our house).  Love them all!  The pictures are incredible - a gift we will cherish forever!!  Thank you, Alison, for capturing the biggest and best of our life! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison Banks of First Comes Love Photo brought her gift of wedding photography to brides in Michigan back in 2013. Her images capture your heart, spirit and soul of the day that you will treasure for a lifetime. Thank you Alison. Its been a little over 2 years and the album you made for us still brings me to tears when I look through it. Your talent ascends the camera to a place not many photographers are able to see or feel. You capture magic. Thank you. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Alison was one of the best parts of our wedding day.  She and her assistant Stevie were extremely professional, unobtrusive, and kind we had tons of fun working with them.  Our photo album just arrived today and it is absolutely breathtaking.  Alison's work was top notch and her service just as great.  She really takes care of the couples she shoots and puts in a lot of effort to be a great resource.  Highly recommend her! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison was absolutely amazing. We had her shoot our engagement photos in January of 2014 and our wedding in August of 2014. I hired her after seeing all of the glowing Yelp reviews and she surpassed my expectations. She was incredibly personal and professional. My husband and I weren't really sure what to do in a professional photo shoot but Alison was able to give us very simple, easy instructions so that we didn't feel awkward. All of the photos were absolutely fabulous.   We planned our wedding from Virginia but Alison made it very easy. She was willing to meet with us on Skype and she was very responsive to emails and phone calls. She also sent us a sneak peak of a couple dozen wedding photos within a couple weeks after the wedding. Lastly, not only did my husband and I enjoy working with Alison, our wedding party absolutely loved her. She blended into our event perfectly and managed to get shots of things I didn't even see on the day of the wedding! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison shot our wedding on May 16th in Saline, MI. She was great to work with throughout the entire process. We were planning long distance and she was easily accessible by skype, email and phone. She helped make our long-distance planning a little easier to swallow. Alison is down to earth, intelligent and creative. Since we communicated with her mainly by email, the first time we met was on our actual wedding day.  She seamlessly incorporated herself into our event and felt like part of the family right away.  Several family members, who aren't big into having their pictures taken, commented about how comfortable she made them feel and that they felt like she helped bring out their real personality on camera. The pictures were never overly posed or obtrusive, she really picks up on your vibe and goes with the flow. The final product was absolutely beautiful. We love our pictures. She and her assistant caught so many beautiful moments that we would have missed during the hustle and bustle of the event. The photos were exactly what we wanted. She emailed us a few lovely photos the day after our event to tide us over, posted our photo gallery far faster than we imagined and sent us a beautiful proof book and flash drive with our pictures.  The presentation of all of her work, from the welcome package to the small wooden box wrapped in ribbon that held the flash drive, is beautiful and professional. She pays attention to every detail. I will recommend First Comes Love Wedding Photography to anyone in the Ann Arbor area (and beyond) looking for someone to shoot their important event! I even want to hire Alison to take pictures of our future kids...and that's a loooooong way down the road! Much love to Alison from Joel and Melissa!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The wedding is over.  After months of planning and giddy excitement the day came and went.  It was lovely but it was over in a flash - thank goodness we picked Alison to photograph our day to preserve the memories.  Pictures are a big deal.  I still look through my parents and grandparents photo albums and when I was a kid it was my favorite thing to do.  Because I had such fond memories of other's photos from their wedding day the pressure was on to find the best photographer we could and we did.Alison was phenomenal on the day.  She was fun, easy to talk to and very efficient and professional.  She also may double as a ninja - I swear, neither my husband nor I noticed her for most of the night once the ceremony started.   We don't understand how she got some of the amazing shots she did without us noticing her during the ceremony and reception.   It's pretty impressive.Alison has a great style - she could probably give you anything you're looking for but we wanted the traditional romantic and whimsical kind of look.   Very soft and romantic.  Nothing overly posed or forced and,  pardon me for saying,  we looked amazing in every shot (mostly her doing, not so as much ours.)   When our friends and family saw her final work everyone was floored.   So many friends made comments like "It's like you're in a movie,"  or said it was the best photography they had ever seen.  Even my grumpy father who is a photographer (and world's biggest cynic) was blown away.  She knocked it out of the park.  Hiring her was the best choice we made in regards to our wedding.   I'd recommend her to our nearest and dearest (and have been!) More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison, in one word is fantastic!  She is professional and experienced, yet makes you feel at ease during the whole process.  My husband is not a fan of having his picture taken, but after how well our engagement photo session went and how amazing the photos turned out, we were so happy that we picked Alison.  We really felt like she captured our personalities and in a natural manner, without being forced. Our friends and family, some of which are professional photographers, couldn't say enough about how much they enjoyed both our engagement and wedding photos.  Scrolling through the photos, I felt like I was back in that moment, which is great, since the day really is a blur.   I love that she has a website that I can send everyone the link to, so our guests that view and even purchase any photos they like.  My mother-in-law can't say enough about how much she enjoyed watching the wedding slide-show and the music Alison picked to go along.  I would highly recommend Alison to photograph any life event. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison is everything and more. It's hard to put into exact words how great she really is. I'm from Texas, my husband is from Michigan, and we live in Louisiana. We decided to get married in Michigan, and it is difficult to plan a wedding from that far away while trying to stay below a budget without coordinators or planners. Alison did more than she had to, and it's because she truly cares. She helped formulate a list of shots for the day of, and was kind enough to meet me on Skype since I was planning from so far away. Besides getting married, Alison was the best decision I made about the wedding. During the day, it was as relaxed and enjoyable as I'd hoped it would be- because I completely trusted Alison to capture everything in a beautiful artistic way- I wasn't worried about the day slipping away or that the napkin holders weren't perfect I just had faith in the way Alison captures and I knew I'd be able to focus on the emotions and love, and then enjoy it again through Alison's art.She even got our dog before he ruined his wedding collar I made for him! She got so many special moments, and also moments I wasn't able to see on the day.I wish I had more walls to hang the photos on! We just can't say enough about her! She was great to be around, friendly, smart, caring, she got along with everyone and really captured personalities, love, emotions and we will cherish our photographs forever. In my opinion an amazing photographer can make a cheap dress look like a million bucks and vice versa. Alison is an amazing photographer. She's thoughtful and original, and she enjoys what she does, which makes everything go so smoothly on the wedding day. I'm not opposed to traveling all the way to Michigan again to do maternity photos with Alison when the time comes! She is fabulous. She is also really, really cool, you just want to be her friend. That is so important considering you spend a great deal of the day with your photographer, you want to be around positive individuals. I wish I could give her a big hug and say thank you again.She was nice enough to put previews up only a month later, and I was able to see a gallery about two months after the wedding. It was so nice of her to put up previews. Alison is indispensable, book her for your wedding and you will have photographs and art to cherish for a lifetime and share with your own children and grandchildren someday. Absolutely beautiful and timeless. Her photographs are treasures. You will be so happy with Alison's work. I searched and searched for a photographer- to me it was a decision of utmost importance, and she was perfect. It is one of the most important (if not the most important job)- because with an amazing photographer, you can let go, stop worrying, relax, take it all in, and smile, laugh, cry, and savor the moments on your wedding day. Because you know that she will work her magic- and everything will be as beautiful as you saw it that day- if not even more beautiful. I am SO grateful for Alison. Her talent and experience is unsurpassed, and priceless.I can't stop looking at the photos, and I can relive the best day of my life over and over again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My husband and I cannot say enough about Alison.  She is such a beautiful, caring person and she really appreciates and honors the level of intimacy that is present in photographing others.         When we began looking for photographers for our wedding, we browsed site after site of work that was pretty, but didn't seem authentic.  In our minds, our wedding was going to be one of the most intimate, cherished moment of our lives; and we really wanted someone who would be able to capture that in all it's natural, honest beauty.  As soon as we came across Alison's work we knew that she would give us exactly that and we had complete trust in her to capture our day exactly as it was - making it possible for us to relive each moment just by looking through the pictures.       Not only was she fantastic to work with but she was incredibly flexible and supportive as well.  Alison is professional and caring.  She definitely knows what she's doing and she uses her insight to help you in the best way possible.  When you work with Alison, you really can tell how much she appreciates the fact that you are letting her capture your most cherished moments.  She truly is the best at what she does! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison is an absolutely incredible photographer. First of all, she is a dream to work with, literally from the moment I contacted her, she made every single step of the whole process so easy. My wedding was in California and Alison was in Michigan, but our distance made no difference at all...we talked on the phone and over email a bunch of times and Alison really helped me organize everything around the photos and even the timeline of the day. But maybe even more importantly, when I saw the previews of my pictures I was totally floored. My husband had to pull me away from my computer because I was obsessed with looking at the pics...I just found them so gorgeous and they just brought me right back to that day in such a special way...I honestly could not have imagined more beautiful pictures of my wedding day. I wanted photos that captured the day in a way that was as far from cheesy wedding pics as we could get. I wanted photos that captured more than just our smiles, but really captured our emotions and the private moments of the day amidst all of the lovely craziness, and somehow Alison was able to do just that. I highly recommend Alison and First Comes Love Photo and am positive you will have a wonderful experience and be thrilled with her work. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison is the best, hands down! I first heard about Alison when she photographed a wedding where my flower shop designed the floral arrangements. The bride sent us photos of the flowers from her wedding, and I was hooked. I loved the photos so much that I referred her to one of my best friends, as her wedding photographer. I was wowed again! So then, naturally, I hired Alison as MY wedding photographer. I can't say enough nice things here. Besides being a wonderful person, she has a natural and non-intrusive technique. She is a true artist, but a quiet one. During my wedding ceremony, I didn't know she was there! How did she get those beautiful, candid, close ups?! She also made the posed/family portrait photos go so quickly and smoothly, that I didn't miss any of my wedding reception fun!Not one of the photos were cheesy, or unnatural. Some of the photos from my wedding are such true works of art, they're worthy of a modern art museum display! Also, my husband hates having his photo taken. Hates it. So, he usually looks terrible in photos. Alison managed to make him comfortable in front of the camera, and got great shots of him.  If you need a photographer, for your wedding, or portraits, or party, or whatever, don't even bother with anyone else. Seriously! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Hiring Alison was the best decision I made about my wedding, save for saying "yes" when my husband proposed.Alison is smart, professional, and experienced.  She is a talented photographer.  If you choose to work with Alison, you will find your personality, your dynamic as a couple, and the aesthetic of your event in her photos.  Her photos are not just gorgeous, they are gorgeous photos that tell your story clearly.  In short, you will LOVE your photos!Just as important as the exceptional quality of her work, Alison is a joy to work with.  Having Alison around on our wedding day was a pleasure.  I knew she knew was she was doing, and was able let go and enjoy my wedding.  She manages to be everywhere at once - capturing each important moment - all while being utterly unobtrusive.  "Sneaky," she calls it.  I call it awesome.  Alison also has great skill and experience working with the crowd of a wedding - family, friends, churchgoers... she wrangled all the people who needed to be in our formal photos, and the process was fast and (dare I say) fun!A friend who could not attend our wedding today said via email:  "Oh, WOW!!!  I was enthralled by all the photos - I felt as if I were there.  What a gift!  Your photographer was terrific and the photos told the story and captured the emotion.  Wow!"This echoes every comment we've had from friends and family who were at the wedding; so many people told me they felt like they were reliving the day.  I still feel the same way.  I can relive the best day of my life whenever I want to, just by breaking out Alison's photos of our wedding! It's an outrageous delight.An unexpected and absolutely invaluable part of working with Alison, for me, was how well she knows how to help you prepare.  She knows what she needs from you in order to make the day run smoothly from the perspective of photography, and this translates incredibly well into making the day run smoothly, period.  In the months before the wedding, she was aware of us and of our day, and she  asked at intervals for information that she needed.  Her requests were so well timed, they helped me understand how my day needed to run and some of the things I needed to do to prepare.  So helpful.  And Alison is one of those rare people who is both organized and relaxed!  Such a relief!  From our first email exchange I knew I wanted Alison as our photographer.  She is kind and caring, and naturally understands and gets along well with people.  This is, perhaps, enhanced by her art, but is not just a function of it.  Alison is supportive, warm, and openhearted, and she reads people very well.  All of this comes through in her work.  Her work is impeccable, and her taste is unimpeachable.  You can truly just let go and experience the day, knowing that your photos and the memories of the event will be quite perfectly preserved for you. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison is Fantastic!My wife and I planned our wedding from California and had the wedding in Michigan.  This was very challenging seeing as we decided to find and book our venue, florist, caterer, officiant, and photographer all in one weekend trip.  Our weekend trip was a complete circus as one might imagine.  Thankfully, Alison agreed to go out of her way  and meet with us in a coffee shop next to a florist we looked out.  This gracious gesture along with her refreshing, professional attitude quickly instilled confidence that my wife and I had been hoping for.  At the ceremony and reception, Alison did not disappoint.  She's kind of like a photographer ninja.  I really don't even remember seeing her that much and yet she managed to capture hundreds and hundreds of moments that my wife and I will cherish forever. Highly recommend, More...

Reviewed on Yelp

When we were planning our wedding, my husband wisely said to me, "after the day is over we will just have the photos, so we should choose our photographer first, and we should choose the best. "  After scouring the Internet, reading reviews and looking at photos, we had no doubt that Alison Bank was the most talented photographer we had seen.  Once we began talking with Alison, we realized that she was also a true professional with loads of experience, who also cares deeply about what she does. On my wedding day, I had absolute faith in Alison.  I knew she would photograph our wedding with the same grace and talent that she had displayed in the year leading up to the day, helping answer all of my questions, capturing the love between my husband and I during our engagement shoot, and making certain that we had a perfect plan (and backup plan) for the photos on the wedding day.  I cried tears of joy two months after the wedding as my husband and I looked through our photos for the first time.  It was like reliving the day over and over again through Alison's lens.  Alison was able to capture beauty that I hadn't even noticed on the wedding day.  She is truly an artist, and I will cherish her work for the rest of my life.  Alison not only did fantastic work with our engagement session and wedding day, she was a critical part of the planning process.  She reviewed our 'day of schedule' to ensure I'd made enough time for everything, and she scouted our venues ahead of time to find the best places to take photos.  My husband and I were married in late December in Michigan, and the cold weather and potential snow presented its challenges.  Alison was ready.  She encouraged us to take photos outside with our bridal party, but also set up lights inside for family photos (so my grandparents didn't have to freeze).   We can't thank her enough for encouraging us to tough it out in the cold - the photos we took outside are remarkable.  Alison's work speaks for itself. She's the best of the best, and we couldn't be happier. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I cannot say enough about Alison's tremendous talent and terrific personality. She is a dream to work with, and her breathtaking photos are the talk of my Facebook feed, office, and family dinner table. My husband and I were operating on an average-ish budget, but we knew that we wanted to have beautiful photos of our day to capture our families and friends gathered in one place, the many lovingly-crafted DIY elements, and our gorgeous outdoor/indoor space. We looked at a lot of photographers' websites, but few of those pictures had that special spark, the one that makes you feel something when you look at them. I don't recall the exact words I threw into Google's maw, but fate pointed them toward Alison. After taking in her lovely portfolio and blog and talking to her over Skype, we never looked back.Alison made everything exceptionally easy. When we arrived late and panicked to our engagement shoot after a few wrong turns, she was sweet, easygoing, and understanding. She had allowed more than enough time to take the pictures and came brimming with creative ideas. My husband and I made for two rather awkward subjects, but Alison did a great job of putting us at ease as we chatted about her daughter, our families, and her move to Michigan. And the photos were lovely--they made good use of the surrounding area and the early evening light. I was touched when she reached out to hug us at the end of the shoot. She was so kind and friendly and reassuring and fun, and I knew we were in good hands.As the wedding approached, Alison suggested that I make a timeline for the day, which was excellent (and much needed) advice: It made ALL the difference in knowing what to expect on our day. She helpfully sent samples of shot lists and timelines, and gave me a few rounds of prompt and gracious feedback.  She encouraged us to take a little time to ourselves after the ceremony so that we could absorb what we had done, a space for which I was grateful.On the day of the wedding, I was a little late to the hotel where we were meeting, and she was very relaxed and understanding. She had allowed plenty of time for everything. I didn't have to worry about when I needed to get dressed or get ready to leave. She had it down pat.When we arrived at the site, Alison did a terrific job of corralling all the necessary people for various family photos, and made the time fun and efficient. Her super second shooter, Jen, was already there taking pictures of the landscape, the groom and groomsmen, and the event room where the reception was to be held. During the ceremony, Alison was completely unobtrusive.  I don't know how she got the shots, but she captured all the poignant, tender little moments--laughter, jokes, people's expressions, the wiping of tears... not just ours, but those of our guests, too, which was so important to us.She was equally in all the right places for the reception: she caught my sister's Vulcan salute during her toast, the embrace of our grandparents after the anniversary dance, and the look on my dad's face as we whirled around on the dance floor. And she got the details, too: close-ups of the wedding cake my husband made, my grandfather's veteran pin, the lace on my peacock blue shoes, the tissue paper dahlias that over the course of the evening found their way into button holes, onto wrists, and around hair. The photos came about three months after the wedding. They were SO worth the wait. I'm not really a crier, but as I went through them, I was moved to tears--it was incredible to see how the happiness I felt inside that day could be reflected so beautifully in Alison's images. And we get to relive all these special memories every time we look at them. If you're looking for a photographer, you can trust Alison not only to help you navigate your day but to take the kind of pictures that you will cherish for the rest of your life. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Choosing a photographer was a stressful experience for me. There was SO much to choose from, and I had very little experience to go on. All I knew is that I wanted amazing photos - the kind of stuff that you see on pinterest or in magazines - but that I could not afford that kind of quality. And then I found Alison at First Comes Love, who let me have my cake and eat it too. For most couples getting married, it's a first time experience. It's hard to know what to expect and how to plan. I was feeling anxious and lost. Happily Alison is a wedding master - she KNOWS her stuff and it's obvious. Because of this, when we met her to go over the details of our event, her presence alone was calming to me. We knew we were in good hands. On the day of the wedding, Alison was indispensable. I swear she was the only person paying attention to the timeline - without her I probably would have been late to my own wedding; without her we wouldn't have remembered to dance and have fun at the reception -- seriously. She was quick, efficient, low pressure, easy to be with, and so in control of the whole situation. She rarely posed us, and helped promote a fun and natural environment. Because of this, we truly look like ourselves in our pictures. None of that frozen-faced soft-touched senior picture terribleness. She managed to get every single shot on my list - even the extra ones. In addition, she was so stealthy and quick on the trigger that she was able to capture some of the sweetest, most wonderful, most fleeting (and I mean FLEETING) moments of the wedding. She is a true photo journalist, producing pictures that run the emotional gamut. I cannot speak highly enough of the quality of the finished product. My friends and family cannot stop gushing about our wedding photos, and I am delighted that 20, 30, 40 years from now I will have these to look back on. If you're considering hiring Alison, DO IT. You will not regret it. When all the money is spent, when the night is over, all that you have left are the memories - the pictures. she will give you the truly amazing pictures that you deserve. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison was a pleasure to work with; she was easygoing and down-to-earth. She was able to capture great photos of the wedding day moments and people's expressions--a real priceless joy! She was flexible enough to trade an engagement photo session for an after-the-wedding newlywed one (my husband and I were long-distance at the time).  We were very comfortable with working with Alison and I would highly recommend her for anyone's special day! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison is amazing. We got married this past June, and finding the right wedding photographer was extremely important to us. I love photography and work alongside photographers in the design industry, and we spent weeks researching options - more so than any other vendor. After we found Alison's work online we were immediately drawn to her style- photojournalistic, creative in composition without ever feeling forced, rich film-like colors, and a wide range of gorgeous candids/formals and people/details. I could go on! After speaking to her on the phone, we knew we'd found the right person.Personality-wise, we are a pretty laid-back couple who aren't big on PDA and don't take ourselves very seriously. Some of the wedding photography out there that looks heavily posed and high in drama made me worry that we would spend much of our wedding day having to do cheesy poses that made us uncomfortable. While I'm sure Alison could do this with flying colors if you asked her to, what we appreciated was her easy, laid-back nature and sense of humor, coupled with a proficiency in capturing staggeringly good, natural looking photos with real emotions. Leading up to the wedding, Alison was very approachable and inclusive while planning for the wedding day. She made sure that we were prepared for the essential shots of the bridal party and family, helping us figure out a schedule that would work with the lighting of the day.  She kept our plan flexible enough so she could allow the day to unfold naturally. She was great about balancing fun and professionalism in the weeks leading up to the wedding.On the day of the event, she directed us really naturally and never made us feel awkward or cheesy. I can't underscore how important this was, given how much time you spend with your photographer on the wedding day. We didn't have an engagement session with her and it still felt completely comfortable and familiar. She was so respectful and genuinely wanted to capture the way we naturally were together. We had a sense that she understood our style, and when things didn't quite line up, she was open to feedback, suggesting certain shots to modify or skip altogether. During the ceremony and reception, she was like a stealth ninja, capturing every aspect (and I mean impossibly fleeting moments) beautifully all while being really inconspicuous. It still befuddles us how she was able to capture everything that she did. She also has a superpower in getting even the most stubborn kids to smile for the camera.We received the photos about 3 months after the wedding, and were extremely happy with the results. She captured the people, the mood, and the environment beautifully, in all the ways described above. Her candid photos stopped us in our tracks. She took beautiful shots of guests throughout our wedding (something we specifically requested) that will no doubt be appreciated for years to come. She has also been available and willing to show us many options of the same shot, in order to find the perfect print.Alison was a pleasure to work with and we feel lucky to have had her at our wedding. She is a great fit if you're looking for fun, flexible, passionate professional who puts you at ease and takes amazing photos of the greatest day of your life. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison is AMAZING!I cannot rant and rave enough about First Comes Love wedding photography.  Alison was an absolute gem, and really helped to make our day that much more special.  First, Alison met us for a engagement shoot, which was EXTREMELY helpful.  The pre-wedding photo session was an excellent way to dial in on the type and style of pictures that we really liked, and Alison really listened to our feedback.  On the day of the wedding, Alison was so kind and helpful, and was able to squeeze in even more portraits than we had originally planned.  She was always there taking pictures of each important moment, but she was never in your face with the camera.  She was EXTREMELY discreet.  Then, Alison was kind enough to send us a few preview shots of our wedding, the very next day so we could update facebook.  They were STUNNING, and the extra effort was just so sweet of her.I can't say enough good things about Alison, and I just cannot wait to see the rest of the day-of photos! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison was a dream to work with.  She was consistently calm, professional, communicative and best of all- her photos are stunning.  My husband is in the photography business and needless to say, he loves our wedding photos.  Alison was not only easy to get in touch with from beginning to end, she thought of details I never would have and captured our wedding day to a tee. Alison, despite being 6 months pregnant at the time of our wedding was able to wrangle our huge wedding party and family for pictures with a directive, yet warm demeanor.  We would recommend her to anyone looking for gorgeous photos that will stand the test of time.  I have heard lots of horror stories of photographers who are demanding or have poor attitudes or who don't listen to the bride- Alison is the exact opposite.  She will give you the wedding photos you see in magazines (or blogs - our wedding was a feature on Style Me Pretty thanks to her amazing eye).  You will not regret hiring Alison for your wedding! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Where do I start? We found Alison through friends, and we knew we liked her style from her samples. When we met Alison, we knew we clicked well. As she worked with us in the days coming up to our wedding in San Francisco, we knew we had made the right decision.Alison is thoughtful, kind, professional, quick, smart, and a heck of a photographer. She's totally enthusiastic, easy to get hold of, and not afraid to come forward with her own ideas. That last is important - she knows more about what makes a good picture than you do, and when we got our photo proofs back...wow!Another point - helpful. So helpful. We really don't know much about events and photography, let alone the combination of the two. Alison was incredibly responsive, and her ideas and help in scheduling went a long way to calming our somewhat-frazzled nerves. She even handled our families with aplomb. And she seemed to be having fun! Michigan folk are lucky she's moved out there - they're gaining a wonderfully talented person. We'll miss her in California! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I really can't say enough about Alison Bank. She was, hands down, the best decision I made with regard to my wedding vendors. Here's a list of the great things about Alison, since I'm merely restating what others have written and want to do something snazzy to be different! - Alison is the best at communication. From the first email we shared, I have never waited more than a day for a response. Even when she was on her own honeymoon, she managed to send me a "Ack, I am out of town! But, when I get back I will send you the pricing info! " email. That is so helpful to a bride who is planning at all hours of the night (because, honestly, what bride doesn't plan at 2am?)- Alison is organized and thorough. I got all the information about pricing, albums, expectations and requests up front. Our initial meeting with Alison left us feeling completely comfortable in her hands since she was on top of her game. I never had to worry once we decided to utilize her talents! - Alison makes the pre-wedding and day of wedding run so smoothly. She helped me craft a pristine wedding schedule of events and was an expert at keeping us on track during the actual wedding without being bossy or pushy. She arrived on time and ready to shoot and kept the mood light and worry free! She even reminded me to eat (thanks Alison!) so I wouldn't pass out when walking down the aisle. She brought snacks with her, in case I didn't have any. During the day, she blended into the background and I barely even noticed her stealthily snapping shots during the ceremony and dinner. - Alison got my proofs back to me in a month and boy, are they STUNNING! The final product from our day is exactly what we wanted -- relaxed, candid, bright and thoughtful images of the best day of our lives. She caught every detail, every smile, every bouquet of flowers and edited the group down to 550 of the most beautiful pictures. I've just been skipping through them for the 5th time in a day and I am completely in love. Thrilled doesn't even begin to describe what I am about these pictures! I can't wait to pick out the photos I want for our album and work with Alison to create that heirloom piece. I'm sure her album work is as professional, creative and comprehensive as she has been throughout the wedding process. Bottom Line: Choose Alison Bank - First Comes Love Wedding Photography. You will not be disappointed. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison did a fantastic job photographing our Sept 2010 wedding and was a pleasure to work with before, during, and after the event. I recommend her to everyone, and I'd hire her again in a heartbeat. Before the WeddingMy husband and I both wanted a quirky, non-intrusive photojournalistic approach to our wedding photography with a minimum of formally posed shots. We didn't know much beyond that, though, so after some research on the web, we ended up interviewing about five different photographers. Of them all, there was something about Alison that just felt right.We knew we loved Alison's photographic style from the fantastic work we saw on her website, but it was meeting her in person that really sealed the deal. She has a quiet but fun presence that immediately made us feel comfortable. She knew what questions to ask and how to make sure we got the right information to her without causing too much stress. She was easy to reach and responded quickly to our questions. At the WeddingAlison was a ninja. A small, talented, photographing ninja. She captured all of our guests, put up with our crazy families during the formal portraits, and captured every moment without being intrusive in any way. After the WeddingThe photos Alison produced were simply amazing. For example, somehow she snapped the shutter right as everyone in a formal portrait of 11 people was  laughing. Her informal portraits of our guests are beautifully framed and focused, playfully capturing their personalities. She even got some fantastic shots of our breakdancing friends throwing down on the dance floor. Going through the photos she took is like reliving that wonderful day. Thank you, Alison! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We were referred to Alison by a friend, thank God! I was having a hard time finding someone who was a "wedding photographer"  and wasn't a total cheeseball.  We met with Alison and loved her immediately (our 30 min meeting turned into 2 hours of chatting!)  She got to know us a bit as a couple and we discussed what we were looking for and the details ( at least the ones we had figured out so far) of the wedding.  She was helpful with advice on how to make the day as smooth as possible.  The day of she arrived in her awesome mood and was wonderful! The formal pics were definitely the most stressful part for me but she moved it along like the pro she is.  When we got the pictures, they were stunning.  Hiring Alison was one of the best choices we made. The only regret I have is not hiring her for more hours- if you can do it, DO IT Alison is worth it! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We love Alison! My wife is a photographer/stylist, so picking a photographer for our wedding was by far one of the most important things to her. One my wife's best friends went to photo school with Alison and suggested that we check out her website, and we were instantly convinced that she was the one for us. Her work is amazing. We brought her to Mexico with us for our wedding. Despite her small stature, Alison did an awesome job wrangling our guests for group shots and getting all the shots in before we lost the sun behind the jungle canopy. In fact, her compact size was an added advantage in that it allowed her to almost disappear during the ceremony. Her rates are great. We considered finding a photographer in Mexico, so as to avoid paying travel fees, but none of them were even close to as good as Alison, and their rates were higher than hers including travel and accommodations.Above all it was just great to have Alison around. We paid for a photographer and bought a new tiny little friend! There's a guest bedroom for her any time she's in Chicago! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison is awesome! We'd already met through some work acquaintances, so were familiar with her fun and cheery personality. When it came time to select a photographer for our wedding several months later, we checked out a few others but quickly decided that Alison was the best fit. Her aesthetic was just what we were looking for -- contemporary, candid, and playful, yet timeless. Every meeting and communication was effortless, and she was always receptive to our ideas. On the day of, she was a breeze to work with, and even brought along a second photographer at no extra charge, which was extremely generous! She has an amazing way of blending right in with the guests, so she manages to capture all the moments of the day without being intrusive. Naturally, when we received our photos, we were delighted with what we saw!We love Alison as both a photographer and a person, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend or hire her for future work. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

It was such a pleasure to have Alison photograph at our wedding.   Alison has a great eye and the quality of light in her photographs is absolutely luminous.  Alison really listened to what we wanted and we are so happy with the photographs! Before our wedding day when we met with Alison we expressed to her that it was important for use to experience our wedding and not have the photography detract from that experience.  Alison was able to capture our wedding while being simultaneously unobtrusive with her camera.  On our wedding day amidst the expected amount of chaos Alison was a beacon of calm.  Alison's work provided a great balance of artistic and classic shots, details and picture shots, portraits and Candid's, as well as family and guest photos.  She was a pleasure to work with and I recommend her to anyone looking for a talented photographer! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison was the photographer for my ceremony this winter, and she was fantastic. (I found her through Yelp myself!) We had a really plain wedding (no bridal party, barely any flowers, with a weird chapel setup to boot. .. ), so I was kind of worried that there wouldn't be enough stuff to photograph, or that the pictures would be boring, but her pictures were amazing!  My spouse and I loved them, and so did our families. Photography was the one area we splurged on, and I was really, really happy that we did, because Alison is awesome. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Alison = *amazing*.  Her photography is inspiring, beautiful, alive.  And her presence before and during my wedding was really incredible: calming and put together, completely dependable.  I highly recommend her!

Reviewed on Yelp

I have been into photography all my life and am very picky when it comes to photographers.

I scoured website portfolios and met in person with 8 different photographers before choosing Alison for our wedding in Sept. 09.

She had the best work, the most reasonable prices, and she was by far the COOLEST of all of the photographers I met with. How often do all those things line up?

You end up spending a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day so choose someone who you groove with. Alison is super easy to get along with, she is not at all intrusive, and she takes great photos.

She shot our rehearsal dinner and set up a photo booth for us that was super-fun for us and for our guests. We were having such a good time that she stayed waaaay past the time she had promised in our contract, and was super nice about it.

Now we are left with the hard part-- choosing amongst the great photos that she took to create an album! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Allison's services strike a perfect balance between value and quality. She is very gifted at capturing the energy of your wedding in countless candid, beatifully composed photographs.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Alison was the photographer for our wedding in August 2008. We looked at 20+ photographers before choosing Alison. We really wanted someone who would take beautiful pictures of the details that we had worked so hard to incorporate into our wedding. .. and when we saw her portfolio, we knew that she was the right person. On the day of the wedding, she was absolutely wonderful... capturing as much as she could, but still letting the wedding go as it chose. After the wedding, when we received the pictures, we were delighted with the them.  They turned out better than I could have possibly imagine.... I recommend Alison to anyone looking for a talented and artistic photographer, who is professional and incredibly sweet. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing. We looked extensively for a wedding photographer and upon finding Alison's portfolio on the web, it blew everything else away. We flew her out of state to shoot our wedding and upon getting our proofs back, our lofty high-maintenance expectations were easily exceeded. From traditional portraits to the more artistic shots we fell in love with on her website, she gave us everything we asked for and more. Esthetically, Alisons work is truly a thing of beauty. She is a true professional while still being light hearted. Her friendly presence is non assuming and unintrusive. Many of our friends who saw our pictures hired her for their own weddings both in and out of California. All of them have been so thankful they used her. She is worth every penny and if you decide to  her, you will not be dissapointed. More...

Reviewed on Yelp