What started as mother and daughter survived the sleepless nights, the opposition of the teen years, and landed here. Two women who can read each other's minds and move through a wedding day as one.
We know when to guide and when to let things unfold. We understand that every detail you chose carries a story. Every guest, a piece of your heart.
At the end of your day, what remains are your memories, your marriage, and your photographs. Whether you're looking back in ten weeks or thirty years, you'll be brought right back to exactly how it felt.
That's the only thing we're here to do.
the artists
KARI + KARLI
BEHIND THE LENS
She naturally makes people feel like they are the only one in the room. She has repaired makeup when nerves got the best of a bride. Dabbed tears on more faces than either of us can count. Doubled over laughing with someone she met an hour before because she connects that easily and that genuinely.
She knows what a room feels like before it shifts. She knows what people need before they ask.
She doesn't function like a second photographer. She functions like a second lead. And on your wedding day, you'll feel the difference.
Meet Karli
I started this in 2008 with a camera and a calling and never looked back.
The night before every wedding I go quiet. I prefer to read alone. The morning of, it builds. My stomach carries the weight of what I'm about to walk into. I'm always fine once I arrive... but the deep breath doesn't come until cocktail hour.
Not because I'm afraid to fail. Because I never stop feeling the weight and the privilege of what you've trusted me with. Nearly two decades in and it still costs me something. I think that's exactly how it should be.
I've been married thirty years, raised five children, and recently renewed my vows. That's not a biography detail. That's why I can submerge myself into your story and know exactly what matters now... and what will still matter in thirty years.
I'm Kari - IT's NICE TO MEET YOU
- charlie + kayte
decision we made for our wedding day."
“Kari was the BEST
OUR CLIENTS HAVE THE SWEETEST THINGS TO SAY
barefoot when the weather allows, warm drink in the sun, the kind of quiet that prepares you for everything after
slow MORNINGS
I love to turn a corner and gasp.
TRAVEL
the WATER
IT MAKES ME FEEL ALIVE AND EXPANSIVE. THERE IS NO FASTER RESET.
my home is filled with pieces passed down from my grandmother. I've always understood that objects carry memory
HEIRLOOMS
the week begins slowly here
SUNDAY rituals
We arrive with calm presence, sharp intuition, and genuine care. We guide when the moment needs it and step back when it doesn't. The goal is simple: that you spend your wedding day fully inside it, not managing it. The images will reflect exactly that.
our PROCESS
Kari Dawson + Co began with a camera and a calling. What started as one photographer grew into a mother-daughter team. A legacy built not by plan but by love. We've been trusted with celebrations across the Midwest and beyond.
our JOURNEY
Authentic editorial storytelling. Our images balance refinement and heart, capturing the fleeting gestures, unspoken glances, and quiet joys that make your day feel completely your own.
our STYLE
"Love lives in glances. In the way you soften when you spot your person."
- Kari
as seen on
THE KNOT
METRO DETROIT WEDDINGS
METRO DETROIT WEDDINGS
METRO DETROIT WEDDINGS
METRO DETROIT WEDDINGS
THE KNOT
JUNEBUG WEDDINGS
peter and marjorie PLANTERRA
METRO DETROIT WEDDINGS
CARATS + CAKE
the Press
present
artful
yours
We don't just photograph your wedding. We tune into it. Every gesture, every glance, every moment you didn't know to ask for; captured with care and returned to you whole.
We create imagery that honors both the emotional weight and the intentional details of your day. Refined, heartfelt, and entirely yours.
As personal as your story. As lasting as your love.
For the couple who values meaning as much as beauty. this is for you.
letters from kari
Stories, wisdom, and a little bit of life. Twice a month, directly to you.