Session

Jake + Karen | An Engagement Session at Sunken Gardens

Mar 20 2023

A couple of months ago I was putting together my wording of what I might say on a post for the Rochester Area Wedding Swap Facebook Group and advertising for fun Engagement sessions in the snow. I put together the post and sent it on it’s way. A little while went by and I received a notification that Karen mentioned they needed an Engagement session and she wanted to have theirs in the winter also! Yay! We booked their date for this past week and luckily there was still snow on the ground, even following a couple of warmer days!

As we pondered over what time we should meet due to the sun’s activity, we decided to meet at noon, a time that I normally do not shoot at due to over powering sun rays and shadows underneath eyes, etc. But this day was perfect for a 12 o’clock session and Jake and Karen brought their A game.

Within minutes I could tell they were going to be easy to work with and they were nailing their poses effortlessly! We moved onto more advanced poses and some from Karen’s Pinterest inspiration board within no time and I am in LOVE with how they turned out!! Here are just some of my favorites from their session!

Tyler + Maryna | Engagement Session

Jun 02 2022

Maryna and Tyler contacted me back in March of 2019 to book their Wedding date and before we knew it – Covid was taking over the world. They contacted me and asked to move their date to September of 2022, I was so glad I wasn’t booked! We moved their date and just scheduled their Engagement session a couple months ago. Our first session date got completely rained out so we shifted to this past Tuesday and we met at the beautiful Webster Park in Webster, NY. Let me tell you – it was meant to be! The lighting was perfect, the air was not too hot, not too cold, slight breeze, it was gorgeous!

We started at a section of the park where I spotted some sun coming through the trees while scoping the parks out and knowing it would grow dark in this location first, I knew we had to start there.

We made our way from this part of the park and went down to another little section that would soon be dark and used the bridge! They were such naturals!! They picked up on my posing within minutes and magic was happening!

After the bridge we made our way to the water front part of the park, giving the sun just enough time to start departing for the evening and gave us an awesome show!

We ended our evening and I knew I had to come home to edit these right away! I couldn’t wait! Here are just a few of my favorites from the session! They brought the HEAT and I can’t wait to celebrate their wedding in September!

Joel + Katie

Apr 07 2022

Katie’s Mom contacted me a few months ago asking if I was available for a date in June for her daughter’s wedding and was elated to say that we were! I chatted with her about their day and when I looked up their venue (to be announced at a later date), I was over the moon in love! Joel, Katie and I discussed some of their details and I knew it would be a dream wedding!!

Over the next few weeks, Joel and I texted a few questions and answers back and forth and we finally landed on a date for an Engagement session! Yay!! We met at Black Creek Park in North Chili and the weather was nice 61 degrees, little breeze and some nice clouds but I could tell Katie was a little chilly so I knew tonight was about cuddles to keep warm!

Within 3 minutes I could tell we were going to have a great session! Their smiles were contagious and immediately I could see why they were getting married, they beamed for each other. They told me they hadn’t had a lot of practice before and I told them I didn’t believe them lol, they were NATURALS! No fake smiles here guys!!

We had so much fun walking around the park and showing them our posing techniques for their wedding day and by the end, I knew we would be golden on their wedding day. I can’t wait to celebrate with them in June but for now, here are a few of our favorites!!

Matt + Sarah

Feb 11 2022

Matt and Sarah contacted me last year to discuss their wedding plans for May of 2022 and all the beautiful details to come. I couldn’t wait to start planning their Engagement session this winter however the snow didn’t seem to come at the times we needed it to or with little warning for planning so instead I suggested one of my favorite locations, Lamberton Conservatory at Highland Park. I love the gardens inside and the private session time gives us the freedom to walk through without anyone in our shot. I must admit though, the cactus room is my favorite, it has the most beautiful glowy light coming in!!

We made our way from garden to garden and while I was showing them some of the most common posing we will be using for their wedding day, little by little their confidence started to come out and their natural smiles started to shine! It’s very normal to feel a little shy when first starting your engagement session but it is my job to show you how to relax and enjoy your time with your fiancé. They did just that! I am so excited I had the chance to work with them for the first time in a non stressful environment, they will be ready for their wedding day when we are in much more of a time crunch!

Here’s a few of my favorites from their session!

Dan + Amanda

Aug 23 2021

Amanda and Dan both connected with me back in 2019 regarding their wedding planned for October of 2020. As the story goes for 2020, Covid brought everything to a screeching halt and Dan and Amanda chose to postpone the wedding until it was a bit safer for everyone. They planned their new wedding date for October 2021 at a beautiful location (that you will see coming in a future blog post!).

As I always tell every couple, their Engagement session is more than just pretty pictures to have in your memory box of a short lived milestone but a great way for you to learn how your photographer will work with you on your wedding day. We met at Al Lorenz Park in Mt Morris and after just a few short minutes, Dan and Amanda were like naturals and gaining confidence throughout their session. It wasn’t long before I had them doing some advanced posing techniques and the sun was falling right into line behind them! Their Engagement photos are forever documented and they will also be a lot more confident on their wedding day with their posing! I am so excited to share this next chapter with you when they finally say “I do!”

Here are just a few of my favorite images of their Engagement session!

Nate + Chelsea

Apr 22 2021

Nate and Chelsea had planned a wedding of their dreams and as the story recently goes…. Covid hit. The state shut everything down at 8pm that evening and within hours to go before the shut down, they decided to head to the court house and knew the only thing that mattered going into a global pandemic was that they were married. They contacted me afterwards and we planned to meet at another time and date so we could capture their formal bridal portraits.

After so many unknowns last year, we agreed to wait until the cherry blossoms bloomed at Highland Park and after a full year, we were finally meeting! We met at the Lamberton Conservatory and surprisingly had the entire area to ourselves and they looked AMAZING!

We started with some formal portraits but the real fun came when they showed me their leather jackets and told me it was more their personality and I was in LOVE!

We spent the evening under the cherry blossoms and it didn’t take long for these two creating beautiful images for their long awaited bridal portraits. We had a cloudy day which allowed for us to start shooting earlier I LOVE how it gave us a little more time! It was a PLEASURE getting to know these two a little more during our session and my only hope is that these images were worth the wait! Happy Anniversary Mr & Mrs Jay!

Sean & Helen

Jan 08 2020

Sean and Helen called me about a month ago to discuss their wedding day plans for next September. They shared their dreams and hopes of their big day and Helen goes “Oh! And I would LOVE snowy engagement photos!!!” Shriek! I LOVE winter engagement sessions!

After Mother Nature had other plans for our first date, we decided that everything happens for a reason and rescheduled to the following weekend. What a great decision! We arrived to find a soft blanket of snow across the beautiful Livingston County Park in Mt Morris which offers a beautiful gazebo, snow covered bridges and some beautiful walking paths.

We walked the length of the park with their pup, Ellie and laughed our way through their session. It was chilly but so worth it! We had a lot of fun creating these memories and I’d love to share some of my favorites with you!