Leah & Matt got in touch with us because they wanted to take some new photos together that were different than their wedding photos since they previously never had engagement photos taken. We strive to take portraits of couples that are real and authentic to their personalities. Which is one of the reason Leah loved our style and reached out to us.

These two got married a few years ago, but it’s apparent their love for each other has only grown stronger as you can see they are so sweet and natural together!

Photographing couples sessions like this is one of our favorite things because it really helps to bring together our focus on couple’s – who so often can get stuck in the thought that they should only do the “mandatory” engagement and wedding photos, when in reality, having professional photos taken every once in a while can be a great date evening (they tied it up by going out to dinner in the area!). With such a beautiful location like Longwood Gardens, creating natural looking pictures together is a cinch.

Talking about the location choice for a second – what makes Longwood Gardens so timeless is how it evolves throughout the course of the year during every season.

We shoot at Longwood at least a couple of times a year now – and it’s a place we love returning to. It’s beautiful on it’s own, and there are so many great spots for taking pictures. At this time of year (late November), they deck the place out with Christmas decor, which makes it great if you are looking to make holiday cards, too.

Now, normally, we try to stay away from really cheesy “Christmas photos”, instead we try to keep things more natural and incorporate the holiday elements in more subtle ways. You’ll see throughout this post holiday elements like the lights and trees, but it never feels like we’ve gone out of our way to stage things. It’s just how Longwood looks at this time of year, and it’s a gorgeous thing!

The absolutely incredible part about this session is how we were able to keep it so laid back and casual (despite the HUGE number of people visiting to see the Christmas installations – especially in the greenhouse!).

While we were walking around the park, we got caught up in conversation talking about everything under the sun with them which is one of our favorite things to be able to do during a session – just talk with our couples and truly get to know them more. We love when personalities click so effortlessly! Which makes an impact throughout the entire session when you can work with photographers who know how important trust is to keep things comfortable and natural while also getting amazing photos in the process.

Before we leave you to check out these photos, we just have to share this little tidbit we like about Longwood…

Fun fact: in 2014, Longwood Gardens bathroom corridor was named the “best bathroom in America” (source). For some strange reason we like mentioning this to people because it’s kind of hilarious, and definitely true when you see them in person!

Recently engaged? Or already married and want to take some “Day After” photos of your own?

As you can see – we love taking photos at Longwood Gardens, and would love to hear from you to see how we can set something up with you!