A Grand Hotel Engagement

I arrived at The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama a bit early on Friday afternoon. I was trying to beat the traffic and I knew I needed a bit of time to location scout since the hotel is currently undergoing a major renovation. The first thing I noticed upon entering the gates were the Mardi Gras decorations. Carnival season is definitely upon us and it couldn’t have come a more perfect time considering the couple that was meeting me for their engagement session.

Jillian is a Mobile native and Collin is a Louisiana gentleman. They met on a blind date while they were students at LSU (don’t you love a college sweethearts love story?!) and have been together ever since. When Jillian and I first spoke on the phone last summer, I remembered her telling me that Collin proposed over Mardi Gras last year, making the current seasonal decor at The Grand a perfect nod to their love story!

I remember thinking the day that Jillian and I talked on the phone that she seemed like one of the sweetest people you could ever meet. After meeting her in person, I can definitely say that is true. As she and Collin walked towards me, they were both all smiles, despite saying they were a tad bit nervous about their session. Fortunately, we had the grounds pretty much all to ourselves, which is rare for The Grand Hotel. Except for the ducks that kept trying to photo bomb the portraits, we didn’t really see too many other people. I’m pretty sure things will be very different in May when we’re there for Jillian and Collin’s wedding, but I enjoyed getting to experience the solitude of shooting on the grounds on this January day!

Jillian and Collin, thank you for an amazing engagement session! I know your wedding day is going to be so much fun and I’m so happy to now call you friends. May will be here before we know it!!! In the meantime, Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Sometimes you take a photo and immediately know it’s going into your forever favorites folder. The shot below is definitely one of those photos for me! The background of the bay just looks like a watercolor painting. Thank you Jillian and Collin for being ROCK STARS and climbing out on those rocks!!!

The pastel tones are my favorite, but I am still a sucker for a silhouette! I also love that the pelican flew by just as I took this shot! It’s moments like this that remind me how lucky we are to live on the Alabama Gulf Coast. The peacefulness of the bay is something that you just can’t describe with words.

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