A Downtown Fairhope Engagement Session

I love living on the Gulf Coast! However, part of summer living in our area means that you’re going to have to deal with rain. Lots of it too. Our summers are full of afternoon thunderstorms and high chances of rain every day. It makes it tricky scheduling engagement sessions for this time of year, especially when many of my couples are no longer local to our area.

Mary Catherine and Michael were only here for the holiday week. I was worried we wouldn’t get this session in because our original date was rained out. On top of that, the chance of rain was 80 percent for our backup date. I asked Mary Catherine if she wanted to chance it and see what happened. This was the only time they’d be in town ahead of their wedding day next month. As it turned out, it did not rain on this day as was predicted! Even better, the heavy cloud cover cooled things off a bit!

Even though I am not a hot weather person, I love the colorful crepe myrtle blooms that are so plentiful this time of year! I spotted two gorgeous trees right when I arrived in downtown Fairhope and knew I was going to utilize both of them during this session. These trees are often planted as “parking lot” trees because they are so hardy, so yes we were shooting on the edge of a parking lot for some of these photos, but you totally can’t tell from the camera perspective. I am obsessed with the color they brought to these portraits!

Mary Catherine and Michael have just a little over a month to go before their wedding day! I’m super excited because they’re getting married at one of my favorite places, Bellingrath Gardens! As many times as I’ve been to Bellingrath, I didn’t even realize there was a chapel on property until Mary Catherine told me. While I’ve done engagement portraits at Bellingrath before, theirs will be my first wedding to photograph at the gardens. I know it’s going to be beautiful!

After spending time with these two at their engagement session, I felt like I’d known Mary Catherine and Michael for years. They’re just the sweetest couple and so excited for their wedding day. During the session, Mary Catherine told me she never knew taking pictures could be so much fun. That comment just made my day because I strive to make every session both relaxed and fun for my clients! Thank you Mary Catherine and Michael for an amazing session. I can’t wait to see you two again next month!