An Engagement Session in Oakleigh

I first met Alex and James when Alex was a bridesmaid in one of my 2018 weddings. In that same year, I ran into them at another wedding. They started to seem like old friends even though we barely knew each other. When I received an email from Alex saying she and James were planning to get married in April 2022 and wanted to see if I was available on their date, I was so excited! I already knew they would be so much fun to photograph!

I am always telling my couples how much I love locations that have meaning beyond being a pretty location. The Oakleigh Historic District is special to both Alex and James. James grew up in the neighborhood and when he suggested walking down to the historic Oakleigh house for part of their session, I was game.

Oakleigh House is where we started out our session and, as much as I love all the photos we took there, my favorite photos from the session came from the set we took at the gigantic oak tree that sits in the backyard of James’ mom’s home. This tree was so majestic! It both took my breath away and stole my imagination at the same time. Standing there looking at the big tree, I somehow felt like a child who just wanted to climb on the massive roots. This is exactly what I asked Alex and James to do and they obliged!

A Big Small Town

As we walked the streets around Oakleigh, I discovered that James is related to so many people that I know. This is one of the many reasons I love my hometown. You don’t have to look far to find 20 different connections all stemming from one person. Discovering these connections always makes me smile and I find it fascinating how in a decently sized city can so often feel like a big small town.

Golden Hour in this historic neighborhood is always dreamy, but as James shared stories about growing up in the neighborhood, I felt like I was seeing it with new eyes. Finally, we ended our shoot at Callaghan’s – where Alex and James had their first date several years ago. It was the perfect ending to a perfect shoot!