We returned to Green Spring Gardens Park in Alexandria, Virginia for Christy and Kyle’s engagement session and it was a romantic summer dream!

Christy and Kyle met when they were both students at George Mason University. While Christy ended up transferring (to Marymount University, where I met her through our Catholic Campus Minstry!), their relationship continued strong. To celebrate their 7th dating anniversary earlier this year, they went out for dinner then took a night walk around the monuments of the National Mall in DC, and Kyle popped the question at the DC War Memorial. I was honored to photograph the moment for them!

Soon after the proposal, Christy and Kyle asked me to be their wedding photographer, and I couldn’t have been more excited to say yes. They’ll be getting married next summer at the Catholic campus ministry chapel at George Mason University, which is where I got married, with Christy singing at my ceremony! Their reception will be at the Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia which is a garden venue that should be gorgeous in the early summer for their celebration. I was able to photograph a winter wedding at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens which was so much fun for featuring night portraits at their annual Winter Walk of Lights, but we weren’t able to take advantage of the gardens themselves in the middle of winter so I’m thrilled to have the chance to see the property in all its lush glory!

They wanted to keep to the lush garden vibe for their engagement photos as well, so Green Spring Gardens was the perfect place for it. I regularly photograph engagement session, maternity sessions, and more at Green Spring Gardens because it’s just so beautiful year round; I’ve even highlighted it as a favorite portrait location on my site! It was particularly beautiful for our mid-summer session, with the gardens really full of greenery and perfect evening light.

Kyle looked sharp in his well-fitting blue suit, and Christy was beautiful in her two gorgeous outfits! I loved the playful pink skirt for the more vibrant garden section of the park, followed by the more neutral-toned floral dress for the serene setting of the pond. And her footwear featuring pearls and ribbons was so unique and pretty! Their look was so polished and still so unique to their personalities, which is the perfect way to dress for an engagement session.

Speaking of what Christy is wearing – can we get a round of applause for her stunning ring? It’s from Etsy, which is where more and more of our clients are opting to purchase their jewelry to support small businesses and sustainably-sourced stones. It’s also becoming more common to feature a colored stone for an engagement ring (my own ring has a pair of emeralds) and Christy’s ring has a mesmerizing blue-green tone to it. I’m excited to see what they choose for their wedding rings!