I am so excited to share Melissa and Willoughby’s engagement sessions at the Smithsonian National Zoo on the blog! Melissa and Willoughby met while working at the American University TV station over 10 years ago. After a few years of dating, they got engaged while on a beach trip with friends. Now they’re getting the chance to plan their dream wedding this fall.

When Melissa and Willoughby originally said they wanted to do their engagement session at the zoo, I was both excited and nervous! I’d never done an engagement session at the National Zoo before, and I was a little nervous because I knew I didn’t want to just pose them in front of the animal enclosures. I wanted it to feel like a creative location, without it looking exactly like a zoo. This was a fun and different idea for a location, and one that I would love to do again!

I was thrilled to arrive and see so much fall foliage! The fall colors were beautiful this time of year. You could do an entire session here without showing that it’s a zoo – but of course, incorporating the animals and infrastructure that make the location unique is a must. I loved getting to do things like pose them in front of the underwater window at the sea lion enclosure, and along the bridge that crosses the elephant enclosure. There were so many beautiful and unique places to take photos.

Melissa and Willoughby’s wedding day is coming up at the end of this month and I am so excited to see them again soon. These two are so sweet, and their love for one another is so obvious. Enjoy some favorites from their Fall engagement session at the Smithsonian National Zoo below.