You know what’s awesome? Celebrating love that just keeps getting better! I was thrilled to photograph Dana and Zach’s (early) first anniversary portrait session among the gorgeous cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

I had so much fun working with Dana and Zach again after shooting their wedding at the Roanoke Hotel last June. I absolutely love when I’m able to photograph couples more than once because we’re able to immediately jump back into the groove with what prompts worked for them and how they react to my shooting style (it’s the same reason I highly recommend an engagement session for every couple before their wedding day)!

Fun fact – Dana and I were college roomies almost a decade ago! We’d gone to the cherry blossom festival in DC back then to take some cool portraits, so being able to capture her love story with Zach now was just the best trip down memory lane. It’s also very satisfying to see the major growth I’ve had as a photographer, going from a hobbyist portrait photographer in college to a professional wedding photographer, with the same person and the same location almost ten years apart!

We decided to meet up right at sunrise on a calm Thursday morning, and the overcast skies gave the whole place this super cozy, romantic vibe. Plus, it was early enough that we didn’t have to deal with tons of tourists! Dana wore a beautiful teal dress, while Zach wore a tie that matched her outfit like a dream. Their laid-back dreamy looks were perfect against the gentle colors of the cherry blossoms – seriously, it was like a scene from a movie. The only thing missing from this gorgeous day was Dana and Zach’s super cute dog, Piper!

It started sprinkling rain on us briefly in the middle of the session, so we popped into the Jefferson Memorial and I am so glad we did. We were able to capture some iconic-feeling portraits among the columns and marble steps; I haven’t been able to photograph any couples at the Jefferson Memorial or Lincoln Memorial in a while, and this was exactly the type of look I’ve been wanting to capture there for so long! We came for the cherry blossoms but got a stunning set of monument portraits to complete that classic DC portrait session feel. I already can’t wait for cherry blossoms to return!