L + B | Engagement Session at U.S. National Arboretum

Liana and Bradley were the sweetest couple to photograph after their engagement! I have known Liana to be a fierce advocate for social justice, particularly around immigration and education.

Liana is in fact, the founder of United for Social Justice, an organization supporting first generation high school students to access higher education through various avenues, one of those being awarding scholarships to high school seniors each year. Funding for the scholarships comes, in large part, from the organization's annual Soccer Tournament (check it out here!). I encourage you to check out the amazing work they're doing, and consider supporting in whichever way you can, by either signing up to play, making a donation, or sharing the event!

When Liana and Bradley got engaged, one of their friends gifted them a photo session with me, and of course I was thrilled to jump in.

If you've worked with me in the past, you know I am all about the details! When coordinating a session location, I tell my couples to think of places that are meaningful to them, whether it's a first kiss location, a very memorable date, or the spot where they popped the question. Liana and Bradley indicated their home, with their pup Elvis as their preferred location, and we later traveled to the U.S. National Arboretum, which would later be a reflection of their wedding vibes surrounded by nature in full bloom.

Just look at this cute little pup! And that rock 💍!

With welcoming Elvis to the family, neighborhood walks became a very important part of their day, not only were they a highlight for Elvis, but a wonderful excuse for Liana and Bradley to take a break in between their WFH (work from home) days over the past couple of years.

They led me to a little trail where we took a few serene photos of them - take a look!

I was so grateful for this couple's generosity and flexibility during our session time! After sharing a quick cafecito ☕ with them, and dropping Elvis off at doggie daycare (he got too excited for his walk, and just wanted to play play play!), we headed to the National Arboretum for more formal photos.

If you're thinking about your own photo session, I always suggest talking with your photographer around wardrobe planning. I encourage everyone to try to have at least one outfit change throughout the session, to ensure you will have options to choose from once you receive your final photo gallery. Specially for engagement sessions, couples tend to utilize their photos for Save the Dates, wedding websites, printed photos for their engagement parties and rehearsal dinners. Diversifying your outfits, even slightly can go a long way towards varying up your final gallery!

Liana and Bradley are looking forward to celebrating their union in a few short weeks!

Congratulations again y'all!

Did these photos get you excited about having an engagement session of your own? Do you have a proposal planned? Or perhaps you want to document your upcoming anniversary with your sweetheart? Let me know so we can capture you and your loved one!

Hugs,

Gabriela