Helen and Sean- Sayen House and Gardens Engagement Session

May 23, 2024

Engagements, Portraits

Although I am categorizing this session as an “engagement” session, Helen and Sean are legally married and are planning their wedding celebration for 2025!

Helen and I crossed paths in pharmacy school, and she is so sweet, kind, and intelligent! Throughout the semester, we practically see each other every day. I was thrilled when Helen initially approached me about doing an engagement session back in February, and it was so clear that she and Sean put so much thought into their photos! Helen and Sean sent me a stunning Pinterest board, wrote the most detailed responses to their questionnaire, and they really are the dream clients to work with 🥹

When I started learning photography in 2020, my focus was in wedding and engagement photography. While I’ve previously taken advantage of opportunities to capture prom photos or couples celebrating graduations, this was my first ever full couples session and it did not disappoint!

We had to reschedule the session twice due to rain, but the third time was a charm! On the day of the session, I rushed from hospital rotations to Hamilton and got to Sayen House and Gardens just in time to take a walk around the location and spray LOTS of bug spray (and luckily I didn’t get bitten 11 times again).

Although Sayen House and Gardens was crowded with wedding parties, high school grads, other engagement/anniversary sessions, and at least two quinceañera sessions, Helen and Sean were such pros and moved so fast! By the time we got to the middle of the session, I would only have to say a few words and Helen and Sean just seemed to read my mind and needed very minimal instructions!

We took photos in 10 different spots with two stunning outfits! They also brought some of the most fun props- Helen crafted the most adorable bouquet of flowers, and they also brought a mini picnic to the session!

To Helen and Sean- thank you so much for trusting me with your engagement session photos! You both were such a joy to work with and enjoy this beautiful season of life as newlyweds 🎉

We started the session with walking photos, and Sean said he felt like he was acting in a movie 😆

Adorable!

There was a line for the Gazebo at Temple Gardens, so we found a little area nearby to shoot! Enjoy these photos of us productively stalling for time 😄

The photos by the gazebo were well worth the wait! We got to the gazebo just as the sun was about to tuck behind some trees, and we got lots of photos with dreamy lighting! There are so many favorites in the section 😍

Sean was so persistent on getting an epic lifting shot and never gave up! It took a few tries (and we laughed a lot!) and I think we all could agree it was so worth it! Great job Sean!

Another favorite!

I did not intend for this shot to be blurry- but I love how it turned out!

We got some individual shots as the other changed into their second outfit!

Stunning!

Helen, you are the cutest!!!

This picnic was one of my favorite parts of the session! It was so unique and fun

So fun!

The sweetest!

We ended the session on this bridge! Since there were so many people at Sayen House and Gardens, I was constantly running around between locations throughout the session to claim each spot. At the end of the session, Sean was the one that ran to the bridge which was the sweetest 🤩