“When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.”
-William Shakespeare
A Jersey shore engagement session. Just before everything shut down due to the corona virus I got to meet up with one of my wedding couples for their engagement session. We had hoped to have a nice spring day when we scheduled their session back in February. We ended up with a perfect day for a Jersey shore engagement session on Long Beach Island, New Jersey! It started out being cloudy, kinda cool and it was even sprinkling. Then all of a sudden the sun came out and the temperature went into the 70’s. It was also Jess’s birthday so I was hoping it would be extra special for her!
Meet Jess and Sean…
These two met while working together. The both worked in valet at the Brick Hospital. After being love birds for three years Sean decided he wanted to ask Jess to be his wife. He planned a special evening that started at the historic village, Smithville. They had dinner at the Smithville Inn, then took a romantic walk to one of the gazebos by the lake. When Sean got down on one knee Jess was completely surprised and of course said yes!!
They love spending time together. Jess and Sean enjoy having bonfires with friends, watching movies, baseball games and working on cars. They love to laugh and enjoy each others sense of humor! I personally witnessed this while photographing their session. They truly are so very cute together.
About their upcoming wedding day
Their wedding day is in September 2020. The ceremony will be in Spring Lake, New Jersey and their reception at The Parker House in Sea Grit, NJ. They are hoping for a peaceful, happy and smooth wedding day! We are hoping to get family photos by a special location near the church and then some portraits on the beach near the Parker House. They both can not wait to marry their best friend and dance the night away celebrating with friends and family.
It was an ideal engagement session
While you are at the Jersey shore a trip to Long Beach Island is a must. It is a long island of gorgeous beaches, summer homes and good restaurants. At the north end of the island is the Barnegat Lighthouse. This lighthouse was built is 1859. It stands 163 feet tall and has 217 steps to the top! The views are gorgeous from the top. There is a beach, a nice walkway, and a trail thru the maritime woods. It is a great place for a Jersey shore engagement session on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
We started out on the protected beach with the lighthouse in the background. This is one of my favorite views in the park. We started out going through some general posing and they were like naturals. I loved seeing them smile at each other while they snuggled!
The Ring….
I love capturing the engagement ring. Usually while the couples are changing I find a spot to take a few photos of the ring. So much thought goes into that ring and each ring was picked for a special person. The ring represents the love that they share and the promise to share a forever together. I enjoy seeing all the different rings and they all seem to fit the bride perfectly. When I photograph the rings I showcase them with something that reflects where we are for their session or a prop that has a special meaning to the couple.
I encourage my couples to bring a change of clothes to their sessions. It adds some diversity to the session. Choosing a dressy outfit and a more casual one is perfect combination. I love the maxi dress that Jess wore as her first outfit. It was a great choice for the beach. The color of Sean’s shirt coordinated with her dress. That is a good tip for choosing your outfits. Always try to coordinate colors rather than matching.
For the second half of the session they both took a more casual approach and it was just perfect for the wooded part of the park.
We walked closer to the lighthouse and found a couple of wooded paths. And of course we had to pose by the lighthouse itself. It unfortunately was closed when we were there but the outside door to the lighthouse worked just fine as a backdrop. The lighthouse is a beautiful addition to any engagement session photo at the Jersey shore.
A perfect end to our jersey shore engagement session
Before we left the park Jess and Sean had one more request! They had to get a picture with Sean’s blue mustang! Getting the photos that help to tell the couples story is what I love to do. Sean loved taking these photos. He even had to turn the wheels of the car so that it looked perfect!!
Thank you Jess and Sean for letting me capture this part of your story!! Getting to know more about the two of you and working together before your big day is what I love about doing engagement sessions! I am looking forward to your wedding day in September!
such gorgeous photographs! love your photography and blog style!
Maria these photos came out beautifully! I absolutely love them twirling on the beach with the lighthouse in the back!!!!!
Maria once again you out did yourself. Another perfect setting for another cute couple.The pictures are gorgeous. I love everything about them. Her dress was perfect for the beach. The way they are sitting together on the steps is so adorable. Looks like they got the posing down as well and are ready for their wedding in September .