Long Beach Island Enagagement Session at Barnegat Lighthouse state park

Long Beach Island Engagement sessions are always just beautiful.  So many great locations on the island to chose from when planning your engagement session. Tanae and Ian met me at the Barnegat Lighthouse state park for their session and once again the location was just perfect!

Tanae and Ian had originally planned on getting married on June 26, 2020 but due to the pandemic had to switch their date to September. Like so many couples that had planned a 2020 wedding they are disappointed that they have had to move dates and plans but are still excited to get married on their new date!

Met at work

Tanae and Ian met at work 9 years ago. The two of them became really good friends before they started dating.  They spent a lot of time getting to know one another, which always makes for a good relationship.  One of the things that drew them closer together was that they could laugh together!  I personally witnessed this during their session.  They would in the middle of a pose and start laughing with each other. Of course I captured those cute moments between them.

Their puppy helped Ian propose

It was on Tanae’s birthday in 2018 that Ian proposed. They went out to dinner with Ian’s parents to celebrate. When they left the restaurant they walked by the jewelry store that Tanae and Ian had visited to look at rings months before. Tanae remembers commenting about the store when they walked by not knowing what was to come later that evening.  They went home to have cake and Ian had a full table of presents for Tanae. Still Tanae had no idea that this birthday would be extra special.

After they had cake and opened presents Ian went in the other room with their new puppy, Maui. Ian then told Tanae to call for Maui. Tanae thought Maui was going to have on a silly hat to help celebrate her birthday but when she called her name she didn’t see a hat. Maui came right to her and that is when Tanae noticed a red ribbon around her neck! It was her engagement ring. Ian asked Tanae to be his one and only and of course Tanae said yes.

They love going to the beach, vacationing, relaxing, spending time with family, and new adventures. Ian loves that Tanae is caring, thoughtful and silly. Tanae loves that Ian makes her feel like a queen and makes her laugh. The two of them want their wedding to be laid back and fun. With a ceremony on the beach and a reception at  Tucker’s Tavern in LBI I am sure that their day will be just that. They are looking forward to starting a new chapter in life and being able to celebrate with the people they love most!

Long beach island Engagement session

When we first starting talking about planning their engagement session they knew that somewhere on a beach is where they wanted to be. The first place Ian met Tanae’s family was at the beach and they always spend their days off in the summer at the beach. They have made lots of memories together there and with Tanae’s family.  So, the beach it was going to be we just needed to decide where on the beach.  I suggested the Barnegat Lighthouse State park. I have been there for several sessions and love all that it offers. They agreed and we picked a date to meet.  The day we chose was originally supposed to be warm but just like everything else that has happened this year, we didn’t have warm weather.  Tanae and Ian were a tad chilly but didn’t complain at all.  They were having too much fun.

We started on the beach with the lighthouse in the background.  The breeze blew Tanae’s dress, which is perfect for the photos.  We practiced all the core posing and these two rocked it!  I just love the beach, greenery and lighthouse in the background of those photos! The outfits they choose just popped and was a perfect choice.

Engagement ring photos

While the my couple’s change their outfits during the session I use that time to do some photos of the bride’s engagement ring.  I just love putting together a little vignette to showcase the ring and the session location. At this Long Island Beach engagement session I chose to use the wooden fence that lined the walkway to the beach for the backdrop. I had Tanae and Ian standing in a field that had purple flowers for some of their images so I gathered a couple of those flowers, some shells, sand and some of the green leaves to put with the ring.  Tanae’s ring is just beautiful.  The groom or the couple spend so much time looking for the perfect ring and I love capturing some special images of just that ring.

With a new outfit for both of them we did some photos on the walkway to the lighthouse.  I just love how these two cuddle together. A favorite spot to use for images is the lighthouse door.  Right now it is easy to use as the lighthouse has been closed so I take advantage of using that location.  One of my favorite new spots is the path I discovered that wraps around the park.  Having them sit on the steps and cuddling together makes for some great photos.  Tanae and Ian posed together perfectly and I loved capturing those moments between them when they started laughing with each other.

Despite the weather not being a little warmer we had a great session.  I value this time I get to spend with my wedding couples. They are all so different but all have one thing in common, love!  I love capturing that emotion.

Thank you!

Thanks Tanae and Ian for choosing Memories by Maria Photography to capture this special time in your lives!  Next step is getting together to put together your wedding timeline.