Emily reached out to me about the possibility of doing engagement photos while her and Daniel were still in Athens. They are quickly preparing for their February wedding which will be at, get this, Disney!! I was like “PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU!!”, but sadly Disney is very strict and picky… Alas, I was still super excited as I talked more with Emily and got to know her and their vision for engagement photos.
We landed on doing the session at the State Botanical Gardens in Athens, because of its lush colorful landscape and variety. Given that their wedding is to be held in Disney, it did not come as a surprise that Emily was looking for a romantic and whimsical location for their engagement session!
When Emily and Daniel were walking towards us at the entrance of the gardens I immediately knew it was them. They were incredibly well dressed, and had clearly read my style guide I sent over! It’s always encouraging to know my hard work on behind-the-scenes-things pays off.
Their Story
So before we jump into how the session went, here’s a little bit about these two lovebirds.
Emily and Daniel are actually high school sweet hearts! They met in school through mutual friends, and have been inseparable ever since. Emily told me, “Our love has definitely evolved as we have grown up together.” Which definitely shows in how comfortable they are together. They’ve weathered undergrad and grad school together, and when the time was right Daniel knew what to do.
He went to Emily’s parents about a year before proposing to ask their permission to marry Emily. Not only were they excited to give their blessing, but they also wanted to add something special of their own to the engagement.
The Ring
They pulled out this green stone, a Tsavorite (in the garnet family), which had been given to them on their wedding day. Their aunt and uncle found it during their time in Tanzania during their honeymoon and then passed it on to Emily’s parents as a wedding gift. The stone is believed to represent compassion, trust, and thought to help in new beginnings.
They shared the story of the stone when Daniel shared that he wanted to marry Emily. Knowing how much the stone meant to her family he knew it would make the perfect ring. He decided to include Emily in the ring designing, given that it was such an important heirloom. Of course, this meant that Emily wouldn’t be surprised by the proposal, but the ring will be an heirloom for generations that Emily loves. Plus, she already knew what her answer would be when he finally got on one knee!
The ring was done and the day came while they were visiting the most magical place on earth. Daniel knelt down in front of everyone at Magic Kingdom in Disney and slipped that perfect ring onto Emily’s finger. Definitely a day full of fairytale endings!
The Session
The gardens were quite busy and crowded as we began our walk to our starting spot. Their calm and carefree demeanor pushed all my anxieties away as we chatted and talked through some of the core poses. My eyes were immediately drawn to Emily’s gorgeous green engagement ring! And of course, I had to know more about why Daniel chose the center stone. I absolutely adore unique ring, especially when they come with sentimental unique stories!
Emily and Daniel breezed through every second of our time together, and I honestly couldn’t believe how quickly the hour flew by! The entire session was filled with the most perfect weather, and that coveted golden sunlight. It was definitely the envisioned romantic and whimsical evening.
We all had a blast and were sad to say goodbye. It was time well spent, and concluded with new found friendships!
I can’t wait for you all to enjoy these images from Emily and Daniel’s session! Enjoy!
Xoxo – Sarah B.
Emily and Daniel,
Thank you so much for trusting me with your engagement photos! It was such fun getting to know you both and sharing in the laughter during your session. I wish you both the absolute best on your new life together!
Xoxo – Sarah
