We had our official engagement photos taken almost one year from our wedding date–we were a day off. It was fantastic because we got to experience the weather and really pay attention to what it was like outside in terms of foliage.

It definitely made me happy about our decision to have a late-September wedding–it was beautiful out and a very comfortable jeans and sweater temperature.

We want to have our ceremony outside so the time of year was a major consideration in choosing a date. I always wanted to have my wedding in the heart of fall with all of the leaves changing, but after a lot of research I realized there was a much greater chance of rain–even snow!– and that some years the tress change and drop their leaves so quickly you end up with a barren environment, which I didn’t want to risk.

Late September is a bit milder in terms of temperature so I think we have a better chance of a comfortable outdoor ceremony and the benefit of some leaves beginning to change without having everything down on the ground.

I was really happy with the way our session went–I didn’t know what to expect after our playful backyard practice session with my parents, but the husband-wife couple handling our photography for the wedding and engagement session gave a lot of direction and were on the look-out for places for us to pose. It felt like we were just along for the ride and told to talk to one another and make each other laugh–their job was to capture it all.

We went to downtown Cuyahoga Falls, which is not only beautiful with funky buildings and beautiful paths along the water and waterfalls, but where I lived for four of our nearly eight years of dating. We spent a lot of time in the Falls, and still do spend time there attending Rockin on the River concerts and festivals, going out to eat, visiting Metropolis Popcorn and enjoying the scenery. There are so many beautiful outdoor settings in Northeast Ohio through the fall, but this one was more personal to us.

I will say I had envisioned doing our photos along the water, capturing the waterfalls in the background, the wooded trails, the odd architecture, etc., but I’m not a photographer and did not take into consideration the lighting or how photos buried in the trees might actually turn out.

I was thankful for their direction and thrilled with the outcome.

We did one costume change in the middle of our several hour session, and ended up posing standing, sitting, leaning, walking–everything in between. It made for a really nice variety of shots, some from far away, some from close-by, and the team shoot also meant you had the same pose from a couple different angles, which was interesting and in some cases made it hard to choose which we liked better.

We wanted to buy the digital proofs so my friend could use them in all of the wedding collateral she’s designing, and we also wanted to be able to print them at any time and for anyone and have them the rest of our lives. We tried to keep it to a top 10 and we also asked the family and friends for their top pics. I was very pleasantly surprised that we were all on a very similar page. Ultimately we got it to a top 12, and I’m really happy with the result.

Enjoy!