Summer Engagement Session at Centennial Park

Megan & Blake’s Summer engagement session at Centennial Park

A summer engagement session. Megan & Blake are high school sweethearts and are tying the knot this September at The ElkRidge Furnace Inn a Restored 18th-century manor home offering a posh, Colonial backdrop.

Megan reached out to me last year after her brother and his fiancé booked for their wedding. I met with her and her mom at a local Starbucks and I knew right away that I loved them and wanted to work with their family for all the weddings and milestones they would have. Once we made it official Megan and I planned their engagement shoot which we started at Centennial Park in Clarksville and finished the shoot during romantic sunset at The Shrine of St. Anthony’s.

Centennial Park has won awards for its natural design and sensitivity to nature. The park offers 337-acre park featuring a spectacular 54-acre man-made lake, which is stocked by the State Department of Fisheries, and is home to a variety of wildlife. It is the perfect place for engagement photos. The Lake offers a romantic backdrop. The park is so large and beautiful that it is easy to spread out and finds lots of little areas that create a timeless setting for any photoshoot. 

The second half of the shoot we decided to drive 10 minutes up the road to one of my favorite places for photo sessions, The Shrine of St. Anthony. The Shrine of St. Anthony is a Roman Catholic shrine honoring St. Anthony of Padua. The shrine is located within the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary in Ellicott City, Maryland. The shrine offers some beautiful views of farmland and nature. The grounds are absolutely stunning and during the spring and summer seasons there are beautiful florals and lush greenery. The magnificent courtyard with a slate walk and a limestone fountain. The fountain which is at the center of the courtyard creates a romantic atmosphere. You feel like you are in another country with the historic architecture and stone. It is so peaceful and serene and it creates breathtaking fine art like images.

The Shoot

It was the middle of summer and it was HOT!! This past summer was very humid and being outside meant sweat dripping down and becoming sticky. This however did not stop these two love birds. They were ready for their session and to embrace the heat. We planned for the sunset hour to avoid as much direct sun as possible and for the summer temperatures to drop. The first hour we spent in the shady trees of the park and then by the beautiful lake. Megan warned me before the shoot Blake wasn’t a picture person but wow did he deliver. The two at the time were living in separate states so Blake was visiting for the weekend and I think he was just happy to me with Megan that he forgot that I was even there! His face lit up when he was with her and in return it put the biggest smile on Megan’s face. Once the sun was setting we headed over to The Shrine of St. Anthony, where we finished up our shoot. We took advantage of all of the beautiful architecture and stone. It complemented Megan & Blakes neutral outfit choices and just looked oh so timeless! In the end we were definitely hot and sticky and ready to be back in the AC but oh my gosh did we have fun! I really enjoyed meeting and working with these two and I can not wait for their wedding day!