Engagement Photos at Grandview Beach in Hampton, VA
I met Delaney and Derek through my photographer bestie, Jess! Jess brought Delaney to my outdoor yoga class earlier this year and they chatted about Delaney's impending engagement - it wasn't official, but she knew it was happening soon. [Funnily enough, I was asked by another friend if I could photograph the proposal, but I was already booked and unable to make it happen!] So when Delaney came back to yoga with a beautiful ring on her finger, I was absolutely ecstatic for her!
I was more thrilled when I saw an inquiry come through my website from her! We started exchanging messages and set up our coffee date so I could meet Derek and learn about their wedding day. We sketched out a rough timeline for their wedding day, shared some wedding planning tips, and I got them connected with a few of my favorite vendors.
We also started planning their engagement session during that coffee date! We originally planned to go to Chincoteague, VA because that's where Derek is from and where they'll be moving to when Derek finishes his residency program, but the week-of was stressful for everyone and the weather wasn't worth the drive, so we ended up choosing Grandview Beach in Hampton for their engagement session, and I'm so glad they did!
Making Engagement Photos a Date Night Experience
One of my favorite things to recommend to people is to treat their engagement session like a date night! You're doing your makeup and hair (probably even having a pro do it), dressing up, and spending two hours celebrating the love between you and your partner. Extending that celebration by going out for a nice dinner or fun activity after the session really makes the day feel extra special.
Since it was finally starting to feel like Fall around here, Delaney wanted to watch her favorite movie that helps her celebrate the season change, and Derek picked a seafood dinner! All throughout their engagement session at Grandview Beach, Delaney and Derek excitedly mentioned their dinner and movie date night plans for after the session. Their energy was absolutely contagious and I loved how excited they were for the whole day's experience!
To finish off their engagement session date night, Derek and Delaney brought a bottle of bubbly! We did a little champagne spray and they did their best to keep their clothes clean but the wind was a little too strong and they definitely got champagne on their clothes, but it got them some adorable photos to celebrate their engagement!