A bright day is always a blessing, we all agree on that. Bright days make everything prettier, beautiful, and clear. The day we met Megan and Brad, was a day like that, with the sun shining brightly and a profoundly blue sky. It was as if the world had cleared up for the occasion, the occasion of a very-much-in-love couple’s engagement photo session. When our engagement photographer met the couple, they were buzzing with happiness with a slight shyness in their body language. The couple shared that they’d been in love for years and couldn’t wait to build a life together. Both of them shared that the day of their engagement photo session was just the first step. “We’re excited!” they told us in unison. Surprised at each other’s reaction, they laughed lightly, shaking their heads. Our photographer found their reaction cute. They told us that they were excited to visit Forest Park. They told our photographer that they’d been to the park a few times before and were immensely in love with the natural elegance of the park. They absolutely loved the small ponds and the blooming flowers in the park. The two told us that they loved the city and walked through the city streets, enjoying every bit of it, like flaneurs. For the day, the two wanted to visit the beautiful Forest Park and enjoy their time there, they wanted to visit the museum near the park as well.

St. Louis has been known as the largest city in the Great Plains. The city is known for being one of those cities that have a unique flair, a flair that you’ll never forget, and surely never experience anywhere else. The beauty of the city comes from a city steeped in history and is known for its vibrant life. With many tourist attractions in the city, St. Louis was a known center for commerce and trade in the 19th century. Today, the city has been infamously dubbed the “Gateway to the West.” Like all cities, the cityscape is peppered with a cache of parks, museums, gardens, regular concerts, and art. The city has its fair share of artistic charm with a great collection in the City Museum and Saint Louis Art Museum. Not only this, the iconic Gateway Arch, which stands 630-foot tall, remains to attract many visitors and city dwellers. With many things to do in the city, Forest Park, which was where the couple was headed for the day, has been touted for its picturesque elegance. 

The day of the engagement shoot started a little after the afternoon. Megan and Brad were of the opinion that they’d want to see the flowers blooming and capture the environment perfectly, which would be possible only when the sun was directly overhead. For the day, the two dressed in casual formals. Megan put on a long sage dress, with hollow cuts in the sleeves. Her dress was perfect for the photo session venue. The slit green dress that she chose gave us summer vibes and looked well in the natural environment the two had chosen. She completed her look with gray flat heels that went perfectly with her outfit. The gray she chose was muted, she did not want her shoes to overwhelm her outfit, she told us. For the day’s make-up, she chose a minimal make-up look, and simply brushed her hair, forgoing any styling. Her naturally blonde hair fell softly around her shoulders, making her look as perfect as the park’s scenic beauty. Brad wanted to twin with her with his outfit, so he chose a lighter shade of sage, almost olive, shirt and paired it with a deep blue pair of pants and a dark brown belt. He completed his look with brown shoes. He confessed to the photographer that he was hoping to fear formal shoes, but they would’ve made him uncomfortable as he was looking to walk quite a lot during the photo session. 

The first photo session location was Forest Park. Forest Park is located in the heart of St. Louis and spans 1300 acres. The primary attraction of the park is that it hosts reservations that include forests, prairies, savannas, and wetlands. These reservations give Forest Park a unique quality, the landscape changes when you go from one part of the park to another. What’s more, the park is more than mere nature and wonderful scenic beauty, it also has some major cultural institutions, such as St. Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri History Museum, The Muny, and Saint Louis Science Center. Apart from that, there’s a lot more to the park, it includes the Jewel Box, a flower conservatory, the Emerson Grand Basin, the Boathouse, and the World’s Fair Pavilion. It is the variety of the park that attracts the couple to the park! They enjoy the blossoming blooms and the host of things they can do here. As the couple entered the park and were walking hand in hand, they shared with our photographer that they loved the beautiful, ornate gazebos of the park more than anything else the park has to offer. The two pointed out different parts of the park, as they walked, telling our photographer of the places they absolutely adore. 

The first place they wanted to pose for engagement photos was with the sea-green gazebo in the background. Our photographer walked with them, and the two were buzzing with the excitement of the day. Before reaching the gazebos, the two were simply awestruck by the sugar plum flowerbeds. Brad and Megan told us that the flowerbeds in Forest Park were designed and maintained, and the sugar plum flower beds were a part of recent endeavors. The two made plans to return to the sugar plum flower bed a little later. As our photographer and the two love birds walked, they spoke about how they have been entertaining the idea of an outdoor wedding. Megan chimed in, saying they would like a wedding venue with gazebos, she imagined marrying in a gazebo would look beautiful. When we reached the gazebo, the couple stepped into the massive space, dancing and twirling on the floor. Even though the lawns and the gardens in the park were warmer, the gazebo’s interiors were immensely cool, courtesy of the stones. The two were quick to jump into action and followed cues. Our photographer helped them with poses, and they were just super excited to try out different poses. The couple had decided to not use any props. They told our photographer they just wanted to capture the natural beauty of the park. Talking about their wedding day plans, the two quietly kissed each other. Our photographer captured the heartfelt moment. The two giggled shyly, when they realized they had forgotten where they were and what they had been doing. 

When the two had found the gazebo for their engagement photos, they were simply excited to go over their well-rehearsed poses. Brad confided in our photographer that they have always been a little camera shy. The two had been practicing their best looks and different poses. Megan smiled and chimed in with hopes to be a better subject for their wedding photos. The two told our photographer that they wanted to have some photos inside the beautiful gazebo, and then they’d want the gazebo in the background. Our photographer was more than happy to come up with different ideas to capture the perfect scenarios for the couple. When the couple posed inside the gazebo, the natural sunlight outside was just perfect. The light fell on the tree leaves, and lit up the greenery, making it look like a scene from a fairytale setting, perhaps this is what they want when they say they want an outdoor wedding because they love how nature shines in natural light. The couple’s choice of outfits fit right in with the surroundings, they looked like a part of nature itself! When they were satisfied with the different poses they could strike when they were inside the gazebo, they decided to go outdoors. 

Our engagement photographer found the perfect spot for the two in front of the gazebo. The angle was perfect, the two could strike their poses in the park, which was supported by a shallow, tranquil pond and the gazebo in the background. The picturesque quality of the park and its massive trees were easy to see. Above all, the natural charm of the couple was hard to miss. The domed gazebo, the pretty skirting of the park, and the beauty of tranquil water made the couple stand out! Striking a natural pose, and trying out standard couple poses for the camera. Their blush green outfits for the engagement photo session drew attention to them! Once the couple was satisfied with the pretty photos from the park, they decided to make use of nature itself as their photo background! The photo with Megan planting a loving kiss on Brad’s lips, with the different flowers in the background, and the pretty gazebo, is a photo that we feel is worth making a save-the-date card for their wedding invitations. Nature lovers at heart, they enjoyed traversing through overgrown shrubs and manicured grass. Finding the perfect place, our photographer dropped down to the ground to take a low-angle couple photo. Brad softly placed a kiss on Megan’s forehead. They went back to the sugar plum flower beds. Stopping for a moment to adore and admire the multicolored flowers blooming on the ground. They posed for some funny engagement photos, sharing that they’d keep these only for themselves. The two posed, elegant couple photos for their session with us. 

By now, the day was coming to an end, so instead of taking their planned ideas forward, the two decided to visit a complex nearby. They told us that they wanted to take photos in the museum complex, but they would like to enjoy the surroundings more. To keep her photos fresh and varied, Megan had brought another dress. She decided to change into a new outfit but left her heels unchanged. She wore a short, pretty white dress. The slip dress had a beautiful lace as an extra detail! They found a complex nearby, with a beige background, which was just perfect. Our photographer took photos of the couple. The backdrop of beige walls and framed photos made the two stand out. Posing next to each other, they smiled for the camera. Then, the photographer suggested taking some photos outdoors again. The setting was different from the earlier section of the photo session. The black railings added a wonderful balancing quality to the photos. Leaning on the railing, Brad supported Megan. Megan had let her hair down, once more, which looked just dazzling with the green-yellow tree leaves in the background. For the last few photos of the day, our photographer chose to let the couple talk, and be natural. Our photographer took candid photos of the two, and honestly, these images capture the deep love these two share. Their soft embraces and beautiful smiles are hard to miss. Megan softly hugs and instinctively leans on Brad, a show of her affection and love. Brad, always, finds a way to pull Megan close when they talk. Our photographer found that when they’re being themselves, they forget that a world outside of their beautiful, love-filled bubble exists. After taking candid photos of the couple, our photographer knew it was time to say their goodbyes. The couple smiled and walked back the entire way with our photographer to the exit. The two stopped on the way out to marvel at some of the flowers they’d missed on our way inside. They shared that they were excited to see the photos from the session. Megan excitedly suggested that they should have a photo book for their wedding and engagement photos. Brad smiled and said, “that’ll be nice.” After the outdoor engagement photo session with Megan and Brad, our St. Louis engagement photographer was left with a resting feeling that love is not about experiencing all of your firsts with a person, but love is about experiencing all of your lasts with a person.