A few years ago we saw a strong trend of couples who were opting for a destination engagement session. This is a fun way to get your engagement photos taken at one of your favorite places in the world, whether it’s Disneyland or Vail, Colorado. Most couples want photos at their summer vacation spots or places they have lived, especially if their favorite spot is different from where they were getting married. Many of us have an absolute favorite place but logistics or other factors make it impossible to hold a wedding there.

Needless to say, we are more than happy to travel to a location that you love because chances are that we will love it too!

Destination Engagement Session Tips

Once you have decided to go for a destination engagement session, here are the first things we do: 

1. Research, research, research. Thanks to the bounty of information on the inter-webs we can often find top photo spots online, which is a great place to start. We gather information like the popular photography locations, how crowded they get, are they open during golden hour, and if they require a photography permit.

2. Choose wisely! If you’re trying to show off the beauty of the Italian Alps, then it doesn’t make sense to do photos in a generic garden or field. Pick a spot that really shows where you are!

3.   Dress appropriately – this is true whenever you pick a destination location destination or not! Let the scenery set the tone. Gardens are great for pretty dresses and sport coats. The mountains of Colorado call for dramatic flowy materials or the completely opposite – hiking gear. 

4. Theme it up! If you’re going to be doing these photos at Lake Como in Italy (dream spot!) then go for the vintage wooden sports boat! Opt for a more editorial outfit. This is the time to be a little more bold than you would at home. After all, you’re on vacation! 

Spring engagement sessions can’t come soon enough! Between snow in Colorado this week and all the rain that DC has been getting, I am ready for some sunshine! This look back at Arielle and Adam’s Washington DC spring engagement session is just what I needed to power through the rest of winter.

Arielle and Adam met through a mutual friend New York City but came home to DC. For their spring engagement session, we captured the city they love and where they are building their life together. And while we love a good Cherry Blossom session this day was proof that there is more to DC in the spring than the madness of the blossoms.

We started the day with a few pictures in Georgetown and then headed to the National Mall for some more quintessential DC shots. A&A’s outfits perfectly matched the vibe for each location and captured the different sides of their personalities.

We are, of course, going to miss having these monuments in our backyard but are so excited to find amazing new locations for Denver engagement photos. Stay tuned for more Colorado weddings soon!

My love and appreciation of New York City is showcased in this sunrise chic and minimalist bridal session in Central Park. I collaborated on the shoot my friend and destination wedding and event planner, Jasmine from Vivid Vibes Event Planning. We planned the session with simple, elegant details and played off the nature and beauty of Central Park before sunrise.

For those of us who love clean lines, minimalism is a way of life. But just because it’s simple that doesn’t mean it can’t be organic and luxurious. For this minimalist bridal session we showcased a bride that wants to be feminine and yet look strong, independent and current.

Amanda from Studio Imbue designed florals that perfectly blended into the natural flora and fauna of the city; meant to look like they were growing out of the cracks of the NYC pavement. The end result was effortlessly chic.

Minimalist Bridal Session Vendors

Photographer Bonnie Sen Photography

Wedding Planner Vivid Vibes Event Planning

Planning Florals Studio Imbue

Wedding Dress Sarah Seven

Model Mariah Scott

Film Lab Goodman Film Lab

Details were king at this modern wedding at The LINE in Washington DC. Our bride Jennifer admits “no detail was too small for me to think about. I knew that the details mattered to me, even if they wouldn’t be noticeable by everyone in the end.” As photographers we could not be more happy with Jen’s state of mind! As a result this minimalist wedding was chock full of gorgeous details to capture.

Jay proposed to Jen at the base of the Washington Monument. As the planning began the couple landed on The LINE for their I dos even before the hotel opened. Uniquely, the LINE is not your traditional hotel ballroom but a historic church converted to a modern hotel. Details like the organ turned in to a chandelier and pews used as seating create a space unlike anywhere else. Not to mention breathtaking views from the rooftop of the Washington Monument which created such a special full circle first look for J&J.

Personal and Thoughtful Details

Jen and Jay worked person touches all throughout the wedding celebration to honor both their love and they city they love together. For instance the meal and bar featured ingredients and spirts from local providers. Correspondingly, one of the specialty cocktails was a recreation of a family punch recipe. Also, as a nod to history Jen had her wedding dress customized with a pearl button from her grandmother. Also, the couple’s dog, Panda, served as the “dog of honor” walking down the aisle with the best man.

Jen initially didn’t want any flowers for the dinner tables. Jen’s planner and florist, Julie of Kruse & Vieira, convinced her that a few simple arrangements of roses and greenery would be elegant and modern. Furthermore Julie and Jen designed the tablescape to be minimal allowing for the family style meal to be served.

Finally, the table numbers were based on the four letter park codes assigned to each National Park by the National Park Service. Not only did the groom work for the NPS, but the bride and her late father spent a lot of time hiking in National Parks. Furthermore the ode to the National Parks continued with vintage parks postcards on the tables and a donation to the National Park Service made in lieu of favors in memory of bride’s dad. 

See much more of this modern wedding featured on Brides.com.

Modern Wedding Vendors

Ceremony & Reception Site: The LINE DC

Planner & Floral Design: Kruse & Vieira Events

Officiant: Jeffrey Schwartz

Bride’s Dress: Floravere 

Bride’s Veil: Tania Maras 

Alterations: Cheryl Lofton & Associates 

Bride’s Jewelry: BLHDN, Giantlion

Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman 

Bridesmaid Dresses: BLHDN

Groom’s Attire: Ezra Paul Clothing 

Groom’s Barber: Max Men DC 

Flower Girl Attire: Ava & Yelly, Nordstrom

Rings: Tiffany & Co

Stationery: Minted 

Guest Book: Ansel Adams 

Music: Mixing Maryland 

Catering: The LINE DC 

Cake: Buttercream Bakery

For this Indian elopement, I partnered with Nisha of Bridelan, an Indian styling company. We went on a Calcutta trail; partly to rediscover my and Nisha’s roots and partly to bring the Calcutta of our collective consciousness to the contemporary lens.

The Bengali life is full of nostalgia and we aimed to capture this perspective in our shoot. We took our inspiration from the venue, the Raj Bari, a historic elite mansion turned luxury hotel on the outskirts of Calcutta.

We styled two bridal looks for the elopement. The first, a lace gown, is by Naeem Khan, who has an ability to bridge cultures in an elegant and understated way. The second look is by Sabyasachi, India’s most famous bridal designer. In India, brides from Bengal traditionally wear red for the Hindu conjugal ceremony. However, in a departure, we kept it white. Our inspiration was the white wedding dress made in Indian style, paired with red accents of Bengal.

The florals were simple and pulled inspiration from the colors of the environment. Bright fuchsia greeted guests in the main hall of the Bari. Then we used those colors to create the tablescape and ceremony backdrop. The cake design was inspired by the celebration of the most important goddess to Hindy locals, Durga. The minimalist cake design by the Rogue Cafe was, as with the rest of the shoot, a beautiful blend of cultures. 

See more of this Indian elopement and read more of our inspiration for the shoot on Style Me Pretty.

Indian Elopement Vendors:

Photographer Bonnie Sen Photography Film Fuji Film Styling & Creative Direction Bridelan Florist Orchid Garden Banquet Cake Rogue Cafe Jewelry Raniwala Hair & Makeup Bhavani Kumar Calligrapher Bawa Studios Venue The Rajbari Bawali Video Devang Vyas Film Scanning Goodman Film Lab Creative Consulting Linda Ha Wardrobe Naeem Khan Paper Goods Niru & Baku Wardrobe Sabyasachi Producer Shaikh Ayaz, Sinaya Khan and Tom Milavec