I had the great fortune of photographing an engagement session at the beautiful Duke Gardens with my happily engaged clients on a beautiful spring day! While I love NC State and the Arboretum in Raleigh, it just does not compare to the beauty of this place and how many countless opportunities to get beautiful photos there and with the weather being so nice, it was great to get out into the gardens. As a great omen, there was a wedding underway when we arrived and the band was playing the recessional music as we walked to start our photography session.
As we walked from the parking lot down into Duke Gardens, we both exclaimed how we could not have asked for a more perfect day for an engagement session. With both Joanna and Andrew working at local hospitals (Duke & UNC), it was a real treat to have everything cooperate as their time is limited. We literally walked from one end to the other of the gardens just hanging out and photographing wherever looked pretty – including the backside of the bathrooms. Now you know a place is pretty when the bathroom walls, exteriors walls, are photogenic. With so many different things in bloom, we probably could of continued walking and photographing well past dark, but our stomachs began to call our names after a while.
On a funny sidenote – Joanna mentioned Sushi. Well, my Sushi prowess is 2nd only to my cupcake prowess so when she invited me to dinner with them, I couldn’t resist. We ate at Sushi Love (appropriately named) in Durham and I introduced them both to Sashimi style Maki (Tuna). Even though we had already left Duke gardens, I spotted a water fountain when driving by the restaraunt that would make the perfect last photo for their engagement session, so the last shot is just outside Sushi love. Thank you both so much for everything! I cannot wait for your wedding in September and I know we are going to really have a great time!
As always, here is a small sampling of their engagement session from the Duke Gardens:
I love this pond at the Duke Gardens!
Even the Duke Gardens bathrooms are pretty. :)
It’s all about the wedding ring in this one
The Duke Gardens are beautiful in the spring
I really love cinemagraphic photography
