A Port of Excelsior Engagement Session

Elizabeth + Quinn

There’s usually a moment during an engagement session when everything changes.

The nerves disappear. The posing stops feeling like posing. They stop wondering where to put their hands or whether they’re doing it right.

And suddenly, they’re just them.

With Elizabeth and Quinn, I knew exactly when that moment happened.

When we met at the Port of Excelsior for their engagement session, they were a little nervous about being in front of the camera. One of the first things they said was, “You’re really going to help us with posing and tell us what to do, right?”

Absolutely!!!

Most couples aren't used to having a camera pointed at them for an hour and a half. You're not supposed to show up magically knowing where to put your hands, how to stand, or what to do next. That's my job.

So we started with a little more direction. And then we walked. And talked.

And talked some more.

We talked about their dating and engagement story, where they work, where they went to high school and college, volleyball, cars, animals, lake cabins, their families, God, wedding planning, and probably a dozen other things we somehow managed to squeeze into an hour and a half.

Elizabeth and I also discovered that we share a favorite color, yellow, which made me ridiculously happy when I found out yellow is also one of the main colors for their wedding. 💛

And somewhere in the middle of all those conversations, I watched the shift happen.

They weren't thinking about the camera as much anymore.

They were laughing. Moving. Playing around. Talking to each other. The poses stopped feeling like something they needed to get “right,” and they started simply enjoying being together.

That's the part I love.

Of course I want you to walk away from your engagement session with beautiful photos. But I also want us to actually get to know each other. By the time your wedding day arrives, I don't want to feel like a stranger showing up with a camera.

You already know how I work. You know I'll give you direction when you need it. I already know more about the two of you and how you naturally interact together. And hopefully, you're a whole lot less worried about being photographed.

Elizabeth and Quinn's session was the perfect example of that.

We started at the Port of Excelsior with two people making sure I was REALLY going to tell them how to pose.

We ended it running down the docks, laughing, playing, and eventually getting IN Lake Minnetonka. 😂

By that point, nobody was asking me what they were supposed to do with their hands.

And that might be my favorite part of their entire engagement session.

Elizabeth and Quinn, I had the best time spending the evening with you two, and I cannot wait for your wedding day. (And I’m really excited about all that yellow. 💛)

Photographed by Leah Welch for Bellagala