Blog— 2023 —
Roger Williams Park Engagement Photos
Sarah & Dennis
Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
May 12th, 2023
Part of the reason you always want to hire an experienced photographer to shoot your engagement session and wedding is knowing they've been around for a while and you can trust their opinion on certain things.
Take, for example, Sarah and Dennis' spring engagement session at Roger Williams Park. Back in March, I got an email from Sarah and Dennis asking to schedule their engagement session and giving me a list of dates to choose that worked for the three of us. We chose two (one in April and a backup in May in case of inclement weather.) Two days before that engagement session, the weather looked great but Roger Williams Park? Well, let's just say it hadn't fully blossomed.
I left it up to them but, ultimately, I told Sarah and Dennis we should wait a few weeks until the colors really popped and, thankfully, they took my advice. And, because they did, we had one of my favorite engagement sessions in years with some of the best and most beautiful photos I've captured of a couple at this location.
And, if this is a sign to come ahead of their 2024 wedding, all I can ask is: Is it 2024 yet?
I knew moments into Sarah and Dennis' engagement session that they were my kind of couple. While our plan to meet up on a Friday night at Providence's most popular park was a great idea ... well, hundreds of other people had that same idea.
This meant dealing with not only half the park being inaccessible because it was "Friday Night Food Truck" night but also, every location I scouted when I arrived was full of teenagers taking prom photos.
No worries. I can adapt and so, too, did Sarah and Dennis as we met in the parking lot of the park's softball field and decided we'd just walk until we saw something we could use.
The result? A first location I initially had no intention of using that turned out perfectly. What a sign of things to come.
I love Roger Williams Park. In fact, it might be my favorite location for engagement photos. Why? Because I trust the park enough to know that there will always be somewhere cool to take a bride and groom. Like, for instance, our second impromptu location: a random off-the-beaten-path corner I've passed by dozens of times and never used for photos.
This second location, quite literally tucked away, was perfect for Sarah and Dennis and I could feel them getting more and more comfortable with the photo shoot as we transitioned from pose to pose. More importantly, this second location was secluded enough that the two soon-to-be newlyweds could fully embrace their silliness and I was HERE FOR IT.
I loved working with Sarah and Dennis for a lot of reasons but the number one reason was they didn't take things too seriously and that came across perfectly.
Sarah and Dennis brought two outfits with them and I'm thankful they did as I always love to have a variety of looks for my couples to choose from in their engagement photos.
After doing a quick change in the car, Sarah, Dennis and I headed around the park only to discover road after road was closed. Again, I like to think I'm the king of pivoting and though it took some doing (and a lot of walking) we finally managed to get over to the Japanese Gardens, the spot I typically start my engagement sessions at.
Turns out, patience is a virtue as the slowly setting sunlight made our time in this area of the park even more special than usual. I loved the photos we took near the Casino bandstand and when we finally got into the Japanese Gardens themselves.
While I typically end my Roger Williams Park engagement sessions at the Temple to Music, there was simply no way we were going to get there before the sun was gone on this particular evening. Luckily, I knew we still had the Iron Footbridge as an option and, honestly, I can think of no better place for Sarah and Dennis' final location right as the sun began to set on a great evening.
All told, quite literally nothing I had planned for Sarah and Dennis' engagement session worked my way ... and I'm so glad it didn't. I love working with couples who are all about going with the flow and Sarah and Dennis' adaptability and general sense of being up for whatever was such a pleasant surprise and bodes so well for their wedding next summer.
I don't know if we'll be able to top their engagement session but, man, I look forward to giving it the college try. So, thank you Sarah and Dennis for an absolutely awesome engagement session and I can't wait to get together next year and do it all over again. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
