I have almost no words to describe the incredible engagement session we had with Katelynn and John at Brookside Gardens over the weekend. It was seriously that amazing. I should first say that I have been wanting (probably more like needing) to photograph at Brookside for about three years. Shawn and I have stopped in there very quickly once before, but have never had the pleasure of exploring the grounds. When Katelynn mentioned that her and John wanted their photos to be there, I immediately started jumping up and down with excitement. We arrived at the gardens on Saturday morning, bright and early. The day had a cloudy start, but that just meant that the flow of tourists Brookside normally attracts would be staying warm at home :P. While it didn't feel much like Spring, the gardens were still in full bloom. There were yellows, pinks and purples everywhere, as well as beautiful tulips blossoming on every side of the path. All of the beautiful colors took us by surprise, since we expected lots of prettiness, but this was just a totally different level of jaw dropping gorgeous. Not only were the gardens perfect, but Katelynn and John were fantastically adorable. They were such naturals in front of the camera, and I loved watching how they fit so wonderfully in each other's arms. Being able to hang out with them for the morning made Shawn and I even more excited for their Jamaican destination wedding next May. We just...

I'm not sure if it was the bright leaves or the crisp fall air, but Samantha and Doug's engagement session at Patapsco Valley was fantastic! These two are such an adorable pair. Samantha and Doug were constantly laughing and having fun with each other. It was so cute to see them interactj every time I would tell them to look at one another their faces would light up with huge smiles. Shawn and I could easily see that they just enjoy being around one another. One of the many great things about this session was that it was at my favorite park. I know I've talked a lot about Patapsco in the past, so I won't waste too much time, but the amount of stuff that this location has is unmatched by anywhere else. For Samantha and Doug's engagement we got to check out a new spot, the Cascade Falls, and it was insanely beautiful! We definitely had a lot of adventures on this session, especially around the falls. Given that it was a new spot, I wanted to cover every nook and cranny around this area, so we attempted to safely climb a little bit up the side of the waterfall. I say attempt because Samantha and Doug had no problem getting into their spots, but I stumbled and almost rolled off the edge - typical Britney, haha! It's a much funnier story since I didn't fall and break anything :P. I cannot wait to photograph these two sweethearts...

Maryland is where it is at for Mary and Justin, who you might recognize from their engagement session in the fall. I had been looking forward to their wedding because of Mary's description of the MD theme. Everything from their cake colors to the design on Mary's nails reflected their love for Maryland. I loved seeing the tiny details and big picture come together for their wedding day. I never realized how much of a designer's dream the Maryland flag is - it can be transformed into so many different things that no one would ever think of! When I first arrived at Mary's house, I was surprised to see how calm she was! Nothing stressed her out, and even their cake topper disappearing only made Mary shrug and go "Oh well." I think her very zen-like appearance was due to her knowing she was marrying the man of her dreams and that a missing cake topper wasn't going to change that. In fifty years she isn't even going to remember the things that were missing, so she felt no need to stress. I was definitely envious of her calm nature! Another thing I was envious of? Mary and Justin's reception: it was totally awesome! After a beautiful ceremony and some hilarious portraits of the bridal party, it was off to a reception that is now on my "Top Five Favorite Receptions" list. Mary and Justin made their grand entrance by breaking through a banner with their...