Russ and Haley are members at the Desert Botanical Gardens and love spending time at the garden with their daughter.  They knew it was the perfect place for their engagement shoot.  I could not agree more!  I love doing engagement sessions in locations that are special to the couple.  Bonus: I get a guided tour to these new areas by people who love them the most.

The day came and I drove out to the Botanical Gardens.  It was a beautiful cloudy day which not only provided perfect lighting for the more desert-y areas of the garden, but also provided some

cooler weather for our warm October weather.  Once we got into the park, they advised us of the day’s events.  Note to self: Check the events calendar after scheduling an engagement shoot at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  There was a Dia de los Muertos celebration and parade that started right when we got into the garden!  No matter, I was able to work my magic and still get amazing images in all of their favorite places at the garden.

They walked me all around their favorite spots in the garden and discovering some new areas along the way.  We got awesome pictures with their favorite mountains and then we stubble across some amazing twinkly lights in the herb garden.  Then it was mine turn.  I dashed around like a mad person trying to find a great spot to get some photographs with the amazing yellow light of the sunset.  Check.  Then I took them to my favorite part of the Desert Botanical Garden, the Organ Cacti.  I’m not going to lie, cacti kind of freak me out!  I’m always afraid I am going to fall into or sit on one.  But I cannot resist the amazing desert framing these organ cacti provide!  There it is, our check lists were done and the sun had set.  It was time to part ways until their wedding this summer.

Check out more amazing engagement sessions here: Engagement Sessions