I met Sophie and Brendan 5 years into their relationship over an Instagram DM, and from the first encounter it was so obvious to me how special their relationship is. On our first call together I asked Sophie how she knew Brendan was ‘the one’, and her answer was quite simple… karaoke! Apparently early in their relationship Brendan joined in on a Thursday night karaoke bar tradition among Sophie’s tight-knit group of friends. Singing in public can obviously be an intimidating way to meet an entirely new group of people, but not for Brendan – he fit right in! After meeting him though, this wasn’t surprising to me at all. Brendan is so easy to get along with and is the perfect laid-back pair to Sophie’s confident, sarcastic, and witty personality.

These two are an effortlessly natural fit for each other. They are both aligned on a vision and are looking forward to a “low-key good time” wedding day. A day focused around an intimate ceremony with just the closest of family and friends, followed by a larger “party vibe” reception to celebrate. The best of both worlds in my opinion: timeless and intentional. They are even planning to substitute a traditional wedding cake for s’mores on the special day. (Very appropriate for a pair that meshes like sweet chocolate and gooey marshmallow) Not that I need another reason to look forward to their wedding next November, but I am known to pack away s’mores if given the opportunity, so thanks for that guys.

Just as sweet was their engagement session. Sophie and Brendan opted to celebrate their engagement in the fall with cooler temperatures, warm tones, and the beautiful changing leaves of St. Louis’ historic Lafayette Park. Why Lafayette Park? I think Sophie said it perfectly, “Lots of variety. I love that the park feels very small and intimidate, but you also have all the beautiful houses surrounding the square.” Just like their future wedding day; classic and intimate; the best of both worlds. I couldn’t agree more with Sophie and Brendan’s pick of Lafayette Park. In my opinion it is truly one of the greatest parks in St. Louis. Its french inspired architecture mixed with an abundance of greenery makes for the ultimate photo destination.

Like most couples Brendan and Sophie claimed that they would need a lot of direction in front of the camera, but as soon as we started the session they quickly proved to be naturals! Even their outfits, perfectly coordinated with the setting like pros. The best parts of the session were the small moments where they forgot that I was photographing them and were able to embrace each other in the most effortless and loving way. To me these are the most special photographs, moments of pure candidness showing the true love of two very special people.

Even though Brendan and Sophie have moved away and now live in Arkansas, I’m so we glad found a time to meet up together during a trip back home to visit family. If their wedding next year is anything like this evening, it’s sure to be blast.

Love the dreamy setting of this engagement session?
Click HERE to see more sessions in Lafayette Square Park!