Romantic Summer Engagement Session at Dundurn Castle
Dundurn Castle has been on our radar for a while, and Denise & Chris felt like the perfect couple to shoot there with
The evening started with dappled overcast light, which in practice meant soft, diffused, light with no squinting but admittedly it’s not our favourite. But then the sun broke through and suddenly we had golden light filtering across the castle grounds, and everything got a little more romantic and a little more dreamy.
One thing worth noting about this session: Denise and Chris' wedding was less than two months away when we shot this. They didn't need the photos for save the dates or invitations since those had long gone out but having that “content” is not the only reason to do an engagement session. Getting in front of the camera with your photographer before your wedding day, especially if you've never had professional photos taken together before, is genuinely so valuable. You figure out how to move together, what feels natural, what makes you both laugh, even what makes you feel uncomfortable and unflattering. By the time your wedding day arrives, the camera is already familiar and the whole thing feels so much easier. It's also a great opportunity, if it's on your mind, to do a makeup trial ahead of the wedding; a real two-birds-one-stone situation that a lot of people take advantage of.
Dundurn Castle itself was a wonderful location to explore for an evening. The grounds are beautiful and varied, and having a couple as relaxed and natural as Denise and Chris to work with made it even better.
If you're thinking about an engagement session in Hamilton or anywhere across the GTA, we'd love to make it happen!
Photographed on the traditional territory of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississaugas of the credit first nation.
We left this session feeling genuinely excited for their wedding day, and it sounds like the feeling was mutual:
"OMG Hannah, these turned out amazing!! So many great ones to choose from!! Makes us super excited to see how the wedding day turns out. Thanks a million — Denise & Chris"