BOTANICAL GARDENS | ATHENS, GEORGIA | ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Something BRAND NEW is happening for this blog post and I’m pumped about it! This is the first ever audio memo shared directly on the blog and it’s about my time meeting Mae and Stephen for their engagement! Sometimes typing words don’t truly do the story justice… so just like the audio memos I send my best friend downloading everything about the day, you’re getting a behind the scenes look on what this time was like together!

Let me tell you right off the bat, I really really love these two! One of my favorite things to photograph is the friendship a couple has built over time and that was one of the most obvious things I sensed when first meeting Mae and Stephen. It wasn’t long before I asked… “have you two been together a long time?!” Their answer… “6 years!” I could totally tell.

There’s something effortless about their love for each other that was really meaningful to get to capture in their photos. They are clearly for each other and enjoy each other so much! The Athens Botanical Gardens looked extra beautiful on this “fake fall” day (I mean.. 70s in August?! I LOVE IT!)

A fun side note.. I actually met Mae’s sister, Emma years ago while working at an office job before I became a full time wedding photographer! You bond pretty quickly with someone when you’re in the trenches together of learning all the office lingo, where the supplies are and how to transfer a call! Emma saved me on many occasions when I didn’t know what I was doing, and I’ll forever be grateful.

Then, while photographing Sheila and David’s wedding back in the spring, I noticed a familiar face… it was Mae! I thought.. “that HAS to be one of Emma’s sisters!” From there, we connected and she became a MH bride for 2026!!!! I was soooo excited!!!

I loved getting to hear about their families, potential honeymoon spots and how they’re moving right in the middle of wedding planning! Getting to know them made me SO EXCITED for the wedding day!!