Nicole & Dan
The North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts
May 25th, 2018
There's something special about spending a couple of hours with a bride and groom on an engagement session and really getting to know them for the first time. No matter how many times I've gone through this process, it still amazes me how fast you can go from complete strangers to buddies with a couple simply by spending a little bit of time walking around an area and asking questions.
And that was the case for Nicole and Dan during their engagement session last month as we toured the historic North End of Boston on a bright and sunny late spring afternoon.
I had a ton of fun with Nicole and Dan but the session was a great chance to see how they interacted and how flexible they would be when their September wedding rolls around in a few months.
And whether it was a little bit of light trespassing or stopping in the middle of a busy street for a cool angle on a photo, these two were down for all of my ideas and, very quickly, I knew we were in for a special shoot.
And boy were we. I adored this engagement shoot for a number of reasons and can't wait to spend more time with them this fall when they said "I do." And if that's not the point of an engagement session, what is?
Nicole and Dan's engagement session began much like many of my engagement shoots do as I told the couple straight out of the gate that the first 10-15 minutes or so would be a little bit awkward as I got a feel for what kind of photos they liked and how they liked to pose.
You can almost see the progression above as we started out with both Nicole and Dan looking a little bit defensive in the first photo on the left, which was one of the first shots of the day, and gradually warming up as we worked our way through the awkwardness.
What helped big time was finding out Dan was a sleeves rolled up kind of guy, much like myself, and it didn't take long to turn these two rookie models into experiences subjects for the lens.
Nicole and Dan's engagement session began outside of Bacco Restaurant, a restaurant near and dear to their heart and their story as a couple, and from there, we made sure to capitalize on the beautiful weather by strolling through the North End neighborhood of Boston, keeping our eyes out for cool sites and sounds as we went.
It was a great location choice for the bride and groom as they love the area and I loved it because it was the first time in 20 years I had been in that part of Boston. Needless to say, the next time I'm there will be a lot sooner.
What I loved about Nicole and Dan was their willingness to explore any area I thought looked cool, like the random bench we found in what looked like an apartment complex on one of the side streets as we walked.
Now even though there was a no trespassing sign on the property and, well, maybe we shouldn't have there, we stopped for a few moments anyway and took some of my favorite shoots of the entire afternoon.
And what's a little light trespassing between friends right?
Following that stop, the three of us found a small park with a nice fountain and took some really fun shots like the one above and a few by the fountain itself that led to an awkward moment as a group of school children made silly noises as I had Nicole and Dan kiss.
It was a cool little moment but nothing in comparison to the random street we pulled into for the cover photo of this blog.
Following our time in that portion of the neighborhood, Nicole, Dan and I took a small break to recoup and allow the bride and groom an opportunity to change their outfits. I love what the couple changed into, as seen above on the right, as it was a great outfit choice to both compliment the previous photos and make the back half of the shoot stand out.
Together, the three of us started to venture into more of the modern Boston area, including some of the city's busier streets and even down by the water.
By the time this shoot came to an end, I knew Nicole and Dan would be thrilled with the results as we really did have an action-packed day that covered a lot of ground and showed off their spirit well.
I loved shooting in the North End of Boston and would definitely recommend it to any couples who value that old school cool feeling of a historic neighborhood in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a busy major metropolitan city.
Nicole and Dan were a blast to work with and even though we spent hours together, it never felt that way as I could have spent the whole day working with these two.
I think that bodes well for their wedding day in Southern Rhode Island this fall. And, if nothing else, I know they're up for any challenges I can throw their way.
-PJS
Tags: Engagement Photos, Massachusetts Engagement Sessions, The North End, Massachusetts, Paul J. Spetrini Photography