Their Session: Colonial Park, Somerset, NJ

Ahhh, Julia and Austin showed UP for their Colonial Park engagement session!! It was SUCH a dream getting to photograph their love – the giggliest, sweetest, most fun EVER! Couldn’t have asked for more energy from them and their ADORABLE pup. They were down for all the wildest ideas like frolicking through the fields, lifts, piggy back rides, and snuggling with their furbaby, of course!

These two kindly modeled for a mentoring session I was hosting where I teach another photographer all about working with couples! We chatted about posing, client experience, running a session, and alllll things business at her mentoring session! Always such a blast getting to share what I’ve learned over the years with incredible photographers!

Their Love Story

Austin and Julia met in middle school back in 2012 through mutual friends! 2 years later, their relationship officially started 10 days into her freshman year of high school! They always had so much fun and did everything together throughout those 4 years. She shared, “Cheering him on at football games and making “too much” fries and milkshakes to exchange when we worked together are memories we cannot wait to share with our grandchildren one day.”

After becoming full-time working adults only 2 years after her high school graduation, Julia and Austin decided to take a huge leap and buy Austin’s grandmother’s house. They love experiencing all the “firsts” together with their high school sweetheart and best friend. It’s just something “we will never take for granted,” she said!

When I asked about the proposal story, Julia gave me all the details!! She said, “Austin proposed on January 24th, 2021 at Longwood Gardens! It was extremely cold that day and let’s just say I was not exactly loving our decision to take a trip here in the conditions, so I kept asking when we were going to leave. We eventually made our way inside where a beautiful heart shaped rose arrangement was laying on the floor. Our friends encouraged us to go take a picture with it in which I replied “absolutely not! Someone is proposing we can’t step on it!” Little did I know it was set up for us and after Austin looked at me the way he did I just knew this is it and couldn’t tell you a single thing he said over my sobbing. It was perfect.” How cute are they?!

They’re planning the dreamiest wedding day at the Merion. Their New York style venue perfectly matched the vibe and style they were going for with big chandeliers and an unbeatable food and drink menu.

Julia shared that her favorite quality in Austin is how smart and calculated he is. “His dad taught him the stock market at a very young age so I just admire the way he can understand it and teach others. He also would do anything for the people that he loves. I remember when I went to college in center city while he day-traded at home, he would drop me off and pick me up from school just so I could avoid taking the train because he was worried something would happen to me and he wouldn’t be readily available. I could probably write a whole 50 page paper on my favorite qualities of Austins!”

Austin said, “What makes you so special is that you don’t just have 1 or 2 good qualities, which is why I can’t pick a favorite it’s literally everything about you combined that is so amazing.”

Julia and Austin,

Thank you for being the best models for this mentoring session and for sharing your love story with us! I was so honored to get you in front of my camera during this exciting time in your lives! Enjoy allllll the engagement adventures and wedding planning! You’re going to have not only the most magical wedding day but the most beautiful marriage, too!