Their Session: Deep Cut Gardens & Long Branch, NJ

From the moment I met Emily and Shawn over Zoom and again in person for their Deep Cut Gardens engagement session, I could feel the depth of their connection. It’s so apparent that these two are truly best friends along with being partners in life. It’s so special to see how down to earth yet giddy they are together, and I loved capturing every second of their love!

We started their session at the gorgeously in-bloom Deep Cut Gardens, where they explored the hedge mazes and flowers with their daughters! It was so fun seeing the amazing personalities their 2 little ones possess, and how sweet their sisterhood is at such a young age. I’m so glad we could combine their engagement photos into a little family session, as well!

Once their kiddos went off with their grandma for the evening, we continued on with photos of just Emily and Shawn at Long Branch beach for sunset! With all of the beach locations in New Jersey to choose from, Long Branch is always one of my favorites for it’s quiet and romantic vibe. These two fully embraced the cloudy skies and windy weather for their playful pictures at the shore. Shawn loved the beach to say the least – he was running around, jumping in the water, and truly SO excited to be there. Their energy was infectious, and I don’t think we stopped smiling and laughing the entire evening!

Their Love Story

They first crossed paths during a casual night out in college. It was just one of those unassuming evenings that managed to change everything for one another. Emily said it was “one of those nights where everything just fell into place.” They were introduced by mutual friends at a local bar, and what was supposed to be a quick “hello” turned into hours of effortless conversation. They discovered they’d grown up in neighboring towns back in Chicago. She recalls, “A janky little high-top table, hours of talking and some drinks were all it took to make us inseparable.”

That was truly the start of it all – late night drives, beach date nights, dancing in the kitchen, trips visiting each other, and supporting each other in every way that they could. They welcomed their first baby girl into the world with so much love and strength. They embraced this new chapter of parenthood together, and became partners in the truest sense of the word. A few years later, their second daughter was born! Now, they’re so ready to celebrate all the beautiful milestones they’ve shared so far and the ones that are yet to come!

Emily & Shawn,

Thank you so much for such an incredible Deep Cut Gardens engagement session. Your family is something you two should feel so proud of, and I’m so honored to be the one to photograph these special moments for you all! I can’t wait to celebrate your marriage and capture all the emotions on your wedding day this September. It’s going to be such a dream!! Congratulations! xoxo

If you loved this springy Deep Cut Gardens engagement session, come check out another engagement session at this location on a foggy day here!